Hentai is anime and manga pornography. A loanword from
Japanese, the original term (変態) does
not describe a genre of media, but rather an abnormal sexual desire or act, as
an abbreviation of hentai seiyoku (変態性欲,
"sexual perversion"). In addition to anime and manga, hentai works
exist in a variety of media, including artwork and video games (commonly known
as eroge).
The development of hentai has been influenced by Japanese
cultural and historical attitudes toward sexuality. Hentai works, which are
often self-published, form a significant portion of the market for doujin
works, including doujinshi. Numerous subgenres exist depicting a variety of
sexual acts and relationships, as well as novel fetishes.