Kasaix: Hello friends of Doujins. We’re here to discuss a trope of hentai that needs discussing: weirdly, almost cartoonishly ugly male protagonists in hentai. Now, this is not to shame anyone for their appearances, the outside isn’t what counts, but these dudes are portrayed as unpleasant to look at by other characters in the doujins and hentai they appear in, and are, more often than not, terrible people.

To discuss this topic, I’ve called in Kinkymation, a talented artist an eye for kinks. We’ve spoke to her before, discussing her background in art, female hentai artists, and the things that bug artists in general.

Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, Kinkymation. What’s your immediate opinion of this trope?

Kinkymation: Hello! Thanks for considering me

Well personally I don't like the trope. I want my art to look cute and sexy and to me they are not supposed to be any of those 2, as you mentioned it's not so much the body type (I personally find chubby guys to be very cute) but the way they are portrayed that doesn't do it for me. I would still draw them if commissioned but I'm talking on a more personal level.

Kasaix: Definitely wouldn't have some ghoulish dude in bed with your mascot dragon girl, right?

Kinkymation: nope, it wouldn't be my first choice that's for sure, unless as we’ve said, the guy was a total sweetie.

(Chii)

Kasaix: To clarify, most of the times these cartoonishly ugly beings, and I've seen big orc dudes in a few, are doing bad things to women. There are some times when, while not ugly, definitely not the standard normal or hot, dude is nice and even sweet to the girl or girls in the story.
Why do you think this trope exists?

Kinkymation: Well I think the trope targets and taps into the Dom kinks, be it of men and women! Their point in the material is to clearly make the girl submit to their whims, making them ugly or undesirable reinforces the submission part, it's a fairly common kink. It also has a tint of humiliation which one could catalog into the more BDSM side of kinks. I think that's why they are there and why they are made to be unattractive.

Kasaix: That.....makes sense. I actually did not see it like that. I assumed it was because they were targeting readers who feel they themselves are that ugly. You make a better point though. Maybe I should have asked about your background in psychology when we first spoke.

Kinkymation: Hehe! I'm glad to hear it made sense! I was going to be a psychiatrist, but I just love drawing way too much since I’ve done it for a long time, so I just went for it, But I do try to apply what knowledge I have to the characters and stories I make.

Kasaix: That's incredible! I'm very impressed.
Back to the Tokyo ghouls. If you or I are correct in our assumptions, then the trope/kink makes some sense: tying into a submission fetish, and definitely tying the reader's wishes into the story. Do you see this trope going away, staying niche, or proliferating?

Kinkymation: I don't think it's going away any time soon, there's clearly a place for it. And I don't see it proliferating either, it's completely a niche kink, and what's more it's a niche inside a niche. Hentai itself, while very popular, is still in the niche category, so are most BDSM kinks that are a bit on the more intense side, while most women like to be dominated to an extent, it's usually in a very softcore way, like hair pulling, or pinning down. Stuff like humiliation lean more towards the hardcore side, add to that the fact that it's a hentai trope, and we have a double niche!

Kasaix: You make all good points, and I bow to your wisdom and insight.
Since we, mostly you, actually broke this kink wide open, beyond my wildest expectations, let's end on a bit of a higher note. What's your favorite trope or kink? I prefer yuri myself. Nothing better than two or more sexy girls together.

Kinkymation: I don't know about wisdom, it's just the way i see it hehe! But yeah let's!
I don't know if it classifies as a kink, it’s more like a cluster of kinks all pointed to one direction but I do enjoy monster girls quite a bit, they are really fun to work with. And despite being called kinkymation I really enjoy romantic stuff, I think there's something about passion and intimacy that not much can beat for me.

Kasaix: I definitely like to see the romance and passion in works. It's good for the body and heart. And hey, who said monster girls can't be romantic? It's interesting to see that.

Kinkymation: It certainly is! And by monster girls I was referring to the Mon musu kind, they are very cute and have lots of interesting designs and are overall pretty vanilla heheh

Kasaix: Oh yeah, mostly human-ish girls with some animal traits that just make them cuter. Though I'll be honest, I never got centaur girls. The upper part I get and like, but the horse part, with the important bit, is still a horse part, you know? Not to my taste.

Mermaids and lamias can have that part as human, or mostly human.

Kinkymation: Well there's mostly 2 ways to go with centaur girls, you either keep the horse bits, or put the vagina on the front, like a regular human. Some authors I've seen say that they have both. one in the front and one in the back. Despite centaurs being a fairly common mythological creature, they are one of the weirdest ones when applied to sex.

Kasaix: Both ends for that? Yes. Yes they are.
Centorea fans are gonna be pissed. I'm gonna get so much hate mail for this.  Let's end this so I can check my mail settings.
Thank you very much for hanging out and talking about the ugly dude kink in hentai. Given how insightful you've been, if another one comes up, expect a message with a request.

Kinkymation: Well i hope most than anything that it was enjoyable to the readers, and if you'll like I'll gladly talk about any other topics!