<p>Can you name some titles that features "true" incest between biological siblings? 
Incest is definitely a taboo at least in modern Japan. There are only a few love stories about incest between biological siblings, and most Japanese otaku do not like them.</p>

<p>However, a sibling-in-law is a notable exception. The Japanese law allows the marriage of two siblings-in-law as long as they are not related by blood. For example, at least legally speaking, a biological son of A and B can marry an adopted daughter of A and B. This is prohibited in many other parts of the world, and it is strongly frowned upon in reality also in Japan. But in fiction, this works as an ideal setting for a Japanese-style romantic comedy, where the author has to depict an almost never-ending unanswered/secret love and provide many "service cuts".</p>

<p>One of the early works that successfully took advantage of this fact is <em>Marmalade Boy</em>, where an adolescent girl is suddenly forced to live with a new handsome brother(-in-law), who she eventually falls in love with. People enjoyed this legally-valid-but-ethically-forbidden love. It has become a popular story trope, and many works including  <em>Da Capo</em>, <em>Sister Princess</em>, <em>Kissxsis</em>, <em>ImoCho</em> and <em>Eromanga Sensei</em> use similar settings.</p>

<p><strong>EDIT:</strong> Perhaps it's worth taking a look at <a href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00I0LKNQW/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the Amazon reviews of the last volume of <em>OreImo</em></a>, which is undoubtedly one of the most famous light novels in the "little sister" genre. You can see many readers were disappointed and turned off when the relationship between the protagonist and his (biological) little sister turned out to be "(romantic) love" at this point. It shows true unambiguous incest is unacceptable even to many fans of this genre.</p>

<p>Reference:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LittleSisterHeroine" rel="nofollow noreferrer">TV Tropes &mdash; Little Sister Heroine</a>

<blockquote>
  <p>Despite the name, Little Sister Heroine attempts to mitigate the obvious incestuous fallout; they're usually either a step sister, adopted or, more rarely, technically a cousin or distant relation.</p>
</blockquote></li>
<li><a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NotBloodSiblings" rel="nofollow noreferrer">TV Tropes &mdash; Not Blood Siblings</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-07T06:03:20.053Z
Yosuga no Sora is incest between biological siblings, if I recall correctly. Maybe some supporting information on some statements are needed, especially this: 'There are only a few love stories about incest between biological siblings, and most Japanese otaku do not like them.' and the statements in the second paragraph especially those regarding laws and the views of Japanese society. If it is already in the references you mentioned, then please disregard my comment.
W. Are
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-07T12:55:47.147Z
@W.Are I think [this](https://www49.atwiki.jp/aniwotawiki/pages/24312.html) answers your legal concern, although it's written in slangy Japanese. It even says *Yosuga no Sora* is a rare exception :)
naruto
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-06T16:23:46.340Z
2019-05-07T12:48:33.683Z
2019-05-07T12:48:33.683Z
naruto
<p>First, it needs to be said that incest in popular culture is prevalent in many other culture. It isn't unique to anime or manga works. Although it is true that compared to Western comics it is less prevalent, incest do exist in Western pop-culture songs, movies, literature, etc. </p>

<p>With that, we should focus on what it is in Japanese culture that makes incest a seemingly prevalent trope in anime and manga. There's also different types of incest relationships.</p>

<p>Incest is a taboo in Japan. What is incest to them, however, may be a little bit different than ours. Incest marriages between cousins are occasional as they are not considered incestuous until recently. This may explain why incest relationships like in <em>Elfen Lied</em> is a recurring trope.</p>

<p>Another thing is that historically, marriages between nephews and nieces have been approved. Even now in some rural areas, fathers marry their daughters when the mother dies. They are forced to do this as they follow old feudal laws. Sometimes when both parents died, the brother ends up having sex with the sister in order to end confusion. </p>

<p>There's also the common trope of brothers and sisters sleeping or bathing together in anime and manga. This is easily explained as such things are still prevalent in Japanese society. This doesn't necessarily lead to incest, however, but there are certainly hints towards it.</p>

<p>The first manga that involves incest is <em>Cream Lemon</em>, released in the 1980s. So this isn't something new. It is also noted that incest is in mangas for the <em>Shoujo</em> demographics, which is mainly for females. In other words, people might like incestuous anime and manga for the emotional relationship and not the physical relationships.</p>

<p>The combination of Japanese history and the demographic's tastes may help explain why incest is a popular trope in anime and manga. I could go on and on, but it may take too long to explain, so if anyone would like to read more, I have provided sources for others.</p>

<p>Sources:</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incest_in_popular_culture">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incest_in_popular_culture</a><br>
<a href="http://www.mangatherapy.com/post/1467868478/incest-in-anime-manga">http://www.mangatherapy.com/post/1467868478/incest-in-anime-manga</a><br>
<a href="http://psychohistory.com/articles/the-universality-of-incest/">http://psychohistory.com/articles/the-universality-of-incest/</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-19T13:23:08.237Z
Please explain what do you mean by "the brother ends up having sex with the sister in order to end confusion". If the sister ended up pregnant with the brother, wouldn't that makes thing even more confusing, especially for the gonna be born child.
絢瀬絵里
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-19T17:31:04.043Z
2015-02-19T17:33:47.943Z
2015-02-19T17:33:47.943Z
Hydromast
<p>I used to think that incest was only in hentai/eroge, but gradually, I have run into more mainstream content which seems to hint at brother-sister, mother-son relationships, or the tension of such attraction.</p>

<p>What is the origin of this theme?</p>

<p>Why is it so prevalent in Japanese manga and anime compared to Western comics? </p>

<p>It seems strange for a taboo to be popping up everywhere, so I am curious as to the origin. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-18T05:47:36.030Z
Are you asking for the origin of incest? Or which series first feature incest in Japanese anime/manga? Or are you asking what sets the trend for the current prevalence of incest in anime/manga?
nhahtdh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-18T05:50:29.047Z
Maybe because the more taboo it is, the more humans are attracted to it, and the more humans fantasizes about it. And since anime is a fantasy...It sells.
絢瀬絵里
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-18T05:56:12.403Z
I am asking what sets the trend, it's a recent thing since the 80's so far as I know
MrSynAckSter
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-18T06:13:38.790Z
I am sort of feeling that the first Yahoo answer is some kind of insensitive joke. I see a lot of similar threads with Japanese people being very offended. Not sure how this relates to the very real phenomena in Manga.
MrSynAckSter
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-18T06:25:13.557Z
That was definitely the first mainstream comic I've seen it in, but I'm told there are antecedents. Too tired to list now, but I might in the morning.
MrSynAckSter
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-18T07:25:23.623Z
A good answer to this question can comprise a big book. I also don't think the answers in the links provided by @nhahtdh is meant to be taken seriously (is that 80% figure for real? That would be horrible I think). Unless incest is also prevalent in the real world Japan, I think Hayao Miyazaki might [have a point](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2014-01-30/miyazaki/the-problem-with-the-anime-industry-is-it-full-of-otaku): "anime suffers because industry staff is made up of otaku who 'don't spend time watching real people.'"
Gao
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-18T07:37:15.813Z
Or they know too well about real people that this kind of thing sells (then the question will be about why people like this kind of thing). It's really hard to identify correlations that are the causes and effects for the phenomenon we want to observe.
Gao
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-18T07:41:31.617Z
@GaoWeiwei: I probably should remove that comment and keep the second related link here: http://www.mangatherapy.com/post/1467868478/incest-in-anime-manga. It seems to have generated controversy here and there, so I think it is not a good source to look at.
nhahtdh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-17T17:09:18.663Z
Oh, I read a book that included a section about this, focusing on Vampire Knight, if I recall. It was called Manga and Philosophy (edited by Josef Steiff and Adam Barkman). But I got it from my university library, so I can't help much here.
Shaymin Gratitude
<tropes>
Why is incest such a prevalent theme in manga and anime?
# Why is incest such a prevalent theme in manga and anime?
Posted by: username_0 on 2015-02-18
I used to think that incest was only in hentai/eroge, but gradually, I have run into more mainstream content which seems to hint at brother-sister, mother-son relationships, or the tension of such attraction.

What is the origin of this theme?

Why is it so prevalent in Japanese manga and anime compared to Western comics?

It seems strange for a taboo to be popping up everywhere, so I am curious as to the origin.
**Tags:** tropes
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Are you asking for the origin of incest? Or which series first feature incest in Japanese anime/manga? Or are you asking what sets the trend for the current prevalence of incest in anime/manga?  
> **username_2**: Maybe because the more taboo it is, the more humans are attracted to it, and the more humans fantasizes about it. And since anime is a fantasy...It sells.  
> **username_0**: I am asking what sets the trend, it's a recent thing since the 80's so far as I know  
> **username_0**: I am sort of feeling that the first Yahoo answer is some kind of insensitive joke. I see a lot of similar threads with Japanese people being very offended. Not sure how this relates to the very real phenomena in Manga.  
> **username_0**: That was definitely the first mainstream comic I've seen it in, but I'm told there are antecedents. Too tired to list now, but I might in the morning.  
> **username_3**: A good answer to this question can comprise a big book. I also don't think the answers in the links provided by @nhahtdh is meant to be taken seriously (is that 80% figure for real? That would be horrible I think). Unless incest is also prevalent in the real world Japan, I think Hayao Miyazaki might [have a point](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2014-01-30/miyazaki/the-problem-with-the-anime-industry-is-it-full-of-otaku): "anime suffers because industry staff is made up of otaku who 'don't spend time watching real people.'"  
> **username_3**: Or they know too well about real people that this kind of thing sells (then the question will be about why people like this kind of thing). It's really hard to identify correlations that are the causes and effects for the phenomenon we want to observe.  
> **username_1**: @GaoWeiwei: I probably should remove that comment and keep the second related link here: http://www.mangatherapy.com/post/1467868478/incest-in-anime-manga. It seems to have generated controversy here and there, so I think it is not a good source to look at.  
> **username_4**: Oh, I read a book that included a section about this, focusing on Vampire Knight, if I recall. It was called Manga and Philosophy (edited by Josef Steiff and Adam Barkman). But I got it from my university library, so I can't help much here.  
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_7 on 2015-02-19. Score: 11 | Accepted answer
First, it needs to be said that incest in popular culture is prevalent in many other culture. It isn't unique to anime or manga works. Although it is true that compared to Western comics it is less prevalent, incest do exist in Western pop-culture songs, movies, literature, etc.

With that, we should focus on what it is in Japanese culture that makes incest a seemingly prevalent trope in anime and manga. There's also different types of incest relationships.

Incest is a taboo in Japan. What is incest to them, however, may be a little bit different than ours. Incest marriages between cousins are occasional as they are not considered incestuous until recently. This may explain why incest relationships like in *Elfen Lied* is a recurring trope.

Another thing is that historically, marriages between nephews and nieces have been approved. Even now in some rural areas, fathers marry their daughters when the mother dies. They are forced to do this as they follow old feudal laws. Sometimes when both parents died, the brother ends up having sex with the sister in order to end confusion.

There's also the common trope of brothers and sisters sleeping or bathing together in anime and manga. This is easily explained as such things are still prevalent in Japanese society. This doesn't necessarily lead to incest, however, but there are certainly hints towards it.

The first manga that involves incest is *Cream Lemon*, released in the 1980s. So this isn't something new. It is also noted that incest is in mangas for the *Shoujo* demographics, which is mainly for females. In other words, people might like incestuous anime and manga for the emotional relationship and not the physical relationships.

The combination of Japanese history and the demographic's tastes may help explain why incest is a popular trope in anime and manga. I could go on and on, but it may take too long to explain, so if anyone would like to read more, I have provided sources for others.

Sources:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incest_in_popular_culture>  
<http://www.mangatherapy.com/post/1467868478/incest-in-anime-manga>  
<http://psychohistory.com/articles/the-universality-of-incest/>
> **Comments:**
> **username_2** (2016-10-19): Please explain what do you mean by "the brother ends up having sex with the sister in order to end confusion". If the sister ended up pregnant with the brother, wouldn't that makes thing even more confusing, especially for the gonna be born child.  
---
### Answer by username_5 on 2019-05-06. Score: 3
Can you name some titles that features "true" incest between biological siblings?
Incest is definitely a taboo at least in modern Japan. There are only a few love stories about incest between biological siblings, and most Japanese otaku do not like them.

However, a sibling-in-law is a notable exception. The Japanese law allows the marriage of two siblings-in-law as long as they are not related by blood. For example, at least legally speaking, a biological son of A and B can marry an adopted daughter of A and B. This is prohibited in many other parts of the world, and it is strongly frowned upon in reality also in Japan. But in fiction, this works as an ideal setting for a Japanese-style romantic comedy, where the author has to depict an almost never-ending unanswered/secret love and provide many "service cuts".

One of the early works that successfully took advantage of this fact is *Marmalade Boy*, where an adolescent girl is suddenly forced to live with a new handsome brother(-in-law), who she eventually falls in love with. People enjoyed this legally-valid-but-ethically-forbidden love. It has become a popular story trope, and many works including *Da Capo*, *Sister Princess*, *Kissxsis*, *ImoCho* and *Eromanga Sensei* use similar settings.

**EDIT:** Perhaps it's worth taking a look at [the Amazon reviews of the last volume of *OreImo*](https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00I0LKNQW/), which is undoubtedly one of the most famous light novels in the "little sister" genre. You can see many readers were disappointed and turned off when the relationship between the protagonist and his (biological) little sister turned out to be "(romantic) love" at this point. It shows true unambiguous incest is unacceptable even to many fans of this genre.

Reference:

* [TV Tropes — Little Sister Heroine](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LittleSisterHeroine)
  > Despite the name, Little Sister Heroine attempts to mitigate the obvious incestuous fallout; they're usually either a step sister, adopted or, more rarely, technically a cousin or distant relation.
* [TV Tropes — Not Blood Siblings](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NotBloodSiblings)
> **Comments:**
> **username_6** (2019-05-07): Yosuga no Sora is incest between biological siblings, if I recall correctly. Maybe some supporting information on some statements are needed, especially this: 'There are only a few love stories about incest between biological siblings, and most Japanese otaku do not like them.' and the statements in the second paragraph especially those regarding laws and the views of Japanese society. If it is already in the references you mentioned, then please disregard my comment.  
> **username_5** (2019-05-07): @W.Are I think [this](https://www49.atwiki.jp/aniwotawiki/pages/24312.html) answers your legal concern, although it's written in slangy Japanese. It even says *Yosuga no Sora* is a rare exception :)  
---
