Ahegao
| Synonyms: | 'O' Face, Sex Face |
| See also: | |
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Not to be confused with (アホ毛 , ahoge), the term for an exagerated cowlick popular in some anime hairstyles.
Ahegao (アヘ顔, ahegao) is a Japanese term for the faces one makes during sex, typically found in erotic manga. A particular, stylized version of the face became characteristic of the genre, and was adopted as somewhat of a group identifier for fans of the genre in the west (e.g. with fanac such as the ahegao hoodie and memes thereof).
Controversy over Ahegao Hoodies at Conventions
In recent years, a trend of wearing hoodies featuring ahegao faces of characters from various anime and comic series has emerged among attendees of comic and anime conventions. These hoodies often depict the faces of characters from popular franchises or hentai. The issue has sparked a heated debate within the community, with defenders of these hoodies arguing that they only feature the character's faces and do not display anything explicitly inappropriate.
On the other hand, critics raise concerns about the origins of the imagery and its appropriateness for the setting of anime and comic conventions. These events are often considered family-friendly and attract attendees of all ages, including children. Critics argue that the explicit or adult content associated with the characters depicted on the hoodies clashes with the family-friendly atmosphere these events strive to maintain.
Furthermore, some individuals find it uncomfortable or cringe-worthy to see male teenagers wearing these hoodies, as they believe it perpetuates an image of immaturity or inappropriate behavior within the fandom community.
As a response to these concerns, some comic and anime conventions have implemented policies to ban or restrict the wearing of such hoodies on the convention premises. For instance, SunnyCon Anime Expo, a British Anime Con, tweeted about their decision to ban these hoodies, stating their commitment to providing a welcoming and appropriate experience for all attendees.
⚠️Currently updating our cosplay etiquette rules for 2020 and we're not allowing ahegao clothing at our future events because we are an all-age convention. Rules will be uploaded this week as we update our site but we thought we'd get this one out there so you have been informed![1]@SunnyAnimeExpo
Reactions to it were mixed, with some users applauding the idea while others saying they would not attend.
Example Fanworks
Fanart
David (Camp Camp)'s sex faces, by ChainsPunk. Image 2. Note: Marked as sexually explicit; minimized.
Memes
- I believe the correct term for that facial expression is “ahegao”, Archived version by gay-pippin -- reinterpreting a screenshot of Gollum from LoTR movies as ahegao face [note: sfw image, nfsw text].