Recently, I read an article stating that a large portion of Hollywood thinks that anime is pornographic. I’m offended by that. Where do they get off thinking that sexual material can’t be entertaining/rewarding? Yet, as much as it pains me to admit it, most people don’t like overtly sexual shows. I prefer the lewd over the nude. But in that statement lies a conundrum I’ve had issues with. Can you find wholesome ecchi anime?
The answer is a resounding YES. From shows that teach valuable life lessons to ones that remind you to appreciate those around you, here are three wholesome ecchi anime that will bring out your best self.
Wholesome Ecchi Anime — A Sister’s All You Need
What does A Sister’s All You Need (Imouto Sae Ireba Ii) have in common with Spain? It abhors tourists. This anime could have appealed to a wide demographic and said, “Nope, we’re here for a cultured few.”
Don’t let Imouto Sae’s opening incest salvo scare you away because once you get past the cringey sis-con intro, you’re home. What do I mean by that? Home should be the place you feel safest in. Unfortunately, for many of us, this statement is untrue. But assuming your home life is positive, A Sister Is All You Need excels at recreating that warm and fuzzy feeling.
A Sister’s All You Need follows a group of close-knit novelist friends. And honestly, that’s enough of a synopsis for you to know what the anime is about. Firmly embracing slice-of-life’s iyashikei vibes, Imouto Sae elegantly conveys how important kindred spirits, travel, comfort food/booze, and sexuality are in life. There’s no pompous preaching about approaching life in a certain way. This wholesome ecchi anime doesn’t instruct; it depicts by example. And much like the anime’s nudity, the positive aspects take up permanent residence in your mind.
Crunchyroll streams the SILVER LINK Imouto Sae Ireba Ii adaptation. A Sister’s All You Need’s manga and light novel have concluded.
Heaven’s Lost Property
There are two shows I credit with turning me into an otaku: D-Frag! and Heaven’s Lost Property. So impactful were these shows that there’s a definitive before and after. This anime made me a kinder person. It changed how I approach people. Before it, if I walked by someone who needed help, I wouldn’t intervene. But because of Sora no Otoshimono, I always lend assistance when I’m in a position to do so.
Tomoki Sakurai spent the bulk of his life waking up with tears in his eyes. His melancholy stems from nightly dreams that center around angels. Worried about him and wanting to explain Tomoki’s misery, his childhood friend recruits the school’s resident weirdo and begins investigating. The duo hypothesized that “the New World,” a mysterious sky world, is to blame for Tomoki’s dream melancholia. And as if by the will of God, their hypothesis proved true after an “angeloid” from the New World crashes to earth and becomes Tomoki’s housemate.
This wholesome ecchi anime has two TV adaptations, several OVAs, and a movie by AIC ASTA. The Heaven’s Lost Property manga has concluded. Sora no Otoshimono is available on Crunchyroll.
FLCL
I spent two weeks trying to figure out how to introduce this anime, and nothing I put to paper does FLCL justice. I’d bet J-List’s spiciest doujin that even FLCL’s creators can’t fully describe it. This anime is a journey — it’s an uncomfortable, ecstatic roller coaster of introspection that gives you a new perspective with every watch.
Ten-year-old me watched FLCL’s original run on Adult Swim. Back then, I was beginning my spiral into what became a fifteen-year struggle with depression, suicide, and self-harm. Had I understood what FLCL was trying to tell me, life would have been so different. That’s a sentiment I’ve heard from everyone who watched FLCL as a kid. Because of that sentiment, I recommend this wholesome ecchi anime.
The best coming-of-age anime ever made, FLCL, follows Naota Nandaba. Living an unassuming life, Naota constantly laments life’s monotony. Unmotivated and confused, his only “goal” is caring for his brother’s memories — his things and ex-girlfriend. But when an unexpected encounter with an otherworldly being breaks the monotony of Naota’s life, things become exceedingly more complicated.
Someone will say, “Actually, FLCL doesn’t have an ecchi tag.” Whoever says that is right, the show doesn’t have that tag. But here’s where nuance comes in — FLCL’s content presented any other way would merit that tag. The reason why this show isn’t pegged as a fan service or sexual show is because it’s a masterclass in how someone of Naota’s age would deal with affection and sexual attraction. That’s something plenty of other shows should emulate.
The FLCL manga and light novel have concluded. Amazon streams the original FLCL anime. Two FLCL spinoffs, Alternative and Grunge, call Crunchyroll their home.
Wholesome Ecchi Anime — It’s a Thing
I guarantee you that “wholesome” and “ecchi” are things you wouldn’t think would go together. Don’t do that; challenge your preconceptions — whatever boundaries you think exist are your making. Assuming that sexual content can’t provide positivity doesn’t speak to your morals — it speaks to your lack of imagination. The world is as big as you want it to be, and even then, its size is but a star in the sky. So, check out these shows and learn from them. If there’s any wholesome ecchi anime you think we should know about, tell me about it. I finally cleared out everything in my “plan to watch” list, and life’s empty without 200+ shows on the back burner.
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