Do You Want to Create Your First Erotic Story? Don’t Follow Mayu Shinjō’s Steps

The world of eroticism in illustration and comics has evolved significantly over the decades. What was once considered romantic or sensual may now be seen as problematic or even harmful. If you’re thinking about venturing into creating stories with erotic content, it’s essential to understand the difference between suggesting and showing, between consent and coercion, and between romance and toxicity. In this article, we’ll analyze the work of a renowned manga artist and reflect on how to create respectful and attractive erotic content for contemporary audiences.

The Art of Suggestion: The Subtle Line Between Erotic and Pornographic

When we talk about eroticism, we’re referring to representations that can awaken sexual desire and excitement through symbolic uses or suggestions. It’s important to establish a clear distinction between erotic and pornographic production. Although both genres share territories, the main difference lies in the amount of nudity and the explicit nature of sexual interaction scenes.

In erotic works, sex may be present, but it doesn’t focus exclusively on showing bodies in explicit sexual situations. The erotic prefers to suggest rather than show, opening up more space for connotation and allowing readers to complete the experience with their own imagination. This characteristic not only enriches the narrative but also creates a deeper connection with the audience, inviting them to actively participate in the interpretation of the content.

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Mayu Shinjō: Exponent of Problematic Eroticism in Manga

One of the most recognized examples in the erotic genre within manga is Mayu Shinjō, a manga artist who, primarily in the shōjo demographic, developed what was understood at the time as eroticism. The author gained popularity thanks to works such as Kaikan Furēzu, Akuma na Eros, Haou Airen, Love & Sex, Rabu Serebu and SEX=LOVE², among many others.

However, her work serves today as an example of representations we should avoid, considering the important generational changes in the understanding of gender, sexual practices, and identities. Shinjō’s production is mainly concentrated in the 90s and the first decade of the 2000s, times with very different conceptions about sexual-affective relationships.

What was then considered romantic (and which unfortunately still persists in some mass consumption) was mainly based on heterosexual couples where dominance belonged to the male, while the woman remained in a role of submission. This dynamic created a problematic treatment of desire and consent, sometimes generating favorable allusions to rape culture.

Recurring Archetypes: The Formula of Power Imbalance

To build these asymmetrical relationships, Shinjō worked with two types of characters that were consistently repeated in her works:

• Female protagonists: Small, thin, extremely innocent and fragile women, invariably virgins, who frequently fit the “damsel in distress” trope. These femininities were at the disposal of their male counterparts.
• Male protagonists: Men constructed from the predatory and violent, physically imposing, with disproportionate proportions, great height, and enormous backs that literally eclipsed the body of their romantic interests. They complemented these characteristics with hegemonic facial features, penetrating gazes, and aggressive attitudes.

Between both characters, an emotional and obsessive dependency was established which, from a contemporary perspective, is concerning. Yesterday’s “damsels in distress” are precisely those we need to rescue from this type of male character who presents romance as a way of relating through violence, abuse, control, and manipulation.

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Pure Love Strip: Anatomy of a Romanticized Toxic Relationship

To specifically analyze these problems, we’ll examine a specific example from Shinjō’s work: “Pure Love Strip,” published in 2004 in Shōjo Comic magazine. This story starring schoolgirl Yuuki and her childhood friend Ryuunosuke perfectly exemplifies the issues mentioned.

From the cover itself, we can identify concerning elements. Yuuki, our protagonist, appears cornered against the wall by Ryuunosuke. In the promotional description, he is presented as “perfect,” establishing him as the model of desirable man. However, faced with the girl’s expression of surprise and fear, he responds with a cynical smile.

The visual language is clear: he is significantly larger than her. Yuuki’s physical posture is defensive: arms crossed over her chest, tense body, eyes wide open in alert. In contrast, Ryuunosuke shows relaxed body language, occupying more space on the page, even with his left hand in his pocket as a gesture of total control and dominance. Additionally, the story is promoted as a “dangerous love story,” romanticizing danger as a natural element of a romantic relationship.

Power Imbalance: Intellectual Dynamic as a Pretext

The narrative premise establishes another level of inequality: Ryuunosuke is presented as the brightest and most coveted student at his prestigious school, while Yuuki is characterized as a mediocre student with great academic difficulties. This intellectual imbalance serves as justification for the reunion of both characters, when he begins to give her tutoring to help her pass her exams.

However, Ryuunosuke doesn’t take long to reveal his true intentions: he demands various sexual services as “payment” for his classes. Although Yuuki clearly expresses her disagreement and embarrassment at these proposals, she is forced to agree to meet the expectations of the educational system and her own mother. This dynamic of coercion is established as a starting point for a relationship where he takes every opportunity to force sexual situations and exercise emotional violence.

In these panels, we can observe several revealing elements. In the first one, Ryuunosuke insults Yuuki while horizontal lines, a typical manga resource, emphasize the aggressiveness and speed of the interaction. Her body posture, leaning backward, clearly communicates fear and rejection. In the second panel, he dominates the space while smiling, proposing/imposing the sexual exchange. To symbolize his supposed beauty and attractiveness, the artist resorts to classic flower petals, a visual code that seeks to aesthetically elevate the character. Finally, in the third panel, Yuuki appears represented in “chibi” (infantilized) style, while expressing a huge “WHAT?” of surprise and rejection. The contrast is evident: she is infantilized while he is magnified.

Consent vs. Coercion: The Root of the Problem

It’s important to clarify that the fantasy of domination and submission, in itself, doesn’t necessarily constitute a problem when it occurs in a context of mutual consent and agreed role-playing. What is truly problematic in Shinjō’s narrative is the absolute lack of consent from Yuuki, who repeatedly expresses her discomfort and rejection.

This scene of the first kiss between the protagonists perfectly illustrates the problem. Ryuunosuke forcibly kisses Yuuki, as evidenced by how he takes her hand causing a flushed face (not of pleasure but of embarrassment), the expression of discomfort in the last panel, and the big “STOP” that appears on the right side of the page. The visual narrative leaves no room for doubt: it’s an imposition, not a moment of reciprocated passion.

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The following frame reinforces this interpretation: Yuuki, visibly affected, confirms that she didn’t want that kiss, that it was against her will, and that what happened places her in a situation of emotional vulnerability. Her discomfort is palpable, but the narration won’t treat it as something problematic but as part of the “loving process.”

The Normalization of Abuse as a Romantic Strategy

It could be argued that the author was trying to warn her audience, mostly teenagers, about this type of toxic behavior. However, the evolution of the narrative contradicts this interpretation. Throughout the work, Shinjō elaborates a feminine subjectivity that gradually finds pleasure in the forms of violence exercised over her, without identifying the manipulation to which she is being subjected.

These patterns of behavior are constantly repeated until they are normalized and, most worryingly, romanticized. The implicit message seems to be: “This is how love should be: forced, impulsive, and traumatic.” This normalization is particularly dangerous considering that the target audience was young people in the process of forming their conceptions about love and relationships.

The characterization of Ryuunosuke is especially insidious. In this scene, where he is supposedly struggling to repress his sexual desire for Yuuki, his facial expression and body posture present him as depressed and vulnerable. This narrative strategy seeks to generate empathy toward him, redeeming him as a “victim of love” instead of recognizing him as the perpetrator of harassment and abuse that he really is. The narration invites us to forget his aggressive acts, justifying them as manifestations of an “uncontrollable love.”

The Cycle of Violence: From Resistance to Acceptance

The narrative arc culminates with Yuuki’s complete surrender to her aggressor, presented as the triumph of romantic love. This progression follows a pattern that is disturbingly similar to the cycle of violence documented in real abusive relationships:

1. Initial harassment: Ryuunosuke establishes his position of power and begins to exert pressure on Yuuki.
2. Rejection and resistance: She clearly expresses her discomfort and refusal.
3. Persistence of harassment: He ignores her boundaries and continues with invasive behaviors.
4. Emotional manipulation: He presents himself as vulnerable or needy to justify his actions.
5. Breaking of resistance: The victim begins to doubt her own perceptions and feelings.
6. Reinterpretation of abuse as love: The victim redefines traumatic experiences as expressions of passion or genuine interest.
7. Acceptance and response: Finally, the victim not only accepts but seems to initiate romantic or sexual exchanges.

This scene represents the culminating point of this cycle: Yuuki kisses Ryuunosuke, suggesting that she has “given in” to the “seduction” established through repeated instances of harassment and abuse. The image shows her standing on tiptoe and firmly grabbing his arms to kiss him, while he shows an expression of surprise with his body leaning downward. This momentary role reversal seeks to retrospectively validate all previous transgressions, suggesting that “she always wanted it” or that “she finally understands her feelings.”

Historical Context vs. Creative Responsibility

It’s fair to recognize that Shinjō’s work was produced in a specific sociocultural context, with conceptions about gender and relationships that have evolved significantly in recent decades. However, this does not exempt contemporary creators from the responsibility of critically analyzing these works and avoiding reproducing harmful patterns in new creations.

Manga and comics, like all art forms, reflect and at the same time influence the social conceptions of their time. What in the 90s and early 2000s could pass as “passionate romance,” today we can recognize as manipulative and abusive behaviors.

For current creators, this retrospective analysis offers a valuable learning opportunity: we can identify which elements to avoid and how to build healthier, consensual, and genuinely stimulating erotic narratives. Explore new ways to express passion and eroticism in your illustrations without falling into outdated stereotypes, developing your own style that reflects contemporary values.

Creating Responsible Eroticism: Alternatives to Toxic Models

For artists and illustrators interested in the erotic genre, there are multiple approaches that allow creating sensual, stimulating, and attractive content without reproducing abusive dynamics. Some important considerations include:

Enthusiastic and Explicit Consent

Unlike Shinjō’s work, where female rejection eventually “is overcome,” contemporary erotic narratives can and should incorporate consent as an erotic element in itself. Mutual interest, clear communication, and shared desire can be visually represented in ways as provocative as any domination scene.

Some visual resources to convey consent include:

• Looks of complicity between characters
• Receptive and participatory body language
• Balance in the initiative of different intimate moments
• Facial expressions that communicate pleasure and comfort
• Dialogues that make desires and limits explicit

Balance of Power and Shared Vulnerability

Extremely unequal power relationships, like those found in Pure Love Strip, can be replaced by more balanced dynamics where both characters show strengths and vulnerabilities. Even in domination/submission fantasies, these can be presented as consensual and flexible roles, not as inherent and immutable characteristics of the characters.

Some examples include:

• Alternating who takes the initiative at different times
• Showing the emotional vulnerability of all characters involved
• Avoiding extremes of size and strength that suggest impossibility of resistance
• Presenting characters with agency and capacity for choice

Diversity of Bodies, Identities, and Desires

Contemporary eroticism has the opportunity to expand beyond the restrictive formulas of the past, incorporating greater diversity of bodies, gender identities, sexual orientations, and relational dynamics. This diversity not only better reflects the reality of human experiences but also opens up new creative and narrative possibilities.

Some important considerations include:

• Representing diverse body types as desirable and sensual
• Exploring relationships between people of different genders and orientations
• Showing racial and cultural diversity in positive erotic contexts
• Including characters of different ages (always adults) and abilities

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The Power of Suggestion and Space for Imagination

As we mentioned at the beginning, one of the distinctive characteristics of eroticism versus pornography is its ability to suggest rather than explicitly show. This quality can be creatively leveraged to create works that stimulate the reader’s imagination and are more intriguing than completely explicit content.

Some effective techniques include:

• The strategic use of shadows and silhouettes
• Close-ups of facial expressions suggesting pleasure
• Visual metaphors to represent climax or excitement
• Focus on non-genital parts of the body as focal points of sensuality
• Narratives that build anticipation and sexual tension

Let’s Narrate! Creating Your Own Erotic Universe

Eroticism is a constant in human narratives and an element that you can effectively incorporate into your stories. The key is to maintain a critical awareness of the representations you choose to create, avoiding reproducing dynamics that naturalize physical and psychological mistreatment.

Fortunately, in recent years we have witnessed an important critical revision of these narrative forms, identifying which elements in artistic works have contributed to misogyny and the normalization of abuse. This knowledge offers us the opportunity to create more conscious, respectful, and genuinely erotic content.

When you set out to create your own comic with erotic elements, carefully reflect on the space and agency you give to each character. Avoid falling into the problematic patterns that characterized the work of creators like Mayu Shinjō. Remember that true eroticism flourishes when all parties involved participate by genuine consent and desire, not by coercion or manipulation.

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Conclusion: A New Horizon for Eroticism in Illustration

The analysis of Mayu Shinjō’s work has allowed us to identify problematic patterns that characterized a certain era of erotic manga. Far from being a simple criticism, this exercise offers us valuable lessons on how to evolve in our approach to sensual and romantic content in illustration.

Contemporary eroticism has the potential to be more inclusive, consensual, diverse, and genuinely exciting than its predecessors. By abandoning formulas based on extreme inequality and coercion, we can explore new dimensions of intimacy, desire, and pleasure that resonate with modern audiences and current values.

The next time you take pencil and paper to create an erotic scene, ask yourself: Am I reproducing harmful stereotypes or am I contributing to a new vision of desire and intimacy? Are my characters acting of their own will or by imposition? Am I romanticizing behaviors that would be unacceptable in real life?

True erotic art doesn’t need to resort to toxicity to captivate. Complicity, mutual desire, shared vulnerability, and genuine connection between characters can create much more stimulating, complex, and satisfying scenarios for both the creator and the audience.

Now that you know both the mistakes to avoid and the alternatives to explore, what erotic stories do you propose to create? The canvas is blank, the pencil in your hand, and the possibilities are endless.