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extra= is a slang term in the Japanese language for playfully sexual actions. As an adjective, it is used with the meaning of "sexy", "dirty" or "naughty"; as a verb, means "to have sex", and as a noun, it is used to describe someone of lascivious behavior. It is softer than the Japanese word ero (italic=no from "Eros" or "erotic"), and does not imply perversion in the way hentai does.
The word ecchi has been adopted by western fans of Japanese media to describe works with sexual overtones. In western culture, it has come to be used to refer to softcore or playful sexuality, as distinct from the word hentai, which connotes perversion or Sexual fetishism.Sebastian Keller: Der Manga und seine Szene in Deutschland von den Anfängen in den 1980er Jahren bis zur Gegenwart: Manga- mehr als nur große Augen, GRIN Verlag, 2008, , p. 127 Works described as ecchi by the western fans do not show sexual intercourse or genitalia, but sexual themes are referenced. Ecchi themes are a type of fan service, and can be found in most comedy shōnen and seinen manga and harem anime.Robin E. Brenner: . Libraries Unlimited, 2007, , p. 89.Ask John: Why Do Americans Hate Harem Anime?. animenation.net. May 20. 2005. Note: fan service and ecchi refer to similar concepts.
Etchi in and of itself is merely an abbreviation of hentai. There is no distinction between "hardcore" hentai and "softcore" etchi in proper Japanese. See Hentai#Etymology for further etymology.
Hentai was introduced in the Meiji period as a term for change of form or transformation in science and psychology. In this context, it was used to refer to disorders such as hysteria or to describe paranormal phenomena like hypnosis or telepathy. Slowly, the meaning expanded until it had the meaning of non-standard. In the 1910s, it was used in sexology in the compound expression "hentai seiyoku" (変態性欲, abnormal sexual desire, which is rephrased as "sexual perversion" in modern times) and became popular within the theory of sexual deviance ( Hentai seiyoku ron), published by Eiji Habuto and Jun'ichirō Sawada in 1915. In the 1920s, many publications dealt with deviant sexual desires and the ero guro nansensu movement. Goichi Matsuzawa calls it a period characterized by a " hentai boom".Goichi Matsuzawa (1997). Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa, kindai fūzoku shuppan no rekishi, Ero no hon. Tokyo. Wani no ana. p. 55 In the 1930s, censorship became more common, leading to fewer books being published on this theme.Sabine Frühstück (2003). Colonizing Sex: Sexology and Social Control in Modern Japan. University of California Press. . p. 15
After the Second World War, in the 1950s, interest in hentai was renewed, and people would sometimes refer to it just by the first English letter, H (pronounced as エッチ, ). In 1952, the magazine Shukan Asahi reported that a woman who was groped by a stranger in a movie theater reacted with "ara etchi yo" ( "hey, that's perverse"). In this context, etchi should be understood as sexually forward and is synonymous to iyarashii (嫌らしい, dirty or disgusting) or sukebe (すけべ, a person with sex on the brain). From this, the word etchi started to branch off, and assume new connotations. In the 1960s, etchi started to be used by youth to refer to sex in general. By the 1980s, it was used to mean sex, as in the phrase etchi suru (to have sex).Mark McLelland (2006). "A Short History of 'Hentai'. In: Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context. Vol. 12.
Other neologisms such as sekkusu are often used to refer to sex, in addition to the term ecchi. Ecchi is now used as a qualifier for anything related to erotic or pornographic content. Its exact meaning varies with context, but in general, it is most similar to the English word "naughty" (when used as an adjective). The Japanese media tend to use other words, e.g. ero-manga (エロ), adult manga (アダルト), or anime / manga for persons over 18 years (18禁アニメ, 18禁). The prefix "H-" is also sometimes used to refer to pornographic genres, e.g. H-anime, H-manga, etc.
Works aimed at a female audience can contain scenes which are seen as ecchi. Examples are R-18 Love Report! from Emiko Sugi and from Risa Itō, which are aimed at the and audience, but contain rather explicit content.
Common elements of ecchi include conversations with sexual references or misunderstandings (e.g. double entendre or Sexual innuendo), misunderstandings in visual depictions (e.g. suggestive posing), revealing or sexualized clothing (e.g. underwear or cosplay), nudity (e.g. ripped apart clothing, wet clothing, clothing malfunctions) and the portrayal of certain actions (e.g. groping). This kind of sexuality is often used for comical effect. A typical example scene would contain a male protagonist that trips over a female character, giving the impression of sexual harassment.
The concept of ecchi is very closely related to fan service. While fan service describes every aspect to please the fans, ecchi relates to sexual themes. A special kind of fan service, that is usually bound or justified by the narrative.Robin E. Brenner: . Libraries Unlimited, 2007, , p. 295
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