Animes based off of H Games

[Linksquest]

It has just occurred to me that there are many animes that have been based off of H (hentai) games. Such titles as Air, Kanon, and Utawarerumono just to name a few. Are there any others that you know of? Anyone have a possible suggestion as to why this is happening?

My thought is that the plots for these games were such that the people liked them enough that they wanted an anime created with the same plot without as much inappropriate content. But my question is: why were they even H games to begin with? Why couldn't they have just been regular games without the sexual content?

[Sync]

I believe the H content is included to ensure sales even if the story is crap. But also, the scenario writers may find it easier to start out with doujinsoft and "professional" products so their writing skill can be showcased in order to gain a fanbase if the person is looking to be hired for that talent in another industry.

Tsukihime, Fate/Stay Night, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, ToHeart, and Shuffle! are the only erogame->anime I can think of at the moment. As to why anime producers are making the conversion, simply put it's to make more money on the same intellectual property through a different medium. But it may also be that they can appreciate the (sometimes) intricate storylines.

[Tenshi no Ai]

I believe Eva had a couple called "Girlfriend of Steel".

[Joshua Christopher]

I believe Eva had a couple called "Girlfriend of Steel".

I do not believe either of them were 18+ games.

Also, One Piece, before it became manga, was an h-game.

[Ouroboros]

Actualy often the original H-games have all-ages versions released for them as well and are then released on other platforms like the PS2 and whatnot. H-games tend to fall into the "bishoujo games" category and within that category there are quite a few non-h games (Princess Maker and Tokimeki Memorial to name a few)

Here I'll list off all the titles I know that have been based on a h-game.

Pia Carrot
Kannon
Air
Utawarerumono
Canvas
Comic Party
Fate/stay night
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
SHUFFLE!
ToHeart
Tsukihime
Wind ~a breath of heart~

Now for the reason why they were released as h-games to begin with...
Basically, as stated above, sex does sell. But because theses games themselves have very few options (basically a visual novel with a few different endings) they need to draw the audiance in with two things:
1) Plot
2) Sex
To hook them on the game. Often however people end up loving the plots and characters so much that they don't care much about the H and so all-ages versions are released for people under 18. Afterwards if it's still popular they'll make anime and manga for it based on the all-ages version so you don't have to be a pervert to enjoy it. Also because H-games are so packed with well... H the drama levels tend to be high and that really appeals to audiences from all over, not just the perverts. So the anime is produced to make a great story more available to the general public.
Course there are some titles that are considered to have good plots that don't work without the sex, in which case they'll still be released as anime. Just the 18+ stuff @_@.

[Eastkun]

Thats pretty messed up. The Tsukihime anime wasn't that bad though. Even though some parts don't make since.

[Cap'n Nick]

Remaking an H-game as an anime is also a good way to extend the franchise. The remake appeals both to fans of the game and to a new audience that would not be interested in pornographic games, or in video games in general. There's also the possibility that fans of the anime might become interested in the games, making them even more money. Tie-ins of this type are common not just with H-games but also with other kinds of games such as RPGs and adventure games.

As to why this particular kind of adaptation has been so successful, I think it has something to do with the fact being worshipped by a bevy of diversely attractive women is very appealing to the average otaku.

[Shao Feng-Li]

I do not believe either of them were 18+ games.

Also, One Piece, before it became manga, was an h-game.

You've got to be kidding me... >.<

[Nate]

Wikipedia to the rescue!

In Japan, these games are called eroge. In English, eroge are mistakenly called hentai games in keeping with the English slang definition of hentai. This is sometimes shortened to H game, which is also never used in Japan.

Unlike the majority of American adult games, eroge often portray characters with individual personalities, quirks, and daily concerns. Many games focus on the immersion of a specific setting or environment, and the social relationships between characters.

In other words, what the article basically says, it's the plot and characters that attract Japanese gamers to eroge games. The nudity/sex is an "added bonus" to them, if you will.

Now, since eroge focus on girls with actual personalities, lives, flaws, and whatnot, it's not surprising that these characters become very fond in the hearts of people, and thus anime is made based off of these characters. Actually, Kanon was the first eroge to be turned into a 13 episode anime in Japan, just a neat little tidbit of info.

But it's becoming more common for eroge to be turned into anime now, as well as for "all ages" versions of the games to be released later on.

[uc pseudonym]

Also, One Piece, before it became manga, was an h-game.

Dragonball Z was the same way. That's why both series have so many beautiful characters.

You've got to be kidding me... >.<

A thousand times yes.

In other words, what the article basically says, it's the plot and characters that attract Japanese gamers to eroge games. The nudity/sex is an "added bonus" to them, if you will.

I think I am going to have to disagree with whoever wrote that part of the article. While I'm not familiar with this genre because it doesn't interest me in the first place (quite aside from if the content is risque) I have seen games that cannot possibly be considered anything but pornography. Obviously there is a wide variety, but I think the article's tone is positively biased.

[Ingemar]

1. Don't always trust what is on Wikipedia.

2. That said, it is true that there are H-games that are converted to H-anime.

[Azier the Swordsman]

I believe Eva had a couple called "Girlfriend of Steel".

Girlfriend of Steel is carried on my fave import site with other normal dreamcast games, so I don't believe it's a H game. (Unless it's an edited version.)

It looked interesting, I may check it out eventually.

[Bobtheduck]

There were softporn eva games (where you'd see pictures of the characters naked) but that isn't what this is talking about... They're talking about H games that became anime...

After watching Kanon, I can't even see that as having been pornographic at one time... Like, that would be a drastic change... Sorta like the shock of being a Pokemon fan and watching Jocamal (the SNL Pokemon parody as a loose satire of the cigarette industry, but having little to do with pokemon or cigs, as it was... Well, pornographic when it came down to it...) or being a Hamtaro fan and seeing Ebichu... Only worse, because instead of it going from clean to bad, you knew the dirty one came first, and they "cleaned it up"

Along the same lines, Project A-ko may be well known for fanservice, but it started as a hentai project (yuri) but they decided to make it more all ages, so they toned it down drastically... So, the PG-13 a-ko would have been the x-rated A-ko...

The porn industry is quite different in Japan than it is here, which is what allows for things like this to happen there, but not here...

We do have something like that, however... Starship Troopers had a spinoff CG cartoon (Roughnecks) Starship troopers (the movie, anyhow) was definately R rated material (the book most likely could have gotten away with a PG-13 for violence if they had stayed faitfull with an adaptation) Beetlejuice wasn't R rated, but it was definately stratling that PG-13/R fence, and they made a kids cartoon based on it... Dungeons and Dragons was really at the very least PG-13 material, but they made a kids show about it. So, this stuff happens all the time in the US, just never with porn...

As for girlfiend of steel, I'm not sure that was the h one, but sega has always been more lenient with their censorship than sony or nintendo...

Ok... back to wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girlfriend_Of_Steel

No, girlfriend of steel doesn't look like the H game... the eva h game was a simple collection of undressing pictures, I believe, set to some game like a card game or a board game or something... And it was not authorized by Anno, so he was really upset about it and animerica reported that his retaliation for it was the scene in the beginning of EoE... That shinji represented the eva fans, and gainax who authorized the game without his permission...

[TriezGamer]

After watching Kanon, I can't even see that as having been pornographic at one time... Like, that would be a drastic change...

I had a similar feeling after seeing AIR.