The virus is spreading rapidly, people are WAP-ing from their homes and an unusual facial expression is dominating the internet. The expression, called “ahegao”, is characterized by a dangling tongue and crossed eyes. It also contains a mixture of spit and snot that causes it to appear as if someone has fallen a boulder on their feet while tripping over ayahuasca.
Although it isn’t exactly flattering, it’s still complete children’s health fucking everywhere. It’s popping up everywhere, from ahegao reddit to ahegao hentai models on Instagram to ahegao Reddit. It may seem like an O-face but it is actually more: Ahegao, a historical, highly specific hentai trope, is quickly becoming popular as people realize its tantalizing “I have lost musculoskeletal controls of my facial organs” expression, which is both funny and hot.
Ahegao is a Japanese term for erotic art. It has been around since the 1960s in Japanese communities and forums. However, it only began to appear on the internet in the West in the last decade due to the growing popularity of hentai sites like Fakku and 4chan. Santos says that it is still a popular trope in Japanese porn comics by both male and female authors. However, it has also made its way into mainstream anime, cosplay, and selfie culture, where it has been used as a symbol of extreme pleasure and can be used to represent the enjoyment of any kind of entertainment, not just sexual.
MALE FANS OF AHEGAO
What about male fans? Coffeecreamer06 believes they are in it for a different reason. They can project their sexual fantasies onto the person who makes the face. She says that men enjoy it because it is a physical way to feel pleasure. Steven, a pseudonymous ahegao lover who frequents r/real ahegao, confirms that he enjoys it because it appeals to the fantasy that he can make someone feel good enough that they drool. He says, “It’s simple to imagine myself as the one doing that to them.”
Unsurprisingly, a 2017 study revealed that men are more interested in giving women orgasms than they are in women’s pleasure. It may be because it makes them feel more “manly” and less about women feeling good.
Female ahegao posters seem to love playing with and benefitting men’s fantasies. As one Reddit post entitled “I don’t care where you’re acr health from Senpai, just make sure I drown you in your cum!” shows, it can be quite fun.