Futanari

Futanari, or “futa,” is a fictional porn trope where a character is drawn with both female and male sex characteristics. It mostly appears in hentai, anime, and erotic art. It is also common in pornography and erotic literature. In these scenes, it mostly refers to a feminine character with a penis. ### Origins of the Term Historically in Japan, futanari was a general term for someone with both male and female characteristics. It literally means “two form” or “two shape.” It showed up in: - Medieval classical Japanese texts, where it was used to describe intersex people or androgynous figures. The concept was influenced by Buddhist ideas about “dual-sex” bodies and often associated with individuals who existed outside typical gender roles, such as certain shamans. - Folklore and art, sometimes referring to beings that changed sex or had dual forms. At this stage, the term futanari wasn’t specifically sexual. It was more about dual identity or mixed sex traits. In the 20th century, especially with the rise of modern manga and adult comics, the term was picked up there. It may have become most well-known after the release of a 2005 manga series called Futa-bu MIX. Over time, futanari became associated with fantasy depictions of female bodies with male genitals. This is how the term is most commonly used today. ### Futanari Statistics - Hentai was the No.1 most searched term on Pornhub in 2025, and has topped the charts for the past several years. (Futanari is a subgenre of hentai.) - Google Trends shows that online interest in futanari peaked in 2015, but remained high, and has been growing since 2022. - More than 2,500 FetLife members have tagged futanari as a fetish or interest. - More than 40 FetLife groups discuss futanari. ### Why People Are Into It People enjoy futa for many different reasons. Here are some of the common ones you might hear. ### The “Two Hot Women” Factor For those who enjoy scenes that involve a futanari character and a cis female, the dynamic can feel the same as cis hetero porn, only with two feminine bodies. ### Familiarity For people with a penis, watching futa porn allows them to be both the male and female characters they are used to seeing in hetero porn. Here, the watcher can identify with having a penis, which can make them feel like they’re more in the action (while still enjoying two feminine bodies.) ### It Combines Different Attractions People who are bisexual or bicurious sometimes enjoy futanari because it allows them to enjoy female features (body, face, breasts) and male anatomy. Bringing these two attractions together can be novel and exciting. ### Power Dynamics Penetration is often associated with dominance, so futanari can appeal to people who like dominant women or FemDom (much like watching a woman with a strap-on). ### It’s In Between Some people love that futanari sits in an “in-between” space. It isn’t strictly straight or gay, and that ambiguity can be appealing. It can also allow people to explore an attraction without having to cross into a category they don’t or aren’t ready to identify with. ### Controversy Futanari is a porn/fantasy concept, but it overlaps with real marginalized groups, including trans and intersex people. Since futanari is a porn term, it focuses on sexualized body parts. Some people feel this fetishization reduces trans/intersex people to anatomy or objects of fantasy, which can feel dehumanizing. In addition, because this type of porn is so well known, people do use the term futanari to refer to real people. This is considered disrespectful, transphobic, and fetishizing. (It’s also just not cool to label someone!) Some attempt has been made to reclaim this term, as evidenced by the creation of a futanari flag on Tumblr in 2024.