Incest Subtext: Difference between revisions

* The ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' dub creates an interesting [[Inverted Trope|inversion]] with Haruka and Michiru/Amara and Michelle. The romantic subtext is ''meant'' to be there... but they're ''not'' cousins in the original -- they're a lesbian couple. The company that decide to make them cousins did so for the exact reason of preventing there being any openly gay people in the show, without actually changing enough other stuff to even try and hide how they feel for each other, just hoping no one would think it's odd for two cousins to be ''that'' devoted to each other. Cause, you know, having a clear subtext of an incestuous, gay, relationship is so much better then just an open gay one without the incest.

* Many in ''[[Code Geass]]''—of course, everybody already knows about Lelouch and [[Memetic Mutation|memetic]] [[Big Brother Instinct|siscon]], who started a war for his sister Nunnally's sake, but an even better example of this trope would have to be the last episode, where they both tell each other "I love you" using the Japanese terms ''aishiteru'' and ''aishite imasu'', which are generally used for romantic affection. Lelouch has this with his half-sister Euphemia, as well.

* As the title suggests, ''[[Sister Princess]]'' is full of this, particularly with the older sisters to their brother: one actively flirts with him, one gets from him a hairpin that used to be another man's gift to his wife, and one {{spoiler|was his lover in a previous life}}. Oh, and all of them get to have a fake wedding with him. And that's just the start.

* In ''[[Naruto]]'', {{spoiler|After he met his mom Kushina in the mindscape, the Naruto/Kushina}} subtext was really blatant, with him calling her a "babe", her blushing multiple times... Of course, this was probably due to {{spoiler|her absence eliminating the possibility of the Westermarck Effect kicking in.}}

** Also, {{spoiler|Naruto only states this ''after'' Kushina told him that she considers herself unattractive.}}

* In ''[[My-HiME]]'', there is some between Mai and her younger brother Takumi. Yuuichi and Akira both suspect that Takumi has a sister complex. Takumi is initially Mai's most important person (needed to summon her Child, although {{spoiler|by the time he dies, Yuuichi has replaced him}}), and she becomes upset when he, seeking to become independent, appears to be drifting away from her.

* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]''. There is some pretty heavy subtext between {{spoiler|Shinji and Rei}}, and it's later revealed that {{spoiler|Rei [[Cloning Blues|may]] or [[Half-Human Hybrid|may not]] be his half-sister. In the manga, Rei [[Defrosting Ice Queen|shows]] signs of attraction and later even [[Heroic Sacrifice|kills herself]] to save him; in ''[[Rebuild of Evangelion|Evangelion: 2.0]]'', a jealous Asuka outright states that Rei loves him but doesn't realize it yet. What about Shinji? In the aforementioned film, Rei [[Always Save the Girl|turns out]] to be his [[Berserk Button]].}}

* Mairu and Kururi from ''[[Durarara!!]]'' seem to go past subtext. The two share a kiss in the second [[OVA]], and are particularly touchy-feely with each other if their dialogue in the chatroom is anything to go by. Even when the two of them kiss Aoba, Mairu is more excited about her [[Indirect Kiss]] with Kururi than anything else.

* ''[[Venus Versus Virus]]'' has two twin characters, Luca and Laura, who have a.. Very close bond. It's a driving force in both the manga and anime, and it helps that the manga is a subtle [[Girls Love]].

{{quote|Simon: "It's just not something brothers and sisters do. I mean, on some planets... but only pretty bad ones." }}

** Their relationship in general throughout the series is ... greatly textured, mixing sibling, parent, doctor, and lover roles with the necessary abandon. Simon and his mei-mei are all each other have in the world. And when River's upset or sick, it's her brother's bed she curls up in.

** The incest subtext is particularly evident in the scene where Nuada learns of the attraction between Abe and Nuala; Nuada's reaction is more like that of a jealous lover than a brother defending his sister's honor.

* In the French-Canadian movie ''C.R.A.Z.Y.'', the tension between the main character Zac and his older brother Raymond can be interpreted as to being of a sexual nature, at least in part. It's strongly implied that Zac, well, takes pleasure out of seeing his brother having sex with different girls in multiple occasions. It gets even more interesting once it's clear that Zac is, indeed, gay. So who exactly was turning him on?

* [[Two Words: Obvious Trope|Two words...]] [[The Rocky Horror Picture Show|Elbow Sex!!!]]

* The {{spoiler|first}} love interest in Jean-Pierre Meleville's crime thriller ''[[Le Samouraï]]'' was cast because she looked like she could be the sister of Alain Delon, and Melville wanted that sort of awkwardness in their relationship. Made even more bizarre because she was Delon's real-life wife.

*** Well, [[Tangled Family Tree|they are Blacks after all...]]

* Charlie tries this in ''[[Mystery Team]]''. It doesn't work.

* Dee Dee and Dexter from ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]'' invoke this trope once in a while, especially since Dee Dee seems to prefer Dexter over every guy that may be a possible [[Love Interest]], due to the fact that every time guys (particularly Mandark) flirt with her, she sticks to Dexter. One obvious scene is the one in which Dexter and Mandark compete to save Dee Dee and, after she is saved by both, she is disgusted by Mandark, but kisses Dexter on the cheek. In another episode, Dexter becomes an adult to seduce a girl he likes, but guess who ends up attracted to him instead? ''Dee Dee''.

* There is some of this with Sally and Dr. Finklestein in ''[[The Nightmare Before Christmas]]'' [[Alternative Character Interpretation|possibly]]. In the [[DVD Commentary]], [[Tim Burton]] refers to Sally as a daughter—yet there's lines in-film like "You're mine, you know!" and "You can make ''other'' creations!" that really doesn't sound like a rebellious-daughter/overprotective-dad relationship, but like something else entirely. Consider that the creation Dr. Finklestein makes to replace Sally looks awfully like a wife -- [[Screw Yourself|that looks exactly like him]]—and that an alternate ending had [[Big Bad|Oogie Boogie]] be [[The Man Behind the Curtain|Dr. Finklestein]], jealous that Sally chose Jack over him. In [http://nightmarebeforechristmas.net/nightmare/script/2 an earlier script], the father/daughter relationship was a lot more obvious with lines like "I'm grown up now. I'll have to leave sometime" . . . yet there are bits like ''The scientist smiles, feeling Sally under his sway again'' that sounds [[Parental Incest|rather creepy]].

* This trope creeps into ''[[An American Tail]]'' in an eerily interesting and [[squick]]y way when you consider the song that the two siblings Fievel and Tanya sing to each other, "Somewhere Out There", was turned into a straight love song by Linda Ronstadt in an effort to make it a [[Breakaway Pop Hit]], and not a ''single word'' needed to be changed.

** To add to it, mice have no issue with incest. Speaking as someone who has bred them, they actually seem more inclined to mate with members of their litter than they are with non-relatives.

* In one episode of ''[[Blinky Bill]]'', Shifty gets a little affectionate with his big sister Daisy, licking her like a puppy-dog in the Wedding Picnic episode.

* ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' featured a song called "Gitchi-Gitchi-Goo". It was sung by siblings (Phineas and Candace) with hearts at background, glitter dust etc. Part of its lyrics are [[Bow Chicka Wow Wow|"Bow-Chicka-Bow-Wow"]] -- commonly known as the verbalization of a typical 1970s porn soundtrack. By siblings, hmmmm...

** The extended version includes these lyrics accompanied by a number of tender looks on Candace's part:

{{quote|'''Lion-O''': I'm gonna ring that bell.

'''Tygra''': And I'm gonna [[Accidental Innuendo|ring yours]]. ''*wink*'' }}

* Extremely prevalent in ''[[Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure]]''. It stops just short of being text, but the eponymous siblings share a love song ("Candy Hearts And Paper Flowers"), and they have a habit of hugging in ways not commonly seen between siblings (but rather frequently seen in pairs with a rather different relationship, if you get my drift).

* Phil and Lil of the ''[[Rugrats]]'', which is a bit strange since they're only one year old. One episode has the babies put on a [[High School Dance]] in the garden and Phil takes Lil. Another episode has them pretending to be lovers in a soap opera.

* In ''[[Superfriends]]'', the [[Wonder Twins]] had were more [[Like an Old Married Couple]] than any siblings. (Not that real siblings never act in a manner fitting that trope. But these two were ''really'' written like a couple in an old-time sitcom sometimes.)

 

== Real Life ==

* Affection between [[Angelina Jolie]] and her brother James Haven (including some rather fond words and a kiss at the 2000 [[Academy Award]]s) raised enough scandal to [[Tabloid Melodrama|feed the tabloids]] for the rest of the year.

* ''[[The Veronicas]]'' play up the [[Girl-On-Girl Is Hot|lesbian]] [[Twincest]] in a similar way ''[[t.A.T.u.]]'' did. Even when they aren't doing it on purpose though, it tends to be there.

* And on the "romance is textual, but relationship is not" axis, we have Daddy/boy and Daddy/girl BDSM relationships.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Gender and Sexuality Tropes]]