Ryona

The word ryona (リョナ, ryona, a portmanteau of ryōki ("seeking the bizarre") and onanī ("masturbation")) refers to a genre of fiction and sexual complex wherein a protagonist, usually female, is subject to physical or psychological abuse from an offender who is at the same time a love interest, usually male. The term is mostly used in connection to Japanese culture, although the theme itself is seen in many other cultures.

The term "ryona" almost exclusively refers to the action of a woman being abused by a man. In a case where the target is male, it is more commonly called gyaku-ryona (逆リョナ, gyaku-ryona, "reverse ryona"). However, neither term is restricted to gender binary or heterosexual relationships. There exist also ryona works in which the perpetrator is a monster or other non-human being.

The term is contrasted with sexual sadism and rape pornography, in that ryona is a voyeuristic fantasy fetish, a romanticized subgenre aimed at a female target demographic and are almost always of non-explicit sexual nature.

Description

Works in the ryona genre are usually written as romantic drama in which two persons meet and develop love for each other, with their relationship beginning in a state of hostility. The female protagonist identifies the male love interest as her polar opposite in terms of personality and morals, and is attracted by the exotic nature of this person. Throughout the storyline, either the male pursues the female due to a feeling of protecting her or being excessively attracted, or the female seeks out the male in an effort of "taking care of him".

Examples

The nature of abuse can vary greatly, but it usually includes one or more of the following:

• Domestic violence and rape, and depictions thereof
• Inconvenient disruption of everyday life, such as being prevented attending one's school or job, or being embarrassed or rejected by friends and family
• Forced confinement and detention for extended periods of time
• Literal torture for extortion or confession, or simply for sexual sadism and/or masochism
• Being regarded and treated as property of another person
• Unrecoverable traumas such as limb amputation or other long-term medical complications after being exposed to violence

There are other minor variations of ryona including characters showing expressions of dizziness, fatigue or semi-consciousness in any form such as well known western tropes featuring "seeing stars" or "circling birds" which have been implemented in any sort of visual media: video games/TV shows/graphic novels/etc, ranging from slapstick, swirly eyes, to a simple game mechanic like a stun debuff or health bar dropping low.

People who enjoy these softcore sub-genres are sometimes mistaken for showing interest in any of the darker examples listed above; though not always the case, these other forms may abet this sub-genre, depending on the individual's ideal fetishistic fantasies.

References

Bibliography

• Mook, Sanwa (2013). 本当に正しいフェティシズム性的嗜好大事典 [Honto ni Tadashi Fetishizumu Seiteki Shiko Daijiten] [Really Right Fetish: A Taste of Large Dictionary] (in Japanese). Sanwa Shuppan. ISBN 9784776910701. OCLC 870402367.