Here is the first definition that pops when googling fetish definition:
"a form of sexual desire in which gratification is strongly linked to a particular object or activity or a part of the body other than the sexual organs."

Breasts are literally sexual organs, therefore it is not a fetish. Enhanced why many people like breasts. We are probably wired to like them.

Breasts are not a sex organ, at least in the sense of that definition (whatever definition you use for sex organ is fine with me). Sex organ in this sense refers to reproductive organs. Breasts aren't used in reproduction, but for feeding babies.

Many people have sexual feeling when their breasts are touched in certain ways, but this can also be achieved with other body parts that aren't used in reproduction.

Since you like quotes: [quote]

People getting hung up on definitions as if there was something like an International Kink and Eroticism Union that provides the authoritative definitions of what is and isn't a fetish. (Not to mention the other meanings the term "fetish" has.)

But to refute the point I see implied here: they're not a sex (reproductive) organ, but definitely a sexual organ. Breasts aren't for feeding babies, nipples are. They're as irrelevant to milk production as cheeks are to salivating.; in fact breasts too big (fatty) can interfere with lactation. Heck, males can lactate under the right circumstances!

Breasts are a uniquely human thing and absent in other mammals, even hominids. We do not know for sure why women developed them in the first place, but it is believed to be co-opted into a replacement for the sexual signal of buttocks that was partly lost due to human upright bipedalism. Nope, science marches on (see IV.4 on p. 7). Even the oldest known human artefacts depict breasts in a sexual way!

Calling something like that a fetish does a disservice to actual mazophilia, the same way classifying everybody aroused by pornography a voyeur would broaden the term into meaninglessness.

You may be misunderstanding me. I am attempting to describe how the term fetish is used socially in the real world, not what its 'appropriate' use is or its DSM style clinical definition. It's not a term I would ever use on my own. My argument is that "Is the characters' fetish normal?" is not a good metric because, if it were normalized, the people in this thread would be coming into this discussion with the view that it is not a fetish.

last edited at Jun 26, 2025 9:38AM

Lots of good arguments that goes both way. I like the one that says that if this is the only thing that would arouse someone, that would be considered a fetish for that person.

But at least, we can all agree that both MCs are displaying unusual fetishes :p

I will at least acknowledge that sucking on clay dolls is much more niche than a fixation on breasts above other erogenous zones or secondary sexual characteristics, which exists in many cultures (not all of them) throughout many time periods.

Remu's preferences don't seem to cause a lot of issues for her outside social judgement, though. I am still skeptical of her claim that only dolls can do it for her.

last edited at Jun 26, 2025 11:09AM

You may be misunderstanding me. I am attempting to describe how the term fetish is used socially in the real world, not what its 'appropriate' use is or its DSM style clinical definition. It's not a term I would ever use on my own. My argument is that "Is the characters' fetish normal?" is not a good metric because, if it were normalized, the people in this thread would be coming into this discussion with the view that it is not a fetish.

i think it's safe to say that nothing on the level of a fetish is "normal". certainly none of the characters here are normal about their sexuality. but just as there's the couple having heterosexual missionary sex for procreation(tm) in one house, the people next door might be doing petplay or something. it's all part of the broad range of human experience, so "normal" itself is bullshit in practice anyway. it basically just defines what's socially acceptable to talk about, which varies a lot by culture.

my reason for bringing up the more DSM-ish definition of fetish is because i think it's a meaningful distinction to make in this context. i think certain dolls are hot, particularly mini dolfie dreams (idk if i'd lick them, but i definitely ogle). that qualifies as a kink maybe, but there's nothing forcing me to use dolls and dolls only to get off. but that IS remu's situation, psychologically. the brain is the most important sexual organ, and hers is very fixated

Given Remu is a teenager, I don't take her claim of "only dolls" any more seriously than the stereotypical yuri protagonist claiming they could never like a girl. Romance manga like to use ironic framing, like her saying this to her future love interest, early on in the story, while a teenager like Remu can be expected to still be figuring herself out.

If we take Remu's statement seriously, she does meet your definition. That's not the DSM definition, which not only says nothing about if it's the only means, but requires "distress or impairment in functioning." This describes Azuki very well, but probably no other character. This also has nothing to do with how people were using the word fetish in this thread, even though the DSM definition is certainly interesting and relevant enough to the story to discuss.

My true motivation here was only that I hoped this story would help people be more thoughtful about the way labeling could negatively impact people in unusual situations. The author understands this well.That's why I didn't get into "What is the correct term?" Using some other term in a stigmatizing way would have much the same effect, while I generally try to mirror people's definitions to get at their ideas instead of policing their word choice.

last edited at Jun 26, 2025 12:01PM

Literally all Niji had to do is change the names and a few other details to not be creeper who writes RPF about her friend.

Breasts are NOT sexual organs. In fact, in cultures where women don't cover their breasts in public they are not thought of as sexy or arousing. And I say it as someone who likes boobs.

last edited at Jun 26, 2025 2:31PM

Given Remu is a teenager, I don't take her claim of "only dolls" any more seriously than the stereotypical yuri protagonist claiming they could never like a girl. Romance manga like to use ironic framing, like her saying this to her future love interest, early on in the story, while a teenager like Remu can be expected to still be figuring herself out.

the rest of your post aside, because it's all splitting hairs and i'll agree to disagree... being a teenager is not too early for that, at all. when you're talking about fetishes, they start uncomfortably early -- childhood, very often. i have an exclusive fetish like this and i've had it since i was probably 8 or 9. it shaped all my early development for several years to come and into adulthood, and my experience here isn't unique.

sure, her sexuality absolutely will develop and may broaden with time and experience. i hope it does, for her sake, and ultimately it's the author's call. but in my eyes, they're deliberately setting up her experience and feelings as "other", so narratively it would be pretty terrible to just drop that for a nice neat resolution ("actually, she's healthy and normal!").

the yuri example is also irrelevant. if a girl in a yuri claims she's straight, it's 99.9% of the time a form of comphet, or just ignorance. straight is default(tm) so she just never thought too hard about it, and it's intimidating to go against the societal grain. but remu is already aware she doesn't fit and she isn't default. that ship sailed! why would she be wrong?

But to refute the point I see implied here: they're not a sex (reproductive) organ, but definitely a sexual organ.

By that logic, any part of the body that any particular person is attracted to or feels pleasure from is a "sexual organ." Are you willing to also classify ears, necks, feet, and other parts as such?

I always thought the distinction was not unlike the common usages of 'cult' versus 'religion'. Once it becomes common or mainstream enough, it stops getting called a 'fetish' because it's been normalized, regardless of how universal it actually is.

But to refute the point I see implied here: they're not a sex (reproductive) organ, but definitely a sexual organ.

By that logic, any part of the body that any particular person is attracted to or feels pleasure from is a "sexual organ." Are you willing to also classify ears, necks, feet, and other parts as such?

Whilst I'm not certain where you found "that logic", no, clearly not, that's the entire point. Breasts moonlight as courtship signals/triggers, which most body parts (even sex organs - it's hard to flaunt your ovaries) don't. Mind you, I'm approaching this from the "alien biologist surveying homo sapiens" perspective without any weird moral judgements. But arguing that breasts aren't sexual is like arguing a peacock's train isn't sexual.

EDIT to add:

I always thought the distinction was not unlike the common usages of 'cult' versus 'religion'. Once it becomes common or mainstream enough, it stops getting called a 'fetish' because it's been normalized, regardless of how universal it actually is.

Would the mainstream version of fetish be "kink"? Like how blindfolds or playfull spanking might not be for everyone, but are nothing out of the ordinary (compared to full enclosure or knife play)?

last edited at Jun 26, 2025 5:04PM

@coolsnail

Given Remu is a teenager, I don't take her claim of "only dolls" any more seriously than the stereotypical yuri protagonist claiming they could never like a girl. Romance manga like to use ironic framing, like her saying this to her future love interest, early on in the story, while a teenager like Remu can be expected to still be figuring herself out.

the rest of your post aside, because it's all splitting hairs and i'll agree to disagree... being a teenager is not too early for that, at all. when you're talking about fetishes, they start uncomfortably early -- childhood, very often. i have an exclusive fetish like this and i've had it since i was probably 8 or 9. it shaped all my early development for several years to come and into adulthood, and my experience here isn't unique.

sure, her sexuality absolutely will develop and may broaden with time and experience. i hope it does, for her sake, and ultimately it's the author's call. but in my eyes, they're deliberately setting up her experience and feelings as "other", so narratively it would be pretty terrible to just drop that for a nice neat resolution ("actually, she's healthy and normal!").

the yuri example is also irrelevant. if a girl in a yuri claims she's straight, it's 99.9% of the time a form of comphet, or just ignorance. straight is default(tm) so she just never thought too hard about it, and it's intimidating to go against the societal grain. but remu is already aware she doesn't fit and she isn't default. that ship sailed! why would she be wrong?

Because the characters are also dealing with a form of what you call comphet. Arcane articulated this well earlier.

Arcane:

It's not toxic "love" so much as toxic "roles". Fetishes are a form of ritualistic substitution behavior that arises in societies where sex and gender roles are heavily policed by social consenssituation. rural Japan). A fetish is basically a ritual where taboo behaviors are acted out through an object or ritual that takes the place of the desired action or behavior (fetishes are sociological rather than psychological). The "disgusting love" in the title is just that old trope of homosexuality's repression in a deeply heteronormative part of Japan. If the fetishes are themselves "disgusting" it is because they hint at the characters sexual orientation. I can assure you that these characters are actually rather normal given their sistuation.

In light of what I just posted, there's a different meaning to Meguru and Azuki's conversation. Meguru is sitting there with Azuki's bodily fluids on her hands, which of course is pretty close to what happens with digital penetration (lesbian sex). Thus Meguru has to be the cop here, reinforcing sexual taboos (Azuki's feeling is not love or romance, which are socially acceptable, it's just animalistic desire, which is verboten) and keeping herself and Azuki in the socially acceptable category.

-https://dynasty-scans.com/forum/posts/930658

Remu is saying "I only like dolls, so I'm safe." Why do I think that? Because every other character is using sexual displacement to deal with their emotional issues around attraction to women as well as that attraction's stigmitization. That's probably also what's motivating Remu, with her young age being why she hasn't realized yet.

You are also framing this as a "choose one" situation, but it needn't be. The dolls can be fundamental to Remu even for her entire life, while still allowing for attraction to real humans. This involving her doll roleplay / modeling would be a very natural evolution as well as something she wouldn't have had a way to know about before. I am also arguing that "dolls only" could be healthy, even if it were really her only sexual release, and not inferior to more mainstream approaches. Still, as a character in this particular story, I will be surprised if she is right.

last edited at Jun 26, 2025 9:38PM

Oh my.
Niji san looks like an antagonist in this series.

I change my mind.
I'll root for Azuki san x Remu san. Both of them look cute together ('w ' )

last edited at Jun 26, 2025 9:10PM

Im calling it now, Niji is gonna write Azuki into her story as an antagonist and make her out to be a predator somehow.... infact, gender being wrong aside, shes already in the process of doing it!

Shes also gonna be crashing so hard real soon and its gonna be full of yikes.

4 girls

relatively normal fetishist
needs therapy
needs more therapy
needs a restraining order

In order of listing:

Remu
Meguru
Azuki
Niji

I was thinking Remu, Azuki, Meguri, Niji. But I'm not equipped to argue about the middle two.

Im calling it now, Niji is gonna write Azuki into her story as an antagonist and make her out to be a predator somehow.... infact, gender being wrong aside, shes already in the process of doing it!

Shes also gonna be crashing so hard real soon and its gonna be full of yikes.

This will be a good way to add tension to the story since Remu is pretty forgiving, but won't go along with it if Niji creates problems for Azuki. I argued Remu would ultimately forgive Niji for the fiction, but Remu is very protective of Azuki. She would hate for Azuki to get into trouble because of her.

There is also some potential with Meguru finding out about the story or the Azuki/Remu dynamic. That dynamic may now be accurately recorded into the story, including Azuki referring to Remu as Meguru. Meguru would not take that well.