After watching anime for some time, I realized that there needs to be some kind of rating system to determine the amount of ecchi content in any given show. I would like to know that if I am watching “The Kingdom of the Cats” that it has a 2 on the Ecchi Meter. But in order for that to work, there needs to be a show tied to that number, so everyone knows what that really means.

To this end, I have spent the last year working on an Ecchi Meter but I do not know how effective it is. It is a list of 11 shows from that with no fan service (“0”) to that with an ecchi content that borders on hentai (“10”). As far as hentai goes, that is another list and one I have no intention or desire to compile. Most hentai is boring and badly repetitive, much like porn. And badly repetitive.

I have my 11 shows, but how well do they stack up? Is there a better example of a 3 than what I have? And what are the criteria for that ranking? I have 15 conditions to help with this sortation process.

1) Amount of underwear shots. This include up-skirt shots, skirts blown aloft by the wind, someone falling down and the underwear is exposed or someone looking at underwear in the store.

2) Dressing sequences. Whether it is getting ready for school or gym class or an errant trip into the girls locker room or health exam day or trying on a bathing suit (but that last one also takes into account any nudity), how often are they getting themselves ready for something?

3) Bathing sequences. Part of the problem here is the ubiquitous steam cloud, but how naked would they be if that was absent? And how DO they take the bath or dip into thehot springsor plunge into the pool? Do they just dive in or is it more slow and languid? And what about them getting out of said water. Eh?

4) Boob and/or butt grabbing. Are these flesh bulbs being handled or manhandled? Do we have someone checking out how absolutely humongous they are? This works well with the next section.

5) Comments about boobs or being naked. If after said squish job, do they comment about it? Do they mention that so-and-so has got boobies or doesn’t have boobies? This section also includes sequences where a lady falls and would normally be totally naked, but a strategically placed plant or rock or head blocks a lower pelvic viewing.

6) Getting naked or being naked. Certainly with bathhouse sequences, there is usually the leading up to the dip, so we may see them changing out. This is partially separate from bathing sequences, as they may be disrobing for other reasons. This section includes clothes getting flung off for some reason, like diving into the pool and the top is oddly missing when they come up for air.

7) Flirty or revealing outfits. How much cleavage is being showcased? How short is that skirt? How tight is that dress? How many open spaces does the outfit present? How well does that top cover? Are they translucent? Exposed shoulders? Questionable coverage? Exploding forth? Getting wet? And how brief is that bathing suit? Is that even a bathing suit or merely some excess cotton from an aspirin bottle?

8 ) Total number of busty women. Although not a complete benchmark, certainly if the show is populated with women who are ample and pulchrituditious, that helps with considerations.

9) Wiggle, jiggle and wriggle. When they walk, do their breasts do whatever they want? Defy gravity? Move independent of the laws of physics? Do they jut our pert and proud? And when they walk, is there some cushion action as well? Does that sit-upon do its own thing?

10) “Nippleation”. This is when we can see some degree of erect nipple, whether a shadow or a hint to a full ninnie being there.

11) Cleavage shots. This not only includes seeing cleavage, but also perspective shots. Perhaps we are looking from underneath and they are bent over, so no only do they have massive hangers, but perhaps the aforementioned nippleation has occurred. Or a head, lovingly buried twixt said bosoms. Or maybe they have fallen upon a hapless male and he is aware that he is being smothered by some bust line acreage.

12) Caliber of transformation shots. Sometimes, it is done in silhouette; other times, it is full on, full color and some of it is marvelous to behold. This would also cover the coveted BE sequence, always appreciated.

13) Suggestiveness. This has less to do with flirty clothing and more with circumstances. Perhaps they eat a banana or a popsicle in a rather provocative manner or they drink something badly and it spills down that cleavage and they are all wet and the garment is clingy and…Also, what about spanking or finger sucking or licking a face?

14) Consistency of the fan service. Some shows may have localized fan service, but overall, there just isn’t that much. So it doesn’t matter that in Episode 5, we see a lot of bosoms about when the first four episodes had nothing. The list works for an overall balance of things.

15) Art style. There are some older shows with fan service, but the art approach is rather primitive compared with the current approach with the animation. Certainly a sequence that shows nipples gets higher marks over those that show the unclothed bust, but no specifics. Certainly moe needs to be factored into this as well.

As to male ecchi, although it is out there, it is certainly not to the extent or force of female ecchi. I mean, seeing a guy with his shirt off may not generate the level of excitement or fan service as a gal with her shirt off. And along those lines, I have shied away from yaoi and yuri, as I feel those are, again, separate categories. I am not certain how to rate “Gorgeous Carat” against “Burst Angel”. No, for this list, it is going to be what I dub ‘standard ecchi’.