Soap no Moko-chan

"It's obvious that you are trying to attract the attention of men!"

Soap No Moko-Chan or My Fair Masseuse is certainly trying to attract attention of not just men but women and those who lieth betwixt, since it's a sex positive portrait of sex work with a strong undercurrent of feminist statements regarding those who work in the industry and those who enjoy the service they are provided.

While many works regarding prostitution are viewed as angst ridden or downright dehumanizing this is not. What it is, is an honest exploration of the many issues and mixed messages that sex workers are bombarded with and how ... they navigate to find meaning in their life. From men who view them as "damaged girls with daddy issues" and "property" to other women who look down upon them as "sluts" this show takes such common stigmas and ask the viewer to confront them in an honest and somewhat very realistic but also comedic way.

Moko and her colleagues enjoy and thrive in this industry since it's their choice no matter what assumed talking points are thrown their way and they are very much aware of it themselves and confide in one another to seek guidance and a greater sense of community.

It's definitely a worthwhile trip and comes highly recommended.

Ah... My Fair Masseuse! If there ever was an ideal "masseuse", Moko-chan would be it. Why? Because she loves her job and everyone loves Moko-chan.

At first glance, you'll find the art and animation isn't all that great in comaprasion to today's standards. But you must forgive MFM for it is a pioneer in hentai back in 1996. Even for 90's standards, it breaks the mold for you average hentai animation. But what it lacks in animation it makes up for it in character. And this is what "My Fair Masseuse" is all about: Character!

You will fall in love with Moko-chan, the protagonist of this ... hentai. She breaks the stereotype that masseuses are often coerced into the sex trade. In fact Moko-chan breaks most common stereotypes in hentai characters. She's happy when her customers are satisfied and takes great pride in her job at a "soapland" hotel. Moko-chan has a healthy attitude when it comes to sex and there are some humorous moments involved. That's what I like particularly about this hentai. She's never lost in lust nor is she neurotic in anyway, but rather cares for her customers in a very nurturing way. Yet Moko-chan is very seductive in her won right. She is comfortable with her own sexuality and isn't shy about expressing it, though there are moments when she's a little embarrassed which makes her all the more lovable and cute. Hmmm... "moe" would be the correct term to describe her.

"My Fair Masseuse" plays like a series of good short stories that revolve around Moko-chan and situations she must overcome with her customers. There's a different take with each short story. However, one doesn't feel like separate stories all together, more like separate incidents, which makes the entire hentai rather refreshing. And yes, it's a feel-good hentai. There's no rape, coerced sex, or anything that you'll feel guilty about later. Just good seductive consensual sex.

Though I wouldn't say "My Fair Masseuse" is exactly fap material, I thoroughly enjoyed it as a hentai. I wish more hentai these days would have characters such as Moko-chan and an enjoyable feel-good themes such as My Fair Masseuse.

Moko is a masseuse who gives her males clients a special massage guaranteed to help them release all of their stress. Of all the women in her profession, Moko is one of the most popular. Her secret is simple, she enjoys pleasing the men she gives her special massages to just as much her clients receiving the pleasure.

There is no real overarching plot. If anything, "Soap no Moko-chan" plays out more like a series of short segments or sketches, all featuring the same characters. It's clear that "Soap no Moko-chan" isn't just a straight up porn, but more of a sex comedy, just featuring a ... lot more explicit sex than the average sex comedy would.

But is any of the comedy any good? While it's not terrible, it's not all that great either. Considering some of the hentai and ecchi that I've slogged through, "Soap no Moko-chan" looks like gold in comparison, so it's not really saying much. Maybe it's just one of those things that because it was made 25+ years ago, it isn't as good in retrospect, despite being great at the time.

Maybe the manga that this was based on was a lot better, but I wouldn't know because I couldn't find any scans of it online, nor could I find any physical copies. And I imagine those would be incredibly expensive even if I could find them, considering the conversion rate and shipping costs.

But what about the sex, since that's why anyone would watch this to begin with, is that any good? It's nowhere the worst sex that I've seen in a hentai, but I could easily point to several hentai from the 90s that are several steps up over this. I imagine that the reason anyone would want to watch this to begin with is the comedy part of this, as it seems to focus on that just as much, if not more than the sex.

Hilariously enough, the credits for the English version are cocky enough to call this "Part 1". Considering that I couldn't find any evidence of a "Part 2" ever existing, I doubt that it ever made it to production. Someone higher up involved in the production was really hoping that this did well enough that they could make more, but saw that the sales weren't doing so hot. This was based on a manga, a lot of which obviously went unadapted, so there was plenty to work with.

The best way to sum up "Soap no Moko-chan" is "You can do better, you can do worse."