Why is incest such a common theme in anime? If you've been a long-time anime fan then this has probably crossed your mind maybe once or twice. In truth, Japanese media is much more open about incest (including sexual fetishes) than the Western world. Japan has not had any problems with incest historically. Clans of old would even encourage relationships among cousins to preserve family dynasties. In some cases, if a father became widowed, he would often marry his daughter. Practices like these continued until the 20th century, especially in traditional families. Incestuous relationships were a common thing back then. That's probably why incest in manga and anime is still common today. The world of anime is filled with incest-themed movies and shows. There are quite a handful of titles that have been brave enough to explore the complicated theme. The anime Cream Lemon was one of the very first animes to heavily focus on incest in manga or anime way back in the '80s. Since that time, incest anime have become very popular and even feature a lot of fan-related media. If you're curious to know about the best incest manga, here's a list that we made. Check 'em out right here!