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hentai

People search for this as: transformation metamorphosis change evolve

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Do not ink this

In a biology textbook it means metamorphosis. On a person it means pervert.

What a Japanese person actually thinks

There is no ambiguity here. Worn on a body, this word means one thing, and everyone reading it — Japanese or not — will read that one thing.

Meaning

Literally
change + form/state
Actually
Technically: metamorphosis, as in a caterpillar. In every other context, including this one: pervert, deviant.

Scores

Naturalness●●●●●

A real word with a real technical meaning. The technical meaning does not survive contact with a human being.

Coolness●●●●●

The word is also internationally known via anime fandom, so you don't even get the 'only Japanese people will know' defence.

Watch out

  • highThe overwhelmingly dominant everyday meaning is 'sexual deviant'. The insect-metamorphosis sense only reads in an explicitly scientific context.

Get this instead

  • henka
    change; transformation
    The neutral word for change. Completely safe.
  • sei / ikiru
    life; to live; growth
    If the idea is becoming and rebirth, this single character carries it without the landmine.
  • chō
    butterfly
    If you meant metamorphosis, draw the thing rather than name the process. Beautiful character, and the meaning is unmistakable.

On skin

Orientation: either

N/A — absolutely not.

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