Most Frustrating JAV Studios
Some JAV studios leave you feeling so frustrated. When you've watched enough of a studio you begin to notice patterns and consistent flaws. All this despite boasting tons of potential that ultimately goes to waste for the most part. Each of these studios could be so much better but for one reason or another disappoint frequently time and time again. Whether it be repetitive plots, shoddy production values, or terrible directing. So with this list, I'll be detailing seven studios that I think are the most frustrating and miss out on their true potential. Without further ado, let's kick it off.
Abc/Mousou Zoku
Codes: BOBB, OKSN, FOCS
This is probably the least well-known studio on my list. I'm sure many of you aren't super familiar with them and I can't exactly blame you. This studio was established near the end of 2008. They've been pumping out videos at a consistent pace through that time averaging about ten new releases each month. Now their specialty seemingly centers around busty women with their "Boinbb(BOBB)" sublabel and "O Kaasan.com"/OKSN" which focuses on milfs. They've just been minding their own business and seem to do just fine. They don't boast any exclusive actresses and instead use freelancers. Now for what it's worth I still watch and enjoy their films from time to time mainly when one of my favorite shoots with them.
As someone who loves busty actresses, I can't say no. However, after watching plenty of their videos you begin to notice some very repetitive aspects. They always seem to follow a very similar scene structure throughout most of their films featuring a heavy amount of paizuri scenes with a few sex scenes. They also throw in a handjob scene with the actress resting her tits on the guy's face every time. It's nice but a little change of pace would be nice. Their production values are also a bit on the bland side. It's nothing too egregious but some of their lighting and settings can be pretty underwhelming at times. Overall they're one of the least offensive studios on my list but being a big fan of busty ladies, I do wish their execution was a bit better.
E-Body
Codes: EBOD
While E-body isn't the worst offender out there, they can still be frustrating all the same. They're a pretty famous studio in the JAV world and one you're likely familiar with. E-Body would get its start back near the end of 2007 quickly establishing itself as a go-to studio for busty girls and large cup sizes. They don't boast any exclusive actresses and instead work entirely with freelancers. They're output is a bit low compared to most others on my list with only about half a dozen new titles each month. Now the quality of their work is pretty hit-or-miss. Sometimes you'll end up with a complete dud that just relies on busty eyecandy and other times you'll get my video of the year from 2021 in EBOD-852.
The reason I included them on my list here is mainly due to their most infamous aspect, the photoshopping on their covers. They have improved a bit over the years and aren't quite as bad as they used to be at least. But that being said they still go over the top in some instances. Most notably with debut films where they'll go extra hard in photoshopping their curves and breasts to try to grab the attention of first-time buyers. Then you'll sit down to watch the actual film and realize the actress looks nothing like she did on the cover. Bamboozling happens frequently with E-Body. They're still an enjoyable studio for sure but wish they'd tone it down a bit with their photoshopping.
Lunatics
Codes: LULU
Lunatics is quite fresh onto the scene having been established back in 2019. They're a studio that doesn't boast any exclusive actresses and instead works entirely with freelancers, no big surprise there. They're a studio that I have very mixed feelings on. On one hand, they consistently book some of the hottest and best talent around. Many of my personal favorite actresses have worked with them including the likes of Alice Otsu, Misono Mizuhara, Nene Tanaka, and Yuria Yoshine to name a few. And I enjoy the different themes they produce that seem to center around the actresses playing everyday women getting into some erotic situations such as a man being seduced by his big butt niece or getting handsy with his busty sister-in-law.
There's definitely a focus on a certain theme but they certainly do branch out occasionally. All in all nice themes but what really ruins a lot of it is their extremely mediocre production values. Except for just a few, every film has been shot inside the exact same house. You'll see the same rooms over and over in all their films. I'm guessing their budget must be tight but it's still frustrating all the same. A bigger issue is their lighting. Watch a few films and you'll notice they use the same lighting setup all the time. And it's not that good in the first place being too bright and washed out. These two problems make many of their videos very repetitive. I want to like them more but the repetition of their production values makes it extremely difficult.
Venus
Codes: VENU, VEC, VEX, VENX, VEMA
Venus is by far one of the more household names on my list. They love to specialize in a very specific theme centering around milfs and cougars who get pretty hands-on with some relatives. Venus was established back in 2004 and is still pumping out films at a considerable rate to this day. They average about 14 or so new releases every single month. Besides their signature theme, they're also notorious for another aspect which is the over-the-top photoshopping of their covers. Every single cover is touched up to an absurd degree as they'll enlarge their chests and waists in ridiculous ways. But getting back on track, I do enjoy their themes from time to time. They do manage to introduce some new wrinkles once in a while to shake it up.
But that being said, many of their films feel extremely repetitive and monotonous. Each one follows nearly the exact same scene structure rarely ever straying away from it. The first scene will always make the most of the video's theme and is usually the standout. Then after that, it's a rather boring shower blowjob scene or just a bland solo masturbation scene. Lastly, you'll get a one-on-one sex scene taking place in a bedroom. It's extremely vanilla and straightforward every damn time. It doesn't help either when every video is only 90 minutes long. The end result is a studio that just phones it in following a very basic formula that leaves you frustrated as their plots can be enjoyable but the execution lacks any desire to switch it up, unfortunately.
Madonna
Codes: JUL, OBA, JUQ, URE, JUX
Madonna is a studio that has been around for quite some time and is a staple of JAV today. They have a very tried-and-true theme that they excel at but ultimately can feel a bit repetitive. They got their start back in December 2013 and right away found their niche focusing on mature actresses. In addition, their plots would usually center around themes of NTR and drama. They work with both exclusive actresses and freelancers releasing over 30 new films a month which is an impressive feat. Now the one main aspect of Madonna that I can certainly praise is their production values. Their camerawork and lighting are almost always top-notch. Maybe once in a while, it'll miss the mark but it's quite rare.
This also includes the wardrobe and makeup for the actresses too. I never have an issue there. The biggest problem I have with Madonna is just how repetitive their plots and themes can get. Most of the time their setups are always based around NTR, cheating wives, and drama. Those aren't inherently my cup of tea personally but once in a while if not right can be enjoyable. The problem is that's 90% or more of their work. There's very little variety from them. Sometimes you may get some out of their sublabel that adapts doujinshi's but even then it still falls into NTR territory most of the time. They definitely excel at their craft but it gets so frustrating when one of your favorite actresses is exclusive to them and it's the same thing nearly all the time.
GIGA
Codes: Too many to name but a few are GEXP, GIRO, GHKP, GHOV
Good ol' GIGA studio. They're very charming with their unique setups and style but they always manage to leave you wanting a bit more. GIGA is one of the oldest studios around having been in the game since 1995. They manage to produce about a dozen new titles a month which isn't half bad really. Now as to what their focus is it's quite different from any other studio you'll ever see. They focus on producing "Tokusatsu" type films which is a term for live-action film or television dramas that makes heavy use of practical special effects. Most of their films focus on superheroine plots with B-movie special effects and monsters. It can be pretty cheesy but very entertaining as well. Sometimes you even forgot you're watching porn.
The various costume designs are great and special effects have a certain charm to them. Plus, they even include some BTS shots at the end of each film which is nice. This makes it all the more frustrating that more effort isn't devoted to devising different plots as that's my biggest issue with GIGA. It's always the same result. The plot and characters will be different but ultimately it ends with the superheroine getting fucked against her will. It's always the same thing. Once in a while, they'll have the actress play a villain but it's not too common. It's all super repetitive and feels like you're watching the same film over and over. I love their production values and themes but really wish they'd try out some new plotlines or something.
S1
Codes: SOE, SNIS, SSNI, SSIS
Everyone knows S1. Their talent pool boasts some of the highest caliber actresses in the industry. They have a stacked roster no matter how you slice it but sometimes their execution leaves something to be desired. S1 got its start back in 2015 and has been thriving ever since. They typically boast two release cycles a month with about 16 or so new titles each wave. As for their specialty, they typically go for actresses with a traditional pretty face and slender figure. While there have been a few outliers throughout the years, this mostly remains a constant. They're also always churning out a new debut every cycle like they're manufacturing them in a lab or something. Now I can't knock S1's roster but their execution and plots are a bit underwhelming at times.
S1 loves to play it safe as the vast majority of their films are very basic and vanilla. I can't exactly blame them all too much as they're one of the best-selling studios around and you obviously don't want to rock the boat too much with your fans. But man some of their themes are so painfully bland. Many of their new releases seemingly always contain some theme relating to either kissing, abstaining from sex, or just a basic vanilla sex video. Now they do feature some different themes of course occasionally but it's all so played out and boring afterwhile. Especially when you look back and see S1 used to be much more adventurous even shooting some interracial films. I still do enjoy S1 films from time to time but it's hard seeing so much wasted potential.
Comments
I can understand getting the most out of one's money when filming actresses, but simply repeating a theme like that sounds very lazy.
I mean, I rarely watch them. But hopefully there are some reading to answering my wonderment about why I still do believing Faleno is a crap.
I have found that, as the years go on, my collection begins to shrink, as does the number of studios I follow. I now follow only Das, E-BODY (despite only liking 2 videos from their entire catalogue), Marrion and Moodyz. From E-BODY, EBOD-780 and the latest EBOD-948 have kept me interested in this mostly miss than hit studio.
Agree with you and Pan on Lunatics. The videos start to feel too much the same when they're all using the same settings and very similar themes. I do find myself enjoying the camera angles more and more but it does feel like a lower budget studio compared to Madonna or S1.
I think with Madonna and S1 the real thing you have to get on board with is the women. It's not a studio where the primary focus is the narrative or how wild the content is but having nice actresses. S1 has some very attractive women with widespread appeal, while Madonna has the best mature women around. I do concur that a lot of content is bad, but I find myself more willing to watch that content when I become more of a fan of the women themselves as opposed to the content.
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