Obsessive Behaviour: The Sequel

Okay, so while re-reading the last chapter of the Hellsing manga, after I was done emitting fangirlish squeals as quietly as I could so as not to disturb my fiancé (who remains largely ambivalent to my life in fandom), it occurred to me that Integra was still a virgin. Before you all start looking me like I'm crazy or thinking that my next few paragraphs will be about how she was waiting for Alucard and possibly to be turned by him, let me assure you this is a much more mundane revelation. Consider the opening scenes of the chapter featured Integra fencing and of course throughout the war, it was shown that she can certainly hold her own in a fight. This translates into the fact that she is a very active woman. Again, no shit. Obvious conclusion obvious. However, it's not unusual for an active and athletic woman to have her hymen ruptured or greatly strained from strenuous activity. So there's a pretty good chance that Integra may no longer have a hymen. The reigning theory of virgin=no penetration has been accepted by most AxI shippers, leaving a lot for Hellsmut junkies to play with. Even I've used the concept to my advantage in writing. Now before I unfold the point of this rambling analysis, let's go back to the last chapter. Hirano makes a point of letting us know she never produced a heir to Hellsing, and that she took Seras (half?) joking suggestion that she turn Integra very seriously. Obviously pointing to the fact that she's a virgin despite the aforementioned fact that she may very well no longer have a hyman. All this leads to the fact that in Hellsing world hymen doesn't equal virginity. It's far more than that. What that is, I can't accurately describe. Perhaps virgins smell different, perhaps a vampire reads their thoughts and that's why Dracula tends to stalk his future brides (I don't think mind reading is an easy task. There's so much going on in the average person's thoughts that it's unlikely to get such sensitive information off a passing glance into a person's mind...unless you know, they're sixteen and perpetually worried about dying alone and untouched). The point is, I think the concept of virginity is probably much more strict.

Note: Before I proceed. I'm sure Hirano didn't put half as much thought into it as I am. I'm quite sure that his concept of virgin is as simple as "not fucked", but it does still bring up the challenge to define "sex". Is cunnilingus sex? Is fallacio sex? What about a good old fashioned handjob or fingering? Well, it's complicated. A probably on the lesser and a maybe on the latter. You see our views of sexuality have surely relaxed, but people have differing opinions of sexual purity, and yes perhaps a double standard. Surely is must have something more than having your hymen intact. After all, if it were just a matter of sniffing out a hymen, a lot of whores would be vampires and a lot of athletic girls would be ghouls. It would explain why Alucard had to ask Seras if she were a virgin (and again, another athletic girl who may not have had a hymen), I mean, other than exposition.

Part of the reason, I think the rules of virginity in Hellsing-verse must be kind of strict is that there are male vampires. Male virginity is not as easy to peg down as the intact hyman=virgin trope. Honestly all this comes down to modern sensibilities. Sexual experimentation is not unusual among teen-agers. So if a young woman or man doesn't have intercourse until they're 18, but has engaged in every other sexual act are they still virgins? I'd venture, at least in Hellsing-verse, that would not be so. Even in the real world, I'd say no, but that's more a personal opinion than anything else.

Which leads me to the fact that it's unlikely that Integra and Alucard engaged in any explicitly sexual activities. As much as I love the idea of some mildly kinky oral sex scene (Integra receiving, duh), I highly doubt either of them would risk it. That doesn't mean their relationship lacked sensuality, but few smut writers are patient (or talented) enough to explore the eroticism of heavy petting or kissing without getting genitalia involved in a major way.

To wrap up: In Hellsing land, virginity is probably a narrow guide line and, in the case of women, a much more indelible thing than a missing hyman.

Thanks for reading this. Hope it's not incredibly dull.