INS AND OUTS OF PANEMAJI (PHOTO RETOUCHING)

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Sudsy

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About Panemaji:

How often have we seen a review where there's a complaint about the appearance of the lady not matching their photos from the website and/or the front desk shots? It's not something unique to foreign punters, Japanese punters are also often fooled in this manner. You show up at the shop expecting to play with an attractive young thing, and you're met with a lady who looks like she may have eaten the girl in the photo. Or maybe she resembles the girl in the photo's mother. The industry is so rife with deceptive photos that it's got it's own term - "panemaji", shorthand for "Panel Magic", from the days when shops all had a panel with the girls' photos inside the reception area. Panemaji is the process of editing or retouching the profile photos of sex workers to make them look more attractive. The most common targets are the chest and the face.

The Chest: It's no secret that men (and a lot of women!) have an affinity for breasts. It's hard to imagine otherwise; I mean, who wouldn't appreciate a good pair? (Well, maybe a few, but they're definitely the exception.) In essence, it's like wielding a bit of sorcery to entice those enamored with breasts by enhancing their allure.
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The panemaji artist specializes in the art of photo manipulation, transforming modest C-cups into voluptuous E-cups. This way, they cater to customers who have a keen appreciation for ample bosoms. Given the inherent prominence of the chest, it's relatively straightforward to accentuate the shape and size. They carefully stage the photo lighting and pose to accentuate the cleavage, and then employ further editing techniques to enhance the appeal. Enhancing cleavage also serves as a strategic method to divert attention away from other body parts.

The Face: Touching up facial photos is relatively simple. There are plenty of simple tricks like outlining, removing blemishes and dullness, and throwing on a filter. Just those tweaks alone can make a lady look like a whole new person. Ever tried those apps like SNOW that slap on filters? Add some extra editing on top of that, and bam, you won't even recognize the original face. There was even a case of a 55 year old guy who ran a motorcycling blog, editing his photo in all of them to give himself the face of an attractive mid 20s girl!
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Sometimes, all you see is the face because the shop wants to keep the body shape under wraps. If a lady isn't feeling too hot about her body but has a cute (or filterable) face, they just zoom in on that mug for the photo. When it's just a close-up of the face, nobody's clocking her body shape or size, making it a breeze to edit. That's why it's so easy to pull off some digital magic, even catching experienced viewers off guard.


It's Not ONLY About Appearance: An oft-overlooked reason for panemaji is an important one - it makes the providers less likely to be recognized by friends, family members, and acquaintances. Sometimes, it's not only about appearances, it's also about privacy.



Spotting Panemaji in the Wild:

Check the Background!

When you're examining profile photos, start by giving the background a good once-over. When you're editing the subject, the background tends to get a bit wonky. So, the simpler the background—think plain backgrounds like in ID photos—the less obvious any heavy editing will appear. If you can spot chairs, desks, or anything else in the background, you can gauge how much tweaking has been done. But if it's a blank canvas back there, well, you're in the dark. When the background's just a solid color or something super basic, that's when you start suspecting some digital sorcery might be at play.

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Check the Pose!

Panel photos stand out because they're not usually just straightforward shots of faces; they involve all sorts of poses. Some ladies might be strategically crossing their legs or arching them to mask their waistlines or to create the illusion of being slimmer. The larger ladies will keep their stomachs covered with strategic placement of arms or garments, or in the worst cases, will pose laying down to emphasize their bosom and derriere while completely hiding a massive stomach. If you've got a thing for ample bosoms, keep an eye out for any unnatural posing around the chest area or if they're using objects or body parts to hide certain bits. Also watch out for those poses where arms and legs are stretched out. Straight poses are a piece of cake to manipulate, so there might be some serious digital trickery going on there.
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Check the Photo Diary and Social Media!

You know those selfie shots the girls post on their photo diaries and social media? They're often spruced up a bit using smartphone apps and filters, but they can't quite reach the same level of editing finesse as a skilled Photoshop operator. That means you're more likely to get a clearer picture of what these women really look like. Photo diaries usually pop up on the homepage, and you can track down their social media profiles by searching for their shop name followed by the name of the SNS service (usually X/Twitter). By comparing several images, you can spot which parts have been touched up. So, if you spot a gal in a panel photo who catches your eye, it's worth digging into her photo diary and socials to get a better sense of her real deal.
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Check Reviews!

Here on TAG or on the portal sites, check the reviews - even Cityheaven reviews will often slip through if the panemaji is too strong. This is also one of the areas where Bakusai (largely a source of bullshit and farce) is actually useful. Remember that online reviews are subjective, so not all negative content is accurate. However, the impressions and opinions of people who have actually met a particular lady are valuable, and you'll have less chance of making a mistake than choosing based only on panel photos.
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Ask the Shop Staff Directly!

This one might come as a surprise, but when you're at an adult entertainment shop and you're eyeing a lovely lady from the panel photos, it's a good idea to have a chat with the attendant. They're often surprisingly upfront about whether a photo's been touched up and can clue you in on what might look different in real life. Being real, there's almost always a bit of a gap between the panel photo and reality when you're dealing with this hobby. But if you're feeling unsure about the extent of editing, it's totally okay to speak up and even consider canceling if it's not what you expected. Shop owners take cancellations and bad reviews seriously, so they'll likely do their best to address your concerns. If you end up enjoying your time with the gal you've picked out, you might become a regular at that shop, which is good for business, so they're usually quite forthcoming. So, when you're chatting with the attendant, keep it friendly and chill—no need to come off as intimidating. After all, you're just there to have a good time, and ultimately they're there make a profit by facilitating that.

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How to spot a shop that relies heavily on Panemaji:

Pretty much all adult establishments use some processing, but you can spot the likelihood of panemaji with a few techniques. Firstly, you need to view with the assumption that the photo has been altered or processed. Even the girls' photo diaries are almost guaranteed to have a filter on them. Secondly, you need to review multiple photos. Profile photos are the most strongly edited, so look at the diary photos and any others available, such as Twitter/X pages. Videos are the best, as they're the hardest to edit. Thirdly, look at the photos of other providers from the same shop. They almost always use the same photographers, and they'll rely on the same bag of tricks every time, using the same poses, lighting, and angles. If you see a good variety of poses and angles with a particular lady, chances are the level of panel magic is pretty low. If you see a few particular poses, especially ones that are used by a lot of women at the shop, then the chances of panel magic is pretty high.

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How to spot a shop that's less likely to use a lot of Panemaji:

The main method to avoid panemaji is to choose higher end shops with higher end prices. The more attractive providers don't like to work at lower end shops because the pay is low and the treatment is substandard. A shop that charges higher prices, by extension, is therefore more likely to have genuinely attractive ladies, and rely less on alterations.

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Secondly, look for stores that have a lot of reviews, either here on TAG or on Cityheaven and the like. People generally write reviews when they're happy, so it's a fair assumption that a large number of reviews means a lot of happy - and undeceived - punters.
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The third trick is to review the number of free or low cost options, such as eye mask/vibrator usage/photos/etc. - a large number of free options are usually an indication that the customers need the extra incentive to be satisfied with the shop's offerings, and that extends to the looks and quality of the girls. A shop that has fewer free or low cost options is therefore mroe likely to be confident in the quality and looks of the ladies on staff, and less likely to engage in deceptive panemaji.
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Summary:

Panel magic is a common technique used in the entertainment industry to enhance the beauty of subjects in panel photos. It's not just about making someone look better but also about safeguarding the privacy of the girls. So, don't always assume there's something shady going on behind the scenes.

To ensure you're not getting caught up in excessive editing, keep an eye on the background, the poses, and even check out the girl's photo diary if available. Another smart move is to scope out reviews on portal sites or simply have a chat with the staff at the shop—they can usually give you a good amount of information.

Now that you're equipped with these tips, go out, find your favorite girl, and have a blast! After all, the whole point is to enjoy yourself.
 
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