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Anime (ann-ee-may): Japanese for “animation”.

Bishoujo (bee-sho-jo): Japanese for a “pretty girl,” Bishoujo are cute female characters. An example of this type of character would be the cast of Miyuki-chan in Wonderland.




Bishounen (bee-sho-nen): Japanese for “pretty boy.” Bishonen are male characters who often possess very feminine features. An example of bishonen would be the male characters from Fushigi Yuugi.





Doujinshi (doe-jeen-shee): This is a term to describe manga or comics that are created by amateur artists and fans.

Dubbed/Dubbing: Refers to how a Japanese production is translated. In this case, the original voices are replaced with a new cast of voices in the language appropriate to the new audience (typically English).


Ecchi (ehtch-ee): A term for erotic or suggestive anime that is not as pornographic as “hentai”. Ecchi also, means “pervert” in Japanese.




Fan Service: This is a general term for any scene that is not integral to the plot line, but included only to excite or titillate a viewer. This can range from cleavage shots to gratuitous battle explosions. Also simply known as "service."

Fansub: This is a collection of anime that has not been commercially released, and has been translated or subtitled by fans as a way to view unreleased titles. While fansub is illegal, it is generally tolerated by companies.

Hentai (hen-tie): It means “pervert” or “perverted’ and refers to sexually explicit content, comparable to pornography.

Kawaii (kah-wah-ee): Japanese for “cute”.

Manga (mahn-guh): The Japanese term for printed comic book, and the precursor to anime.


Mecha (meck-uh): Short for giant robots, this can also mean any anime based in robotics.





OAV: Stands for “Original Animated Video,” the Japanese equivalent to direct to DVD release. Also known as OVA (Original Video Animation).

Otaku (o-tah-ku): In Japan, otaku is a derogatory term to describe an obsessed fan of a particular subject, not just anime. However, the term is often a badge of honor for hard-core anime fans in the West.

Seiyuu (say-yu): The Japanese term for “voice actor.” Typically used by Western fans when referring to Japanese voice actors.

Shoujo (sho-jo): Japanese for “girl” and describes anime targeted at females.





Shounen (sho-nen): Japanese for “boy” and describes anime targeted at males.

Subbed/Subbing: Refers to how a Japanese production is translated. In this case, the original voices are maintained and subtitles in the language appropriate to the new audience (typically English) are added.

Sweat Drop: A very common visual effect in both anime and manga settings. The sweat drop can be used to express a variety of emotions, including embarassment, shock, and tension. Sweat drops are used extensively in most animes, especially those themed toward younger audiences. They are also commonly used by a character reacting to another character's failed pun or joke.

Yaoi (yow-ee): Stories in anime or manga which focus on male homosexuality.







Yuri (yu-ri): Stories in anime or manga which focus on female homosexuality.





^_^ : An anime-style pictographical emoticon, used to express happiness. The carets ( ^ ) represent eyes, while the underscore ( _ ) represents the mouth. A variety of variations have been adapted, primarily in the chat room setting, to express other sentiments.

^_^; : An anime-style pictographical emotion, featuring a "sweat drop". The semi-colon represents the sweat drop, suggesting tension, nervousness, or embarassment. The sweat drop feature is frequently used in the community and worth mentioning.