Questions tagged [terminology]
For questions about anime/manga-related jargon like "moe", "visual novel", and "AMV". Avoid using this tag for questions about words that only have meaning in the context of a particular work.
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Is there a name for text that's attributed to a character but without a speech bubble/thought bubble/pointer line/other indicator?
Example:
I get that they're asides, thoughts, implications, feelings, etc., but what is the actual visual device/convention called?
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What is the Japanese term for the CGDCT tag/genre?
What is the genre or tag in Japanese terms for CGDCT? (Cute Girls Doing Cute Things for those that are not aware)
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What is this panel/console seen in Eighty Six?
In Eighty Six, these console windows are shown.
Do we have any names for the above console windows? Or was it just made up?
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Just what does the word "canon" mean when referring to anime?
I've been wondering for quite a while. Each time I have questions about either anime or manga, someone always refers to the word "canon", or "non-canon".
I've searched up what the ...
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What is the Japanese term for an old man/grandpa who is into anime/is otaku?
Is there a casual/slang term in Japanese for an old geezer who's a hardcore otaku? I know terms like erojiji and such but there are more referred to old men who are just perverted in general, but what ...
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What is this simplified/less-detailed art style called?
So, recently, while watching a few of my favorite animes, I noticed this really weird art style that pops up whenever a character will show confusion, annoyance, etc.
Don't really know what the art ...
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What is the name of an "interrruption screen" element in the middle of an anime episode?
Very often, in the middle of an anime episode, I can see some screens lasting just a few seconds.
They very often consist of some drawing/aesthetic element or gag element. It is very often combined ...
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Why do characters repeatedly say other characters names?
I'm watching Blood C, and I'm reminded that in anime, dialog can often consist of characters just saying other character's names. In this example, most of Tadayoshi Kisaragi's lines towards Saya are ...
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Is there a name for "4-koma style" anime?
Is there a term for animes (that are like Nichijou, Pop Team Epic) that have several parts in only one episode?
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Why MAL (MyAnimeList) is putting light novel and comic together?
I live in Hong Kong, and at least from my observation, light novels and comics are quite different things in Asia. However it seems that on sites like MAL, which is not of the Asian origin, they ...
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Do Shojo and Bishonen overlap, or are they separate?
I was checking out the new season of anime and came across a self-described shojo anime, but judging by the cover art, name, and description, I assumed a Bishonen anime. As I was making a joke to a ...
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Why is "bioroide/bioroido/bioroid" used in different animes?
In the 1984 anime series Super Dimensional Calvary Southern Cross, there are some alien mechas called "bioroid/bioroido/bioloyd" (depending on the translation) Bioroids SDC. In Appleseed there is an ...
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When did otaku become a derogatory term?
Related: Is the term Otaku derogatory?
I have been reading The Moe Manifesto lately, and noticed in a lot of the interviews, the term otaku was never really used in a derogatory form.
One of the ...
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What is COMITIA? Is it different than Comiket?
In Pixiv, sometimes I saw that as title. Here is the example: [ COMITIA119 ] 星の花束. Seems like it's a doujin. This is the first image (cover) - if anyone interested.
I found from Google that Comitia ...
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What does "anime franchises" mean?
I've seen many anime but faced with a word I could not find the meaning of - anime "franchises" such as Fate/Stay Night.
What does "franchises" mean in this context?
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Why is pornographic anime and manga referred to as "hentai" by non-Japanese sources? And when did it start?
If you try to google "hentai definition" most result would define hentai as a Japanese genres of manga and anime with sexually explicit images and plots. But Wikipedia explains it otherwise:
...
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What's the term for the bullied kid who delivers bread and sandwiches to the bullies?
I think it's a designated term for this kind of character. Usually they use their own money to purchase foods during lunch in a school setting for the bullies.
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Doujin, doujinshi, doujinshika and doujinka. What's the difference?
In a world of self-published manga/anime/other related stuff, there are doujin, doujinshi, doujinshika and doujinka. What's the difference between those four?
Also, are these term used exclusively ...
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What is it called when an anime character is emotionless on the inside and sweet/kind on the outisde?
Emotionless on the inside meaning literally that, and sweet/kind on the outside as in being completely fake and pretending to like someone or be a happy person just for personal benefit or similar.
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Is there any equivalent to the "fujoshi"/"fudanshi" descriptors for yuri fans?
A woman who consumes and enjoys boys' love publications might describe herself as a fujoshi (腐女子), literally "rotten girl". There is an equivalent term for men: fudanshi (腐男子).
Does an equivalent ...
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What is a 通信{つうしん} from a manga publisher?
I found this page with a short list of 通信{つうしん} from the publisher Tosuisha for its magazine Ichiraci, and I was wondering what exactly 通信 are. Here's an example cover of one:
There are several ...
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Filler episodes
What are filler episodes? I've heard people mention them a lot but I'm not quite sure what they are. Apparently Naruto is packed with tons of them, so what are they?
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What does 'production minutes' mean?
In the following document, the expression 'production minutes' comes up multiple times:
The full source of the document can be found here
What does this expression mean, in terms of anime production?...
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When do you classify an AMV as an ASMV?
As the name 'Anime Story Music Video' explains, an AMV which contains a story is considered as an ASMV. But when do you declare something as a story?
Is it necessary to have speeches in the video? If ...
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Name of classification/trope of anime with advanced/ancient civilizations
I would like to use "Laputa: Castle in the Sky" as an example, but the identifying features that I'm particularly interested in identifying are the ancient, yet advanced technological civilization(s) ...
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Is Honey Senpai a Shota?
If so, then what would be the opposite of Honey Senpai's character? Like between the ages of 40 years an up?
I read it one time when I was looking at Japanese Shoujo Manga, but I do remember ...
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What is this animation style? I would call it "serious", but maybe gritty?
Often times in anime, I see a serious section accentuated by a gritty, more serious, more old school, animation type. There will be many frames of animation, and the animation will be very fluid. ...
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Name or tag for kana phrase videos
I'd like to know the Japanese name or tag of a type of video that used to be popular on Nico Nico Douga on 2007-2010 (maybe there are still some people making these videos but I can't find them ...
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Is ecchi used for humor or is it sexually playful?
The definition of ecchi is sexually playful, right? But I heard it is almost always used for humor. Can someone explain please?
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Can this character be considered a slider? (Haruhi Suzumiya books 9&10 spoiler)
In "The Dissociation of Haruhi Suzumiya" and the following book, can the character Yasumi Watahashi be considered a slider? (I'm not naming her in the title because she's not in the anime).
Since ...
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What is gap moe?
I often hear the word gap moe, but I do not know what it means. So what does the word gap moe mean?
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What is the equivalent of "seme" and "uke" in yuri culture?
As mentioned in this answer, the terms seme and uke are used in yaoi to describe a duality:
Yaoi fans have adapted these terms to describe the roles in a male/male relationship: the seme is the one ...
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What is the difference between Shonen'ai, JUNE, Yaoi and Boys' love? [duplicate]
The difference between Shonen'ai and Yaoi as already been asked.
However, I encountered a few more terminologies concerning anime and mangas referring to masculine homosexuality :
Shōnen'ai
JUNE
...
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What is the actual meaning of "denpa"?
After watching a lot of "Ryuusei no Rockman", I've come to know the word "denpa" as meaning "wave", or "EM wave". Though I have heard it used in Katekyo Hitman Reborn as well. Is the rough translation ...
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Is there a name for the abbreviated (usually three-syllable) title?
Surely the act of abbreviating an anime title to three syllables has a name...? And what is that name?
Full Name
Shortened
Kodomo no Omocha
Kodocha
Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu
Hareguu
Ore no ...
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What is the block used to symbolize the end of a chapter called?
What do they call this bar? Is there official terminology for it? Sometimes they add filler text to explain the predicament the heroes are in inside of it or surrounding it. It also somewhat seems ...
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What is a "character song"?
I have heard of these things called "character songs", but I don't know what they are. Is a "character song" just like a theme song for a character? Can you give me some examples of character songs?
(...
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On the origins of the term "forced drama" as it is used in discourse about anime
User /u/JekoJeko5 has recently posted on /r/anime his observation that the term "forced drama" is almost exclusively used in discussions of anime. It is difficult to give a concrete description of ...
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English-English term for "Shōjo manga"
Is there a standardised English-English (as opposed to English that borrows words willy-nilly from Japanese) term for Shōjo manga (少女マンガ) used when describing it to people not familiar with manga and ...
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What is the simplified art style called that is often used when a character is emotional?
If there's even a name for it?
I saw this question that explains why but I'd love to know if there's a name for it. The linked question mentions superdeformed but I figured there's a Japanese name, ...
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What exactly does "best girl" mean and where did the expression originate from?
I've seen the expression "best girl" being used several times, and I find it quite self-explanatory. However, some people seem to define it in slightly different ways. Here are some different ...
JNat♦
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Is Avatar: the Last Airbender an anime? [closed]
Valid points are stated in this video.
In Western countries, anime is thought of as Eastern animation. In Eastern countries, all animation are thought of as anime.
So this question kind of leads ...
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What is the difference between "arc", "hen" and "season" when categorizing anime series sub-stories?
I always see that different stories in the same anime series are usually called with either "hen", "arc" or "season" as seen in the examples below.
Hen (編)
JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken - Stardust ...
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What does it mean for animation to be done "on ones" or "on twos"?
Animation is sometimes described as being done "on ones" or "on twos" or "on threes". What does that mean?
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Definition of a reverse trap
I am confused at how people describe gender roles and their trope classification in anime. I understand that traps are characters appearing to be girls but are actually guys. One of my favorite traps ...
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Is The Legend of Korra anime?
I saw a comment online that stated The Legend of Korra is not anime. I kinda know the argument in that "anime" refers to only Japanese animation, but is that so? The style of this anime, the humour, ...
user6383
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How to differentiate Nekomimi from Inumimi?
So, how to differentiate Nekomimi from Inumimi? They looks quite similar.
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What exactly is a "Light Novel"?
I am only familiar with this term when I know about the anime.
Is this term only used in Japan?
Sometimes I read light novels on the internet but I never see the book myself. How is a light novel ...
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What is that twiggy strand in hair of some anime characters called? [duplicate]
I remember there's a Japanese word for it, but I forgot.
Here's an image of Hachiman. That "twig" on his head.
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Are anime that air before a manga adaptation considered filler anime?
In the question Has an anime ever come out before the manga was published? it became quite obvious that there are indeed several animes that air before their manga has been made.
But this also made me ...
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