29
votes
Accepted
What is the name of an "interrruption screen" element in the middle of an anime episode?
In Japan, the term is called eyecatch, which is also known as bumper. As the question has mentioned, it's usually to indicate the start and end of the commercial break.
In broadcasting, a commercial ...
- 12.8k
27
votes
Accepted
What is gap moe?
Let's look at the meaning of the words separately.
A quick google search tells us that a gap is a space or interval; a break in continuity. It can also mean to be a difference. Here is a post that ...
- 892
24
votes
What is a "character song"?
Is a "character song" just like a theme song for a character?
No!
A "character song" is emphatically not the same thing as a "theme song". While there is probably no clear definition of what ...
- 35.2k
15
votes
Accepted
What is the equivalent of "seme" and "uke" in yuri culture?
If you use "uke" and "seme" to describe particpants in yuri relationships, I imagine you'll be understood, but it'd be very weird - male homosexual relationships and female homosexual relationships ...
- 35.2k
13
votes
What is the equivalent of "seme" and "uke" in yuri culture?
On Wikipedia disambiguation page for "Seme" one of the suggested usages of the term is:
Seme, a manga/anime term for a dominant partner in a homosexual relationship
The first paragraph of that "...
- 39.7k
12
votes
Accepted
Is there a name for the abbreviated (usually three-syllable) title?
For what it's worth, in Japanese, you would call this particular sort of abbreviation a 略称 ryakushou or 略語 ryakugo, both of which basically just mean "abbreviation". There isn't an anime-specific term ...
- 35.2k
12
votes
What is the difference between an OVA and an OAV?
A pretty late answer, but I found a comment from Yoshiharu Tokugi (famous for writing Dirty Pair, Macross and Power Rangers) in Johnathan Clement's "Anime: A History".
Tokugi claims there is a slight ...
- 34.2k
11
votes
Accepted
Doujin, doujinshi, doujinshika and doujinka. What's the difference?
TLDR;
Doujin: Fandom created works
Doujinshi: a (Broader)category of Doujin
Doujinshika: A very, very limited form of Doujinka
Doujinka: A Doujin creator
Now In more details
A Doujin
A Doujin, ...
- 22.1k
9
votes
On the origins of the term "forced drama" as it is used in discourse about anime
Unfortunately, my research skills weren't up to the task of finding out how the term "forced drama" first appeared in the anime fandom, so all I can is speculate. I hope that someone else can ...
- 12.5k
9
votes
What exactly is a "Light Novel"?
Is this term only used in Japan?
This term originated in Japan as a 和製英語 (wasei eigo [meaning Japan-style English] = Japanese-invented words that "superficially appear to come from English, but in ...
- 10.8k
8
votes
Is the term Otaku derogatory?
I'm surprised that none of the other answers here provide reliable citations regarding the Japanese language or Japanese culture.
Meanings of the Japanese Word "Otaku"
The Japanese Language ...
- 10.8k
8
votes
Accepted
What is the actual meaning of "denpa"?
Japanese is a highly contextual language. Often times common words have uncommon alternate meanings. It's best if you cite examples for your Reborn context.
In the case of Megaman StarForce, it is ...
- 42.1k
8
votes
Accepted
Is ecchi used for humor or is it sexually playful?
According to Wikipedia the definition of ecchi is:
Ecchi (エッチ etchi?, pronounced [et.tɕi]) is an often used slang term in the Japanese language for playfully sexual actions. As an adjective, it is ...
- 1,294
8
votes
Accepted
Just what does the word "canon" mean when referring to anime?
Something being canon essentially means it's true to the primary1 storyline. A good example of this would be when talking about fanfiction - if a fanfiction has two people dating in it, it would be ...
- 534
7
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between Shonen'ai, JUNE, Yaoi and Boys' love?
Shounen-Ai
Literally translated means boys love. However, in these type of series, it usually represents an innocent, non sexual nature of homosexuality.
Ex- 7-Ghosts.
(Taken from wikipedia)
The ...
- 838
7
votes
What is the equivalent of "seme" and "uke" in yuri culture?
The female equivalent term for seme/butch/top/dominant is "tachi", while the one for uke/femme/bottom/submissive is "neko". (Reference: Emerging Lesbian Voices from Japan.)
I'm not sure if the usage ...
- 71
7
votes
Accepted
What is COMITIA? Is it different than Comiket?
Both Comiket and COMITIA are doujinshi conventions held in Japan. Both conventions are generally the same event with several differences. See What events usually happen at Comiket?
Main Focus
While ...
- 19.1k
7
votes
Accepted
Why is "bioroide/bioroido/bioroid" used in different animes?
Bioroid is a word depicting a artificially created, cybernetic or biologically organism. Where the roid stands for android and bio for bio.
This term is mainly used within the sci-fi genres, one ...
- 22.1k
6
votes
What is the actual meaning of "denpa"?
電波 (denpa) does literally mean "electromagnetic wave; radio wave". Much like in any other language however, there are sometimes alternate meanings and slang. Denpa can also mean "nonsense" or event "...
- 501
6
votes
English-English term for "Shōjo manga"
I'm sure the other people that answered are much more informed than myself, but I just wanted to say that back in 2000, Tokyopop was putting out 'Americanized' shojo manga (they changed the left-to-...
- 61
6
votes
Accepted
When do you classify an AMV as an ASMV?
This seems like an awfully fuzzy thing to try to delineate. I'm going to claim that the answer to your question is "you classify an AMV as an ASMV whenever you think that sounds like the right thing ...
- 35.2k
6
votes
Accepted
Is there any equivalent to the "fujoshi"/"fudanshi" descriptors for yuri fans?
There is the term 姫男子 hime-danshi lit. "princess-boy" for a male person who enjoys lesbian/yuri media. I think this is a relatively recent coining - the Nicopedia article on this term dates to 2012, ...
- 35.2k
6
votes
What does "anime franchises" mean?
Definition #11 of "franchise" at en.wiktionary is what you want:
The loose collection of fictional works pertaining to a particular universe, including literary, film or television series from ...
- 35.2k
6
votes
Accepted
When did otaku become a derogatory term?
According to the first paragraph of the Wikipedia article (emphasis mine):
Otaku (おたく/オタク) is a Japanese term for people with obsessive interests, particularly in anime and manga. Its contemporary ...
- 1,083
5
votes
Accepted
Why do characters repeatedly say other characters names?
While the Japanese language does have various words that are second person pronouns, the most natural way that doesn't have any hidden meaning behind it of referring to the other person is using their ...
- 206
4
votes
Is chuunibyou syndrome real?
As for medical term or more common term for chuunibyou, they actually show it on first episode.
eight grader syndrome, pubescent crisis, fourteen sick, hebephrenic schizophrenia, 8th grader ...
- 19.1k
4
votes
Accepted
English-English term for "Shōjo manga"
Unfortunately, I don't think we really have a term for this. Keep in mind there's a vast cultural gap between Japan and English-speaking countries, so our terminology doesn't exactly overlap.
If you'...
- 29.4k
4
votes
What is the simplified art style called that is often used when a character is emotional?
The so-called "simple background" is essentially a montage of a particular mental landscape. Sometimes referred to as "kouka haike" (効果背景, lit. effect background) or "kouka back" (効果バック, lit. effect ...
- 42.1k
4
votes
What is it called when an anime character is emotionless on the inside and sweet/kind on the outisde?
I don't think there will be any satisfactory answer here. This answer itself is almost better suited as a comment, but there is too much to cover in a comment or two.
Most importantly, this is ...
- 2,138
4
votes
What does "anime franchises" mean?
Franchise
an authorization granted by a government or company to an individual or group enabling them to carry out specified commercial activities, e.g., providing a broadcasting service or acting ...
- 8,549
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible