Anime fans, sometimes speaks a language of their own. It difficult to understand if you are new to it, so I hope this glossary will help in detailing some of the words being used.
Otaku
We start off with Otaku. Otaku is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly Anime and Manga.
Manga
Manga as a term outside of Japan refers specifically to comics originally published in Japan.
Anime
Anime, is animation originating in Japan. It just simply means Japanese Animation. Of course with the style developed by the Japanese.
Cosplay
Cosplay or costume play involves dressing up as your favorite Anime character and playing that role in public. Conceived in Japan in the early 80s, Cosplay has become the major point of American cons, where otakus show up as the characters they love.
Cons
Short for convention.
Bishonen
It’s ‘beautiful boy’ in Japanese. A slender male cartoon figure with characteristics ranging from mildly girly to really, really girly. A good example is Alto Saotome from the Macross Frontier series and also Tieria Erde from Gundam 00.
Hentai
Hentai refers to Anime, Manga or computer games with pornographic artwork. So, be extra careful when your son reads Manga. You don’t want them reading this kind. Don’t let them fool you with this definition.
More will be updated later. Please feel free to add in the comments section.
Some of the Hentai available in Japan is extremely graphic and violent towards women. Don’t be foold into thinking that it is harmless since it is cartoon, some of the stuff I saw while living there was mysogynistic and disturbing.
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