The online world can feel foreign to parents of teens because of its peculiar words and acronyms. However, anime (TV shows and movies inspired by Japanese animation) is even more confusing because most anime slang terms are in a different language. I will explain popular anime words.
At Game Quitters, members of our Parent Support Group often ask questions about terms that tweens and teens use online. That’s why we’ve put together a series of articles that decipher popular words, phrases, acronyms, and hashtags that appear on social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, and video games like Roblox.
anime term AZ
This AZ list of common anime phrases is designed to help parents with children who are fans of Japanese anime.
animation Abbreviation for animation. Used to represent the world-famous Japanese hand-drawn or computer-generated cartoons. Genres include action-adventure, comedy, drama, horror, romance, and science fiction.
fool – A derogatory term meaning an idiot or an idiot.
Beautiful girl/boy (Bissier for short) – Beautiful girl or handsome boy.
Little – Represents something small and cute (usually a person or an animal).
cosplay – Means “costume play” and includes dressing up as a character in an animated film or TV show.
doujinshi – Manga (Japanese comics and graphic novels) made by fans for fans.
Etch – Slightly erotic and provocative content that is not overly explicit.
fan service ・Adding things that are not directly related to the story to please the fans.
school uniform ・Uniforms worn by junior and senior high school students.
Harem ・A story in which a character is surrounded by a large number of men and women and is loved.
hentai – Porn cartoons containing explicit and graphic imagery. Some accounts on OnlyFans contain this content.
Itai – used to describe pain – meaning hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts.
J-pop – Japanese pop music that is sometimes used in anime.
cute – Small, cute, or adorable.
scary – Scary or dangerous.
Coudelle – Characters who control their emotions and remain calm even in stressful situations.
lolita – Japanese fashion style with elegant and understated Victorian costumes.
Magical girl – Magical Girl – A genre of anime about girls with magical abilities. Sailor Moon is a popular TV anime series of this type.
manga – Japanese comics and graphic novels.
Nani – means “what?” Used in the same context as in English.
Otaku – People who are obsessed with (and potentially addicted to) anime, manga, and Japanese culture.
Pocky – Chocolate coated cookie sticks
Q version – ‘Q’ means cute, so ‘Q-version’ means the cute version of a person or thing.
Ramune – A type of Japanese soda. The mouth is sealed with marble instead of a screw top.
boy – An anime genre popular with tweens and teenage boys. They often feature young male heroes and action-adventure stories.
girl (or girl) – A genre of anime aimed primarily at tweens and teenage girls because of its romantic stories.
very — can mean terrible or awful, or amazing or wonderful, depending on the context.
Tsundere – A character (usually female) who changes over time from being cold and romantically indifferent to being warm and friendly.
happy — happy, happy, happy, relieved.
noisy – It has several meanings, such as annoying, unpleasant, etc. When said alone with emphasis, it can also mean “Stop!” or “Shut up!”.
Visual Kei (or VKEI) – It translates to ‘visual style’ and describes a fashion movement among Japanese musicians that is a bit like glam rock. The artists have elaborate and glamorous costumes, hairstyles and makeup.
Weeboo – A derogatory slang term for Westerners who become obsessed with Japanese culture (not just anime) and take over their lives.
Yandere – A character (usually female) who is obsessed with someone and will do anything to be with them – and this obsession can be dangerous at times.
Yaoi (also known as BL or Boys Love) – Anime stories featuring romantic relationships between male characters.
lily ・A genre of anime that focuses on romance between female characters.
Zettai – Absolutely, definitely, or no matter what.
Get help with anime addiction
Are you worried that your child has an unhealthy obsession with anime? Isn’t it? At Game Quitters, we support those who are addicted to anime and manga.
Our coaching program provides strategies to help your loved ones make positive changes, stop obsessive behaviors and live their best lives.
Book a Gameplan Strategy Call to find out if your loved one is a good fit for our coaching program. Due to the limited number of places, we cannot accept all applicants.
