Otaku Dictionary -- Anime Lexicon

Animeinfo <<< A good dictionary to look up words


__________________________________+--Anime Dictionary--+__________________________________


+--+ Anime - (n.) Japanese for "animation." In American fandom however, it's used to refer to any form of animation produced in Japan. New age term 'Anime' describes more of a style of drawing.

+--+ Baka - Japanese for "stupid," "idiot," or "fool." One of the most common Japanese words used by many American fans to describe people who are, well, bakas!

+--+ BGM - stands for "background music." This refers to the background music of an Anime TV series, video game, or movie. They're usually fairly common and popular tracks among many Anime soundtrack CDs.

+--+ biseinen (bih sahee nayn) - (n.) literally, beautiful young adult; in anime refers to a very pretty or handsome young man, usually over the age of 17-18 but no older than mid-twenties; e.g., 15-year-old Duo is a bishounen, but 19-year-old Zechs is a biseinen.

+--+ bishoujo - (n.) translates to "pretty girl," of shoujo anime and manga.

+--+ bishounen - (n.) Bishounen literally translates to "pretty boy," normally used to describe a young man(boy) who is either very sexy. In its more literal meaning, it is used to refer to young men who have very feminine features.

+--+ Bushido - (phrase) Japanese for "the way of the warrior." A code of ethics observed by the warrior noblemen, or samurai, of feudal Japan. Like the rules of chivalry that prevailed in medieval Europe, Bushido was based on such virtues as rectitude, endurance, frugality, courage, politeness, veracity, and, especially, loyalty to ruler and country.

+--+ Censors - (n.) Generally used in reference to the American Censors who edit anime' programming coming into the states for viewing on television to make certain it is "suitable" for viewing. Generally inconsistent, they sometimes edit the plot severely or require entire scenes cut due to it being "inappropriate." Usually found in rants written by angry fans who found a scene or something drastically changed or cut in the televised American Version.

+--+ -chan - (suff.) an affectionate suffix appended to the names of (most commonly) children, animals and girls. It has an approximate meaning of “little one” or “darling”, which means it is most definitely never used when talking to your superiors!

+--+ Chibi(CB) - Japanese for "small," "little," or "young." A "chibi" style drawing of an Anime character usually depicts them as being baby-like, with smaller, chubbier bodies, larger eyes and head, and shorter arms and legs. Chibi characters are usually made to be extremely cute and endearing, and it's not uncommon for even villainous characters to be drawn as such. CB is an acronym for Child Body, and is a prefix indicating a chibi style. Artists draw their characters like this from time to time as a sort of "self-parody."(fans love them as well)

+--+ Chi - (n.) Japanese for "Intellect" or "wisdom." One of the Confucian virtues.

+--+ CLAMP - an extremely famous and popular all-female Manga creating team made up of Nanase Ohkawa, Mokona Apapa, Mick Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi. Some of their most famous works include Magic Knight Rayearth(which was their first breakthrough hit), Cardcaptor Sakura(which became the #1 shoujo manga series in Japan in 1996), Clover, Angelic Layer, and Chobits. All of their works are focused mainly on the characters' relationships and inner conflicts, and the sheer beauty of their stories show that you don't need tons of fighting and action to get an impacting message across.

+--+ con (kon) - (n.) Short for "convention"; usually referring to a meeting of anime fans where videos are screened, merchandise is bought, character dress and role play is common, and much, much more. Some of the largest cons are A-kon (in the U.S.) and Otakon (Japan)

+--+ Cosplay - short for "costume play." Cosplay is the act of dressing up as an Anime character. Many fans tend to do this at big Anime conventions.

+--+ daijobu (da-ee jo bu) - (adj) multi-purpose Japanese word meaning: safe, fine, alright; interjection: I'm fine; interrogative - "Daijobu?" or "Daijobu desu ka?": Are you alright?

+--+ dango - (n.) the Japanese name given to dumplings. Because of their round shape, they are also used to describe hairstyles in which hair is held up in buns on the side of the head.

+--+ Dojo - (n.) Japanese for "place of the Way"; A training gym for martial arts

+--+ Doujinshi - Japanese for "fanzine." Doujinshi refers to Manga produced by fans of Anime and Manga(drawn in Manga style.) These fan-made stories can use already existing Anime and Manga characters, or original ones.

+--+ Dub - 1. refers to editing out the original dialogue of a foreign TV show or movie and replacing it with dialogue of a different language. In the Anime world, a "dub" is the English language version of an Anime.
2. In Anime', usually a film that has been dubbed into English, but may also have a large amount of it's content edited out by American censors. It can also be referred to any Anime' or Movie that has had it's dialogue and possibly music rerecorded for audiences in other countries.

+--+ Ecchi - derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the letter "H"(from the Japanese word "hentai," which means "pervert.") It refers to Anime with an amount of sometimes humorous indecency, usually involving gratituous nudity and sexual situations. However, it's milder than hentai (see Hentai.)

+--+ Ending Theme - also called an "ending song." Refers to the song sung at the end of every episode of an Anime series while the end credits role, along with a sequence of animation that usually flows with the words of the song. Almost every Anime has an ending theme that usually changes every 20 episodes or so(or if the Anime's plot changes significantly.) The ending theme is almost always followed by a preview of the Anime's next episode, and is usually more calm, slow, and gentle than the opening theme.

+--+ Epilogue - (n.) a closing section given to a play, fanfic, novel, etc.

+--+ eye[s] - Ah, eyes. As you have probably already noticed, anime characters are well known for having big eyes and small mouths.

+--+ Eyecatch- a quick animation sequence shown in the middle of practically every single Anime episode to signify the beginning and ending of a commercial break. The eyecatch is different with each Anime, but it usually includes the Anime's logo as well.

+--+ facevault - (n) facial expression of shock/surprise seen in characters; involves the entire jaw dropping open several inches, in a manner that is completely impossible anatomically

+--+ falling over - (v) just what it says; done by characters to express shock, surprise (pleasant or unpleasant), dismay, elation, severe embarrassment.

+--+ Fanart - (n) A fan-created artwork, generally of or about characters from an established TV Show, Movie, Comic Book, Novel, Cartoon, Anime, etc.

+--+ Fandub - like a fansub(see Fansub), except rather than adding subtitles, the Japanese dialogue is edited out and replaced with a fan-made English dialogue. Fandubs are much rarer than fansubs.

+--+ Fanfic- short for "fan fiction." Refers to original stories written by fans using already existing Anime/Manga characters and plot lines.

+--+ Fan Service - usually used to refer to scenes in Anime that don't have much purpose, but are there mainly to please any adolesent male viewers. Such scenes include a female character taking a shower or bath, having her panties show, etc. On a more positive note, fan service could also refer to anything shown in an Anime that is unrelated to the story but is pleasing to the fans, such as cute animals, flashy outfits, cool looking robots, etc.

+--+ fansite - (n) website devoted to one or more anime/manga series; may include or more of the following: descriptions of plot and characters, character images, information about the seiyuus, fanfiction, and links to other sites about the series; sometimes they include silly glossary's of anime terms.

+--+ Fansub - refers to an Anime episode or movie with subtitles made by fans themselves, and not by official companies. They are distributed among the Anime market mostly via the Internet and places like e-bay. They are very popular among Anime fans because many fansubs are made for episodes or movies of Animes that haven't yet been officially released and dubbed/subtitled by American companies. Depending on who you ask, they could be considered somewhat illegal, but so far they're generally tolerated since most fansub makers do so purely out of passion and not to make a profit.

+--+ Filler Episode - refers to an episode of an Anime series in which nothing extremely significant is done or accomplished that affects the actual main story line. Instead, these episodes usually focus more on character develpoment, or they could just be randomly funny or cute episodes in an otherwise serious or action-packed Anime series.

+--+ Flame - 1. (n.) An insultive, demeaning, or offensive comment either about the work or about the author of several online mediums including fanfiction, fanart, etc. Generally posted anonymously by someone immature, bored, ignorant, angry with the author/artist, or by someone who thinks it's amusing to do so.
2. (n.) A boyfriend or girlfriend; lover.

+--+ fluff - (adj.) Generally referring to a silly, lighthearted fanfiction.

+---+ Fuku (FUU-kuu)
From the Japanese, meaning "suit" or "uniform". Fukus are most commonly seen as part of a consistent dress code followed by Japanese schoolchildren and students. Fukus can also be seen in military functions. With regards to anime, the sailor fuku ( of Sailor Moon fame) is the most recognized and famous of fukus.

+---+ Furigana (foo-ree-GAH-nah)
n. - From the Japanese, furigana are a kind of lettering that serves as a way for people to be able to pronounce "kanji", a pictoral Chinese script that is found in many Japanese word depictions. Furigana is usually printed very small and directly underneath or in the immediate area of the kanji to indicate which kanji it is associated with. The "furi" part of the furigana word also literally means "ruby", and the word came about due to the fact that printing presses in the Meiji era of Japan made these letters based on a consistently small size roughly equalling that of the English "ruby" or "agate" type size.


+--+ gaijin (gah ee jin) - (n.) foreigner; someone who is not from Japan

+--+ganbarou (gan bah roo) - (interj) Japanese for "do your best!"

+--+ Gambatte - (phrase) Japanese for "Good Luck"

+--+ Gary Stu - (n.) A fanfiction term for a new male character, generally perfect, more powerful than the original characters, handsome, the only one who can save the day, etc.

+--+ ghibli - refers to Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation studio famous for its amazing movies which are loved by Japanese adults and children alike.

+--+ glomp - (v.) to come up to another person and throw yourself onto him/her in a massive bear hug, often putting your cheeks together and hanging on long enough to make the other person irritated

+--+ Gomen - (adj.) Japanese for "Sorry." "Nasai" can be added at the end to make the apology more fervent.

+--+Graphic Novel - a Manga book. They're usually around 150 - 200 pages long. Most Manga is originally sold in a series of short, weekly issues. About 5 of these issues make up a graphic novel(divided by each chapter of the graphic novel).

+--+ Gumi (GOO-mee)
suf. - From the Japanese, and is a suffix attached to a name or other noun to denote association, affiliation, or group. Has been used by the Yakuza, business firms, and other such people with a group-focused mentality.

+--+ Hai - (adv.) Japanese for "Yes."

+--+ hair - (n.) In anime it’s perfectly normal to have hair of any colour, whether it be blue, purple or pink. Hair colour is also often used to convey a character’s personality: red hair is often used to portray a fiery temprament, whilst blue might indicate a calmer person.

+--+ hammerspace - (n.) A mythical place from which female anime characters pull large mallets (and sometimes other weapons) when they become angry (the better to smash the male character, who is no doubt responsible for engendering the wrath of the female...)

+--+ Hanami - the Japanese tradition of viewing cherry blossoms, which usually bloom in April. This often involves taking a picnic (and maybe some sake) and sitting out with friends under the blossoming cherry trees. The word comes from hana, which means flower, and mi from the verb miru which means to look at.

+--+ Hashi - (n.) Japanese word for "chopsticks". It’s a little politer for females to refer to them as o-hashi, and in their disposable form they’re known as waribashi.

+--+ Hayaku - “quickly!” or “hurry up!”. It is from the adjective hayai meaning quick or fast.

+--+ Hentai - (n. suf.) Japanese for "pervert." Hentai is an actual genre of Anime that includes major nudity and sexual situations.

+--+ Hime - basically Japanese for "princess". It can be used both as a noun and as a suffix on a name.

+--+ Himitsu - the word for "secret".

+--+ honto ni (hone´ toe nee) - (adv) Japanese for "really"; usually heard in anime as a question.

+--+ Holt - (n.) "A collection of people that share a common interest. Most often involving creating a character to interact with each other and an on going story line. Members contribute via stories and/or pictures." AKA Role-Players.

+--+ IC - (phrase) RPG and fanfiction abbrieviation for "in character"; the state where a character is written, drawn, role-played in a manner that is consistent with his/her behavior in a series; some fans are purists when it comes to characters and avoid any kind of fanart or fiction where characters are not IC.

+--+ Itadakimasu - literally “I will (humbly) receive”, is a set phrase used before eating a meal in Japan. It is a very important part of eating in Japan, as is its parner gochisou-sama deshita, which means “it was a feast”. Both phrases are said regardless of whether the meal is in fact a feast or not, as they express thankfulness for the food and those who have prepared it, right back to the farmers.

+--+ Idols - Japanese singers, usually female, that rise to fame very quickly, are idolised for a very short time by their peers, and then disappear just as quickly.

+--+ Iie - (adv.) Japanese for "No".

+--+ Image Song - a song from an Anime sung by one of its characters, usually about his/her feelings and conflicts. These songs are usually only heard on the Anime's soundtrack CDs and are always sung by the actual voice actor/actress of the characters.

+--+ import - 1. (n.) Used generally in Anime' to refer to any Video, CD, or other Merchandise brought to the states for sale, sometimes in it's original Japanese format. 2. (vt.) To import something

+--+ Itai - Japanese equivalent of “ouch”, or “stop it, that hurts!”. You will most often hear it when characters are playfully fighting with each other.

+--+ J-Pop - refers to Japanese popular music, similar to English pop but with its own unique sound. A lot of Animes use existing songs and almost all of them have an available soundtrack CD.

+--+ J-Rock - refers to Japanese rock music, similar to English rock but with its own unique sound.

+--+ ja ne (jah ney) - (interjection) Japanese for "see ya"; casual way of saying goodbye, used most among young people; used widely on anime mailing lists to sign off of e-mail messages.

+--+ Japanime(tion) - an old Americanized word used to refer to Japanese animation(see Anime.)

+--+ kama - (n.) A small, hand-held sickle, often used in pairs.

+--+ Kanji - Japanese characters/letters based directly on Chinese writing. Each kanji usually has a specific meaning and several readings.

+--+Karate - (n.) Japanese for "empty hand." a Japanese system of self-defense characterized chiefly by sharp, quick blows delivered with the hands and feet.

+--+ Katakana - Japanese characters/letters used to write words of a foreign origin. Fantasy-based words and characters' names are written in katakana.

+--+ katana - (n.) The longsword used by the Samurai, and worn with the Wakizashi as part of the "Daisho." At least one famous samurai was known to have used the Daisho as paired weapons.

+--+ Kawaii - Japanese for "cute." A very popular word used among American Anime fans used to descibe characters that are, well, cute.

+--+ kawaiku nai/ kawaiku nee - (adj.) Phrase for "not cute", in Japanese.

+--+ Kendo - (n.) Japanese for "Way of the Sword.", Oriental fencing in the style of the Samurai and a popular sport in Japan.

+--+ kisama (kih sah mah) - (pron.) Japanese for "you" (impolite form); often used as English speakers would use, "bastard"

+--+ koi/koibito (ko-ee; ko-ee bee toh) - (n.) Japanese for "boyfriend" or "girlfriend"; koi is a shortened form used a lot by certain fanfic

+--+ kudasai (kuh dah sah ee) - (adv) Japanese for "please" (used as a sentence ending when the speaker is asking another person to do something)
Example: Duo: "Oi, Wufie! Pass the fish rolls, kudasai!"

+--+ kumi (kuh mee) - (n, pl.) group; team; also, the group of students who are in the same classroom in school; antiquated, 1. a group of samurai who fight for one lord; thread, 2. braid

+--+ Kung Fu - (n.) a Chinese system of self-defense, like Karate but emphasizing circular rather than linear movements.

+--+ kuso (k' soh) - (interj.) literally sh*t!; often the first word of Japanese an anime fan learns, given it's widespread use among amine characters.

+--+ kyoketsu shogi - (n.) Similar to the Kusari Gama, the Kyoketsu Shogi was purely a Ninja weapon. Instead of a kama it featured a twin-bladed knife, one blade of which was hooked. Instead of the chain it used rope, and was weighted with a heavy iron ring. The rope was longer than the Kusari Gamas chain enabling the weapon to be used as a short rope and grapple as well as a weapon.

+--+ Lemon - (n.) A romance fanfic (or possibly fanart), generally involving depictions of graphic consentual or nonconsentual sex.

+--+ lime - (n) Not quite a lemon, ie no actual sex scenes, just the implications.

+---+ Mahou (MAH-hoh) - From the Japanese, meaning "magic". As the meaning states, this word conjures up the appropriate images of fantastical acts and trickery that accompanies any mention of magic or magicians. In anime, a sub-genre of the "shoujo" anime/manga type story is "mahou shoujo" (magical girl), which has female protagonists using magical powers to accomplish their goals or mission.

+--+ Manga - Japanese for "comics." In American fandom, it's used to refer to Japanese comics. Almost all Animes have a Manga series that they're based on.

+--+ Mary Sue - (n.) "Mary Sue" is an unkind term used to describe a avatar; not any one "person" but rather a certain kind of character, a style of writing. She (or he) is created to serve one purpose: wish fulfilment. When a writer invents someone through whom he/she can have fantastic adventures, do exciting things, and meet famous people (usually but not always fictional), this character is a Mary Sue . . . Mary Sue is any character who represents a slice of her creator's own ego and is loved no matter how unrealistic or how self-indulgent she might be; she is treasured (perhaps guiltily) by her creator but only rarely by anyone else." A Fanfiction term for a new female character that generally perfect, is more powerful than the original characters, and generally is loved/wanted by all of them no matter what, etc. etc.

+--+ Match-Stick City - (n.) Anime' fandom nickname for Tokyo, Japan due to the amount of times it gets blown up or otherwise destroyed.

+--+Mecha - a genre of Anime/Manga that involves giant, often anthropomorphic robots that are usually piloted by a human. Examples of mecha Animes include Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam Wing, and Robotech.

+--+ miko - (n.) literally a Shinto priestess who acts as an assistant to a priest within a particular god's shrine; in anime (especially on the Web) refers to a girl or woman who is passionately devoted to a particular character (and who usually creates a web page, or shrine, devoted entirely to that character); characters that have miko's are usually male and very good looking; used with no to indicate which god or character the miko serves.

+--+ mina/mina-san (mee nah, mee nah sahn) - (n.) everyone, everybody; can be made more polite by adding san to the ending; often begins e-mail messages to fan mailing lists.

+--+ Miyazaki, Hayao - One of the best and most well-known Anime movie directors of all time. Along with his friend Isao Takahata, he founded his own animation studio, Studio Ghibli, and has produced many well-loved films. Some of his most famous works include My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Laputa: the Castle in the Sky, and Spirited Away. All of his films have a universal feel to them, involving characters and situations that anyone could relate to. As Miyazaki once said, his movies are for "those who will be ten years old and those who have been ten years old."

+--+ Moonie - (n.) A Sailor Moon fan. Sometimes used in derogatory remarks.


To be continued


Courtesy of: www.anime.org.au/main | http://dictionary.lunaescence.com/index2.htm | http://animeyume.com/animedictionary.html | http://www.orgs.ttu.edu/muepsilonkappa/lexicon.html

Hanyou- (hahn-yoh) a half- youkai, often translated into "half-demon" in English, though they are not always evil. ("han" means half in Japanese)

Ki- (key) Samurai fighting spirit (called "chi" in Chinese)

OAV- an original animated video. It is similar to a movie, but consists of episodes. It usually ranges from one to four twenty minute episodes. (i.e. Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal) It is also known as "OVA" (original video animation).

Youkai- (yoh-kai) a kind of spirit, sometimes representing a particular animal (i.e. Sesshoumaru is a "wolf-youkai") and is translated into english as "demon". However, the translation is incorrect. (since "Oni" means devil) There is no actual translation that can be used, or even good definition.

notes: mina would be spelled with two n's (minna) and gambatte is the way to say "good luck". Gambaru is a verb ^^

+--+ naginata - (n.) The Naginata is a bladed staff, featuring a short, single-edged, lightly curved blade. A highly regarded weapon, it was often crafted with exceeding quality, and was the weapon taught to many female nobles to use in defense of their homes. In many cases, a skilled practitioner of Naginatajutsu was said to be more than a match for many samurai.

+--+ Nani - (pron.) Japanese for "What".

+--+NFPC - (phrase) Abbrieviation for "No Flames, Please. Campaign." A group dedicated to elimiate and educate people from posting flames.

+--+[ b]Nin [/b]- (n.) Japanese for "Endure pain" or "bear pain" (ie without complaint).

+--+ No-Dachi - (n.) Japanese longsword, about 1.9m long and very heavy.

+--+ nosebleed - (n) occurs to characters in anime and manga when they have lustful thoughts, usually to quite humorous effect

+--+ OAV or OVA - stands for "Original Animation Video" or "Original Video Animation." OAVs are usually a series of Anime episodes made exclusively for home video release and not for TV or cinema. OAV's usually have longer and better episodes(since they don't have to worry about TV censorship), and better animation. An OAV could be based on an already existing Anime TV series or it could be a totally original story.

+--+ Oi! - (interj.) "Hey!"

+--+ OOC - (phrase) Chat and Fanfiction abbrieviation for "Out of Character". Not anime specific.

+--+ Opening Theme - also called an "opening song". Refers to the song sung at the start of every episode of an Anime series while the beginning credits role, much like the "theme songs" of many American TV shows. However, the songs of Anime opening themes are usally much more deep and symbolic, and they're made to flow specifically with the animation being shown. Almost every Anime has an opening theme that usually changes every 20 episodes or so(or if the Anime's plot changes significantly.) The opening theme is usually more fast-paced, exciting, and enticing than the ending theme.

+--+ OST - stands for Original Sound Track. An OST is a music CD including all of the major background music and songs from a given Anime series.

+---+ Otacon : It's short for Otaku Convention. It's when all the little otakus get together and ask the creators annoying questions that they create by watching the series twenty million times. They also wear costumes of their favorite characters. I'd say about 80% of them suck and if I see another convention pic with another guy dressed up like a Sailor Scout I'm going to throw up. I saw one guy dressed up like Shampoo (from Ranma 1/2) that one blinded me for a day.

+--+ Otaku - (adj.) Japanese for "in the house." However it is also an offensive word in Japan, usually referring to a severely obscessed or perverted Anime' or Manga fan. In the States, it less derisively refers to anime' fans in general.

+--+ PC - (phrase) (n.) RPG abbrieviation for "Player Character" or "Playable Character." Designates a character that is directly controlled by other members of the RPG. Not anime specific.

+--+ pocky - (n) A favorite Japanese snack food that seems to be something of a long-standing tradition among anime otaku. Basically they're thin cracker sticks that have been dipped in chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and other flavors.

+--+ Prologue - (n.) an introduction to a poem, play, fanfic, etc.

+--+ PWP - (phrase) Abbrieviation for "Plot, what plot?" Generally used in fanfiction where a story generally contains a them or an ancedote generally without a plot. Also used to describe a lemon, yaoi, or yuri themed fanfic with only the sexual activity being described with no other reason.

+--+ Rei - 1. (n.) Japanese for "courtesy." One of the Confucian virtues. Seiji's virtue;
2. (vi.) Martial arts term for "bow"

+--+ Romanji - (n.) The alphabetization of phonetic Japanese.

+--+ Ronin- (n.) A class of masterless samurai, who had lost their place in the normal loyalty pattern of Japanese feudal society. Samurai could become ronin for various reasons, such as the death of their lord, their own transgressions, or loss in battle. Some became simple farmers while others resorted to banditry.

+--+ RPG - 1. (phrase) (n.) Abbrieviation for "Role Playing Game." It can be a video game, a "pen and paper" game (Such as Dungeons & Dragons), a story created through the actions of the fans/players roleplaying their characters and interacting with other's characters (NPC or PC) on a message board, in a chat room, et cetera, or any number of mediums. Not anime specific.
2. Any video game that contains a storyline that you, as the hero, have to complete in order to finish the game. Generally of Japanese origin, it may or may not contain animated Anime'-Style sequences and/or character models.

+--+ sakura - (n.) Japanese for "Cherry Blossoms".

+--+ Samurai - (n.) A warrior class in Japan, or a member of that class. Originally the term was applied to the whole military system of Japan, both nobles and vassals. The samurai formed a distinct class, wearing two swords as a symbol of their caste and following a rigid code of ethics known as bushido.

+--+ Sayonara - (interj.) Japanese for "Good-bye." Usually only written using Kana

+--+ SD - acronym for "super deformed." Similar to chibi(see Chibi) but even more smaller and chubbier.

+--+ seiyuu (sayee yoooh) - (n.) voice actor; seiyuu's are highly regarded in Japan and are thought to be largely responsible for giving anime characters their personalities. Because of this, many fans avoid dubbed versions of an anime series, insisting instead on subtitled tapes/disks.

+--+ Self-Insert - (n.) A fanfiction where you place oneself, friends, relatives, etc. etc. into the story as new characters. They generally look like the author, have either the same name as the author's pen-name, their real name, or a name the author wishes they had. These are generally seen hand in hand with Mary Sue and Gary Stu Fanfiction.

+--+ Sempai - (n.) Martial arts term; Senior student

+--+ Sensei - (n.) Japanese for "teacher.", Often used in Martial arts to refer to the instructor

+--+ sentai - (n) Fight-oriented anime or manga.

+--+ Shin - (n.) Japanese for "Trust" or "Faith." One of the Confucian virtues. Shin and Cye's Virtue.

+--+ Shinjuku - (n.) A suburb of Tokyo, gets destroyed/blown up/attacked rather often in many different Anime.

+--+ Shonen-ai - (n) Japanese for "boy love." Same as Yaoi, though generally pertaining more to romance instead of sexual themes. It's also been romanized as "shounen-ai."

+--+ shoujo - (n/adj.) literally, girl; shojo anime is created explicitly for young girls in Japan. There are many sub-genres of shojo, e.g., Magical Girls, romantic comedy, romantic tragedy, romantic epics. Shojo stories are usually centered around the relationships between the characters in the series; other not-so-essential features include lots of pastel colors, abundance of bishounen, abundance of kawaii objects, costumes, and characters, lavish use of shojo bubbles and sparkles.

+--+ shounen - (n/adj.) Japanese for "boy." Anime or manga INTENDED to be viewed or read by boys, however the fanbase is widely female, typified by regular-guy hero, a lot of action, astronomically cute girls who are inexplicably attracted to the hero, etc.

+--+ Side Story - a story set in the same world as an already existing Anime/Manga but focusing on different subjects, such as minor characters, new characters, or subtle plots that aren't really talked about in the actual series.

+--+ Shoujo - Japanese for "girl" but it's also an Anime/Manga genre. Shoujo Animes/Mangas usually have a target audience of young girls and involve a lot of emotional female characters and effeminate, attractive male characters. They're drawn in a pretty, flowery, romantic style and the plots are mainly focused on character relationships and interpersonal conflicts. Examples of shoujo Animes/Mangas include Fushigi Yugi, Oh My Goddess!, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Sailor Moon and Love Hina.

+---+ Speed Lines : All those little lines drawn into the background of anime and manga. I'm not quite sure why they draw it in anime since they don't need lines to show they're moving. Maybe it's to cut down on the price of drawing backgrounds

+--+ Spoiler - (n.) to give away part of the plot either by request, in hopes of some advice or more readers, or by releasing a fanfic chapter or story that comes after the privious, unfinished fanfic. Also used in referring to movies, anime' series, OAVs, etc. etc.

+--+ subtitle - (n.) Generally any Anime' presented in it's original, Japanese Language Version (sometimes left unedited), except translated at the bottom of the screen into English or some other language in a color that will usually stand out against the video behind it. These can be Official Subtitled Version or Fansubbed Versions. Sometimes English Language Version anime' will resort to subtitling if there is a part in Japanese that needs to remain in it's original, unedited format due to it's relevancy to the plot.

+--+ sumimasen (suh mee mah seyn)- (interj.) Japanese for "I'm sorry; forgive me".


+--+ super deformed - (adj.) That strangely cute anime style, where normally realistically-proportioned characters (for anime, that is) are squashed down and rounded to produce doll-like appearances. This is usually done to produce a comedic effect.

+--+ Surekill - (n.) Any special, high powered magical attack meant to be as devastating as possible, usually preceded by an incantation, usually about three syllables long, and yelled as loudly as possible.

+--+ Takahashi, Rumiko - considered by many to be the best Manga artist of all, she's made tons of different Manga series', all of which have become extremely popular both in Japan and America. Some of her most well known titles include Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikkoku, and Urusei Yatsura. A key to many of her stories' popularity is that they involve very complex relationships, ongoing plot lines, and clever humor.

+--+ Teaser - (n.) generally used to a small sentence given to a fanfic, movie, poem, series, etc. in hopes of luring people to choose to read/watch it out of all the others that are out.

+--+ Tei - (n.) Japanese for "Serve elders" (i.e. obedience) One of the four Bushido virtues. Naaza and Cale's virtue.

+--+ Tezuka, Osamu - considered the "father of Anime," almost all modern Animes are based on his drawing style(which was greatly inspired by Walt Disney) and he practically invented Japan's modern Manga industry during the 1950s. A couple of his most famous works include Astro Boy, which is considered the very first modern-style Anime(and the first to be released in America) and Jungle Emperor Leo, which aired in America during the 1960s under the name Kimba the White Lion.

+--+ Wallscroll - (n.) similar to a poster, except the image is screen-printed on some sort of cloth and fastened to two wooden pieces to form a scroll. There is generally a wire or fastener on the back to allow you to hang it on your wall.

+--+ Yaoi - an Anime/Manga story in which the plot is centered around a romance relationship between two male characters, usually at least one of them being very effeminate. There is a good amount of yaoi in many actual Anime/Manga series', but yaoi is mostly seen in the world of Anime fan art and fanfics, in which the fans(usually girls) take the male characters of a particular Anime/Manga series and put them in gay relationships. Yaoi relationships are also refered to as "shonen-ai," meaning "boy's love."

+--+ youma - (n.) Japanese for "ghost, apparition." Used in many supernatural and horror Anime' to refer to demons, monsters, ghosts, and members of the undead.

+--+ Yuri - the same as yaoi(see Yaoi above), but with the romance relationship being between two female characters. Yuri relationships are also refered to as "shoujo-ai," meaning "girl's love."

Some edits and additions ^^

"Otaku" is also a pronoun meaning "you" in a vey formal way. I wouldn't suggest using it around Japan, however.

Usually, sayonara, spelled "sayounara" in hiragana, means you are not going to see that person for a very long time. It's more accurately translated as "farewell'. (IMOP anyway)

The "Sensei" title is also given to writers, some mangaka, and doctors. Said by itself it can be used as "teacher".

"shoujo" according to my dictionary means "a virgin" or "maiden". I suppose you COULD use girl too, but a better translation would be "onna no ko" (direct translation=child woman).

"shounen" according to my dictionary means "youth". Like shoujo, you CAN use it on a guy, though "otoko no ko" is preferred.

Yuri and Yaoi are generally more explicit than shounen-ai and shoujo-ai. Like you mentioned earlier in shounen-ai, shounen-ai and shoujo-ai are more geared towards emotions and feelings than sexual intercourses.

Here's an example: In shounen-ai, the characters MAY have sex, but it's barely shown, and in some manga is only mentioned. The scene often fades out and when it fades back in everything's back to normal. Shounen-ai does more of the kissing and thinking-about-other-character kind of action.
But yaoi often SHOWS the action.
Yaoi and shounen ai can be confusing to tell apart, but just remember that shounen/shoujo-ai is soft-core while yaoi/yuri is hard-core.