Terms To Know

AMV - anime music video; typically combines footage from one or more anime with music to convey a certain theme

Anime - Japanese cartoons, so to speak. They are animated, usually 30 minutes in length and episodic (meaning they're like American television shows), and range from G-rated Children shows to basically animated porn

Bishounen - means "pretty boy", basically any show that features male characters designed to be attractive to female viewers.

Bishoujo - means "pretty girls," female characters intended to be attractive to male viewers

Con- short hand for convention, a large meeting place where anime fans gather to shop, meet, cosplay, and enjoy other anime-related hobbies like video gamming and cosplaying.

Cosplay - costume play; when fans (usually at a convention) dress up as an anime or video game character

Dubbed - when a company pays Canadian and American voice actors to 'dub' over the Japanese voices for release.

Fanfic - short for "fan fiction": a story written by a fan involving either original characters or the show's characters in the fan's own plot line.

Fandub - the same as a fansub, except the group hires actors (usually other volunteers) to provide voices for the characters. Not nearly as popular as fansubs.

Fanservice - anything perverted added to a show merely to please the coarse audience. Example: a "convenient" camera angle that emphasis a female's anatomy, a sudden unexplained event that rips off clothing, etc.

Fansub - when a group of volunteers download original Japanese anime shows, translate them, and then re-release. Typically only done with shows that have not been bought by Western companies.

Hentai - means "pervert"; basically any sexually descriptive fanfic, website, etc.

Japanimation- another term for anime

Lemons, Limes - fanfics with really descriptive sexual scenes.

Manga - Commonly compared to American comic books, manga is the print form of anime. In fact, many anime originate from a successful manga run.

Mecha - a humongous robot with loads of weaponry and computer-stuff; often piloted by a skilled human. Gundam is one of the more popular series of this genre

OAV/OVA - original animated video/original video animation. Anime released (usually as sequels) on the at-home market. Similiar to Disney's direct-to-video releases.

Shounen - shows aimed at a primarily male audience

Shoujo - shows aimed at a primarily female audience

Subbed - when a company releases Anime in America in the form of English captions at the bottom of the original Japanese.

Super Deformed/SD/Chibi - When the artists depicts a character in a smaller, cuter version than their regular appearance. Bigger heads, larger eyes, shorter torsos and legs. Usually used in humorous situation or to make a situation funny.

Yaoi/ (Bi)Shounen Ai - means "boy's love"; when one or more characters are homosexual.

Yuri/Shoujo Ai - "girls love"; where one or more female characters are lesbian.

 

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