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Otakupædia!
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AA: Short for ASCII Art. Artwork created by typing, from the simple (^_^), to the very complex.
ACG: Abbreviation for Anime, Comics and Games. What many fans, especially those outside Japan feel are the core interests of the otaku.
Anime: To those outside Japan, this means animation coming out of Japan, and of the Big Eyes, Funny Hair, Tiny mouth variety. But to the Japanese, anime simply means animation of any kind. In other words, in Japan, Scooby Doo would be anime.
At least that’s one way of looking at it. It can also be said that most people in Japan consider anime to be the shows produced especially for kids: Pokemon, Cardcaptors and the like. Anime that is made for adults (not necessarily hentai) is considered to be late night shows (shinya) and OVA (Original Video Animation).
AV: Adult video. Live action pornography. It can also mean “Audio Visual,” just like you remember from high school but people who think of it that way are the older generation.
Baka: Stupid. One of the most often heard words in anime. It’s a very disparaging insult but it’s more acceptable in Tokyo than in Western Japan where it’s a really bad thing to call someone.
Chikan: A man who gropes women, usually on the crowded trains in Japan. Chikan is something of an epidemic in Japan where victims and bystanders would rather take the abuse than disrupt a peaceful environment. Chikan have exploited this aspect of Japanese culture so much that steps have been taken to discourage it; such as women only train cars and signs discouraging the practice. As a result, groper instances have gone down, but AV and hentai sales have gone up. As well as at some Mizushoubai clubs where train rape fantasies are allowed.
Densha Otoko: A 2004 novel that spawned a TV series and a movie as well as a couple of manga. Based on an allegedly true story about an otaku who finds meets a woman supposedly ‘out of his league’ and posts his experiences on 2ch.
The book is simply a collection of posts made between the young man as well as advice given to him by the 2ch posters.
Game Ota: An otaku who likes games. Mostly MMORPG’s like World of Warcraft and console games like HALO and the like but there are many who like flash based games and table top games like Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons.
Hentai: Perverted people or behavior. However, outside of Japan it is taken to mean pornographic anime, manga and games
Itasha: Literally, “Painful Vehicle.” Otaku decorate their cars in stickers and paint jobs showing off their favorite anime, manga and games. Offshoots of this are itansha, or itai motorcycles and itachari, which believe it or not are itai pedal cycles. There are even itumblers, now, which are itai coffee mugs.
Mizushoubai: “Water Business.” another way of saying “Night Life.” First used in the Edo period when prostitutes would sell themselves by a river in the Yoshiwara district and do the deed on a boat where no one can see. Now it means entertainment such as gambling and prostitution, as well as hostess clubs.
MMORPG: Acronym for “Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games.” Games played online. Sometimes players stay on for hours. Even days.
Manga: Japanese comic books and graphic novels.
OVA: Original Video Animation. In other words, anime that goes straight to home video. This is not the same as the straight to video movies that we have here in the states. In Japan, OVA has higher budgets, a higher framerate and the creators have more creative control. Therefore the finished product is often better than TV anime.
Tokusatsu: Any live action TV drama or film that makes heavy use of special effects. Usually featuring a superhero or giant monster. The word literally means “special filming” or “special effects.”
Tsundere: Not exactly a character type, but a developmental trait in which a character, usually a female, starts off cold and eventually shows their warm side. The word combines the phrase tsun tsun, which suggests turning your head in disgust, and dere dere which is to turn warm and fuzzy.
