So, you’re looking to get into the wide world of anime and don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, you’ve come to the perfect place. Every fandom, including anime, has its own lingo and vocab people use to discuss, debate, and show love for their favorite shows. Hearing all these words thrown around without knowing what any of them mean or having any context can be a bit overwhelming for newcomers, so we’re here to help! In this official glossary, we’re going to be identifying some of the most common anime terms you should know and breaking them down so you can fit right into any conversation about anime.
Anime – Japanese term for “animation,” can vary in genre and features many different 2D art styles.
Arc – Series of chapters that come together to create a continuing storyline, some story arcs are longer than others.
Baka – Japanese word for dummy, stupid, or idiot.
Canon – All important and significant moments in a story, does not include filler arcs.
Chibi – A small or shrunken version of something that remains cute.
Cosplay – Short for costume play, dressing up as a character from your favorite source of media.
Dubbed – Anime featuring a translated dubbed version of the audio. Usually from Japanese to English.
Ecchi – Featuring sexual themes, without being overly explicit.
Fan Service – Content included in manga or anime in order to please the fans. Can include shots or close ups that are sexual in nature, long fight scenes, exaggerated muscles, shiny mechs, etc.
Filler – Content unrelated to the overall canon story. Used to fill in gaps between significant moments in the main story. Usually not much point or continuity.
Hentai – Translates to pervert or perverted. Also the term for pornographic anime.
Husbando – Fictional male character one has a romantically inclined deep affection and love for. Opposite of waifu.
Isekai – Genre of anime where a character or characters are transported to another more fantastical world or dimension.
Kawaii – Japanese word for cute.
Manga – Japanese comic book style, printed in black and white and read right to left.
Mangaka – Manga artist.
Otaku – A die-hard or obsessive fan, can apply to anything, not just anime.
Seinen – A genre of anime targeted towards the adult male audience.
Senpai – Older mentor or friend but not quite a sensei. Notice me senpai!
Shonen – Translates to “boys.” A genre of anime targeted toward young male audience between 8 and 18. Usually more action-focused with a relatable male main character.
Shoujo – Genre of anime targeting young female audience. Opposite of shonen with more of a focus on magical elements and relationships.
Subbed – Anime featuring original Japanese audio with English subtitles. Anime purists preferred method of watching.
Waifu – Fictional female character one has a romantically inclined deep affection and love for.
Once you start using some of these terms in your next anime convo, all your friends will be super impressed with your knowledge. Knowing these terms not only will show you love watching anime but that you really know your stuff! If you’re just as anime crazed as us here at Spencer’s be sure to check out our entire collection of anime merch on our site at Spencers.com. For more awesome content about all of your favorite topics be sure to check out the rest of our content on our official blog at Spencers.com/blog.
