I'm making this for my parents/relatives so that they'll know what the hell I'm talking about if I use any of these terms. My info might not be all accurate, as I'm basing it mostly on Wiki and my own limited knowledge. It's parent-friendly, so while people miiiiight be able to get drugs into an anime con rave if they try, my parents won't let me go to the one at Otakon if they know that. And there's NO mention of yaoi, yuri, or hentai, for the obvious reason that I'd get in trouble for knowing what they are and showing the slightest interest in them. x3
IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, GIVE THEM, PLOX.
THE OTAKU GLOSSARY
Anime
Translation: Japanese variant of the word “animation”
Definition: Japanese cartoons; the style of art associated with Japanese cartoons. Technically, anime is the cartoon that one would see on television, but the term often encompasses manga (Japanese comic books on which anime is usually based) and video games as well.
Anime Convention
Definition: A large gathering of people who enjoy anime, usually held at a convention center or another large meeting place. Typical convention events include showings of anime and Asian movies, a concert by an Asian music group, panels and workshops, guest appearances by anime creators, voice-actors, artists, etc., a dealer’s room in which merchandise is sold, an art gallery, a video game room, a dance, a costume contest, and in-character performances by cosplayers (people dressed as anime characters). VERY FUN EVENTS.
Ball-Jointed Doll (BJD)
Definition: An ornate, delicate, detailed, and often expensive type of doll with ball-and-socket joints. They are realistic-looking, but have been described as having an anime-esque look. These dolls are made of polyurethane resin, and are easy to customize by changing eyes, hair, etc. Considered by many to be captivatingly beautiful.
Chibi
Translation: Child-bodied
Definition: A “cutesy” style of anime/manga art. Chibi characters often have heads proportionally bigger and bodies proportionally smaller than one would see in normal anime art, simplified hands and feet, and very big eyes.
Cosplay
Translation: costume play/costume roleplay
Definition: The act of dressing up as a popular fictional character, usually from Japanese anime, video games, or media. Cosplaying often means that while you wear a character’s costume, you act in character as that person and carry items that the character would carry. People often invest lots of time and money into creating accurate costumes and props and adopting the behaviors of their characters. It’s lots of fun, but also lots of work.
Crossplay
Translation: crossdressing + cosplay
Definition: Cosplaying as a character of the opposite gender; girls/women dressing up as male characters and boys/men dressing up as female characters.
DDR
Definition: Dance Dance Revolution. A popular crossbreed of video game and workout. To play, you step on arrows on a dance-mat controller in time with arrows on the screen that follow the beat of a song.
J-Pop
Translation: Japanese Pop.
Definition: Japanese pop music. Often characterized by cuteness, happiness, strange costumes, catchy tunes, and fun dances.
J-Rock
Translation: Japanese Rock.
Definition: Japanese rock music. Often characterized by loudness, screaming, heavy guitars/bass/drums, and over-the-top fashion.
Kawaii
Translation: Japanese for “cute.”
Definition: Cutesy, adorable, prone to making anime fans squeal. Anything cutesy, from Hello Kitty to a character in an anime, is likely to be dubbed “kawaii” by the anime crowd.
Lolita
Definition: A Japanese fashion style influenced by styles worn by Victorian girls and/or dolls. The idea is to create a cute child-like or doll-like appearance. The basic lolita style includes a knee-length dress or skirt, headdress, blouse, petticoat, knee-high socks or stockings, and heeled shoes. This style has become popular with girls around the world and is now displayed frequently at anime conventions.
Important Note: Lolita fashion is considered to be more cutesy and child-like than sexual. The name “lolita” may originate from a novel about a man with a sexual interest in young girls, but sexuality is absolutely not the point of lolita fashion.
Manga
Translation: Comics.
Definition: Japanese comic books; the style of art associated with Japanese comic books. Just as cartoons in America sometimes spring from comic books, Japanese anime is often derived from manga. These books are read right-to-left, as that’s the way they’re made and printed in Japan.
Masquerade
Definition: An event at an anime convention that consists of cosplayers performing skits, often in character. These skits can be anything from romantic to reenactments of anime scenes to musicals to general absurdity. Performances are judged and often end up on the Internet.
Neko
Translation: Japanese for “cat.”
Definition: A person (anime character or cosplayer) with the ears and tail of a cat. Some might have paws or cover some areas of their bodies with fur.
Nendoroid
Definition: A small, chibi-style figurine of an anime character. These cute little things have large heads and interchangeable faces and are easy to pose. They’re adorable. Seriously.
Otakon
Definition: One of the largest anime conventions in the United States. This convention is held every summer at the Baltimore Convention Center and is attended by 20,000+ people. As of yet, it’s the only convention I’ve been able to attend, and it’s AMAZINGLY FUN!
Otaku
Definition: A label for people who are obsessed with anime, manga, and video games. It carries the implication of a nerdy teen or twenty-something who probably doesn’t see much sunlight, speaks fragmented Japanese, and is a little beyond obsessive about anime, manga, etc. It has a bit of a negative connotation, but some wear the label with pride.
Plushie
Definition: A squishy cloth creation padded with stuffing that depicts an animal or a person. Plushies of anime characters (human or otherwise) are staples of anime conventions. Fans love these things!
Pocky
Definition: A Japanese candy-type snack food comprised of biscuit/cracker sticks coated in cream or flavoring. Common flavors include chocolate, strawberry, and almond, but there are unusual ones out there, such as green tea, milk, and pumpkin. This stuff is absolutely adored by many anime fans, and it’s considered to be somewhat addictive.
Rave
Definition: The type of dance event usually held at anime conventions. These events are dominated by dancers in crazy costumes moving around in close proximity for several hours late at night. Glow-sticks, techno music, and crazy visuals on big screens are crucial components for the dance and contribute to the party-like atmosphere of general insanity.
Important Note: Anime convention raves are very different from raves held at clubs in that convention staff keeps tight control over what happens at the rave. Over the years, the term “rave” has acquired the connotation of a dance party with drugs. From my experience and from the experience of older friends, convention staff wouldn’t let you get within 50 feet of the dance floor with a bottle of Tylenol, much less any type of drug you’d find at a rave club. Otakon once threatened to restrict its rave to the 18+ crowd in order to keep the drugs out, much to the dismay of younger attendees. Long story short, there’s no way to get drugs of any sort into an anime convention rave.
Visual Kei
Definition: The sub-genre of J-Rock popularized for its emphasis on absurd fashion. Visual Kei bands tend to use over-the-top makeup and hair to dramatize their looks. They often combine punk or gothic costumes with gender-bending. The music these bands produce is unique, but draws influence from glam-rock, metal, pop, rap… you name it, it’s probably influenced one Visual Kei band or another.
MAJOR PROPS IF YOU READ ALLLL OF THIS CRAP. That's it so far.
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