Otaku Terms Dictionary
From anime lingo and internet slang to modern Japanese expressions. Explore the words you'll encounter in otaku culture and everyday Japan.
Internet
16 terms
Chunibyo
厨二病(ちゅうにびょう)
Chunibyo (Chūnibyō / 厨二病) is Japanese slang for the cringeworthy, self-important phase that many teenagers go through around 8th grade. The name literally means “middle school second-year syndrome.” The 病 (byō, “disease”) part is tongue-i
Coupling
カップリング(かっぷりんぐ)
Coupling (カップリング, kappuringu) is a word used in doujin and fan culture for the pairing of two characters in a romantic relationship. It means roughly what English-speaking fans call shipping. It applies to BL, which depicts romance between
Kaigai Niki
海外ニキ(かいがいにき)
An internet slang term short for "kaigai no aniki" (overseas bros), used to affectionately refer to foreign users on the Japanese internet. Primarily used on Niconico, YouTube streams, and social media to refer to foreign men. It is also u
Kusa
草(くさ)
A Japanese internet slang expression meaning laughter. Used to express amusement or that something is funny, much like "lol" in English. It can appear on its own at the end of a sentence, or in verb forms such as "kusa haeru" (grass is grow
Narou Kei
なろう系(なろうけい)
A collective term for works originating from the web novel platform "Shousetsuka ni Narou" (Let's Become a Novelist), or more broadly, works that share the formulaic plot structures and settings commonly found there. These works typically
Nui
ぬい(ぬい)
Nui is short for nuigurumi (a plush toy or stuffed animal). It usually refers to plushies modeled after characters from anime, games, or idol groups. The term spread through otaku culture and social media, and it isn't limited to your own o
Nui-katsu
ぬい活(ぬいかつ)
Nui-katsu refers to activities centered on plush toys. It covers everything you might do with a favorite plush or a plush of your oshi (nui), from collecting them and taking them out with you to photographing them and dressing them up. Peo
Yume
夢(ゆめ)
In otaku contexts, yume ("dream") is an umbrella term for a genre of fan works that depict a relationship between a character from an anime, manga, or game and either the reader themselves or an original character the reader has in mind. Fo
Yumejoshi
夢女子(ゆめじょし)
Yumejoshi are female fans who enjoy imagining a relationship between a character from an anime, manga, or game and themselves or a stand-in for themselves. The creative genre that turns this kind of imagining into fiction and illustration i
