Anime Terms

English fans of anime often use a great deal of slang to refer to various concepts used in anime. Some of the more common ones are explained below.

Bittorent – a program often used to download unlicensed anime

Cosplay – to dress up as an anime character, an act sometimes performed by true otaku

Fansubs – versions of unlicensed anime that have been subtitled by third parties

Hentai – anime containing adult content

Manga – printed comics associated with anime

Otaku – in the United States, this term refers to a serious anime fan, in Japan, the term is more negative, and refers to someone unusually obsessed with anime or manga

Shonen - anime aimed at male audiences, 'shonen' means 'boy' in Japanese

Shoujo – anime aimed at female audiences, 'shoujo' means 'girl' in Japanese

Subbed – subtitled

Yaoi/shonen-ai – anime containing male homosexual relationships, 'ai' means 'love' in Japanese

Yuri/shoujo-ai – anime containing female homosexual relationships