Here’s a glossary of words and concepts commonly used in anime and manga. Some of these are used in the anime or manga itself while others are often used between fans. I will continue to update this anime and manga glossary with new words.
A-H
| Ayakashi: A type of yokai that usually appears around water. It is said to be a vengeful spirit of someone who died at sea and tries to capture others |
| BL: (Boy Love) Romance between two men |
| Consort: A spouse of a ruling monarch |
| Cram School: A school that specializes in helping a student pass exams, usually entrance exams |
| Cultivation: The practice of meditating and other forms of mystical/martial arts to gain supernatural abilities |
| Dere: Personality types (Read More) |
| Doki Doki: Sound of the heart beating quickly |
| Dubbed: An anime (or other show) is reproduced in another language |
| Eunuch: Male servants/guards in harems or to a king |
| FL: Female lead |
| Husbando: Husband (Slang for a fictional male character you are attracted to or would want to marry) |
I-N
| Isekai: Someone is transported to another world other than their own (Read More) |
| K-drama: Korean Dramas |
| Line: An app for instant messaging |
| Manga: Japanese comics |
| Mangaka: Japanese for comic artist |
| Manhua: Chinese comics |
| Manhwa: Korean Comics |
| MC: Main character |
| Mech or Mecha: A large robot controlled by a person |
| ML: Male lead |
| Moe: A feeling of a female character being youthful and innocent |
| NEET: A person “Not in Education, Employment, or Training” |
O-Z
| Otaku: A Japanese term for an avid fan of anime, manga, and other nerdy hobbies (sometimes negative) |
| Otome: A video game typically for women where you develop and pursue romantic feelings towards one of the many male choices (Many reverse harems are based on these games) |
| Sauce: The source of a picture – where that pictures comes from (manga, anime, manhua, manhwa, etc.) |
| Second male lead syndrome: When you ship the second male lead more than the male lead, even though you know she’ll end up with the male lead |
| Second Male Lead: The second male character (usually in regards to romance anime) |
| Subbed: Written translations of a show into another language (example: English translations for anime) |
| Simp: Slang for someone who is excessively giving someone attention and affection, but gets nothing in return |
| Tengu: A type of yokai in Japan usually associated with a crow |
| Thot: A woman with many causal/sexual relationships (usually negative) |
| Trope: An idea that is commonly used (cliches) |
| Truck-kun: The truck that hits people thus letting them reincarnate into another world. It has become a joke between fans as trucks seemed to be used a lot in isekai. |
| Waifu: Wife (Slang for a fictional female character you’re attracted to and would want to marry) |
| Weeb: A term for a non-Japanese person who is obsessed with Japanese culture and anime, usually negative |
| Yakuza: Japanese mafia |
| Yaoi: Genre about love between male characters |
| Yokai: A ghost or spirit |
| Yuri: Genre about love between female characters |
Check out my gaming abbreviations and acronyms post too.
Have a word you think should be added to the anime and manga glossary? Let me know down in the comments.
Don’t forget to subscribe!