Do you know the definition of moe? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word moe, including its definition, usage, etymology, and more!
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Kevin
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June 18, 2021
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Common Questions
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What does the word moe mean?
According to TV Tropes, Urban Dictionary, and Anime News Network, the word moe, pronounced mo-eh, is a Japanese slang word written as 萌え in Japanese. This refers to a rarefied pseudo-love for fictional characters and their embodiments. Is an otaku term that refers to someone who is cute, huggable, or endearing. This is about a specific ideal or kind of character, and can also be used as a figurative interjection used to convey when something blooms inside your heart. If a character has moe, they have the ability to instill in an audience an irrational desire to protect them, adore them, Comfort, or hug them. This evokes something called a big brother Instinct in both men and women. These characters are always cute and useful. In anime and manga, they are usually of high school age, but adult characters are not always exempt.
Moe characters are symbols of Youth and adventure, and many anime feature these types of young girls. While both male and female characters can embrace moe culture, it is more often embraced by girls who wish to feel young again. Generally, this term describes an infatuation with a girlish kind of cuteness.
Moe characters are often female characters, such as anime characters Sailor Moon or Hotaru Tomoe. Common traits of moe characters include cuteness, innocence, and shyness. In Otaku culture, the moe phenomenon began in the late 1980s to late ’90s. The fans have feelings of strong affection around the characters in the anime, manga, and video games, almost like they exist in real life. Sometimes things can be taken too far, and people might make an inappropriate comment or have a fetish around moe characters. A viewer of many different genres of anime can find themselves loving different moe characters. The Otaku market is wide and vast, and many different people can find different genres of anime and manga that they enjoy.
A list of moe characteristics is listed below:
- thin limbs
- bangs over eyes
- body 5.7 heads tall
- colorful hair
- large eyes (1/5 size of face)
- cute little fang
- large head
- small nose
- anime antenna hair called ahoge (アホ毛)
- flat face
- tall iris
- neotenized face
- small mouth
The word moe does not always have to simply refer to this Japanese trope. According to The Bump, Moe is also a first name of Latin origin that is often used for a boy’s name. This name means to love, God’s Helmet, or savior. While the name Moe is not very popular, it can also be used as a nickname for many other given names, such as Moses, Mordecai, Moore, Mohammed, Murray, Morton, Morris, Mortimer, or Maurice. This is most commonly used as a nickname for a boy, but it can also be used for a girl. The last name Moe is also a name found in Norway, Canada, and the United States. This is our Norwegian habitational name from many different farmsteads, as well as a Swedish ornamental or topographic name, according to Family Search.
What is the origin of the word moe?
According to Honey’s Anime and Fandom, the shorthand abbreviation moe is derived from the Japanese word 萌 or moeru, meaning to bud or sprout, or to burn or get fired up. This word is speculated to stem from the burning passion that one feels for the characters, and has become associated with the terms adorable or a very specific type of cute. Girls who are moe are called moekko, or 萌えっ娘 ,from the honorific “娘” meaning “female child”. Moe can also be used in the anime fandom as an interjection. Sometimes these characters are also called chibi or kawaii.
What are examples of moe characters?
Many different characters in anime can be considered moe. Characters are often teenage girls that have a large fan base, and are considered cute and lovable. Below is a list of different memorable moe characters from anime, from My Anime List.
- Tsukasa Hiiragi from Lucky Star
- Fuuko Ibuki from Clannad
- Tooru Ichii from A-Channel
- Mirai Kuriyama from Kyoukai no Kanata (Beyond the Boundary)
- Tomoko Kuroki from Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui! (No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Unpopular!)
- Morgiana from Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
- Meiko Honma from Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai. (The Flower We Saw That Day)
- Popura Taneshima from Working!!
- Nunnally Lamperouge from Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion)
- Kobato Hasegawa from Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (I Don’t Have Many Friends)
- Mikuru Asahina from Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
- Mio Akiyama from K-On!!
- Mami Tomoe from Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
- Shizu Murasame from To LOVE-Ru
- Mikoto Misaka from Toaru Majutsu no Index (A Certain Magical Index)
Overall, the term moe is a Japanese slang term used in Japanese media that refers to an anime or manga character, usually a beautiful girl, who stems feelings of affection. This device is also a pun on the Japanese word for bussing, and can be a real name in the United States as a first name or last name. This can also be used as a nickname. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today!
Sources:
- What is Moe Anime? [Definition, Meaning] | Honey’s Anime
- Moe | Animanga Wiki | Fandom
- Moe | TV Tropes
- Moe | Urban Dictionary
- Moe | Anime News Network
- What is Moe: Top 15 Kawaii and Moe Anime Girls | My Anime List
- Moe – Baby Name Meaning, Origin and Popularity | The Bump
- Where is your last name from? | FamilySearch.org‘.
