Wikipedia

Moe(slang)

Moe(Manh え,Japanese pronunciation:[mo.e]ⓘ),sometimes romanized asmoé,is a Japanese word that refers to feelings of strong affection mainly towards characters inanime,manga,video games,and other media directed at theotakumarket.Moe,however, has also gained usage to refer to feelings of affection towards any subject.

A character that might appear in an anime or manga series that can elicit feelings ofmoe

Moeis related toneotenyand the feeling of "cuteness"a character can evoke. The wordmoeoriginated in the late 1980s and early 1990s in Japan and is of uncertain origin, although there are several theories on how it came into use.Moecharacters have expanded through Japanese media, and the concept has been commercialised. Contests, both online and in the real world, exist formoe-styled things, including one run by one of theJapanese game rating boards.Various notable commentators such asTamaki Saitō,Hiroki Azuma,andKazuya Tsurumakihave also given their take onmoeand its meaning.

Meaning

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Moeused in slang refers to feelings of affection, adoration, devotion, and excitement felt towards characters that appear inmanga,anime,video games, and other media (usually Japanese). Characters that elicit feelings ofmoeare called "moecharacters ".[1][2]The word has also evolved to be used regarding all kinds of topics.[3][4][5]Included in the meaning of the word is the idea that "deep feelings felt towards a particular subject" is used in cases where a simple "like" is not enough to express the feeling.[2]The common feature in all feelings ofmoeis that the subject of such feelings is something that one cannot possibly have a real relationship with, like a fictional character, apop idol,or an inorganic substance. It can be considered a kind of "pseudo-romance ",[3]but it is not always seen to be the same as "romance".[3][5]

Origins

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The term's origin andetymologyare unknown. Anime columnistJohn Oppligerhas outlined several popular theories describing how the term would have stemmed from the name of anime heroines, such asHotaru TomoefromSailor Moon(Tomoe is written asThổ manh,relevant kanji is the same) or Moe Sagisawa from the 1993 animeKyōryū Wakusei.[6]The term first became popular in 1993-94 among users of Japanesebulletin board systems.[7][8]

PsychologistTamaki Saitōidentifies it as coming from the Japanese word for "budding", moeru(Manh える).[9]Ken Kitabayashi of theNomura Research Institutehas definedmoeas "being strongly attracted to one's ideals".[7]Kitabayashi has identified the wordmoeto be a pun with the Japanesegodanverb for 'to sprout', moyasu(Manhやす),and itshomophone'to burn', moyasu(Nhiênやす).[7]Along the same line of thought, Kitabayashi has identified it to be a pun with the Japaneseichidanverb for 'to sprout' moeru(Manhえる)and its homophone 'to burn' moeru(Nhiênえる),which mean 'to burn' (in the sense of one's heart burning, or burning with passion).[7]

Anthropologist Patrick Galbraith cites Morikawa Kaichirō, who argues that the term came frominternet message boardssuch asNIFTY-Serveand Tokyo BBS in the 1990s, from fans discussingbishõjo(beautiful girl) characters.[10]Galbraith argues thatmoehas its roots in the development ofbishõjocharacters in Japanese subcultures in the 1970s and 80s.[11]This was exemplified in theloliconboom of the 1980s, a "fertile ground" for the "budding desire for fictional characters".[12][11]

Comiketorganiser Ichikawa Koichi has describedLumfromUrusei Yatsuraas being both the source ofmoeand the firsttsundere.[13]The character of Clarisse fromHayao Miyazaki'sThe Castle of Cagliostro(1979) has also been cited as a potential ancestral example,[14]with Lupin acting like an older brother to Clarisse and taunting Count Cagliostro for marrying someone half his age. According to culture criticHiroki Azuma,asRei AyanamifromNeon Genesis Evangelionbecame a more prominent character among fans, she "changed the rules" governing what people regarded asmoe-inspiring. The industry has since created many characters which share her traits of pale skin, blue hair and a "quiet personality".[15]

Usage

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Commercial application

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See also:Moe anthropomorphism
Some commercial moe characters: (left to right) Chieru Kio, Ibuka Kimori, Monami Gentsuki, Mairu Hyaku, Kokoro Shirogane

Moecharacters have expanded within the Japanese media market. In 2003, the market formoemedia such as printed media, video, and games was worth 88 billion yen; roughly one-third of the estimated 290 billion yenotakumarket in Japan.[16]In 2009, Brad Rice, editor-in-chief ofJapanator,said that "moe has literally become an economic force" saying that more products use some element ofmoein order to sell better. Rice also goes on to say thatmoeis used to get anime and manga works out to "hardcore fans who buy excessive amounts of items related to the character of their desire."[17]

John OppligerfromAnimeNationtraced the first decade of the 2000s as the time whenmoebecame increasingly popular and recognized. Commercialization was a result of interest that followed, andmoeevolved from being a non-sexual desire to being a sexually sublimated fascination with cuteness. Oppliger goes on to say thatmoeshifted entirely from an interchange between character and viewer, to a focused fetish of viewers. Examples used by Oppliger include the series;K-On,Lucky Star,andMoetanwhere he points out they are "revolved around adorable, whimsical, clumsy, early-adolescent girl characters in order to evoke, enflame, and manipulate the interests and affections of viewers." Rather than evokingmoefeelings, they were literallymoecharacters that had defining characteristics of themoestyle. Oppliger referred to these girl characters as "adorably cute, just a bit sexually appealing, and self-conscious but not yet cynical" going on to say that they demand notice and adoration, rather than passively earning it.[18]

Withmoeanthropomorphism,moecharacteristics are applied to give human elements to non-human objects. TheGradiusvideo game series features a spaceship namedVic Viper.For a spin-off game,moeis applied toVic Viperto createOtomedius.[19]

Sexual attraction

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Sometimes feelings ofmoetowards fictional characters include "sexual excitement",or are understood in the context where" lots of beautiful girls and boobs appear. "[20][21]In these cases, feelings of pure affection that gradually become stronger over time can lead to these feelings oferoticism.[22]In addition, it is pointed that sexual desire oriented to such characters differs from a desire toward humans.[23][24]

Moe,however, is also considered to be distinct from pure lust. While small amounts of lust is generally consideredmoe,a feeling that focuses too heavily on lust is considered outside the scope ofmoe.[22]According to commentator,Tōru Honda[ja]who considersmoeto be "romance within one's head", the ideal kind of love withinmoeis "romantic love".[25]

Contests

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Several informal contests or rankings for characters considered to bemoeexist on the internet. One such contest is theAnime Saimoe Tournament,organized by members of the textboard2channel,which ran every year from 2002, until its cancellation after the 2014 contest due to declining interest.[26]Moecharacters from thefiscal yearstarting 1 July and ending 30 June the following year were eligible. Each tournament had at least 280moecharacters.[27]Spin-offs of the Saimoe Tournament include RPG Saimoe, which has video game characters, and SaiGAR, a competition between the "manliest men of anime".[28]In 2006 and 2007, the Saimoe Tournament became an increasingly international event; 2channel users obliged foreignotakuby putting up an English version of their rules page.[27]TheInternational Saimoe League,also known as ISML, is another onlinemoepopularity contest that is for a worldwide audience.[29]The contest started in 2008 and was held annually. Initially, only female characters were eligible, a male exhibition tournament was added in 2011, which would take place after the end of the main tournament. It was made into an official tournament alongside the female characters in 2015.[30]

Moe contests also exist in magazine publications, and in the real world. The Moe Game Awards are given annually tobishōjo gamespublished that year in various categories, such asbackground music,character design,fandisc,graphics,anderotic content.They were started in 2006 as the Bishōjo Game Awards, but their name was changed to Moe Game Awards in 2009.[31][better source needed]It is sponsored by the Japanese game rating boardEthics Organization of Computer Software(EOCS) and is described by them as "an R18 game industry version of theAcademy Awards".[32]Magazines that havemoecontests in them include the Japanese magazineDengeki Moeohwhich runs a column called "Moeoh Rankings"(Manh vương ランキング)and features the top 10moecharacters of the month, as determined by reader votes.[33]

Commentary

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There are various interpretations of the concept ofmoe,[3][34]and the subject has been heavily discussed.[35]PsychologistTamaki Saitōconsiders themoeused byotakuto be the embodiment of their particular kind of sexuality.[36]Saitō points out that whileotakucreations fulfill an abnormal impression of sexuality, fewotakuactually apply this impression to real life.[36]He thus argues thatmoeis something that sustains the otaku's sexuality within a fictional world, with the fiction itself being their subject of desire and having no need for reality.[37]

On the other hand, criticHiroki Azumarejects Saitō's argument as "too complicated."[38]Azuma argues that "tomoe"is simply the act of analyzing each of the character'smoecharacteristics and expanding on those characteristics within the mind, and thus differs from mere feelings of empathy.[39]These characteristics can be physical ones, such ascat earsor amaid costume,[40]or a personality archetype, such as that of the characterRei Ayanami.[15]Azuma sees this process as anotaku's act of satisfying their desires among their limited relations, and considers it to be part of a broader trend of "animalization," or the fulfillment of small desires isolated from the context of agrand narrative.[41]Azuma, therefore, simplifies Saitō's idea ofmoeinto the idea of attaining signals of sexual excitement within an isolated environment, similar to the act of training an animal.[42]

In contrast, Tōru Honda argues against the idea thatmoeis simply "the act of arousal in response to signals, and thus animalization" and argues that this interpretation does not allow one to recall the essence ofmoe.[43]Honda considersmoeto be the act of remembering ideals among the background signals, an act of necessity that arose as the romance rejected by religion continued to be supported by materialism, and thus interprets it as a mental activity relevant to the contexts of mythology and religion.[44]Furthermore, Honda asserts that this "animalization" phenomenon only arose after the "economic bubble" period of Japan, when people consumed real romance- and sex-like products,[43]and says that sincemoeis commonly interpreted to be in competition with the act of searching for romance in real life, it is thus the antithesis of male-dominant machoism.[45]Also, while Saitō does not distinguishmoefrom more violent types of sexual abnormalities and speaks ofmoein the context of "sentō bishōjo" (beautiful fighting girl),[46]Honda on the other hand treatsmoeas the polar opposite of the hunter-ish kind of sexuality featuring in more fiendish works like those byHenry Darger.[47]

Anime directorKazuya Tsurumakidefinesmoeto be "the act of filling in missing information about characters on one's own." Accepting this view, writerJunji Hotta[ja]explains that characters are born from human instinct, which is the exact reason why one can be charmed by them much more than one could by real people.[48]Toshio Okadasays that while he himself has not fully understoodmoe,he defines it as not simply being stirred emotionally by beautiful girls, but also as the meta-viewpoint of seeing oneself falling into such a state.[49]

InThe Moe Manifesto,[50]anthropologist Patrick Galbraith definesmoeas an affective response to fictional characters or representations of them. The applications of this definition are widespread to political, economic, and cultural discourses. For an example in practice, Matthew Brummer describes how Japan's Self Defense Force utilizes popular culture and themoethat it engenders to shape public perceptions of the military establishment: The Manga Military.[51]

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^Biệt sách bảo đảo vol421,246 hiệt.
  2. ^ab"ことば: Manh えキャラ".Mỗi nhật tân văn sơn lê bản.Mỗi nhật tân văn xã. 29 August 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 1 October 2023.Retrieved6 September2011.
  3. ^abcdGiả bổn 2009,pp. 30–31
  4. ^Giả bổn 2009,p. 61
  5. ^ab"もえ【× manh え】".dictionary.goo.ne.jp.Retrieved20 May2015.
  6. ^"What is Moe?",Ask John(blog), AnimeNation, 30 January 2004, archived fromthe originalon 1 December 2008,retrieved17 June2008
  7. ^abcdKitabayashi, Ken (2004),TheOtakuGroup from a Business Perspective: Revaluation of Enthusiastic Customers(PDF),JP:Nomura Research Institute,archived fromthe original(PDF)on 7 May 2012,retrieved29 October2009
  8. ^"Thánh まりあんぬ từ thư".30 March 1994. Archived fromthe originalon 12 March 2002.Retrieved29 November2022.
  9. ^Tamaki, Saitou (2007), "Otaku Sexuality", in Bolton, Christopher; Csicsery-Ronay, Istvan Jr; Tatsumi, Takayuki (eds.),Robot Ghosts and Wired Dreams,University of Minnesota Press, p. 230,ISBN978-0-8166-4974-7
  10. ^Galbraith 2012,351.
  11. ^abGalbraith 2019.
  12. ^Galbraith 2012,350.
  13. ^Galbraith, Patrick W. (2009).The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider's Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan.Kodansha International. p. 46.ISBN978-4-7700-3101-3.
  14. ^Richmond, Simon (2009).The Rough Guide to Anime.Penguin Books.
  15. ^abAzuma, Hiroki (2009).Otaku: Japan's Database Animals.Translated by Jonathan, Abel; Kono, Shion. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp.48–52.ISBN978-0-8166-5352-2.Archived fromthe originalon 6 October 2023.Retrieved27 April2022.
  16. ^"Moe Market Worth 88 Billion Yen".Anime News Network.25 April 2005.Retrieved2 November2007.
  17. ^Rice, Brad (28 July 2009)."'Just what on earth is moe?' is the question of the day ".Japanator.Retrieved10 March2013.
  18. ^Oppliger, John (28 May 2012)."Ask John: What Are the Defining Moé Anime?".AnimeNation Anime News Blog. Ask John. Archived fromthe originalon 21 May 2015.Retrieved28 May2017.
  19. ^McWhertor, Michael (16 February 2007)."Konami: Boobs + Gradius = Otomedius".Kotaku.Retrieved6 November2007.
  20. ^ジャパンナレッジ ( Yahoo! Từ thư ),ネットアドバンス, 28 June 2003,retrieved6 September2011[permanent dead link‍]
  21. ^"Nữ tử cao sinh のリアル" けいおん bộ "がアツい! “アニメもアニソンも phổ thông” 【 hậu biên 】 ".nikkan-spa.jp.2 December 2011.Retrieved13 January2012.
  22. ^abĐằng sơn triết nhân (31 July 2008)."Manh えは “Bạc めたカ○ピス” だ ".ASCII×ITmedia đối đàm 2 xã hợp đồng, hạ の đặc biệt xí họa ( hậu biên ).アスキー・メディアワークス. p. 2 hiệt.Retrieved6 September2011.
  23. ^Matsuura, Yuu (2022)."Multiple Orientations as Animating Misdelivery: Theoretical Considerations on Sexuality Attracted to Nijigen (Two-Dimensional) Objects"[アニメーション đích な ngộ phối としての đa trọng kiến đương thức ―― phi đối nhân tính ái đích な “Nhị thứ nguyên” へのセクシュアリティに quan する lý luận đích khảo sát ].Gender Studies(25):139–158.doi:10.24567/0002000551.
  24. ^Liao, SH (2023)."Fictosexual Manifesto: Their Position, Political Possibility, and Critical Resistance".《Rhizome｜ cầu căn 》.NTU-OtaStudy ( đài đại trạch nghiên ).
  25. ^Bổn điền 2005,pp. 81–82
  26. ^"Unofficial English Saimoe site".Retrieved19 July2013.
  27. ^ab"Saimoe 2007 English".2ch.Archived fromthe originalon 6 August 2007.Retrieved11 August2007.
  28. ^SaiGAR 2007
  29. ^"International Saimoe League".Internationalsaimoe.com.Retrieved11 March2014.
  30. ^"Constitution of the International Saimoe League".isml.moe.Retrieved18 March2021.
  31. ^ja: Manh えゲーアワード
  32. ^Ethics Organization of Computer Software.Manh えゲーアワードの hậu viện[Moe Game Awards Sponsor] (in Japanese).Retrieved4 February2013.
  33. ^"Manh vương ランキング".Dengeki Moeoh(10).MediaWorks:143. 2007.
  34. ^ササキバラ・ゴウ (20 May 2004).〈 mỹ thiếu nữ 〉の hiện đại sử ―― “Manh え” とキャラクター.Giảng đàm xã hiện đại tân thư. Giảng đàm xã. p. 20.ISBN4-06-149718-9.
  35. ^Giả bổn 2009,pp. 18–19
  36. ^abTrai đằng 2000,pp. 49–55
  37. ^Trai đằng 2000,pp. 248, 256
  38. ^Đông 2001,pp. 129–131
  39. ^Đông 2001,pp. 75–78
  40. ^Azuma 2009,"Combinations ofMoe-elements.
  41. ^Azuma 2009,"The Animal Age".
  42. ^Đông 2001,pp. 125–141
  43. ^abBổn điền 2005,pp. 85–88
  44. ^Bổn điền 2005,pp. 85–88, 190–192, 213–215
  45. ^Bổn điền 2005,pp. 144, 155
  46. ^Trai đằng 2000,pp. 51–52, 186–187, 274
  47. ^Bổn điền 2005,p. 158
  48. ^Quật điền thuần tư "Moemoe japan 2 chō en shijō no moeru kōzō" 『 manh え manh えジャパン 2 triệu viên thị tràng の manh える cấu tạo 』 giảng đàm xã, 2005 niên, 24-25 hiệt.ISBN978-4063646351.
  49. ^Cương điền đấu tư phu 『オタクはすでに tử んでいる』 tân triều xã, 2008 niên, 27-28 hiệt ・100-101 hiệt.ISBN978-4106102585.
  50. ^"The Moe Manifesto: An Insider's Look at the Worlds of Manga, Anime, and Gaming | tuttle publishing".tuttle.co.jp.Retrieved22 January2016.
  51. ^Brummer, Matthew."Japan: The Manga Military".The Diplomat.Retrieved22 January2016.

Works cited

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  • Kūsō bishōjo dai hyakka dennō moemoe bishōjo dai shūgō!Không tưởng mỹ thiếu nữ đại bách khoa điện 脳 manh え manh え mỹ thiếu nữ đại tập hợp!.Biệt sách bảo đảo 421 (in Japanese). Bảo đảo xã. 3 January 1999.ISBN4-7966-9421-8.
  • Galbraith, Patrick W. (2012)."Moe: Exploring Virtual Potential in Post-Millennial Japan".In Iles, Timothy; Matanle, Peter C. D. (eds.).Researching twenty-first century Japan: new directions and approaches for the electronic age.Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books. p. 351.ISBN978-0-7391-7014-4.OCLC756592455.Archived fromthe originalon 25 July 2021.Retrieved29 November2022.
  • Galbraith, Patrick W. (2019).Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan.Durham: Duke University Press.doi:10.2307/j.ctv1220mhm.ISBN978-1-4780-0509-4.JSTORj.ctv1220mhm.S2CID240980856.
  • Tamaki SaitōTrai đằng hoàn (27 April 2000).Sentō bishōjo no seishin bunsekiChiến đấu mỹ thiếu nữ の tinh thần phân tích[Psychoanalysis of Beautiful Fighting Girl] (in Japanese). Thái điền xuất bản.ISBN4-87233-513-9.
  • Đông hạo kỷ (20 November 2001).Dōbutsu ka suru posuto modan otaku kara mi ta nippon shakaiĐộng vật hóa するポストモダン オタクから kiến た nhật bổn xã hội.Giảng đàm xã hiện đại tân thư (in Japanese). Giảng đàm xã.ISBN4-06-149575-5.
  • Bổn điền thấu[in Japanese](10 November 2005).Moeru otokoManh える nam.ちくま văn khố (in Japanese). Trúc ma thư phòng.ISBN4-480-06271-8.
  • Giả bổn thu( biên )[in Japanese],ed. (5 June 2009).Otaku no koto ga omoshiroi hodo wakaru honオタクのことが diện bạch いほどわかる bổn[An Easy Guide to Otaku] (in Japanese) ( đệ 1 xoát ed.). Trung kinh xuất bản. pp.14–20,30–31, 61 hiệt.ISBN978-4-8061-3358-2.

Further reading

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Look upmoein Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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