Moe (slang)

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Wikipe -tan ( anthropomorphism from Wikipedia ) as an example of a Moe character

Moe ( 萌 え , [ mo'e ], literally: budding ) is a Japanese slang expression for affection for characters in video games, manga, or anime . The term often occurs in connection with stereotypical features. For example, 眼鏡 っ 娘 えmeg ( meganekko-moe , glasses girl-moe ) describes the ability to find characters with glasses (see also: Meganekko ) attractive.

The term is also used as an attribute for mangas that contain particularly cute characters, or describes these characters itself. It is mostly used in connection with mangas for male audiences, but is increasingly used with shōjo mangas. When referring to anime and manga characters, the term can be used interchangeably with kawaii .

Characteristics of Moe

Primarily female characters are referred to as moe who meet certain characteristic and visual criteria. They are mostly young, innocent, cute (kawaii) and have certain bizarre or strange behaviors or habits. Typical representatives of this type are z. B. the anime adaptations by Kyōto Animation . A larger part of it is based on Ren'ai adventures by Key , in which at least one of the protagonists has some kind of speech impediment. In conversations, Ayu Tsukimiya from Kanon (2006) repeatedly uses the masculine personal pronoun boku ( 僕 , dt. "I") when she speaks of herself. The sound ugū ( う ぐ ぅ ) joins their unusual language . Ayu uses these to express an oppressive feeling such as frustration or fear, but with such frequency that it comes close to a speech impediment. Comparable characters can also be found in Air or Clannad , which are also adaptations of Key. But these stereotypes can also be found in various other works. In The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya , also adapted by Kyōto Animation, there are two other expressions with Mikuru Asahina and Yuki Nagato . While Mikuru plays the cute innocence in the form of a shy girl with a sincere personality, Yuki Nagato lives up to almost every cliché of a closed Meganekko . This was increased in the very successful series K-On! where all five main female characters live up to the Moe scheme. So they are adorable, but all have certain weaknesses of different degrees. They are sometimes over-anxious, naive, sleepy or cranky. Of course, characters of this kind can also be found in numerous animes from other studios or manga by various authors.

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literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b German Film Institute - DIF / German Film Museum & Museum of Applied Arts (Ed.): Ga-netchû! The Manga Anime Syndrome. Henschel Verlag, 2008. p. 268. ISBN 978-3-89487-607-4 .