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a
Ahegao: A facial expression in hentai and erotic manga/anime that depicts characters in the throes of extreme pleasure.
b
Bara: Manga or anime focusing on romantic or sexual relationships between muscular men.
BDSM: Erotic practices involving dominance, submission, role-playing, and restraint.
Bishoujo Game: A video game that focuses on interactions with attractive anime-style girls.
BL (Boys’ Love): Similar to yaoi, focusing on romantic or sexual relationships between male characters.
c
CG Set: A collection of computer graphics, often depicting erotic scenes.
Chibi: A Japanese slang word describing something short, it refers to a style of drawing characters in an exaggerated, cute way, often with oversized heads.
Chikan: Refers to molestation, often seen in erotic manga or hentai.
Comiket: A major comic book convention in Japan where many doujinshi are sold.
Cosplay: The practice of dressing up as a character from manga, anime, or video games.
d
Dakimakura: A body pillow with an image of a character.
Dating Sim: A type of video game where players pursue romantic relationships.
Decora: A style within kawaii culture characterized by bright colors and the layering of clothing and accessories for a deliberately over-the-top cute look.
Doujinshi: Self-published works, often manga or magazines.
e
Ecchi: Refers to sexually suggestive content, less explicit than hentai.
Eroge: Short for “erotic game”, Japanese video or computer games with erotic content.
Erotic Manga: Manga that contains sexual content.
f
Fan Service: Elements added to increase the appeal of a series, often sexual in nature.
Futanari: Characters that possess both male and female genitalia.
g
Guro: A subgenre that combines eroticism with grotesque or horror elements.
Gyaru: A Japanese street fashion style, featuring dyed hair, elaborate makeup, and trendy clothing.
h
Harajuku: A district in Tokyo known for its street fashion and as the epicenter of Japan’s kawaii and youth culture.
Harem: A subgenre where a single character is surrounded by multiple characters romantically or sexually interested in him.
Hentai: Explicit or pornographic manga and anime.
Husbando: The male equivalent of “waifu”.
j
JAST: A company that localizes Japanese media, including eroge.
JAST USA: A publisher known for localizing and releasing eroge in English.
Josei: Manga or anime targeted towards adult women.
k
Kawaii: The Japanese word for “cute”.
Kemonomimi: Characters with animal features.
Kigurumi: Japanese term for wearing character costumes, which often represent animals or cartoon characters, emphasizing the cute and whimsical.
Kinetic Novel: A type of visual novel without choices or branches.
l
Light Novel: A type of novel with manga-style illustrations.
Lolicon: Manga or anime that features young female characters in erotic situations.
Lolita: A fashion subculture in Japan, influenced by Victorian and Edwardian clothing, focusing on elegance and modesty with a kawaii twist.
m
Maid Café: A café where waitresses dress up in themed outfits.
Mangaka: The author or artist of a manga.
Moe: A slang term used to describe characters that are adorably cute.
n
NTR/Netorare: A subgenre where characters in committed relationships are seduced by a third party.
Nukige: Eroge games that prioritize sexual content over storytelling.
o
OELVN: Original English Language Visual Novel.
Onahole: A male masturbatory aid often modeled after characters.
Oppai: Slang term for breasts.
Otaku: A person with obsessive interests, often in manga and anime.
Otome Game: A type of video game targeted towards women.
OVA (Original Video Animation): Anime released directly to video.
p
Pettanko: A slang term for a female character with a flat chest.
Pixel Art: A style of digital art using pixels.
Purikura: Short for “Print Club,” these are Japanese photo booths that produce highly stylized and decorated photos, popular in kawaii culture.
r
R18: A rating indicating content is suitable only for adults.
Reverse Harem: Opposite of harem, where a single female character is surrounded by multiple male characters.
s
Seinen: Manga or anime targeted towards adult men.
Seme: In yaoi or BL, the character in a dominant role.
Shojo Manga: A genre of Japanese manga aimed at young teenage girls, often featuring romance, high school life, and aesthetics that align with kawaii culture.
Shotacon: Manga or anime that features young male characters in erotic situations.
t
Tankobon: A standalone book that compiles manga chapters.
Tentacle Erotica: A subgenre of hentai where characters are engaged by tentacles.
Tsundere: A character trope where the character shows both hostility and warmth.
u
Uke: In yaoi or BL, the character in a submissive role.
v
Vanilla: Refers to standard romantic or sexual content without extreme fetishes.
Visual Novel: An interactive game genre using narrative storytelling.
VN Engine: Software used to create visual novels.
w
Waifu: Slang for a fictional character that one is attracted to.
y
Yaoi: Manga and anime focusing on relationships between male characters.
Yuri: Manga and anime focusing on relationships between female characters.