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Anyone who’s a fan of animation is probably a fan of Studio Ghibli films, and anyone who’s a fan of Studio Ghibli films has heard the name “Princess Mononoke.” It’s one of the most popular animated films of all time. Heck, it’s one of the few Japanese animated films that Roger Ebert truly loved. But …

Read More about “Mononoke” (in Princess Mononoke) – A Linguistic Note

Expressions like “Oh my god!” might seem universal, but actually they’re tied to culturally specific things we often take for granted. The use of “God,” for example, assumes that everyone ascribes to a monotheistic religion like Christianity. In Japan, that’s certainly not the case. A 2015 survey from Statista found that only 1.5% of the …

Read More about 7 Ways to Say “Oh My God” in Japanese

We’ve got another one for all the anime and j-drama fans out there in this article. And, even better, it’s also a reasonably common word in real life. But if you watch anime or J-dramas even occasionally then you definitely have heard the word we’re covering: masaka. Almost always said with a dramatic thousand-yard-stare off-camera, …

Read More about “Masaka” in Japanese: Meaning, Grammar & Usage

We’re going to tackle boku-no in this article and come to understand it through and through. To do this we’ll learn a little vocabulary, a little grammar, and a little history. Step one: Let’s give the simple, straight-forward answer.   What does boku-no mean? Boku means “me” or “I.” No is a particle indicating possession …

Read More about “Boku no”: Meaning, Usage & Examples

Let’s talk omae today. This is a contentious and often misunderstood word in Japanese. Is it rude? Offensive? Friendly? Intimate? Just something said in anime and dramas? This word shares good company with other pronouns in Japanese. They’re hard to truly grok, and so, today, instead of overwhelming you with a discussion of a ton …

Read More about Omae: Meaning, Usage & Examples

Let’s talk about the rather niche topic of “Talk no Jutsu,” which comes out of the English speaking community of fans around the anime Naruto. To anyone even passingly familiar with the phrase it’s just a simple, somewhat silly meme. But I’m going to take it seriously here, discussing the word as it’s understood in …

Read More about “Talk no Jutsu” (from Naruto) in a Nutshell

Let’s investigate the expression sugoi dekai in this article, finding out what it means and where it comes from. For those who just want a straight answer, however…   What does “sugoi dekai” mean? Sugoi dekai means “amazingly huge,” and could also mean something is “amazingly good,” although this second meaning seems to be less …

Read More about “Sugoi dekai” in a Nutshell

Here’s a fun one today! To answer this question we’ll need to dive into a bit of English grammar, Japanese linguistics, and otaku culture. Before we begin, let’s lay out a few caveats! While I enjoy the occasional anime and video game, I’m far from being a part of the culture which birthed this very …

Read More about “No Waifu No Laifu”: Here’s What it Really Means