OVA is a pretty familiar term to any serious anime fan. But what does it stand for and what does it actually refer to within the world of anime? How does it relate to other, similar things in the medium? OVA, OAV, OAD, ONA, and specials—if you’ve ever been curious about what these different terms …
Japanese
What the difference between ni and niha (niwa)? Well, it could be a big difference, or a small one, depending on what you mean. Since Japanese has so many homophones it can be especially difficult to figure out the answer to this. Most likely, if you’re asking this specific question, then you want to know …
How do you choose between yon and shi for 4, or nana and shichi for 7 in Japanese. Why are there two different ways to say these numbers? Is there any significance? Even people who aren’t fans of Japanese culture might have heard about the fact that in Japan the number 4 is bad luck. …
When I first decided to tackle the question of, “What does saa (さあ) mean in Japanese?” I figured it would be a really straightforward task. The expression “saa” pops up all the time in real life, anime, and tv-dramas, so I figured that I knew exactly what I was going to be tackling right off …
Alright, I know I’m askin’ for it with this article, but we have to tackle this controversial quote. First, we’re going to look at if it was said, then try to understand the context, and then we’ll look at if we agree (regardless of if it was said). I guess we should be straightforward up …
What does maru-maru mean in Japanese? Basically, it can be two things, and we’re going to cover the whole, entire, complete thing in this article (that’s a bad joke you’ll understand in a moment). Let’s keep it sweet and simple to start. What is the meaning of maru-maru in Japanese? In Japanese, maru-maru means …
There’s not a lot that people agree about with regards to Japan. How to eat sushi, Tokyo vs Osaka, which anime is the GOAT? No consensus. But there is one thing virtually everyone can agree on. Japan is awesome. If you want to talk about the awesomeness that is Japan—in Japanese—then how do you go …
If you watch enough anime, you’ve probably heard yare-yare a thousand times. In fact, you may have heard it so often that you think you understand the meaning of this deceptively simple phrase. However, there’s a good chance you’ve missed at least a bit of the nuance behind this surprisingly layered expression. In this article, …
Fans of dark fantasy anime Attack on Titan will immediately recognize the word Sasageyo. If you don’t, try singing it. This word features prominently in the popular anime’s second opening theme, 『心臓を捧げよ!』 (“Dedicate Your Heart!”). But is the word “dedicate” really the best choice? How about “sacrifice,” or “offer” or even “lift up”? As with …