Quote:
Originally Posted by Vexx
Any pack of Japanese women spotting a kitty and you'll be buried in squeals of "Kawaii!!!" The word hasn't "gone away", it is as mainstream as you can get. And it simply means "so cute I want to squeal".
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I'm not sure moe means anything different when an otaku blurts out moe.
I tend to agree with Irenicus that as the word is used, sometimes it's completely interchangeable with kawaii and sometimes isn't, leading to some confusion. And when I throw
ossan's post about kawaii being quite feminine into the analysis, the reason why otaku might often use it as a stand in for kawaii becomes clear.
Which, of course, can create confusion with the feeling/subculturalist quasi-religious experience sense that many of us use the term for.
P.S.
Also, regarding "blooming (burning too, remember?) feelings and desire to protect" thing - for me, there's an actual sensation I associate with moe, which in a strong case will manifest in a warm gut/melted brain kind of feeling. And I still find that my feelings towards a moe character are more likely to take the form of compassion, being charmed, or "adoration" (in the sense of "bask in her glorious precense") than a desire to protect. Sorry, but for some reason constructing it that way irks me. It probably doesn't help that I usually do hold my peace when someone explains it that way at anime club meetings because I fear coming across as a blathering idiot.