Quote:
Originally Posted by mistyken
well this is kinda off topic, but i wonder how does the word "GAR or "GARlock" come from? if i've not mistaken, i think it's a term "used towards male characters and individuals who are so overwhelmingly manly that your own masculinity is absolutely *buried*, leaving you naught but a whimpering, swooning girl-child before them." but no matter how deep i dig on google or yahoo, i cant find any clue about where does this magnificent word derive from. can someone shine some light on this place??
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...this question probably been answered several times on the board already.
GAR
Widely considered to be /a/'s most famous meme. GAR, also spelt Gar or gar, is a term used to describe an anime character that is the epitome of what it means to be manly and badass. Individuals of this standard are as rare as they are awesome, emotionally overwhelming those watching to the point of orgasming in surprise and excitement or sobbing uncontrollably in a flush of admiration.
It has been described as a neologism of the Latin "virtus", an ancient (and forgotten) Roman concept glorifying men who strive for a life of courage, self-sacrifice, cunning, overcoming the impossible and honoring those who die a worthy death. Virtus for the Romans and Greeks was not sexual love (eros), but a deep respect requiring a higher sense of admiration and comeraderie neglected in the modern era.
Originally applied solely to Archer, a character from Fate/stay night, due to the harmony of the two words (Gay for ARcher). Allegedly derived through a typo by an Anonymous expressing love/admiration for Archer after his gutsy last stand in episode fourteen of Fate/stay night. That Anonymous intended to say, "I'm Gay for Archer", but mistakenly typed "I'm Gar for Archer".
Given the context, which was a turn-around from going gay for effeminate male characters (see: Bridget), the term "gar" immediately gained manly/badass connotations, quickly catching on with Anonymous after a short period of forcing. A common phrase in /a/ at the time was, "You are gar for badasses but gay for traps". After a while, the word's meaning started to become objective, as opposed to subjective. Rather than saying "I'm gar for Archer", people began to say "Archer is GAR", usually in capital letters.
GARlock -
GAR + Harlock :
Harlock -
Space Pirate Captain Harlock) is a fictional character created by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto.
Harlock is the archetypical romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. He is as noble as he is taciturn, rebellious, stoically fighting against totalitarian regimes, whether they be earthborn or alien. In his own words, he "fight[s] for no one's sake... only [...] for something deep in [his] heart".