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Old 2011-01-07, 02:00   Link #1
ClannadDango
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Okay what is moe?

Call me ignorant but I have not idea what the definition of moe is.
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Old 2011-01-07, 02:40   Link #2
Taufiq91
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According to fansubbers, "moe" means "turn on elements".
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Old 2011-01-07, 02:55   Link #3
ClannadDango
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Taufiq91 View Post
According to fansubbers, "moe" means "turn on elements".
I am still clueless???
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Old 2011-01-07, 03:00   Link #4
Aesthetic Shampoo
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Basically cuteness, but that's barely scratching the surface.
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Old 2011-01-07, 03:21   Link #5
InitialGT
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moe is girl going through puberty
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Old 2011-01-07, 03:33   Link #6
Blaat
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ClannadDango View Post
Call me ignorant but I have not idea what the definition of moe is.
Nah you're not ignorant. The word moe has been abused by, especially, western fans that it doesn't have a standard definition any more every person here will tell you something different. So I can't blame you for not knowing what the definition of moe is.
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Old 2011-01-07, 03:39   Link #7
Tempester
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Moe is a specific form of charm that a character exhibits in their personality and physical traits which manifests strong feelings of protectiveness and sympathy in the viewer. In fact, I believe the closest equivalent word in English to "moe" would actually be "charm". Moe is not restricted to females, nor to childlike characters.
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Old 2011-01-07, 04:10   Link #8
0utf0xZer0
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Tempster's definition of "charm" is a great starting point, but I'm going to be a bit more detailed.

The way I understand it, moe is slang that plays on the Japanese words for burning and blossoming.

So basically, a burning passion for a blossoming (youthful) girl. It's something you feel, ie. "I am moe for Kotomi Ichinose."

I consider a character moe if they evoke one or more of the following feelings:
1) "Brain melt" (ie. so cute, can't think...)
2) Warmth/"warm and fuzzy"
3) Charm or playful excitement

The characters that cause feelings 2) and 3) are often quite different for me: Nadeko (Bakemonogatari) and Kotomi (Clannad) are warm characters, Hitagi (Bakemonogatari) and Matsuri (Sola) are charming/exciting ones.

A moe character may or may not be sexually attractive. Age can vary as long as they exhibit youthful traits (I can name immortal characters and MILFs who are moe). Male characters can be moe although male moe characters tend to come across as fairly feminine for a guy (at least to me).

Also, note that when a character one is moe for is threatened, it usually draws a very strong emotional response. Many shows take advantage of this.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Taufiq91 View Post
According to fansubbers, "moe" means "turn on elements".
To be specific, this definition originates from AFK's fansubs of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya from back in 2006. AFK is a good sub group, but they tend to place a lot of emphasis on natural sounding English and "localizing" humour rather than accuracy, so they're not a good source for exact definitions.
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Old 2011-01-07, 06:46   Link #9
Garigari-kun
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Common look for characters that an otaku might consider "Moe". Moe is a Japanese slang word originally referring to fetish for or love for characters in video games or anime and manga. For example, Meganekko-moe, "Glasses-girl moe", describes a person who is attracted to fictional characters with eyeglasses. Since then, the term has come to be used as a general term for a hobby, mania or fetish (non-sexual) — Tetsudou-moe, "train moe", is simply a passionate interest in trains. A moekko is a character who could be considered stereotypically attractive — youthful and cute.
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Old 2011-01-07, 07:36   Link #10
Salt
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/prepares popcorn

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Old 2011-01-07, 09:59   Link #11
Sackett
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I tend to think of "adorable" (said with that draw out tone, "isn't it adorable!") as the closest English equivalent to "moe". It's the sort of thing that makes you smile indulgently. Just as what people consider adorable varies, so too what is moe varies.


Moe can be sexually attractive or not. Little sisters tend to be a particularly common source of "moe" without the sexual attraction element. (Although lately it seems some shows are trying to use them that way. Ugh.)
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Old 2011-01-07, 11:09   Link #12
Tsuyukusa
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The implication is different nearly every time I hear it. The closest thing to a definition I can tack on is "cute" or "adorable."

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sackett View Post
(Although lately it seems some shows are trying to use them that way. Ugh.)
Amen.

Last edited by Tsuyukusa; 2011-01-07 at 11:20.
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Old 2011-01-07, 11:11   Link #13
Guardian Enzo
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One of the biggest debates is whether Moe is in fact gender-specific, but can apply to males as well - J-U-L-Y from Darker than Black II, for example. Or even traps, AKA Mako-chan.
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Old 2011-01-07, 12:09   Link #14
Vexx
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"Adorable" is the best 'one word' translation I've ever come up with, though reading 0utf0xZer0's post is the most informative in what the word means. Unfortunately, we seem to have a faction of non-Japanese anime fans that obstinately insist on spreading confusion - their reasons vary from well-intentioned misinformation on their part to intentional dislike for plot elements they associate with the term. Sometimes, its like hearing someone insist 'tsunami' means lunar tidal cycles over and over and over, month after month after ... it gets hard to stay civil in the face of fundamental error.

edit: on the remote chance a few readers are not quite clear on what "adorable" means: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adorable
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Old 2011-01-07, 12:32   Link #15
bayoab
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0 View Post
To be specific, this definition originates from AFK's fansubs of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya from back in 2006. AFK is a good sub group, but they tend to place a lot of emphasis on natural sounding English and "localizing" humour rather than accuracy, so they're not a good source for exact definitions.
That is pretty accurate to the 2006 usage. You can see it in this post from the otaku lingo thread here. The word has changed significantly in how it is applied in psuedo-english usage since then.

The english usage has been losing any concrete meaning and has become over-inclusive into things it doesn't actually apply to. Many people abuse it to describe a certain drawing style, usually one that draws their ire.
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Old 2011-01-07, 13:06   Link #16
Sackett
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vexx View Post
"Adorable" is the best 'one word' translation I've ever come up with
"Endearing" is also a pretty good synonym for "moe"
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Old 2011-01-07, 13:15   Link #17
totoum
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bayoab View Post
Many people abuse it to describe a certain drawing style, usually one that draws their ire.
This.

It fustrates me a lot since there's really a lot more to moe than just artwork.
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Old 2011-01-07, 18:10   Link #18
Maccette
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From My understanding, please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Moe creates the feeling of wanting to protect the moe character, almost like a motherly love for her child.
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Old 2011-01-07, 18:21   Link #19
Vexx
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maccette View Post
From My understanding, please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Moe creates the feeling of wanting to protect the moe character, almost like a motherly love for her child.
You're correct in that it is a feeling that the viewer projects rather than an attribute of the object itself. "Protective feelings" can get fairly complicated though - sometimes it is a bit more selfish than "motherly love" and can tread into the "my waifu" zone and other places. But basically, if your response is "heart stops", "squeee!!!", "omg-must-protect", you're brushing up against the "moe-zone".
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Old 2011-01-07, 20:04   Link #20
Reckoner
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bayoab View Post
Many people abuse it to describe a certain drawing style, usually one that draws their ire.
Sure, drawing style =/= moe. But anything with the art design of something like a KEY work, it is almost always guaranteed to be an anime filled with moe.
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