Reason for Warning: Though this page doesn't go into detail about it, brief mentions of sexual elements are brought up.
Weeaboo (not to be confused with Otaku) is a term associated with western (or otherwise outside of Japan) fans of anime, and the subculture surrounding them. This word has taken on many different meanings and connotations throughout the years, making the meaning of it in specific instances highly contextual; however, it is all centered around a western love of anime and/or Japanese culture, with the variant being how this love is viewed/expressed.
Being a weeaboo can be expressed as a subculture. Other than media consumption, weeaboos may also attend anime conventions, follow social media artists, and learn about Japanese daily living. While it began as a niche community with "loser" connotations, the growing accessibility of anime in the west has made this community more well-known and popular, with some interpretations being "cooler".
The different connotations of Weeaboo can be seen represented in the current split of the term between Weeaboo and Weeb. However, the word has a negative connotation, with the implication that the weeaboo is not knowledgeable of real Japan and is more so infatuated with the rose-tinted-glasses version presented through popular culture.
History[]
Etymology[]
The current term Weeaboo is only just the modern iteration of a term for western lovers of Japanese culture/media. The first recognizable instance of such a term came from the 18th century, and was called Japanophile.[1] It should be noted though that this sort of term was not exclusive for Japan, as there are many similar terms such as Anglophile, Germanophile, and Ailurophile. These terms are used for a person with a love and appreciation for a specific culture, though the context and connotation varies term to term.
The first instance of a term resembling the modern iteration came around 2000 from the site 4chan, where the term Wapanese caught traction as a derogatory term for those obsessed with Japan on the site.[2]
Around 2005, the moderators of 4chan created a word-filter that actively replaced each instance of Wapanese with Weeaboo.[3] Weeaboo, first seen in a comic by Nicholas Gurewitch, was meant to be a meaningless word. However, the filter was ineffective as 4chan users began using this word as a replacement for Wapanese and the meaning simply transferred over.[2]
Since then, the term has been shortened to Weeb, though it would be wrong to say definitively that the two versions of the term share the same meaning.
Culture[]
The culture revolves around mostly anime, manga, and Japanese fashion. As stated before, it is stereotypically an obsession with Japanese culture portrayed through the lens of a westerner whose only real view of Japan is through anime and other similar mediums. The character of a Weeaboo is often used in mockery surrounding people who differ from the norm in off-putting and immature ways that show their overly romanticized view of Japan.
However, as anime became more popular with the mainstream, being a "Weeaboo" may be used as light-hearted self-deprecation or a term of community in fandom to signify their knowledge of their interest and their social circle being composed of fellow Weeaboos. So, the behaviors listed below may or may not be done by an individual, and this does not impact whether or not they are a Weeaboo. A person who has a healthy interest in Japan might also call themselves a Weeaboo or may be accused of being one by others. Alternatively, a person may be ironic in their Weeabooism and adopt some of these mannerisms not because they genuinely are this way, but because they believe doing so is funny. This mostly applies to online personae.
Of course, the most important aspect of Weeaboo culture is consuming or learning about Japanese cultural things in one's free time, to a greater extent than just watching an anime casually (though a person may call themselves this ironically.) A person who chooses to stay at home and watch anime, as opposed to doing "normal" activities like sports and socializing, would be considered a Weeaboo.
Many Weeaboos learn the language after becoming interested in Japan, with varying levels of success, from becoming professional translators to giving up after a brief moment. In addition to this, the adoption of select Japanese words in English conversation, such as "kawaii", "sugoi", and "desu" are incredibly popular, both online and in real life.
Weeaboos often have a connection to the Scene, Emo, and other miscellaneous Alternative aesthetics from the 2000s. In the 2020s, Weeaboos may also cross over with 2020s Gamer. Because of this, "OwO" and "Rawr" are also often used in conversation, and Anime Music Videos may heavily feature music from these subcultures.
There are many aspects of Weeaboo culture that people on the internet find "cringe." The biggest one is roleplay, where people try to act like anime characters, either in playing make-believe or because they genuinely believe that exaggerated anime expressions is a cool/cute thing to do. Talking in either a higher or lower voice, as if mimicking anime voice acting is a large part of this. Anime characters tend to act according to stereotypical archetypes, like tsunderes, yanderes, or as badass action heroes. So, Weeaboos are easily identified as trying to be like an archetype when they say things such as "It's not like I like you or anything!" (tsundere), make the "ke" sound (badass hero), or act in an overly cutesy way. The "Naruto run" is also extremely popular, where people run crouched down with their arms towards the back. This is because in the anime, this way of running belongs to the ninjas[4], with running in this way signifying to people in real life that one knows "the ninja way."
Part of why Weeaboos have "strange" behavior is the fact that autistic individuals would be attracted to the community. Similar to the other variations of Nerd, people with autism have special interests where they become fixated on a certain subject.
However, this can often be at the expense of other aspects of their life. Even in the Weeaboo community, Weeaboos criticize each other for a lack of wearing deodorant and bathing[5].
Anime and pop culture are also used by people (autistic or non-autistic) as a form of escapism, which is why those who are often bullied or neurodivergent gravitate towards this community. As discussed in the Criticism, people might imagine Japan as an escape from the pressures and expectations of Western society.
Weeaboos who are more fascinated by the historical and philosophical aspects of Japan might take interest in the bushido code of historical samurai and/or the philosophies present in Shintoism and Zen Buddhism. However, what makes one a "Weeaboo" as opposed to one with a more meaningful interest is a Weeaboo's adoption of the aesthetics (often poorly) into their life while misinterpreting and over-romanticizing actual Japanese culture. So for example, a Weeaboo might wear a top-knot and bow to their boss or professor, which is misplaced in their western context.
As another form of escapism or harmless fun, Weeaboos may find their waifu or husbando, which is an anime character the person finds especially appealing and takes special interest in learning more about them, reading/looking at fanworks, buying special merchandise, and having a sexual or romantic interest in them.
That is an example of Weeaboos' larger acceptance/enjoyment of sexuality in media. Many anime scenes and memes from the community openly display people's sexual attraction for characters, physical traits, or certain personality archetypes in a more overt way than most subcultures and mainstream society.
Visuals[]
This page is under construction
One of the most common motifs in anime is the use of anime girls, who are visually attractive characters from anime or drawn for arts' sake that could be either Moe, meaning cute and inspiring protection, or Ecchi, which is a sexually explicit depiction. There are certain tropes associated with these two types. With Moe, their eyes are typically enlarged and they appear explicitly childlike. Maid, Lolita, and generally childlike or Kawaii fashion is more popular with Moe. Meanwhile, Ecchi characters are half-nude, with skimpier maid uniforms, bikinis, etc. In anime, extremely large breasts are popular and are a common association with Weeb culture.
Specific female characters also became incredibly popular and are used as memes. Examples include the VOCALOID Hatsune Miku, Chika Fujiwara from Kaguya-Sama Love is War, Rei and Asuka from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rem from RE:Zero, and more. Anime girls who inspire large amounts of dedication are called waifus.
The above is typically a heterosexual male aspect of the hobby. With some female anime fans, being a fujoshi is a similarly odd and sexual component. This word describes women who are attracted to homosexual male relationships in anime and manga, with their interest being fetishistic. Like the above, certain characters are the male counterpart to waifus, called husbandos. Being slim, having a mysterious or "cool" aura, and working as butlers or class presidents are some common tropes. However, they are not as meme-ified as the female characters.
Waifus, husbandos, and anime characters in general are incorporated into real-life visual culture through being put on stickers, posters, anime figurines, plushies, body pillows, tee shirts, and even on cars. These products are sold by the company that produced the anime and fan artists. Dedicated stores exist, but many people buy these things at anime conventions.
Anime conventions themselves have an expected layout and series of events that can be highly visual.
Additionally, incredibly large manga collections are a status symbol. Weeaboo rooms are often the visual indicating obsession with the large collection of objects.
Because of the fascination with Japan, it is also common for weeaboos to own things that are not necessarily anime-related, but also Japan-related. This often crosses over with Mall Ninja, as certain weeaboos have an idealized image of Japanese weaponry and would own katanas, shuriken, etc. Other examples of visuals a non-anime Weeaboo would fixate on include samurai, Yakuza, Yokai and Japanese mythology, etc.
Another aspect of Weeaboo fascination with Japan is the Kawaii culture and alternative fashions available there. For more information, see the fashion portion below and the links to the pages.
Weeaboos may also express their admiration for Japan through food. Ramen, bento boxes (especially modeled after anime), and sushi are some stereotypical foods that are often meme-ified and made to be plushies and fetishized. A common stereotype of weeaboos is that they would express snobbery about Japanese food practices, but not being realistic of the fact that they are eating it in a Western country. Japanese junk food and snacks, such as Pocky, Calbee chips, Ramune soda, and instant ramen are also popular, with many subscription services existing to cater to this.
- Anime photo/video edits
- Aesthetic edits of an anime character
- Anime AMVs
- Anime character edits with hearts
- Fan art/ship art
- An e-girl/boy-esque style, with more of an anime/'kawaii' twist
- More pastel
- Anime references on clothes
- Anime-inspired make-up
- Japanese writing
- Stuffed animals/toys
- Heart edits on pictures
- Emoticons such as ":3" and "owo"
- Anime phone screens
- Manga collections
- Anime character phone cases
- Pigtails
- Decorated backpacks and folders
- Boba tea
Fashion[]
Weeaboos' fashion changes with the individual, but multiple commonalities exist. For example, one stereotype is that Weeaboos dress poorly, which indicates their ignorance or lack of care for "normal society." Many other Weeaboos are determined to project a certain image and dress in the same manner anime characters or Japanese culture appeal to them. Weeaboos of course mix and match certain elements with each other; for example, someone may pair a casual tee shirt and old hoodie with a school uniform skirt and knee socks. Some of these fashion aesthetics are also only worn in certain situations, such as in conventions or for going out with friends. So, this page is divided into sections depending on these different facets, as opposed to the typical page where this section is divided into types of garments.
Fandom Fashion[]
Many Weeaboos own a graphic tee shirt or hoodie with an anime illustration. This can be for representing their love for a certain series or character and is often used as a way to signal to other people that they can connect on the anime.
However, these graphic tees can often be used to show hentai or ecchi (sexual imagery), which is why many people are put-off by Weeaboos. One meme garment that became extremely popular is the "ahegao" hoodie. (Ahegao being the exaggerated face after orgasming, including having one's tongue out and eyes crossed.)
Certain anime also release collaborations with fashion brands, with fans of both fashion and anime heavily anticipating these collaborations- many releases sell out within minutes and get resold at a higher price point. These clothes use the original fashion brand's aesthetic but involve subtler motifs that reference the anime, such as certain colors, stylized illustration, and tasteful logos.
Fan-created merchandise is another way people show their love for a property without having to what is released officially. Many fan-artists release tees, enamel pins, can badges, keychains, and embroidery patches in a unique aesthetic.
Going off from above, female Weeaboos use ita bags to display these. These are purses with a layer of clear vinyl, which allows people to show off their pins and other merch of their favorite character. There are two schools of ita bag, one being repeating, and one being Western. The repeating ita bag involves finding multiple copies of rare and limited releases of pins which get released at exclusive events, which demonstrates a fan's obsession with that certain character and design. The Western ita bag relies more on finding a variety of merchandise, official and fan-made, to create a more eclectic feel.[6]
Unconcerned with Fashion[]
How to - Dress Like a Weeaboo
A comedic video describing how male Weeaboos dress in an unflattering way. The YouTuber himself is also a Weeaboo and bases this on personal experience
Weeaboos who are unconcerned with fashion often wear an anime tee shirt, as it is comfortable and fairly easy to buy. For comfort, they often also wear plain hoodies and sweatshirts. As previously discussed, a stereotype associated with Weeaboos is their lack of bathing, so their clothes may also be worn down, unwashed, or stained.
The rest of the outfit is either fairly plain or in the case of the poor dresser stereotype, unflattering. For example, the bottoms would often be jeans or "tactical" pants that have many pockets (cargo shorts) or pants that can transition into shorts. As part of the unflattering aspect, these pants can be of a fit and quality that is not ideal.
Continuing with the practical aspects, shoes would be something either plain or deemed "ugly", such as plain black sneakers or neon tennis shoes. Weeaboos also often carry large messenger bags or backpacks in order to hold their laptops, headphones, and manga.
This section can be worn by men or women. When a woman/girl wears it, it often demonstrates that she is a Tomboy and is either unaware or rejects social norms surrounding femininity.
Mimicking Anime Characters[]
Many anime characters fall into tropes, with these specific tropes having an associated look with them.
Japanese school uniforms in major cities. Credit to @tmato30kcal on Twitter
Because many anime take place in a high school setting (due to that being the most common age demographic of anime-watchers in Japan,) school uniforms are commonly worn by Weeaboos despite the fact they would not need to wear it. There are many types, as these largely depend on age demographic, the anime's tone, and modern trends.
Seifuku (sailor uniforms) are one such type, with it being based on middle school and older schools in general[7]. This type is also incredibly iconic because of it being worn in Sailor Moon, one of the most popular anime. Summer-themed Japanese fashion illustration for idol costumes also feature sailor collars. The male counterpart to this is the Gakuran, a high-necked dark jacket paired with matching slacks.
However, both of these uniform types fell in favor of classic school uniforms, which feature a blazer, button-up shirt, pleated skirt or slacks, V-necked sweaters, loafer shoes, and ties or bows.
As a note, these school uniforms can also be worn in a sexual/sexy context, resulting in extremely short skirts and an emphasis on socks.
Zettai Ryouiki "rankings" with thigh-high being the best, according to fans. Credit to TVTropes.com
The use of socks in anime designs is incredibly common in general, with the different lengths determining "zettai ryouiki." This Japanese term describes the amount of skin showing between the socks. So, Weeaboos often wear thigh-high socks despite the fact that this is fairly rare in Western mainstream fashion.
Maid costumes, with the third from the top left being the most popular
Maid dresses are another sexy anime trope. Based on the French maid stereotype, these are black dresses worn with white aprons and frilled headbands. There are many varieties of maid tropes in anime; typically falling into three categories: Victorian, sexualized, and Moe. The first describes characters in historical anime (which isn't worn unless in a cosplay context.) The sexualized maid has a mini skirt, a lower cut top to expose cleavage, and zettai ryouiki. With Moe maids, the dress is knee-length and has kawaii details like bows, almost making it resemble Lolita fashion.
The costume most worn by Weeaboos are the sexualized ones, especially when done in a silly or ironic context when men cross-dress. Women also often wear this when making thirst traps on TikTok or OnlyFans.
- Layered tulle skirts
- Loose leg warmers
- Platform shoes
- Bangs
- Half-dyed hair
- Plush animal ears
- Colorful hairpins
- Scrunchies with kawaii motifs
- Kandi featuring anime themes
- Circle lens
- Big eye makeup
- Anime-style blush
- Lots of accessories
- Cat ear headphones, headbands, and clip-ons
- Fake cat whiskers
- Body blush
- Long socks, often striped or loose
- Nanchatte Seifuku
- Cosplay pieces, usually worn with everyday outfits
- Anime pins
- Eye patches
- Fake scars
- Unnecessary bandages/Band-Aids
- Wigs
- Glasses
- Makeup
Japanese Alternative Fashions[]
Being interested in Japanese street fashion may make someone a Weeaboo in that they become interested in Japanese youth/popular culture as a whole, or someone may become interested in Japanese fashion after discovering it through anime.
As a note, these communities often involve purchasing from Japanese brands, who designed their clothing with the intent to have it be the same quality as normal clothing. However, in the case of people without access to Japanese brands, they may buy clothing from cheaper websites, which has a lower quality standard. So, a Weeaboo who is less interested in Japanese street fashion culture and is more focused on a cheaper product to resemble an illustration would often be gatekept from Japanese street fashion communities.
Some popular Japanese street fashions worn by Weeaboos include:
Criticism[]
One of the main criticisms of Weeaboo culture is their fetishization of Japan. Rather than acknowledging that Japan is a multifaceted nation with its own complex socio-political issues, many Weeaboos imagine Japan as a paradise wherein their idiosyncracies would be accepted, Japanese people act like anime characters, and that they would find romantic partners. This can have a racial and sexist component, as there is a belief that Japanese women would fawn over white men once they enter the country.
This also extends to acting unusually around East Asians (regardless of being Japanese or not). With the over-romanticization described in the Culture section, Weeaboos may be overly infatuated with real Asian people, both abroad and in their own culture, and treat their normal appearance and behaviors as something to fawn over and fetishize. So for example, a Weeaboo who is not Asian may meet an Asian-American and try to speak Japanese with them, characterize their normal behaviors through the lens of an anime character, overly try to invite themselves into Asian culture, etc., while the person may not even be Japanese.
Many Weeaboos are also pedophiles. It is not uncommon for particularly extreme individuals to enjoy "lolicon," which is a genre of ecchi and hentai (sexually suggestive and pornographic content, respectively) where the subjects are children or ageless/immortal girls that have the body of children.
Anime and Weeaboo culture often has been criticized through a feminist lens. Particularly, fan service is taken as a given in all anime, with particular tropes in anime being based on finding humor and enjoyment in sexual assault, sexualizing teenagers, having a submissive romantic partner, etc. For example, accidental groping, upskirting, and flat-chested women wishing they had a larger cup size are common tropes, and they often involve teenagers. Many essays have also discussed how in comparison to male characters, female characters are often not fully realized and only serve as romantic and sexual subjects.
Women are not exempt from the bad aspects of this culture either. Fujoshis who fetishize homosexual/homoromantic male relationships have often brought their fangirl behavior into the real world and made male-attracted men uncomfortable through sexualizing them, prying into their personal lives, etc.
Fujoshi culture also brought about the now-banned practice of the Yaoi paddle. This is a wooden paddle with the word "Yaoi" (gay sexual relationships) on it that is used to hit men that the paddler finds attractive. Often, this is without consent.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanophilia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://skdesu.com/en/what-does-weeaboo-dont-be-a-weeaboo/
- ↑ https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/weeaboo
- ↑ https://medium.com/@jasonmuell/what-is-the-origin-of-the-naruto-run-4a3eb2f706c8
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/Animemes/comments/16wyk2e/hardcore_otaku/?rdt=43618
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzzFnnkSclA
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_uniforms_in_Japan#Sailor_fuku
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