What IS Moe?

[Song_of_Storms]

[SIZE="1"]I had a very solid conception of what Moe is. That was before Otaku USA decided to run a lengthy article about such, in order to explain "Japan's most controversial export". In their attempt to explain via small articles by authors with dramatically differing views, it shattered whatever idea I had.
I assumed Moe was just "cuteness" in anime. You know, those girls with the BIG eyes, the soft voices and the way they eagerly surcome to the every whim of the hapless male star? Well, at least from my view, the authors seemed to think of Moe as such things like hentai and Lolicon.

They also went as far as to list anime tittles they believed to be Moe. Air and Clannded easily fit, even by my opinion, but The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya?! I can only think of one character in the whole series who could fall into that category. (and I forget her name... It wasn't a series I actually enjoyed)

But anyway, the main point I'm getting at is what are your views on Moe? What is your description on it and such? Come on! Assist a confuzzled girl![/SIZE]

[Nate]

[Song_of_Storms]

[SIZE="1"]Thank you Nate. Now I will assume Moe is ugly people with beer. I hope you're happy.[/SIZE]

[Nate]

Oh I'm happy. I'm very happy. Tra la la la la.

[Roy Mustang]

That is the real Moe!


[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Moe is a bunch of superficial anime girls and it's dumb.

[Roy Mustang]

I have always thought of moe as the slang term of fetish or love for characters in video games or anime.

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[Nate]

Okay, to be actually useful instead of being snarky.

Moe simply means attraction to an anime/video game character. That's what it means, but it's grown to get other meanings too, characters who are purposely drawn "cutely" or written to be perky or innocent so that a person will feel attracted to them.

How does it cross with loli? Well it doesn't really, though some moe characters happen to be loli. Also moe isn't necessarily sexual, unlike loli, which is pretty much always sexual.

And uh...that's about it.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Nate must be an expert in this field. XD

[Stephen]

Nate must be an expert in this field. XD

Finding the path to inner Zen through making fun of Nate? Buddha cries Ryan.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Hey! He's the one that gave the response! XD

[minakichan]

Moe is kind of the "burning" feeling of attraction people get when they see a moe-inducing situation or character. Often it's linked to a specific kind of moe fetish, things like

tsundere - a character who normally acts harsh but has a soft tender side
yandere - a character who normally acts tender but has a harsh side
meganekko - a character who wears glasses
nekomimi - cat ears
meido - maid outfit
sukumizu - school swimsuits
seifuku - uniform

There are other kinds of things like clumsiness and certain articles of clothing (or underclothing).

The reason it gets associated with lolicon is because a lot of these fetishes have to do with cute young girls, but the idea that this is ALL they are about is wrong. Girls can feel moe about guys, and even older guys, over things that might not be "adorable" (i.e. glasses). The concept of moe is considered superficial because it focuses on some attribute rather than, you know, personality or whatever (tsundere is a personality!!) but I dunno, I think it's awesome. Maids and glasses for the win.

Also, Otaku USA isn't really a brilliantly-written magazine, so... (And I'm pretty sure eroge and hentai are more "controversial" than moe...)

[Shao Feng-Li]

Hmm, seems to go with cliche.

[EricTheFred]

"Moe", in most of the literature discussing Anime, has a very clear definition to my mind. Basically, it can mean two things:

1) The original definition is Minakichan's. For example, 'Tsundere-moe' are stories centered around cool, aloof, innerly-good but outwardly tough females.

2) The definition that Haruhi Suzumiya uses to refer to Mikuru is the common way it is used now when used by itself. A very standard (and sometimes self-satiring) trope in Anime is a girl (or guy) who attracts by inspiring a need for protection. She almost always has tons of other attractive attributes, but is clumsy, vulnerable, and inwardly insecure (although she usually exhibits some extraordinary emotional strength at the same time).

Good examples of this definition that are neither loli nor H:
Mikuru in Melancholy of Haruka Suzumiya
Tessa in Full Metal Panic
Haruka Nogizaka in Himitsu no Nogizaka Haruka
Touka Kishi in Yozakura Quartet

And hundreds of others, I'm sure.

[Song_of_Storms]

[SIZE="1"]Ahh. Okay, I think I grasp it better now. ^w^/ Thank you~ [/SIZE]

[Tsukuyomi]

Moe=Cute in all aspects.. >_>;

[Midori]

Unfortunately, what I find cute is actually having a brain, so not many "moe" girls do it for me.

[ilikegir33]

Moe is kind of the "burning" feeling of attraction people get when they see a moe-inducing situation or character. Often it's linked to a specific kind of moe fetish, things like

tsundere - a character who normally acts harsh but has a soft tender side
yandere - a character who normally acts tender but has a harsh side
meganekko - a character who wears glasses
nekomimi - cat ears
meido - maid outfit
sukumizu - school swimsuits
seifuku - uniform

There are other kinds of things like clumsiness and certain articles of clothing (or underclothing).

I've also noticed a few combinations of moe fetishes, such as:
Hazuki/Luna from Moonphase is yandere and nekomimi at the same time, and Haruhi Suzumiya is tsundere and seifuku. There are countless others.

Also, here's another interesting fact about moe: the anime Martian Successor Nadesico started moe fandom with the character Ruri (the cute one who's usually quiet but has a mean side; this caused the yandere phenomenon among otaku).

[Roy Mustang]

[quote="ilikegir33"]
Also, here's another interesting fact about moe: the anime Martian Successor Nadesico started moe fandom with the character Ruri (the cute one who's usually quiet but has a mean side]

That is kind of debatable as to where it started. Most say that the term's origin and history of the word is to be unknown.

But one of the biggest theories that many anime history and columnist believe, started after people stemmed names from anime heroines, mostly from Hotaru Tomoe from Sailor Moon or Moe Sagisawa from the anime Kyoryu Wakusei.

So there is no really cut and clear answer on where it started or what anime started it.

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[ShiroiHikari]

The whole tsundere/yandere thing kinda makes me want to throw up.

[minakichan]

The whole tsundere/yandere thing kinda makes me want to throw up.

You are saying that the thought of my ideal woman sickens you.

*sadface*

[Tsukuyomi]

You are saying that the thought of my ideal woman sickens you.

*sadface*

*Tapes the sides of your lips up* There.. No more sade face ^__^
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@Midori: There is that one girl with the glasses from "Lucky Star" she's smart, cute, and clumbsy, \o.o/

[Midori]

@Midori: There is that one girl with the glasses from "Lucky Star" she's smart, cute, and clumbsy, \o.o/

You mean Miyuki? She didn't seem that smart to me, but maybe I was missing something. Who I like is the aforementioned Ruri from Nadesico, as well as Yuki Nagato from Haruhi Suzumiya. In fact my whole family loves Yuki.

[TriezGamer]

EricTheFred I think summed it up best. The wikipedia article on moe was once useful ... now it looks extremely sloppy. Oh well.

[Akira Takahashi]

That is the real Moe!


[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

Ah, you posted it before I did!