A simple glossary of anime terms

Anime : is basically Japanese for the word "animation"

Bishoujo : The Japanese equal of "pretty girl". Bishoujo are female characters that are usually quite cute.

Bishounen : The Japanese equal of "pretty boy". Bishonen are male characters with soft or sometimes very feminine features.

Ecchi : An anime that has high levels of suggested sexual implications and fan service.

Fan Service : In general, fan service refers to scenes designed to excite or titillate the viewer. This can include scantily-clad outfits, cleavage shots, panty shots, nude scenes), etc.

Doujinshi : Manga created by fans or amateur artists.

Fansub : Fansubs are anime that are translated and subtitled by fans of the anime. This is usually done for anime that have not been commercially licensed outside of Japan, and is a way for fans to view anime that they normally wouldn't get a chance to see. While fansubs are technically illegal, they are usually tolerated by companies as long as the titles have not been commercially licensed and are distributed on a non-profit basis.

Hentai : Hentai is usually associated with erotic or sexually-explicit anime created for adults.

Kawaii : Japanese for "cute".

Manga : The Japanese term for comic books, Manga are designed for all ages ranges.

Mecha : Typically means giant robots, but can also refer to any mechanical or robotic devices used in anime.

OAV : OAV stands for "Original Animated Video". Another term also used is OVA, which means "Original Video Animation".

Otaku : In Japan, otaku is a fairly derogatory term used to describe an obsessed fan of something (not necessarily anime) although it is becoming more common. In North America, however, the term is often a badge of honour for hard-core anime fans. Sometimes also used to refer to anime fans in general.

Seiyuu : The Japanese term for "voice actor". Typically used by Western fans when referring to Japanese voice actors.

Shoujo : Japanese for "girl". Anime referred to as being "shoujo" are targeted at females.