Moe (slang)

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Moe (Japanese: 萌え; pronounced [mo.e] ), often romanized as moé, is a Japanese word that refers to feelings of strong affection, mainly towards characters in manga, anime, video games, and other media directed at the otaku market. Moe has also gained usage for feelings of affection towards any subject. Moe is related to neoteny and the feeling of "cuteness" a character can evoke. The word moe originated in the late 1980s and early 1990s in Japan and is of uncertain origin, although there are several theories on how it came into use. In 2004, the term was nominated for the U-Can New Words and Buzzwords Awards, and in 2005, the phrase "Moe~" (萌え〜) won a spot in the top ten, represented by the Akihabara-based maid idol group Kanzen Maid Sengetsu (完全メイド宣言). In 2018, the term was officially added to the seventh edition of the prestigious Japanese dictionary Kōjien, marking its deep integration and recognition within standard Japanese society. Moe characters have expanded through Japanese media...

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