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Wapanese
Wapanese is the term used to describe a person of non-japanese descent (usually white, however some others are lumped in there as well) who is incredibly obsessed with Japanese things.
A person who watches anime or majors in Japanese language at university is not counted as wapanese.
These are common behaviours displayed by wapanese:
1. Being obsessed with anime. The typical anime watcher enjoys the shows because they are fun to watch and interesting (not all are for children, that is a myth). However, wapanese will take it to an unhealthy level.
2. Their rooms will be filled with japanese things. Anything from anime stuff to japanese things such as Tatami. A true wapanese will have next to nothing non-japanese in their room.
3. Many wapanese will believe that Japan is the best country ever and that if they go there they will be adored. However, most wapanese don't understand that Japan is a very racist society and they don't like white people very much.
4. They will constantly post things on the internet containing a few of the japanese words they know. These words are usually: kawaii and baka. These words will be used in an english sentence such as: "You are so baka"
5. Many wapanese will develope an unhealthy obsession with asian girls/guys. Many of them will refuse to be with someone who isn't japanese.
6. wapanese tend to spend all of their time watching anime, reading manga and listening to japanese music. A lot of them are unemployed and live at home with their parents (some are students, some are over 30). The ones who do have jobs, have very poor jobs, such as working at a supermarket.
7. Wapanese listen to tons of japanese music but will refuse to listen to anything non-japanese. They also tend to say that non-japanese music is crap while the japanese music is godly. However, most wapanese tend to listen to Japanese Pop which can be very, very similar to non-Japanese pop.
8. Many wapanese do cosplay. However, many normal anime watchers cosplay as well. However, wapanese tend to overdo it and act very elitist at conventions.
9. Most wapanese know very little about Japan. They don't look past the anime and whatnot. Most wapanese don't know anything about Japan's history. However many wapanese will pretend to know what they are talking about, however they tend to be incorrect.
10. Wapanese also tend to butcher the language (besides using them in english sentences). A good example is the meaning of otaku. The wapanese will use it to describe themselves, however most don't realize that otaku in Japan means you are very mentally unstable. Otaku in Japan are looked down upon and ridiculed.
A person who watches anime or majors in Japanese language at university is not counted as wapanese.
These are common behaviours displayed by wapanese:
1. Being obsessed with anime. The typical anime watcher enjoys the shows because they are fun to watch and interesting (not all are for children, that is a myth). However, wapanese will take it to an unhealthy level.
2. Their rooms will be filled with japanese things. Anything from anime stuff to japanese things such as Tatami. A true wapanese will have next to nothing non-japanese in their room.
3. Many wapanese will believe that Japan is the best country ever and that if they go there they will be adored. However, most wapanese don't understand that Japan is a very racist society and they don't like white people very much.
4. They will constantly post things on the internet containing a few of the japanese words they know. These words are usually: kawaii and baka. These words will be used in an english sentence such as: "You are so baka"
5. Many wapanese will develope an unhealthy obsession with asian girls/guys. Many of them will refuse to be with someone who isn't japanese.
6. wapanese tend to spend all of their time watching anime, reading manga and listening to japanese music. A lot of them are unemployed and live at home with their parents (some are students, some are over 30). The ones who do have jobs, have very poor jobs, such as working at a supermarket.
7. Wapanese listen to tons of japanese music but will refuse to listen to anything non-japanese. They also tend to say that non-japanese music is crap while the japanese music is godly. However, most wapanese tend to listen to Japanese Pop which can be very, very similar to non-Japanese pop.
8. Many wapanese do cosplay. However, many normal anime watchers cosplay as well. However, wapanese tend to overdo it and act very elitist at conventions.
9. Most wapanese know very little about Japan. They don't look past the anime and whatnot. Most wapanese don't know anything about Japan's history. However many wapanese will pretend to know what they are talking about, however they tend to be incorrect.
10. Wapanese also tend to butcher the language (besides using them in english sentences). A good example is the meaning of otaku. The wapanese will use it to describe themselves, however most don't realize that otaku in Japan means you are very mentally unstable. Otaku in Japan are looked down upon and ridiculed.
They believe that everything in Japan is good and everything anywhere else is bad. They don't see the truths before their eyes and refuse to see them.
Those who cosplay, dress in japanese fashion, watch anime, etc. aren't considered wapanese until the unhealthy obsession is present.
Those who cosplay, dress in japanese fashion, watch anime, etc. aren't considered wapanese until the unhealthy obsession is present.
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wapanese
Contrary to popular belief, watching anime or reading manga does not make a wapanese. A wapanese s a person who takes it to that level where people look at them and feel a rising urge to punch them.
What they are: Mostly caucasians, that believe by watching untranslated japanese cartoons (anime), eating nothing but asian junk food they can buy online (Pocky, assorted ramen and mountains of sweets) and in short, grabbing anything with the slightest trace of Japan, and in turn shunning all western items, believing them to be inferior. A wapanese is a wannabe Japanese person. Often they know little to nothing about Japan (only what they've read), but hold a belief that it is the best country in the world, and harbour deep ambitions about living there, despite being unemployed and living with their parents.
What they think: That if indeed they did imigrate to Japan, they would be adored and revered and have women fawning over them. Unlikely, as they are generally vastly annoying (And annoyingly vast). Aso they believe that merely by watching Naruto, they can become Ninja.
Habitat: You will generally meet a lot of cool people at anime conventions, who's lives are not ruled by the going on of Tokyo Mew mew etc. but you can always spot the wapanese being a loud, disagreeable asshole, telling british artists that their drawings are not "TRUE MANGA", because they are not japanese. Also noticeable by the dreadful cardboard cosplay, that is drooping and randomly patched with tinfoil.
What they could wear: Horrible tight T-shirts with japanese symbols that they don't understand (it could say 'KICK ME' for all they know.), or worse : Hello Kitty, who is in fact a british creation! Or the afore-mentioned cosplay.
In closing, anime and manga are fine, as long as you don't just love the japanese element. I like all comics, and animation. I don't care where it came from! Wapanese give anime fans a bad name, so shame on them!
What they are: Mostly caucasians, that believe by watching untranslated japanese cartoons (anime), eating nothing but asian junk food they can buy online (Pocky, assorted ramen and mountains of sweets) and in short, grabbing anything with the slightest trace of Japan, and in turn shunning all western items, believing them to be inferior. A wapanese is a wannabe Japanese person. Often they know little to nothing about Japan (only what they've read), but hold a belief that it is the best country in the world, and harbour deep ambitions about living there, despite being unemployed and living with their parents.
What they think: That if indeed they did imigrate to Japan, they would be adored and revered and have women fawning over them. Unlikely, as they are generally vastly annoying (And annoyingly vast). Aso they believe that merely by watching Naruto, they can become Ninja.
Habitat: You will generally meet a lot of cool people at anime conventions, who's lives are not ruled by the going on of Tokyo Mew mew etc. but you can always spot the wapanese being a loud, disagreeable asshole, telling british artists that their drawings are not "TRUE MANGA", because they are not japanese. Also noticeable by the dreadful cardboard cosplay, that is drooping and randomly patched with tinfoil.
What they could wear: Horrible tight T-shirts with japanese symbols that they don't understand (it could say 'KICK ME' for all they know.), or worse : Hello Kitty, who is in fact a british creation! Or the afore-mentioned cosplay.
In closing, anime and manga are fine, as long as you don't just love the japanese element. I like all comics, and animation. I don't care where it came from! Wapanese give anime fans a bad name, so shame on them!
Wapanese: Deep down in my heart, I just know I was meant to be born Japanese.
NormalDude: What gives you that idea.
Wapanese: They are just the greatest people ever. I have such a deep connection.
NormalDude: No you haven't.
Wapanese: I entirely do! Check out my Hello Kitty tattoo! Kawaii, huh?
NormalDude: Hello Kitty's english, man.
*Wapanese screams and heads for nearest lasering facility*
NormalDude: What gives you that idea.
Wapanese: They are just the greatest people ever. I have such a deep connection.
NormalDude: No you haven't.
Wapanese: I entirely do! Check out my Hello Kitty tattoo! Kawaii, huh?
NormalDude: Hello Kitty's english, man.
*Wapanese screams and heads for nearest lasering facility*
Wapanese
There is a difference between watching wordanime/word and being Wapanese.
An anime watcher does just that, he watches anime.
The Wapanese watch anime and will think they were born and raised in wordJapan/word.
An anime watcher may use a quote now an then from an anime he likes.
The Wapanese will try to learn Japanese, but not the correct way, from watching anime. They'll only learn a few words and use them with English, using what is called wordJapanglish/word.
An anime watcher will watch what he can on television or maybe buy a video or DVD.
The Wapanese will buy untranslated anime and translate them horribly. They will proceed to gripe and complain that their hacked up garbage is better than anything ever made.
An anime watcher will do nothing else.
Due to a wordchemical imbalance/word in their heads, the Wapanese will denounce their country, stalk wordAsian/word wordgirls/word, eat nothing but Asian food, grow disgustingly huge and/or pale, live in their parents house until they are 30 or older, and generally be annoyances for the rest of their lives or until they snap out of it, which usually happens around 9th or 10th grade.
An anime watcher does just that, he watches anime.
The Wapanese watch anime and will think they were born and raised in wordJapan/word.
An anime watcher may use a quote now an then from an anime he likes.
The Wapanese will try to learn Japanese, but not the correct way, from watching anime. They'll only learn a few words and use them with English, using what is called wordJapanglish/word.
An anime watcher will watch what he can on television or maybe buy a video or DVD.
The Wapanese will buy untranslated anime and translate them horribly. They will proceed to gripe and complain that their hacked up garbage is better than anything ever made.
An anime watcher will do nothing else.
Due to a wordchemical imbalance/word in their heads, the Wapanese will denounce their country, stalk wordAsian/word wordgirls/word, eat nothing but Asian food, grow disgustingly huge and/or pale, live in their parents house until they are 30 or older, and generally be annoyances for the rest of their lives or until they snap out of it, which usually happens around 9th or 10th grade.
Wapanese
A white person who thinks they are Japanese just because they watch anime, read manga and/or know a word or two of Japanese.
They fall in love with Japan because of anime, and fall in love with some crazy fashion because it's from Japan. Then they dress in what they think matches the "Pictures I Googled online, desu. (o^_^o)v Kawaii~!!"
They apply everything "Japan" into their everyday lives. Their rooms and decorated with anime posters and such. They go to an Asian mall and immerse themselves in other Asian, non-Japanese, practises.
And when they go online, they put a common Japanese name as their own and expect people to believe them. They know not to call themselves "-san", "-chan" or "-kun" but use it every opportunity. They hold a peace sign. It works on Asians. But for the Wapanese? No.
I'm SE Asian. I like Japanese dramas, think some of the actors are cute and I know I waste a lot of time watching them.
But I'm not approaching this in a Wapanese way. I don't quote, especially in a language I can't speak. I don't SERIOUSLY dream of marrying anyone/getting into a career in Japan. I know my parents want me to get a job as a doctor here, where I UNDERSTAND the language!
They fall in love with Japan because of anime, and fall in love with some crazy fashion because it's from Japan. Then they dress in what they think matches the "Pictures I Googled online, desu. (o^_^o)v Kawaii~!!"
They apply everything "Japan" into their everyday lives. Their rooms and decorated with anime posters and such. They go to an Asian mall and immerse themselves in other Asian, non-Japanese, practises.
And when they go online, they put a common Japanese name as their own and expect people to believe them. They know not to call themselves "-san", "-chan" or "-kun" but use it every opportunity. They hold a peace sign. It works on Asians. But for the Wapanese? No.
I'm SE Asian. I like Japanese dramas, think some of the actors are cute and I know I waste a lot of time watching them.
But I'm not approaching this in a Wapanese way. I don't quote, especially in a language I can't speak. I don't SERIOUSLY dream of marrying anyone/getting into a career in Japan. I know my parents want me to get a job as a doctor here, where I UNDERSTAND the language!
A wapanese : Hi! I'm MagicalPockyUsagi! Check out my youtube, ne~!!! i can understand japanese (o^3^o)
I'm sooo more kawaiii than you. Watashi wa kawaii desu desu desu! I'm gonna marry some animated character and have a million Caucasian-Nippojin children!!~~!!!! check out the Ameblog i wrote! (you know, i coulda picked tumblr in ENGLISH instead but ywahhh) bai-bai, dattebayo!, nandesuka?!!?!
I'm sooo more kawaiii than you. Watashi wa kawaii desu desu desu! I'm gonna marry some animated character and have a million Caucasian-Nippojin children!!~~!!!! check out the Ameblog i wrote! (you know, i coulda picked tumblr in ENGLISH instead but ywahhh) bai-bai, dattebayo!, nandesuka?!!?!
wapanese
Note that this does not apply to ALL anime fans, but definately a good portion of them.
An anime fan who does the following.
a) Calls themself an Otaku and thinks that makes them better than everyone else, not realizing that in Japan it is an insult. If they do it to make fun of themselves, it's fine.
b) Thinks they know everything about Japanese culture just from watching anime and reading manga, when in reality, they know jack shit about it.
c) Thinks they're superior because they've seen more anime than the stuff on Cartoon Network.
d) Thinks that if they go to Japan they'll be accepted do to their intense love of anime, even though in Japanese culture, people who adore anime that much are seen as losers. Not to mention, doesn't realize that Japanese society is not generally that fond of Americans.
e) Thinks that America is totally inferior to Japan, even if they have never been there.
f) Thinks they know a ton of Japanse from watching subbed anime, even if they can only name a few words.
An anime fan who does the following.
a) Calls themself an Otaku and thinks that makes them better than everyone else, not realizing that in Japan it is an insult. If they do it to make fun of themselves, it's fine.
b) Thinks they know everything about Japanese culture just from watching anime and reading manga, when in reality, they know jack shit about it.
c) Thinks they're superior because they've seen more anime than the stuff on Cartoon Network.
d) Thinks that if they go to Japan they'll be accepted do to their intense love of anime, even though in Japanese culture, people who adore anime that much are seen as losers. Not to mention, doesn't realize that Japanese society is not generally that fond of Americans.
e) Thinks that America is totally inferior to Japan, even if they have never been there.
f) Thinks they know a ton of Japanse from watching subbed anime, even if they can only name a few words.
wapanese
Hey! Let's get this evolving definition up to date, or a bit more accurate. Don't know how it began, but these days there are wapanese all over the place, not just among the white people of the world. They are to be seen throughout Asia, Southeast Asia, with some even in Africa. And some of them, unfortunately, do actually make their way to Japan, although as hinted elsewhere usually not through any real work or effort of their own--but there are means, one of which is indicated in the Example section, below. (Please don't tell any wapanese about it; there are already too many of them in Japan.)
Wapanese - Japanese wannabe, as in "I wannabe Japanese, 'cause it's subarashii!" A member of a small, spreading subculture, usually someone with only the most superficial, shallow-minded concept of Japan and her culture and language, who decides that it is somehow something to be worshipped, and proceeds to do so by way of the to-be-expected most shallow and silly means, e.g., using language sprinkled with Japanese pop culture words, eating, displaying and talking about Pocky and other Japanese junk food, doing Japanese cutesy girls cosplay, wearing ridiculous makeup in imitation of faddish Japanese girls intentionally wearing ridiculous makeup in order to identify with a certain mod-like, drifting, anti-authoritarian, hedonistic, morally compassless, often suicidal youth subculture, imitation of the Japanese imitation of gangsta baggy clothing, obsessed with the shallowest, most empty-headed anime such as Pokemon and very superficially with subjects such as ninja or Japanese calligraphy or martial arts. It should be noted that wapanese are not Japanophiles in the true sense, in that they do not actually study anything or bother to acquire any depth of knowledge about things Japanese. Wapanese are more shallow dabblers and voyeurs. Japanophiles can be a nuisance breed, too, and sometimes dreamy voyeurs, but they are different, usually immersing themselves headlong into one or more aspects of Japanese culture, sometimes losing themselves in it. The Japanohpile may become a professor or a Japanese language or martial arts teacher; the wapanese probably will never amount to anything, because the wapaneseness is just a symptom of his or her drifting cluelessness.
Wapanese - Japanese wannabe, as in "I wannabe Japanese, 'cause it's subarashii!" A member of a small, spreading subculture, usually someone with only the most superficial, shallow-minded concept of Japan and her culture and language, who decides that it is somehow something to be worshipped, and proceeds to do so by way of the to-be-expected most shallow and silly means, e.g., using language sprinkled with Japanese pop culture words, eating, displaying and talking about Pocky and other Japanese junk food, doing Japanese cutesy girls cosplay, wearing ridiculous makeup in imitation of faddish Japanese girls intentionally wearing ridiculous makeup in order to identify with a certain mod-like, drifting, anti-authoritarian, hedonistic, morally compassless, often suicidal youth subculture, imitation of the Japanese imitation of gangsta baggy clothing, obsessed with the shallowest, most empty-headed anime such as Pokemon and very superficially with subjects such as ninja or Japanese calligraphy or martial arts. It should be noted that wapanese are not Japanophiles in the true sense, in that they do not actually study anything or bother to acquire any depth of knowledge about things Japanese. Wapanese are more shallow dabblers and voyeurs. Japanophiles can be a nuisance breed, too, and sometimes dreamy voyeurs, but they are different, usually immersing themselves headlong into one or more aspects of Japanese culture, sometimes losing themselves in it. The Japanohpile may become a professor or a Japanese language or martial arts teacher; the wapanese probably will never amount to anything, because the wapaneseness is just a symptom of his or her drifting cluelessness.
One Japanese school teacher to another: That new ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) is just one more immature, clueless wapanese that Monbusho (the Education Ministry) has sent us. I wish they would hire qualified EFL teachers for a change.
wapanese by Rick Hayhoe June 19, 2006