Brooding Guy, Quiet Girl

Terms & Naming Conventions

Also known as the chapter you can skip!

This section will be updated with every addition of information as the story goes on.

~Terms~

Gakuran: A type of school uniform for boys. The top has a standing collar from top-to-bottom. They are usually black or navy blue. The second button from the top is usually given to the girl the wearer likes. (Referenced in chapter 1)

Yandere: A term that blossomed in the moe fandom, it refers to a character who is crazy about someone else... Often literally and violently. Despite the anime-inspired name, this type of character is much, much older than that, as one of the earliest examples is the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar (Inanna). (Referenced in chapter 2)

Hentai: Hentai (hen = 'weird', tai = 'perspective/view') is the misinterpreted Japanese word for "pervert" or "perverted", and is used by the western world to describe sexually explicit anime, manga/doujinshi, video games (aka eroge), and other Japanese media of similar nature. (Referenced in chapter 5)

Yaoi: Also known as "Boy's Love", yaoi is a subgenre of romance focusing on male homosexuality, for a predominantly female audience. (Referenced in chapter 5)

Seme: The aggressive and dominant half of a yaoi couple. (Referenced in chapter 5)

Uke: The submissive and obedient half of a yaoi couple. (Referenced in chapter 5)

Ecchi: It's a term for softcore pornographic or sexually suggestive hentai or manga in the western fandom. In Japan, it is used as a catch all term for all things sexual, not limited to pornographic content. (Referenced in chapter 7)

~Naming Conventions and Honorifics Explained~

(as explained in the Tanoshima Manga books)

the order – given then family vs. family then given: This story follows the traditional Japanese convention of giving one's family name (surname) before one's given name. The only time when this will not apply is when a character has an English (or other non-Japanese) name. Typically, you'll find that they give the English version in the order of given name then family name, and the Japanese version in the reverse order. AN: Wait, so is Alice Sekigahara English or Japanese? Mind screw!

family name vs. given name: The way in which a name is used in conversation depends on the circumstances and the speaker's relationships with the listener and the bearer of the name. Typically, the family name is used, with given names largely restricted to informal situations and cases where the speaker is older than, superior to, or very familiar with the named individual.

-san: This is the most common honorific, and is equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs., etc. Used with people you are not very close with, and when being polite.

-han: Kansai-ben version of -san. Not used very much if the vowel sound of the last character ends with "i", "u" or "n".

-sama: This is one level higher than "-san". It is used to confer great respect.

-dono: This comes from the word "tono", which means "lord". It is an even higher level than "-sama" and confers utmost respect.

-kun: This suffix is used at the end of boys' names to express familiarity or endearment. It is also sometimes used by men among friends, or when addressing someone younger or of a lower station.

-chan: This is used to express endearment, mostly towards girls. It is also used for little boys, pets, and even among lovers. It gives a sense of childish cuteness.

-chin: An even more diminutive version of -chan. Most commonly used by young girls who are close friends.

-tan: A small child's mispronunciation of –chan. If used by an adult at all, unless speaking to a toddler or a child, the person is most likely being sarcastic, ironic or a poser KAWAII.

-tama, -chama: Similarly, these are baby-talk versions of -sama, with the exception of "obocchama" which is used to address the son of someone who is of higher social standing, roughly equivalent to "young master."

-pyon: A slang honorific, indicating that the speaker is being very cutesy/sweet/lovey-dovey with the person he is addressing.

-pi:A cutesy honorific for small pets.

-me: A derogatory honorific, used when you refer to people you're a) pissed at, b) deem despicable/inferior. Not as common in real life as anime and manga would have you believe, and it's usually used jokingly or sarcastically. Adding "-me" to your own name or a first person pronoun has a self-humbling effect.

-gozen: Indicates nobility; most commonly applied to women.

sempai/senpai: This suggests that the addressee is one's senior in a group of organisation. In this story, it is used by younger students to address their upperclassmen.

kouhei/kouhai: The opposite of "senpai", used to address underclassmen in school, or newcomers in the workplace.

sensei: Used for teachers, doctors, or masters of any profession or art.

shishou: Similar to -sensei, but limited to certain traditional Japanese arts and crafts, including martial arts. When used as a stand-alone word, it's usually translated as "master".

-hakase: Used when addressing an academic whose expertise is VERY high. Technically this means "Doctor", but in practice it's actually reserved for even higher ranks and is more or less equivalent to addressing someone as "Professor".

niisan/neesan: Literally refers to one's older brother or sister, respectively, but can also be used to refer to a relative within your generation that is older than you (i.e. an older cousin) or a slightly older friend that you consider to be like a brother or sister

jisan/basan: Literally refers to one's uncle or aunt respectively, but also used to refer to middle-aged adults with whom the speaker is already acquainted. Changing it to -jichan or -bachan is like saying Aunty.

-jiisan/-baasan: Literally refers to one's grandfather and grandmother, but also used to refer to much older adults with whom the speaker is already acquainted.

-bouzu: One level below -kun on the formality ladder. It's an affectionate masculine diminutive, how one might address a particularly young niece or nephew.

-[blank]: Usually forgotten in these lists but perhaps the most significant difference between Japanese and English. The lack of honorific means that the speaker has permission to address the person in a very intimate way. Usually only family, spouses, or very close friends have this kind of permission. Known as "yobisute", it can be gratifying when someone who has earned the intimacy starts to call someone's name without an honorific, but when that intimacy hasn't been earned, it can also be very insulting.