is a Japanese
moe
Moe, MOE, MoE or m.o.e. may refer to:
In arts and entertainment Characters
* Moe Szyslak, from the animated television show ''The Simpsons''
* Moe, leader of The Three Stooges, played by Moe Howard
* Moe Higurashi, supporting character in ''Yash ...
character created in 2010 which originated from the Breaking News (VIP) Board on
2channel
, also known as 2ch, Channel 2, and sometimes retrospectively as 2ch.net, was an anonymous Japanese textboard founded in 1999 by Hiroyuki Nishimura. Described in 2007 as "Japan's most popular online community", the site had a level of influe ...
, and has since become an
internet meme
An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
within various forums and imageboards in Japan. The character is a
moe anthropomorphism
is a form of anthropomorphism in anime and manga where '' moe'' qualities are given to non-human beings (such as animals, plants, supernatural entities and fantastical creatures), objects, concepts, or phenomena. In addition to ''moe'' feature ...
of the phrase "日本鬼子", a commonly used Chinese ethnic slur against persons of Japanese descent.
Backgrounds
The character was originally conceived by users on a 2ch board as a
satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...
of the aforementioned Chinese racial term.
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, the term Riben guizi "日本鬼子" () is a phrase used since World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and still used today, as a disparaging epithet against the Japanese. Japanese netizens chose to transform the normally racist and offensive phrase into a character which could be depicted as "cute" or ''moe'', in an expression that the negative connotations behind the slur can be reversed.[ The creation of the character in 2010 follows the escalation of the ]Senkaku Islands dispute
The Senkaku Islands dispute, or Diaoyu Islands dispute, is a territorial dispute over a group of uninhabited islands known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, the Diaoyu Islands in the People's Republic of China (PRC), and Tiaoyutai Islands in ...
as a result of the fishing trawler collision incident which occurred not too long before, and was intended as a "hit back" response against growing anti-Japanese sentiment
Anti-Japanese sentiment (also called Japanophobia, Nipponophobia and anti-Japanism) involves the hatred or fear of anything which is Japanese, be it its culture or its people. Its opposite is Japanophilia.
Overview
Anti-Japanese sentim ...
amongst Chinese netizens online and within the public opinion of Chinese people in general following the island dispute incident.[
]
Etymology
In Japanese, the slur 日本鬼子 is generally read as ''rīben guizu'' (リーベングイズ), a direct transliteration of the Mandarin ''rìběn guǐzi''. However, the characters can be alternately read using kun'yomi
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are still used, along with the subsequent ...
and nanori
are the often non-standard kanji character readings (pronunciations) found almost exclusively in Japanese names.
In the Japanese language, many Japanese names are constructed from common characters with standard pronunciations. However, names ...
readings as ''Hinomoto Oniko'', which in Japanese resembles a female name.[ Within the Kun'yomi reading, the character's "]surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
" ''Hi no moto'' can have the literal meaning " origin of the sun", whilst Japanese given names ending in 子 (''-ko'') are considered feminine, and are generally used as girls' names
Characteristics
The main design motif is based on the Oni
An is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. Oni are mostly known for their fierce and evil nature manifested in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. Notwithstanding their evil reputation, oni possess i ...
in Japanese folklore. Since the character was designed to be a "personification" of the slur, she is portrayed as a young woman with long black hair and pale skin, often wearing a kimono
The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...
and demon horns, whilst holding various motifs unique to Japanese culture, such as a naginata
The ''naginata'' (, ) is a pole weapon and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades (''nihontō''). ''Naginata'' were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei ( ...
and a hannya
The mask is a mask used in Japanese Noh theater, representing a jealous female demon. It is characterized by two sharp bull-like horns, metallic eyes, and a leering mouth.
Etymology
is the Sino-Japanese pronunciation of ''bō rě'' (般若 ...
mask.[ A variant of the character is known as "little Oniko" (''Ko-hinomoto'' or ''Konipon'') (derived from another Chinese slur, ]Xiao riben
''Xiao Riben'' () is a derogatory Chinese slang term for the Japanese people or a person of Japanese descent. Literally translated, it means "little Japan". It is often used with " guizi" or ghost/devil, such as "xiao Riben guizi", or "little ...
"小日本" ), who is depicted as a pre-pubescent girl of similar appearance to the original Oniko, and also carries Japanese culture-related motifs along with her.
See also
*ISIS-chan
is a fictional manga character that originated on the Japanese internet textboard 2channel and was created in 2015 after a series of incidents in which Japanese nationals were kidnapped and beheaded by ISIS. The character is portrayed as a '' ...
References
{{reflist
External links
hinomotooniko＠ウィキ鬼子プロジェクト (oniko_project) on Twitter
*28 October 2010
Japan Fights China with Moe, China Crushed
Sankakucomplex
*1 November 2010
[NIHON_ONOKO
/nowiki>_Classic_Japanese_Idol_[English_Subtitles.html" ;"title="IHON ONOKO">[NIHON ONOKO
/nowiki> Classic Japanese Idol [English Subtitles">IHON ONOKO">[NIHON ONOKO
/nowiki> Classic Japanese Idol [English Subtitles/nowiki>], YouTube
*2 November 2010
Japanese Netizens turn Chinese derogatory term into beautiful young girl anime character
ChinaHush
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20100304131340/http://popgo.net/bbs/showthread.php?s= 日本鬼子萌化中
2channel
Anti-Asian slurs
Internet memes
Moe anthropomorphism
Anti-Japanese sentiment in China