refers to the area of bare skin in the gap between overknee socks and a

miniskirt A miniskirt (sometimes hyphenated as mini-skirt, separated as mini skirt, or sometimes shortened to simply mini) is a skirt with its hemline well above the knees, generally at mid-thigh level, normally no longer than below the buttocks; and a ...

shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ...

. It can also be used to describe the clothing combination. The term first became widespread in

otaku is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in '' Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorat ...

slang as one of the attributes of '' moe'' characters in

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

and manga, but it is now used by the general public in Japan.

Classification and ideal proportions

The ideal ''zettai ryōiki'' ratio for the length of the miniskirt, the exposed portion of thigh, and the over-knee part of the socks is 4:1:2.5, with a tolerance of 25%. The ratio has also been referred to as a among fans. ''Zettai ryōiki'' fans have also assigned letter grades for the ratio variants, from grade E (too much leg is seen, the skirt is also too long) to grade A (short skirt, high socks, short exposed area). Some fans have conceived of a grade S character which adds the criteria of a twintails hairstyle and a ''

tsundere is a Japanese term for a character development process that depicts a character with a personality who is initially very harsh before gradually showing a warmer, friendlier side over time. The word is derived from the terms ('to turn away in ...

'' (cold on the outside, warm on the inside) personality.

Origins

The term originates from the 1995 anime series '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'', where it was used with a different meaning. In an insert leaflet that came with VHS cassettes, the expression (''Ryōiki'' both translates to 'field' and 'territory') was used as a translation of the English-language term from the anime into Japanese. An A.T. Field was a type of a protective energy shield, dubbed a and made a being using it impervious to attacks. Also, the term could refer to . The ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' manga also gave a shortened version of the term, ''Zettai Ryōiki'', in

furigana is a Japanese reading aid consisting of smaller kana or syllabic characters printed either above or next to kanji (logographic characters) or other characters to indicate their pronunciation. It is one type of ruby text. Furigana is also kn ...

next to the words "A.T. Field". The idea of a "holy area no one can intrude upon" was where the current meaning of the term originated. The expression first spread in the ''otaku'' community and then became widely used outside of the subculture. For example, it is now included in the general-purpose dictionary ''

Daijisen The is a general-purpose Japanese dictionary published by Shogakukan in 1995 and 1998. It was designed as an "all-in-one" dictionary for native speakers of Japanese, especially high school and university students. History Shogakukan intended for ...

''.

Popularity

Cosplayer of Hatsune Miku at FF26 20150829

''Zettai ryōiki'' was originally only applicable to a combination of miniskirt and overknee socks, but with its popularization it started being used toward outfits which featured other kinds of

hosiery Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as ...

and bottom clothing, including, for example, thigh highs,

knee highs Knee highs are hosiery that cover the feet and legs up to the knee. A fashion accessory for casual and classic cool or warm weather apparel. Typically worn by women in many societies, they are sometimes worn with modern semi-formal attire. Unlike ...

stocking Stockings (also known as hose, especially in a historical context) are close-fitting, variously elastic garments covering the leg from the foot up to the knee or possibly part or all of the thigh. Stockings vary in color, design, and transpare ...

garters A garter is an article of clothing comprising a narrow band of fabric fastened about the leg to keep up stockings. In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg is most slender, to keep the stocking ...

hotpants Hotpants or hot pants are extremely short shorts. The term was first used by ''Women's Wear Daily'' in 1970 to describe shorts made in luxury fabrics such as velvet and satin for fashionable wear, rather than their more practical equivalents th ...

, and

swimsuits A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types may be worn by men, wo ...

. The clothing combination is very popular in Japan. As with

loose socks thumbnail, Loose socks in Japan are a style of baggy sock worn by Japanese high school girls, as part of culture. This style of socks has also become popular among American teens and college students who are fans of Japanese anime and manga. ...

, a special "socks glue" can be used to glue the socks to the legs for a perfect look. Japanese advertising agency WIT launched a campaign in 2013 which paid women to wear temporary tattoos on their upper thighs promoting various products and media. They were encouraged to wear skirts and long socks to highlight the area. On February 8, 2014, a specialty shop named Zettai Ryōiki dedicated to overknee socks and tights opened in Akihabara, Tokyo.

Trademark application

On February 13, 2006, the Japanese company

Banpresto (formerly Coreland Technology Inc.) was a Japanese video game video game development, developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It had a branch in Hong Kong named Banpresto H.K., which was headquartered in t ...

, which produced video games based on ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', filed two applications for registration of the term ''Zettai Ryōiki'' as a trade mark.Applications number 商願2005-073265 and 商願2005-074486 Both applications were rejected on June 26 of the same year, on the basis of unpaid registration fees.

References

External links