ACEN [G]: The abbreviated name of Anime Central, an anime convention that takes place in Chicago for the midwest. This is one anime convention I myself plan on attending.

AMV [O]: Anime Music Video; Anime fans often like to use footage from their favorite anime and match them up to their favorite music/music they think fits the series, producing anime oriented music videos, usually on their computers. These music videos are done for fun and are usually available to download off seach engines and sites online. AMVs are also made for competitions, both online and sometimes for anime conventions.

Ai [O]: Japanese word for "love"

Anime [O/G]: The Japanese term that seems to be derived from a French word for animation. The term used by Americans and English/Spanish speaking people to classify and seperate Japanese animation from other animation.

In my reviews, you'll never see me add an s to this word to make it plural. This form is what I use for both plural and singular.

Anime Conventions [G]: Huge gatherings of anime fans in big cities that come to purchase rare anime products, meet the makers of their favorite anime and manga, display their own series and products, and to just have fun with fellow anime fans who enjoy the same series they do. Most conventions happen on the West and East coasts, especially in California, but some do occur in the midwest and other places in the United States. Anime conventions are also popular in Japan, and also the place anime conventions originate from.

Baka [O]: The very versatile Japanese word that means "idiot", "stupid", and etc. which can be translated into several different insults in English, depending on how its used and the Japanese modifiers it has.

Biki or bikun (depends on modification) [O]: A shorten Japanese word that means a sudden surprise. It seems to be derived from "bikkuri saseru", which means "to be surprised".

Bishounen (also Bishonen) [O]: Japanese term that literally means "beautiful boy". Bishounen often refers to a really pretty/handsome young boys that sometimes can be used to classify certain anime and manga genres that are for girls and also sometimes for boys that feature really pretty heros/heroines.

Bishoujo (also Bishojo) [O]: Japanese term that literally means "beautiful girl". Bishoujo often refers to a really pretty young girl that sometimes can be used to classify certain anime and manga genres that are for girls that feature really pretty heros/heroines.

Chan [O]: Japanese suffix added to a name to modify it. When chan is added, it is used for nicknames and names of endearment, usually for very close friends, usually among girls (or used to make fun of someone or to make them feel uncomfortable by using such an intimate suffix). Chan when added to a name is a way to show endearment and can also be added to names already modified or shortened (example: You might use this suffix to call a person with the name Suzuko to "Suzu-chan"). Roughly, it can mean "dear". Tends to be overused by extremely hyper girls.

Chibi [O]: Japanese word that means "small" and is very derogatory, which is the same was calling someone "short" in a harsh matter.

Also, chibi a term commonly used to classify when anime/manga creators will draw "chibi" versions of their regular characters, and use them usually in jokes (these mini-characters can convey dumb feelings or a show of cuteness of the characters) and also for decoration on their notes/letters to their readers. These "chibi" versions tend to be small, malformed versions of the characters (small limbs, big heads with usually big eyes). They're not different characters, just a smaller versions of already exisiting characters, and something fun to draw for the creator and his audience.

Chu [O]: Japanese sound for a kiss.

DB [O]: Abbreviation for the anime/manga series Dragon Ball.

DBGT [O]: Abbreviation for the anime/manga series Dragon Ball GT (GT stands for "Grand Tour").

DBZ [O]: Abbreviation for the anime/manga series Dragon Ball Z.

Doko [O]: Japanese word for "where". Can also be modified.

Doujinshi [O]: Doujinshi can refer to amateur manga work. One kind of doujinshi are completely original works by manga artists trying to get recognized more widely (even if their work is already being published). Other doujinshi are fan comics created by a manga artist that features characters and stories from the creator's favorite anime and manga that is not their own. These fan manga are published without the original creator's knowledge (and it's legal; copyright in Japan is very liberal. I could create spicy [LOL] doujinshi about, oh, let's say, Kurama and Hiei [LOL] from Yu Yu Hakusho, and get it published and sold in Japan with no problem of getting sued).

Doujinshi is very popular in Japan and sold at conventions (you can also order it, even here in the U.S.). You can find almost any kind of doujinshi about your favorite anime characters, both naughty and nice. The only drawbacks are that doujinshi is of course not official work, so these stories and what happens in them don't count when it comes to the official standing of these characters. Also, you can get a lot of crappy doujinshi from conventions and ordering. However, doujinshi can be very cheap and can be highly entertaining (especially if something happens in the doujinshi that you suspect happened in the real series or something you wanted to happen; such as naughty and bizarre character relationships for example) and even better than the original series. If you ever order doujinshi from overseas however, be careful; you'll probably get something weird and just plain wrong at least once.

In my reviews, you'll never see me add an s to this word to make it plural. This form is what I use for both plural and singular.

Ecchi [O]: Japanese pronuciation of the English letter "H" (that is the first letter of hentai, Japanese word for pervert), that also means "pervert" but has softer connotations than hentai. Ecchi is used for sexual humor in anime, but refers to just sexual humor, not actual pornography. (Example: Love Hina or Miroku's behavior in Inuyasha would be classified as ecchi (sexual humor), but not hentai (actual pornography).

Engrish [O]: A term used by U.S. Otaku (or at least is used frequently on my college campus) that refers to the Japanese random use of English in anime/manga and the mistakes Japanese make when trying to say/write/use English words and phrases.

The word Engrish is used since it's a mis-translation of the word English into Japanese. In fact, most Engrish comes from translation mistakes, both from English to Japanese, as well as Japanese to English. The spelling of English as Engrish is a common Japanese mistake because when Japanese is changed from Japanese lettering to English lettering, the letter l can be interchanagle with r in Japanese and is avoided being used when translated into English. That is because there is almost no sound difference between r and l in Japanese, and is a sound somewhere between these two letters. Usually only r is used in translations unless otherwise noted to be l definitely. So, l and r can sometimes be interchangable (as can be k and g, occasionally usually due to translation mistakes). Here's an example of this kind of mistake and how horrible it could be: Imagine being Japanese and messing up a translation so you get the word "erection" instead of "election" because you forgot about the English letter l. Yeah, Engrish can be hilarious.

Ep (or eps) [G]: Abbreviation for episode or episodes.

Eva [O]: Short title used for the bizarre and notorious anime series, Neon Genesis Evagelion.

Fanfiction [G]: Stories written about real published works by fans. Fanfiction is often written by fans that want to continue, change or do something not possible in the original story they are fans of.

Freakin' A (or) Fuckin' A [S]: Means Freaking ass or Fucking ass; an often nonsense phrase that I seem to have picked up from college which can also mean something is awesome or something is crappy in the same way Shiznits does.

Furuba [O]: Nickname for the anime/manga series, Fruits Basket.

H5 [O]: Abbreviation for the anime/manga series, Hikaru no Go.

Hana [O]: Japanese word that means "flower".

Have to give them props (has various ways of being said) [S]: A slang phrase that means you have to really praise a person/persons for their work, and it is usually used when it is to praise someone's originality, being different, or extreme daring. Basically like the phrase, "I have to hand it to them".

Hentai [O]: Japanese word for "pervert" used by English speaking anime fans to classify anime porn.

Hikari [O]: Japanese word for "light" (as in the sun kind of light, not the weight kind of light).

HnG [O]: Abbreviation for the anime/manga series, Hikaru no Go.

Hotaru [O]: Japanese word for "firefly".

Inu [O]: Japanese word for "dog".

Itai or Ite [O]: Japanese adjective word that means "painful" and is literally said when a character wants to say "ouch".

Ja ne [O]: Japanese departure slang term that means "later; see you later; bye". Can also be shortened to just "ja"

June [O]: Named after the original male x male magazine in Japan that really pushed the popularity of male x male stories, June is a bit hard to define. It's like shounen-ai (the Japanese definition of it), being based around original characters, but tends to be darker and more mature, with a focus on plot. Writers and artists of June can be created by an amateur or a professional, which may be the other reason for the use of another word besides Shounen-Ai.

Above definition summary from Shounen-Ai.orG

J-pop (or Jpop) [O/G]: Abbreviated name for Japanese Pop Music.

J-rock (or Jrock) [O/G]: Abbreviated name for Japanese Rock Music.

Kami [O]: Japanese word for "god". If one is referring to "the god", usually they say "kami-sama". Kami also means "hair" or "paper".

Kawaii [O]: The Japanese word for pretty/cute, but usually for cute. This word is notorious for being overused by anime fans and screeched once too often by anime characters, especially girls.

Ki [O]: Japanese word that can mean energy/spirit. A second meaning is "glance", to glance at something.

Kitsune [O/G]: Japanese word that means "fox". In Japanese folklore, Kitsune are known for being mischievious creatures that both tease and help people and use plants for their powers, to attack and disguise. They live for hundreds of year, and the amount of power they have can be determined by the number of tails they have (usually no more than nine, and kitsune aren't the only animals to have multiple tails in Japanese folklore).

Ko [O]: In Japanese, as a prefix, it makes whatever it modifies small, little, junior, lesser (example, Koenma from Yu Yu Hakusho. His name means "Child Enma", "Little Enma" or "Junior Enma" which is why Jr is written on his hat or on his forehead). As a suffix it tends to mean child and is a very, very common name ending for girls (examples: Suzuko, Motoko, Keiko. The name Suzuko for instance would mean "Child of Bell" or "Bell Child", since suzu means "bell" while ko means "child").

Koi [O]: Japanese word for "love" or "carp"

Kokoro [O]: Japanese word that can mean heart, soul, mind or spirit (or all four).

Konnichiwa [O]: Japanese greeting that means hello. Tends to be a little formal.

Kouhai [O]: Japanese word used as an address to a usually younger, and often inexperienced/junior peer or assoiciate (usually a school thing). Kouhai's counterpart word is "senpai".

Kun [O]: Japanese suffix added to a name to modify it. Kun is used usually by boys and they use kun for their peers' names. It can also be used by adults to refer usually to a young boy or a boy younger than themselves. It can also be occasionally use to modify a girl's name, but is not common. Kun tends to be the more masculine version of chan.

Kua [O]: Japanese sound for a yawn.

Lemon [S]: Common slang term (usually used in fanfiction) used to lable a story that will have explicit and often hardcore sex scenes.

Lime [S]: Common slang term (usually used in fanfiction) used to lable a story that will have a little fondling, kissing, foreplay, but no hardcore sex.

Mag [G]: Abbreviation for magazine.

Manga [O]: The Japanese word for comics. In the U.S., this term is specifically used for Japanese comics.

In my reviews, you'll never see me add an s to this word to make it plural. This form is what I use for both plural and singular.

Manga-ka [O]: Japanese word for a Manga Artist.

Mary Sues [G]: An often annoying plot device when a fanfic writer will write themselves or fan characters into their stories, who will often take the spotlight off the main characters of the original series the fanfic is based off.

Mochi [O]: Japanese rice sweet cakes. There are several varieties of mochi (Cherry Blossom Mochi is probably one of the more popular kinds).

Nan (or Nani, depending on modification) [O]: Japanese word for "what". Can also be modified.

Neko [O]: The Japanese word for cat. Cats tend to be the favorite type of pet in many anime and also with fans.

Nihon (or Nippon) [O]: The real name of the country we call Japan. This is was the Japanese call their country. It means, "sun-source" or "day-source" and can poetically be translated as "Land of the Rising Sun" which is what the red circle or their country's flag symbolizes.

Niko [O]: Japanese word that means "smile" (a smile/to smile). Can also be modified.

Ningen [O]: Japanese word for "human".

NTHT [O]: Abbreviation for the anime series Now and Then, Here and There.

Otaku [O]: Japanese word that means "house" that was orignally used to mean your "in-crowd". In Japan it also means someone who is a "nut" (not normal/crazy over something in specific, a gun nut, a computer nut and etc., including anime nuts), but it can mean an insult in Japanese, being an usually derogatory term. In America, it is a term used usually for anime fans, and especially for extreme, hardcore anime fans. Non-otaku use the name otaku as a insult towards otaku.

Pocky [O]: A popular brand of cookie sticks coated with chocolate at one end that is from Japan.

Production Art [S]: Art that features specific characters and ideas from a film or series that is produced specifically for advertising that film or series, and are not actual pictures from the series or film. These images are also used to advertise merchandise or made for artbooks and other books about the series or film. Usually this art is created by the company that produced the series or film, and usually not by the series or film's original creator. Example: This picture from YYH and this picture from NTHT are both production art pieces; these exact pictures are not directly from the actual series' images.

PWP [S]: Stands for "Plot, what plot?", an abbreviation commonly used in fanfiction to label a story that was intentionally written without plot. Most PWPs are smutty.

Recapping [S]: Recapping is a term used for when a show or movie shows old footage to remind an audience of what happened earlier (usually as flashbacks). However, recapping (epecially in animation, but not exclusively) is often a tool used to avoid making new animation/footage (which can be annoying for an audience). Sometimes old footage is reanimated and edited with slight detail changes, other times the footage is not changed at all.

R&R [S]: Abbreviation for "Read and Review", usually used in fanfiction by writers who want their work reviewed.

Sake [O]: Japanese liquor from fermented rice.

Sama [O]: Japanese suffix added to names to modify it. When sama is added, examples of what it can mean are "lord" or "master". When using sama, it tends to be more of a respectable suffix than san. It implies that the person being spoke to is of definite higher position.

San [O]: Japanese suffix added to names to modify it. When sama is added, examples of what it can mean are "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Miss". When using san, it is a universial respectable suffix ending and is not of the same respectable proportions of sama.

Sayounara (or sayonara) [O]: Japanese word for "good-bye". The first form listed of this word tends to be a little more formal than the latter, but both are formal.

Screencap (or screencaps) [G]: Term used for images "captured" from the screen of a tv, which means pictures directly from a film or show. Screencaps are not Production Art.

SDF [O]: Stands for "Super Deformed". Usually in anime when a normal looking character is given bizarre proportion when shrunk. Often made to look cute, the eyes usually being the biggest feature of the character. Vaguely like the word chibi.

Seiyuu [O]: The Japanese word for a voice actor/actress.

Seme [O]: A Japanese slang term for the "dominant" member of a male homosexual relationship.

Senpai (or Sempai) [O]: Japanese word used as a respected address to an usually older, and often wiser/senior peer or associate (usually a school thing). Senpai's counterpart word is "kouhai".

Sensei [O]: Japanese word suffix that is used for "teacher" or "doctor".

Shinji (pull a Shinji) [O]: The name of the main character of Neon Genesis Evagelion that is solely used by anime fans to accuse a character (usually in anime) of being whiny/bitchy/pathetic/having the personality of Shinji. Can also be a perverted term to call someone or a character in an anime as being fucked up in the head/perverted. Also known as another word for masturbation at my college's anime club, that is popular with the boys. *SIGH*

Shiznits (or Shiznit) [S]: A slang and nonsense term I myself picked up from college, which is a somewhat nice way of saying "shit!" Often used this way: "That's the Shiznits!", meaning something is awesome or can mean something is crappy, depending on how it is said. This type of slang was popularized by rap music.

Shoujo (also Shojo) [O]: Japanese term for young girl that can be used to classify certain anime and manga genres for girls.

Shoujo-Ai (also Shojo) [O]: Japanese term that literally means "girl love" that is used to classify girl & girl love stories. However, unlike Yuri, it is never actual porn, but sometimes can have as many sexual implications that it can possible, usually without sex scenes. Usually is only touching and an occasional kiss. The lesbian equivalent to Shounen-Ai. Meant usually for male following when hardcore, for females when it isn't.

Shounen (also Shonen) [O]: Japanese term for young boy that can be used to classify certain anime and manga genres for boys.

Shounen-Ai (also Shonen-Ai) [O]:
Japanese definition: Technically speaking, shounen-ai is a form of professional manga, or comic book. Translated, it means 'boy's love.' Not 'boy love,' which could indeed be interpreted a number of ways, but boy's love, as in the act of loving and being in love without the involvement of females. In other words, shounen-ai is a professional genre devoted to relationships between a pair of fairly young, usually handsome young men, and all their trails and tribulations. Therefore, the term doesn't apply to fanworks (doujinshi, magazines...) at all.
English definition: Light boy x boy works, up to the PG-13 or so rating, but nothing hardcore. No differentiation is made between fanwork and professional. The term, along with yaoi, has also gravitated into the fanfiction community, although there it is used alternately with the American term slash.

Above definition summaries from Shounen-Ai.orG

Smut [G]: A term used to label purely and clearly indencent language, stories, art, articles, etc.

Tamashii [O]: Japanese word used specifically just for "soul", unlike kokoro.

Tanuki [O]: Japanese word for an animal in Japan that is not a raccoon but looks like one. They are often referred to as raccoon dogs, or even badgers. In Japanese folklore, Tanuki are known for being mischievious creatures that both tease and help people and use plants for their powers, to attack and disguise (just like Kitsune).

Temee [O]: Japanese word that means "you" but has a very angry, derogatory meaning to it, so it can be translated usually as, "you bastard", "you son of a bitch!", "damn you" or "you jerk", etc, etc. Usually I hear it said by guys toward guys more than anyone else in anime (lol, imagine that).

Uke [O]: A Japanese slang term for the "non-dominant" member of a male homosexual relationship.

Usagi [O]: Japanese word that means "rabbit". In Japanese folklore, a rabbit is thought to be seen as the shadow on the moon. The rabbit on the moon is up there pounding rice to make mochi for children.

Yaoi [O]:
Japanese definition: Yaoi is the actual Japanese term for fan comics. Unlike the English/American world of comics and copyrights, Japanese manga writers tend to enjoy and encourage the creation of elaborate works by their devoted fans. A fairly large percentage of these doujinshi pieces tend to explore romantic relationships that the artist or artists (known as a circle) wish had occurred or feel could still happen outside of the documented plot, and, naturally, some of these stories are fairly graphic (yaoi is actually an acronym for 'yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi' - 'no peak, no point, no meaning,' which should give you some idea of the general content of such work.) So yes, most yaoi is... shall we say, directed at an adult-only market.
English definition: You may have noticed that there really isn't a word for original character 'plotless' (i.e. smut) works in Japanese. June doesn't work, because of its focus on the story. Having used shounen-ai to refer to every genre and style, the English-speaking community then began to use Yaoi as the word for all anime homosexual male NC-17 works. In a way this makes sense, since so much of yaoi is just that... but again, it's used to apply to all works, fan, amateur, or professional, which is a very different use of the word from the Japanese. Used alternately with the American terms lemon or pwp.

Above definition summaries from Shounen-Ai.orG

YGO [O]: Abbreviation for the anime/manga series, Yu-Gi-Oh!.

YM [O]: Abbreviation for the anime/manga series, Yami no Matsuei. YnM is more commonly used.

YnM [O]: Abbreviation for the anime/manga series, Yami no Matsuei.

Youkai [O]: Japanese word commonly translated to "demon" in English. However, these youkai are not your Christian or European type of demons (although the majority of the time they are evil). These demons are supernatural beings that can be mischievious but also can possess/learn how to have feelings like humans. So, "youkai" aren't necessarliy the embodiment of evil, but can also be a sort of people (of the supernatural sort. Think elves, dwarves, goblins or fairies being the American/Europeon equivelent to Youkai).

Yume [O]: Japanese word for "dream".

Yuri [O]: A Japanese word that is used to classify girl on girl action in anime and manga, lightly used for ambigously homosexual situations, but mostly for actual girl on girl sex scenes and/or porn. The lesbian equivalent to Yaoi. Meant usually for male following when hardcore, for females when it isn't.

YYH [O]: Abbreviation for the anime/manga series, Yu Yu Hakusho.

Zine [G]: Another abbreviation for magazine.