Current Events > Today I learned that an anime trope term had become a slur in the past few years

(+) Yeah! (+)

Went down a deep dive and found a reddit topic (probably not postable) explaining the situation. Pretty wild, it was a relatively recent change in the 2020s before being implemented across the board. Guess it's one of those things that used to be so commonplace you don't even think about it when using, until you stop to think about it.

Is this the word that can also refer to the hip hop sub genre?

Here's a video that summarizes the whole ordeal in the most comprehensive way possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbBzhqJK3bg

Yup, figured it was gonna be the T Slur.

Did you lose any Karma for that topic?

Oh shit

Charged151 posted...

You mean the acronym for non-player character (NPC)? I've heard about it being used as a slur for people that regurgitate the same lines (particularly in regards to left wing talking points), but haven't run into it myself.

Edit: People are suggesting the "t" word. Will wait for TC to clarify.

It was for sure the T word. TC was asking about Envy in Full Metal Alchemist.

Yea man it's not 2006 anymore. I'm genuinely shocked at like, your existence

Kaiser1one posted...

[redacted] never "became" a slur. People tried to take offense to it as a slur and many in the anime community fought back against the idea. Primarily due to the usual, "bring real world stuff into fiction" issue that is prevalent in anime fandoms and fiction fandoms in general in the last years since Covid.

User Since: Apr 2001
Karma: 7355
Active Posts: 9

Brought out the alt for this one, huh?

Ah, yeah I can see that being a slur. I'd say feminine presenting is a better description, albeit longer.

It was never even an anime term. It was just a term, and always fairly overly offensive.

Kaiser1one posted...

Trap never "became" a slur. People tried to take offense to it as a slur and many in the anime community fought back against the idea. Primarily due to the usual, "bring real world stuff into fiction" issue that is prevalent in anime fandoms and fiction fandoms in general in the last years since Covid.

The term implies someone is trying to trick someone with their gender identity which is a disgusting thing to say

Kaiser1one posted...

Primarily due to the usual, "bring real world stuff into fiction" issue that is prevalent in anime fandoms and fiction fandoms in general in the last years since Covid.

the idea anime doesn't mirror or address real world issues is BS since authors do tackle politics and social issues in their works

Just reminds me of people complaining about the "r" word. A term referring to disabled people thrown at anything or anyone that could be described as stupid.

I still see it used casually, although in some circles it is definitely not okay. Better to just not say it anymore on a site like this to avoid moderations.

Charged151 posted...

Just reminds me of people complaining about the "r" word. A term referring to disabled people thrown at anything or anyone that could be described as stupid.

I still see it used casually, although in some circles it is definitely not okay. Better to just not say it anymore on a site like this to avoid moderations.

It's best not to use a slur meant to degrade mentally disabled people in general. There's really no context where it's acceptable.

The word is still in heavy use in the anime community. Try to argue about it and youll get called a tourist and get told to leave. The main view on it is you can call characters that, but not real people.

TMOG posted...

It's best not to use a slur meant to degrade mentally disabled people in general. There's really no context where it's acceptable.

Agreed

While I'm sure it has been used as an insult, feels more like the frog and the ok sign where people are just deciding to roll with the fringe worst case usage of it for whatever reason.

EbonTitanium posted...

The word is still in heavy use in the anime community. Try to argue about it and youll get called a tourist and get told to leave. The main view on it is you can call characters that, but not real people.

There's a pretty sickening amount of transphobia in the anime community in general, tbh

Nemu posted...

While I'm sure it has been used as an insult, feels more like the frog and the ok sign where people are just deciding to roll with the fringe worst case usage of it for whatever reason.

User Since: May 2002
Karma: 9233
Active Posts: 6

Another brave soul defending slurs on an alt

TMOG posted...

User Since: May 2002
Karma: 9233
Active Posts: 6

Another brave soul defending slurs on an alt

that used to be their main but i guess they use it now to shitpost now days
i remember them posting on 261 with crappy takes too

TMOG posted...

There's a pretty sickening amount of transphobia in the anime community in general, tbh

It is Japan. LBGTQ people do get portrayed in a fairly negative light. The infamous scene in OG Persona 5 stands out in particular. Luckily it got removed in Royal.

gikos posted...

that used to be their main but i guess they use it now to shitpost now days
i remember them posting on 261 with crappy takes too

Think you have me confused for someone else. Never touched that place.

EbonTitanium posted...

The word is still in heavy use in the anime community. Try to argue about it and youll get called a tourist and get told to leave. The main view on it is you can call characters that, but not real people.

Nah. There's other words out there like femboy that have the same descriptive meaning but without the insinuation that they're trying to trick or rape people.

Otokonoko is the term that has more-or-less replaced it.

Just to give some historical context here.

Trap was only ever meant to be used in reference to fictional male characters who were specifically designed to be mistaken for female. Somehow it became a transphobic slur through misuse. But most anime fans will tell you that it's never okay to use it in reference to a trans person, real or fictional.

I've even asked a few trans anime fans about it. While there were some varying answers, at worst it was an "I don't like the word, but I don't have a problem with it being used in its original context".

I don't really use it anymore because it's not worth the trouble and there are other non-controversial words that can be used instead. But I do feel that there is an important distinction to be made there for people who do use it. And if you want to argue that there is something problematic about the character archetype, that's a discussion that could be had. But trap is simply a name for that archetype.

Trans people: its a slur.

chuds: NO It ISNT!!!!!

look, whining about real world issues in anime makes you look absurd. There was a famous manga about a transgender man witj a sympathetic portrayal in the 1970s. Even shonen has obvious real world influences at times. Frieza was literally modeled after real estate speculators

pokedude900 posted...

Just to give some historical context here.

Trap was only ever meant to be used in reference to fictional male characters who were specifically designed to be mistaken for female. Somehow it became a transphobic slur through misuse. But most anime fans will tell you that it's never okay to use it in reference to a trans person, real or fictional.

I've even asked a few trans anime fans about it. While there were some varying answers, at worst it was an "I don't like the word, but I don't have a problem with it being used in its original context".

I don't really use it anymore because it's not worth the trouble and there are other non-controversial words that can be used instead. But I do feel that there is an important distinction to be made there for people who do use it. And if you want to argue that there is something problematic about the character archetype, that's a discussion that could be had. But trap is simply a name for that archetype.

The distinction is frankly irrelevant. Just dont use it.

Charged151 posted...

It is Japan. LBGTQ people do get portrayed in a fairly negative light. The infamous scene in OG Persona 5 stands out in particular. Luckily it got removed in Royal.

It got tweaked, not removed. Now, they drag Ryuji away to give him a drag makeover. In the original they were going to "show him a good time." He's still taken away against his will in both versions.

EbonTitanium posted...

The word is still in heavy use in the anime community. Try to argue about it and youll get called a tourist and get told to leave. The main view on it is you can call characters that, but not real people.

Same thing if you make even the smallest amount of annoyance about fan service. (Despite me being into anime since the early 90s!)
Frankly, modern anime fans are the fucking worst (or maybe it's just modern younger folks as a whole). I went to a theater showing the End of Evangelion last year and it was a shit show, where this group of weebs like... Hooted and hollered and shit at that scene in the beginning and kept making stupid obnoxious jokes.

I think part of the reason people get so uptight about these words is because they think having ever used certain words is some kind of indictment of themselves as a person. When I was growing up, the f word and the r word were pretty common words to hear. Then people were like, "Hey that's not really cool to say" so people stopped using them. You don't need to defend those words are okay so you don't feel like a bad person, just stop using them and move on with your life.

NoxObscuras posted...

It got tweaked, not removed. Now, they drag Ryuji away to give him a drag makeover. In the original they were going to "show him a good time." He's still taken away against his will in both versions.

I think Nox was thinking of Persona 3 and Reload, not 5 and Royal. The scene in P3 that used a trans woman as a punchline was changed into the woman being a conspiracy nut hawking bogus medicine in Reload.

pokedude900 posted...

Just to give some historical context here.

was only ever meant to be used in reference to fictional male characters who were specifically designed to be mistaken for female. Somehow it became a transphobic slur through misuse. But most anime fans will tell you that it's never okay to use it in reference to a trans person, real or fictional.

I've even asked a few trans anime fans about it. While there were some varying answers, at worst it was an "I don't like the word, but I don't have a problem with it being used in its original context".

I don't really use it anymore because it's not worth the trouble and there are other non-controversial words that can be used instead. But I do feel that there is an important distinction to be made there for people who do use it. And if you want to argue that there is something problematic about the character archetype, that's a discussion that could be had. But is simply a name for that archetype.

Still a slur, transgender people face very real risk of being attacked and murdered by chuds who think they've been "tricked".

plenty of japanese creators are pushing back against negative portrayals of the LGBT community

a good example is daisuke creator of guilty gear and how bridget is now a transwoman

one piece while some of it is cringe to the west is positive to the japanese LGBT community and even has stuff that is good representation by western views

nintendo is even doing positive portrayals of transgender characters

and on the subject of the anime community

most places outside of 4chan or other shit holes would ban you for using slurs

its just the vocal minority make the entirety of anime fans look bad

greendawg posted...

Same thing if you make even the smallest amount of annoyance about fan service. (Despite me being into anime since the early 90s!)
Frankly, modern anime fans are the fucking worst (or maybe it's just modern younger folks as a whole). I went to a theater showing the End of Evangelion last year and it was a shit show, where this group of weebs like... Hooted and hollered and shit at that scene in the beginning and kept making stupid obnoxious jokes.

on the subject of fanservice

the reasoni have no issue with fan service in fairy tail while i do alot of other anime i enjoy

is fairy tail does it to both men and women its creator is a equal opportunities pervert

and stuff like kill la kill is well kinda part of its entire plot

where as when stuff in one piece happens its just annoying dressrosa having the worst example

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

As if my post implied that... Plenty of those everywhere.

It's best to just keep anime conversations to anime places.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]



That's not really what I'm talking about. If you refuse to change I 100% agree, I'm just saying why I think some people defend it so vehemently. Like, they feel personally slighted because words they use or used to use are considered wrong now, and they don't realize that continuing to use them or defend them make them look a lot worse than just saying "Oh, shit, I didn't realize that's offensive. I gotta stop using it"

It doesn't make you a bad person to have ever used the t word, but continuing to use it and defend it after you know it's offensive is what makes you a bad person.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

no he wasn't just bigots love to flock to them and use it to paint that is normal
japaness media is just as mixed as US when you have writers like ryu07 who worked as a social worker who writes story's and brings in issues with how people deal with child abuse and gender plus mental issues
then there are also writers who go off being shitty like the guy behind creature girls who whines about feminist and bemoans about it in his work and portrays raping woman as healthy for a society and being used as sex objects

I don't know why people get so attached to using words like that. If it's no longer acceptable to say, stop saying it and move on, millions of other words exist.

Ivynn posted...

I don't know why people get so attached to using words like that. If it's no longer acceptable to say, stop saying it and move on, millions of other words exist.

It was the thing they learned first and don't want to change how they've done things.

AKA conservatism.