Learning and understanding the manga and anime terminology is Vital for any fan of these mediums. It allows for a deeper appreciation and enjoyment of the stories and characters, and can even help in connecting with other fans. So, whether you’re a seasoned otaku or just starting out, embracing the unique language of manga and anime is worth it.

Amecomi: Fusion of the words American Comics.All and any occidental comics.
Amerimanga: Fusion of the words American manga. These are occidental comics influenced by manga.
Anime: Japanese abbreviation for “animation”, it is animation created in Japan and in most cases is set in Japan, using Japanese phrases, traditions, beliefs, real settings like Tokyo and Shibuya, real people, cuisine, and entertainment.
Arc: This is essentially a collection of episodes that detail a specific event, always comprising a beginning, middle, and end. For instance, a girl is captured, and from then on, an arc begins that focuses on the main characters rescuing her. Typically, they conclude with an epic battle. An arc can be as little as three episodes to as many as fifty, depending on the seriousness of the events. The arc will always end with a resolve- a firm end to it in which the story will then continue onto another arc. Most anime have around one or two major arcs in a 25-episode series, whilst other episodes are either fillers or just light entertainment, which are canon but serve no real purpose. Shounen anime One Piece has thirty-six arcs to count, some with more than thirty episodes!

Canon: Everything that happens in the original manga is considered canon unless the author says otherwise. So everything we see in an anime that happened in the manga is canon, except for filler episodes- which are non-canon because they never happened in the manga.
Fillers: Made-up plots/stories and sometimes characters that were never in the original storyline of the manga. Fillers are created to draw distance between the current story in the anime and the current story in the manga- the latter should always be ahead of the prior so that the animators have time to create the scenes shown in the manga. They serve no purpose and rarely further the story- but they provide some comical relief or help detach major arcs within a series.
Dōjinshi: Any manga that is amateur-made most usually detailing works of an actual anime,or manga but with non-canonical events that are made by fans.

Manga: These are printed comics, but are read from back to front and from right to left.

Movie: Basically the same as our movies, except most animated Japanese movies, are either based on an anime/manga, are a re-telling of an arc in a series, a non-canon plot of an existing anime series, or something completely made up and new, like the Studio Ghibli films. Some movies are split up and aired separately for TV, like 5 Centimetres Per Second and Break Blade.
 Otaku:A term used in the anime community to depict a Japanese hardcore manga, anime fan.

OVA: This is basically like an extra on a DVD that never airs on TV prior to or after the series completion. They usually have nothing to do with the actual series and are made up of plots with new characters and settings from time to time.
ONA: An anime that is directly released onto the internet and never airs on TV.

One Shot: A manga that has one chapter.
Saga: A collection of arcs that all lead up to one major event, which is usually the last arc of the saga.
Series: An ongoing series will air once a week on the same day, same time, and same channel. A completed series is available for purchase on DVD and sometimes on Itunes. Most manga series are serialized/published once a week in a magazine and eventually compiled into a volume that is released in stores. Others are published once a month or once every few months. Some are just compiled into a manga from the get-go.

Terminology Glossary:
There are frequent terms used in anime and manga, and these are the ones I know in alphabetical order.
Ahoge: An anime character with a single strand of hair that sticks out.
AU: Abbreviated for “Alternative Universe,” mainly used in fanfiction where the author places characters from an already created Universe in a different one, like ours.
Bishōjo: Meaning “pretty girl” and is often used to describe attractive women.
Bishōnen: Means “pretty boy” and is often used to describe attractive men.
Chibi: Describes someone short.                        
Comiket: It stands for “Comic Market” and it refers to the largest dōjinshi fair existing. Held for the first time in 1975 as an idea by the Japanese manga critic and author Yoshihiro Yonezawa, the Comiket now takes place twice a year–December and August – in Tokyo, at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center near Odaiba quarter[example the image to the right].

Dub: When the voiceovers of an anime are of another language, like English, Spanish, Chinese, etc, instead of the native language (which is always Japanese).
Ecchi: Unwarranted sexual behavior or acts of anime characters, and it’s usually females who portray this behavior.
Fan fiction: A story that is written by fans and focuses on an already-created series.
Fan service: Elements or occurences in a series that are created to amuse or excite the audience but have no real relevance to the actual plot.
Fan Sub: When anime is subtitled by fans.
Gakuran: also called the tsume-eri (詰襟), is the uniform for many middle-school and high-school boys in Japan. The colour is normally black, but some schools use navy blue.
Gothloli: See above, but with a gothic theme.
Henshin:The japanese word for ” trasformation”.Henshin is usually done with the help of a magical object, a technological device, or simply through the character’s will, where the transformation is accompanied by word narration and a backing track. The hero(or main character) can transform into a more powerful form or change his appearance to fight his enemies ,namely the Villains. In many Japanese tales and legends, characters transform into animals, monsters, or supernatural beings to face challenges or solve problems.
Hentai: Sexual acts that are always perverted, abnormal and always pornographic.
Himedere:a Japanese term for a person
who demands to be treated like royalty by
their loved ones (princess complex).
Kawaii: the word for cute.

Kuudere: is a term for a character who               
appears calm and unemotional most of the time, 
but becomes cute and loving around their love interest. They don’t talk much and have a cold
uninterested attitude towards people who are not their love interest. Although it might not
appear like it at first, they are hiding a deep inner love that will start to come out after becoming closer to their love interest.
Lemon: Derived from hentai but features explicitly sexual material and is generally used in fanfiction as a warning to readers so that they know the story features adult material.
Light Novel:A style of Japanese novel, targeting teenagers and young adults. These novels contain mostly illustrations in anime or manga style. They are usually published in bunkobon size (A6 – 105 x 148mm).They are not very long,plus they are easier to read, due the text contains much simpler and easier to read modern kanji. .
Lolicon: Childlike female characters that are depicted erotically.
Mahou Shoujo/Magical Girl: A term for girls, secretly able to transform into superheroes with magical powers. These girls usually have pure hearts, kind souls, and powers that come from that purity and sweetness . They go through a transformation sequence before battle to turn into their magical alter ego and face the enemy.

Mangaka: The creator/author of a series. They often                                                                                      
are the writers and illustrators of their work – some team 
up with others to create manga.                        

Mecha: Abbreviation of the word Mechanical, it refers                                  
to giant robots, or machines typically depicted as piloted and as humanoid walking vehicles.

In many cases,mecha are depicted as fighting machines, combining of
potent weaponry with a more stylish combat technique than a mere vehicle.

Miko:A Miko (巫女), or shrine maiden,is a young                                                                                                                             

 priestess who works at a Shinto shrine. Miko were
once likely seen as shamans,but are understood
in modern Japanese culture to be an institutionalized role in daily life, trained to perform tasks, ranging from sacred cleansing to performing the sacred Kagura dance.

emotions, but still have a human body. These characters are also referred to as

a catgirl/catboy since neko can also just mean a normal cat.

Tokusatsu: Japanese word that literally means “special effects.” It is primarily used to refer to live-action Japanese film and television dramas that make use of special effects.It refers to science fiction, war, fantasy, or horror media featuring such technology but is sometimes dubbed a genre itself.
Tsuzuku: To be continued.

Tsundere:  Characters who are at first cold                                                                
and hostile towards the would-be lover,but eventually come to understand and accept his/her love
for him/her. So gradually shows their warm and
loving side. Sometimes, most characters are already
fairly kind and sweet, but hide it to avoid embarrassment

[Image to the right: Louise, from the “Zero no Tsukaima’ is a great,fine example of tsundere].

Uke: Passive partner in a male relationship.
Yandere: a person who seems sweet and nice at first glance but acts obsessive and violent when it comes to their love interest- most likely due to a significant event that changed their life in some way. For example,  Sasuke from the series Naruto is a Yandere character, at first he was very happy with his life until his brother murdered his family, which turned him into a revenge-driven, cold character with no need for friends.
Weeb/weaboo: a derisive term for a non-Japanese person who is extremely obsessed with Japanese culture and wishes they were actually Japanese.

Genres:
There are some similar genres, like Sci-fi, Action, Comedy, Romance and many others- but they also have a few other genres that aren’t used in the english language, but still apply for many series/movies that are created.
Cyberpunk:A science fiction genre in which the future world is portrayed dystopian,the society is largely controlled by computers, at the expense of daily life and social order.
Isekai:Different world” or “otherworld.” Isekai is a subgenre of fantasy anime, manga, and light novels.It typically follows a human character from our world who is transported, reincarnated, or trapped in a parallel, often magical world and has to live there temporarily or permanently, adapt to a different way of life, and assimilate.

Shounen: Created specifically for a young male audience and stereotypically entails action, violence, and fantasy elements. Examples include: Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, DragonBall and many more.
isekai: term about a person accidentally a normal person from Earth being transported to, reborn,(or otherwise trapped in a parallel universe or fantasy world).
Shoujo: Created specifically for a young female audience and stereotypically entail romance, drama and comedy. Examples include Ouran High School Host Club, Fruits Basket, Vampire Knight and many more.
Seinen: Created specifically for older male audienecs between the ages of 18-30.
Steampunk:A subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era,or the American “Wild West”, where steam power remains in mainstream use, or in a fantasy world that similarly employs steam.
Josei: Created specifically for older female audiences between the ages of 18-30.
Slice of Life: Gives us an insight into the lives of a set of characters and what they get up to in their every day lives.
Mecha: Big robots, ones that can usually be controlled by someone or something like a computer.
Shounen-ai: Focuses on the romantic relationship between two males.
Yaoi: Focuses on the sexual relationship between two males.
Shoujo-ai: Focuses on the romantic relationship between two females.
Yuri: Focuses on the sexual relationship between two females.
Harem: One male protagonist surrounded by a big cast of female characters.
Reverse Harem: One female protagonist surrounded by a big cast of male characters.