Happy Moe Day! Exploring the History of Moe Anime

Happy Moe Day! Today is October 10th! This date is written 十月十日 in Japanese, which looks like 萌え moe when written vertically. Let’s explore how the idea of moe took over the anime industry in this blog post!

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The History of Moe Characters in Anime

There have always been ridiculously cute anime characters who seemed to have been scientifically formulated to turn fans’ collective hearts into jelly and make us get out our wallets. I remember back in the ’80s, buying Macross plastic model kits I had no intention of putting together just because of the gorgeous art on the box.

The word 萌え moe (pronounced “moh-eh”) comes from 萌える moeru, which means “to bud” or “to sprout,” like a plant sprouting out of the ground. Phonetically, the word matches with 燃える moeru, “to burn.” In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the slang term 萌え moe came to represent super cute female characters in anime, manga and visual novels, as anime grew in popularity in Japan and worldwide.

What exactly is moe? It’s a somewhat ill-defined term that describes characters designed to be so cute they become irresistible to fans. We become quite unable to stop thinking of our waifu, obsessing over her and buying figures and artbooks for our collection.

The Elements of Moe

Some “elements of moe” include:

The characters should be endearingly cute and elicit feelings of affection and adoration from fans.
The characters are often incredibly innocent and naive about the world. They are often “smol” in size.

Fans must feel protective of the characters. If that means getting our credit cards out to buy something, so be it. We must protect them!
Often moe characters must have some weakness or character flaw that’s endearing to fans. This might take the form of extreme clumsiness, social anxiety, being scatterbrained, being shy or embarrassed, having bad eyesight/wearing glasses, having a unique verbal tic, and so on.

What’s in a weeb? I explore how this word came about in this blog post!

The Origins of the Word Moe

Where did the term moe come from? It’s unknown, unfortunately. Here are three theories:

The Dinosaur Planet Theory. According to Gainax founder Toshio Okada, the term might have come from 1993’s Dinosaur Planet. It featured a character named Moé.
The Sailor Saturn Theory. Another possibility is that the term moe arose from the extreme cuteness of Sailor Saturn from the Sailor Moon series. Her name in Japanese is Hotaru Tomoe / 土萠ほたる. Note that 萠 is an older version of 萌, and would have been more common before WWII.
The Fan Road Theory. Finally, another possibility for the origin of the term moe is from the reader contribution column of Fan Road magazine referring to Densetsu Kyoshin Ideon. This show was one of many “real robot” mecha series created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise outside the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise.

Wherever it came from, the term moe was used exclusively in otaku communities like 2ch and NIFTY-Serve as the internet exploded in popularity during the 1990s. What brought it out of the shadows was the popularity of the 2004 Densha Otoko drama, about a stylish girl who finds love with anime otaku. This popular drama introduced “Akiba-kei” themes to the wider world and helped turn being an otaku from a social negative to something neutral.

What Is ‘Gap Moe’?

Often, characters are made more endearing to fans through “gap moe.” This word describes the affection that can arise when a character behaves differently from how they’re expected to behave. This can take the form of a tsundere character blushing and showing vulnerability, a mature character acting in a childlike way, or an innocent character showing an unexpected interest in sex.

The Top 11 Moe Characters to Celebrate on Moe Day!

How can anyone possibly pick the “top” cute anime characters? It’s quite impossible, as the characters I choose will be different from the ones you’d go with. So here are 11 (slightly arbitrary) moe girls who represent the genre well!

Mikuru Asahina from Haruhi Is a Time Traveling Clumsy Girl

I love Mikuru-chan from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya because she shows us so many sides of herself. She’s a clumsy, bumbling “moe-blob” but also an elegant time-traveling onee-chan, at different times in the story. Incidentally, if you’re a Haruhi fan, you should definitely read the Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons. The novel gets a lot of shout-outs in the anime.

Nezuko Kamado Is the Anime Sister We Want to Protect

Who could represent “gap moe” better than a cute, innocent younger sister who becomes a demon when someone threatens her brother?

Kaede Azusagawa from Bunny Girl Senpai

Another cute anime sister is Kaede-chan. She wears full-body panda pajamas and is too scared to leave her house.

Nadeko Sengoku from Monogatari Series

Although all the girls in Monogatari bring different forms of moe to the table, I really love Nadeko-chan for her extremely cute character design, which can only be described as “weaponized moe.” Having her be voiced by queen-of-seiyuu Kana Hanazawa is the cherry on top.

Sylphiette from Mushoku Tensei

Another fun character that explores moe themes is Sylphy from my favorite isekai anime, Jobless Reincarnation. I love this anime because it shows us the developments of all the characters’ lives over decades, from childhood to marriage and beyond.

Miyuki Takara from Lucky Star

Lucky Star was one of those landmark series that helped define what it meant to be an anime otaku. I loved the scene where Konata analyzed how Miyuki’s personality was comprised of “elements of moe.” Like wearing glasses, being clumsy, and being very polite and soft-spoken. Miyuki is also scared to go to the dentist, adding to her character’s charm.

Shiro from No Game No Life is Irresistible

Another popular moe character anime fans can’t get enough of! Can you believe Shiro’s voice actress is Ai Kayano, who voices such wildly different characters as Menma, Utaha-senpai and top anime MILF Mamako Oosuki?

Elpeo Ple and Ple Two From ZZ Gundam

Who is the “first” moe character? While many fans point to Claris from Lupin The Third: Cagliostro’s Castle, I have a different take. I believe that Elpeo Ple (and her evil clone, Ple Two) from 1986’s ZZ Gundam started the whole super-cute anime business. Do you agree with me?

Taiga Aikaga from Toradora

The quintessential tsundere character is also one of the best examples of moe. The way she perfected the 80% tsun, 20% dere archetype, always giving fans that sweet emotional payoff when we most needed it, made her one of my favorite characters.

Kanna from Kobayashi Dragon Maid Is the Smile We Want to Protect

I’m fascinated at how Japanese voice actresses can create an entire genre with their skillful voice acting. Japanese seiyuu Maria Naganawa found an excellent niche for herself voicing Kanna from Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid. She also voiced Platelet-chan from Cells At Work! and Laffey from Azur Lane. And if you want more “gap moe,” she voices Kamuri in the surprisingly sexual yuri show Slow Start, which I also love.

Rikka Takanashi Is Peak Moe

Finally, what character could possibly represent the ideals of moe better than Rikka from Love, Chuunibyo and Other Delusions? She has a super cute character design complete with eye patch, is extremely vulnerable emotionally, and is clumsy. She also has chuunibyo and imagines she has superpowers. How cute is that?

Thanks for reading this blog post about Moe Day, and the best moe characters to enjoy. Who are your top moe girls? Tell us in the comments below!