What is Waifu?

If you’ve been on social media for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the term “waifu” being tossed around. But what exactly does it mean?

In short, a waifu is an anime character or other figure that someone has a particularly strong emotional attachment to. It’s not necessarily romantic in nature, though they are often portrayed as such. In the West we’d likely refer to a waifu as a “fledgling fandom celebrity” or something similar. It’s quite common for people to have a waifu and to express their love and admiration for them.

Waifu Culture

Waifu culture is thriving in Japan, where people often refer to their favorite animated character in a legally married format as their “wife”. This love for animated characters is often based around the idea of “waifu-ism”, which is a term used to describe a very devoted and passionate relationship with an anime character, with affirmations such as “this anime character is the one for me!” written in their profile or social media descriptions.

In many cases, those who see their waifu as a real person in the virtual world, start to build relationships and social connections with other people who also share the same love towards their waifu. This includes exchanging gifts, sharing stories, and having general conversations about their waifu.

How Waifu Culture Affects Us

The waifu culture has a strong presence in modern day Japan, especially amongst millennials, who tend to enjoy the idea of a fictional character that they can interact with online. This creates a sense of closeness and attachment and enables young people to express themselves, while also providing an avenue to connect with others who share their interests.

It’s often argued that the waifu culture can be a negative influence, as it can be seen as promoting an unhealthy attachment and furthering the depiction of women as objects, with very little to no agency or control. However, it’s important to recognize that the culture itself is often a reflection of how society views and interacts with anime characters and that those participating don’t always mean to perpetuate negative stereotypes.

Ultimately, it’s up to each individual to decide what the waifu culture means to them and how to use their fandom in a healthy and respectful manner. But for now, it looks like the waifu culture isn’t going away anytime soon.