ACG (subculture)
The ACG is an abbreviation of "Anime, Comic and Games", used in some subcultures of Greater China. Because a strong economic and cultural connection exists between anime, manga and games in the Japanese market, ACG is used to describe this phenomenon in relative fields.[1] The term refers in particular to Japanese anime, manga and video games, with the video games usually referring to galgames. The term is not normally translated into Chinese; if the meaning needs to be translated, it is usually "動漫遊戲" (dòngmànyóuxì, animation, comics and games), "two-dimensional space" (二次元, Èr cìyuán; Japanese: 2次元, romanized: nijigen) or "動漫遊" (dòngmànyóu, animation, comics and games).
Etymology
In 1995, a Taiwanese fan of animation and comics using the name "AIplus" established a board at National Sun Yat-sen University's BBS; the board was named the "ACG_Review Board", referring to animation, comics and games. It is considered the first appearance of the term "ACG".[2] Popularizing by Taiwanese anime and comics critique group Shuffle Alliance, the arrangement of the three letters was stabilized, and the term became popular on the Chinese Mainland, in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
After light novels, which were adapted from anime, comics and video games, became more popular, the term "ACGN" was coined. However, the term ACG is still used in the majority of situations and is generally thought to include light novels even without "N."
In other regions
Japanese do not use the term ACG, though a similar concept is "MAG", meaning "Manga, Anime and Games". Japanese speakers usually use Nijigen (2次元, lit. "Two-dimensional space") to refer a series of anime and manga culture (containing light novels and garage kits). The Otaku culture (オタク文化, Otaku bunka) refers to the related-subculture,[3] while Otaku industry (オタク産業, Otaku sangyō) refers to related industries.
The term ACG is not prevalent in English-speaking regions.
See also
Notes and references
- 张, 亮 (2003-02-23). "日本动漫产业启示录". 南风窗 (in Chinese). 广州日报报业集团: 60–64. ISSN 1004-0641. LCCN 87642069.
- CCSX (24 August 2009). Dead or Alive──台灣阿宅啟示錄 [Dead or Alive — Revelation of Taiwanese Omonetaku]. 阿宅,你已經死了! (in Chinese). Taiwan: 時報出版公司. p. 31. ISBN 978-957-13-5065-3. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
- For example: "朝日新聞までもが危惧し始めた「世界に広がるオタク文化」の幻想と危機的状況". カルチャー. 日刊サイゾー (in Japanese). Cyzo. 2011-02-13.