Japan is releasing one buzzword ranking after another as the year comes to an end. The latest ranking names Oshi no Ko and its related terms as top runners.
Oshi no Ko ruled the web in 2023
Wednesday’s 2023 award ceremony for the Web’s Top 100 Buzzwords, or Netto-Ryūkōgo-100 (ネット流行語100) crowned Oshi no Ko (推しの子) in first place.
Oshi no Ko is a manga turned anime exploring the idol industry’s underbelly and reached the top on MyAnimeList while becoming HIDIVE’s biggest anime launch of all time.
The Japanese manga series earned the most searches on the online dictionaries Nico Nico Pedia and Pixiv Encyclopedia, according to the awarding hosts. It also spread across the larger popular culture. In August 2023, when idol Fujisaki Nagi revealed that she had two children, some fans online referred to the situation as a “real-life Oshi no Ko”.
The story also met with some controversy due to its intersection with the death of former Terrace House star and wrestler Kimura Hana. Kimura’s mother, Kyoko, criticized the manga/anime for a story she felt too closely mimicked that of her daughter’s.
The hosts of the annual ranking since 2018 are content creator platform Pixiv Inc. and media company Dwango Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the publishing house Kadokawa.
Nominations are mostly from manga and game jargon, compared to U-CAN’s buzzword ranking that mines social media and mainstream news for the year’s hot and new buzzwords, or ryūkōgo (流行語).
Instant fame in print and music
Earlier this month on December 1st, U-CAN named the Hanshin Tiger’s 2023 season’s mantra “A.R.E” as the most trending word among other top ten picks like Atarashii Gakko no Leaders (dancer and vocalist band), kaeruka-genshō (ick response to reciprocated love), and yami-baito (shady jobs).
Less than two weeks later, Pixiv and Dwango jointly announced the major hit by manga artist Aka Akasaka (赤坂アカ) and illustrator Mengo Yokoyari (横槍メンゴ) as their ranking’s winner.
Oshi no Ko, also “My Favorite Idol” in English, has appeared in Weekly Young Jump since Japan’s largest publishing company Shūeisha (集英社) serialized it in April 2020.
Its official English version debuted in January this year under the American publisher Yen Press, co-owned by Kadokawa.
Selling over a total of 15 million copies in tankōbon (単行本), or standalone book volumes, the manga gained even more fame in April this year when its anime broadcast began.
Around the time of its pilot episode’s broadcast, Oshi no Ko became the number one world trend on X (formerly known as Twitter). The theme song “Idol” by YAOSOBI pushed the trend even further when many fans reused the track on TikTok.
Oshi no Ko lyrics inspire new phrase
A phrase from the lyrics of the song “Idol” followed Oshi no Ko in the buzzword rankings to secure second place.
The phrase Perfect and Ultimate Getter, or Kanpeki de Kyūkyoku no Getter (完璧で究極のゲッター) in Japanese won runner-up in Pixiv and Dwango’s rankings.
The similar melodies for the chorus lyrics in Idol and another song, “STORM,” for the 2000 to 2001 animated videos for the Getter Robo series inspired the phrase.
The lyrics of each song are as follows.
From Idol: Dazzling everyone’s eyes, You’re a perfect and ultimate idol
Japanese: Daremo ga Me wo Ubawareteku Kimi wa Kanpeki de Kyūkyoku no Idol (誰もが目を奪われていく 君は完璧で究極のアイドル )
From STORM: Embracing the storm of hot rage, Fly out to fight, Getter
Japanese: Atsuki Ikari no Arashi wo Daite Tatakau Tameni Tobidase Getter (熱き怒りの嵐を抱いて 戦うために飛び出せゲッター)
Other top runners
Oshi no Ko left yet another mark in the top rankings with the series’ main character Ai’s name coming in fourth place.
Third place belongs to the heroic fantasy television series Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger (王様戦隊キングオージャー), the 47th installment in Toei Company’s Super Sentai Series that premiered on March 5th this year.
In Fifth place was the action video game “ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON” followed by “Satsuma Hogwarts,” a concept that emerged following the release of the game Hogwarts Legacy which came out this February.
Sources
[1] 「ネット流行語100」2023年間大賞は『【推しの子】』に決定！2位はなんと「君は完璧のゲッター」、新設のネット新語賞には「薩摩ホグワーツ」が進出. 電ファミニコゲーマー
[2] ＜速報＞2023年新語・流行語大賞に「アレ（A.R.E.）」トップテンも決まる. 産経新聞
[3] Oshi no Ko (manga). Oshi no Ko Wiki
[4] Breakout Shows (April 15 – 21, 2023): New anime series “Oshi no Ko” takes the charts by storm with a 123% increase in demand. Parrot Analytics
[5] Perfect and Ultimate Getter. Know Your Meme
[6] Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger. RangerWiki
