Character Tag Guidelines

cassiesheepgirl · Jan 14, 2011

General Guidelines for Tagging

Tags are a useful feature of the character database; not only do they make it easy for you to browse all characters of a certain type (such as searching for all pirates), but they also play a large role in the similar characters function. Therefore, it’s essential that the tags used adhere to the guidelines we have set up. First off, here are a couple of points to remember when tagging a character:

Relevance:
A tag must be a major element of the character. For example, individuals that are seen cooking a lot, or have jobs as chefs get the cook tag, but if a character is only shown in the kitchen once that is NOT enough to warrant the tag. Likewise a lot of the appearance-based tags such as facial hair should only be used on those that have constant stubble/beards/mustaches, if someone occasionally wakes up with stubble on their chin, they do NOT qualify.

Accuracy:
Tags applied MUST be accurate. If someone happens to be a bit of a grump, we will NOT tag them with tsundere. It’s better to leave tags off of a character than to mark them with the next best thing or tag them inaccurately. A motto the moderators use is 'When in doubt, leave it out'.

Spoilers:
By policy we do NOT reveal spoilers in any aspect of the character entries, including both descriptions and spoilers. If it would ruin the plot of the anime or manga, it isn't added. For example, in a show where a character is a ghost, but that fact is not revealed until mid-way through/the end, we would not tag ghost. We generally only tag initial appearance/traits for this reason.

Notes About Certain Tag Groups

Age Tags:
Except ageless, all age tags have a start and end year cutoff, and we only tag if we know the exact age - we don't guess based on appearance. For example, Mika from Doki Doki School Hours, looks like a little child, but she’s 27, therefore she gets the adult tag.

If a character ages through a series, we currently do not tag them with an age. There are only two exceptions to this rule. The first is Naruto. Before the time skip the characters were 12 - only JUST outside of the teenager bracket, then in Shippuuden, they are teenagers, so they have been tagged as such since they only just missed it first time round. The second would be if the first episode of a series documents the very early life of a character before settling into the main story of person X as a teenager or adult. In this sense, while showing a progression of age, it should be treated no differently from a flashback - you wouldn’t tag the likes of Nami from One Piece as a baby or a child just because a few episodes focused on her younger years.

Combat Based Tags:
We have a selection of tags based around fighting techniques, which include: sword fighter, gunslinger, martial artist, archer and magic user. In general characters would only get ONE of these tags. These tags are used to show any given characters primary method of fighting. For example, Jigen from the Lupin III franchise fights off enemies with his trusty magnum; he doesn’t interchange between a variety of different weapons. The only exceptions to this come with the magic user tag. The likes of Erza from Fairy Tail receive both the magic user and sword fighter tags because her primary method of fighting is to use her magic to equip various summoned swords and armor. If a character uses magic to summon one more than one type of weapon on a regular basis - i.e. one week they whip out a pistol, the next a longsword, then an axe etc - they would NOT get any tags other than the magic user tag.

Student Tags:
Currently, we only tag Elementary, Middle, High School and University Student tags when the type of school is explicitly defined. IE, if a character attends formal education that is not a traditional type of school, we currently do NOT tag them with a student tag.

Like with age tags, if a character progresses through different tiers of education throughout the course of the series, they do NOT receive any student tags.

Appearance tags:
All appearance tags should be added based on a character’s main/default visage. This includes the likes of physical attributes (facial hair, heterochromia etc.) as well as accessories (glasses, hats, bandanas etc.). If the character wears glasses for the majority/all of the time then they WOULD get the tag, however if they only need glasses for reading and only occasionally use them, then they would NOT get the tag.

Note: The full set of guidelines is long, so for the sake of space, the guideline for each individual tag is behind a spoiler tag.

Tag Guidelines - A-M:

Ageless:

This tag should be used on characters who are immortal or do not physically age. This means that the tag can be used on ghosts (they’re already dead and will not age) as well as youkai, deities, vampires, and demons provided that it is appropriate. The tag should NOT be blindly added to all of the previous examples because some vampires, demons and youkai may actually age. Also, this tag should NOT be used in conjunction with any of the other age tags - since while a character may look like an old man, they cannot be ageless AND elderly. This tag should NOT be used if the character’s lack of aging is in any way a spoiler.

Archer:

The archer tag is to be used on characters who wield a bow and arrow. This covers the likes of individuals who fight PRIMARILY with a bow and arrow, such as Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke, as well as characters that are part of an archery club at school - like Doumeki from xxxHolic. Characters that PRIMARILY fight with crossbows, such as Kureha from Night Wizard WOULD also get the tag.

Armor:

This tag is for characters who wears armor for the majority of the time they are onscreen. There are certain things to bear in mind when using this tag.

Partial Armor
Characters who only wear partial armor such as shoulder guards or breast plates worn over their regular clothing WOULD qualify for the tag.

Leather/Fabric Armor
While not metal armor, protective equipment made of leather or any other soft fabric WOULD also count for the armor tag.

Suits of Armor
Characters that are purely suits of armor such as Al from Fullmetal Alchemist do NOT get the tag since it’s what they are not what they wear.

Androids and Armor
In general androids would NOT get the armor tag however if their design is that of a regular human wearing armor then they WOULD qualify.

Artificial Intelligence (A.I.):

The Artificial Intelligence tag is for those characters who - as the name states - are artificially created lifeforms. Whether they’re created by humans, aliens or some accidental coding doesn’t matter, so long as they do NOT have a physical body and are NOT natural lifeforms then they will most likely get the tag. However, since this can be a more complicated area, here is a break down of what does and does not count;

Robots/Androids:
If a character is either a robot or an android then they would NOT get the tag. This is for the pure and simple reason that while they may be artificially created they have a physical body, albeit a robotic/mechanical one.

Computer Programs/Viruses:
Computer programs or viruses that have an intelligence of their own WOULD get the artificial intelligence tag, as they have been created through non-natural means and do not have a physical body; they exist solely as data. Should these programs inhabit a robotic body then they would NOT get the tag, and should instead be marked as either robot or android where appropriate.

Holograms:
By nature of holograms not having a physical body yet exhibiting intelligence, these characters WOULD get the tag.

Humans Trapped in a Virtual World:
In the odd case that a human character becomes trapped in a virtual world, they would NOT qualify for the tag. This is because while their thought processes, soul or whatever is currently not residing in their physical body they do technically have one. They are humans and therefore are NOT artificially created.

Digimon:
While digimon can cause physical damage in the real world, they solely exist as data, thus they WOULD qualify for the tag as they do not inhabit a physical body.

Video Game Characters:
Video game characters are a tougher one and depends solely on one thing: is a human person controlling the character? If the answer to that is yes, then the character would NOT get the tag. This includes a large portion of the .hack//SIGN cast who while shown solely through their appearance within the virtual world, are in fact human beings sitting at a computer. Should there be an anomaly in the virtual world where there is a character who is NOT being controlled by anyone but is acting of their own free will, then they WOULD get the tag as they have no physical body behind them.

Artists:

The artist tag is for characters who are particularly artistic and creative. This tag can be applied to those who use their artistry in their line of work - such as Mikiko from Animation Runner Kuromi - or those who are part of an art club/go to a specialised art school - such as basically the entire casts of G.A. Geijutsuka Art Design Class and Hidamari Sketch. Also, characters who paint, sculpt or create any kind of art for hobbies qualify for the tag. Finally there are odd cases, such as Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist and Deidara from Naruto who are also tagged as artists since they not only constantly refer to themselves as such, but they use their own creative flair in their attacks - such as Deidara’s various bomb sculptures.

Assassins:
See Mercenaries/Bounty Hunters/Assassins.

Athletes:

The athlete tag is for characters that partake in sports activities. This covers the likes of baseball players, soccer players, basketball players, tennis players, and track and field athletes. It also extends to the slightly more obscure sports such as those who are in an Archery club at school (note: archers in warfare do NOT get this tag).

The below list contains specific sports tags that, if applicable to the character in question, should be used in conjunction with the athlete tag:

Baseball Players
This tag is for characters that play baseball. The Baseball Player tag should be used on those who are professional baseball players, or those in the baseball club at their school. In the odd occasion where an individual is not part of an formal organization, the tag should only be used if playing baseball is a significant part of their character.

Basketball Players
This tag is for characters who play basketball. To qualify for the tag the individual in question should either be a professional basketball player, or should be part of a basketball club at school. The Basketball Player tag should NOT be used for characters who only play basketball once or twice for recreation with friends.

Ice Skaters
This tag pertains to characters who have some manner of proficiency in the performance art of ice skating. These characters must perform professionally, as recreational ice skaters are NOT covered by the tag.

Soccer Players
This tag is for characters that play soccer. To qualify for the tag the individual in question should be a regular member of a soccer team, either professional or amateur and should be a large part of their personality. It should NOT be used for characters who only play soccer on rare occasion. For example, while Hitsugaya from Bleach is shown playing soccer with Karin's team on more than one occasion he would NOT qualify for the tag since it is not an important part of his personality and barely features.

Swimmers
This tag is for characters who are swimmers. To qualify for the tag the individual in question should be a part of the swim team at school, or should be a member of some kind of formal swimming organization. This tag should NOT be used for characters who happen to swim once whilst at a public swimming pool or beach.

Tennis Players
This tag is for characters who frequently play tennis. In order to qualify for the tag, the individual should be part of a formal tennis organization, be it professionally or as part of a school club. Also, in order to get the tag, tennis should be a big part of the character's life or be important to their role in the story. For example, Nanjirou Echizen from Prince of Tennis is a former tennis pro, and even though he is no longer competing he WOULD still qualify for the tag since he is shown playing and it is a crucial part of his identity.

Track and Fielders
Track and Fielders actively participate in track and field events, which usually take place on a large, flat field surrounded by a running track. Dashes, hurdles and relay races are a few examples of track events, while field events tend to involve throwing javelins or shot puts or participating in high or long jumps.

Wrestlers
This tag pertains to characters who have some manner of proficiency in the sport of wrestling. Whether the characters are practitioners of sumo wrestling, lucha libre, or regular wrestling does not matter, as characters that participate in any of the three qualify for the tag. Despite the apparent similarity between some martial arts and wrestling, a character that qualifies as a wrestler cannot be tagged with martial artist unless they are proficient in a martial art in addition to their wrestling skills.

Axe Wielders:

The Axe-Wielder tag applies to characters that wield an axe as their primary weapon. The size of the blade and stock is not relevant; so long as the weapon is fitted with an axe blade and has some stock to it, the tag applies. Pole-axes, which are polearms with an axe blade affixed to the top, ARE covered by the tag.

Babies:

This tag should be used for characters who are aged 2 and under. If they are 3 and above they get the child tag instead.

Balding:

The Balding tag refers to characters who are noticeably losing hair, but are not completely bald. This tag covers those who have large bald spots on top of their head, such that there is only hair on the sides, those with an extreme case of receding hairline (like the aptly named Baldini from Eyeshield 21), as well as characters who only have very few strands of hair on their head. Characters should NOT be tagged if a hat is worn to cover it up, and the revelation of his or her balding is a spoiler.

Bandages

Another relatively easy one to implement. If a character has bandages as part of their regular appearance such as Danzou from Naruto and Kuukaku from Bleach they get the tag. It should also be noted that it is not only facial/head bandages that count. If a character always wears bandages around their arms/hands or their waist, then they also qualify - many martial artists are shown with bandages to protect their hands etc. Finally, those characters who constantly wear band-aids - such as Kenichi from History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi - then they will also get the tag. Those who only ever have bandages when they are injured do NOT count - therefore be very careful if tagging based on the character image alone. For example, the likes and Minotaurus from One Piece has bandages in his pictures, however it is not part of his default appearance - it was simply a pain to get a decent non-bandaged image of him.

Bandana:

This tag should be used for characters who wear bandanas as part of their regular appearance. It doesn’t matter if it’s worn around the head like Kaidou from Prince of Tennis, around the neck, such as Bisca from Fairy Tail or even if it varies, like Zoro from One Piece who wears his bandana on his head when in a serious fight, but otherwise keeps it on his arm. It also doesn’t matter if the character in question wears the bandana across his entire head, or simply around his forehead - such as the likes of T.K. from Angel Beats, if the bandana is a normal part of their appearance, the character gets the tag.

Barefoot:

The Barefoot tag applies to characters who, for one reason or another, never wear shoes nor socks - think Ed from Cowboy Bebop. While there are circumstances in which characters may be without shoes, the character’s preference for being barefoot must be a character trait that persists for the majority of that character’s screen time. The age of the character is also relevant, as babies do not have the agency to wear shoes or not and therefore should NOT be tagged. Minor characters (particularly young children), who are briefly shown to be barefoot, should NOT be tagged, as it cannot be determined whether it is a core character trait.

Bartender:

The bartender tag refers to characters that manage a bar, whether through serving drinks, cleaning glasses, or giving advice to a patron. These characters do not necessarily need to dress like the stereotypical bartender, but they are required to be a bartender by profession.

Baseball Players:
See Athletes.

Basketball Players:
See Athletes.

Bassists:
See Musicians.

Battle Gamers:

The battle gamer tag should be used on characters who partake in battle games such as those in the likes of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Beyblade and Cardfight!! Vanguard. This tag should NOT be used for the likes of Pokemon trainers or Digimon tamers, they would instead get the monster trainer tag. Likewise, characters the play video games would NOT get the tag, nor would battles between non-human characters such as the A.I. battles in Megaman NT Warrior. The key is that if a character uses an inanimate object in their battles, be they cards, toys or whatever, then they WOULD get the tag.

Big Eaters:

This tag, as suggested by its title, is for characters who eat... a LOT. This tag is NOT for characters that simply appear to have a large appetite, but don’t eat excessively. The likes of Gigi from Ristorante Paradiso do NOT get this tag, because while he’s basically silent and he spends a lot of time eating, his appetite isn’t excessive. The sort of characters who DO get this tag are the Luffy’s and Chouji’s of the world. Here are a few points to look out for when considering this tag:

Rumbling Stomach:
Often those that qualify for the big eater tag wander around complaining that they’re hungry, or that they haven’t had anything to eat in a couple of hours - think of the likes of Natsu from Fairy Tail.

Insatiable Appetite:
If a character has been scoffing down his food and is STILL hungry or seems to have a black hole in their gut instead of a stomach, then this is a pretty damn good indication that they deserve the big eater tag.

Snatching Food From Other People’s Plates:
Sometimes characters that fall into the big eater category are not always satisfied with the food on their own plates and will grab from other people’s.

Ridiculously Large Portions:
Big eaters are often shown with either humongous mountains of food ready to be eaten or they may be shown with piles upon piles of empty dishes.

Distended Stomach:
Though this generally only happens in comedic series, when the character has finally finished munching away on their mountain of grub, if they suddenly have a rather large gut to showcase the sheer volume of food they’ve inhaled, then it’s a pretty clear indication that this character is a big eater.

Always Has Food:
If a character is constantly whipping out food from various places on their body, or is ALWAYS seen with food then they are likely a big eater.

If a character has at least two or more of these qualities they qualify for the big eater tag. Simply one may not work, since there are many examples of characters who have one of these traits but aren’t big eaters. For example, the various martial arts masters in History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi often snatch food from Kenichi’s plate, but they aren’t big eaters.

Big Ego:

When thinking about how to use the big ego tag, here are a few things to bear in mind:

High Opinion of Oneself:
This is the number one thing to look out for. If a character thinks extremely highly of themselves or believes the sun to shine out of their backside, then they qualify for the tag. This may often be demonstrated with a certain amount of over-confidence, where they think they can do what they cannot, or may believe themselves to be far more intelligent, stronger or more powerful than anyone around them. They may also believe themselves to be “God’s gift to women (or men)” such as the likes of Ayame from Fruits Basket.

Bragging:
If a character brags a lot about things they’ve accomplished or can do AND this is mixed with an unrelenting self-confidence, then they would get the tag. Simple bragging on its own does not suffice as you will encounter characters such as Usopp from One Piece who spends a lot of time bragging about his various adventures and thousands of subordinates, but he certainly does NOT have a big ego.

Vanity:
If a character is particularly vain and thinks that they are stunningly handsome or drop dead gorgeous, then they DO qualify for the big ego tag, since they clearly think a lot of themselves. A prime example of an exceptionally vain character with the tag is Yumichika from Bleach.

Big Nose:

The big nose tag is for exactly what it says and are for characters that have particularly huge noses. They don’t have to be repulsive as such, but if they are excessively large, or so long that Pinocchio would be in awe then they WOULD get the tag.

This tag should NOT be used when large noses are a part of the visual style. For example, though the cast of Ristorante Paradiso have large noses for anime and manga, that is down to the artistic design and is not character-specific, whereas the likes of Usopp from One Piece has a long nose that isn’t a standard character design, thus he DOES qualify for the tag. Likewise noses simply being large for anime or manga but are actually normal-sized in terms of real life do NOT qualify for the tag.

Biker:

This tag should be used on characters who often ride motorcycles, such as Celty from Durarara!!. This does NOT include characters that ride other vehicles like bicycles or scooters. Weird hybrids, such as the one ridden by Michiko from Michiko to Hatchin also do not qualify.

Birds:
See Animals.

Bisexual:
See Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual.

Blacksmith:

Characters that qualify for this tag are those who create weapons, whether through traditional methods: utilizing hammers, anvils, fire, and the like, or unorthodox methods. As long as they are taking raw materials (in particular iron or steel) and making weapons through some sort of forging process they are a blacksmith. This naturally includes swordsmiths and gunsmiths.

Blind:

The Blind tag refers to characters, such as Tousen from Bleach, who have the unfortunate disability of being unable to see. A temporary onset of blindness, or a blindness that gets cured within a small amount of time, would not qualify the character for the tag. Whether or not the character has the ability to see with second sight, or through some other manner of power, does not matter. This tag SHOULD be double tagged with the Disabled tag.

Bloodthirsty:

This is often one of the most misused tags with people attempting to tag any character that even vaguely enjoys fighting, it is slightly more specific than people may imagine. To help figure out when to use bloodthirsty and when not to here are a few things to look for:

Enjoyment of Defeating an Opponent:
This is a MUST for any character who gets this tag. When bloodthirsty characters get into a fight they should inflict serious damage and injury, or result in the complete destruction or decimation of their opponent. The character should find great pleasure in the defeat of their opponent, if they do not enjoy beating the other guy into a pulp then they do NOT qualify for the tag.

Enjoyment of Fighting:
This is another important factor for getting this tag. Bloodthirsty characters should revel in killing people and generally get a massive high from engaging in combat; they wouldn’t shy away from a fight and are probably more likely to start one. Basically they need more than just a passing interest in fighting AND they should get pleasure from the defeat of their opponent. If having a bout with someone and spilling their blood is how they get their kicks, then the character in question WOULD get the tag. Two prime examples of people who gets pleasure from battle is Kenpachi from Bleach and Kimblee from Fullmetal Alchemist.

Need for Battle:
This is not a desperate necessity for getting the tag, but if a character feels that they have an absolute NEED to fight with others - whether it is to sate their twisted desires or for some other dark reason - it is likely that they would get the tag. That being said, it should be coupled with at least some enjoyment in battle. If the character in question detests fighting but must, they they would NOT be bloodthirsty - just forced into a really messed up situation.

Enjoyment of Inflicting Pain:
If a character simply enjoys inflicting pain, then they would NOT get the bloodthirsty tag, instead they should be marked up as sadistic.

Vampires:
Just in case anyone is tempted to take the name of this tag literally, unless a vampire happens to meet the requirements stated above, they do NOT automatically get the tag for simply wanting to drink blood. While their nature as a vampire may make them thirsty for the red liquid, it does NOT make them bloodthirsty.

To qualify for this tag, it is important that the character in question have both the first two points mentioned otherwise they would not get it. For example, the masters in History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi are NOT bloodthirsty, yet they enjoy fighting. They gain pleasure from practicing their martial arts and by nature of their skill level, they inflict massive damage. HOWEVER, they do not gain pleasure in the complete and utter defeat of their opponent, but more in the testing of skills beforehand.

Board Game Players:

This tag is for those people for whom the playing of board games is a large part of their character. The playing of the game in question should have an important role in the plot of the anime/manga, so while Shikamaru from Naruto is frequently seen playing shogi, this is not a hugely important aspect of either his character or the narrative, thus he does NOT qualify for the tag. There are many games that would qualify a character for this tag such as Mahjong, Shogi, Go, Chess etc, and covers the likes of Hikaru from Hikaru no Go, Ayumi from Shion no Oh, and Akagi from Akagi.

Bodyguards:

The bodyguard tag is for characters who are professional bodyguards. To qualify for the tag, the individual in question must be paid specifically to guard or protect another person. If a specific character is not necessarily referred to having been a hired bodyguard, but is often referred to as such, then they WOULD also qualify for the tag. In the case of butlers who also act as their master’s bodyguards, they WOULD be tagged with both butler and bodyguard if they are actively shown to be protecting their master - such as in combat. A good example of this is the likes of Sebastian from Kuroshitsuji who often fights against Ciel’s enemies to keep his master safe.

This should NOT be used for non-professionals who claim to be a bodyguard, but are actually just stalking their target - think the likes of Sanae in Shinryaku!? Ika Musume during the episode where she becomes Ika-chan’s “Secret service” agent.

Bookworms:

The bookworms tag should only be used for characters who are frequently found with their head in a book. If they are almost constantly reading, or their love of books is often referenced to, then they would get the tag. This includes the likes of Nodoka from Mahou Sensei Negima, Tabitha from Zero no Tsukaima and Hiiragi from Hanamaru Youchien, but does NOT cover casual readers or those who only reference self-help books, such as the likes of Kenichi from History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi. Likewise, those who spend hours on end reading manga should NOT be given this tag, as they should instead be considered for otaku.

Bossy:

Unsurprisingly, this tag is for those characters who are particularly bossy. To qualify for the tag, the individual in question should frequently attempt to order people around, or control their lives. This tag should NOT simply be used for characters in a position of authority that have to give orders to their subordinates - in those cases the giving of orders is part of their job not their personality. A prime example of a character who often bosses people around is Haruhi from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Bounty Hunters:
See Mercenaries/Bounty Hunters/Assassins.

Boxers:

The simplest explanation of how to use this tag is that if the character is a boxer, they get the tag. This counts for characters who are either boxers currently - such as Ippo from Hajime no Ippo - or formerly should it play a reasonable role in the story or in their personal history - see Eiji from Antique Bakery and Takeda from History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi.

Breathtaking Beards:

As one of our more fun tags, this can be one of the more subjective ones out there. In order to qualify for the breathtaking beard tag, the facial fuzz itself should be something that draws the attention. The two main things to bear in mind for this is the following:

Size:
If a beard is particularly large the the character in question WOULD qualify for the tag. This covers the likes of long beards such as that of Yamamoto from Bleach and Heizou from Tsuyokiss Cool x Sweet or large bushy offerings like that of Heracles from One Piece. There may also be occasional times where it looks like the beard in question has gone out of control and has attempted to take over the entire face, in these cases the character definitely gets the tag - see Leonardo da Vinci from Mari & Gali.

Shape:
If the beard has a bizarre shape to it then the character WOULD qualify for the tag. This covers the likes of Sengoku’s plaited beard and Professor Clover’s distinctly groomed effort in One Piece.

This tag works in conjunction with the Facial Hair tag. In other words, if a character has a breathtaking beard then they must have facial hair, thus they should get the tag. Though implied through the tag, this is one of the occasions where we use both together - as opposed to other times when we use one or the other (such as the Samurai/Sword Fighter situation)

Broken Record:

The Broken Record tag is for characters that repeat the same thing over and over again – more often than not it involves them standing around yelling the hero’s name while looking somewhat useless. For example, Orihime from Bleach has a nasty habit of being utterly useless (until she decides to heal the enemy then she’s just damn stupid) and she just stands there yelling ‘Kurosaki-kun!’ for half an episode.
Now, for things that DO NOT warrant the Broken Record tag:

Catchphrases:
This covers the likes of Ryouma Echizen from Prince of Tennis. His catchphrase is ‘Mada Mada Dane’ and he repeats it an awful lot throughout the series. However, the sheer nature of a catchphrase is that you EXPECT to hear it a lot.

Ending sentences with certain words:
If you have a character that ends their sentences with the same word repeatedly, this doesn’t get the broken record tag. Instead you need to look at possibly giving the character the Verbal Tic tag instead.

Limited Vocabulary:
Characters with a very limited vocabulary – such as those who can only say their name do not get this tag. After all, it’s not as if they choose to abandon all the words in the world in favour of repeating a select few, they just physically cannot say anything else.

Brother Complex/Sister Complex:

The brother and sister complex tags are for individuals who take an exceptionally strong and positive interest in their siblings. For example, while Takanashi from Working!! has issues with his sisters, it is more from his negative reactions towards them, hence he would NOT qualify for the tag. There are two main ways that a character can qualify for this tag:

Romantic Attachment
In the case where a character has a romantic interest in their sibling, they WOULD get for the tag. For example, Belarus from Hetalia DOES qualify for the tag because she exhibits clear, and rather terrifyingly stalkerish behavior towards her brother, Russia, with the intention of becoming his bride. It should be noted that only characters with confirmed romantic attachments should be tagged. If there is no canon indication of romantic attachment, then the character would NOT be tagged, no matter how many fans claim that they are so hot for their brother/sister. There must be definite incestuous intent, and not simply supposition in order to warrant the tag.

Over-Protectiveness
There are many cases where a sibling may be particularly over-protective of their brother or sister. If the character in question displays behaviour that borders on the obsessive, then they WOULD get the tag. However it should be noted that the drive to protect should be obsessive within the context of the show. For example, the likes of Yasumi from Potemayo who is constantly obsessing over his sister's love life WOULD get the tag, however, while Luffy from One Piece goes to extraordinary lengths to protect his brother, within the context, he does NOT have a brother complex and therefore would NOT get the tag.

Bully:

This tag is for characters who bully others. The individuals in question should actively bully and intimidate others by extorting them for money or beating them up. This tag should NOT used on adult characters but should only be used for children, teenagers, and in rare cases, animals.

This tag CAN be used alongside the delinquent tag.

Butlers:

This tag should be used for MALE characters only, who work as a butler to their master. This covers the more traditional sorts of butlers such as Sebastian from Kuroshitsuji and Hans from Victorian Romance Emma as well as those who look less like the stereotypical idea of a butler, like Agni from Kuroshitsuji and Jeeves from Cromartie High School.

Cape:

This tag is for characters who wear a cape as a part of their default appearance. This covers the likes of Vamp from Tentai Senshi Sunred and Kaitou Kid from Magic Kaitou. The tag does NOT cover characters who only occasionally wear capes - say for travelling, or as a one-off addition to their outfit - such as Ichigo in Bleach who wears a cape at one point, but only during that oe time.

Carpenters:

The Carpenter tag applies to characters who are artisans of woodworking. Whether building furniture, wooden cabins, or trinkets, so long as the character works primarily with wood they WOULD receive the tag. The character doesn't need to be employed as a carpenter, as the tag applies equally to those that take up woodworking as a hobby. Modern construction workers, who show no special skill with wood, do NOT qualify for the tag.

Catgirls

The catgirl tag essentially does what it says on the tin; it is for girls with various cat-like features. Their body should be mainly humanoid, but can include numerous feline features such as ears, tail, paws etc. Examples of catgirls are: Dejiko from Di Gi Charat, Sanada from UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie and Chaika from Asobi no Iky yo!

As a note, catgirl should NOT be used in conjunction with the animal tag. If the character is an animal they are an actual cat, not a catgirl.

Cats:
See Animals.

Cellists:
See Musicians.

Charismatic:

This tag is for use on characters who are particularly charismatic. The individuals in question should have a natural quality that makes them popular and earns them devoted followers. They should have a special magnetic appeal which draws people to them regardless of whether they are a protagonist or antagonist. They need not be particularly bright and bubbly, but as long as the character has a universal charm making them a figure of adoration, then they WOULD get the tag. A good example of a charismatic character is Light from Death Note who despite being an antagonist and not hugely bubbly, is incredibly popular and garners the adoration and respect of everyone around him. The tag also extends to the likes of Luffy from One Piece who has an appeal that makes others trust and believe in him.

This tag CAN be used alongside the school idol tag.

Cheerleaders:

The Cheerleader tag applies to characters who are tasked with raising the morale of the audience and players at a sporting event, or compete at cheerleading competitions. While cheerleading often includes dancing, these characters are NOT to be tagged as dancers, as their choreographed performances are contained within this tag alone. This tag can be used for both female and male cheerleaders, and also include members of the ouendan (rooting) squads of Japan.

Ouendan squads play the same role as cheerleaders, but they have a different attire, sporting a headband (hachimaki) and a unique coat (happi); and they have different methods of cheering, often using taiko drums and megaphones to make noise, waving around flags and banners, and taunting the opposing team.

Cheerleaders are to be tagged with the athlete tag, only if they engage in competitive cheerleading. Simply cheering at a sporting event does NOT warrant the tag.

Child Prodigy:

This tag is fairly self explanatory and should be used on child prodigies. The character in question should be exceptionally smart for their age. This does not mean that the individual should merely be at the top of their school class as they may simply be intelligent, however, if a character has skipped a significant number of grades then they WOULD get the tag. This includes the likes of Chiyo from Azumanga Daioh who skipped middle school to jump right to high school, or Becky from Pani Poni Dash who despite being elementary school age is already a college graduate and teacher. Alternatively, if a child is a genius in one specific area, then they also WOULD get the tag, likewise characters that excel in more adult areas, such as hacking, and demonstrate the same skill level of an adult WOULD also get the tag.

The only other stipulation to this is that the character in question should be a child. This means that they should already be tagged as a child, in other words they are 12 or younger. If they are teenagers then they do NOT get the tag. In the unlikely even that a character displays genius-like qualities and is tagged as a baby then they WOULD get the tag as their extreme youth makes them worthy of note.

To be noted: Conan from Detective Conan does NOT qualify for the child genius tag, because while he is in the body of a child, his mind is that of his teenage counterpart.

Children:

Any characters from the age of 3 to 12 get the child tag. Any younger characters come under the babies category and any a little older would be teenagers.

Choker:

A choker is a close-fitting necklace, worn high on the neck. If the character in question wears a choker in their default appearance, like Margery Daw from Shakugan no Shana, they WOULD receive the tag. Please note that the accessory must be tight fitting, no slack should be shown, to the point of almost seeming tatooed on. Dogs with collars do NOT qualify for this tag.

Circlet:

The Circlet tag pertains to characters who wear jewelry around their head in their default appearance. What the circlet is composed of is of no consequence - so long as it is not made of cloth, as such accessories would be considered headbands. These items can be as thin as a single strand of gold, or as thick as cobblestones, and adorned with any number of jewels or crystals. All types of jewelry, from the common and mundane to the most extravagant and ill-advised, that cover the circumference of the head qualify for the tag.

This tag should NOT be placed alongside Headband, Hat, or Crown for the same accessory.

Circus Performers:

The circus performer tag is for characters who are (or in cases where it’s an important part of the story, were) people who perform in the circus. This includes such jobs as animal tamers, clowns, trapeze artists, knife throwers, ringmasters, fire breathers, jugglers, sword eaters, sideshow acts, etc.

In order to get the tag the characters should be shown performing in a circus or a circus-like environment at some point throughout the series. So the likes of Trowa from Gundam Wing would qualify as he is shown performing, however the Buggy pirates from One Piece do not count because while they represent various circus performers they at no point actually put on a performance for the purposes of entertainment.

If the circus is shown to travel from one location to another, then these characters SHOULD also be tagged with both the Traveling Performer tag, and the Traveler tag.

This tag CAN be used alongside the clown tag.

Class Representative:

This tag is for characters who hold the position of Class Representative or Class President at school. This tag should NOT be used for characters who only take on this position halfway through the series as that could likely be a spoiler. If a specific character not only holds the position of Class Representative, but is also a member of the Student Council then they would receive both tags.

Closed Eyes:

To qualify for the closed eyes tag the character in question must generally have closed eyes for the vast majority of the time, such as Gin from Bleach. I say vast majority because a lot of the time characters with closed eyes will occasionally open their eyes when they’re really angry or are revealing a different side to themselves, so while they aren’t closed 100% of the time, they still qualify.

Clown:

This tag should be used for characters that are clowns. This includes the likes of actual clowns such as Clown from Super-Kuma-san as well as character that may not work as clowns but are designed to be clowns, such as Buggy from One Piece. If the character is designed to be a clown they should have the appearance of one, or have circus-like abilities - for example Dr. Indigo from One Piece: Strong World has a clown-like appearance and a juggling-based battle ability. The tag also extends to minstrel and jester but does NOT include the likes of mime artists.

Clumsy:

This tag is for characters who are particularly clumsy. If they often drop things and have accidents, and it is a large part of their personality or others constantly joke about it then they would get the tag. A pretty good indication of whether or not a character would get this tag is if they are regularly apologising for something that they’ve just done. This tag covers the likes of Miranda from D.Gray-Man, Milfeuille from Galaxy Angel and Miyuki from Lucky Star.

Combat Illusionist

The Combat Illusionist tag applies to characters who use illusions as their primary means of doing combat. Since apparitions can be generated through numerous methods, it does not matter from what source of power the hallucinations come. Characters that only occasionally use such images - as well as stage magicians, who use illusions innocently for the enjoyment of others - would NOT qualify for the tag. A good example of this tag would be Itachi from Naruto.

Comic Relief

Comic Relief characters should be those whose entire presence is essentially to provide humour. Often they will be the butt of everyone’s jokes, the one that everyone picks on for a laugh and their role outside of comedy content would probably be either very limited or non-existent. It’s unlikely that any ‘Main’ characters would get this tag, as they often serve more purpose than just being “the funny one” – but that isn’t to say it’s impossible, likewise no characters from a full-on comedy series should get this tag, since it’s expected that people are supposed to be funny. Having a comic relief character in a comedy series shows an epic fail on the part of the anime.

The best example of a comic relief character is Kon from Bleach. He is ridiculed a hell of a lot – firstly by being in plush lion form, and then by often being beaten up, trodden on or forced to wear frilly pink clothes by Ichigo’s sister. Outside of this his role is that of a glorified babysitter for Ichigo’s body; he doesn’t fight or really play much part at all. Basically unless Tite Kubo decides to suddenly make him the messiah that will save everyone from total destruction (at which point give up on Bleach on the basis of it’s creator having lost his freaking mind) then Kon really is the ideal candidate for the comic relief tag.

Company Presidents:

The Company President tag refers to characters who work for a business, and are tasked with running or managing the corporation at it’s highest level, like Dr. Brief does for Capsule Corp. To qualify for the tag, they must be explicitly referred to as the head of the company. They CANNOT be tagged with Merchant concurrently, but CAN be tagged with Wealthy.

Computer Programmers:

This tag is for characters who are active computer programmers. This would mainly refer to professionals who work as programmers. However, this could also extend to characters who are amateur programmers as long as it is a large or important part of their personality. This means that it would be one of their biggest hobbies, or they would be shown coding on a regular basis. This tag should NOT be confused with the hacker tag, however it is possible that a single character could have both tags if they happen to be a programmer who also hacks.

Cooks:

Anyone who is an actual chef in a professional capacity (be they brilliant or absolutely abysmal) – such as Sanji from One Piece or Bardroy from Kuroshitsuji respectively – WOULD get the tag. Note: bakers also fit into the cooks category. Likewise any character who spends a lot of time cooking, or it is a well-known part of their character, such as Haruka from Minami-ke, WOULD also get the tag. However, if someone only cooks a little during the anime, whether they’re good or bad, they do NOT get the tag. For example, though she attempts it once or twice, Anzu from Hanamaru Youchien wouldn’t qualify.

Cosplayer:

This tag is for characters who are cosplayers. As for what constitutes a cosplayer we tag based on a strict definition. A cosplayer is someone who dresses up as a specific character as part of a hobby.

General Costumes
If a character dresses up in a more generalized costume, such as dressing up as a generic devil or a vampire, then they are NOT cosplayers. If the devil, vampire etc happens to be a character from a series (be it real or fictional within the story) then they WOULD get the tag.

Maid Cafés
Characters that dress up as maids as part of their job at a maid café do NOT qualify for the cosplay tag. The only exception to this is if a character works a cosplay café, those characters WOULD get the tag.

Lolita Clothing
Characters who wear lolita clothing in general do NOT get the tag. The only exceptions to this are the likes of Kuruneko from Ore no Imouto who cosplay as lolita characters.

Forced Dressing Up
If a character is forced to dress up in a costume, then they do NOT qualify for the tag. Cosplay is a hobby, and being railroaded into doing something, is clearly not someone participating of their own free will.

Frequency of Cosplay
There’s no hard and fast rule as to how many times a character should cosplay in order to get the tag. The key is how big a part of the character their cosplaying is. If an individual only cosplays once during the course of the series then they would NOT get the tag, if however they dress up multiple times as part of their hobby then they WOULD get the tag.

Disguises
Characters who frequently dress up in disguises - such as Team Rocket from Pokemon - do NOT qualify for the tag. Disguises are NOT cosplay.

Cowardly:

The cowardly tag is for characters who are known wimps. If they’re more likely to run from a fight than participate, get scared witless by the smallest of things or can frequently be found hiding behind large objects or other people in order to escape some form of danger then they should get this tag. This covers the likes of Usopp from One Piece and his variety of “I-can’t-go-on-that-island” diseases, Becky from Pani Poni Dash who frequently hides behind the curtain when her students scare her, and Italy from Hetalia: Axis Powers who doesn’t fight and simply waves his white flag in surrender. Basically, if they’re more likely to pee their pants than throw a good punch, they should probably get the tag.

Crossdressers:

This tag is for characters whose appearance does not match their gender. This could be a female dressing as a male - such as Haruhi from Ouran High School Host Club - or a male masquerading as a woman - like Aoi from Kaichou wa Maid-sama. The tag includes the likes of the overtly outrageous okama, like Hana from Tokyo Godfathers or Ivankov from One Piece - so realism isn’t always a pre-requisite. Likewise the character in question does not need to crossdress the entire time, so characters such as Makoto (a.k.a. mako-chan) from Minami-ke and Yozak from Kyou Kara Maou, who only crossdress some of the time, also qualify for the tag.

Please also be aware that if a character’s true gender is a spoiler, then the crossdresser tag should NOT be applied, and the gender should be left blank.

Crowns:

The Crown tag should be used for any character who wears a crown atop their head. This will most likely include, but is not limited to, those who are of royal blood. If the majestic accessory in question is heavily ornamented and/or is made of precious metals, then it is likely a crown; however, if a monarch is wearing a more mundane headpiece such as a baseball cap, the character would NOT get the crown tag. Types of crowns include tiaras, laurel wreathes, and most Imperial head wear.

If it is not clear whether the head covering is a crown or hat, the Hat tag should be used instead. However this tag should NOT be double tagged with the Hat tag.

If a character wears a crown of flowers/thorns/etc as their main design, they WOULD also get the tag.

Crybabies:

This tag is for those characters who seem to cry incessantly at any given situation - a prime example of this is “Human Faucet”, Lag Seeing from Letter Bee. This boy cries at EVERYTHING and is basically his default reaction to anything vaguely happy, sad or anger-inducing. However, not all crybabies need to be quite this excessive in their tears. Other uses of the crybaby tag range from the likes of just being overly emotional - such as Chizu from Kimi ni Todoke, to the whinging of Usagi from Sailor Moon, and Hina Ichigo from Rozen Maiden, who - like a spoiled child - will cry when something doesn’t go her way. Basically, if they shed excessive tears, then they get the tag.

Cyborgs:
See Androids/Cyborgs/Robots.

Dancer:

This tag is only for characters who dance frequently. The dancing should be a fairly large part of their character and it doesn’t matter what style of dance they do, whether ballet or break-dancing. While this covers the likes of T.K. from Angel Beats who dances in every scene, the dancer tag should NOT be tagged alongside idol. Though idols do dance as part of their act, this is all covered in the idol tag.

Deadly Chef:

The deadly chef tag is for characters who cannot cook to save their lives, and manage to whip up some truly disgusting and deadly concoctions in the kitchen. The main qualification for this tag is that their food should taste AWFUL and provoke extreme reactions from their... uhh... “victims”. There are a few things to look out for that would indicate whether someone would qualify for the tag or not:

Burnt Food
If a character is incapable of cooking any dish without burning it to a crisp, like Tae from Gintama, then they WOULD qualify for the tag.

Weird/Scary-Looking Food
Does a character regularly produce food that looks like it might eat you before you eat it? Does it have wriggling tentacles and other oddities protruding from the noxious pile on the plate? Is the dish a questionable color (such as deep purple or sickly green) and have ominous stink lines wafting from it? If any of the above apply, it’s likely that the individual in question WOULD get the deadly chef tag. There is however the odd exception to this rule. Mori from Law of Ueki often cooks dishes that look utterly vile complete with tentacles and fish heads, yet her cooking actually tastes good, so she does NOT get the tag.

Setting Fire to the Kitchen
Any characters that end up setting fire to the room whenever they attempt to cook WOULD get the tag. Even if their food tastes reasonable, if they cause serious smoke damage each time they attempt to make a rice ball, then they’re certainly deadly enough for the deadly chef tag.

Vomit-Inducing Dishes
Some characters that are worthy of the deadly chef tag create gloriously beautiful banquets that look fit for a king, however their actual flavor is foul enough to floor a Tyrannosaurus-Rex. A prime example of this is Himeiji from Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu whose boxed lunches for Akihisa look delectable, but cause everyone who eats them to keel over on the spot. These types of characters WOULD qualify for the tag.

Deities:

This tag covers all manner of Gods, Goddesses and Deities. if a character is referred to as any of the above, or as “Kami” (Japanese for God), then they qualify for the tag. This includes the more traditional idea of an all-ruling god such as Kami-sama from Law of Ueki, or a beautiful goddess - like Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess - as well as the likes of Kawa no Kami from Spirited Away and the various animal Gods from Princess Mononoke (see Moro).

It should also be noted, that is IS possible to tag a character with deity AND youkai since some youkai can be revered as Gods (such as Sugino from Tactics)

Delinquents:

This tag should be used for all characters who are juvenile delinquents. If they tend to skip class, often get into fights, threaten their teachers or hang around with a known delinquent gang then they get the tag. The cast of Cromartie High School is a prime example of those who qualify for the tag, as are the various member of the Ragnarok gang in History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi. Likewise, the tag also extends to the likes of Harima from School Rumble who, while a known delinquent is attempting to mend his ways. It is likely that the majority of characters who get the delinquent tag will be teenagers, however there are some occasional exceptions, such as the likes of Freddie from Cromartie High School.

Demons:

As the title suggests, this tag is for characters that are demons. In general, this tag is pretty straightforward: if a character is referred to as a demon, akuma (Japanese for demon), or oni (Japanese ogre) within the series then they WOULD qualify for the tag.

The only time that this tag can get tricky is in relation to the youkai tag. There may be a lot of youkai who are referenced as demons within the anime, for example, the Karasu Tengu is often referred to as a crow demon, so while called a demon in the series they would NOT get the tag because they are youkai. For further information please see the guidelines for the youkai tag.

This tag should NOT be used alongside the youkai, monster or vampire tags.

Detectives:

The detectives tag is for those for whom solving mysteries is a large part of their character. Here is how the tag would be applied to the following types of detectives:

Private Detectives:
Those that work as professional private investigators DO get the tag. They are detectives who earn their living solving crimes or mysteries and is a large part of their character, therefore they qualify. This includes those who may be freelance but occasionally work with the police, such as the likes of L from Death Note.

Amateur Detectives:
Some characters may not work as professional detectives, but spend a large part of their time solving mysteries. These amateur sleuths, which includes the likes of Conan, Genta, and the others from Detective Conan DO qualify for the tag

Police Detectives:
If a character works for the police and holds the position of detective then they WOULD qualify for the tag, and would also be tagged as police as well.

Disciplinary Committee:

This tag applies to members of the disciplinary committee (sometimes referred to as a school's prefect). Disciplinary committee members are students who have been given partial authority in regulating school policy and enforcing codes of conduct. This tag CAN be used alongside the Student Council tag.

Good examples for this tag are Ira Gamagoori from Kill la Kill and Kyoya Hibari from Reborn!

Dinosaurs:

This is not one of the tags which gets used all that often, but is very simple to implement. If the character in question is a dinosaur - be they herbivore or carnivore - they get the tag. Please note that while this covers the likes of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops or Brontosaurus, it does NOT extend to prehistoric creatures such as the woolly mammoth, who would be tagged with animal or the likes of Godzilla that would instead get the monster tag. Likewise, dinosaur-esque Pokemon or Digimon do NOT get the tag, as - aside from the fact that they aren’t dinosaur-sized, their very nature of being Pokemon (Pocket Monsters) and Digimon (Digital Monsters) dictates that they should get the monster tag instead.

Disabled:

If a character has any kind of physical disability then they qualify for this tag. Obviously this includes characters that are paralysed, such as Sylvette Suede from Letter Bee and Nunnally in Code Geass as well as other disabilities such as blindness and deafness - think Tousen from Bleach.

Doctors:

The doctors tag is relatively simple and should be used in the following ways:

Medical Doctors:
This is the most straightforward and simple application of this tag. If the character is a medical doctor, they get the tag. They could be surgeons such as Black Jack or Tenma from Monster, or just local practitioners who run their own clinic like Isshin Kurosaki from Bleach. Their skill or position make no difference in this case.

Medics/Healers:
Often certain anime will have characters that may not be traditional doctors per se, however they are trained medics or healers. This includes the likes of Tsunade and Shizune from Naruto as well as the likes of Unohana and the rest of Squad Four in Bleach - these characters DO get the tag. However, this doesn’t extend to every single character with the ability to heal. To qualify for the tag, characters should have had medical training and be a designated healer. Therefore the likes of Orihime from Bleach do NOT get the tag, since while she CAN heal, she’s had no actual training and she isn’t really the assigned medic of the group.

Veterinarians:
Any characters who are vets WOULD qualify for the tag as they are technically medical doctors, though they specialise in animals rather than humans.

Nurses:
If a character is a nurse they do NOT get the tag. While they may have medical knowledge, they are not doctors, and they should instead get the nurses tag.

Scientists:
There are a handful of characters that are known as Dr. Something who aren’t medical doctors. Instead they may well be scientists. Characters like these - such as Dr. Brief from Dragonball DO NOT get the tag.

Dogs:
See Animals.

Dolls:

The doll tag should be used for characters that are, yep, you guessed it, dolls. This not only covers traditional style dolls such as Shinku from Rozen Maiden but also extends to the likes of teddy bears or plushies such as Kuma-san from Super Kuma-san. This tag should NOT be used alongside the inanimate object tag.

Dragons:

Simple tag to apply, if the character is a dragon, they get the tag. They can be traditional western-style dragons such as Igneel from Fairy Tail or eastern-style dragons like Shenlong from Dragonball.

This tag should be used in conjunction with wings and horns. Not all dragons have wings or horns, but if they do they should also be tagged with these.

Dreadlocks:

A simple tag, if the character in question has dreadlocks then they DO get the tag. Note: the dreadlocks in question could be more standard like Sid from Soul Eater or braided like Tousen from Bleach.

Drummers:
See Musicians.

Dual Wielders:

The Dual Wielder tag is for characters who regularly or always fight with two weapons at once. It doesn’t matter whether the weapons are guns or swords, if a character uses two of them such as Ukitake and Kyoraku from Bleach then they WOULD get the tag. It should also be noted that the weapons do not have to match in order to achieve the Dual Wielder tag. Whether gun and sword or axe and lance, if the character fights with a weapon in each hand, then they WOULD get the tag. Characters who only pick up a second weapon once would NOT get the tag. Likewise characters that use more than two weapons, such as Zoro and Hachi from One Piece also would NOT get the tag.

Dual Wielders, if applicable, SHOULD also be tagged with their individual weapon tags (Gunslinger, Sword Fighter, etc). However, if they dual wield various weapons of multiple types, they would just get weapon master, rather than all the weapon tags themselves.

Elderly:

If the character in question is 65 or over then they qualify for the elderly tag. Younger than that and they simply get the adult tag.

Elementary School Students:

If a character attends Elementary School they get this tag. This tag will also work in tandem with the child tag, since if they are elementary school age then they are likely to be 12 or below.

Elves:

The elf tag is to be used for characters that are elves and to qualify for the tag they should be referred to as such in the series. While big pointy ears could be an indication of an elf, they are not necessary to get the tag as there can be elves, such as Ermin from Tears to Tiara, who have regular ears.

Epic Eyebrows:

This is another of the tags that isn’t easy to actually quantify and frequently there are requests that get denied for “not being epic enough”. So in a bid to try and help out, I’ll try to explain what constitutes and Epic Eyebrow. There are two main criteria that allow for this tag and they are size and shape.

Size:
Size is possibly the easiest way to distinguish an epic eyebrow from those regular boring ones. If a character has seriously massive eyebrows, the sort that are either really thick - see Lee and Gai from Naruto - or genuinely long old-man type eyebrows that venture outside the confines of the face or simply hang down, like Yamamoto from Bleach, then they get the tag.
Also, when considering size, it’s also worth bearing in mind the gender of the character in question. Some eyebrows may be bushy, but if on a male character wouldn’t really stand out too much. However, pop those caterpillar-esque brows on a girl and all of a sudden they seem weirdly epic. Sumi from Amaenaideyo! is an ideal example of this and to a slightly lesser extent, so is Mugi from K-On!.

Shape:
The other way of qualifying for being an epic eyebrow is to have some rather odd shaped topiary growing above your eyes. From the more mundane monobrow (see Gaimon from One Piece) to the plain odd (for example Zack from Law of Ueki and even the likes of Sanji’s spiral offering), if it’s a bit out of the ordinary, the chances are that it’ll qualify.
Again, gender can play a role with this category. A prime example of this comes from Gundam Wing. Both Treize and Dorothy have the same sort of shaped eyebrows, however only Dorothy gets the tag. This is because by nature of being a girl - where smaller more regular eyebrows are expected - these slightly odd-shapped offerings look far more weird on her than they do on Treize. They’re not quite bizarre enough in shape to qualify on their own, but on a female, they stick out a lot more and therefore seem epic.

Eternal Optimist:

The eternal optimist tag is for those characters who always have a sunny disposition, always try to see the good in people, and always manage to look on the bright side of life. They’re probably the sort of annoying buggers that would come bounding into your room at 6am on a Monday morning when you have a hangover proclaiming that it’s a gorgeous day. They rarely let tough situations drag them into despair and mostly manage to cling onto some kind of hope (albeit a possibly deluded hope) in their darkest moments. Here are a few examples of characters that WOULD get the tag to give a bit of a guide:

Kafuka from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - In a series filled with negativity, Kafuka always puts a positive spin on everything. In her eternally optimistic eyes, when people hang themselves, they are simply trying to make themselves taller.

Noloty from Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra - Noloty always tries to see the good in people, even at risk to herself and whole-heartedly believes in them. She believes that she can befriend those who seem to have no interest in getting to know her and it never seems to cross her mind that people may not be all they seem. Therefore she gets the tag.

Tohru from Fruits Basket - She may be poor, she may be an orphan, she may be living in a tent, but Tohru is always chipper and upbeat. Not even a landslide burying her canvas home can get this girl down. And to top it all off, she never complains, and is always more worried about others than herself. She is essentially the epitome of being eternally optimistic.

Luffy from One Piece - While he can occasionally give in to more negative emotions in extreme circumstances he is generally a ridiculously positive force. He has extreme confidence that he will achieve his goals even when those around him believe it to be impossible and he never worries that he may not succeed. For these reasons the likes of Luffy DO get the tag.

Exorcists:

The exorcist tag should be used for characters whose profession it is to exorcise ghosts, evil spirits, demons etc. If they call themselves exorcists and they actually do try to rid the world of unwanted ghosts and ghoulies, then they get the tag. This includes a large proportion of the D.Gray-Man cast as well as the likes of Chitose from Amaenaideyo and Akari from Nyan Koi. It should also be noted that to qualify for the tag, the characters in question should do the exorcising themselves, if they summon other beings to dispose of the unwanted presence then they would NOT get the tag.

Explosives Expert:

The Explosives Expert tag pertains to characters who use explosive devices or rocket launchers as their primary weapon. Whether the character utilizes remote C4 charges, mines, dynamite, grenades, rockets, or a completely unique form of explosives does not matter, so long as the character either places them beforehand or wields them. Pilots who drop bombs via airplanes, mecha pilots who primarily use explosives in combat, as well as individuals with superpowers that are able to turn items/people into bombs do NOT count for this tag. A character setting a trap, such as a tripwire bomb, once or twice is not sufficient for the tag, as the character needs to use explosives frequently and predominantly to receive the tag.

If a character uses explosives as well as guns, they CAN be tagged with gunslinger as well as demolitionist; however, characters that would receive both are NOT eligible for Weapon Master.

Eye Patches:

If a character wears an eye patch as part of their regular attire then they get the tag. This includes traditional eye patches such as the one that Ciel from Kuroshitsuji has, as well as medical eye patches like the one that Shimei from Ikkitousen wears. However, if a character only wears an eye patch temporarily, they do NOT get the tag.

Face Markings:

This tag should be used for characters that have distinct facial markings that are NOT tattoos. It should NOT be used for moles, birthmarks, regular makeup, or scars, but is more for the likes of the marks on Kiba’s face from Naruto. The tag should also NOT be used for characters with full facial makeup such as Kumadori from One Piece. Also the face markings should be part of the character’s normal appearance, if they have markings due to a transformation or for a special occasion then they would NOT get the tag.

Facial Hair:

Pretty straightforward tag, if a character has any kind of hair on their face (excluding eyebrows obviously) then they get the tag. This tag covers beards, mustaches, goatees, and even stubble.

Fairies:

Another fairly simple tag; if a character is a fairy then they qualify for this tag. They may well have wings, in which case they should also be tagged with that. However, this is not a necessity for the tag as characters such as Chiriri from Bottle Fairy do not have wings but still count. Likewise, while many fairies may be small, that may not always be the case and some human-sized characters may also count.

Farmer:

To qualify for this tag, the characters must fit into one of two categories. They can own and manage, or assist in the operation of a farm such as Gordon Rosewater from The Big O. Alternatively, they can simply grow food like Seiji Kannazuki from Towa no Quon. However, the character in question must be doing actual farming to get the tag. If they simply own a farm, but don’t manage it, they would NOT qualify for the tag.

Femme Fatale:

Femme fatales are exclusive to female characters and fit the role of the “dangerous and sexy woman”. They tend to use their feminine charm to obtain their objective and are usually very untrustworthy, leaving those whom are associated with them constantly suspicious or on edge. This tag should apply to all female characters who use their sex appeal to put their targets off guard, often allowing them to achieve their hidden agendas. The prime example of this archetype is Fujiko Mine of Lupin III who fools friends and foes alike to obtain priceless goods.

Feudal Retainers:

The Feudal Retainer tag pertains to characters which are vassals to a liege-lord. This position is normally exclusive to the Feudal era of Japan, as in most other time periods/places the roles of vassals are taken up by nobles and servants, titles which do not properly apply to retainers. These characters will often be explicitly referenced as retainers, and the role is sometimes given to characters who are from a long line of vassals which have served the lord’s family for generations. This tag CANNOT be used alongside Nobility, Butler, or Maid.

Flamboyant:

The flamboyant tag is for characters that are excessively camp in their demeanor. They are generally the sorts that are very bouncy and over-the-top, such as Bon Kurei from One Piece with his ballet swan themed outfit, or Garfiel’s effeminate persona in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. While this tag does often contain many crossdressing characters, all crossdressers should NOT be arbitrarily tagged with flamboyant, as there are many cases where a crossdressing character acts in a perfectly regular way.

This tag is generally only for male characters, however if there is a particularly outlandish female character, then the tag could be added - though this will be taken on a case-by-case basis.

Flirts:

As the title states, this tag is to be given to those characters who are particularly flirtatious in nature. Gender is not an issue, as this tag covers the likes of Ladies’ men such as Lupin the 3rd, and Gojyo from Saiyuki, as well as women who flirt either for fun (see Matsumoto from Bleach) or in order to get what they want - like Fujiko from the Lupin III franchise.

Flutists:
See Musician.

Food:

Much more of a niche tag, if a character is a food product - such as the Peeled Shrimp from Tentai Senshi Sunred or Dogtato-kun - then they get it. People who dress up in food-based costumes do NOT qualify.

Foreigners:

The Foreigner tag refers to characters who were born in and/or raised in a separate nation than the majority of his/her fellow cast members. This tag can be used on characters who are not from Japan and reside in the East Asian island nation, like Simon from Durarara!!, or characters of Japanese birth that are abroad, such as Kazuya Kujou from Gosick. Whether or not the country the character resides in or is from is imaginary, if the rest of the cast is ethnically different from the character in question, then the tag is applied.

Fortune Tellers:

The Fortune Teller tag pertains to characters who appear to be able to tell the future of others. Whether or not the character is successful in this endeavor is irrelevant, as this tag covers both legitimate fortune tellers as well as fakes. Typically, these characters are in possession of some manner of crystal ball or tarot cards with which they are able to perform, or appear to perform, their duties.

In relation to legitimate fortune tellers, if they have the innate ability to see into the future, they should also be given the psychic powers tag; however, if they are using some manner of ritual, the magic user tag could be applied.

Freckles:

This tag is very easy to implement, and is for characters who have freckles. If the individual in question has freckles as part of their default appearance, and not as part of a costume or disguise then they WOULD qualify for the tag. A good example of a character with freckles is Ace from One Piece.

Frequently-Naked:

The frequently-naked tag is to be used on those characters who regularly find themselves in a state of undress, whether by their own doing or not. This includes the likes of Keena from Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou who is often completely buck-naked whenever she uses her invisibility magic, as well as those such as Gray from Fairy Tail who frequently strips down to his undies for no apparent reason. Basically if they like getting their kit off, they qualify for the tag.

This tag should not be confused with the scantily-clad tag which is to be used for characters whose regular apparel consists of very little clothing and a lot of bare flesh.

Frogs:
See Animals.

Fujoshi:

The Fujoshi tag is to be used exclusively on female characters who are infatuated with the thought of men being in romantic homosexual relationships. They particularly enjoy novels, manga, anime, and videogames with themes centered around the yaoi genre, and "boys love" in general.

Characters who are fujoshi are often shown expressing their passion for “boys love” by imagining their male castmates in forbidden romances or showing physical reactions to such ideas with the typical "perverted nosebleed". Good examples of these characters are Erika from Durarara!! and Mio from Nichijou.

Gambler:

The gambler tag should be used for characters who gamble. This includes traditional forms of gambling such as at casinos, pachinko parlours, horse racing and mahjong tables, but does NOT cover pool or one off wagers of non-monetary offerings (such as a life, soul, cursed vase, whatever) in a non-traditional betting game.

To qualify for the tag the character should either be a professional gambler, like Tetsuya from Legendary Gambler Tetsuya, or gambling should be somewhat important to their character. By this I mean that the individual should either spend a fair amount of time in gambling establishments - such as Sunred from Tentai Senshi Sunred who spends a lot of time in the pachinko parlours - or their gambling should be part of a running joke - this includes the likes of Tsunade from Naruto whose neverending losing streak gave her the nickname of “The Legendary Sucker”.

Gangsters:

Another nice simple tag; if a character is a part of an organised crime outfit then they get the gangster tag. It doesn’t matter if they’re mafia or yakuza, if they operate outside of the law as part of a crime syndicate, they qualify for the tag. Good examples of characters that get this tag are Firo from Baccano! and Alcapone from Soul Eater.

Ganguro:

The Ganguro tag refers to characters who go through great lengths in order to conform to the once popular cultural fad among young Japanese girls of the same name. These characters typically bleach their hair and tan their skin to the point of browning, and tend to cover themselves in gratuitous amounts of makeup. Typically dressed in bright colors (most specifically pink), ganguro characters also usually wear beads, facial ornaments, and platform shoes. While overly tan characters might provide stark contrast from the rest of the cast, such characters must be visibly immersed in ganguro culture to warrant the tag.

Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual:

The tags regarding sexual preference can sometimes be a bit more difficult to tag, since many anime blur the lines with sexuality. There are several things to look out for as a general rule:

Confirmation
One of the biggest and most important things to bear in mind when using these tags is confirmation. The sexuality tags should only be used on characters who are either flat out specified as being homosexual or bisexual, or who are clearly designed to be that way. For example many could argue that Sasuke and Naruto are clearly hot for each other, however, they are not designed to be so, they are simply intended to be close friends therefore they do NOT get the tag. Obviously being in a relationship confirms a homosexual preference, however, the likes of Chizuru from Bleach also qualifies for the lesbian tag due to her consistent and blatant lusting after Orihime.

Consent
This is a big one, particularly when it comes to shounen-ai or yaoi series. For a character to get any of these sexuality tags they must consent to any homosexual behaviour that comes their way. Any characters on the... uhh... “receiving” end of unwanted homosexual relations would NOT be tagged with Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual, unless they were known to be of that preference beforehand. For example. If a straight man is raped by a gay character, he would NOT be tagged as gay. However, if a gay character falls foul of another gay character then he WOULD get the tag since he was already gay before the incident.

Gay for One Person
There are some instances where a heterosexual character is only interested in one specific person of the same sex, and has ZERO attraction to the rest of their gender. In this case the character would NOT be tagged with gay or lesbian but instead would be considered for bisexual.

Reluctance
In many yaoi and yuri series, there is one party who is reluctant to enter into a homosexual relationship. In these cases the character often only “gives in” to their feelings towards the end of the series. If this is the case, then they should NOT be tagged with any of the sexuality tags since they spend the majority of the series resisting rather than practicing. A prime example of this is Junjou Romantica. Misaki resists a relationship with Usagi for a long, long time, hence why Usagi has the gay tag, but Misaki does not (however, the seme and uke tags are applicable since that’s more a trope within yaoi fandom).

Relationships
A character does NOT need to be in a relationship in order to qualify for the tag. As long as they display clear romantic and/or sexual attraction to someone of the same gender - such as unrequited love or rampant lusting - then they WOULD be eligible for one of the sexuality tags - depending on which is most appropriate.

Crossdressing/Body Switches/Transgender
There may be some series where someone crossdresses and ends up in a flirtation or relationship with someone of the same gender as their “disguise”. Likewise there may be times when a character undergoes a body switch (be it by choice - transgender - or forcefully through some fluke piece of magic) and becomes a different gender only to end up involved with someone of their original sex. These cases are extremely problematic as there are several arguments for giving the parties involved the sexuality tags or not. When stumbling upon situations such as these, we would NOT tag the person who has undergone the change at all. Also we would likely NOT tag the other party involved either, unless compelling argument is made. Essentially, these should be taken on a case-by-case basis.

Now for some more specifics in relation to the individual tags.

Gay
This tag should be used for MALE characters only. A character should only be tagged with gay if he is attracted to other men and ONLY other men. If the character in question is attracted to both men AND women, then he should be tagged with bisexual instead.

Lesbian
This tag should be used for FEMALE characters only. A character should only be tagged with gay if she is attracted to other women and ONLY other women. If the character in question is attracted to both men AND women, then she should be tagged with bisexual instead.

Bisexual
The bisexual tag can be used on both men and women, and should only be used on those characters who display romantic or sexual attraction to BOTH genders. The main way that this could get tricky is if a character “turns” gay during the course of the series. Making the distinction between a character who likes both men and women, but happens to be wholly focused on same gender for the majority of the show, and a character who has been in relationships with the opposite gender and then realizes that they’re homosexual can be tough. While likely edge scenarios, these should all be looked at on a case by case basis, but the general rule would be: if they realize that they’re homosexual and have no further interest in the opposite sex, then they would be either gay or lesbian. If they are still open to the other gender but just happen to be in a same sex relationship then they WOULD get the bisexual tag.

It should also be noted that when it comes to gay characters, the seme and uke tags may also be appropriate to use.

Genetically Engineered:

The Genetically Engineered tag applies to characters whose DNA was altered in such a way as to direct physical development. This alteration can occur either at the fetal stage, or at any age thereafter such that the subject’s genetic structure is fundamentally changed. Cloning is a form of genetic engineering, and therefore all clones should receive the tag. This tag should not be used if the alternation or cloning is a spoiler in any way.

Ghosts:

The ghosts tag should be used on characters who despite having shuffled off the mortal coil still refuse to cross over, and instead hang around for a bit longer. The visual appearance of these characters or their activities make no difference to whether or not they get the tag; they could look like regular humans and appear so to ordinary people - such as the likes of Arashi from Natsu no Arashi - or they may have a much more traditional Casper-esque visage - like the Ghastly Garçon from Kaidan Restaurant.

It also goes without saying that should it be a spoiler the tag should NOT be applied. For example if someone happens to die half way through a series and then comes back as a ghost, tagging this character would ruin the plot, as would tagging someone who’s nature as a ghost is not known until late in the series. If a character’s existence as a ghost comes as a big reveal or plot twist, they do NOT get tagged with it.

Giants:

Characters who get this tag are, to some degree, huge in size. Their natural height should be exceedingly outside the range of a normal human or whatever species the Giant most resembles. Giants may be a race or oversized beings, may look monstrous, or might be a human who was mutated to a colossal size. It should also be noted that among Giants as a species, there are notable size differences. With that in mind, the Short Stature and Abnormally Tall tags CAN be used in tandem. Refer to their guidelines on how to apply them compared to the average height of a character. An example of this would be the Colossal Titan from Attack on Titan. While the Titans themselves are Giants, they have an average height range of 4-15 meters in height. However, the Colossal Titan towers above them all with a whopping 60 meters.

Glasses:

If a character wears glasses for the majority/all of the time then they get the tag. If however they only wear glasses very occasionally then they wouldn’t qualify. Also this tag only covers characters with regular, clear glasses; for characters with coloured/black glasses they get the sunglasses tag.

God Complex:

This tag is fairly simple to implement and is for characters who believe themselves to be Gods. A pretty good indication of whether a character should get the tag or not is if they exclaim something like “I am a God!”. This covers the likes of Enel from One Piece. The tag also extends to individuals who see themselves as Kings when they are not, or believe themselves to be (or destined to be) supreme rulers, such as characters like Oudo from Medaka Box.

This tag CAN be used alongside the big ego tag.

Goggles:

The goggles tag is for characters who wear goggles as part of their primary appearance; if they only wear goggles on rare occasion, then they do not warrant the tag. Whether the character wears the goggles on their face or simply has them on their head - like Cid from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children - or around their neck - see Bardroy from Kuroshitsuji - doesn’t matter, if it is a part of their outfit, they get the tag.

This tag should not be confused with the glasses tag, and the two should NOT be used together. The only exception for this is in the case of alter-egos where the character may wear glasses in one incarnation and goggles in the other, such as the likes of Dr. Marronflower/Kurisaburo Kurinohana from Dokkoida?!

Gothic Lolita:

To qualify for this tag, the character in question should dress in the Gothic Lolita fashion style. Good examples of this are Cossette from Le Portrait de Petit Cossette, and Marika from Mari & Gali. Also it should be taken into account that to get this tag, the character’s clothes must be dark in colour or else it is NOT Gothic Lolita. So while the likes of Sugintou from Rozen Maiden with her dark purple dress gets the tag, Hina Ichigo from the same series does not, as her clothing is light pink and would fall more into the Sweet Lolita style. Essentially, the clothes need to be in the Lolita style - often including lots of lace and frills - and must be dark to satisfy the gothic aspect of this tag.

As a note, while certain maid outfits may be similar to Gothic Lolita fashion, maids should NOT be tagged with this as they are wearing maid outfits, which is different.

Guitarists:
See Musicians.

Gunslingers:

Gunslinger is one of the more specific combat-based tags we have the database, and it works in a similar way to sword fighter. When considering adding this tag to a character, the following should be taken into account:

Primary Weapon:
To qualify for the gunslinger tag, the character in question MUST use a gun as their main or only weapon. If someone uses a variety of different weapons, one of which just so happens to be a gun, then they don’t get the tag. For example, Jigen from Lupin III only ever uses his trusty magnum when faced with some kind of enemy.

Skill:
To get the gunslinger tag, the character in question should have some kind of skill with the firearm. If they happen to pick up a gun and flail it about a bit with no particular aim or ability, then they do NOT get the tag. The only time that this wouldn’t apply is if the character goes on a learning curve and starts out as a flaily waste of space, but progresses to become skilled. Obviously the more skill displayed - be it total accuracy or a flashy display of awesomeness - the more pertinent the tag; so if someone puts on a good display with their favourite firearm that is a pretty good indication that they should get the tag.

Importance/Frequency:
To get the gunslinger tag, the person’s use of a gun should be somewhat important to their character. This means that the use of their gun could be part of their job - such as the case for snipers, or the Bees from Letter Bee, or it could be that the character in question has a deep love of firearms - see the likes of Forte from Galaxy Angel and her collection of guns, and Giroro from Keroro Gunsou who spends his free time polishing his weaponry. Working alongside the importance side of things is the frequency of gun usage. If a character only pulls out their pistol once or twice in a series then the likelihood is that their use of guns is not enough to warrant the tag - unless the one or two incidences are particularly spectacular/massively important to the plot.

Choice:
The character’s use of a gun should be a personal choice or else they would NOT qualify for the tag. For example, many soldiers or police officers may be given guns as standard kit, and even if they use these weapons with skill, that does NOT make them gunslingers, since they are only using what they’ve been given. Now if a soldier has gone off and gotten himself a nice shiny personalised gun, then that demonstrates that he has chosen that weapon, thus he possibly WOULD qualify for the tag.

It should also be noted that the TYPE of gun is not hugely relevant. It doesn’t matter whether the character uses a pistol, revolver, rifle, machine gun, or whatever; if it fires projectiles, the weapon in question qualifies.

Gynophobia:
See Androphobia/Gynophobia.

Hackers:

Another self-explanatory tag; this should be used for characters that are hackers. The characters in question should be exceptionally good with computers, and are seen using their abilities to hack into secure sites or systems. This includes the likes of Shirase from Battle Programmer Shirase and Takeyama from Angel Beats.

Hair Antenna:

The hair antenna tag is for characters who have that one little strand that just won’t play ball with the rest of the hair and sticks out like... well, an antenna. The most common type of hair antenna is the one or two strands that poke out from the top of the head such as those on Haré from Haré & Guu, and Himeko from Pani Poni Dash. However the tag also covers the likes of Italy from Hetalia: Axis Powers whose antenna emerges from the side of his head and also forms a spiral, as well as the likes of Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist who is bald bar the one little wispy antenna at the front.

Hair Buns:

The Hair Buns tag applies to characters who wear their hair in an odango fashion, keeping it tied into tightly wound buns. Regardless of whether or not the character has the majority of their hair tied in a bun, chooses to cover the buns, or keeps their hair in two buns on both sides of their head, so long as the character has a significant portion of their hair bundled into a ball they qualify for the tag. This tag will primarily be used on female character, though male characters are by no means forbidden from getting the tag. Fumika from Mahou Sensei Negima is a prime example of characters that warrant this tag.

Half-Breeds:

The Half-Breed tag refers to characters who are offspring of two separate classifications of beings. Whether half-vampire, half-human, half-animal, or half-demon, any mixed species character is eligible for the tag; however, mixed race individuals, such as the half-American and half-Japanese pilot Yuuya Bridges, are not eligible for the tag, as a more substantial divide than simple ethnic differences between the two halves of a character’s background is required. Being any percentage more or less than 50% of two given species, or types of beings, disqualifies the character for the tag.

It should be noted that the Half-Breed tag SHOULD be used in conjunction with the individual species tags as well. For example D from Vampire Hunter D receives both the Half-Breed and Vampire tags.

Hats:

The main pre-requisite for a character getting the hat tag is that they wear some kind of headgear for the majority of the time. If it is a part of their default appearance, then the person in question DOES get the tag. Aside from that it all comes down to what is and isn’t covered under the hat tag, which I will now outline below:

Traditional Hats:
All standard hats such as baseball caps, beanies, fedoras, chef’s hats, berets, stetsons, top hats etc. all qualify for the hat tag. Even if the headgear in question is a weird shape - see Makarov from Fairy Tail for an example - they still get the hat tag.

Bandanas:
Characters who wear bandanas on their heads do NOT get this tag; instead they get the bandana tag.

Helmets:
If a character wears a helmet they do NOT qualify for this tag. There is a helmet tag for this specific use.

Crowns and Circlets:
Crowns and circlets are also NOT applicable for the hat tag. Instead, use the crown or circlet tag for these characters.

Turbans:
There are a few characters who wear turbans, such as Agni from Kuroshitsuji or Mr. Popo from Dragon Ball, while not something that occurs a lot, those with turbans do NOT qualify for the hat tag. Use the Turban tag instead.

Headbands:

The headband tag covers a multitude of different types of headgear that does not fit into either the hat or bandana categories. It should only be used for characters who wear headbands as part of their standard appearance. The following qualify for the headbands tag:

Alice Bands:
Any characters that wear alice bands, such as Ayumi from Detective Conan and Aiko from Magical Pokan get the headbands tag.

Sweat Bands:
This may not always occur a lot, but for any active characters that wear sweatbands on their foreheads, such as Apachai from History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi, the tag should be applied.

Forehead Protectors:
If a character wears any kind of forehead protector then they get the tag. This basically covers the entire cast of Naruto and the likes of Baron from Law of Ueki.

Decorative Headbands:
More of a rarity, but some characters wear more decorative headbands, often this is more the case for nobles such as Duke Damiya from Kemono no Souja Erin but also covers the likes of Carmen from One Piece.

Headphones:

The Headphones tag refers to characters that wear headphones as their default appearance. These listening devices should have speakers for both ears, as regular headsets are not covered under the tag. The character may wear the headphones on their head, like Noise Marie from D.Gray-man, or around their neck such as Yoh Asakura from Shaman King, to qualify for the tag. The headphones may or may not have a microphone. This tag should NOT be tagged in conjunction with Headband or Team Coach.

Heavy Drinkers:

This tag is for characters who frequently drink a large quantity of alcohol. So, if they are regularly seen with some booze in their hand, or can often be seen stumbling around drunk/passing out, then they qualify for the tag. They don’t need to be alcoholics to get the tag, but if they like a hefty amount of sake or beer, then the tag is theirs. Good examples of heavy drinkers are Kogorou from Detective Conan, General Cross from D.Gray-Man and Kyoraku from Bleach.

Helmets:

The Helmet tag is for characters who constantly wear any kind of hard, protective headgear, including knight helmets, viking helmets, motorcycle helmets, and hardhats. If the helmet has a faceplate, like most knightly headgear, then the character would still get the helmet tag, but not the mask tag. Whether the character is wearing a helmet or not will more than likely be contextual, as warriors, military members, construction workers, or beast tamers are more likely to wear something that protects their head, as opposed to simply something aesthetically pleasing.

If it is not clear whether the head covering is a helmet or hat, the Hat tag should be used instead. However the two tags should NOT be used together.

Heterochromia:

This tag should be applied to characters who have eyes of different colors. Characters who wear colored eye lenses are eligible too if worn consistently. Any “special” eyes that activate - such as Lelouch from Code Geass - don’t count, likewise any spoilerific eyes (I’m glancing in the direction of a few Naruto characters here) DO NOT get the tag.

High School Students:

If a character attends high school, they get this tag, simple as. Also, if a person is in high school then they should also be tagged with teenager. Note: This does not include the possibility of child prodigies.

High Stakes Game Masters:

High Stakes Game Masters have some element of control over players in the game, either as the game’s creator, or as a referee.
Game creators are those who designed the high stakes game. They generally don’t participate in the game, and usually have some sort of agenda for why they’ve created it. Examples include Takanohashi from Btooom! and Deus ex Machina from Mirai Nikki. If the game maker is playing the game and their identity is a secret to the audience, it’s considered to be a spoiler and the character should NOT be tagged.

Game referees are those who don’t participate in the high stakes game, but guide the players as to what they need to do next or inflict punishment on rule breakers. Examples include Koyemshi from Bokurano and Monokuma from Dangan Ronpa.

Hikikomori:

The hikikomori tag is for characters who are shut-ins. If the individuals in question are perfectly happy to leave the house and go outside then they do NOT get the tag. There are however certain things that should be taken into consideration when using this tag:

Hikikomori vs. NEET:
OK, this is the trickiest aspect of the hikikomori tag as while both hikikomoris and NEETs are different, they can overlap. NEET simply means “Not in Employment Education or Training” and on its own has nothing to do with being a shut in, but in many cases being a hikikomori can be the cause of becoming a NEET. Once this distinction between the two is clear, it’s pretty easy to tell whether a NEET character should get the hikikomori tag or not. If a character is a NEET but has NO PROBLEM leaving the house then they would NOT get the tag. However, if a character is unemployed and not in any kind of education AND refuses to leave the house then they WOULD get the tag.

Part-Time Hikikomori:
A lot of the time hikikomoris in anime and manga are only shut-ins for a portion of the storyline - maybe because they are “cured” or whatever. In these situations the tag should ONLY be added to those who are hikikomoris at the beginning of the story. Even if the individual in question is “cured” of his shut-in status later on, if they are a confirmed hikikomori at the beginning then they WOULD qualify for the tag. If someone becomes a shut in part way through a story through some kind of trauma then they would NOT get the tag, even if they remain that way for the remainder of the tale, since it is likely that the reason for this is a spoiler.

Historical Figures:

This tag is for the use on characters who are a portrayal of an actual historical figure. It doesn’t matter if the person in question is from Japanese history, such as the likes of Goemon Ishikawa or from European history, such as Queen Victoria. Fictional characters such as the likes of Hikaru Genji, while someone from literary history, would NOT qualify for the historical figure tag.

Honorable Fighters:

In a fight, this character puts fairness in high regards, often aiding their enemies or putting themselves at a disadvantage to ensure that they do not have a cowardly edge. This character often respects their opponents if they display some degree of honor themselves. A good example of an honorable fighter is Saber from Fate/stay Night, who holds her honor above her life. However, the character in question must be one who does not fight just for the sake of fighting, which excludes the like of Kenpachi from Bleach.

Horns:

This tag is for any character that has horns, such as Lucy from Elfen Lied. This covers standard demon horns, animal horns, and antlers. The only caveat is this tag cannot be used on animals whose horns are naturally occurring. So goats, certain deer, and other normally horned creatures would NOT get the tag. However a horned cat WOULD get the tag, as that is something that isn't standard for the species.

Horses:
See Animals.

Hot-Headed:

The hot-headed tag is for characters who have a very quick temper; they will generally fly off the handle and get angry and annoyed over the tiniest of details. This includes the likes of characters such as Ed from Fullmetal Alchemist, Natsu from Fairy Tail and Miki from Muteki Kanban Musume.

The hot-headed tag does NOT cover characters who simply get slightly irritated, since to qualify for the tag they must have big, passionate, or even extreme reactions to situations rather than just displaying mild annoyance. This means that characters such as Elliot Nightray from Pandora Hearts do NOT qualify for the tag.

Huge Breasts:

We’ve heard the ‘Boings’ and seen them bounce and wobble all over the screen, now those characters with breasts that are rather on the humongous side have their own tag. If a character has particularly massive mammaries, then they qualify. However, characters who simply have ample or large bosoms, do NOT get the tag, the breasts in question must be REALLY big - such as Fujiko from Lupin III - right through to the just plain excessive like those of Melpha from Queen’s Blade. If they look like they’ll give the poor woman in question chronic back problems, then they qualify for the huge breasts tag.

The only exception to this rule are characters who have reasonably sized breasts, but their size is a large part of the comedic content. This includes the likes of Lucy from Fairy Tail who, while her chest isn’t excessively huge, is often the subject of various comments and jokes about their larger than normal nature.

Hunters:

The Hunter tag pertains to characters who either hunt animals as their sole source of livelihood, or prey on such creatures for sport. These characters could hunt any manner of game, just so long as they are simply animals, as hunting demons, humans, youkai, monsters, vampires, or any other quarry irregular for a standard hunter would NOT qualify the character for the tag.

This tag should NOT be placed on a character also tagged with Bounty Hunter, Assassin, Exorcist, or Onmyouji, unless they so happen to hunt animals as a hobby.

Ice Skaters:
See Athletes.

Idols:

This tag is for the very specific character type that is often seen in anime: the popular idol. To qualify for the tag, the character in question must meet the following criteria:

Cute:
The character in question should have a cute appearance. Period.

Bubbly Personality:
Idols are known for their bubbly persona on stage, so the character in question should be cheerful and friendly while they are performing. They could be as miserable as sin when then spotlight is off of them, but as long as their on-stage personality is light and happy, then they WOULD still get the tag.

Legions of Fans:
To qualify for the idol tag, the character in question should have legions of loving fans. If these include hoards of drooling otaku, then they should DEFINITELY get the tag!

Performance:
To get the idol tag, the character in question should be some kind of performer. The most common type of performance is that of those who sing happy flowery j-pop while dancing a little however, some may simply model. What it comes down to though is if they do not perform they do NOT get the tag.

The tag does NOT cover those who are simply idolized, or are mascots for a television show. For example, the likes of Pootan from Cromartie High School, while a figure of huge adoration with the general public does NOT qualify for the tag. Likewise, Natori from Natsume Yuujinchou also does NOT get the tag, because while he is a famous actor, idolized by women, he is not like the type of manufactured idol that should get this tag. Idols also should NOT be used for characters who are idolized by their classmates. Even if they have a fan club named after them, they do NOT qualify for the tag unless they happen to be an actual pop idol as well.

This tag should NOT be used in conjunction with either the dancer or the model tag since this is all covered under the umbrella of idol.

Inanimate Object:

The inanimate objects tag is for those characters who aren’t human, animal, or food, but are instead simply objects that would generally show no signs of life in the real world. This tag covers all range of objects from the likes of talking motorcycle, Hermes, from Kino’s Journey to things that have the appearance of a living creature such as hand-puppets, or even anatomical models like Hiroshi from Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge.

Information Broker:

The Information Broker tag refers to characters who possess a great deal secrets they are willing to share with others, either for a price or for their own amusement. Typically, these characters will be a neutral third party that collects information and sells it to the highest bidder; however, there are numerous cases of these characters acting not for monetary gain, but for personal interest or amusement, such as Izaya from Durarara!!. Simply being a source of knowledge does not qualify a character for this tag, as they have to sufficiently meet the definition of broker as a distributor of information to multiple, often conflicting, parties to receive the tag.

Innkeepers:

This tag is fairly self-explanatory and should be used for characters that hold the position of innkeeper. If the character in question either outright owns property that they run an inn on, or simply manages the inn then they WOULD qualify for the tag - especially if they happen to only go by the name of “Innkeeper”. It should also be noted that it does not matter if the inn in question is small or large, the one in charge of maintaining the building and/or taking care of the customers SHOULD be given the tag. Hotel owners and maintainers, however, would NOT count.

Insects:
See Animals.

Inventors:

The inventors tag is for characters who create their own inventions. This includes the likes of the more traditional Agasa from Detective Conan who has made a selection of useful creations for the elementary school detective to use. However, the tag also extends to the likes of Urahara from Bleach, who has made various developments for Soul Society. Basically, if a character is known for his inventions/creations then they WOULD get the tag.

Kansai Dialect:

This tag should be used for characters who speak with an accent from the Kansai region of Japan, which includes Kyoto and Osaka. It should only be used when certain that the character in question is speaking with a Kansai accent - such as Heiji Hattori from Detective Conan - or if it is blatantly called out in the anime by another person, as is the case of the aptly nicknamed Osaka from Azumanga Daioh.

In odd cases there may be times when a character only occasionally speaks in a Kansai dialect - such as Naha Midori from Telepathy Shoujo Ran. While she occasionally slips into her Kansai accent, she spends the majority of her time speaking in a standard Tokyo dialect and therefore does NOT get the tag.

Kindergartners:

The Kindergartner tag pertains to characters enrolled at any private or public kindergarten-style institution. This includes traditional Western kindergartens; Japanese Youchiens or Houchiens; or any similar communal childcare/childrearing institutions. It does NOT apply to children of an appropriate age who are being raised at home, whether they are receiving education or otherwise.

This tag SHOULD be used alongside the Child tag.

Kitsune:

A Kitsune is a type of youkai: a mythical creature often bestowed with magical powers or an exceptionally long life. Unlike other types of youkai, Kitsune tend to have fox features or characteristics, such as the legendary nine-tailed fox. Kitsune also often have the ability to shapeshift into human form, and should be cross-tagged if applicable.

Knife Fighters:

For characters who commonly use knives as a weapon or are proficient in knife fighting. Includes the use of all blades with the length of approximately 12” or shorter -- though there are some uncommon swords that are a bit shorter, so be wary of this fact. The use of daggers, kitchen knives, cleavers, butterfly knives, throwing knives, pocket knives, swiss army knives, and switchblades would count, though there are other odd examples that would need to be determined on a case-by-case basis (such as the bayonets used by Alexander Anderson of Hellsing who would NOT get the tag).

Typically, the role of a knife fighter is to fight in close combat as the weapon is short in length. That is the quickest way to differentiate between knife and sword fighters. Other strange cases are those who use throwing knives-- or throw other types of knives-- in this case they DO get the tag, but they MUST be used in combat. One example of this is Sebastian of Kuroshitsuji who tends to throw cutlery in battle.

This tag should NOT be used in conjunction with Ninja and their kunai.

Knights:

This tag should be used for characters who are knights. In order to qualify the individual in question should have been knighted and should serve under royalty. A good example of a character who qualifies for this tag is D’Eon de Beaumont from Le Chevalier D’Eon. This tag should NOT be used in conjunction with the warrior tag.

Lancers:

The lancer tag extends to characters who wield, as their default weapon, some manner of pole weapon. These “Lances” are either jousting lances, such as the weapon possessed by Gan Fall, bisento, such as the weapon possessed by Whitebeard, or all other types of lances and spears including tridents and your regulation pole-arms. These are usually lunged or thrown at their opponent in order to deal damage, though as long as they are using the sheer length of the lance’s stock to attack, that’s enough to qualify.

Rods, which are non-pointed sticks, nor axes qualify for the tag.

Landlord:

This tag is fairly self-explanatory and should be used for characters that hold the position of landlord or landlady. If the character in question either outright owns property that they rent to others, or simply manages the property then they WOULD qualify for the tag - especially if they happen to only go by the name of landlady/landlord, such as The Landlady from Hidamari Sketch. It should also be noted that it doesn’t matter if the property in question is residential or business, the one in charge of maintaining the building and/or collecting rent should be given the tag.

Lawyer:

This tag is for any character who works as a lawyer. It doesn’t matter whether they are a prosecutor, defender or solicitor, if they practice the law then they WOULD qualify for the tag. Good examples of lawyer characters are Kazue from Working!! and Phoenix Wright.

Lazy:

Fairly self-explanatory, this tag is for characters who are lazy. They are the types that regularly refer to tasks or jobs as troublesome. This includes the likes of Sloth from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Shikamaru from Naruto who while they do complete their jobs see it as a pain in the butt to do. This tag should NOT be used if a character says something is troublesome or too much of a pain just once, it should be a recurring theme in their attitude towards doing anything. They may also be the types of characters who simply goof off whenever they can or delegate to others so they don’t have to trouble themselves, or even flat out refuse to get up off their lazy butts and complete their job.

This tag should NOT be confused with the sleepyhead tag as while the two CAN be used together not all sleepyheads are lazy, and not all lazy characters are sleepyheads.

Lesbian:
See Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual.

Lost Memories:

This tag is for characters who for whatever reason have lost their memories. To qualify for the tag, this loss of memory should be important to their character, either explaining their behaviour, like in the case of Chii from Chobits, or if their quest to regain their memories is a part of their motivation throughout the series - such as Haruka from Tactics. It is also important to bear in mind that the memory loss should NOT be a spoiler in any way; therefore if it happens mid-way through a series or is not known about until part-way in, then the character in question should NOT be tagged with this.

Magical Familiar:

The Magical familiar tag refers to characters who are magically contracted or tethered to a master for some reason or purpose. While many master and servant relationships could be considered similar to a familiar contract, the series must take place in a setting with magic for the tag to be applicable. Saber from Fate/Stay Night and Virgo from Fairy Tail are good examples for the tag.

Genies, or Djinns, are NOT covered by this tag, as they typically reward the user with wishes for a service, as opposed to serve in a master/slave relationship.

Magical Girl:

This is a fairly specific tag that is only to be used for magical girls. To qualify for being a magical girl, the character in question must have ALL of the following qualities:

Female:
This should go without saying but, basically, when it comes to the magical girl tag... no boys allowed!

Transformation:
All magical girls should have that wonderful moment with the overused transformation sequence. If the character in question does not have all her clothes ceremoniously stripped off and replaced with an awesomely coloured outfit of frilly wonder, then they are NOT a magical girl.

Magical Item:
Magical girls invariably have some kind of magical item they they wield when they strut their stuff, be it a shiny jewel or a wand.

Ideal examples of magical girls are Usagi from Sailor Moon and Nanoha from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha.

The magical girl is a very specific type of character and this tag should NOT simply be used for people that are female and can use magic. This tag should also NOT be used alongside the magic user tag, as by nature of being a magical girl, it is implied that she can use magic.

Magic Users:

Magic user is a kind of cover all tag for characters who wield magical powers. The main stipulation for this tag is that the powers in question should be referred to as MAGIC. Here are some points to take in mind when using this tag:

Witches/Wizards/Mages:
Any characters who are referred to as witches, wizards or mages all get the tag. They use magic and therefore are magic users; most of the cast of Fairy Tail fall under this category.

Magical Girls:
Magical girls do NOT get the magic user tag. Their magical abilities are already implied through their title, and the two should not be used together.

Demons/Deities:
In general demons and deities should NOT be tagged with the magic user tag. This is for the simple reason that by nature of being either of these, possessing some kind of supernatural/magical power is implied. However, there are some edge cases where tagging a character with both is appropriate. If a demon or deity utilises magical powers that are OUTSIDE the realms of their demonic or godly powers then they would qualify for the magic user tag; this includes the likes of Loki from Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok.

Magical Academies:
Students at magical academies, such as the likes of Louise and co. from Zero no Tsukaima, DO get the magic user tag. Even if they’re not fully-fledged witches or wizards, if they practice magic, then they get the tag.

Youkai:
Youkai do NOT get the magic user tag. Even if they have strange powers, they don’t get the tag as their abilities are covered by the youkai tag.

Ninjas/Shinigami/Exorcists/Other Powers:
Ninjas, Shinigami and Exorcists do NOT get the magic user tag as their various powers do not come under the heading of magic, and any abilities are already covered under their corresponding tags. Likewise the devil’s fruit abilities in One Piece do NOT come under the magic user tag.

Magnificent Mustaches:

The third of the trio of outlandish facial hair, magnificent mustaches should be given to those characters who have some pretty spectacular fuzz growing on their upper lip. As with Epic Eyebrows and Breathtaking Beards, the main things to keep in mind when applying this tag are size and shape. Here is some more detail as to what would qualify:

Size:
This is the main one when it comes to qualifying for the magnificent mustaches tag. If you have a particularly large mustache that covers pretty much your entire lip or more, then you get the tag. When it comes to the size there are three things in particular to look for:

Bushiness:
If the character in question has a big ol’ bushy mustache then they qualify for the tag. This ranges from the likes of the neater but rather full ‘tache of Barragan from Bleach to the type of mustache that seems to take over the entire face, such as that of Yupa from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

Vertical Length:
Does the mustache in question hang down quite a lot? If so, then the character DOES get the tag. I refer again to our favourite hairy wonder, Yamamoto from Bleach, to demonstrate a good example of this. Also, in this case the thickness of the ‘tache in question doesn’t matter; for example, the likes of Jyabura from One Piece has a thin offering that hangs down a fair way and he also qualifies for the tag.

Horizontal Length:
If a character’s mustache extends horizontally beyond their cheeks then they qualify for the tag. As with vertical length, the thickness in question does not affect the application of the tag, so it could be a bushy ‘tache like Whitebeard’s or a more sleek and skinny version, such as Vamp’s from Tentai Senshi Sunred.

Shape:
If a mustache has a bizarre shape to it - such as the likes of Basque Grand from Fullmetal Alchemist or Zeff from One Piece - then it WOULD qualify for the tag. That being said, this does work in tandem with the idea of size. a particularly small mustache that happens to be in a bizarre shape would NOT qualify, however facial foliage such as Kimihiko from Dai Mahou Touge DOES get the tag because although his mustache is very thin, it is long and extends well beyond his cheeks.

This tag works in conjunction with the Facial Hair tag. In other words, if a character has a magnificent mustache then they must have facial hair, thus they should get the tag. Though implied through the tag, this is one of the occasions where we use both together - as opposed to other times when we use one or the other (such as the Samurai/Sword Fighter situation)

Maids:

The maids tag is for characters who work as maids. This covers the more traditional type of maid who wears the standard sort of maid outfit, such as the likes of Emma from Victorian Romance Emma and Fubuki from Kamen no Maid Guy, as well as extending to those who work in maid cafes like Misaki and the others from Kaichou wa Maid-sama. While they may not technically work for someone as their attendant and clean, they do dress up as maids and take on that role for their customers, so they DO qualify for the tag.

Also, this tag should generally ONLY be used for female characters. Male servants would get the butlers tag instead. The only exceptions to this rule are the likes of Liquid from Papuwa and Kogarashi from Kamen no Maid Guy who are constantly referred to as maids, and - in the case of the latter - actually dress in maid costume.

Mangaka:

The Mangaka tag pertains to characters who, whether as a hobby or occupation, write and/or draw manga, such as Mashiro from Bakuman. While characters may simply be absorbed in this task when they have time to spare, they must be frequently absorbed in their work to qualify for the tag. Simply writing or drawing a manga or doujinshi for an episode or as a gag does not meet the threshold of this tag. Characters who write fan-made manga such as doujinshi WOULD get the tag as well.

If it’s specified which role the mangaka is responsible for, then this tag SHOULD be used in conjunction with Writer and/or Artist. In cases where the role isn’t clear, the mangaka tag can be used by itself.

Manipulative:

This tag is for characters who frequently manipulate others into doing what they want or acting as they wish. There are various ways in which a character can manipulate others and the following DO all qualify for the tag:

Intelligence
This is possibly the most common ex characters who use their intellect in order to manipulate the situation or people around them. Two of the best examples of this is Light from Death Note and Lelouch from Code Geass whose constant scheming has those around them dancing to whatever tune they desire.

Status
There are several characters who use their status in order to get what they want. An example of this is Mephisto from Ao no Exorcist. Any individual who uses thei power to manipulate others WOULD qualify for the tag.

Femininity
Characters who use their feminine wiles in order to get men to do as they please WOULD get the tag. A prime example of this is Nami from One Piece who frequently flirts her way into getting food, or even to get Sanji to do her bidding.

Martial Artists:

The marital artist tag should be applied to anyone who practices any of the martial arts. This includes the likes of Karate, Kenpo, Muay Thai, Ju-jitsu, Judo, Kendo, Kung-fu etc. as well as modified forms of the martial arts. So while the likes of Apachai, Sakaki and Kouetsuji from History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi qualify for the tag, so do the likes of Bon Kurei from One Piece with his “Okama Kenpo”.

Masked Hero:

This tag is for characters that are like typical Japanese superheroes, specifically heroes like the Power Rangers. It is a tag for this specific type of hero and should NOT simply be used on any hero who happens to wear a mask, like Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon. To qualify for the Masked Hero tag, the character should have both of the following qualities:

Mask
And not just any mask at that, the mask should cover the entire head and have a darkened visor across the eyes.

Spandex Suit
The heroes in question should wear a full-body spandex outfit. If they don’t then they do NOT qualify for the tag.

The only exception to the above is the likes of the masked heroes in Tentai Senshi Sunred. The three in question DO get the tag because while they don’t have the spandex suit, they still have the masks and are still classed as heroes and fight monsters. This is a case of the masked ranger being parodied, but they still qualify.

Another good indicator of whether the character in question would get the tag is if they fight (or used to fight) as part of a team of masked ranger type heroes. Finally, the individual should obviously be a hero as opposed to a villain. No antagonists allowed.

This tag SHOULD be used alongside the masks tag.

Masks:

This tag is for characters who wear masks on their faces for the majority of their time on screen. There are a lot of different masks that qualify for the tag and their size or shape doesn’t matter. Whether full face masks - such as that of Hei from Darker Than Black - eye masks (see Meister Kirisaki from Yakitate! Japan), masks that cover the lower half of the face (like Kakashi and Kakuzu from Naruto), if it is designed to cover a portion of the face, then the mask in question qualifies for the tag. It should also be noted that this tag extends to the likes of sleep and medical masks - such as those of Aokiji and Kumashi from One Piece respectively - though as with the others, these must be worn as part of the character’s default appearance.

Masochistic:

The Masochistic tag should be used for characters who are sexually aroused by pain, verbal abuse, or humiliation. Whether they are pleasured by physical torment or are constantly asking for punishment from a “master”, anyone who welcomes the feeling of discomfort qualifies for the tag.

In the case of a character who is a sado-masochist while in combat, the tag is NOT given, as they exhibit battle lust as a response to pain, such as Kenpachi from Bleach; however, if the character also exhibits sexual arousal during battle, they qualify for the tag, but only if this is eminently clear.

Mechanics:

This is a fairly straightforward tag that is to be applied to any characters who are mechanics. It should be given to anyone that is referred to as a mechanic, whether they specialise in fixing up cars, bikes, planes, warships, mecha suits, or even spaceships. It also extends to the likes of Automail mechanics from Fullmetal Alchemist like Winry.

Mecha Pilots:

The mecha pilot tag is for characters who pilot large armoured suits. This includes the likes of Shinji, Rei and Asuka from Neon Genesis Evangelion as well as various characters from the Gundam franchise.

Mercenaries/Bounty Hunters/Assassins:

While these three tags are distinctly different, there could be some confusion between them, so hopefully these guidelines will help distinguish them from each other:

Mercenary:
Mercenaries are characters who take on dangerous jobs for their own personal gain rather than through any loyalty to their employer. They may undertake a variety of jobs including armed combat or even straightforward assassination. However, despite the fact that the characters in question may receive jobs where they are required to kill a specific person they would ONLY get the mercenary tag and NOT the assassin tag since they do not specialise in the targeted murder of individuals. A good example of a mercenary character is Bolt Crank from Eat-Man.

Bounty Hunter:
Unlike mercenaries who earn their living by doing a variety of dangerous jobs, Bounty Hunters are people who make their money purely by capturing criminals and collecting the bounties on their heads. If characters earn their living in this way, such as Spike from Cowboy Bebop, then they should get the bounty hunter tag.

Assassin:
To qualify for the assassin tag, the character in question must be someone who specialises in killing specifically targeted people. It doesn’t matter if they are part of an organised group (such as the likes of CP9 in One Piece) or if they work freelance, if they kill specific targets for a living then they get the assassin tag.

Merchant:

This tag should be used for characters who sell products and groceries. Here is a breakdown of what does and does not qualify for the tag:

Shop Owner:
If a character owns their own shop, such as Urahara from Bleach, then they DO get the tag as they are selling products. What they sell doesn’t matter, whether they sell groceries or tanks, if they sell a product, they get the tag.

Shop Worker:
Those individuals that work in a shop but do not own it generally do NOT get the tag. However, if the characters play a larger role in the business than simple salespeople, then they MAY qualify for the tag - for example a manager WOULD get the merchant tag, but a cashier would NOT.

Travelling Salesman:
Travelling salesmen DO qualify for the tag as while they have no settled shop, they still continue to peddle their wares. This includes the likes of the Medicine Seller from Mononoke and even Ginko from Mushishi who sells cures and medicines as he travels.

Cooked Food Stands:
Characters who run a cooked food stand where people take the food away WOULD qualify for the tag

Restaurant Owner:
People who own their own restaurants do NOT qualify for the tag. Although they are selling cooked food much like those on a stand, they are providing a service for diners eating in the restaurant moreso than selling a product. This extends to those who own cafes and bistros. If the customer consumes the product on the premises, then the owner does NOT get the tag.

School Festival Stalls:
Characters that run stalls during their school festivals do NOT qualify for the tag as they are only doing so as a one-off, they are not doing it as a living.

Waiter/Waitress:
Characters that are waiters or waitresses do NOT qualify for the tag. They are not selling products per se, simply serving customers with food.

Mermaids:

The mermaid tag should be used for characters who are mermaids, which means they must be female characters whose lower body is that of a fish while the top half is human. This covers the likes of Aquarius from Fairy Tail and Evangeline from Pet Shop of Horrors. This tag does NOT extend to the likes of the fishmen from One Piece as not only are they males, but they are also have more piscine features than human.

Middle School Students:

If a student attends middle school/junior high, then they get this tag. This tag works in tandem with the teenager tag, since if students attend middle school they are at least thirteen years old and will fall into the teenage category. Note: This does not include the possibility of child prodigies.

Military:

The military tag is very simple to use; if a character is a part of any kind of military organization then they get the tag. This tag covers the following:

Army

Navy/Marine Corps

Air Force

Royal Guard

Also, the organization in question could be entirely fictional or from another world, and it WOULD still qualify.
In some cases dealing with Military Police, the Police tag may also be used in conjunction with Military. See Police guidelines for more info.

Military Veterans:

The Military Veteran tag pertains to characters who have spent time serving in the military, but are no longer affiliated with a country’s armed forces. Whether the character retired, went into another profession, or simply deserted from the army is irrelevant, as the tag is solely concerned with prior military service. Lehm, Valmet, and others from Koko's bodyguard group in Jormungand are good examples of who should receive the tag.
This tag can NOT be placed alongside the Military tag.

Mischievous:

This tag should be used for those characters who like to have a bit of fun and stir things up, in other words those that get up to mischief. It is a fairly catch-all term as it covers the likes of pure childlike mischief such as that of Chi from Chi’s Sweet Home and the more troublesome antics of those who like to scheme in order to get their way, such as Eiko from Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou. Basically, if a character regularly gets up to mischief they qualify for the tag, though their antics should NOT be wholly malevolent. If they aim to cause real trouble then they are simply an asshole, and we do not have a tag for that.

Models:

This tag is for characters who are models such as the likes of Ami from Toradora. If they model professionally then they get the tag. Although some idols model, this tag should NOT be used in conjunction with the idol tag.

Mohawks:

The mohawk tag is pretty self-explanitory. If a character has a mohawk for the MAJORITY of the time, then they would qualify for the tag. A good example of a mohawk is Ivan from Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn. It should also be noted that the tag covers spiky mohawks such as that of Tapion from Dragon Ball Z.

Mole:

The mole tag is for characters that have a small growth protruding from their skin. For the purposes of this tag, moles will only be tagged if usually visible and present. They are, usually, found near the eye, as with Tyki Mikk from D.Gray Man or Maria Ross from Fullmetal Alchemist, or under the mouth, as with Yukio Washimine from Black Lagoon. They should normally be of a black or brown color, and are not to be confused with the South Asian tradition of Bindi.

Monks:

The Monk tag pertains to characters that live an ascetic lifestyle as a monk. Characters that qualify for the monk tag will typically reside within a monastery or live in complete isolation in nature. The main determining factor for determining whether or not a character is a monk is whether or not they are referred to as such. While these characters may resemble priests in terms of their religious nature, these characters should NOT be tagged with both professions.

Monocle:

To qualify for this tag, the character in question should wear a monocle (i.e. a single round eyeglass) for the majority, if not all of the time. Basically, it must be part of their default appearance. This does NOT get used in tandem with either the glasses or sunglasses tag.

Monsters:

The monsters tag is not too difficult to implement when you know what does and doesn’t qualify. In general it is a catch-all term for fantastical creatures however it should NOT be used on characters who are youkai, dinosaurs, aliens, demons, dragons, werewolves or vampires, they would instead get the relevant tags. This tag however DOES cover all other mythical creatures (such as Godzilla) as well as the following:

Pokemon:
The clue for this one is in the title, they are Pocket Monsters, thus they qualify for the tag.

Digimon:
Much like Pokemon, Digimon (or Digital Monsters) by nature of their title, DO get the tag.

Superhero Villain Monsters:
The likes of various fantastical superhero villains such as the variety of Florsheim monsters from Tentai Senshi Sunred also qualify for the tag.

Monster Tamers:

This is a very specialised tag that should be used on characters such as Ash and Brock from Pokemon. If a character is involved with capturing, training and fighting with various monster-like creatures then they qualify for this tag. This tag does NOT include those who train animals (think Kiba from Naruto), those who work with youkai or ghosts - for example Natsume from Natsume Yuujinchou, he may have reached an agreement with Nyanko but he didn’t tame him, neither is Nyanko a monster - or characters such as Lucy from Fairy Tail who uses Celestial Spirits to fight - these are not monsters, they are spirits, and she doesn’t tame them, she has a contract with them.

Muscular:

The muscular tag is for characters that have particularly largely-built bodies. This tag should only be used for those who have excessive muscles on their bodies; the sort of frame that would make the average bodybuilder in your local gym ogle in sheer awe. Good examples of this are the likes of Hayato Fuurinji from History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi, Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist, and Taurus from Fairy Tail. Likewise if a female character has a fairly muscular stature - such as the likes of Miss Monday from One Piece - they WOULD get the tag, even if their muscles are not particularly excessive; this is because muscular women are somewhat out of the norm.

Musicians:

The musician tag is for any character that plays an instrument. It doesn’t matter what the instrument is (piano, guitar, flute, whatever) or whether the character in question is part of a band, playing professionally or as a hobby, or even -in some odd cases - plays an instrument as part of their combat attacks (such as the likes of the Dantists from Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica), if they have the ability to play a musical instrument they get the musician tag. Good examples of characters who get this tag are Austria from Hetalia: Axis Powers, Hoshi from Arakawa Under the Bridge and the main cast of K-On!.

The below list contains specific Musician tags that, if applicable to the character in question, should be used in conjunction with the Musician tag. If they DON'T qualify for the Musician tag though, then they shouldn't get tagged with any of the tags below:

Bassist
The Bassist tag is for a person who plays bass guitar, such as Taira from Beck, or upright bass, like Tsutomu Mukae from Sakamichi no Apollon. They do not have to be a member of a band, but they need to be shown playing the bass.

Cellist
This tag is given to any character who plays the cello. The character in question does not have to be a member of an orchestra; however, they must have been shown playing the cello at least once or twice to qualify for the tag.

Drummer
This tag is given to anyone who plays the drums. They do not have to be a member of a band, but they need to have been shown playing the drums, or at least holding drumsticks.

Flutist
This tag is given to any character who plays the flute. The character in question does not have to be a member of an orchestra; however, they must have been shown playing the flute at least once or twice to qualify for the tag. If the instrument utilizes a reed, then the character does NOT qualify for the tag; however, ocarinas DO count.

Guitarist
The Guitarist tag is for any character who play any kind of guitar EXCEPT the Bass Guitar, who should then get the Bassist tag instead. They do not have to be a member of a band, but they need to be shown playing guitar.

Pianist
The Pianist tag is for any character that plays piano or any kind of keyboard or synthesizer, as long as said instrument is played like a piano. Meaning that characters that play an Accordion like instrument would NOT get the tag, even-though it has keys like a piano, it is not played the same way.

Violinist
The Violinist tag is for any character that plays a violin or viola. As long as the instrument is played in the typical fashion that a violinist would use. Meaning that Cellos and other bigger string instruments don't get the tag; however, since fiddle players only differ from violinists in playing style, they WOULD get the tag.

Mutes:

This tag is for characters who cannot or outright refuse to speak. Characters with a physical disability or mental trauma WOULD get the tag, as would those who choose to never speak but instead communicate through alternative methods - this includes the likes of writing on pads of paper, but would NOT include ventriloquism.

This tag SHOULD be used alongside the Disabled tag if the muteness is due to being physically unable to speak.

cassiesheepgirl · Jan 17, 2011

Tag Guidelines - N-Z:

NEET:

NEET is an acronym that stands for a person who is Not in Education, Employment, or Training. As such, qualifying characters must be unemployed, not enrolled in school, and not be in any kind of training. They are most often represented as shiftless young adults lacking focus, though they may also be frustrated with their status and try to overcome it throughout the series.

Characters that qualify for the NEET tag will usually be referred to as one within the context of the series they are in. Just because a character is not in training or school and is jobless, they do NOT immediately qualify. This prevents housewives, wandering adventurers, bums, children, and others undeserving of it from receiving the tag. Chances are, if they qualify, it will be mentioned in the series.

NEET CAN be used alongside Otaku or Hikikomori, if they qualify for it. The NEET tag does NOT automatically mean that the character will qualify for either of them, though. Please check the respective guidelines for applicability.

Ninja:

Ninja, Kunoichi, Shinobi, them blokes what’s in that Naruto thing; whatever you call them if the characters practice ninjutsu techniques, use shuriken and kunai, and just basically follow the way of the ninja, then they get the tag.

It is possible to tag ninja characters with other ability based tags, though it should only be done when appropriate. For example, while various ninjutsu techniques may appear magical, ninjas do NOT get the magic user tag unless they practice magic that is OUTSIDE the realms of their shinobi abilities. For example, while Junko from Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou comes from a family of ninjas and has their abilities, but she also attends school to learn magic arts, thus she gets both tags. The same method of thinking applies to the likes of martial artist. While ninja have their own version of combat, this doesn’t automatically qualify any shinobi for the martial artist tag. However, there are times when both tags are appropriate, for example: Emonzaemon Souda from Katanagatari also practices a form of kenpo, thus he gets both ninja and martial artist.

Nobility:
See Royalty/Nobility.

No Sense of Direction:

Characters who constantly find themselves lost, unaware of where they are and in which direction they ought to go in order to reach their destination, can be said to completely lack a sense of direction, and therefore deserve this tag. The character must frequently find themselves either separated from the the majority of the characters or leading the rest of the cast around aimlessly to qualify for the tag, as the occasional loss of one’s navigational skills does not warrant this tag. Zoro from One Piece, who gets lost the second he's left on his own, would be a prime example for this tag.

Nun:

The nun tag should be relatively simple to implement. Basically, if you have a traditional Catholic nun, they get the tag. However, this also extends to some other edge cases, such as the characters from Amaenaideyo. Though they’re Buddhist, they are referred to as nuns so they get the tag. Also another extreme edge case is Sister from Arakawa. While he’s a man, he is the nun under the bridge, so he gets the tag.

Nurses:

Unsurprisingly this tag should be used for characters who are nurses. This covers the likes of school nurses such as Aiko from Mitsudomoe, as well as those that work in hospitals or doctors clinics, like Ritsuko from Shiki.

Ojou-sama:

The Ojou-sama tag refers to characters who fit the general trope of a socially powerful girl.To qualify for the tag, the character MUST fit one of the following two categories:

Be Revered by Others as Royalty:
Other people tend to treat the character as if she were royalty, regardless of whether or not the character actually is. A character can attain her status simply by personality alone or by being heavily idolized. Other members of the cast bend over backwards trying to please the character, sometimes simply out of fear of reprisal should she be displeased; however, the character might command the loyalty of others through her kindness alone.

Arrogantly Possess a Sense of Privilege:
Often an ojou-sama will have a very arrogant attitude towards those of “lower rank” to them and see them as lesser people. They will often use their over-sized ego to treat others below them with contempt. Characters who normally act like ojou-samas, but have fallen on hard times, financially or otherwise, also qualify for the tag.

Other characteristics that an ojou-sama might have, but are not necessary for the tag include:

Ignorance/Uncaring Towards the Plight of Commoners:
A lot of the time ojou-samas either couldn’t care less about the troubles that “common people” have or in some cases are entirely ignorant to them. If a character acts like this then it’s likely that they are an ojou-sama.

Abuse of Power:
Many ojou-samas may use their status or direct power over those below them as a way of getting whatever they want. The power in question could be through that of sheer wealth or simply through being idolized by various “lackeys” under their control.

This tag CAN be used alongside the wealthy tag since that is not inherently implied within the umbrella of ojou-sama. It CAN also be used alongside bossy and big ego since not ALL ojou-samas may have big egos or be particularly bossy, but would still qualify for the tag.

Onmyouji:

The onmyouji tag refers to characters who practice onmyoudo, or ‘the way of Yin and Yang’, a form of mysticism originating in Japan. Recognized onmyouji were first appointed by the Imperial Court; however, some series loosen these restrictions or preserve onmyoudo in secret traditions that continue to this day. Onmyouji are similar to exorcists in that their powers can be used to protect humanity from youkai or spirits; however, there is nothing preventing onmyoudo from being used for other ends. These characters are characterized primarily by their use of taoist rituals, including: magic pentagrams; animated paper dolls; ofuda, scrolls inscribed with incantations; special mantras; or symbolic gestures.

Opaque Nerd Glasses:

Characters with this tag wear glasses that obscure their eyes with nearly-white lenses. The spectacles are generally large, circular and have spirals or circles on the lenses. These characters often have a distinct personality as well, whether they’re a nerd, are socially incompetent or are just all-around strange or aloof.

Orphans:

The orphan tag should be used for characters whose parents are both dead. The tag should only be applied to those characters where it is KNOWN that both biological parents are dead and it is not a spoiler in any way. Also the person’s being an orphan should be a prominent part of their character; if it’s just mentioned in passing and has no bearing on the plot, then it is not enough to warrant the tag. Two ideal examples of characters whose status as orphans greatly impacts their characters are Naruto and Sasuke from Naruto.

In odd situations where a character has been orphaned but is living with relatives, or has been adopted, these characters would still qualify for the tag but ONLY if their lack of biological parents is an important factor of the story.

Otaku:

The otaku tag should be used for characters who are extreme geeks. However, while otaku is simply a term to refer to an obsessive fan, this tag only covers the more common areas of otaku culture, which include the following:

Anime

Manga

Video/Computer Games

Cosplay

Figures & Models

Idols

If a character is particularly geeky about at least ONE of the things listed above, then they qualify for the otaku tag. Examples of otaku characters are: Konata from Lucky Star, Madarame from Genshiken and Yamazaki from Welcome to the NHK.

This tag does NOT extend to those that are obsessive over other things. For example there are several characters who are complete gun nuts and have large collections of them, such as Forte from Galaxy Angel, however gun otaku are NOT covered under the tag.

Oversized Weapon:

This tag is for characters who use excessively large weapons in battle. It doesn’t matter what the weapon in question is, but if it’s disproportionately large, then they WOULD qualify for the tag. This includes the likes of Mihawk from One Piece whose sword is taller than he is. This tag should NOT be used for characters who are tiny and use regular sized weapons that look huge by comparison.

Overweight:

This tag should be used for characters who are overweight. It should NOT be used on those characters who are simply a little bit chunky, particularly muscular, or just don’t conform to the unrealistically stick thin stereotype, but should be given to those individuals that would be classed as obese if they were real people. Likewise, another thing to take into account is whether the character is actually overweight or has a bizarre body shape by design. This means that the likes of chibi characters would NOT get the tag since they are chibified, not overweight. This also extends to those characters with large bodies as part of a wacky character design. This includes the likes of Dr. Hogback from One Piece who while he has a big balloon-like body, has spindly limbs and a fairly regular face. Since his bodily proportions are out of whack, he would NOT get the tag.

If in doubt of whether to add the tag or not here are a couple of pointers to look out for:

Do they have a large stomach?
If the answer to this is yes then it is likely that they WOULD get the tag, however they would also require one or both of the following criteria:

Are their arms and legs in proportion to their large/rotund body size?
If the answer is yes then the character WOULD get the tag. If they have a large stomach and chunky arms and legs then they would certainly get the tag. If the answer to this is no, then they would NOT get the tag unless the following criteria is met.

Does the character have fat cheeks and multiple chins?
If a character has a double chin and fat cheeks then it is a pretty good indicator that they should get the tag. If the character has a large stomach and no double chin then it is unlikely that they would qualify for the tag, unless the previous criteria has been met.

Pacifist:

The pacifist tag should be used on characters that are against violence and abhor fighting. Characters that WOULD get the tag are those who will attempt to negotiate through conflict instead of resorting to violence or war. This includes the likes of Relena from Gundam Wing who repeatedly refuses to resort to murder or assassination to attain her goals of peace or to exact revenge.

Part Time Employee:

The part time employee tag is to be used for all those characters that have a part time job. Their place of work doesn’t matter and they can be students or adults, so long as they aren’t freelance, fully contracted workers, or volunteers, then they WOULD get the tag. Types of work that DO qualify for the tag are:

Waiter/Waitress

Convenience Store Clerk

Shop Salesperson

Office Intern

This tag should only be used for characters who have a part-time job on a regular basis, such as the characters in Working. If characters get a job JUST for the Christmas or summer holiday period then they would NOT get the tag. Likewise if someone has a job-like role during a school cultural festival then they would NOT get the tag either.

Person in a Strange World:

As the title of this tag states, this should be assigned to characters who find themselves whisked off to a strange world that is not their own. This covers the likes of Chihiro from Spirited Away, Yuuri from Kyou Kara Maou, and Saito from Zero no Tsukaima. This tag should NOT simply be used for any character in a fantastical world, only for those whose home is not within the alternate land or reality in which they find themselves.

Perverted:

This is a relatively simple tag, if a character is a pervert they qualify. This means that the character in question should have a rather open over-fondness for the opposite or - in some cases - same sex. Here are a few things to look out for when considering this tag.

Peeping:
If a character is frequently seen attempting to peep on people, whether in the baths or at home then they qualify for the tag. This includes the likes of Jiraiya from Naruto and his “research”.

(Attempted) Groping:
If a character has a habit of purposely grabbing people in places they shouldn’t, then they get the tag. This also includes those who attempt to do so but fail, but does NOT cover characters who always end up in these situations by accident.

Love of Underwear:
Whether they steal them, wear them on their head (see Boss from Inukami), or simply want to sneak a peek at them, if a character shows a particular interest in bras or panties, then they qualify for the tag. This also includes the likes of Brook from One Piece, whose first uttering upon meeting a beautiful girl is “May I see your panties?”

Obsession with Boobs:
There are a plethora of characters that come under this tag, such as Kon from Bleach and Futaba from Mistudomoe, so if a character demonstrates a particular uhh... admiration for breasts, then they qualify for the tag.

Obsession with Porn:
If a character demonstrates a particular love of pornography, such as Chiba from Mitsudomoe and his constant quest for pictures of boobs, then they qualify for the tag.

Sexual Predators:
If a character is overly forward in a sexual manner, then they qualify for the tag. This covers the likes of Chizuru from Kanokon and her repeated attempts to semi-forcibly claim Kouta’s virginity.

There are many other things that would qualify a character for the perverted tag, such as Azumanga Daioh’s Kimura and his “love of high school girls”, or Maa-kun’s rather twisted fetish from Ebichu. Basically, if the character has trouble controlling or suppressing their animal urges in any way, they qualify for the tag.

Photographers:

The photographers tag is for characters who take a lot of photographs. This could be because they do it as their profession - such as Jou Kamohara from Mainichi Kaasan - or they may simply be regular people who always have a camera in their hands, like Kobayashi from Hyakko. This tag also covers the likes of Voyeur from Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu who incessantly attempts to take perverted photographs of girls.

Pianists:
See Musicians.

Piercings:

The piercings tag is relatively simple, but does have a few restrictions. It should NOT be applied to females with a standard single piercing in both ears since this would end up with a HUGE amount of characters for something that isn’t something that particularly stands out. However, the tag WOULD apply in the following circumstances.

Facial/Bodily Piercings:
If a character has a piercing on their face or body - such as in nose, lip, or eyebrow - be they male or female, they qualify for the piercings tag. An example of this is Gajeel from Fairy Tail.

Multiple Piercings:
If a character has multiple piercings then they get the tag. Even if they’re female, if they have multiple ear piercings - such as Winry from Fullmetal Alchemist - they get the tag.

Piercings on Men:
Since piercings on men isn’t as common as those on women, any men with piercings get the tag, be they multiple or just one in each ear - such as Shikamaru from Naruto. That being said, this does not extend to the characters in Simoun because of the complicated nature of the characters’ genders.

Pigs:
See Animals.

Pigtails:

This is a particularly simple tag to implement. If a character wears their hair in pigtails, then they DO get the tag. The individual in question should have pigtails as part of their default appearance. Should they occasionally let there hair down, it is still acceptable. The tag should NOT be used for people who wear their hair in pigtails on a single occasion. There are some occasional edge cases so here is a break down of oddities and whether they would or would not get the tag:

Braids:
You may come across characters that have their hair in braids from time to time, such as Nina Tucker from Fullmetal Alchemist, these characters DO get the tag, as their hair has been tied up into two separate bunches, which have simply been braided.

Double Hair Buns:
A rarity but characters like Amazon from One Piece have their hair tied up into two small buns. These characters do NOT get the tag because they are buns not pigtails.

Partial Pigtails:
A lot of characters wear the majority of their hair down, but have a few wispy bits put up into small pigtails. This covers characters such as Misa from Death Note and Tenma from School Rumble. These characters would NOT get the tag as the majority of their hair is worn down.

Pilots:

The pilots tag are for characters who pilot airplanes or helicopters. This includes the likes of Marco from Porco Rosso and even Nausicaa from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. This tag does NOT include characters who pilot mecha; they should get the mecha pilot tag instead.

Pipes:

This tag is for characters who can usually be seen with a pipe in their mouth. Whether or not the character actually smokes from the pipe is irrelevant. Even characters with a pipe that blows bubbles is allowed. So long as it looks like a smoking pipe, it’s allowed.

Pirates:

To qualify for the pirate tag, the character in question must be a - you guessed it - pirate. This covers the likes of traditional pirates who sail on the open ocean - basically half the cast of One Piece - but it also extends to the likes of sky pirates such as Dola from Laputa. That being said, this tag does NOT include space pirates; they have their own tag.

Pointy Ears:

This is a very simple tag to implement. If a character has pointy ears then they WOULD get the tag. This tag should NOT be used on animals, it is purely for human-like characters.

Police:

Pretty simple, if the character in question is a member of the police force - whether an officer or inspector, if they uphold the long arm of the law then they get the police tag. This tag also covers specialist police forces such as Interpol, however it does NOT extend to the shinsengumi; they would get the shinsengumi tag instead.

Politicians:

This tag is for use on any characters that hold a position in political office. This includes the likes of presidents like Yukino from Mai Otome, senators (see Ron Davis from Resident Evil: Degeneration) and even mayors, such as the likes of Kotobuki from Animal Crossing.

Pompadour:

This is a very simple tag to implement. If a character has a pompadour hairstyle then they DO get the tag. For those unsure, a pompadour is a hairstyle that is commonly seen on Japanese delinquents, where the hair is combed up and juts out at the front. A good example of a pompadour hairstyle on an anime character is Tatsuya from Beelzebub.

Ponytail:

This tag is for characters who have their hair tied up in a single bunch for the majority of the time - if a character wears their hair up once then it does NOT count. This includes standard ponytails, as well as single braids, french plaits or even the crazy physics-defying creation of Ritsuko from Shiki. The tag can also be used on any age group or any gender.

Poor:

This tag should be used for characters who have very little or no money. Much like the wealthy tag, their lack of funds should be a large factor in their character and should be prevalent in the series. For example, Akihisa from Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu qualifies for the tag, and his status as a poor man is shown multiple times through his having to make a single cup noodle stretch to cover his breakfast, lunch and dinner. At the far end of the spectrum, this tag also covers those who are so destitute that they are homeless, such as the likes of Gin from Tokyo Godfathers.

Power Suit:

The power suit tag extends only to suits of various types of form-fitting armor that give the wearer special powers, special weapons, or enhances the character’s inherent abilities. “Power Suit” does not cover such things as the suits worn by Sky High which just gives him a jetpack, and Rock Bison who is essentially in control of a tank, or anyone else in Tiger and Bunny who have inherent powers not enhanced by the suit.

Jet packs do NOT qualify for this tag.

Pregnant:

Since the pregnant tag could be potentially spoilerific, we have very tight guidelines on when to use it. This tag should only be used on characters who are pregnant for the majority of the anime or manga in which they feature. A perfect example of a character that qualifies for this tag is Osono from Kiki's Delivery Service who is pregnant from the first moment we meet her and is so throughout the duration of the film (except for during the credits).

If a character becomes pregnant midway through the series or later then they would NOT get the tag as it is likely that it is a spoiler. Likewise, if a character is pregnant at the beginning of the series and gives birth shortly afterwards then they would NOT get the tag as it would only be relevant for a small portion of the series, much in the way that a teenager who goes from high school to university would NOT be tagged with any school tags, as no single one is relevant for the entirety of the series.

Priests:

The priests tag, at the moment, covers a wide range of different religious characters, so I think the best way to handle this is to go through each one to show what does and doesn’t qualify.

Catholic Priests and Vicars:
Any catholic or christian priests and vicars WOULD get this tag. This includes the likes of Kanae from Maria Holic and Remington from Chrono Crusade. However, this also extends to the likes of Cornello from Fullmetal Alchemist, since while he is representing a fictional religion, he resembles a traditional catholic priest with his sermons and black outfit with dog collar, therefore he and any other like him get the tag. This also covers the upper echelons of the Catholic church, such as bishops, cardinals or even the Pope.

Nuns:
Nuns do NOT get the priest tag. Period. Whether they are catholic or buddhist, they should get the nun tag instead.

Buddhist Monks:
Any Buddhist monks do NOT qualify for the priest tag. They should instead be tagged with the monk tag.

Prisoners:

This tag is for characters who are prisoners in jail during the anime or manga in question. It doesn't matter whether the person is guilty of a crime or innocent, if they are incarcerated in a prison of any kind, then they WOULD get the tag. This tag should NOT be used on characters who are only briefly imprisoned in jail during the series, characters sent to prison at the end of a series, or anyone who was in jail before the events of the series.

Prison Guard/Prison Warden:

These two tags are for people who work within the prison system and should be applied as follows:

Prison Guard
This tag is for characters who work as guards for the prisoners. This tag should NOT be used for prison wardens as they would come under the Prison Warden tag, in the same way that principals do NOT get tagged with teacher. A good example of a prison officer is Hannyabal from One Piece.

Prison Warden
This tag should be used for characters who are known as the prison warden. In general this would only be used for one character per institution as the warden is the individual in charge of the prison, much like the principal is in charge of a school. A good example of a prison warden is Magellan from One Piece, who is in charge of Impel Down.

Prostitutes:

This tag is for both male and female characters who sell their bodies for money. The tag should ONLY be given to characters who actively have sex with their clients. This means that a character who was previously a prostitute but no longer sells themselves would NOT get the tag. Likewise, this should NOT be used for the likes of Hosts, who simply sell their time and company, but do not engage in sexual activity with any of their clients.

Psychic Powers:

The psychic powers tag is for characters that have extrasensory perception and psychic abilities that normal people do not possess. Here are examples of powers that DO qualify for the tag:

Telepathy:
If a character can communicate with another through only the power of their mind with no verbal or physical communication, then they WOULD get the psychic powers tag. Likewise characters who can read the thoughts of others also count such as the likes of Yakumo from School Rumble who is capable of reading the thoughts of men.

Telekinesis:
If a character is able to control physical matter by using their mind then they WOULD get the psychic powers tag. This includes the likes of characters that can move physical objects or even those such as Robin from Witch Hunter Robin who can control flames with only the power of his mind.

Precognition and Retrocognition:
Individuals that can see into the future or claim to be able to predict what will happen WOULD get the tag. Occasionally you may encounter characters that are able to recount past events with no prior knowledge using their psychic powers; these individuals WOULD also get the tag.

Clairvoyance:
Characters that are clairvoyant and are able to see or know things they had no knowledge of beforehand through inexplicable means WOULD qualify from the tag as it is their extrasensory perception that allows them to gain such information. A good example of a clairvoyant character is Mii from To Aru Kagaku no Railgun.

Other Abilities:
If characters exhibit any other psychokinetic powers, such as that of levitation, psychoemtry, the ability to see or talk to the dead, creating force fields with their mind, mind control or the influencing of other people through psychic means then they WOULD get the tag.

There are some powers that may appear to be of a psychic nature but may not qualify for the psychic powers tag. For example the likes of Lelouch’s Geass, may appear to be some kind of psychic ability, but he does NOT get the tag as the power is coming from his eye rather than his mind.

Puppeteers:

The Puppeteer tag applies to characters who frequently interact with puppets or marionettes. Whether the puppets are used for combat, in the fashion of Kankuro from Naruto, to communicate, like Takara from Blue Exorcist, or simply to entertain is irrelevant. As long as the character finds themselves controlling figures frequently, they qualify for the tag.

Both hand puppets and marionettes DO qualify for the tag; human puppetry, however, does NOT.

Rabbits:
See Animals.

Racers:

This tag is pretty self-explanatory and should be used for characters who race. This covers those who race bikes and cars but does NOT extend to those who participate in running races (be they sprinting or marathons) - those characters would get the athlete tag instead.

Racial Purists:

The Racial Purist tag pertains to characters who believe in the superiority of their race of people, and pursue the subordination or destruction of those who are not a member of their group. These characters are not simply racists, but are also imperialist or genocidal, going to great lengths to strengthen the power of those of pedigree, and stand in the way of those that do not meet their standards of “purity”.

Reporter:

This tag should be used for anyone who is a news reporter of any kind. This includes television reporters and newspaper reporters, as well as any students who are a part of their school’s newspaper club - such as Minako from Maria-sama ga Miteru.

Reptiles:
See Animals.

Robots:
See Androids/Cyborgs/Robots.

Rosy Cheeks:

This tag is for those character who have constant rosy cheeks no matter the situation. This includes the likes of Chihiro from Spirited Away, Maricorn from Zero no Tsukaima, and a frighteningly large proportion of the Mitsudomoe cast. This tag should NOT be used for those that simply blush a lot, unless the rosy cheeks are a constant part of their facial design, the tag shouldn’t be applied.

Royalty/Nobility:

Royalty and Nobility, while these tags are in some ways very similar, they are also distinctly different, so knowing when to use each tag is key. Below is a list of what constitutes Nobility, and what makes a character Royalty. It should also be noted that the two tags should NOT be used together, the character in question will either have one tag or the other.

Royalty:
The royalty tag should be used for members of a Royal family who rule a country or province. Any characters with the following titles would get the royalty tag:

King or Queen:
The King or Queen is the head of the royal family, therefore they qualify for the royalty tag, unless their identity as a royal is a spoiler. Examples of this are the likes of Jhil from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and the Queen of Fairyland from Hime Chen! Otogi Chikku Idol Lilpri.

Emperor/Empress:
Emperors and Empresses fall into the same category as Kings and Queens. They are the Royal family of their domain and therefore get the tag. Much like the the exception below, if a character holds the title of emperor/empress, if they have no royal blood in them or are not part of a structured royal family, they do NOT get the tag. This includes the likes of Boa Hancock from One Piece who is known as the “Snake Empress”

Prince or Princess:
Children of the royal family also qualify for the royalty tag, so those with the title of prince or princess generally get the tag. The exception to this rule is the likes of San from Princess Mononoke, who while she is known as a princess has no actual royal connection or blood, therefore she does NOT get the tag.

Duke or Duchess:
This can to a degree be somewhat of a crossover with the nobility tag. Technically Dukes, Archdukes, Grand Dukes etc. are the highest rank of the nobility, directly under the Monarchy. However, they can also rule their own realms known as duchies. Likewise, in England various members of the Royal family have been given the title of Duke or Duchess. In these cases, Dukes WOULD get the royalty tag instead of the nobility tag.

Nobility:
The nobility comprises a group of more privileged people who hold titles and land that has been passed down through the generations. Characters with the following titles WOULD get the nobility tag:

Marquis

Count/Countess

Earl

Viscount

Baron/Baroness

It should be noted that while many characters tagged with the nobility tag could also be tagged with wealthy, that is not always the case. Sometimes there are some nobles who could also be tagged as poor, since while they make have land and status they may be technically destitute; of course if their monetary status is a spoiler it should NOT be tagged.

Landed Gentry:
The landed gentry refers to those who are not from noble birth but own land and possess wealth. This covers the likes of William Jones and his family from Victorian Romance Emma, who have risen to wealth through trade. By not being descendants of nobility, those landed gentry without titles do NOT qualify for either the nobility nor the royalty tags; instead it is likely that they should be tagged as wealthy.

Ruthless:

The ruthless tag is for two specific types of characters:

Those who show no mercy.
Any characters who show absolutely no mercy to their foes, or people who stand in their way WOULD qualify for the tag. These are the types who will not rest until their enemy is completely annihilated.

Those who abandon/sacrifice their comrades for personal gain.
Characters who place their own selfish gain above everything else, even the lives and safety of their friends and comrades WOULD qualify for the tag. These are the types that would like step over their own granny to get to where they want to be.

This tag should NOT be used alongside the sadistic tag.

Sadistic:

This tag should be used for particularly twisted individuals that enjoy inflicting pain and suffering upon others. If they get some kind of sick pleasure out of tormenting whatever poor sod happens to be around, then they qualify for the tag; basically they’re the kind of characters you can imagine sitting around when they were younger burning ants underneath a magnifying glass. Prime examples of sadistic characters are Kurotsuchi from Bleach who routinely finds it great fun to torture the “specimens” for his experimentation, Hidan from Naruto Shippuuden and his “religious rituals”, and Krauser II from Detroit Metal City (RAPERAPERAPERAPERAPE).

Salaryman:

The Salaryman tag pertains to characters who are employed as salarymen/salarywomen by a large company. The role of the salaryman is specific to Japan: they are full-time office workers, often working in a cubicle for an hourly wage, and males have a dress code of black or dark blue suits, a white shirt, shined black shoes, and a tie that does not stand out too much. Individualism is looked down upon as it's a major sign of disrespect -- only managers, CEOs, and other higher positions may step out of the dress codes (something like a different shade of blue for their suit, or a funky tie).

For the common salaryman, work comes first, before even their family and your health. Once one becomes a salaryman, they often remain one for their entire life until retirement, in the hope that they might climb the corporate ladder. Salarymen are prone to depression or cynicism, and typically overwork themselves to the point of needing hospitalization.

Samurai:

The samurai tag is not hugely strict and should be used on characters who are samurai. As the most basic of basic guides, as long as a character follows the way of the samurai and are referred to as such then they should get the tag, regardless of whether they have a master or not. This means that the tag includes the likes of ronin (masterless samurai) such as Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin and Masanosuke from Sarai ya Goyou. Also, the setting of the anime/manga does not affect this tag - so being part of a series about feudal Japan is not a pre-requisite. There are edge cases where entirely non-traditional samurai qualify for this tag, such as the likes of Kai from Yakitate! Japan; he is a baker by trade, however he has also undergone training in the way of the sword, has many samurai-like attributes and is referred to as a samurai multiple times throughout the series.

It should also be noted that there are certain tags that should NOT be used alongside the samurai tag. If a character is already marked up as a samurai they should NOT be tagged as sword fighter as well, since this is already covered within the samurai tag. Likewise, while shinsengumi are essentially a special police force consisting of ronin, no characters should be tagged with both shinsengumi AND samurai; in this case the shinsengumi tag trumps the samurai one.

Sausage Lips:

Sausage lips. We’ve all seen them in anime and they’re pretty easy to recognise. If it looks like someone has just plonked a saveloy or frankfurter on the character’s face, then they get the sausage lips tag. For examples see the likes of Usopp from One Piece and The Spirit of Early Education from Mainichi Kaasan.

Simply having defined lips, such as the likes of Jose and Wally from Fairy Tail or Yano from Kimi ni Todoke does NOT warrant the tag.

Scantily-Clad:

This tag is for characters whose normal choice of wardrobe consists of very little clothing and normally reveals a fair amount of bare flesh. This uhh... “covers” the likes of Franky from One Piece whose entire wardrobe consists of an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt and a teeny tiny pair of speedos, and characters such as Hinako from Sleeping/Training with Hinako who enjoys parading around in her undies all day.

This tag should not be confused with the frequently-naked tag, which is for characters who regularly find themselves in a state of undress.

Scarf:

A scarf is a piece of fabric worn around the neck, or shoulders. If a character wears a scarf in their default appearance, such as most of the cast from Letter Bee TV, they receive the tag. Please note that the accessory must be either on the shoulders or neck, if it around the waist, it is a sash. Stoles, typically worn by the clergy, WOULD also count as scarves.

Scars:

To get the scars tag, a character needs to have visible physical scars. It could be a small facial scar such as that of Luffy from One Piece or large bodily scars like those of Black Jack. It should also be noted that to qualify for the tag, the scars must be prominent - tiny, insignificant, or barely featured scars do NOT count.

School Idol:

The School Idol tag is for characters who are exceptionally popular at school, to the point where they are revered, worshipped or possibly even have fan clubs dedicated to them. This includes the likes of Shizuma from Strawberry Panic and Mio from K-On! Obviously to be eligible for this tag, the character in question must be a student at school. Teachers, or other school staff do NOT count.

The tag should NOT be used alongside the idol tag. If someone is an actual idol, but happens to go to school (and is worshipped there) then the idol tag would trump the school idol one.

School Principal:

This is a fairly simple tag to implement; if a character is the principal/headmaster/headmistress of a school or university then they WOULD get this tag. This tag should NOT be used for people who are chairperson of the school board and not the principal, likewise it should NOT be used for deputy-principals.

This tag should NOT be used in conjunction with the teacher tag.

Scientists:

A pretty straightforward tag, if the character in question is a scientist then they qualify for the tag. The tag covers the likes of school science nerds such as Chie from Hyakko, to those who study and research - such as Keizou from Moyashimon - or use their research to develop new medicines, weapons, or technologies, like Kurotsuchi from Bleach.

It should be noted that it is perfectly fine to tag a character with both inventor and scientist as the two are not mutually exclusive and they can overlap.

Scythe Wielders:

The Scythe Wielder tag applies to characters that wield, as a primary weapon, some manner of scythe. The configuration of the blade and stock, as well as the number of blades present on the weapon, are irrelevant; so long as the weapon is fitted with scythe blades and has some lengthy stock to it, the tag applies. Whether Hidan’s three-bladed scythe, Hisagi’s dual-bladed Kazeshini, or Soul Evan’s transformed state, all manner of scythes qualify for the tag.

Sickles, attached to a chain or otherwise, are NOT covered by the tag.

Secret Identity:

The Secret Identity tag refers to characters who the audience knows as having another, secret identity which the majority of the cast and/or regular people in the story are unable to draw the line between. The character needs to gain this identity shortly after introduction to qualify for the tag. If the fact that the character leads two distinct lives is in any way a spoiler, that character would NOT receive the tag. Additionally, there must be some element of an independent identity present to warrant the tag, as it cannot simply be someone hiding a secret; typically, this requirement is fulfilled by an identity that comes with its own name and is used to appear as a different character, like Light and his Kira persona. Even if another name is present, characters will usually have to have an appearance distinct from their everyday attire so as to not be recognizable to persons that know them outside of their alternate persona (Sakura from Cardcaptor Sakura is a good example of what does NOT reach this mark). Simply having another moniker unknown to others does not count if one’s behavior is not changed to make a distinct, alternate identity. Simply doing things other members of the cast do not know about is not sufficient to receive the tag.

This tag will frequently be used alongside Mask or Masked Hero.

Selfish:

Another self-explanatory tag, this should be used for characters who are selfish. If they place their own needs and desires above those of any others or care more about their own well-being than anyone else’s, then they qualify for the tag. A good example of a selfish character is Mitsuba from Mitsudomoe.

Seme/Uke:

The terms Seme and Uke refer to the roles within homosexual relationships and when tagging it is important to know which is which.

Seme:
The seme in any homosexual relationship is the more dominant party. If one of the pair is more frequently pinning the other to the ground/bed/countertop/car/whatever and often initiates sexual activity, then he is more than likely the seme and WOULD warrant the tag. A good example of a seme in anime is Usagi from Junjou Romantica. Likewise a seme is always in control, so it is possible for indifferent individuals being chased by a persistent mate would also qualify for the tag, such as Eri from Gravitation.

Uke:
The uke in a homosexual relationship is the more submissive individual. The uke is more often than not classed as the “bottom” and often receives more attention than he gives. They are normally the one being pinned down instead of doing the pinning, or may be the more hesitant party, attempting to resist the advances of their admirer. A good example of an uke is Misaki from Junjou Romantica. Alternatively, the uke could be a more needy character who is chasing a stoic or indifferent partner, such as Shuichi from Gravitation.

This tag should ONLY be used for characters who actively engage in homosexual relationships in anime or manga. Generally, this tag will be used in shounen-ai, yaoi, shoujo-ai and yuri titles, but there is the possibility of a pair cropping up in a non boy-love/girl-love series.

The Seme and Uke tags are NEVER to be used for tagging common fandom beliefs or for couples that are not canon within the series’ plotline. Unless genuine homosexual relationships are present, the tag should NOT be applied. For example while many SasuNaru shippers may claim that “OMG Sasuke is soooo totally the seme!”, he would NOT qualify for the tag (nor Naruto for the uke). This is because - sorry to disappoint girls - within the confines of the narrative as laid out by the series creator, neither Naruto nor Sasuke are hard, hot and horny for each other - they’re simply friends. Likewise, while series such as Kyou Kara Maou and Hetalia are thought of as boy-love series, they are not. They may hint at homosexual relationships, but they do NOT contain actual loving and/or sexual relationships.

Shapeshifters:

The Shapeshifter tag pertains to characters who are able to change their entire body into another form, like Soul Evans, along with a number of others from Soul Eater. The tag encompasses characters able to morph into any of the following permutations:

From a human to the form of another animal, inanimate object, or a physically different human

OR

From an animal to the form of a human, other animal species, or an inanimate object

Other examples will be determined on a case-by-case basis. This tag can NOT be tagged alongside supernatural entities such as deities, demons, werewolves, vampires, and youkai.

Sharp Teeth:

The Sharp Teeth tag applies to characters who have a mouthful of exceedingly pointy teeth. Think Soul Evans from Soul Eater. While these choppers needn’t be lined up exactly such that they fit, the majority of the teeth must be triangular. Simply possessing one or two fangs, or a snaggletooth, is not enough to constitute candidacy for this tag. Animals and monsters, categories of beings which commonly possess slightly sharper teeth than average, are NOT eligible for this tag.

Shinigami:

Much like pirates and ninja, shinigami take on a variety of different forms. However, all shinigami deal with death, whether causing it or helping souls to pass on to the next world. Therefore, should a character be classified in the anime as a shinigami, or death god, then they get this tag. This covers the vast majority of the cast of Bleach as well as the likes of Ryuk from Death Note and William T. Spears from Kuroshitsuji. As with all other tags, this should NOT be applied if the character’s identity as a shinigami is a spoiler.

It should also be noted that shinigami do NOT get tagged with magic user. While many of a shinigami’s abilities may seem magical - such as the Kidou demonstrated in Bleach - this all comes under the shinigami’s own powers and therefore disqualifies them from getting the magic user tag.

Shinsengumi:

This is a particularly specialist tag and to qualify for it, the characters in question should be a member of the shinsengumi - a specialist police force that is made up of ronin (masterless samurai). Ideal characters to demonstrate this are Kondo and Hijikata from Gintama and a large portion of the cast of Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan.

Please note that if a character is a member of the shinsengumi, they should NOT be tagged with samurai as that is implied by their status. Also, shinsengumi tags must NOT be tagged as police, since again, this is implied in the shinsengumi status, and is not really accurate.

Shipwrights:

The Shipwright tag applies to characters who possess the skills and knowledge to repair ships, like Franky from One Piece. Whether building a ship, repairing one, or outfitting one, so long as the character works primarily with the structure of the ship they would receive the tag. The character doesn't need to be working with a wooden ship, as the tag applies equally to those that take up the maintenance of metal ships and spaceships.

While a character might possess the skills of a shipwright in addition to being a mechanic or carpenter, a character should NOT be tagged with both, as the character’s primary concern is maintenance of a great deal of equipment, and not principally the ship.

Shrine Maiden:

As the title says, this tag is for shinto shrine maidens. To get the tag, the characters should be shrine maidens. This means that they should actively work at the shrine. Here is a breakdown of what does and does not count for the tag:

Miko Outfit:
If a character works at a shinto shrine and is seen wearing the traditional Miko costume then they WOULD qualify for the tag even if they are not seen performing rituals.

Rituals:
If a character who works as a Shrine Maiden is seen performing rituals then they DO get the tag, even if they aren’t seen wearing the traditional outfit. An example of this is Rika from Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni.

Part-Time Miko:
If characters only work part-time as shrine maidens, such as Kagami and Tsukasa from Lucky Star, WOULD get the tag if they are seen working or in the costume, or if it is frequently mentioned.

Cosplayers:
Characters that simply cosplay as a shrine maiden would NOT get the tag, since they are not shrine maidens, they are cosplayers.

This tag should NOT be used alongside the priest or nun tags.

Shy:

This tag is relatively self-explanatory and should be used for characters who are shy. If they are fairly quiet and tend to either get embarrassed, self-conscious, flustered, or simply run away when faced with groups of people, or those they don’t know, then the character in question WOULD get this tag. Good examples of shy characters are Hinata from Naruto, Koume from Hanamaru Youchien, and Japan from Hetalia: Axis Powers.

Sickly:

The sickly tag is for characters who are known for having weak health and are frequently bed-ridden or ill. This includes the likes of Nagisa from Clannad and Ukitake from Bleach. as well as terminally ill characters such as Jhil from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. This tag does NOT extend to characters who happen to catch a cold during the course of the series.

Singer:

This tag should be used for characters that are singers. It should be for characters who sing as a large part of their character. The type of music does not make any difference, they could be opera singers, pop, rock, enka and even rap. While it is a fairly simple tag to use there are some stipulations.

The Idol Tag:
The singer tag should NOT be used in conjunction with the idol tag as the singing aspect is covered under the umbrella of idol.

The Musician Tag:
The singer tag generally should NOT be used alongside the musician tag. However, there are TWO exceptions to this.

Lead Vocalist in a Band:
If a character is the lead vocalist in a band and plays an instrument such as Krauser from Detroit Metal City or Yui from K-On! then they WOULD get both the musician and the singer tags. However, if a character is in a band and sings a little, or sings backing vocals while playing an instrument such as Mugi from K-On! would NOT get the tag.

Solo Artists:
If a character is a solo artist who plays an instrument and sings such as Hoshi from Arakawa then they WOULD get both the musician and singer tags.

Single Parents:

This tag should be used for characters who are raising children on their own, whether widowed or simply separated; this includes the likes of Hajime from Jigoku Shoujo and Aki from Keroro Gunsou. The tag also covers characters who raise children that are not their own, such as the likes of Haruko from Air. However, it should also be noted that if the character in question is not a biological/adopted parent they should act as a PARENTAL figurehead, thus the likes of Haruka from Minami-ke or Kyou from Binbou Shimai Monogatari do NOT get the tag as they are simply the elder sisters who look after their younger siblings.

Sister Complex:
See Brother Complex/Sister Complex.

Slave:

The Slave tag applies to characters who, at one point in time, have been enslaved under some manner of master or group of people and treated as property. While many characters may only be shown as a slave for a very short amount of time before they are freed, if the character’s prior enslavement persists as an important character trait, then the character would qualify for the tag. Whether the character voluntarily entered servitude or not is of no consequence for this tag. Servants, who serve a master voluntarily and can leave their position at any time, feudal retainers, and familiars do NOT qualify for the tag on the grounds that they are not enslaved.

Sleepyhead:

The sleepyhead tag is for characters who are seen snoozing a lot. Here are some things to consider when thinking of applying the tag:

Always Asleep:
If a character spends the majority of their time onscreen in the land of nod then they WOULD qualify for the sleepyhead tag. This includes the likes of Reiji from Hale + Guu who despite being a teacher is regularly asleep on his pillow at the head of the class.

Uses Their Free Time to Sleep:
Though a character may not spend most of their time asleep, if they spend their free time dozing in the sun, such as Zoro or Aokiji from One Piece, then they WOULD get the tag.

Falling Asleep in Weird Places:
If a character is regularly falling asleep in odd places - such as in their food (see Ace from One Piece) - then they WOULD get the tag.

Sleepwalking:
Generally sleepwalkers would NOT necessarily get the tag, however, if their sleepwalking is an ongoing joke or is in some way important to the plotline - such as the likes of Nino from Arakawa Under the Bridge - then they WOULD get the tag.

This tag should NOT automatically be used in conjunction with the lazy tag as not all sleepyheads are lazy.

Small Stature:

This tag should be used for those characters who are particularly short. This should NOT be used on children as they are bound to be smaller that other individuals nor do chibi characters count, however it DOES include teenagers who are particularly short for their age. If they are merely shorter than those around them but not excessively short then they would NOT get the tag. If a character’s short stature is an ongoing joke or they have a complex about it (such as that of Ed from Fullmetal Alchemist) or an important part of their character then they WOULD get the tag. Likewise adults who are so short that they look like children (see Mika from Doki Doki School Hours) WOULD also qualify for the tag but elderly characters that are ridiculously tiny (such as Jotoku from Amaenaideyo!!) would NOT get it unless it were a running joke.

It should be noted that while Chiyo from Azumanga Daioh is notable shorter than the rest of the cast and her height is an ongoing joke, she does NOT get the tag because she is a lot younger than the others so it is expected that she will be shorter than them. The same goes for Becky from Pani Poni Dash who despite being a teacher is actually a child so she does NOT get the tag.

Smokers:

The smoker tag should be used for smokers, regardless of what it is they smoke. Whether cigarettes, cigars or pipes, if they smoke it, they get the tag.

Snaggleteeth:

This tag is very easy to implement; if a character has a single little fang emerging from one side of their mouth then they get the tag. Good examples of this are Hiyori from Bleach, Madarame from Genshiken and Zazie from Letter Bee.

This tag should NOT be given to vampires whose fangs are visible since they are not snaggleteeth.

Soccer Players:
See Athletes.

Space Pirates:

This tag, as its name suggest should be used for those characters who do all their pirating in space. Instead of ships, they have spaceships, but they still pillage and plunder as much as the next pirate. This tag should NOT be used on sky pirates, such as Dola from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, those characters get the regular pirate tag instead.

Spiders:
See Animals.

Spies:

The Spy tag refers to characters who the audience knows as either infiltrating, or otherwise collecting information on, a person, area, or organization, unbeknownst to the rest of the cast. The character needs to reveal this intention shortly after their introduction to the audience to qualify for the tag. If the fact that the character leads two distinct lives is in any way a spoiler, that character is disqualified from receiving the tag. Additionally, there must be some person or organization to which this character is reporting to, as the character must be advancing someone else’s goal to qualify as a spy.

Stoic:

The stoic tag can at times be a more difficult tag to apply, however, when knowing exactly what to look for, it is pretty simple. Possibly the best way to address this is to break it down into more detailed sections outlining traits that would and would not qualify a character for the tag.

Before I start, here is a general guideline for use of this tag. The characters in question do NOT need to be stoic for 100% of the series; if they are then great they WOULD get the tag, however, if not, then they should conform to the following criteria. If a character is consistently stoic for a large proportion of the EARLY part of the series - say two thirds of a 13, 26 or 52 episode show, or at least 50 - 100 episodes of a long-running series - then they WOULD qualify for the tag. It is important that the stoicism must be from the early part of the series as otherwise it is likely a spoiler. In a case where some event makes a character stoic after just one episode - and they then continue in that vein for the appropriate amount of time - then the tag CAN be applied.

Now, when it comes to tagging characters with the stoic tag, the main thing that the characters must possess is a general lack of emotion. Bearing this in mind, here is a list of the types of characters that can and cannot be considered for the tag:

True Stoic:
The true stoic characters are basically those characters who are completely emotionless and may seem cold or unloving. They are the characters who will remain entirely calm and collected in any situation and not descend into a frenzied panic. A great example of a character who fits this bill is Byakuya from Bleach. He is consistently calm and collected, never showing any emotion, and always keeping it together in a fight. He rigidly follows the law to the letter and often seems entirely cold in doing so. Another good example of a true stoic is the Medicine Seller from Mononoke; he remains calm in any given situation and never gets attached to anyone he encounters - instead he acts as an impartial presence throughout. It pretty much goes without saying that true stoics DO get the tag.

Mostly Stoic:
Much like true stoics, these characters will generally appear cool, collected and emotionless. The main difference between them, however, is that those who are mostly stoic may not always hold it together in tough situations. They are likely to give in to emotion in extreme circumstances, such as displaying intense anger, sorrow or joy. A good example of this is Hawkeye from Fullmetal Alchemist. Also the mostly stoic grouping covers those individuals who are generally very cool and calm, but at times let their mask slip such as Mori from Ouran High School Host Club. These characters DO qualify for the tag.

Inner Suffering:
There are plenty of characters who possess a great deal of inner suffering and turmoil. SOME of these characters WOULD qualify for the stoic tag, but others would NOT - it all depends on how they behave. For this, I’ll break it down further:

Normal Exterior:
If the character puts on a normal façade and appear to be a regular, happy person, then despite repressing their true emotion, they do NOT get the tag. A good example of this is Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist who despite carrying around horrific war memories, composes himself normally.

Stoic Exterior:
As you can probably guess from the title of this heading, characters who have inner turmoil but compose themselves in an aloof or emotionless manner - such as Itachi from Naruto - WOULD get the tag.

Revenge Seekers:
There may be characters who carry around pain and barely show it in their personality, but seek vengeance for the wrongs done against them. These characters do NOT get the tag because they are primarily driven by their emotions. A good example of a character like this is Scar from Fullmetal Alchemist, who while a quiet and serious individual is driven by his intense hatred for the military and shows it on many occasions.

The Serious Type:
Simply having a generally serious personality does NOT qualify any character for the tag. For example, Zoro from One Piece is a generally serious presence in a fairly wacky sort of show. However, while he may not join in with some of the silly antics of Luffy and the others, he does NOT qualify for the tag because he frequently shows a lot of emotion - more often than not anger at seemingly minor details (but not enough to warrant the hot-headed tag). No matter how serious a character - even if they wear a frown on their face for the majority of the series - if they often get excessively annoyed at people or situations, they are NOT stoic.

The Quiet One:
Now, there are a LOT of characters who can simply be known as that quiet one, the one that never speaks; however, like the serious types, these characters do NOT qualify for the stoic tag for simply being silent. While a lack of communication may at times make them appear aloof, they may still show a great deal of emotion. For example, Chad from Bleach doesn’t really talk all that much, but on many occasions he shows definite weakness, anger, sadness etc.

Kuudere:
The definition of a Kuudere is someone who seems cold or harsh on the outside but is secretly soft on the inside. When it comes to tagging any Kuudere characters, the way to go is to look at how they act for the MAJORITY of the time. If their default state is that of a stoic character - i.e seemingly emotionless, calm, serious - while OCCASIONALLY showing their softer side (such as Doumeki from xxxHolic) then they WOULD get the tag. However, if an individual falls under a looser definition of Kuudere and doesn’t normally carry themselves in a stoic manner, then they do NOT get the tag - Sakaki from Azumanga Daioh is a good example of this - she is simply quiet, not stoic.

A good example of the difference between who would get the stoic tag and who wouldn’t is Ryouma Echizen and Kunimitsu Tezuka from Prince of Tennis. In this case Tezuka DOES get the tag as he is very serious and never reacts no matter what the situation, in fact the closest he comes to showing any kind of reaction is to wryly smile - and even that is a rarity. On the flip side, while Ryouma is a fairly serious individual he does NOT get the tag. Unlike the calm and indifferent nature that characters with the stoic tag should have, Ryouma has a habit of actively taunting his opponents. He also does tend to react to situations with shock or surprise, and shows intense terror when it comes to Inui’s special juice - something that even Tezuka doesn’t react to despite his own innate fear of it.

Student Council:

The student council tag is to be used for any characters that are a member of their student council at school. It doesn’t matter if they are the student council president, the vice-president, treasurer or whatever, if they hold a position there, they get the tag. While this tag does extend to the likes of Shizuma from Strawberry Panic, or disciplinary committee members such as Hibari from Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn it does NOT cover class representatives, unless they happen to be on the council as well.

Obviously if characters are on the student council they must be a student, so don’t forget to tag with the appropriate student tag, be it elementary, high school or middle school.

Sunglasses:

Another fairly simple tag to implement; if a character wears sunglasses they get the tag. This covers the likes of solid black glasses such as those of Ebisu from Naruto, the dusky but semi see-through lenses of Akio from Cromartie High School, and the colourful offerings of the likes of Inazuma from One Piece.

If a person has the sunglasses tag they do NOT get the glasses tag as well; characters only get one or the other.

Superpowers:

Superpowers is a fairly wide tag that covers any character with powers that do NOT fall into any other tag categories. Any characters with abilities that are described as magical would NOT get the tag, but should instead be tagged with Magic User. It should only be used for human characters and animals with exceptional powers, so the likes of Demons, Vampires, Aliens, Deities, Monsters, Robots etc would NOT count. Prime examples of characters that WOULD get the tag are the devil fruit users from One Piece who can wield a plethora of different abilities that are in no way magical.

There are a lot of tags that automatically imply that the character has some kind of superhuman ability, therefore ninjutsu gets covered within the Ninja tag and shinigami powers within the Shinigami tag. Note: While it could be argued that the bloodline limits in Naruto are rare “superpowers” within the franchise’s universe, they are still ninjutsu and are therefore covered under the ninja tag - the superpowers tag would NOT be used in these cases.

This tag should NEVER be used in conjunction with ANY of the following tags, as the more specific groupings trump this more general tag:

Ninja

Shinigami

Exorcist

Magic User

Youkai

It should also be noted that the situation of the character also needs to be taken into consideration. For example, while Futaba from Mitsudomoe regularly demonstrates superhuman strength, she is in a slice of life anime in which superpowers are not present, therefore she does NOT get the tag.

Sweet Tooth:

This tag is for characters that have a particular preference for sweet food, such as cakes, cookies, candy and desserts. If a character regularly squeals or gets starry-eyed over desserts but show no similar reaction to savory dishes, then they WOULD get the tag. Likewise if they are only ever seen eating sweet things, like L from Death Note, then they WOULD also get the tag. When applying this tag there are two other things to keep note of:

Big Eater
Generally the big eater tag would NOT be used in conjunction with the sweet tooth tag. Just because a character eats piles and piles of food, does not mean that they automatically have a sweet tooth - particularly if they’re piling plates of meat down their throat. However, if a character devours an excessive amount of sweet delicacies moreso than savory then they WOULD qualify for both tags.

Children
Now, children aren’t an exception to the main guides for this tag per se, but when considering the sweet tooth tag it should be important to note the character’s age. In the case of children, it’s quite common for them to enjoy sweets and candy, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they have a sweet tooth, just that they’re being a regular kid. For example, if a child would rather suck on a lollipop than eat it’s sprouts, then that isn’t anything out of the ordinary and would NOT qualify for the tag. Now, if you have a child that is more obsessed with desserts, cakes, candy etc than the average kidlet, then it WOULD be perfectly fine to tag them with sweet tooth.

Swimmers:
See Athletes.

Sword Fighter:

While on the surface, this tag may seem simple enough - the basic definition being that if someone primarily fights using a sword such as Zoro from One Piece, then they WOULD get the tag - there have been a few grey areas, so hopefully this will clear them up.

Samurai:
Samurai do NOT get this tag full stop. By nature of being samurai it’s a pretty safe assumption that they fight with a sword.

Kendo:
While Kendo is a martial art that literally means “Way of the Sword”, and characters that practice it such as Rei from Maria-sama ga Miteru would NOT generally get the tag even if they are seen participating in tournaments or school clubs - they would however get the martial artist tag.

Summoned Swords:
Characters that have superpowers which they use to summon/create swords are somewhat of a grey area, and this is where the basic definition comes in to play. If a character uses their powers to summon/create a sword and uses it as their PRIMARY weapon throughout - like Erza from Fairy Tail - then they WOULD get the tag. However, if they summon/create a variety of weapons but use say, guns and swords an equal amount, then they would NOT get the tag. For example, Ed from Fullmetal Alchemist often transmutes his automail into a blade, however he also creates spears from the ground, he fights with his fists etc, therefore his use of a blade isn’t enough to warrant the tag.

Tailors:

The Tailor tag applies to characters who, for either production or repair, sew clothes. While the character need not be a tailor by profession, he/she must frequently deal with sewing, hemming, or stitching in order to qualify for the tag. Simply fixing a garment once or twice does not qualify a character for this tag. This tag CAN be used in conjunction with maid.

Tails:

The tail tag applies to characters of either human, human-like appearance, or fantasy creatures/monsters, who have an uncommon appendage protruding from the back. For instance, demons in Inuyasha that take on more humanized forms, but have tails, WOULD get it, like Shippo. But animals and the like that look like real species, and have tails, like Inuyasha’s Kirara, would NOT get the tag.

The tag also extends to cosplayers and other individuals who wear fake tails in their default appearance.

Tattoos:

The tattoos tag should be given to those characters who have a tattoo. It doesn’t matter where the body art in question actually is; it could be anywhere, such as on the arm or back, or can be on the face, such as with the likes of G from Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn. When it comes to facial tattoos it is also important to make sure that the markings in question are actually tattoos and not just make-up.

Teachers:

This tag is for characters who are teachers. This could cover those who teach in a formal educational institution from elementary school to university as well as private tutors or those who teach outside of the school environment, such as Yupa from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. This tag does NOT extend to principals of schools, as while they are essentially the headteacher, they do not tend to actually teach, therefore they do NOT get the tag.

Team Coaches:

This tag refers to characters who coach a sports team, whether in a school or for a professional team. They must currently hold the position (not for those who were previously coaches), or at least have it for the majority of the series. This tag is NOT to be given to gym teachers, team managers, or martial arts teachers, unless the character has the role alongside being a coach for a team. This tag is exclusively for athletic sports, and not to be used for those who coach other non-athletic activities such as chess or karuta. Coaches of all types of athletic sports are welcome, regardless of the fact that they might coach solo sports like boxing.

Team Managers:

This tag applies to characters who are managers of a sports team, whether in a school or for a professional team. They must currently hold the position (not for those who were previously managers), or at least have it for the majority of the series. The manager plays many roles in a sports team such as keeping track of the competition, or organizing the equipment and only those who are specifically called managers for a sports team should get the tag, any other role should such as the team coach or captain would NOT get the tag.

Teenagers:

Characters aged between 13 and 19 get this tag. Any younger and they get the child tag, any older and they should get the adult tag.

Tennis Players:
See Athletes.

Terrorists:

This tag can be divided into two categories:

Terrorizing People
Individuals or members of a group that actively terrorize the general public for fun, revenge, or sport. Explosives, bio-terrorism, arson, and potentially mobile suits would be the typical weaponry for such individuals or groups. Unintentional terrorism does not constitute the tag. People who attempt to send a message using the lives of everyday citizens, such as Minene Uryuu from Mirai Nikki, typically will fall under this category.

Terrorizing Governments
Individuals or groups that actively terrorize a government or military force in order to overturn that government or destroy the opposing military. This kind of terrorism can be carried out for perfectly legitimate reasons, but it applies nonetheless. Groups would need to focus solely on destroying or dismantling a government. To be clear, these have to be non-state actors. Typically, these groups are motivated out of a wish to make the world a "better place" or out of a wish for popular sovereignty.
Good examples of this type of terrorist include Heero Yuy from Gundam Wing and Kotarou Katsura from Gintama.

Thieves:

If a character robs, steals, or generally procures goods through less-than legal methods then they qualify for the thieves tag. This tag covers the likes of Lupin and Jigen from Lupin III and Kaitou Kid from the Detective Conan and Magic Kaitou series, as well as as well as less flashy bandits such as Paninya from Fullmetal Alchemist.

Time Travelers:

The Time Traveler tag pertains to characters that travel between the past, present, or future. Traveling through time should, typically, be both relevant to the plot and inform the character’s behavior and actions, and should occur more than once in a given series. The means by which the characters travel is irrelevant; however, it must be expressly stated the character travels through time, as cross-dimensional travel (unless it is confirmed that they also travel across time), as well as being temporally suspended, does NOT qualify the character for the tag. Typical means by which time travel is accomplished include: machinery, wormholes, magical powers, or some alternate form of temporal rifts. As always, if the character being a time traveler is a spoiler in any way, they would NOT receive the tag.

Tomboys:

The tomboys tag should be used on female characters who are particularly boyish in their manner. Having a boyish appearance is not essential for getting the tag. If a female character is particularly brash and not at all ladylike, or speaks in a more boy-like manner then they WOULD get the tag. Likewise exceptional athleticism is also another common trait to look for, but the character must NOT be girlish with it. For example, while Sakaki and Kagura from Azumanga Daioh are both athletic, only Kagura gets the tomboy tag because she isn’t at all girly, unlike Sakaki who shows a lot of feminine qualities.

Tone Deaf:

Tone deaf characters cannot sing to save their life. A character may or may not be aware of how tone deaf they really are. Often, their singing invokes negative reactions from other nearby character, such as ear covering and cringing. In more comedic moments, tone deaf characters may shatter nearby glass from their singing. Most tone deaf characters do not sing often, if at all. Therefore it must be demonstrated at least once that they cannot sing to save their life. If a character starts out singing badly and later becomes good at it (or bearable), they do NOT get the tag.

Track and Fielders:
See Athletes.

Transfer Students:

The Transfer Student tag covers characters who have transferred into a new school from a previous institution, and have to find their bearings in their new environment. Whether the character transferred from a school overseas, or just down the street, the tag still applies; however, if the student was not attending a school previously, or has started his education in the new institution at the lowest level, then the transfer student tag does not apply. If the character is considered a transfer student at any point in the series, regardless of the fact that they might have transferred at the beginning of a long series, they retain the tag.

Good examples of characters that would receive the Transfer Student tag are Asuka from Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Homura from Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica.

Travelers:

The travelers tag is for characters who travel around and have no fixed abode. It could be that they travel around selling their wares, such as the Medicine Seller from Mononoke, or that they simply wish to see the world, like Kino from Kino’s Journey. While this tag can be used in conjunction with the likes of samurai, it should NOT be used alongside pirate, because while they travel the seas, they don’t quite count as travelers.

Traveling Performers:

The Traveling Performer tag pertains to characters who are some sort of performance artist and take their exhibitions on the road. Whether a member of a circus, or simply a band on tour, any performer that moves from venue to venue with some frequency qualifies for the tag. Of course, simply moving within the same city would not qualify, as the performers need to cover some manner of distance to be considered traveling. Circus performers that move around with their company WOULD qualify for the tag, and those tagged with this tag automatically receive the traveler tag by definition.

Treasure Hunters:

The treasure hunter tag is for characters whose main goal in life is to locate a treasure and claim it for their own. The character’s pursuit of their treasure should be an important if not central part of their personality and should also be central to their individual plotline. This covers the likes of Jil, Coopa etc. from the Tower of Druaga series.

It should also be noted that in general pirates would NOT be tagged with the treasure hunter tag, since pillaging treasure is kind of expected practice for pirates. However, there may be exceptions, such as the likes of Luffy from One Piece, who DOES get the tag because he is solely focused on travelling the seas to locate a single treasure - One Piece. His intense focus on that one goal is what qualifies him for the tag.

Tsundere:

For characters to qualify for the tsundere tag they must meet the following criteria:

Characteristics:
The characters in question should have BOTH the “tsun-tsun” (to turn away in disgust) AND the “dere-dere” (lovey-dovey) characteristics. This means that they must show the more aggressive side as well as the softer more loving nature. If they do not possess and display both of these traits, then they do NOT get the tag.

Object of “Affection”:
To get the tsundere tag the character must also have a “victim”, someone on the receiving end of both the person’s disgust and love, while treating others normally. A Tsundere isn’t a tsundere if they aren’t torturing some poor sod to cover up their crush.

If the character does not meet one of these two criteria, then they do not get the tag. Look for the love and the disgust; for example Louise from Zero no Tsukaima shows a lot of disdain for Saito, referring to him as a dog and treating him like one, while occasionally showing him her more romantic side, offering to share her bed with him etc. Conversely the likes of England from Hetalia: Axis Powers is simply awkward. Many people attempt to tag him as tsundere, but while he vaguely displays tsun-tsun qualities, he demonstrates no lovey dovey traits. He has no single object of his (dis)affection and he has no romantic entanglements.

It should also be noted that tagging other personality traits with the tsundere tag is perfectly fine. While it may seem like some overlap, that is not always the case. For example, while the likes of Asuna from Mahou Sensei Negima are exceptionally hot-headed, there are a lot of tsunderes, such as Eri from School Rumble who are not, therefore tagging Tsundere with hot-headed is perfectly allowable. Likewise, bossy may seem like another common trait, but again, not all tsunderes are so; for example, while Junko from Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou may be strict and serious, she isn’t particularly bossy, so she doesn’t get the tag, but she IS a tsundere.

Turbans:

The Turban tag refers to characters who wear a turban on their head in their default appearance, like Mr. Popo from Dragonball. A turban is a piece of headgear that is wrapped, twisted, or wound around the head, most typically worn in desert areas. The cloth must be worn on the top of the character’s head, and would otherwise not qualify for the tag.

This tag should NOT be placed alongside Hat.

Twins:

This tag is for characters who are twins. The twins in question need not be identical, nor do they need to be of the same gender, as long as they were born at the same time, they qualify for the tag. This tag does NOT cover the likes of triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets etc, only twins.

Tyrant:

Tyrant characters hold great political and social power over others, act with great disregard for the law, look to their own advantage at the cost of their subjects, or use extreme and cruel tactics against their own people as well as others. A good example of a tyrant is Ahbmad Saluja from Magi.

Characters who hold positions of little political and social consequence, such as Student Council Presidents, are NOT to be tagged as tyrants.

Uke:
See Seme/Uke

Unconventional Weapons:

The Unconventional Weapon tag refers to characters who wield, as a primary armament, something which is unorthodox and bizarre. These weapons can be nearly anything, so long as they are not common and are wielded with deadly force. Common examples of such weapons include yoyo’s, scissors, pool sticks, or even forks. Wielders of unconventional weapons must also use their weapon with some regularity, as characters such as Shizuo from Durarara!! who simply use whatever is at hand do NOT qualify for the tag. The composition of the weapon, as well as the ammunition being used, is also to be considered. Whether a character is wielding a flower like a sword or a gun composed of cheese, these weapons are still unconventional in nature and should be tagged as such.

Any weapon that can accurately be described as a sword, knife, gun, bow, crossbow, lance, scythes, or other types of common arms can be tagged with unconventional weapon alongside the more common weapon tag.

Undead:

This tag is for those characters who were once dead, but have since returned to the land of the living in their own way. To qualify for the tag characters should essentially be a dead body, with no heartbeat, yet are animated and are able to communicate with others. Naturally, zombies come under this tag, as well as the likes of Brook from One Piece, but does NOT simply include those who are immortal. This tag should also NOT be used on vampires, as they would get the vampire tag instead. This tag should NOT be used alongside the ghost tag either.

Unibrow:

The unibrow tag is for characters that, yep, you got it, have a unibrow. If an individuals eyebrows meet in the middle to form one large brow, then they qualify for the tag. This covers the likes of thin wispy unibrows such as that of Horio from Prince of Tennis as well as large bushy offerings like Gaimon from One Piece. Please note that if a character has a thick bushy unibrow ore a bizarre one it is OK to tag unibrow along with epic eyebrows.

University Students::

This tag should be used for characters that attend some form of further/higher education. Whether they attend college, university or a specialist educational institution - such as the agricultural university from Moyashimon - all those who attend as students would get the university student tag.

Vampires:

As the title of this tag suggests, it should be used for characters that are vampires. This covers the more stereotypical image of a vampire - a being that drinks blood, is immortal, and has serious “issues” with sunlight, crosses, silver and garlic - (think Dracula) as well as the less traditional vamps such as Saya from Blood+ or Moka from Rosario to Vampire. It is also important to mention that while referring to a character as a vampire is a solid indication that the tag should be applied, there are series (such as Blood+ and Shiki) where characters aren’t called vampires but still qualify for the tag. The tag also covers the odd edge cases such as Krory from D.Gray-Man who may not a vampire per-se, but he not only has the appearance of your standard ‘Hammer Horror’ vampire, but also has many of the characteristics of the charismatic blood-suckers.

Vengeful:

The Vengeful tag refers to characters who are chiefly motivated by thoughts of revenge against either those who have wronged them, or towards the world which allowed some injustice to occur. The vengeance may take many forms, including manipulating fellow cast-mates, persecuting a group of people, or a general ruthlessness towards the object of their hatred and scorn. This trait does not need to be apparent to the other members of the cast, as the viewer might be the sole observer of the inner turmoil of the character, as with Lelouch from Code Geass, which is usually the case with most series that toy with dramatic irony. The character may also have more than one motivation, as a character might want to make the world a better place, but also get his revenge in the process. In instances of a character revealing to both the other characters as well as the viewer his motivations later in a series, care must be given to avoid a spoiler; however, if the character implies they are seeking revenge, but against whom and for what injustice are left ambiguous, they are still applicable for the tag. Spirits who have returned from the dead in order to seek their vengeance upon the living would also get the tag.

Verbal Tic:

This tag is a bit troublesome because it veers into the realms of Japanese speech patterns. In an effort to try and explain how this tag works, I’m going to break it down into categories.

Desu:
Characters that repeatedly add ‘desu’ onto the end of their sentences (such as Tamama from Keroro Gunsou) do NOT get this tag. Desu is a normal part of Japanese speech, and while some uses may be excessive, it’s not really a tic and does not warrant the tag. HOWEVER, variations (see Child Speak) or Jan-puu’s “de-puu” WOULD get it, since that’s not really Japanese.

De Gozaru:
De gozaru is an archaic form of speech in Japan, essentially it’d be like us wandering around saying things like “Thine eyes doth shine like one and twenty Pikachu’s flying into an electric pylon”. As such whether a character gets the verbal tic tag for using de gozaru depends entirely on the anime’s setting. The Likes of Masanosuke from Sarai ya Goyou would NOT get the tag, as the series is set in Feudal Japan, thus the speech is nothing out of the ordinary. However, Kaede from Negima WOULD get the tag since she is in a modern setting using outdated language.

De Aru:
You may occasionally find some characters that end all their sentences with “de aru” such as Krory from D.Gray-Man. These individuals WOULD get the tag, as “de aru” is generally used more in written Japanese than spoken.

Non-sensical/random words:
Characters that add any kind of odd or bizarre wordage to the end of their sentences WOULD get this tag, whether it’s the likes of Naruto and his “Dattebayo” of a catgirl constantly “nya”ing after every sentence.

Characters with a limited vocabulary:
OK, so the examples have come up a few times, Nyu from Elfen Lied etc. Characters who cannot speak save for their name do NOT get this tag. Only knowing one word is not a tic; it’s a mental deficiency (or bloody impressive that you can speak at all if you’re an animal)

Child Speak:
You may have noticed in anime that some children pronounce their Ss as CHs or SHs so that desu would become dechu (See Ebichu), or otou-san becomes otou-shan (Irksome cow Fumi from Mainichi Kaasan is a prime example of this). These characters WOULD get the tag.

Odd Noises:
On rare occasions you may get characters who end their sentences with weird noises, such as Deidara from Naruto who ends his sentences with ‘hmm’ or Igaram from One Piece who even interrupts his speech to go “Mi Mi Mi Mi Miiiiii”. These characters WOULD get the tag because it’s clearly a tic or an odd habit.

Third Person Speech:
While intensely irritating when someone refers to themselves in the third person (Cassie hates this. Cassie thinks these characters should be burned alive. Cassie points you towards Yamada from Working!), it’s not actually a verbal tic so characters like this would NOT get the tag.

Video Gamers:

This tag should be used for those who are known to play an excessive amount of video games - think Kazuma of Summer Wars. If they are commonly seen with a handheld console or sitting in front of a screen playing games, they get the tag. This does not exclude MMO-players or gamers playing in virtual reality. On the other hand, this tag does NOT include those participating in a combat simulator for training purposes.

Violinists:
See Musicians.

Warmongers:

The Warmonger tag pertains to characters of great political or military power who push otherwise peaceful nations into wars, and/or suggest their escalation. These characters typically enjoy the carnage of war, or simply wish for the complete annihilation of the opposing side. Whereas pacifists hope to prevent conflict, these characters attempt to start it, and simply do not believe in the possibility of peaceful coexistence with their opponent.

Warriors:

This tag can be a little on the tricky side since there isn’t an entirely clear definition of what a warrior is; no direct line that can be drawn to say yes this is and no this isn’t. However, there are certain things which should be taken into account when using the warrior tag:

Relation to Other Tags:
The warrior tag should generally NOT be used in conjunction with ANY other job classification tags. If a character is marked with any of the following, they do NOT qualify for the warrior tag:

Military

Samurai

Assassin

Mercenary

Bounty Hunter

Pilot

Mecha Pilot

Shinigami

Ninja

There may occasionally be some edge cases where warrior is used together with one of the above tags, but this is a rarity and is treated on a case-by-case basis.

Referred to as a Warrior:
This is, without a doubt, the best indicator of whether a character should get the tag. If throughout the course of the series a character is referred to as a warrior then it is likely that they WOULD get the tag. For example, in One Piece, the Shandians on Skypeia are referred to as warriors, as are the women on Amazon Lily, therefore they qualify for the tag.

Setting:
The setting for the series in question plays a vital role in whether a character is a warrior or not.

RPG:
If the anime or manga is based upon an RPG setting or is a parody of role playing games, then it can be very easy to pigeonhole the characters and weed out the warriors. If the character in question is part of an RPG-based series and fits into the definition of a warrior within that concept, then they WOULD get the tag.

Traditional Fantasy:
If the anime/manga has a traditional fantasy setting - like a sort of medieval/Lord of the Rings style environment, then those characters who are particularly fierce fighters (see below) WOULD likely qualify for the tag. An example of this is Guts from Berserk who is part of a medieval-esque setting and fits the qualifications of a fierce fighter, or Yupa from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, another strong fighter in a traditional fantasy setting.

Historical Warfare:
If an anime has a more realistic historical setting, then it is likely that characters who are particularly fierce fighters (see below) WOULD probably qualify for the tag. An example of this is Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke who - in a Feudal Japan setting - participates in battle fairly frequently and possesses great strength.

Modern Warfare:
The concept of a warrior is generally a more antiquated one that doesn’t quite seem to sit well in a more modern setting. When one thinks of a warrior, chivalrous battles is more likely to spring to mind, not machine guns, tanks, and giant mecha rampaging around. Generally, characters in a modern setting would NOT get the warrior tag unless they are explicitly referred to as such.

Fierce Fighter:
This particular point is to be used alongside the setting qualifications and does NOT simply refer to any character who is strong and fights a lot (for example, Ed from Fullmetal Alchemist is not a warrior though he gets caught up in combat regularly and is powerful with it.) For a character to get the warrior tag they should be a fierce fighter. This is NOT to be confused with those who get the bloodthirsty tag. The individual in question does not need to have a love of battle, but they should be strong and their status as someone who fights should be important to their character.

Wealthy:

This tag is for characters that have a lot of money such as the likes of Eri from School Rumble or the Jones family from Victorian Romance Emma. Their wealth - be it their own or from their families - should play some part in their role in the anime. For example, Haruka from Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu comes from a rich family and that wealth and stature is one of the main reasons for keeping her otaku nature a secret.

Weapon Master:

This tag should be used for characters that are extremely adept at wielding multiple different types of weapons. The individual in question should be proficient in at least two or three weapons from different families. The weapons in question do NOT include ninja shuriken or kunai. If a character has mastered different types of a single weapon then they would NOT get the tag. For example, if someone was a master of using a handgun, a rifle and a pistol then they would NOT be a weapon master but would instead be a gunslinger. Likewise if they mastered a longsword, a katana and a cutlass then they would instead be tagged as sword fighter. Dante from Devil May Cry, with his varied assortment of arms, is a prime example of a character that WOULD receive this tag.

This tag should NOT be used in conjunction with any of the individual weapon tags.

Werewolf:

The werewolf tag should be used for characters that are werewolves. This covers characters who undergo a transformation from human to wolf. The tag includes the more traditional western-style werewolves who are humans that involuntarily become wolves during a full moon, but also extends a little further. Characters who can control their transformation or transform outside of the time of a full moon WOULD also count. It also covers the likes of half-breed werewolves such as Riza from Kaibutsu Oujo and Liru from Magical Pokan who while she has wolf ears for the majority of the time, she does transform during a full moon.

However, there are several cases that do NOT warrant the werewolf tag:

Wolf Deities:
This includes the likes of Holo from Spice and Wolf, as while she can transform between her human and wolf forms, she is primarily a deity. This trumps the werewolf tag as it’s her godly powers that enable her transformation and she does NOT get the tag.

Reverse Lycanthropy:
The werewolf tag is for human characters who become wolves, not for wolves who become humans. Therefore, though the likes of the characters in Wolf’s Rain are regularly seen in both human and wolf form and can transform between the two, they do NOT get the werewolf tag, because they are not human to begin with, they are wolves with the ability to become human. Likewise the “werewolves” in Dance in the Vampire Bund do NOT get the tag as they are wolves who have developed to look like humans.

Other Powers:
If a character has the ability to transform into a wolf through magical ability (Like the various animagus in the Harry Potter world) or superpowers, then they would NOT get the tag. This includes the likes of Jyabura from One Piece, who can transform into a wolf because he ate the Dog Dog Devil Fruit (Wolf Model).

Spoilers:
If a character’s identity as a werewolf is in any way a spoiler, then they should NOT get the tag.

This tag should NOT be used in conjunction with the animal or monster tags, however if - in a rare case - a character is half werewolf and half vampire, then it WOULD be acceptable to tag as both werewolf AND vampire.

Wheelchair:

The Wheelchair tag applies to characters who lack, or appear to lack, the ability to walk, such that they must utilize a wheelchair. The type of chair does not matter so long as it has wheels, as chairs that have unorthodox additions or may be used in combat are still, by definition, wheelchairs.

Characters who are confined to the chair out of some disability SHOULD be tagged with Disabled as well. Additionally, if characters are shown to exhibit poor health, then they could also qualify for the Sickly tag; however, atrophied legs are not sufficient to warrant the addition of that tag.

Whip Wielders:

The Whip Wielder tag extends to characters who wield, as their default weapon, some manner of whip-like weapon. These “whips” are either riding crops, cat o’ nine tails, an Indiana Jones style bullwhip, or any and all other types of whip-like armaments. These are usually lunged or flogged at their opponent in order to deal damage, though as long as they are using the sheer length of the whip to attack (as opposed to a coiled up blunt object), that’s enough to qualify. It does not matter what material the whip is made out of, just so long as the implement mimics the actions of a whip, the character qualifies.

Strings, which are taut and much thinner, do NOT qualify for the tag. Swords that have whip-like properties are swords before they are whips, and therefore would also not receive the tag.

Widows:

The Widow tag pertains to those unfortunate characters whose spouses have passed away. As regrettable as it is, a character can only be tagged as a widow if their spouse died prior to or very early on in the series, as to prevent spoilers. The tag is also gender neutral, and can be placed on both female widows and male widowers.

Wings:

Whether feathered or scaled, this tag is for ANY character that has wings, be they human, angel, or mythical creature. The one exception to this rule is that animals that are normally winged, such as birds and insects, would NOT get the tag. However a cat with wings, since that's not standard for the species, WOULD receive the tag.

Wrestlers:
See Athletes.

Writers:

To qualify for the writer tag, the character in question should be an author. This covers professional published authors, such as Eiri Yuki from Gravitation and Jiraiya from Naruto as well as aspiring writers, such as Lucy from Fairy Tail. While this tag would also cover those who write informative articles for magazines - such as Kantarou from Tactics, it does NOT cover journalists, those would get the reporter tag instead.

Yamato Nadeshiko:

The Yamato Nadeshiko tag is to be used on the archetypal Japanese wallflower-type characters. The individuals in question should have ALL of the following qualities:

Good Cook
The typical Yamato Nadeshiko is the ideal Japanese housewife and therefore should be a master in the kitchen. If they cannot cook well and instead create poisonous atrocities in a frying pan then they would NOT get the tag.

Excellent Housekeeper
The Yamato Nadeshiko should be a tidy individual who is good at cleaning. If she lives in a dump she does NOTget the tag.

Soft-Spoken and Polite
A Japanese wallflower is not a brash or loud individual, instead they are soft spoken and polite, so if they aren’t either then they should NOT get the tag even if they fulfil the other requirements.

Female
While there are many male characters that could possibly fit into the above categories, the Yamato Nadeshiko is a female archetype. Therefore, if the character is male they would NOT get the tag.

This tag should NOT be used in conjunction with the cook tag since a good cooking ability is covered under the umbrella of yamato nadeshiko. Also, this tag should NOT be used on maids, as though they may fulfill the requirements, they are a maid and should be like that in their work.

Youkai:

Youkai is a kind of catch-all term for a variety of Japanese monsters and spirits; this ranges from the well-known kappa, tanuki and kitsune, to the likes of karakasa (cyclopic umbrellas), zashiki warashi or any of the bizarre creations you may have seen in the likes of xxxholic or Pom Poko.

In order to qualify for this tag the main thing is that the monster/spirit/demon in question MUST BE JAPANESE. This is imperative. Western monsters such as werewolves, vampires, demons do NOT get this tag. However, just being Japanese isn’t the only criteria. For example, Godzilla is Japanese, and so are Pokemon, but these are NOT youkai, instead they fall into the category of monsters. Youkai instead are creatures from Japanese mythology (and unless Pikachu was present in the Hyakki Yako, he won’t be getting the youkai tag any time soon).

That being said, there are some exceptions. Some characters may not be traditional Japanese youkai, such as the Susuwatari from Totoro/Spirited Away and the Catbus from Totoro, however, they still get the tag. This is because they appear in a spiritual/supernatural themed anime where they have been designed to be youkai. As mentioned earlier, youkai cover a plethora of different creatures, so in some cases you will have “created youkai”. In cases like this, unless these characters are explicitly referred to as demons they will likely get the tag, but this may have to be taken on a case-by-case basis.

Also, youkai is a standalone tag. It does NOT work in conjunction with demon, monster, or ghost. In order to help decide which of the above to use, here is a quick guide:

Monster:
This has been the biggest crossover for youkai. Basically the monster tag is for any character that is a bizarre or fantastical creature outside of the realms of vampire/werewolf/zombie etc.

Demon:
This is for non-Japanese demons. If you have a religion-based anime then anyone called a demon gets this, likewise the demons from Saiyuki also get this. As for Japan-based anime with demons in them, if they take a more westernised/traditional demon appearance then they likely get the demon tag rather than youkai.

Ghost:
This is for characters who were once human (or maybe animal) but are now dead. Pretty simple really. While a lot of spirits come under the youkai tag, ghosts don’t.

It should also be noted that youkai CAN also be tagged with the deity tag. Often youkai may be revered as gods, especially for some of the more obscure ones, so deity can be applied but only if appropriate i.e. if it’s actually mentioned in the anime/manga. That being said, you must be careful to not tag Gods as youkai, for example the likes of Moro and Okkoto in Princess Mononoke are Gods, not youkai, thus they only get the deity tag.
Also, on occasion some youkai may be referred to as demons, such as in Tactics where Haruka is often referred to as a “Crow-eating Demon”, however he is a Karasu-Tengu, and Tengu are youkai, therefore he gets the youkai tag rather than Demon.

For a TL:DR pocket guide, the following will definitely get the youkai tag: Kappa, Tanuki (Japanese Raccoon Dogs - provided that they are ACTUAL tanuki and not simply raccoons like Tanukichi from Animal Crossing who does NOT get the tag. While there are countless nods to tanuki in his design, he is not set up as a youkai, and is simply a crafty raccoon), Kitsune (fox spirits), Tengu, almost any random creature referred to as an X spirit (such as the Radish Spirit from Spirited Away),and Zashiki Warashi.

AniMemeDad · Jan 19, 2011

WOW

Very nice! Great job!

Now when I have questions about tags, I don't have to bother someone! :)

greg975 · Jan 19, 2011

Just one word: sugoi! :D

Garylikesmanga · Jan 19, 2011

Awesome, Cassie! Thanks for putting so much time into this!

awpaperwings · Jan 19, 2011

Thanks, this really will help a lot of people out @[email protected] A lot of time went in to this for sure!

thevampirelady · Jan 19, 2011

Thnx this will really help me a lot ^_^ (:

Menchi · Jan 20, 2011

A huge thanks for cassie for teh awesome list :D Google docs was annoying me, or rather my slow internet ^^

coffeebreath · Jan 20, 2011

Thank you for taking the time to put these here, Cassie... this is straight in bookmarks

Annalyn · Jan 21, 2011

I echo what coffeebreath said - I'm saving this link for sure. Thanks for putting so much time into this!

SpaceCobra · Feb 20, 2011

I'm asking for a new tag to be created to describe characters like Eve Neuschwanstein of Needless:

Chameleon / Doppelganger / Shapeshifter

Tyranid5 · Mar 8, 2011

(under tsundere guidelines)
Likewise, bossy may seem like another common trait, but again, not all tsunderes are so; for example, while Junko from Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou may be strict and serious, she isn’t particularly bossy, so she doesn’t get the tag, but she IS a tsundere.

So she doesn't get tag, but she's a tsundere? And even though it says she doesn't get it, she has the tsundere tag?

coffeebreath · Mar 8, 2011

Isn't that referring to the fact she doesn't get the Bossy tag?

Tyranid5 · Mar 9, 2011

Oh, my bad. I usually forget a few tags. Thanks!

Tyranid5 · May 6, 2011

Eternal Optimist:
The eternal optimist tag is for those characters who always have a sunny disposition, alwys try to see the good in people, and always manage to look on the bright side of life. They’re probably the sort of annoying buggers that
Click to expand...

^typo

vernanonix · May 16, 2011

vern would like to point out that we do not tag Dragon Pokemon with the Dragon tag. Think we can amend that in for future reference? (It was an issue the other day and this is how I was told it goes.)

mmag13 · Jun 10, 2011

Is it possible to do a generic "hunter" tag? I'm thinking of going through and updating the Hunter x Hunter franchise. There are quite a few characters missing. Perhaps this tag could also be used for vampire hunters? I'm not sure.

Also, a question for a mod that is familiar with the franchise...

Would the Nen that some of the characters use categorize them as magic users?

Thanks!

Tyranid5 · Oct 17, 2011

Student Tags:
Currently, we only tag Elementary, Middle, High School and University Student tags when the type of school is explicitly defined. IE, if a character attends formal education that is not a traditional type of school, we currently do NOT[/B] tag them with a student tag.

Like with age tags, if a character progresses through different tiers of education throughout the course of the series, they do NOT receive any student tags.
Click to expand...

not a major thing but the NOT is missing a [.B] tag infront of it.

imaginaryzipper · Dec 29, 2011

derp derp. Not sure if questions are allowed here, but I submitted a male tsundere awhile back and got the response 'per our guidelines males cannot be tsunderes'. However, the guidelines don't say anything about males not qualifying as tsundere.

So, is this something that still has to be put into the guidelines? Sorry about this, I'm just trying to get some clarification.

vernanonix · Dec 30, 2011

Pfft. No male tsunderes, huh?

Akatsuki IZUMO | Characters | Anime-Planet
Germany | Characters | Anime-Planet
Kiyokazu FUJIMOTO | Characters | Anime-Planet

And I count about 10 others. Guess I'm saying that whoever said that was wrong. Sorry about that. What character was it for?

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