Waifu

The informal term waifu (ワイフ) is used by members of the anime and related media fan communities to describe female characters that they are attracted to. This term is used across the mediums of anime, manga, manhwa, webtoons, and video games. As a single fan or fan-base designates a character as a waifu based on their subjective attraction to her, multiple characters can be a waifu and possess completely distinct personalities and characteristics.

Origin
The term "waifu" comes from a Japanese rendering of the English word wife. However, waifu is rarely used to refer to a female marriage partner in Japanese daily life, and the term "Tsuma (妻)" is generally used instead along with a few other variants..

Contemporary Usage
At its most intense level, calling a character a waifu implies that an individual would marry them if they were real. The term is so commonly used now in the anime and related media fandoms, though, that it's primarily used to denote attraction to a female character. Waifu is often used interchangeably with the term "Best Girl", which is used to denote which female character is most attracted to in a given series.

The phrase "Waifu for Laifu" is used to signify someone's immense attraction to a female character. Containing a corruption of the world "Life" it suggests that someone would marry and hold a singular attraction to a specific waifu.

"Waifu-bait" is a generally negative term derived from waifu. It's used to signify that a character is specifically designed to be appealing to an audience, rather than have a distinct personality.

Examples
Rem from the Re:Zero anime is a popular waifu due to her maid aesthetic and unconditional love for the series' relatable main character, Natsuki Subaru. In video games, Chie Satonaka from the Persona series is also considered a popular waifu because of her tomboyish personality. Mirko from My Hero Academia is another commonly held waifu due to her muscular physique, tanned appearance, and brash personality.

Related Items

 * Husbando
 * Harem
 * Love Triangle