stuff anime fanboys like: #3 desu

Desu.

Stuff Anime Fanboys Like: #3 Desu

One may think it’s an innocent word. One may think it’s a sign that a sentence is about to end. One may think it’s gibberish. But to an anime fanboy, it means so much more. Further exploring their world, “Desu” is not treated as neither an innocent, throwaway word. The origin of “Desu” is surprisingly straightforward. This nomenclature is the sign, symbol, and shield of Suiseiseki, one of the many goddesses of /a/, which is a cult-like entity much like Scientology that hates Scientology.

Suiseiseki is a character from an anime named “Rozen Maiden” that is about grown up boys playing with dolls meant for little girls. It is highly popular in anime fanboy circles, yet not a lot of mainstream acceptance. Most likely because societal values demand that boys shouldn’t play with dolls, which is the heart of this story. In this gender-role swapped cartoon, Suiseiseki is an otherwise standard character who is neither the big star nor the grunt. However, she does have a perchance for saying “desu” a lot, thus earning her that namesake.

For most outsiders, it is confusing as to why Suiseiseki is so affectionately known as “Desu” even after three years since her prime anime series especially since she wasn’t the focus of that series. It is even more confusing considering that “desu” doesn’t really mean anything. It is like someone being nicknamed “Yo.” After conferring with numerous self-anointed “Desu” fans, the following conclusions can be surmised:

1. Even though Suiseiseki isn’t the star, she was the most interesting character. So much so that her role was increased to meet her popularity demands.

2. While there have been many two dimensional characters since then who have better hair, better clothing, and better stories, none have matched the “Desu” charm.

3. What is the “Desu” charm? It seems like she is a prototypical “tsundere,” a topic that this space will explore in more detail in the future. But there have been other “tsundere” that have entered the scene since “Desu,” but has a slightly playful and slightly evil side. She would be a “chaotic neutral” type in “Dungeons and Dragons,” a topic that hopefully will never be explored in this space. Oddly enough, “desu” is a polite honorific, so at least Suiseiseki is nice when she is making someone’s life miserable.

4. Admittedly by a few, “desu” has spiraled out of control, and, much like genderbending, it has taken a life of its own. The best attempt for good natured support of their beloved doll spawned a monster even they could not control.

5. DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU

47 Responses to “stuff anime fanboys like: #3 desu”

  1. DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU

  2. I hear she’s evil in 4chan or something, whats up with that?

  3. in before…. shit.

    While DESUstorms are rare nowadays, they’ll be back when Peach Pit announces a (a forecast of 2%) third season.

  4. >> I hear she’s evil in 4chan or something, whats up with that?

    4chan has run it into the ground.

  5. Needs moar DESU!

  6. Old meme is old~tima!

  7. Actually a little correction, Desu is neither “yo” nor an honorific it is a polite (normal polite, not especially polite) rendition of the verb “to be” so a desu bomb is like someone spamming “IS IS IS IS IS … etc” somewhere.

    However the manner in which it’s used (I haven’t seen Rozen Maiden myself–but if the above video is accurate then my following statements are correct) is as a kuchikuse–or speech habit. Similar to how moogles say kupo at the end of sentences kupo. Or how a catgirl might add nya to the end of her sentence nya. It’s meant to distinguish the character and is essentially a very cheap way to attempt to make them cuter–alternatively it irritates some people just as well. Eroge known for their kuchikuse both have high and low ratings on eroscape, so it’s a matter of self opinion. It depends on if you think adding a random word or sound throughout speech to be cute or not.

    This should not be confused with the use of kuchikuse as seen in naruto–In that instance the character is actually using a meaningful phrase (thus why the dubs rendered it as “believe it!”–since that’s essentially what -tte ba yo means.) In that instance its less of a kuchikuse and more a way of showing that the character is being childish and/or stubborn.

  8. That’s a pretty hilarious video.

    Also, I kind of wish there was a less…aggro version of 4chan somewhere. Some pretty funny stuff comes out of it but the community is a piece of censored.

  9. Thought the moe word was deshou, not desu.

  10. She doesn’t say desu THAT much.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkVYHUMCCwc

    Ok. Maybe she does.

  11. >I hear she’s evil in 4chan or something, whats up with that?
    That was just for a flash movie.

    >4chan has run it into the ground.
    Yeah but it’s what they do. It’s as natural as a dog barking. Still, /b/ loev Desu.

  12. I think it was her excessive desu use that was the topping on the cake in terms of me not liking Suiseiseki. And I still don’t understand the DESU spamming. :(

  13. Okazaki SAIKO!
    Lol, funny video..desu~

  14. Wow, I need to hang around the comments here more often, these videos are hilarious. I wonder if I found that freakish Higurashi laughing collection here too, I forgot.

  15. How about Wilhelmina’s dearimasu? That’s pretty much the new “desu” for fanboys.

  16. That video where 10^d times better than the original!

  17. Is there too much desu is she says it to herself or used for her inner thoughts?

    Needs more “nano”.

  18. Desu.

  19. I’ve been wondering – is this English fandom only, or do the Japanese do this too?

  20. degorzaru is an old favorite, oro, Rena chans double questions kana? kana? I feel for translators trying to deal with this shit though.

  21. Also, I kind of wish there was a less…aggro version of 4chan somewhere. Some pretty funny stuff comes out of it but the community is a piece of censored.

    Try iichan.net

  22. …. Last! 8-)

  23. Heh, does this mean that next up is “stuff anime fanboys like: #4 junk”?

  24. DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU

  25. Neriya, who doesn’t like junk?

    All that junk.

    Preferably inside a trunk.

  26. ‘Junk” already has a special place here in the emo facial contortion pantheon.

  27. She says ‘desu’ more than Alicia says ‘ara-ara’ in all three seasons of ARIA. Which is, to put it mildly, a lot.

    I’m a little torn about Desu myself – part of me thinks she’s cute when she thinks she’s being evil (like playing the Wicked Witch role)… and part of me danced around gleefully after she got taken down in Traumend.

  28. On a side note: It seems that even after 1,000 votes the scale of the broken remains fixed. I do wonder if anyone has read the top entry as “Mako-cakes is less than three”?
    :)

  29. So what comes first? Desu desu or deshou deshou? ^^

  30. desu comes first, then deshou

    If I remember correctly, desu is used a lot in basic Japanese sentence. Kinda like when people are learning English, they would make sentence like “This is an apple.”, and “There is a dog.” (Kore wa ringo desu. Are wa inu desu) (Hopefully those sentence are right, it’s been awhile since I type anything in Japanese.) In addition, childrens, only beginning to grasp the language would use it a lot and that’s why it’s considered kawaii and innocent.

    now, regarding desu and deshou. It’s like “It is” and “Isn’t it?”. One is confirming and one is a question. Logicall, deshou would come first since it’s a question, then desu come in to confirm the answer. However, I think deshou is most often used as a question to ask people to agree with you, or agreeing with someone. like this, “Are wa kawaiiso desu!”, “Deshou! deshou!”.

    anyways, correct me if I am wrong above, afterall, I am not exactly a learned Japanese speaker. :P

  31. DESU IS COMING BACK! Seriously, Peach Pit announced that Rozen Maiden is going to be continued in Young Jump Vol 20

    DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU!

  32. Isn’t that a prequel series about Shinku and her first master? If so, very little or no Desu.

  33. @ RAW
    >How about Wilhelmina’s dearimasu? That’s pretty much the new “desu” for fanboys.

    If you’re referring to the use of de arimasu and de gozaru in Keroro Gunsou, that’s an entirely different issue than the Desu Kuchikuse. “De arimasu” Is actually the slightly archaic, but also original form of “desu” Desu is in actually a contraction of de arimasu (just as the less polite “da” is a contraction of “de aru”) De gozaru is merely a politer form of arimasu that one would use when speaking to a superior, thus why you often see “ninja clans” in comedy anime such as Keroro Gunsou using “De gozaru”. Its a reflection of the archaic nature of their work and conduct. However, the reason I say not to confuse the Keroro Gunsou de arimasu with the kuchikuse version of “desu” Is that in keroro gunsou they actually use it properly. They do not add extra desu for no reason. The “De arimasu” is at the end of the sentence as it is grammatically supposed to be. Thus, it is proper Japanese, though a bit rustic.

    @willyu
    You have the basic idea correct. desu is the standard “is” ending. However deshou is slightly different. Deshou is a suggestive form of desu. so while yes, “Isn’t it” is acurrate most of the time, using deshou in place of desu is also one way to make your sentence politer as while it assumes agreement, it does not affirm your statement as strongly. However it can also be used as part of you answer. IE: “Are ha inu deshou?” “Sou deshou ne.” compared to “are ha inu desu.” “sou desu ne.”

    Rena-chan’s “ka na? ka na?” Is part normal part kuchikuse. the first ka na is basically a question mark at the end of a sentence, while the repition of it is a kuchikuse. IE: “dou shiyou ka na? ka na?” with the extra ka na being essentially a repetition of “I wonder?” if one were to try and do a “literal” translation.

  34. Apparently my translations failed to show up do to html code. Here they are:
    “That’s a dog, right? “Probably”
    “That’s a dog.” “Yes it is.”

    “I wonder what we should do?”

  35. It goes to show how damaged I am that when I first saw the topic title, i said aloud “DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU”

  36. My mistake. It shows how broken I am when I watch bluethree ‘s link ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkVYHUMCCwc ) and click favorite within a minute, before finishing the whole lot.

    ~desu

  37. XD

  38. OMG too much comments so read ’em all :P

    let’s just say that desu is really moe, actually i’m not shure that Suiseiseki is the first anime/manga character to use that kuchikuse… but she is shure the first to put it always at the END of her speech (desu is not only for the end of sentences)

    but what made suiseiseki so moe is not only desu but also the fact that she was tsundere, and yes “chaotic neutral” (well that do define only a small part of character’s mind, enven in D&D), so all that puted together is kind of super moe.
    just using kuchiguse is kind of anoying, but putted on the righ character make them really moe (i’ve only seen few wrong use of kuchiguse).

    well i can’t restrain myself anymore:
    MOE DESU MOE DESU MOE DESU MOE DESU MOE DESU MOE DESU MOE DESU !!!

  39. I dunno, I think it’s just a general “charm point”, much like Kana’s “Nano desu-yo” in Otoboku, or “uguu~” or “uwa~” or… whatever. You name it. Suiseiseki (sp?) just popularized it, just as Akane Tendo popularized the terminology of Hammerspace (didn’t invent it, but made it popular).

    …desu~

  40. See your keeping up with sci vs anon struggle…

    this season has killed my passion for anime… im literally dropping to rock bottom… having to dl tenchi muyo because i don’t remeber ever finishing it when it aired on public acess… >_< … how i have fallen….desu.

  41. Comment 42: The Question to the Life, the Universe, and Everything:

    ~desu?

    That is all.

  42. I don’t get it. Then again, I don’t enjoy playing with dolls either.

  43. If it’s the one I just read (re: the new Shinku making one).. it’s both prequel and sequel. Or at least, it promises some answers regarding Jun’s talents with dolls. No Desu, though.

  44. Hey Jason, I got a new animu for you to check it out, it’s called Kanokon, and it’s nothing but mindless brain-cell-killing fanservice.

  45. Eh, he should look at To-Love RU instead – it’s not following the manga closely, but it’s funny without having a ‘hero’ who would probably find Sunohara sexier than any of the female characters. ;)

  46. this topic needs moar desu.

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