ACG (subculture)

ACG ("Animation, Comics, and Games") is a term used in some subcultures of Greater China and East Asia. Because there is a strong economic and cultural interlinkage that exists between anime, manga, and games in Japanese and East Asian culture at large, the term ACG is used to describe this phenomenon in relative fields.^[1]^[2] The term refers in particular to Japanese anime, manga, and video games. The term is not normally translated into Chinese; if the meaning needs to be translated, it is usually "two-dimensional space" (Chinese: 二次元, Èr cìyuán; Japanese: 2次元, romanized: nijigen)

Etymology

In 1995, a Taiwanese fan of animation and comics using the name "AIplus" established a board at National Sun Yat-sen University's BBS; the board was named the "ACG_Review Board", referring to animation, comics, and games. It is considered the first appearance of the term "ACG".^[3] Popularizing by Taiwanese anime and comics critique group Shuffle Alliance, the arrangement of the three letters was stabilized, and the term became popular in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

After light novels, which are often adapted into anime, comics, and video games, became more popular, the term "ACGN" was coined. However, the term ACG is still used in the majority of situations and is generally thought to include light novels even without "N."

In other regions

Japanese do not use the term ACG, though a similar concept is "MAG", meaning "Manga, Anime, and Games". Japanese speakers usually use nijigen (2次元, lit. "two-dimensional space") to refer a series of anime and manga culture (containing light novels and garage kits). The otaku culture (オタク文化, otaku bunka) refers to the related subculture,^[4] while otaku industry (オタク産業, otaku sangyō) refers to related industries.

In India, "AVGC" is used instead, meaning "Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics".^[5]

Though the term is common in Sinophone-speaking areas and East Asia, it is not prevalent in the Anglosphere.

References

^ 梁世佑 (February 2023). 動漫遊戲研究的新時代與發展性：ACG文化國際學術研討會暨巴哈姆特論文獎十週年紀念論文集 (in Chinese). AinoscoPress. pp. 251–269. ISBN 978-9864372034.
^ 张, 亮 (2003-02-23). "日本动漫产业启示录". 南风窗 (in Chinese). 广州日报报业集团 [Wikidata]: 60–64. ISSN 1004-0641. LCCN 87642069.
^ CCSX (24 August 2009). Dead or Alive──台灣阿宅啟示錄 [Dead or Alive — Revelation of Taiwanese Omonetaku]. 阿宅，你已經死了！ (in Chinese). Taiwan: 時報出版公司. p. 31. ISBN 978-957-13-5065-3. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
^ For example: "朝日新聞までもが危惧し始めた「世界に広がるオタク文化」の幻想と危機的状況". カルチャー. 日刊サイゾー (in Japanese). Cyzo [Wikidata]. 2011-02-13.
^ "Government of India to develop an AVGC Centre for Excellence with IIT Bombay". The Financial Express. 2020-09-01. Retrieved 2020-11-03.