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Online forums have been ripe with endless debates about the best Waifu/husbando since the
dawn of anime. Whether you are an anime veteran, with decades of experience and a
customized MyAnimeList profile or a new fan signing up for their first account on an anime
website, chances are that you already have a waifu or a husbando and are ready to die on the
hill for them.
In this article, we will be exploring the rise of Waifu Culture in Anime, mainstream popular
culture, and what makes the Fandom so riled over their favorite twin-tailed Tsundere or the
bad boy Kuudere, who cannot express his feelings.
Origin and Popularity
The Waifu/Husbando culture started with Japanese Otaku’s “Ore No Yome” (Ore= My, Yome=
Wife) movement where one would get infatuated with an anime character and refer to them
as their Waifu, or later, as their Husbando as more female anime fans started to adopt the
concept. Now, the term has been expanded to include game characters, Vocaloid, vTuber, and
even real-life Voice actors, Idols, actors, and more.
Initially, the Waifu/Husbando Culture was perceived as a niche interest, for a small group of
extreme enthusiasts, but the phenomenon has gone mainstream, becoming a norm in anime
communities all over the world.
The Heart of the Matter
Because fandoms feel so connected to their chosen Waifu/Husbando, more often than not,
anime communities/conventions have become ripe grounds for endless debates for years on
end in certain cases.
Phrases like “Emilia-Tan is the best,” or “The Answer is always Rem” are thrown around
casually. And chants like “Ore No Waifu WA Saikyou Desu” (My Waifu is the Best in the World)
can be heard in the vicinity of Anime conventions.
These Banters have been known to get extremely heated in some cases where fandoms have
been split in two for decades in the case of Evangelion. Some fans have been devoted to Asuka
Soryu Fans for years now, while others cannot get over their love for Rei Ayanami, especially
after the Evangelion 3.0+1.0 reboot.
Or in the case of Persona 5 fans, where it is a great sin to ask someone about their favorite
Waifu. And it is blasphemy if you pick anyone other than 100s of iterations of Saber or Rin
from the Fate Franchise.
The Waifu Wars are in utter chaos, but Husbando Havocs have also not been any sort of
mayhem. Kakashi from Naruto, Levi from Attack on Titan, Roronoa Zoro from One Piece, and
Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen have had some intense matches over the years.
But all in all, deep down, we all know that Speed Wagon is the best Waifu.
Anime fans have been debating about their favorite Husbando or Waifu for years now.
Comparing the qualities, features, richness, and depth of their narratives. But deep down,
these seemingly casual banters show just how much fans are connected to their favorite
anime characters.
