Gar

Gar

Part of a series on Fate (Type-Moon). [View Related Entries]

Updated Dec 04, 2019 at 05:39AM EST by Y F.

Added Feb 04, 2010 at 02:56AM EST by mterek.

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About

"Gar" is an Internet slang term associated with same-sex affection for overtly masculine characters found in animes and manga. It is typically used by fan boys as an adjective to characterize a male character as being cool, badass or otherwise admirable. The concept can be also seen as the antithesis of "moe".

Origin

The term “gar” is rumored to have been coined on 4chan after an anonymous user accidentally posted "I am gar for Archer" to express his admiration for the character from the Japanese anime series Fate/Stay Night, which was meant to be read as “I am gay for Archer.” The earliest known definition of "gar" was submitted by Urban Dictionary[5] user Ryukage on May 2nd, 2006, describing the term as same-sex appreciation for a male character’s masculine traits.


urban dictionary definition of the word gar explaining it's to like a male character for being cool

Spread

In December of 2006, 4chan began the nomination phase of the first SaiGar tournament to select the most masculine gar characters in anime and manga.[1] The first round of voting was commenced on January 2nd, 2007. After a series of elimination rounds that were held between January and March 2007, Guts from the manga series Berserk was announced as the winner of the tournament.


Semi Finals 25/02 Guts Quarter Finals Final SAIGAR 2007 CHAMPION Guts Berserk Roy Focker 218 146 230 213 341 276 185 247 285 03/03 443 Akagi Shigeru Guts 07/03 26/02 239 Kasur Kenshiro Fist Of The North Star Onizuka Eikichi Great Teacher Onizuka Archer Fate/Stay Night Shishio Gai Akagi Shigeru 27/02 Guts Onizuka Eikichi 04/03 438 Master Asia 28/02 296 Master Asia Gundam (A) Master Asia

On January 17th, 2008, Singaporean blogger ckwiz[7] posted an article explaining the concept of gar in details. On November 10th, Yahoo Answers[6] user I <3 Anime submitted a question asking for the definition of gar in the context of anime. On July 5th, 2009, an entry for gar was created on the Internet culture wiki Lurkmore.[1] On December 8th, My Anime List Forums[8] member dpjdm submitted a thread asking others to list the most gar anime or manga character. On June 3rd, 2010, a thread referring to Archer from Fate/Stay Night as “Gar Archer” was posted to the /a/ (anime & manga) board on 4chan (shown below).[12]


YOU SHOULD ONLY DELAY HIM GAR Anonymous Thu Jun 03 2010 15:58:02 No.35746745 View Reply Original Report Quoted By: 35748590 What do u think about alternative version of Courage Wolf for /a/? That would be him - GAR Archer View Same Google iqdb SauceNAO GAR-Archer-Betrayed-by-ideals-Be (...).jpg, 84 kB, 407x405 KILL HIM SIX TIMES AND DIE BETRAYED BYIDEALIS? Anonymo us Thu Jun 03 2010 15:59:02 No.357467 75 89 kB, 407x405, GAR-Archer-You-should-only-delay him-for-ten-min-Kill-him-six-times-and-die.jpg View Same Google iqdb SauceNAO BETRAYTHEM YOURSELFI Report Quoted By: >35748590

On November 30th, 2011, the gaming news blog Screw Attack[11] published a list of the “Top 12 Men of Anime,” claiming it was “a list of gar.” On November 9th, 2012, an anonymous user on 4chan's /a/ board[9] submitted a thread asking others to share their own lists of gar characters. On April 8th, 2013, another discussion thread about gar characters appeared on 4chan's /m/ board (mecha),[10] which was met by several replies jadedly noting that gar threads had become less popular in recent years.

Usage

Gar has different meanings on the /a/ (Anime & Manga) and /m/ (Mecha) boards on 4chan. On /a/, the term typically refers to strong, masculine and stoic characters, while it refers to more aggressive, loud and boisterous characters on /m/. The term has been compared to the Ancient Roman concept of Virtus,[4] a virtue associated with perceived masculine strengths such as courage, honor and worth.


「Anonymous 05/04/07(Fri)15:58 No.3097606 File :1178308698.ipg-(78 KB, 600x342, bebop pulp fiction.ipg) We will begin our discussion with VIRTUS Pronounced 'weer-toos', VIRTUS is a Latin word. From it, we get our word 'virtue'. To the Romans, however, VIRTUS was not 'virtue' as we now understand it. We equate 'virtue' with upright conduct, strict, unyielding morality, and adhering to the principle of The Good VIRTUS is better understood as 'courage', or 'manliness.' If an individual had VIRTUS, it meant he or she was possessed of the qualities that made someone a MAN A willingness to defend one's home, one's family, and one's country out of love and commitment to the fatherland. Giving respect and a wariness to those who were similarly dedicated. The ability by strength of will to overcome impossible odds. And when faced with the loss of something precious, a willingness to weep and be wretched, to acknowledge that something worth dying for has been lost. Now, the Romans, like the Greeks from whom they inherited much of their higher culture, were capable of admiring, in a physical and a meritorious sense, other men It was not the same thing as having a homosexual affection for such men. It was the state of being enamored with them in respect of how purely and perfectly they embodied VIRTUS- the great degree to which they were MEN 「Anonymous 05/04/07(Fri)16:14 No.3097814 File :1178309657.png-(187 KB, 576x432, Domon_kasshu.png) The sentiment clearly exists in Japanese culture, for within anime we encounter a select few characters who are themselves possessed of all the old hallmarks of VIRTUS: unconquerable courage, the sheer will to accomplish the impossible, the willingness to sacrifice all for victory, and the ability to openly mourn the loss of something worth dying for in a fitting, unwomanly way We in the West have no word to describe our instinctive admiration for these men; English has no single equivalent to the Latin VIRTUS. Likewise, our sexually stratified culture cannot comprehend the near-erotic esteem we hold these great characters in. We know only 'heterosexual' and 'homosexual,' and we were forced to matter frame our feelings in those terms, with phrases like "I'm GAY for Archer," "I'd go GAY for Master Asia," and so forth, though this was not the deep truth of the 「Anonymous 05/04/07(Fri)16:24 No.3097945 File :1178310256,jpg-(43 kB, 640x448, CODE GEASS -22- Large 33.jpg) So it was until the glorious day, right here on 4chan, the day, some say, right here on /a/, when an Anonymous, oblivious to the destiny burning like fire within him, posted a picture of Archer, accompanied by the statement, "I'm GAY for Archer." However, a fated slip of his finger replaced the critical 'y' with 'r,' leaving the message to read, "I'm GAR for Archer. This was a new word, alien and strange- and yet it stirred something deep in the souls of the men who beheld it. It was a good word, strong, carrying the whisper of the VIRTUS of yore. It felt right. So from post to post, board to board, across the internet the word spread, swelling like crackling storm and boiling surf. Its meaning was defined by the characters who embodied it. Courage! Strength! Manly tears! Unshakeable resolve, unyielding determination! So it came to be that we look with burning hearts and boiling blood upon the great manly men of history and literature in a new light, a light recovered from the days of Roman VIRTUS. No longer need our admiration for them be misrepresented. They are not GAY!THEY ARE GAR!

Notable Examples

Anime and manga fans have often used demotivational posters and other image macros to explain the concept of gar.


GAR THE ABILITY TO MAKE A FROGGY APRON APPPEAR IN YOUR WORST NIGHTMARES RULE OF GAR THE MORE GAR A CHARACTER IS, THE GREATER THE CHANCE THAT THEY WILL DIE LATER ONN GAR He started it Imayget pregnantif I get too close to him GAR One of the many definitions A CUP OF GAR A DRINK OF MANLINESS GAR NOT GAR 鲁羃 IGAR-to like a MALE anime character, for being incredibly badass and awesome.l KNOW YOUR F------ MEMES

The term “manime” loosely refers to anime franchises that are primarily aimed at a male demographic, similar to the term “shonen manga,” which describes a variety of manga series that are specifically marketed toward younger males.

MANIME NARVTO We are manimoos. We f------ hate stupid moe s--- like K-ON or Haruhi. We love shonen anime and hate everything else because that s--- is for girls. F--- girl anime. That s--- sucks. If you don't like manime, then you're a girl.


Search Interest

External References

[1] Lurkmore Wiki – GAR

[2] DesuArchive – Saigar Suspended

[3] Arlong Park Forums- Saigar 2007

[4] Wikipedia – Virtus

[5] Urban Dictionary – gar

[6] Yahoo Answers – What does Gar mean in anime terms

[7] Ckwiz via Wayback Machine – What is Gar?

[8] My Anime List – The most Gar anime/manga character

[9] DesuArchive – So /a/ could you explain me what makes a character gar

[10] 4chandata via Wayback Machine – Gar thread go

[11] Screw Attack (now Rooster Teeth) via Wayback Machine – Top 12 Men of Anime

[12] DesuArchive – Gar

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