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mukokuseki
What does mukokuseki mean?
Describes character designs made intentionally non-specific in ethnicity or nationality — a stylistic norm giving many anime characters their 'not obviously Japanese' look.
"The mukokuseki art style makes the cast hard to pin to any one country."
Origin
Japanese 無国籍 (mukokuseki), 'stateless / without nationality'.
Frequently asked questions
What does mukokuseki mean?
It describes anime character designs made deliberately ambiguous in ethnicity or nationality, giving them a 'not obviously Japanese' look.
Where does mukokuseki come from?
From Japanese 無国籍, meaning 'stateless' or 'without nationality'.
Why are anime characters mukokuseki?
It's a long-standing stylistic norm in anime art, producing designs that don't pin characters to any one country.
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