Glossary
Waifu
Originally a Japanese-anime fan term for a fictional female character one feels romantic attachment to. In AI, used for anime-style AI girlfriend personas.
Waifu (from the Japanese borrowing of 'wife') started in anime fandom as shorthand for an animated character a fan considers their fictional partner. In the AI-companion space, 'waifu' refers specifically to anime-stylized AI girlfriends — visual style, voice, and conversational beats drawn from genre conventions. The masculine equivalent is 'husbando.'