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Akanbei (赤ん平 Akanbei) is a Yōkai who takes part in the baseball match to get the Yōkai Bat back in the 1968 anime.[1]

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Legend[]

Akanbei's name and appearance are likely a pun to Akanbe (あかんべえ Akanbē), a Japanese facial gesture that is normally used as an immature taunting gesture, but also indicates sarcasm. It is also spelled as "Akkanbee" (あっかんべー, アッカンベー). It consists of someone pulling down one of their lower eyelids to expose the red underside towards someone, often accompanied by sticking out their tongue.[2] The term's first usage was mentioned by Katai Tayama, an early 20th century author, within his 1909 story Inaka Kyōshi (田舎教師 "Rural Teacher"), the gesture being used by the male students in the story. The etymology is given in the story as a corruption of akai me (赤い目 "red eye").[3]


References[]

  1. GeGeGe no Kitarō (1968): Episode 1
  2. Beyond Polite Japanese, p. 133, by Akihiko Yonekawa
  3. "Lesson 7 ボディ・ランゲージ Gestures" (Web Archive)

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