Forum - View topicWhat is it with the V sign?
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Luminal
 Posts: 179 Location: Montreal, QC, Canada |
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In every single anime where someone takes a photograph of anybody, someone in the picture ALWAYS makes a V sign with his/her index and middle fingers.
Could somebody explain to me what does this mean? Does it have some special significance in Japanese culture? Thanks, Luminal |
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frentymon
Forums Superstar
 Posts: 2362 Location: San Francisco |
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V for Victory!
It's a common thing in Asian cultures. My cousins from Shanghai do it all the time. |
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crow-kun
 Posts: 155 |
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Peace baby, love and peace....or vanadium.
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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The V sign separates Japan from the US. We've got too many signs over here: thumbs up, thumbs down, hang loose, whatever it is with the pinky and index finger, and the middle finger *OOPS*
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Kelly
Posts: 868 Location: New York City |
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It's also common here in the U.S. It basically means "we rule", "we rock" - you get the idea. We use it all the time. The historical background is that Winston Churchill used it to symbolize V for Victory, as frentymon said. He first did it on a balcony in Zurich, Switzerland during World War 2. |
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SharinganEyes92
 Posts: 816 |
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I belive it's more along the lines of V for Vendetta. I mean, what Japanese person doesn't love Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving going around in a mask kicking futuristic England's corrupt leaders' asses?!
How can you say "no" to this face?: 
But yeah, go with the V for Victory. And it's a pretty trendy thing around Japan's youth. When I was there in June, all the kids were taking pictures while posing with their fingers like that. Got the V for Vendetta graphic novel today! I can't wait to read it tomorrow when I get home from school! |
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LydiaDianne
 Posts: 5634 Location: Southern California |
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I thought(think?) that I read somewhere that the V sign meant "we did it!"
Naturally, I could be wrong... |
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frentymon
Forums Superstar
Posts: 2362 Location: San Francisco |
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Hence, "victory". The two pretty much go hand in hand. |
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LydiaDianne
Posts: 5634 Location: Southern California |
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**smacks self on head. Tries to blame idiocy on lack of sleep last night.** |
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Keonyn
 Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
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Heh, it's funny, I've been playing Hot Shots Golf Fore tonight and I always play as one of the starter girls simply because I've played as that character since the start so I'm just used to her strengths and balance. Anyways, she does the same thing when she pars a hole and my sisters fiancee was over earlier and made a comment about seeing that all the time in anime.
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omar235
 Posts: 1572 Location: Florida, Jacksonvile |
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The V sign has many meanings the most popular for the U.S. in the late 60's and 70's was for peace. In Japane the V for victory meaning is more popular (as was mentioned previously). Heres an old thread about this same topic but don't bring the topic back, I just think you could get some extra opinions on this.
Last edited by omar235 on Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:31 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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DuelLadyS
 Posts: 1705 Location: WA state |
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That would be the Metal gesture, AKA 'the horns of the devil'. Appropriate anytime you hear Ozzy Osbourne.  (Do not you use your thumb, then it's sign language for 'I Love You'. Thumb and pinky without index finger make 'hang loose', generally associated with surfers.)
Back on topic, 'V' is for victory and would be the US eqivalent of a thumbs up in a photo. What I find odd is when anime character actually say 'V' to go with the gesture. (Ala Yurika in Nadesico episode 1.) |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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I'm a bit surprised that no one here has mentioned Misuzu's "V!"
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frentymon
Forums Superstar
Posts: 2362 Location: San Francisco |
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I had Misuzu in mind when I typed out "V for Victory!" That's good enough for me. |
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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Like I said, hang loose. But if that's the way with 'the horns of the devil', then why is it that I see it in sports a lot? |
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