Wednesday, April 28, 2021

denki anma

In Japanese, denki-anma 電気あんま, meaning "electric massage," typically refers to grabbing someone by their legs and (violently) massaging their crotch with your foot, which, in anime, is typically done to physically punish a character.

It's also spelled 電気アンマ.

Attacker: Mamiya Ayumi 魔宮あゆみ
Anime: Magikano, マジカノ (Episode 7)

Definition

The term anma 按摩 refers to traditional Japanese "massage." Originally, denki-anma meant an "electric massager."

Character: Kuroki Tomoko 黒木智子
Anime: Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui! 私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い! (Episode 4)
  • Context: Tomoko gives herself a shoulder massage.
  • denki massaaji ki
    電動マッサージ機
    Electric massage device.

For some reason, the term now refers to this... uh... martial arts technique? Prank? Play? However you classify this thing.

A design of a bag of doritos featuring a character in a yellow suit stepping on another's crotch.
Character: Taitsu-kun タイツくん
Image source: taitsukun.com/rireki06_07.html, accessed 2021-04-28.

The act can be used as a suru-verb, and used with kakeru かける, like any wresting technique.

  • denki-anma suru
    電気あんまする
    To denki-anma somebody.
  • X ni denki-anma wo kakeru
    〇〇に電気あんまをかける
    To use denki-anma on X.

Note, however, that professional wrestling forbids attacks that "target testicles," kin-teki 金的.

Although the typical example found in anime is a girl doing it on a guy, the gender obviously doesn't matter.

Attacker: Shiba Ganju 志波岩鷲
Receiver: Kurosaki Ichigo 黒崎一護
Anime: Bleach (Episode 23)
  • Context: Ichigo is fighting Ganju, who attacks him with a denki-anma.
Attacker: Eliza エリザ
Receiver: Yuzuriha ユズリハ
Anime: Lapis Re:LiGHTs, ラピスリライツ (Episode 12)
  • Context: Yuzuriha sneaks into Eliza's bed at night, who punishes her with a denki-anma.

While most examples have the receiver face up, face down also counts.

Attacker: Edomae Runa 江戸前留奈
Receiver: Michishio Nagasumi 満潮永澄
Anime: Seto no Hanayome 瀬戸の花嫁 (Episode 12)
  • Context: Luna thinks she's superior to others (enough to use watakushi-sama ワタクシ様 as first person pronoun. When other girls decide to go buy ingredients for dinner, she declines to go with them, staying with Nagasumi, whom she considers her servant.
    • This scene wasn't in the manga.
  • Runa-chan mo sa, tsuyogari bakari ittenai de {issho ni} ikeba ii noni
    留奈ちゃん、強がりばかり言ってないで一緒に行けばいいのに
    Luna-chan, [you] should have gone {with them} [instead of] always talking tough.
    • tsuyogari wo iu
      強がりを言う
      To talk tough. To say things to make oneself appear strong, and avoid admitting any sort of defeat, which can mean a lot of things if you think mingling with others is admitting defeat.
  • tsuyogari?
    強がり?
    Talking tough?
  • chigau no?
    違うの?
    [Am I wrong]?
  • Enraged, Luna denki-anma's Nagasumi.
  • sonna wake nai desho!
    geboku no kuse ni {{shitta} you na} kuchi kiku-n-janai wa yo

    そんなわけないでしょ!
    下僕のくせに知ったような口聞くんじゃないわよ
    Of course not!
    [You're just a servant], don't [talk] {like {[you] know [everything}}!
    • X no kuse ni
      〇〇のくせに
      [You] are just an X. Know your place!
  • omata ga', omata ga dai-pinchi!
    お股がっ お股が大ピンチ!
    [My] crotch, [my] crotch [is] [in] a huge pinch!
  • so, sonna koto yori...
    そ、そんなことより・・・
    [More importantly]...
    • Luna, who was enraged, says this in a bashful voice.
  • e?

    Eh?
  • yatto... futari-kiri ni nareta-n-dakara
    やっと・・・二人きりになれたんだから
    [We]... are finally alone...
    • futari-kiri
      二人きり
      Just two people.
      Just us two.
      Alone together.
  • tte, nani denki-anma shi-nagara fun'iki dashite-n-no, Runa-chan!
    って、なに電気あんまながら雰囲気出してんの留奈ちゃん!
    [Why would you make a romantic mood] while doing a denki-anma, Luna-chan?!
    • Is something wrong with you?!
    • What are you thinking?
    • fun'iki wo dasu
      雰囲気を出す
      "To let out a mood." (literally.)
      To create a romantic mood.
    • ~te-n-no - contraction of ~te-iru no ~ているの.

As Parody

The denki-anma is the signature technique of Tsukuda Tsukune 佃つくね, from Gu-Gu Ganmo Gu-Guガンモ, who uses it several times through the series.

Attacker: Tsukuda Tsukune 佃つくね
Receiver: Tsukuda Hanpeita 佃半平太
Anime: Gu-Gu Ganmo Gu-Guガンモ (Episode 1)
  • Context: Tsukune gives her younger brother, Hanpeita, a weird egg she found to make up for losing his pet bird. Hanpeita doesn't want the egg, enraging Tsukune, who attacks him for not appreciating her sisterly love.

It's signature enough to get parodied in other series.

Attacker: Ayasaki Hayate 綾崎ハヤテ
Receiver: Aizawa Sakuya 愛沢咲夜
Anime: Hayate no Gotoku! ハヤテのごとく! (Episode 5)
  • Context: the hairstyle of Aizawa Sakuya turns into pigtails (a.k.a. twintails) in parody to Gu-Gu Ganmo.
    • This scene wasn't in the manga.
Poses & Gestures

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