Moe

Moe (or m.o.e., apparently short for "Master of Entertainment," but pronounced "mo-ay") is a term used in Japanese anime and manga to describe a genre of shows featuring an "ideal girlfriend," where the protagonist (usually a dorky or antisocial male) ends up in a relationship with a beautiful, smart and/or talented girl that wouldn't normally happen in real life.

The term comes from the Japanese animation studio, m.o.e., which produces several anime titles of this genre, like Hanaukyo Maids and Steel Angel Kurumi. Other shows in this genre include Ai Yori Aoshi, Mahoromatic, Narue no Sekai and Oh My Goddess. A variant of Moe is harem anime, where the male protagonist chooses from several women who inexplicably desire him.

This genre is sometimes called mahou kanojo or "magical girlfriend."