Anime
Japanese for animation. Japan has a huge and thriving industry for animation of all types, including movies with complex plots and adult themes. While there are some drawing styles -- such as the famous big-eyes look -- that are seen as indicative of anime, there is such enormous variety in drawing styles that anime cannot be restricted to just one of its stylistic offshoots.

Bushi
Originally applied to soldiers in service to a shogun, it has evolved into a term that applies to all professional warriors. It's similar to the term samurai.

Bushido
The code of the warrior.

Chibi
Japanese word used to describe characters as small, little, or young.

Edo
Ancient name of the city that became Tokyo.

Gaijin
Foreigner, someone who is not of Japanese descent.

Hentai
While this word technically means transformation or metamorphosis, in anime it has come to mean a form of perversion. There are many shockingly adult anime movies. They are often referred to as hentai.

Kaiju
A large and threatening monster. Think Godzilla.

Kappa
Monster spirit that lives in rivers. They like to drink sake and eat cucumbers. Also, they are dangerous to humans.

Katana
Curved sword that is sort of a symbol for Japan.

Kawaii
Cute is an obsession in Japan. The characters in a child's anime series such as "Sailor Moon" could safely be referred to as kawaii.

Ki
Literally meaning air, this term also has a figurative meaning as life-force energy, what many Americans would be familiar with in the Chinese word chi.

Manga
Manga refers to comic books, not the animation you see on TV or in movies. Lots of manga, however, end up in anime form.

Otaku
This is pretty much the Japanese equivalent of "fan boy." It's got a slightly derogatory meaning as someone without much of a life who's obsessed with this or that anime series, but it's also been reclaimed as a badge of honor for those who love anime.

Ronin
Soldiers who are free of a master or leader. Think of them as freelance fighters.

Sempai
Refers to someone who is a master or senior within any type of organization.

Cherry, or Cherry Boy                                                                                                Innocent, or a virgin, a male, one in youth