Recently on Japanese television, the anime slang babumi (バブみ) was introduced. For many, it was the first time they’d heard it.
In the above image, the handsome guy on the left is “pre-babumi,” while the cuted up version on the right is “post-babumi.” So, what the heck is babumi?
In Japanese, “babuu” (バブー) is baby talk. In English, babies say “goo-goo ga-ga,” but in Japanese, it’s “babuu babuu.” Bubumi takes that root and adds the suffix “mi” from “atatakami” (あたたかみ), which means “warmth.”
Babumi is not a new term. It’s been circulating predominately among female anime fans since around mid-2014. However, it has been used more widely of late.
Babumi is used to express maternal feeling evoked by characters or certain situation. As Nico Nico points out, it’s typically seen between an older female character and a younger male one. Characters with infant characters also exhibit babumi.
れいこさん(@3v33v6)の通販で購入したよだれかけ届きましたー！！
早速新たに増えたぬいちゃん達につけました！バブみが増して可愛い(╥ω╥`)
ありがとうございました！ pic.twitter.com/VK9fcQeyYn— 鈴メガネ👓 (@suzumegane0321) December 29, 2016
結局この子も連れてきた！
バブみがすごい…可愛いの暴力…😍 pic.twitter.com/sC6zYRXjuz— すまたそ (@Sugiti0102) December 29, 2016
(However, it can also be used towards a younger female character with mothering tendencies! This is not be confused with a “mother complex,” because these female characters are not typically older. See below.)
https://twitter.com/embed/status/814957571769409536
Note that there are exceptions and often gender as well as age do not matter.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/843854432244645888
Giving characters baby-like qualities can convey babumi:
https://twitter.com/embed/status/840497816229183488
今日、届いたfineぬいがめっちゃ可愛い！！
桃李はバブみを感じる pic.twitter.com/EjDUUOCpvl— 友 (@tizonaColada_99) February 18, 2017
バブみが強いプリン pic.twitter.com/p4K1tF3nCc
— miu🥞 (@miu_i7) February 3, 2017
バブみ pic.twitter.com/eByeqxoZTy
— じゅん (@jun_junWL) February 6, 2017
画像整理してたらこんなの過去に撮ってたようだが、この真ちゃんバブみ強すぎない？？？？😊 pic.twitter.com/WFxkWFDzJ5
— 萪弥@忙殺 (@yatmtbr) March 9, 2017
Or just sticking a pacifier in their mouths.
これが…これがバブみ……… pic.twitter.com/I1NEyg6g3g
— 壱@グリツア愛知ありがとう (@udonzurrrrr) March 8, 2017
平成29年2月4日土曜日、イタリア料理店ベルコルノ、ラテ泡ましまし＋バブ明日香ラテアート1000YEN
バブみを感じた西ちゃんの表情がたまんないッ！西明日香のおしゃぶりから溢れるミルク感が神域ィ！
完飲。 pic.twitter.com/9FqV3OTGhW— もっとん (@morisuke_BTL) February 4, 2017
In Nintendo’s Miitopia, this regressive-looking in-game item most certainly has babumi qualities.
Physical interaction, such as certain embraces, can also express babumi.
バブみ
買いたい(直球) pic.twitter.com/UOpZ0efep3— 小鳥遊しるにー (@Noel_love_ituki) January 20, 2017
JJにバブみを感じたくなったらくがきです pic.twitter.com/BjJ534Imlp
— じらふ (@kirin0057) January 12, 2017
ナーガ・レイ/ヘビツカイシルバーにバブみを感じてオギャリたい人向けの画像です pic.twitter.com/wmqwEeQaqa
— シロヘラ⛩️👻🗼 (@zzzenra) February 19, 2017
ここのつさん（ @mozu18 ）の「アリスのバブみがヤバい件」 。1コマ目からかわいい上海、1ページ目からすべてを持っていくクマ🐻、そして素朴かつ暖かい笑顔で魔理沙を包み込むアリスさんの圧倒的バブみすごい。強すぎるバブみはもはや攻めであることを明らかにした名著。表情すき。 pic.twitter.com/54NbmmwE0Z
— 燈 (@tomoakari) January 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/829185819730649088
幕間感想：
この気持ち…… これが…… バブみ………！！（ぐだラシュ） pic.twitter.com/y1FZEotA58— スギ (@Sugi_kiyu) January 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/835752605557010432
An unexpected offshoot of this slang is that the bath tablet brand “Babu” (バブ), which is actually short for “bubble,” keeps popping up on Twitter as a babumi pun.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/817727239286423552
圧倒的バブみ pic.twitter.com/KherYSYvY0
— 近村望実 (@nozomura0310) January 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/817251463621525504
ありえんバブみが深いｗ pic.twitter.com/jd7VlYjYvy
— すま (@Jibanyaso) January 1, 2017
バブみ pic.twitter.com/sagSVzu7CT
— 六三郎 (@6saburou) December 25, 2016
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