I saw a dictionary of standard emoticons, i.e, :) :P and so on, but, not seeing one for anime emoticons, I decided to fill that void myself. Equal representation for anime fans and that sort of thing, not to mention I had nothing better to do. ^_^ So, without further ado, here is a comprehensive listing of the anime emoticons I know about, and what they are meant to symbolize. If you know of any emoticons that I've left out, please e-mail [email protected] and I'll add it and credit you with contributing it.

NOTE: I will be using the '_' character for the emoticon's "mouth" in all the following examples, but most can be done using the '.' character instead(Ex: n.n). Why this is is anyone's guess, a matter of preference, most likely.

^_^ and n_n - Typical anime smile.

^^ - A smaller version of the above.

o_o - Concern, nervousness, or shock. (Nervousness can also be indicated in any emoticon by adding a ';', the text substitute for a sweatdrop. ex: ^_^;)

O_O - Same as above, except more so.

o_O - Indicates raising an eyebrow inquisitively, or general confusion.

*^_^* - Blushing, for whatever reason. *'s can be used with any emoticon to achieve this effect.

@_@ - Dizzy, disoriented, unconscious, or confused. Meant to emulate the spiral patterns that sometimes appear in place of an anime character's eyes in those situations.

x_x - Dead.

z_z - Asleep.

-_- or u_u - Exasperated. Can also indicate closed eyes.

=_= - Narrowed eyes.

>_< - Anger or frustration, or anything else that would cause one to screw up one's face in this manner. A # can be added to this, to indicate the cross-shaped vein that often appears when an anime character gets angry. Ex: >_<#

c_c >_> or <_< - Sideglance. The latter two are often used in conjuction to indicate looking around. Ex: >_> <_<

h_h - User is thinking perverted thoughts. Stems from the fact that ecchi, the Japanese pronunciation for the letter H, is often used as a short form of the word hentai(pervert).

^,,^ - Vampire.

=^_^= - Cat(person).

^n_n^ - Dog, or any other animal with pointy ears.

*_* - Euphoria, fascination, basically starry-eyed.

9_9 - User is rolling his/her eyes, or looking up.

6_6 - User is looking down.

$_$ - User has money on the brain.

^_~ or ^_- - Wink.

._. - Seems to indicate timidness, though I'm not sure why...

;_; - Crying.

;o; - Bawling.

^o^ - Laughing.

u`u - User is smiling, upside down.

(=) - User is wearing a helm.

#_# - User has fallen asleep on the keyboard, resulting in the phenomenon known as "Waffleface."

Also, a few specific anime characters have emoticons which are meant to depict them specifically.

|/_n - Gourry, from Slayers.

<|/_n> - Zelgadis, also from slayers.

^_^x - Kenshin, from Rurouni Kenshin.

\\//_n or ///_n - Trowa Barton, from Gundam Wing.

^_^= - Gene Starwind, from Outlaw Star.