OS-tan (OSたん)

OS-tan
Name
OS-tan
Original Name
OSたん

The term OS-tan is used in the Moeverse Database as an Universe name to refer to the collection of ideas related to female moe characters originating from Futaba Channel that are associated to operating systems. The word is also used to refer to these characters themselves.

In non-Japanese speaking communities, "OS-tan" is often used to refer to any character personifying or simply associated with an OS, in a similar fashion as other coined terms such as "Site-tan" or "Browser-tan". However, this usage may cause confusion such as people believing unrelated characters like the Madobe OS mascots to be part of Futaba Channel's works or some continuity. For this reason, the Moeverse Community and Database reserve the term "OS-tan" for the usages stated in the first paragraph.

Etymology

The term OS-tan is formed from the abbreviation of operating system, and the Japanese -tan (たん) suffix, an altered and even more affectionate version of the -chan (ちゃん) suffix that is usually used to designate girls. Who exactly coined the term or when it first appeared is unknown, though it traces at least back to August 25, 2003, when the OS-tan Vault (ＯＳたん保管庫) was established.

The term OS Girl (OS娘, OS Musume) may also be encountered when referring to the characters.

History

It is commonly accepted that the concept started with Me-tan, published on August 6, 2003 on the Nijiura board of Futaba Channel (二次元裏＠ふたば). The character probably inspired others from the community to create more characters for other OSes.

The OS-tan Vault maintained a gallery of images submitted by the Nijiura community, and already listed in the earliest known archive from October 4, 2003 DOS Prompt (as MS-DOS-tan, ＭＳ－ＤＯＳたん), 98-tan, NT Maman (presumably, as NT-tan), Me-tan, 2K-tan (as 2000-tan, ２０００たん), XP-tan and Dr. Norton.

Later, Ōbaba-sama (as 3.1-tan, 3.1たん), 95-tan, CE-tan, Longhorn-tan, Saba-tan, Lindows-tan, Linux-tan, Buster, McAfee and Mac-tan have been added as of October 2004, which is the last time the update dates were changed in the homepage, despite the Vault remaining accessible until around the half of 2010 with a latest known working archive from June 9, 2010 of the homepage. The content appears to have mostly remained unchanged since 2004.

A Flash animation published on April 2004 featuring most of the characters, the Trouble Windows Opening, possibly contributed to make OS-tan known outside of Futaba Channel and Japan. Notable merchandise of Me-tan, XP-tan, 2K-tan and 95-tan further helped making these characters more known.

As the years passed, the Nijiura community kept making new OS-tans for operating systems released later, like Seven-chan, Battenichi-chan, Ten-chan and 11-chan, though these modern OS-tans remain less known outside Futaba Channel.

Philosophy

まさに絵師の数だけOSたんワールドが存在しているともいえる。
It can be said that there are as many OS-tan worlds as there are artists.

— User Shinjuku via Cool.ne.jp, 2004

The OS-tan Vault explains that there is no specific rule for the OS-tan setting, though existing works can be used as a reference. That said, the Nijiura community is also reputed for being quite closed, and external contributions may be frowned upon. The OS-tan Vault itself discourages others from publishing OS-tan works on their own sites, even making threats to attack the sites in question.

It is also of note that many OS-tans are designed by "NSFW" artists who might produce all kinds of pornographic content, including explicit drawings or commercial products involving fictional underage characters ("Loli") which may also be the OS-tans in question.

Known Character Designers

Sources/References