"...the golden ratio for the ultimate zettai ryouiki is 4:1:2.5 (length of skirt : zettai ryouiki : length of socks above knee) and the acceptable margin for error is ±25%. The ratios are generally off because it is thought that the ultimate zettai ryouiki would generate so much moé that the equivalent energy would be enough to vaporize the planet."
"A character that is equipped with such weapon can annihilate vast amounts of brain cells, which can amount to an intense moe~ness that is so destructive that one can overcome one's AT field in less than 0.03 seconds."
"Absolute Territory" (Zettai Ryouiki in Japanese) describes the area of uncovered thigh between the skirt and the knee sock.
As per usual for fandom who
obsess about costumes, this can be considered a
Moe Moe attribute and thus, present prominently in character designs and schoolgirl outfits. The term originates from
Neon Genesis Evangelion to designate an
area of Absolute Terror, although it's had considerable semantic drift. In this case, it may jokingly refer to the fact it emphasizes a shorter skirt without actually becoming creepy and
showing the underpants.
As if that wasn't enough, some even categorize it into five "Grades", from
E to A. Only the top two (A and B) are considered true
Zettai Ryouiki and they are only usable by female characters. Some researchers additionally introduce Grade S, the highest one which consists of Grade A plus further requirements to personality and hairstyle. See
''Anime Deshou Deshou'' article
for details and illustrations.
Stop looking at us like that.
Just to make it clear,
Zettai Ryouiki is made up of three components: socks, skin, and skirt. An
Action Girl may trade the latter for hotpants but if it doesn't include knee-highs and thighs, it's not
Zettai Ryouiki.
Panty Shot is a entirely different zone. See also
Sexy Schoolwoman (who is usually showing a
lot more leg than this) and
Joshikousei.
Examples:
Anime & Manga
- Rin Tohsaka in Fate Stay Night. Let's see... 57 cm stockings: check. Double pigtail: check. Tsundere: check◊. Yes, Rin Tohsaka is Grade S!
- Karen Stadtfeld in her school uniform from Code Geass. She is also credited with popularizing the hotpants+socks variety of Zettai Ryouiki, which is part of her Custom Uniform in the second season.
- Tamaki Kousaka in To Heart 2.
- Featured in the opening of Lucky Star.
- The B-Side of the Lucky Star opening song single, "Kaeshite! Knee Socks", is pretty much entirely about thigh-highs.
- Chiaki Minami in Minami-ke.
- All OS-tans have been depicted wearing Zettai Ryouiki at some point. It is especially popular with XP-tan and Firefox-ko.
- Kurumi Momose in Pani Poni Dash.
- Matsuri Shihou's excellent Zettai Ryouiki is likely the source of her immortality in Sola.
- Shana in Shakugan No Shana.
- Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere in Zero No Tsukaima. As an Expy of Shana, this isn't surprising.
- Seems to be a part of the standard school uniform in Zombie Loan.
- Similarly, it appears to be part of Stellvia Foundation uniform in Stellvia Of The Universe.
- Yomi in Azumanga Daioh.
- Nayuki, Kaori and Shiori in Kanon.
- Kyou (and Ryou) in Clannad— even when playing basketball. Kyou's power is truly without limit.
- Nanoha and Fate's basic Barrier Jackets in the third season of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha seem to have been designed with this in mind.
- Etna and Plenair from Disgaea.
- Alice in ARIA since its part of her school uniform, making her of the very few main characters who wears something else aside from her undine outfit.
- Princess Rita Sior in Sisters Of Wellber.
- Seemingly part of the school outfit on School Days.
- ...as well as of the one Margaret attends in Madlax.
- Miyo Takano of Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni has this on her nurse outfit. Also from the same series, the Angel Mort outfit seems designed with Zettai Ryouiki on mind.
- Yue Ayase from Mahou Sensei Negima, along others from the same series. Considering that Ken Akamatsu has written about moe on his blog, this is probably intentional.
- Shiori in the Revolutionary Girl Utena movie. (Zettai unmei mokushi-ryouiki! Um... sorry.)
- Valentine from Guilty Gear Overture fits this somewhat. Hard to believe she is a likely copy of Justice.
- Flay Allster in Gundam SEED.
- Shino in .hack//Roots and her Expy Atoli in the G.U. games.
- Lala Satalin Deviluke from To Love Ru.
- The three heroines of Ultimate Girls.
- Mishio Maeno in Mnemosyne.
- Female Ranma (Ranma 1/2) while disguised as Ryoga's sister, Yoiko.
- Tsuyuri in Doujin Work.
- Frequently, Nico Robin of One Piece, if thigh-high boots count.
- Yoko from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann goes the hotpants route. She later switches out the socks for boots of about the same length.
- Every single girl in Shuffle at some point or other. Mostly in their school outfits.
- Several of the Claymores wear these, even in the dead of winter. But they are Half Human Hybrids.
Film
- Felicity Shagwell from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me is both a western and live-action example on her first appearance.
Video Games
- Venus from Metal Gear Acid 2 had zettai ryouiki so devastating that it had to be censored for her cameo in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops.
- Yukari Takeba from Persona 3 goes the socks-and-skirt route, and it's actually quite surprising that she never panty-shots throughout the entire game considering the length (or lack thereof) of her skirt.
