The OS-tan (short for Operating System-tan) is a Moe Anthropomorphism of various Windows operating systems (or at least that's how it started out), and is now a common feature on the Japanese Futaba Channel (where they originated). In fact, web browsers, antivirus programs, and other applications have gotten similiar treatment.
The -tan is a deliberate mistranslation of the -chan suffix, as it's supposed to sound like something said by a small child (hence evoking cuteness).
Originally, the first OS-Tan was Windows ME-tan, who was drawn as a cute Idiot Haired Cute Clumsy Girl to represent how the actual Windows ME was highly unstable. Afterwards, several more Windows OS-tans were made, and eventually the premise exploded to making moe versions of almost every OS or popular piece of hardware in existence. The cult popularity of the OS-tan characters led to Microsoft Japan creating Madobe Nanami, an official OS-tan, as a spokesperson for Windows 7. Then there is Windows 10-tan with the name 'Touko Madobe", debuting around the release of the said operating system.
However, Windows 11 did not get its corresponding OS-tan mascot.
In fact, this little phenomenon even sparked a fake trailer for an anime series called Trouble Windows, which has also been licensed as a name for artbooks depicting the OS-tans.
A video of the Trouble Windows
trailer exists on YouTube. You can find an HD version here.
Tropes:
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Windows 2K-tan is often drawn this way, though XP-tan also has this look on occasion.
- Ascended Meme:
- Windows 7-tan was given an official personification, Nanami Madobe.
- Windows 8 has TWO of them, named Madobe Ai and Madobe Yuu.
- Internet Explorer 11 now has one as well in Inori Aizawa, complete with her own Facebook page. She is the sister of several Japan-side mascots for Silverlight, the Aizawa Sisters.
- Subverted with Windows 11, as to this date, no Windows 11-tan has surfaced. (so fans have to create her themselves)
- Big Eater: XP-tan, who often is shown holding up a big rice bowl labeled "Memory".
- Brother–Sister Incest: Homeko [XP Home Edition] has a crush on her Spear Counterpart brother "Homeo".
- Canon Foreigner: Windows 1.0, 2.0, and 3.2 (Chinese 3.1) -tan are regarded as this in fan works.
- Cat Girl:
- Cute Clumsy Girl:
- ME-tan, representing how the system was liable to crash.
- To a lesser extent, Inori Aizawa was also a klutz when she was younger.
- Depraved Bisexual: Dr. Norton [Antivirus] is drawn as an ugly perverted ghost [after the Norton Ghost program] who keeps trying to ogle the Windows-tans, or make them undergo Creepy Physicals that represent invasive deep system scans, at every opportunity, with XP-tan being his preferred victim. He also has an implied fetish for Bill Gates.
- Elegant Gothic Lolita: How Windows 3.1-tan is often drawn.
- Expy: Windows ME-tan looks and dresses like Canal Volfeed from Lost Universe.
- Cute Kitten: Windows 3.1-tan is always depicted holding a cute black kitten labeled "DOS".
- Fan Girl: Windows CE-tan is a big In-Universe fan girl of the Dreamcast, as a variant on the CE OS code was used as the Dreamcast BIOS.
- Fanservice: Twofold - Most of the girls wear flattering clothes that show off their figures, and their character design and lore is heavily steeped in technical geekery and trivia about the operating systems they all represent. Some of the wordplay in their design and lore is for both innocent and naughty fun, like Inori's "Quick Access" belt that is based on the corresponding feature for her browser, or the fact that the girl's bust sizes often correspond to their memory consumption, which is why XP is often portrayed to be top-heavy.
- Fiery Redhead: Windows 95-tan when mad.
- Furry Fandom: What the web browser Firefox and its companion email client Thunderbird are designed after.
- Girl with Psycho Weapon:
- SE-tan and her can opener, wielded with intent to castrate.
- Mac OS gets explosively violent when faced by the Windows girls, throwing bombs at them.
- Hermaphrodite: Windows 98 and 2K-tan are occasionally depicted as Futanari in hentai doujinshi.
- Hospital Hottie: Miss McAfee [Antivirus] and AVG [Antivirus], who are both drawn as attractive, with the former being drawn as a monocled British woman and the latter as a good-looking male student doctor.
- Humongous Mecha: Windows 98 and 98SE-tan commonly ride around in ones that resemble snack boxes.
- Improbable Weapon User:
- ME-tan often uses a leek for self defense.
- SE-tan uses a can opener.
- Katanas Are Just Better: Windows 95-tan's katana represents her dominance over all rival systems of the time.
- Lady of War: Windows 95-tan
- Magical Girl: Aizawa Inori's promo video features her transforming dramatically before fighting robots that either represent malware or rival browsers.
- Moe Anthropomorphism: Usually as a cute girl or woman, though male versions exist.
- Punny Name:
- Nanami Madobe means "Windows 7".
- NT-tan (NT 3.1/3.5/4.0) is called Inut-tan, as the pronunciation is very similar to the Japanese word "Inu", which means dog. In fact, NT-tan is often drawn as a cheerful girl with dog ears.
- Aizawa Inori, pronounced "I E".
- Microsoft's Azure Cloud service is represented by Claudia.
- Serious Business: Windows 95-tan, in reference to how Windows 95 started off Microsoft's opening shot in its war to outdo Macintosh, gets downright Knight Templar when it comes to fighting macOS-tan's.
- Seven Is Nana: For Windows 7, of course. See Punny Name.
- Shown Their Work: Inori's character design and lore references vast amounts of Internet Explorer lore. Her shoes have Trident markings on them, referring to the Trident browser rendering engine used in IE. Her anime trailer features the other Microsoft-created mascots as well, with a faded Nanami Madobe poster appearing early and Ai and Yu Madobe dolls on her desk in the ending. Even her birthday and personal history correspond to Internet Explorer's actual launch date and such!
- Shrinking Violet: Windows 3.1, DOS-tan and Linux-tan are depicted like this.
- Signature Hair Decs: Nearly all the -tans have hair accessories, usually a cute stylized version of the logo of what they represent.
- Spear Counterpart: Many OS-tan's originally drawn as girls have male counterparts.
- Stripperific: Vista-tan, due to the fact her clothes are transparent, in reference to the "Windows Aeroglass" theme.
- Stuff Blowing Up: macOS uses bombs as an attack.
- Team Mom: Windows 95 and 2K-tan assume this role for the Windows OS-tans.
- Yaoi Fangirl: Homeko-tan.
