神回
Meaning: A legendary episode, session, or event — used when a particular installment of something is exceptionally good.
Combining 神 (god) and 回 (episode/round), 神回 originally described standout anime or TV episodes that were dramatically superior to the rest. It has since expanded to cover any 'installment' of a recurring experience — a podcast episode, a live stream, a class session, even a day at work. When something is 神回, it means 'this one was special.'
Examples
- 昨日のアニメ神回だったから絶対観て。 昨天的动漫是神回,你一定要看。El episodio de anime de ayer fue legendario, tienes que verlo.어제 애니메이션 신회였으니까 꼭 봐.
- 今日の配信は神回確定だわ。面白すぎた。 今天的直播确定是神回了。太有意思了。La emisión de hoy ha sido un episodio legendario seguro. Ha sido demasiado divertida.오늘 방송은 신회 확정이다. 너무 재밌었어.
- あのポッドキャストの最新回、完全に神回。 那个播客的最新一期,完全是神回。El último episodio de ese pódcast es totalmente legendario.저 팟캐스트의 최신 회, 완전히 신회.
Pronunciation
/ka.mi.ka.i/
Usage Guide
Context: anime, streaming, social media, entertainment
Tone: enthusiastic, recommending
✓ Do Say
- 先週の回は神回だったから見逃すな (Last week's episode was legendary — don't miss it)上周那集是神回,别错过(上周那集是传说级的——不要错过)El episodio de la semana pasada fue legendario, no te lo pierdas지난주 회는 신회였으니까 놓치지 마 (지난주 에피소드는 전설이었어 — 놓치지 마)
- 今日のミーティング神回だった、全部決まった (Today's meeting was a god-tier session — everything got decided)今天的会议是神回,什么都定下来了(今天的会议是神级的——所有事情都决定了)La reunión de hoy fue una sesión de nivel divino: se decidió todo오늘 회의 신회였어, 다 결정됐어 (오늘 회의가 신회였어 — 모든 게 결정됐어)
✗ Don't Say
- 毎回「神回」と言うと信用されなくなる (If you call every episode a 'kami kai,' people stop trusting your judgment)如果每一集都说'神回',别人就不信你的判断了Si llamas 'kami kai' a todos los episodios, la gente dejará de fiarse de tu criterio매번 '카미카이'라고 하면 신뢰를 잃는다 (매번 에피소드마다 '카미카이'라고 하면 사람들이 판단력을 신뢰하지 않게 된다)
Common Mistakes
- Overusing 神回 for every decent episode — it should be reserved for truly standout ones
- Not realising 神回 can apply beyond entertainment — meetings, classes, and events also qualify
Origin & History
Compound of 神 (god) + 回 (episode/round). Emerged in anime fan communities in the 2000s-2010s to flag must-watch episodes, then spread to all serialised content and live events.
Cultural Context
Era: 2000s-2010s from anime fan culture, now mainstream
Generation: Teens to 30s primarily, widely understood
Social background: Otaku culture, general entertainment consumers
Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Essential vocabulary in anime, manga, and streaming communities. Often appears in YouTube thumbnails and Twitter/X trending topics to recommend content.
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