顎クイ

• Reading: あごクイ
• Romaji: ago kui
• Kanji breakdown: 顎 (chin/jaw) + クイ (quick pull/tilt motion) → tilting someone's chin up romantically
• Pronunciation: /a.ɡo ku.i/

Meaning

Tilting someone's chin up with your hand to look into their eyes — a romantic gesture popular in manga and dramas.

顎クイ is a follow-up trend to 壁ドン and refers to the romantic gesture of gently lifting someone's chin with your fingers, creating an intimate eye-contact moment. Like 壁ドン, it's primarily a fictional trope from shōjo manga and Japanese dramas. It became a buzzword around 2015 as part of a series of named romantic gestures from manga culture.

Examples

1. 顎クイってドラマで見ると素敵だけど、現実だとどうなんだろう。 The chin-tilt looks great in dramas, but I wonder how it'd go in real life.
2. 彼氏に顎クイされたとき、心臓止まるかと思った。 When my boyfriend did the chin-tilt on me, I thought my heart was going to stop.
3. 顎クイと壁ドン、どっちの方がキュンとする？ Chin-tilt or wall-slam — which one makes your heart flutter more?

Usage Guide

Context: friends, manga/anime, social media

Tone: playful, dreamy

Do Say

• 顎クイって実際にされたことある人いる？ (Has anyone actually had the chin-tilt done to them?)
• 漫画の顎クイシーンが好きすぎる。 (I love chin-tilt scenes in manga so much.)

Don't Say

• 初対面で顎クイするのはセクハラ (Doing a chin-tilt to someone you just met is harassment)

Common Mistakes

• Thinking 顎クイ is a common real-life gesture — like 壁ドン, it's primarily a manga/drama fantasy trope

Origin & History

From 顎 (chin) + クイ (onomatopoeia for a quick lifting motion). Emerged as a named romantic gesture around 2015, following the 壁ドン boom, popularized through manga and TV dramas.

Cultural Context

Era: 2015, following the 壁ドン trend

Generation: Teens and young adults, manga fans

Social background: Pop culture/entertainment

Regional notes: Known across all of Japan, especially among manga and drama fans.