Japanese uses gender-neutral honorifics for addressing people. Honorifics are usually used with names, except for family members. Dropping honorifics implies intimacy, except in sports or class
"Senpai" became popular outside Japan due to internet memes about senior relationships. Term "senpai" means senior or superior, not inherently romantic. English lacks equivalent terms like senior, making "senpai" more common
Schopenhauer created metaphor about human intimacy challenges. Group of hedgehogs seek warmth but must stay apart due to spines. Humans cannot be intimate without risk of mutual harm. Society drives hedgehogs together but their repulsive qualities separate them
Honorifics are crucial in Korean culture for proper conversation and relationship building. 씨 (shi) is the most common honorific for equal social standing. 님 (nim) is used for professions and notable status. 선배 (sun-bae) means senior, 후배 (hu-bae) means junior. 군 (goon) and 양 (yang) are used for young unmarried males and females
"Hyung" means "older brother" in Korean. Primarily used by men to refer to older male friends. Can be used with family members, cousins, or schoolmates. Women sometimes use it as flirty alternative to "oppa"
"Unnie" (언니) means "older sister" and is used exclusively between females. "Noona" (누나) is used by males to address older females. "Oppa" (오빠) means "older brother" and is used by younger women. "Hyung" (형) is used by men to address older brothers. "Sunbaenim" (선배) means "senior" and can be polite with "nim"