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Hontouni (本当に): what it means in anime
本当に
ほんとうに · hontouni · really; truly Not on JLPT lists
Hontou ni means "really" or "truly". As a question, 本当に？ is "really?"; as emphasis, 本当にありがとう is "thank you so much".
Where you hear it 5 of 42 series
Lines from the Japanese subtitles of episodes 1–3 of each show. A translation is shown only when it clearly matches the line; counts are subtitle lines containing the word.
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Frieren · 8 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 2
本当に見つけてしまうだなんて
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Mob Psycho 100 · 8 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
まさか 本当に悪霊が出るとはな
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Horimiya · 8 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 2
いつも本当にありがとうね
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Noragami · 7 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
本当にお願い叶っちゃった
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Kaguya-sama · 6 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
本当に行っちゃうんですか？
Usage and nuance
The noun 本当 (hontou) is "truth", and 本当だ is "it's true". Casual speech chops it to ほんと (honto) and the drawn-out ほんとに (hontoni) or マジで (maji de), which is slangier. Anime teens say マジ far more than 本当.
Frieren, Horimiya and Kaguya-sama all use it for sincere thanks and for disbelief. Listen for the tone: flat 本当に is a question, rising 本当に！？ is shock.
The opposite is 嘘 (uso, a lie), and 嘘でしょ ("you're kidding") is the natural reply to a surprising 本当.
Hear 本当に in Frieren8 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account