Sections
まあMaa: what it means in anime
まあ · maa
well; I guess
Maa is a filler like "well..." or "I guess". It softens what comes next, admits something halfway or brushes a topic aside.
Updated October 24, 2026
Where you hear it
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まあ でも最初の印象ほど 悪いヤツらじゃねえよな あいつらWell, they're not as bad as it first seems.
Angel Beats!Episode 3 · 8 lines in episodes 1–3 -
ふん！ まあ そうなるよな
Mob Psycho 100Episode 1 · 16 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ 物珍しさは認めるけどよ―
Re:ZeroEpisode 2 · 13 lines in episodes 1–3 More examples (18)
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まあ… キリスト？ブッダ？
Kaguya-samaEpisode 2 · 13 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ その… 鈍感なのかな？
Psycho-PassEpisode 2 · 13 lines in episodes 1–3 -
あ まあまあの波だったな
Hunter x HunterEpisode 1 · 12 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ こんな感じで使うわけさ
KonoSubaEpisode 3 · 11 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ でも せっかくだから…
Reincarnated as a SlimeEpisode 1 · 11 lines in episodes 1–3 -
ごめんね まあ 楽しんでって
Spy x FamilyEpisode 2 · 10 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあまあ 冗談は慎んでください
Death NoteEpisode 2 · 10 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ 家庭の事情は置いといて…
Soul EaterEpisode 1 · 10 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ イケメンであるこの僕を
FrierenEpisode 1 · 9 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ その点 俺は大丈夫だな
Vinland SagaEpisode 2 · 9 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ… 一応 もらっておくわよ
HorimiyaEpisode 2 · 9 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ 押して行くなら安全かな？
Toradora!Episode 3 · 8 lines in episodes 1–3 -
ああ… まあ 冷たいけど―
ErasedEpisode 2 · 8 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ 大した男じゃないし
Violet EvergardenEpisode 2 · 7 lines in episodes 1–3 -
いや まあ 大仏は青銅だからな
Dr. StoneEpisode 3 · 7 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ ちょっと工夫はするけど
Sword Art OnlineEpisode 2 · 6 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ 何もなくてよかったけど
BleachEpisode 2 · 6 lines in episodes 1–3 -
まあ それはともかく…
NarutoEpisode 2 · 5 lines in episodes 1–3
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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.
Usage and nuance
まあ、いいか is "well, whatever" or "oh well, fine", one of the most common shrugs in anime. まあまあ means "so-so" or "not bad", and said to an angry person it means "now, now, calm down".
Starting a sentence with まあ makes it less direct: まあ、そうだね is "well, I suppose so". It is how characters agree without fully committing.
Said with surprise, often by older or refined women, まあ is "oh my!" That use sounds old-fashioned and a little elegant.
Hear まあ in Angel Beats!8 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account