In Japanese, taiiku-zuwari 体育座り, "physical education sitting," is a way to sit on the floor: holding your knees. It's called this way because children are made sit like this in physical education classes in Japan.
Right: Kanou Koyomi 叶こよみ
Anime: Yagate Kimi ni Naru やがて君になる (Episode 3)
- Context: students sitting in a "gymnasium," taiikukan 体育館.
It's also called sankaku-zuwari 三角座り, "triangle sitting," or taisou-zuwari 体操座り, "gymnastics sitting," depending on the region.
Definition
Strictly speaking, it only counts as a taiiku-zuwari if the character is holding their knees.
Although it's typically done by placing the arms over the knees, under the knees also count, so long as they're wrapping around the legs somehow.
Anime: Masamune-kun no Revenge, 政宗くんのリベンジ (Episode 7, Stitch)
- Context: a taiiku-zuwari with arms under legs.
For reference, how the term is called according to each region:
「座り方の名前アンケート」の結果報告です。ご協力感謝します。調査締切後も回答が多く寄せられたため、午後2:00までの分をまとめてマップを作成。「体育座り」のほか「体操座り」「三角座り」「安座」などの地域差が明確に出ました。 pic.twitter.com/4yHVcb24TM
— 飯間浩明 (@IIMA_Hiroaki) May 2, 2015
Sulking
In anime, the taiiku-zuwari is the preferred sitting position of depressed characters when they're sulking and being sad and gloomy.
Anime: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shinseiki Evangerion 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン THE END OF EVANGELION (Movie)
- Context: Shinji doing everything in his power to not get in the robot.
- ochikomu
落ち込む
To feel down. To feel depressed.
Anime: Black Lagoon, ブラック・ラグーン (Episode 8)
- Context: Garcia, a rich boy, sulks after being kidnapped.
Anime: Kimetsu no Yaiba 鬼滅の刃 (Episode 15)
- Context: Zen'itsu sulks alone after being left behind by his nakama 仲間, arguably the best decision they could ever make.
Anime: Karigurashi no Arrietty, 借りぐらしのアリエッティ
- Context: Arriety being a little depressed after things don't go as well as she wanted..
This sulking is often accompanied by other depressing manga symbols.
Foreground: Fujioka Ryouji 藤岡涼二
Anime: Ouran High School Host Club, Ouran Koukou Hosuto-Bu 桜蘭高校ホスト部 (Episode 10)
- Context: Tamaki sulks with a shadow of blue lines and mushrooms growing on his head.
- kinoko no heya
キノコのへや
Mushroom room.
Anime: Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！ (Episode 5)
- Context: Aqua, traumatized after being useful for once, with lifeless, vacant eyes.
Panties?
Contrary to what some anime would lead you to believe, anti-gravity skirts don't exist, so if someone sits in this position wearing a skirt, with the camera in front of them, underwear would inevitably be shown.
Right: Konno Junko 紺野純子
Anime: Zombieland Saga, ゾンビランドサガ (Episode 6)
- Context: skirts abiding by the laws of nature.
- Finally some realism in my zombie anime!
If panties are shown, it counts as panchira パンチラ.
If it doesn't happen in spite of gravity-obeying skirts, to the point that whether the character is wearing underwear or not starts becoming uncertain, this would have its own term: haitenai はいてない.
Right: Usami Masamune 宇佐美マサムネ
Anime: Mayo Chiki! まよチキ！ (Episode 6)
- Context: the typical anime heroine, sulking about her wreck of a personality that has caused a slew of issues to the character sitting just beside her that will have to comfort her because he lacks any sense of self-worth himself as the typical male protagonist he is.
A skirt that doesn't let panchira happen has its own term, too: "iron-wall skirt," teppeki sukaato 鉄壁スカート.
Personality Contrast
Sometimes, the way a character sits is used to contrast their personality with other characters sitting on the floor.
Right: Hokuto Takeshi 北斗武士
Middle: uh... what was his name again... I forgot. Hokuto's henchman.
Left: Kamiyama Takashi 神山高志
Leftmost: Maeda Akira 前田彰
Anime: Sakigake!! Cromartie Koukou, 魁！！クロマティ高校 (Episode 16, Stitch)
- Context: delinquents sit in "delinquent squat" position, yankii-zuwari ヤンキー座り, while Kamiyama, who isn't a delinquent, sits in taiiku-zuwari position.
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