Nanda kore wa is a common Japanese phrase literally meaning what is this, and its short clipped form has circulated online as a reaction sound on soundboards and in meme edits. Because the expression is instantly recognisable to anime fans even without a specific scene attached, creators reuse it as a universal shorthand for stunned confusion. It appears in gaming highlights, TikTok edits and chat soundboards where a brief foreign language reaction feels funnier and more exaggerated than saying the same words in English.