The clip comes from Chi, the anime and manga story in which Novak appears, and captures his brief, puzzled response to something unfamiliar. Shared as a short reaction sound on soundboards, it spread because the line needs little context: the tone alone signals disbelief at a confusing moment. Creators now reuse it far beyond its original scene, dropping it over odd reveals, strange objects and unexpected twists. Its brevity makes it easy to loop or cut into edits, keeping the joke focused on the moment of surprise rather than the source plot.
About this sound
A short confused voice clip of Novak asking 'what is this' from the anime Chi, used to react to something strange or unexpected in meme edits.
This is a very short voice clip, lasting under a second, in which Novak delivers the Japanese question 'nani kore' with a flat, puzzled tone, as if he has just noticed something he cannot quite place. The delivery is quiet and slightly hesitant rather than loud or dramatic, which makes the confusion feel genuine and easy to read even without subtitles. Listeners hear a single moment of surprise and suspicion, a brief pause in understanding that lands instantly. That restrained reaction is why the clip works so well as a punchline, letting a visual gag or an odd reveal do most of the work while Novak supplies the disbelief.
