Onii-chan comes from Japanese honorific speech, where chan adds affection to onii, meaning older brother, and the phrase became a staple of anime dialogue. Online, the exaggerated drawn out version spread through anime fandom, soundboards and short video edits as a shorthand for the cute little sister archetype. It is now used far beyond its original context, often ironically, to mock over the top cuteness or to add an instant anime flavour to memes, streams and fan edits shared among fans.