What is a senpai? Well, you may have heard the term senpai used in Anime and manga a number of times. But honestly, it doesn't mean what people usually thinks it means. A senpai is someone who is older than you, or someone who is an upperclassmen. In the slice of life classroom Anime, it's usually someone who is in a higher grade level than the main character. Much like how Mitsukuni (from Ouran Highschool Host Club) was called Honey Senpai. This is because his nickname was Honey, and he was one of the oldest members in the host club. So when the term senpai is used in Anime or manga, the character is simply using a respectful term to refer to someone older than themself or someone of a higher class than themself.