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I was recently watching a few videos about 橋本環奈｛はしもとかんな｝, and I came across an introduction (if it can be called that?) that I've never heard before.

Whenever she introduces herself, she finishes with, 「神様、仏様、環奈様！」(example)

I did some research, and found a blog post which mentions it's usage as a chant at Japanese baseball games, but I had trouble finding any other information.

So my question is, when you say it yourself, does it have the same meaning as when it is used as a chant? I can translate it literally, but what does it really mean in both cases? Are there some implications to it, or can I use this construction myself when I feel like being a little facetious?

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up vote 8 down vote accepted

「[神様]{かみさま}、[仏様]{ほとけさま}、(one's own name) + [様]{さま}！」, trust me, is NOT something "normal" people would ever say in their entire lives.

橋本環奈 is not a normal person; She is a top idol. It looks like her agency selected that phrase in question as the catch phrase for her to use in self-introduction.

The use of the phrase in baseball is the normal use of it. It does not have to be baseball but when you need to depend on one person's good performance for a win or success, you equate that person to the ranks of gods. Again, the point is that you do not put your own name in that phrase.

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As in English, prayers are conventionally started by calling out the name of whoever you are praying to.

神様 "Dear God", "Oh Lord", ...
仏様 "Dear Buddha"(?)
X様 "Oh X"(?)

Lining this person's name up together with God & Buddha, it gives the impression that, e.g. the fan community is praying to X for winning the game.

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