Etymology

kuromaku

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Today it means: In Japan, an éminence grise or secret decision-maker. Full definition →

Japanese 黒幕
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The story

  1. Japanese · borrowed from黒幕
  2. English todaykuromaku

From Japanese 黒幕, literally "black curtain", alluding to the unseen operators in puppet theater; compare pull strings.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.