"Bokukko" (JP), also sometimes known as "Boku-Shoujo" (JP) is a term for a young female character who refers to herself with the 1st person pronoun "boku".
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Bokukko (ボクっ娘) is a Japanese word for females who refer to themselves using vocabulary mostly used by young boys. "Boku" (僕) is a boyish sounding 1st person pronoun meaning "me" or "I" primarily used by boys and young men, while "ko" (娘) means "daughter (or a young unmarried girl)".[4][5][6][7]
Alternate Spelling
It is sometimes written as "僕っ娘", using the kanji for "boku" (僕), but this is less common since the katakana gives the writing a more feminine feeling.[2]
Alternate Name
It is also sometimes referred to as boku-shoujo (ボク少女), from "shoujo" (少女) meaning "young girl (7-18 years old)", though this is less common.[3][8][9]
Boku Pronoun
The pronoun "boku" (僕) is a 1st person pronoun used to refer to one's self used in a similar way as the English words "I" or "me". However, the biggest difference is that while the English language only has one 1st person pronoun, Japanese has between 20-30 that all differ on formality, tone, or dialect. Although the term "boku" is predominantly used by young boys, its usage has no actual indication as to the gender of the speaker as this is not how pronouns work in the Japanese language. Rather, each pronoun gives a different impression of the user.[10]
The pronoun "boku" is considered to be semi-formal and can give off the feeling of being friendly and boyish. It originates from the word "geboku" (下僕), meaning "manservant", where the younger generation would use it to refer to themselves in a humble manner. When used by adults it can give off the impression of being youthful or even childish. It is more commonly used in close relationships or as a softer alternative to the pronoun "ore". Because it sounds more modest, reserved, and polite there are a lot of girls who use "boku" too. When used by females it gives off a tomboyish impression.[11][12]
History
Origin
Sapphire from Princess Knight
The first bokukko character in media is said to be Sapphire from the 1953 manga series Princess Knight (JP). In the series, Sapphire is a princess who pretends to be a male prince so she can inherit the throne and as a part of this disguise she chooses to refer to herself as "boku".[5]
The exact origin of the term "bokukko" itself is currently not known, but the term dates back to at least 2004.[8]
Media
The archetype of bokukko is very popular in anime, manga, and visual novels.[13][14][15]
It was used in the title of the 2021 romance light novel series Imouto yo, ochitsuite kike. Omae no kareshi, bokukko dazo. (JP). The series is about a girl named Sayuri Otosaka who one day brought home her new boyfriend to meet her older brother Kaito Otosaka, but there was only one problem; she was actually dating a "boyish girl" named Natsuki Narumiya thinking she was a boy. So that his sister wouldn't feel heartbroken Kaito tries to convince Natsuki to not reveal this fact during their dates, but he ends up falling in love with her as well during the process leading to a love triangle.[1]
Characteristics
Reason For Using "Boku"
In contrary to what some people might assume, just because a female character refers to herself as "boku" this does 'not' mean she thinks she is a boy or that she no longer wants to be a girl, as this is not how 1st person pronouns work in the Japanese language. It is simply a way for her to express herself.[16][17]
In Japanese, male and female speech are quite separate with some words sounding more "masculine", and expected to be used by boys, and some words sounding more "feminine", and expected to be used by girls. The more feminine language focuses on softer speech that focuses on being polite and ladylike, while the more masculine language focuses on rougher speech. Bokukko talk like boys so they use the more masculine speech.[18]
The reason a girl refers to herself as "boku" will differ from each character, but generally it's one of the following reasons:
- She is a tomboy who has a boyish personality.
- She uses it as an indicator of both her physical and inner strength.
- She wants to sound more assertive.
- She was raised with older brothers and adopted their behavior.
- She has a male figure that she idolizes and wants to mimmick.
- She was not taught proper social etiquette.
- She wants to hide her gender for some reason.
In many cases female characters may refer to themselves as "boku" during childhood, but then eventually grow out of it (usually during middle or high school) and start using a more feminine one, such as "atashi", though not all do.
There are also sometimes special cases where a character who was born a male is magically transformed into a female and simply continues using their normal language.
Appearance
Bokukko will sometimes also look or dress like a boy, in addition to speaking like one. They will also often have shorter hair which causes them to be mistaken for a boy, since they use traditionally "boyish" pronouns.
Bokukko are often used as a type of plot device to explain why a female character is perceived as a male by others, which can lead to interesting stories or plot twists. If a female character looked somewhat boyish, but referred to herself as "atashi" or "uchi" (a more feminine 1st person pronoun) most people would likely just assume she's an otenba musume (tomboy). However, if a female referred to themselves as "boku" or "ore" (a more masculine 1st person pronoun) characters will likely just assume they're a somewhat girlish-looking boy instead.[1]
At the same time though, not all bokukko are boyish in appearance and they may just be boyish in personality, or even not at all.
Personality
Bokukko have a wide range of personalities. While they are generally depicted as being tomboys or princely women, this is not always the case and they can still appear or act very feminine.[19][20][21]
Issues With Localization
The nuance of a bokukko and how their language effects how other characters perceive them is something that is lost when localizing a series into English due the English language lacking gendered 1st person pronouns. For example, for a tomboy character who is only perceived as a boy because of her use of "boku" or "ore" the English audience might be confused as to why people think she's a boy since using the only available English pronoun "I" lacks any such connotation.[16]
Additionally, because this archetype depends on a character using a language concept only found in Japanese, it is not possible to know if a character is this type or not when viewing the localized version.
Derivatives
Orekko
- Main: Orekko
Female characters who refer to themselves as the more rough and masculine "ore" instead of "boku" are referred to as orekko. In comparison to bokukko who have a wide range of personality types, orekko are almost always depicted as being "manly" and strong-willed.
Differences From Other Archetypes
In comparison to the other androgynous archetypes, bokukko is unique in that is does not have a specific appearance or personality type, the only thing matters if whether they refer to themselves as "boku" or not.
Similar Japanese Archetypes
- Dansou no Reijin: A term for a female character who is elegant and beautifully feminine, but also cross-dresses in men's clothing. Those who are hiding their gender may choose to use "boku" as part of their disguise.
- Ikemen Joshi: A term for a grown female character who possesses traits typically considered attractive in men, including handsome facial features, a cool masculine demeanor, simple clean fashion, and a moderately muscular toned body, while also having the appearance of a beautiful woman and having a feminine charm that makes them popular with both men and women. Many bokuko fall under this type.
- Okama: A term for a male character who talks and behaves like a woman. Though not always, they generally refer to themselves as the more feminine "atashi" pronoun.
- Orekko: A term for a female character who refers to herself as the more masculine "ore" pronoun.
- Otenba Musume: A term for a young female character who is a tomboy and has a boyish personality. Many bokuko fall under this type.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Manaria Sousse with Claire François from I'm in Love with the Villainous  Hestia from Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka  Yamato from ONE PIECE  Yotsugi Ononoki from Bakemonogatari  Yotsugi Ononoki from Bakemonogatari  Furina from Genshin Impact |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Imouto yo, ochitsuite kike. Omae no kareshi, bokukko dazo.. Kodansha (2021/01/04).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 KanColle Maid Cafe: Bokukko/Orekko. Suruga-ya (2019/12/31).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Boku☆Suki. BookLive (2014/06/06).
- ↑ What is Bokukko. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2009/12/04).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 What is Bokukko. Nico Nico Pedia (2008/09/16).
- ↑ What is "Bokukko". Semantic Dictionary (2022).
- ↑ Bokukko. Japan Dictionary.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Boku-Shoujo. Wikipedia JP (2004/03/17).
- ↑ What is Boku-Shoujo. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2009/12/05).
- ↑ Japanese Pronouns. Wikipedia.
- ↑ Watashi, Boku or Ore: How to say me in Japanese. Coto Japanese Academy (2022/02/14).
- ↑ The many ways to say "I". Nihon Shock (2009/11/28).
- ↑ List of Bokukko. Bokukko.
- ↑ Bokukko. AniDB (2009/06/01).
- ↑ Bokukko Heroine. Visual Novel Database (2010/03/08).
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Tricky Translations #4: "I" & "Me" in Japanese. Legends of Localization (2019/06/01).
- ↑ First Person Pronouns in Japanese. Wikipedia JP (2004/07/05).
- ↑ How Does Boy's and Girl's Language Work in Japan?. JList (2022).
- ↑ The Many Personalities of Bokukko Characters. CBR (2023/02/06).
- ↑ All About Bokukko Characters. MyAnimeList (2017/01/24).
- ↑ What is a "Bokukko" Heroine in Anime?. Quora (2020).
| v • eAndrogynous Archetypes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Female |
Bokukko ♡ Dansou no Reijin ♡ Ikemen Joshi ♡ Orekko ♡ Otenba Musume ♡ Otoko Masari | |
| Male |
Bishounen ♡ Josou Danshi ♡ Okama ♡ Otokonoko ♡ Nekama | |
| Both | ||