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"Dojikko" (JP) is a term for a character who is very clumsy in a cute moe kind of way. They have the appearance of being cute and innocent to make the audience feel the desire to protect and adore them.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Dojikko (ドジっ娘) comes from the words "doji" (ドジ), meaning "clumsy", and "ko" (娘), meaning "daughter (or a young unmarried girl)".[5]
Alternate Spelling
Dojikko is also sometimes alternatively written as "ドジっ子" using "ko" (子), a gender-neutral term for "child", while being pronounced the same way as "ko" (娘) meaning "daughter".[2][6]
This alternate spelling can be used to allow male characters to also fall under this, however, that is much less common and there are currently not any known official uses of dojikko being used to refer to a male character.
Localization
It is romanized as "dojikko".[3]
It is officially localized into English as "clumsy girl".[4]
History
Dokikko is a very common character trait and used been used officially to describe many characters in anime, manga, light novels, and video games. It is also very popular in original merchandise, such as figurines.[7]
Official Media
One of the earliest characters to be described as a dojikko is Mikuru Asahina from the 2003 light novel series The Melancholy of Haruhu Suzumiya[8]
It was used to describe Haruka Amami from the 2012 video game series THE IDOLM@STER.[1]
The Nakano Quintuplets from the 2017 romance manga series The Quintessential Quintuplets were ranked officially to see which sister was the biggest dojikko.[4]
It was used to describe Nico Wakatsuki from the 2021 romance manga series Witch Watch.[2]
Characteristics
Dojikko characters are almost always female, but there are some male characters who fit the type as well.
Personality
Dojikko are cute characters who are incredibly clumsy. They will often fail to do everyday tasks because of their clumsiness, which could range from carrying fragile items, to simply walking and tripping. They are depicted as being sweet and innocent people, who always regret their failures and apologize when they mess up (something they do often). Their actions are meant to make the audience think that they're cute and innocent giving them an appeal of moe. They often try really hard to succeed which makes the audience start to root for their success. You can feel a lot of affection when they finally do something correctly.[9]
Differences From Other Archetypes
Dojikko are often compared to bakadere, but the main difference is that bakadere lack common sense and behave in weird or silly ways to win the affection of their love interest, while dojikko are just people who are clumsy. Dojikko don't inherently lack common sense and many highly intelligent characters are clumsy. Dojikko also don't tend to behave in silly ways outside of their clumsy moments.
Similar Japanese Archetypes
- Bakadere: A term for a character who lacks common sense and is generally unaware of their surroundings.
- Moe: A term for a character who is the embodiment of being "cute" and innocent, and gives off feelings of strong affection.
- Tennen Boke: A term for a character who is a natural airhead, prone to making silly mistakes.
- Tennen S: A term for a character who unintentionally inflicts sadistic acts on others with no ill intentions. This is often a result of their clumsiness.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Lettuce Midorikawa from Tokyo Mew Mew  Mikan Tsumiki from Super Danganronpa 2.5 Komaeda Nagito to Sekai no Hakaimono  Michiru Kouda from PriPara  Usagi Tsukino from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon  Taiga Aisaka from Toradora!  Haru from Neko no Ongaeshi |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dojikko Haruka. Weis Shwarz TCG.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Nico Wakatsuki. Witch Watch Anime (2024/12/22). “Dojikko majo.”
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dojikko Leader Struggle Records. Amazon (2010/06/23).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Dojikko. 5 Sisters (The Quintessential Quintuplets) (2019/10/02).
- ↑ What is Dojikko. Pixiv Encyclopedia.
- ↑ What is Dojikko (2). Pixiv Encyclopedia.
- ↑ Dojikko Main Lily Figure. Shop of Blue.
- ↑ Dojikko Mikuru. Torecolo.
- ↑ Dojikko. Wikipedia (2014/03/12).