"Nekama" (JP) is a term for a male character who pretends to be a woman on the Internet. Although their real gender is male, they behave as if they are a woman on social media, online bulletin boards, and online games. They will make their username feminine, use female avatars, speak in a feminine tone, use girly vocabulary, pretend to like girlish hobbies, and make up fictitious stories of past experiences of being a woman.
Etymology[]
Meaning of the Term[]
Nekama (ネカマ) is a combination of "netto" (ネット), meaning "Internet", and "okama" (オカマ), meaning "a man who talks and behaves like a woman".[2][3]
Origin[]
The term "net okama" is said to have originated sometime between the late 1980s ~ late 1990s, when personal computer communication became widespread. At the time, it was not abbreviated to "nekama" but in modern times the term "nekama" is used almost exclusively.[4]
History[]
Kirito pretending to be a helpless girl player from Sword Art Online
Nekama is not as popular of a character archetype as the main okama type but it can be seen occasionally. In anime and manga, this is typically in the form of playing with a female avatar in an online game or pretending to be a female Vtuber online, since these are the most visual ways to get the idea across.[5]
The most prominent example of a nekema in media would be the character of Kirito from the 2010 light novel series Sword Art Online. During the second arc while playing the MMO virtual reality game "Gun Gale Online", Kirito disguises himself as a female and uses a feminine avatar to get close to a girl player in the game so she will feel comfortable being around him and be willing to teach him how to play the game. He also occasionally feigns innocence by pretending to be a helpless girl in order to trick other male players into thinking he has less experience.
The 2019 gag comedy manga series My father became a cute VTuber girl! follows Takashi who greatly admires and has a crush on a Vtuber named Kizuke Yai. Kizuke Yai has captured the hearts of millions of fans across the internet, to the point that she was even crowned the 'Queen of VTubers' by her fans. Takashi hopes to meet her one day, but reality is often disappointing and as it turns out the Queen of all VTubers is actually none other than Takashi's dad. The series gained a lot of popularity online due to its absurdity and light-hearted fun, with Takashi himself even becoming a female Vtuber at one point.[6]
The 2021 boy's love web comic series Nekama Aite wa Kurasumeito?! follows Satoshi who is playing an online MMO game called "Arcana". Since the user base was mostly male, Satoshi decided to pretend to be a female in order to spice up the game. One day, as Satoshi begins to get used to the game another player by the name of Naru, who he has been friends with for a long time, confesses to him and they decide to start dating. After deciding to meet up in real life, he discovers that Naru was actually Naruse Kiyoshi, the most popular boy in his school.[1]
Characteristics[]
In real life, okama may be cross-dressing or have a feminine tone but when interacting with them their masculinity can be seen. However, because the Internet is faceless there is no basis for judging gender other than inferring from the writing style, so it is easier for nekama to disguise their true identity and convince people they're a real woman. It can be said that it is an act that takes advantage of the anonymity of the Internet.[7]
The reasons for becoming a nekama differ depending on the individual, but it can generally be broken down into one of the following categories:[7][4][8]
- Wanting to be Different: They may have a feeling of "wanting to be different". In many cases, they have a background of being very dissatisfied with the real world, such as the environment, situation, and relationships they are currently in, and it is thought that they choose "nekama" as one of their escape behaviors. In online games where it's easy to play someone other than themself, they create a female character and become that person.
- Embodying Their Ideal Woman: Men who do not have the opportunity to get to know women in the real world may choose to become "nekama". In this case, they have an ideal image of a woman in their head and to fulfill their fantasy of "I wish such a woman was my girlfriend", they become a "nekama" and play the ideal woman themself.
- Being Pampered: Even men, like women, want to be pampered. So if they become a woman, regardless of whether they are talking to a man or a woman, they will gently talk to them and listen to them with kindness, so the nekama feels comfortable. From a man's point of view, women have an image of being protected by others, such as being "kind" and "cherished". It is said that men who admire it tend to enjoy the sensations with "nekama".
- Communicating With Women: In some cases, by becoming a "nekama" they can smoothly build a relationship with a woman. By acting as a woman online, other women will let their guard down around them and make it easier for the nekama to interact with them. This means that they have a better chance of befriending more women and learning more personal things about them than if they acted as a man.
Personality[]
Although their real gender is male, they behave as if they are women on social media, online bulletin boards, and online games. They will make their username feminine, use female avatars, speak in a feminine tone, use girly vocabulary, pretend to like girlish hobbies, and make up fictitious stories of past experiences of being a woman.[7][4][8]
Differences From Other Archetypes[]
In comparison to the actual okama archetype, in most cases nekama don't also act this way offline and will only act feminine while on the Internet.
Similar Japanese Archetypes[]
- Okama: A term for a highly effeminate and flamboyantly feminine male character who talks and behaves like a woman.
List of Characters[]
Gallery[]
 Kirito from Sword Art Online  Kirito from Sword Art Online  Kirito from Sword Art Online  Kizuke Yai from My father became a cute VTuber girl!  Kizuke Yai from My father became a cute VTuber girl!  Takashi from My father became a cute VTuber girl! |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nekama Aite wa Kurasumeito? !. Comico (2021/07/13).
- ↑ What is Nekama. Pixiv Encyclopedia.
- ↑ Nekama. Weblio Dictionary.
- ↑ Nekama Virtual Raibaa ga Ecchi na Haishin Hajimeta You Desu. Chill Chill (2023/06/23).
- ↑ My father became a cute VTuber girl!. Shonen Jump (2020/10/12).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Appearing on the net? What does "Nekama" mean? Introducing the psychology of people who do "Nekama" and how to distinguish them. Oggi (2021/03/14).
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 What is the meaning of "Nekama"? The psychology of the Nekama man & their characteristics. Smartlog (2024/10/01).
| v • eAndrogynous Archetypes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Female |
Bokukko ♡ Dansou no Reijin ♡ Ikemen Joshi ♡ Orekko ♡ Otenba Musume ♡ Otoko Masari | |
| Male |
Bishounen ♡ Josou Danshi ♡ Okama ♡ Otokonoko ♡ Nekama | |
| Both | ||