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"Orekko" (JP) is a term for a female character who refers to herself with the 1st person pronoun "ore".
It is an even more masculine version of bokukko.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Orekko (オレっ娘) is a combination of "ore" (俺), a masculine pronoun meaning "I" or "me" primarily used by older men, and "ko" (娘), meaning "daughter (or a young unmarried girl)". The term is used to describe a female character who uses "ore" to refer to herself, despite being a female.[4]
Alternate Spelling
It is sometimes written as "俺っ娘", using the kanji for "ore" (俺), but this is less common since the katakana gives the writing a more feminine feeling.[2]
Alternate Name
It is also sometimes known as ore-onna (俺女), from the word "onna" (女), meaning "female", though this is less common.[5][3][6]
Ore Pronoun
The pronoun "ore" (俺) 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 "ore" is predominantly used by males, 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.[7]
The pronoun "ore" is generally considered to be very rough and informal sounding and can even be rude depending on the context. It establishes a sense of "manliness" and also emphasises one's own status when used with peers and with those who are of lesser status. It can even be used to denote assertiveness, self-confidence, cockiness, or even aggression. For example, while a male might use it in the presence of his close friends or family to give a sense of intimacy or closeness, he wouldn't dare use it in front of his boss as it would be considered rude to use in front of someone of a higher social standing and could even lead to him losing his job. Girls who wish to give this same impression about themselves might choose to use "ore" instead of a more feminine which gives an impression of being cute, polite, and ladylike. When used by females it gives off an impression of being a delinquent.[8][9]
History
Early Influences
Ryuunosuke Fujinami after beating a man in a fight from Urusei Yatsura
Although it is not clear when this archetype first appeared in creative works, it became most well-known during the 1970s-1980s with characters such as Barbara from the 1973 manga Barbara, Akane Kimidori from the 1980 manga series Dr. Slump and Ryuunosuke Fujinami who was introduced in the manga series Urusei Yatsura in 1983 being famous early examples of orekko characters.[10]
At that time the sukeban was a huge social problem in Japan so it is theorized that this may be one of the causes that started the trend of female characters in anime and manga using "ore". This influence can perhaps be seen with Akane Kimidori being a rebellious "bad girl" who broke rules for fun and could often be seen riding motorcycles.[10]
Ryuunosuke Fujinami is probably the most well-known orekko character. Despite being a girl, Ryuunosuke immediately stole the attention of every girl in school away from the other boys due to her handsome and princely ikemen joshi nature. Not only that, but she was probably the physically strongest character in the show who could defeat anyone in a fight. The story followed Ryuunosuke's struggle with her feminity and desire to embrace her girly side. Although it is her dream to wear a girl's sailor suit school uniform and bra, she was raised by a father who wanted a male heir so he forced Ryuunosuke to dress and behave as a man, which included speaking like a man and using the masculine "ore" pronoun. Due to always fighting her father she grew up to be highly masculine and strong-willed, not afraid to even stand up to bigger men who angered her.
These early characters helped shape the image of what an orekko character should look like.
Official Media
Juri from Iede-chuu no Imouto desu ga, Baka na Aniki ni Hogo sa Remashita.
The term has since been used officially in several series, with the most notable being the 2021 light novel Iede-chuu no Imouto desu ga, Baka na Aniki ni Hogo sa Remashita. (JP) and its orekko protagonist Juri, an elementary school delinquent with a reputation as a bad girl.[1] When her older brother Ryuji returned home for a trip after graduating college to work at at airport his lab owns he soon he finds that his little sister Juri has ran away from home. After reuniting he decides to take her in and live together at the airport, much to her annoyance. It is a summer story of sibling reunion and rebirth, depicting a brother and sister who were separated.[11]
Characteristics
It is a lot more uncommon to see female characters using "ore" in comparison to "boku", and as such there is not as wide of variety in the types of orekko as there is with bokukko which has a diverse range of characters.[12][13]
Reasons For Using "Ore"
The main reason female characters use "ore" is as a projection of their inner and outer strength, or to proclaim that they are an equal to men. Because more feminine pronouns like "atashi" give an impression of being really dainty and cutesy (with even some quite girly characters such as Lum from Urusei Yatsura being too embarrassed to use it and preferring a more neutral one) girls who are very strong-willed might think that the rougher "ore" fits them better. This is why it's common to see usage of it among otoko masari or yankii characters.[14]
As a continuation of this, some female characters may not even use "ore" all the time, but switch to it when they're angry as a way to get their anger across. For example, Tomo Aizawa from Tomo-chan Is a Girl! used "ore" regularly up until middle school before growing out of it and using the more feminine "atashi" when she started embracing her girly side, however, whenever she becomes angry she reverts back to her old "ore" usage as a form of intimidation since it's during the moments that she's her most "manly".
Appearance
Orekko often look extremely masculine and may have an androgynous appearance. It is common for them to cross-dress and wear suits or pants as opposed to skirts or dresses and they may even have shorter hair. They may also try to hide their more feminine traits, such as by wearing a chest wrap to hide the appearance of their breasts.
Other orekko will not care about their appearance in either regard and have no desire to appeal to other people. Because of this, they often look shaggy or unkempt and will not wear make-up.
Personality
Orekko are almost always female characters who are very masculine and strong-willed. They do not use "lady-like" language, instead preferring to use very masculine-sounding language and it is rare for them to have "boyish" or "girly" personalities as they are almost always presented as being "manly". They are generally what is known as otoko masari, or "male surpassing", for characters who aren't afraid to stand up to men and have no problems besting them in a fight. It is also very common for them to be depicted as delinquents or bad girls.
Sub-Types of Orekko
In addition to the standard "ore" pronoun, some female characters use variations that give slightly different impressions:
- Ore-sama (俺様): This is the normal "ore" pronoun with the addition of "sama", an honorific typically reserved for addressing the highest social standing members of society. It is considered very arrogant and self-important to refer to one's self with an honorific as it implies "I am a person to be respected and you should respect me" or "you should be grateful my esteemed self is talking to you" and gives the impression that the speaker is an intimidating man.
Differences From Other Archetypes
In comparison to the other androgynous archetypes, orekko 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 "ore" or not.
When compared to bokukko, they are generally much more mature. While they both have traits traditionally found in males, bokukko are more on the "boyish" or "energetic" side while orekko are more on the "manly" or "aggressive" side.
Similar Archetypes
- Bokukko: A term for a female character who refers to herself as "boku". It is a closely related archetype and is considered a less mature version of orekko.
- Otenba Musume: A term for a female tomboy character who is energetic and has a boyish personality.
- Otoko Masari: A term for a female character who has a stronger-willed temperament than a man. Most orekko fall under this.
- Sukeban: A term for a female character who is part of a female-only juvenile delinquent girl gang in middle school or high school.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Ryuunosuke Fujinami from Urusei Yatsura  Ranmaru Rindou from Binbougami  Ranmaru Rindou from Binbougami  Lal Mirch from Katekyo Hitman Reborn!  Lal Mirch from Katekyo Hitman Reborn!  Kukaku Shiba from Bleach |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "I'm a Runaway Little Sister, but My Dumb Older Brother Rescued Me." The Orekko Heroine is a Favorite of Sasayama Plus-Sensei. Dengeki Online (2021/04/24).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 KanColle Maid Cafe: Bokukko/Orekko. Suruga-ya (2019/12/31).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ore-Onna. Jump Rookie (2020/12/24).
- ↑ What is Orekko. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2010/03/15).
- ↑ What is Ore Onna. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2010/03/03).
- ↑ Boku-Shoujo/Ore-Onna. WordPress (2008/04/04).
- ↑ Japanese Pronouns. Wikipedia.
- ↑ The many ways to say "I". Nihon Shock (2009/11/28).
- ↑ Watashi, Boku or Ore: How to say me in Japanese. Coto Japanese Academy (2022/02/14).
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 What is Orekko. Nico Nico Pedia (2011/05/06).
- ↑ I'm a Runaway Little Sister, but My Dumb Older Brother Rescued Me.. Bookwalker (2021/04/09).
- ↑ Orekko. AniDB (2010/08/05).
- ↑ Orekko Heroine. Visual Novel Database (2010/04/21).
- ↑ How Does Boy's and Girl's Language Work in Japan?. JList (2022).
| v • eAndrogynous Archetypes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Female |
Bokukko ♡ Dansou no Reijin ♡ Ikemen Joshi ♡ Orekko ♡ Otenba Musume ♡ Otoko Masari | |
| Male |
Bishounen ♡ Josou Danshi ♡ Okama ♡ Otokonoko ♡ Nekama | |
| Both | ||