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Take a look at big sis! She's more manly than any male out there! No one can touch that! |
"Otoko Masari" (JP) is a term for a female character who has a stronger-willed and more masculine temperament than a man. There is often a stereotype that "men are strong and rough" and "women are delicate and gentle", but otoko masari refers to a woman who deviates from such an image and is strong enough to best men. They are strong, rough, unfeminine, and have a personality, temperament, and language that are more masculine than most men. They are strong-minded, won't back down from any threat, don't like to lose, and have high physical ability and a strong mental strength that overwhelms men.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Otoko masari (男勝り) is a combination of "otoko" (男), meaning "male", and "masari" (勝り), meaning "to surpass, to be superior, to outrival". There is often a stereotype that "men are strong and rough" and "women are delicate and gentle", but otoko masari refers to a woman who deviates from such an image and has a masculine personality that is "superior than a man".[2][3]
These are female characters who are more "manly (having qualities traditionally ascribed to men, such as strength, bravery, and determination)" than most men. Women that have a masculine fortitude.[4][5]
Origin
The origin is currently not known, however, usage of the term dates back to at least 2003.[1]
Localization
In the English version of the video game series Dragon Quest (JP) the "otoko masari" character personality type which heavily increases strength for female characters was localized as "Amazon". This is in reference to the all female tribe from Greek mythology that were known for their strength, courage, combat skills, and independence, and were said to have rebelled against a male-dominated society.[6]
History
Official Media
One of the earliest examples of an otoko masari character is Makoto Kino from the 1991 manga series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. Makoto is a girl who transferred schools because she got into a fight at her previous school and injured a guy. This leads to her male classmates being afraid of her.[1]
One of most notable examples of an otoko masari character is Erza Scarlet from the 2006 manga series FAIRY TAIL. When Erza is first introduced she an incredibly serious and intimidating presence. She doesn't care about keeping up a feminine appearance and wears a suit of armor every day, even feeling out of place without it. Any time another male member of Fairy Tail makes her angry or slights her they cower in fear, even extremely powerful men like Natsu and Gray obey her every word. It has been stated numerous times by other characters that Erza is the most powerful woman in the guild and is even "the most manly person the guild".[7]
The character Kikune Kiba from the 2012 romance manga Masamune-kun's Revenge was described as an otoko masari. She is a member of the kendo club and often acts as a bodyguard for Aki Adagaki due to her superior strength. She is not afraid to use violence to repel any unscrupulous people who approach Aki.[8]
Personality
Erza Scarlet after beating up two guys from FAIRY TAIL
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Once again, Erza's the manliest one in the guild. |
Otoko masari are female characters who are very masculine and strong-willed. They are strong, rough, unfeminine, and have a personality, temperament, and language that are more masculine than men.[3][7]
Otoko masari have strong personalities; they are strong-minded, they don't like to lose, and they have high physical ability and a strong mental strength that overwhelms men. They are often very intimidating and won't be afraid to verbally or physically deal with people who make them angry, though they are not always violent. Even when confronting a man, an otoko masari will not back down and will believe they are tougher than them.[1][7]
This behavior can lead people to see them as a "man woman", or even a "gorilla woman" as they are often called as insults. They generally do not use "lady-like" language, instead preferring to use masculine-sounding or informal language.[3][9]
Because of these things, otoko masari female characters will often be the one looking out for their more feminine and girly friends, making sure no guy tries to pull anything or take advantage of them.[8]
They are often portrayed as sukeban delinquents or otenba musume tomboy characters. Because they use masculine language it is also very common for them to be orekko and refer to themselves as the more rough and masculine "ore" pronoun.[9]
Derivatives
Otoko masari may still have a more girly side deep down that they only show to those closest to them, but they generally have a masculine "tough girl" personality when in public. They are always told "be feminine" and if the person cares about it and suddenly starts trying to be a girl, it creates an effect of moe because of the intense gap from their normal personality.[3] They may even change after meeting a guy and falling in love, taking more of an interest in doing things like brushing their hair every day or wearing cute clothes because they want to feel pretty, when they previously had no interest in such a thing. Otoko masari who develop in this way are referred to as a tsuyodere character.[9]
Differences From Other Archetypes
Otoko masari is most similar to otenba musume since both types are for female characters who have masculine traits. The main difference is simply that otoko masari is on more of the rough and tough "manly" side while otenba musume is on more of the free-spirited and energetic "boyish" side. However, it is quite common for characters to fall under both types and act more "boyish" in one moment and more "manly" in another. It is also common for female characters of this nature to be otenba when they're younger and then turn into an otoko masari character as they get older.
Similar Archetypes
- Bokukko: A term for a female character who refers to herself as "boku".
- Orekko: A term for a female character who refers to herself as "ore".
- Otenba Musume: A term for a female tomboy character who has a boyish personality. Many otoko masari fall under this.
- Sukeban: A term for a female character who is a gang member.
- Thugdere: A term for a character who often mistreats their love interest by harming them physically and emotionally to hide their true deredere feelings of affection.
- Tsuyodere: A term for a female otoko masari character who is normally very strong-willed, tough, and masculine, but becomes cute, delicate, and girly when they are deredere for their love interest.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Erza Scarlet from FAIRY TAIL  Rose from Chiyu Mahou no Machigatta Tsukaikata  Caulifla from Dragon Ball Super  Tomo Aizawa from Tomo-chan Is a Girl!  Daidoji from Senran Kagura  Revy from BLACK LAGOON |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Sailor Moon - Episode 6. Hicbc (2003/11/08). Archived on 2025/10/22. “At that time, a girl transferred to the school - Makoto Kino. The other students say that she transferred because she got into a fight at her previous school and injured a guy. Her classmates are afraid of the male dominating (otoko masari) Makoto, but Usagi is the only one who approaches her with friendliness.”
- ↑ What is Otoko Masari. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2023/12/01). “A woman who is stronger than a man. Generally, there is a stereotype that "men are strong and rough, and women are delicate and kind," but this refers to a woman who is stronger than a man, which is different from that image. There are many women with this kind of personality in both reality and fiction. Depending on the work and character, there are also cases where a character has both an otoko masari side and a delicate, feminine side, and is depicted as having a conflict in which the latter cannot be shown. Sometimes the justification for this is tomboyishness, such as "growing up in a household full of men", "working in a profession that requires strength, such as combat", or "admiring the strength that men have."”
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 What is Otoko Masari. Nico Nico Pedia (2008/08/19). “Otoko masari refers to a woman who is superior to a man. It mainly refers to women whose personality, temperament, and speech are more masculine than men's. They are usually told to "act feminine." If the person is concerned about this and suddenly becomes timid or tries to act more feminine, it's moe. In some cases, they may have a secret girlish hobby... but that's good. They can be strong-willed, competitive, or have high physical abilities and strong mentality that overwhelm men. They may not be able to wear skirts outside of their uniforms, or they may think that they don't suit themselves. It can also be used to refer to the way they still try to compete with men. This stubbornness and refusal to lose is brave and devoted. However, because of this, they can become violent towards men. In such cases, they are called "manly women" or "rough women," or in the worst cases, they may be given nicknames such as "gorilla women."”
- ↑ Otoko Masari. Weblio (2024/07/29). “A spirited [a strong-minded, an independent-minded] woman. A woman of masculine firmness [fortitude]. She is a strong-minded woman―a virago―a termagant―more of a man than many a man. A woman who is brave and has mannish character.”
- ↑ Otoko Masari. Goo Dictionary (2024/07/29). “A woman who is so strong and determined that she can best a man. A woman who has a strong temperament.”
- ↑ Amazon. Dragon Quest Wiki (2016/01/16).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "FAIRY TAIL" Collaboration Part 2. Grand Summoners (2022/02/02). Archived on 2025/10/22. “An S-class mage who can take on S-class quests in Fairy Tail. The strongest woman in the guild. Her strict and otoko masari personality makes her feared by the men in the guild, and even Natsu and Gray obey her every word.”
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Kikune Kiba. Masamune-kun's Revenge (2017/07/05). Archived on 2025/10/22. “A first-year high school student who is a member of the Kendo Club. She has an otoko masari personality. She is in charge of the physical aspects of the "Imperial Guard" and is not afraid to use violence to repel any unscrupulous people who approach Aki. However, she is not good at using her brains and is often outwitted by Masamune.”
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 TsuyoDere! ~Saikyo Kanojo Cosplay Otona Henge☆~. Mangazenkan (2016/02/19). Archived on 2025/08/01. “Although Senba is a tall, black-haired bishoujo who looks like a model, she has never been able to find love because of her manly otoko masari personality and strong arms. One day, Senba suddenly gets a chance to fall in love!? You can't help but get excited by the gap moe and fall in love!!!”
| v • eAndrogynous Archetypes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Female |
Bokukko ♡ Dansou no Reijin ♡ Ikemen Joshi ♡ Orekko ♡ Otenba Musume ♡ Otoko Masari | |
| Male |
Bishounen ♡ Josou Danshi ♡ Okama ♡ Otokonoko ♡ Nekama | |
| Both | ||