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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".[1][2]
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.[3][4]
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.[5]
Personality
Erza Scarlet after beating up two guys from FAIRY TAIL
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.[2]
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. 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.[2]
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.
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.
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. 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.
Similar Japanese 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, bullies and hits their love interest to hide their true feelings.
- 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 with their love interest
List of Characters
Gallery
 Caulifla from Dragon Ball Super  Daidoji from Senran Kagura  Tomo Aizawa from Tomo-chan Is a Girl!  Ranna Himawari from Rokudou no Onna-tachi  Ryuunosuke Fujinami from Urusei Yatsura  Revy from BLACK LAGOON |
References
- ↑ What is Otoko Masari. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2023/12/01).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 What is Otoko Masari. Nico Nico Pedia (2008/08/19).
- ↑ Otoko Masari. Weblio (2024/07/29).
- ↑ Otoko Masari. Goo Dictionary (2024/07/29).
- ↑ Amazon. Dragon Quest Wiki (2016/01/16).
| v • eAndrogynous Archetypes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Female |
Bokukko ♡ Dansou no Reijin ♡ Ikemen Joshi ♡ Orekko ♡ Otenba Musume ♡ Otoko Masari | |
| Male |
Bishounen ♡ Josou Danshi ♡ Okama ♡ Otokonoko ♡ Nekama | |
| Both | ||