Saikin Kono Sekai wa Watashi dake no Mono ni Narimashita. Login to add items to your list, keep track of your progress, and rate series! One morning, upon waking up, people disappeared from the world. It seems only a single girl was left behind. A beautiful girl's sexual fantasy of seeking men and warmth. Saikin Kono Sekai wa Watashi dake no Mono ni Narimashita. Summary: One morning, upon waking up, people disappeared from the world. Only a single girl was left behind. A beautiful girl's sexual fantasy of seeking men and warmth!!
(Redirected from Watashi)
Japanese pronouns (or Japanese deictic classifiers) are words in the Japanese language used to address or refer to present people or things, where present means people or things that can be pointed at. The position of things (far away, nearby) and their role in the current interaction (goods, addresser, addressee, bystander) are features of the meaning of those words. The use of pronouns, especially when referring to oneself and speaking in the first person, vary between gender, formality, dialect and region where Japanese is spoken.
- 2List of Japanese personal pronouns
Use and etymology[edit]
In contrast to present people and things, absent people and things can be referred to only by naming as in Miyazaki, by instantiating a class as in 'the house' (in a context where there is only one house) and by presenting things in relation to present, named and sui generis people or things as in 'I'm going home', 'I'm going to Miyazaki's place', 'I'm going to the mayor's place', 'I'm going to my mother's place', 'I'm going to my mother's friend's place'. Functionally, deictic classifiers not only indicate that the referenced person or thing has a spatial position or an interactional role but also classify it to some extent. In addition, Japanese pronouns are restricted by a situation type (register): who is talking to whom, about what, and through which medium (spoken or written, staged or in private). In that sense, when a male is talking to his male friends, the pronoun set that is available to him is different from that which is available when a man of the same age talks to his wife and from that which is available when a woman talks to her husband. These variations in pronoun availability are determined by the register.
In linguistics, generativists and other structuralists suggest that the Japanese language does not have pronouns as such, since, unlike pronouns in most other languages that have them, these words are syntactically and morphologically identical to nouns.[1][2] As functionalists point out, however, these words function as personal references, demonstratives, and reflexives, just as pronouns do in other languages.[3][4]
Japanese has a large number of pronouns, differing in use by formality, gender, age, and relative social status of speaker and audience. Further, pronouns are an open class, with existing nouns being used as new pronouns with some frequency. This is ongoing; a recent example is jibun (自分, self), which is now used by some young men as a casual first-person pronoun.
Pronouns are used less frequently in the Japanese language than in many other languages,[5] mainly because there is no grammatical requirement to include the subject in a sentence. That means that pronouns can seldom be translated from English to Japanese on a one-to-one basis.
The common English personal pronouns, such as 'I', 'you', and 'they', have no other meanings or connotations. However, most Japanese personal pronouns do. Consider for example two words corresponding to the English pronoun 'I': 私 (watashi) also means 'private' or 'personal'. 僕 (boku) carries a masculine impression; it is typically used by males, especially those in their youth.[6]
Japanese words that refer to other people are part of the encompassing system of honorific speech and should be understood within that context. Pronoun choice depends on the speaker's social status (as compared to the listener's) as well as the sentence's subjects and objects.
The first-person pronouns (e.g., watashi, 私) and second-person pronouns (e.g., anata, 貴方) are used in formal contexts (However the latter can be considered rude). In many sentences, pronouns that mean 'I' and 'you' are omitted in Japanese when the meaning is still clear.[3]
When it is required to state the topic of the sentence for clarity, the particle wa (は) is used, but it is not required when the topic can be inferred from context. Also, there are frequently used verbs that can indicate the subject of the sentence in certain contexts: kureru (くれる) means 'give' in the sense that 'somebody gives something to me or to somebody very close to me.' Ageru (あげる) also means 'give', but in the sense that 'someone gives something to someone other than me.'[non sequitur]
In sentences comprising a single adjective (often those ending in -shii), it is often assumed that the speaker is the subject. For example, the adjective sabishii (寂しい) can represent a complete sentence that means 'I am lonely.'
Thus, the first-person pronoun is usually not used unless the speaker wants to put a special stress on the fact that they are referring to themselves or if it is necessary to make it clear. In some contexts, it may be considered uncouth to refer to the listener (second person) by a pronoun. If it is required to state the second person, the listener's surname, suffixed with -san or some other title (like 'customer', 'teacher', or 'boss'), is generally used.
Gender differences in spoken Japanese also create another challenge, as men and women refer to themselves with different pronouns. Social standing also determines how people refer to themselves, as well as how they refer to other people.
Japanese first-person pronouns by speakers and situations according to Yuko Saegusa, Concerning the First Personal Pronoun of Native Japanese Speakers (2009)
Speaker | Situation | 1 | 2 | 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Female | To friends | uchi 49% | First name 26% | atashi 15% |
In the family | First name 33% | atashi 29% | uchi 23% | |
In a class | watashi 86% | atashi 7% | uchi 6% | |
To an unknown visitor | watashi 75% | atashi, first name, uchi 8% each | ||
To the class teacher | watashi 66% | First name 13% | atashi 9% | |
Male | To friends | ore 72% | boku 19% | First name 4% |
In the family | ore 62% | boku 23% | uchi 6% | |
In a class | boku 85% | ore 13% | First name, nickname 1% each | |
To an unknown visitor | boku 64% | ore 26% | First name 4% | |
To the class teacher | boku 67% | ore 27% | First name 3% |
Speaker | Situation | 1 | 2 | 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Female | To friends | uchi 39% | atashi 30% | watashi 22% |
In the family | atashi 28% | First name 27% | uchi 18% | |
In a class | watashi 89% | atashi 7% | jibun 3% | |
To an unknown visitor | watashi 81% | atashi 10% | jibun 6% | |
To the class teacher | watashi 77% | atashi 17% | jibun 7% | |
Male | To friends | ore 87% | uchi 4% | watashi, jibun 2% each |
In the family | ore 88% | boku, jibun 5% each | ||
In a class | watashi 48% | jibun 28% | boku 22% | |
To an unknown visitor | boku 36% | jibun 29% | watashi 22% | |
To the class teacher | jibun 38% | boku 29% | watashi 22% |
List of Japanese personal pronouns[edit]
The list is incomplete, as there are numerous Japanese pronoun forms, which vary by region and dialect. This is a list of the most commonly used forms. 'It' has no direct equivalent in Japanese[3] (though in some contexts the demonstrative pronoun それ (sore) is translatable as 'it'). Also, Japanese does not generally inflect by case, so, I is equivalent to me.
Romaji | Hiragana | Kanji | Level of speech | Gender | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
– I/me – | |||||
watashi | わたし | 私 | formal/informal | both | In formal or polite contexts, this is gender neutral; in casual speech, it is typically only used by women. Use by men in casual context may be perceived as either stiff or feminine. |
watakushi | わたくし | 私 | very formal | both | The most formal personal pronoun.[7][better source needed] |
ware | われ | 我, 吾 | very formal | both | Used in literary style. Also used as rude second person in western dialects. |
waga | わが | 我が | very formal | both | Means 'my' or 'our'. Used in speeches and formalities; 我が社 waga-sha (our company) or 我が国 waga-kuni (our country). |
ore | おれ | 俺 | informal | males | Frequently used by men.[8] Establishes a sense of masculinity. Can be seen as rude depending on the context. Emphasizes one's own status when used with peers and with those who are younger or of lesser status. Among close friends or family, its use conveys familiarity rather than masculinity or superiority. It was used by both genders until the late Edo period and still is in some dialects. Also oi in Kyushu dialect. |
boku | ぼく | 僕 | formal/informal | males | Used by males of all ages; very often used by boys. Perceived as humble, but can also carry an undertone of 'feeling young' when used by males of older age. Also used when casually giving deference; 'servant' uses the same kanji (僕shimobe). Can also be used as a second-person pronoun toward male children (English equivalent – 'kid' or 'squirt'). |
washi | わし | 儂 | formal/informal | mainly males | Often used in western dialects and fictional settings to stereotypically represent characters of old age. Also wai, a slang version of washi in the Kansai dialect. |
jibun | じぶん | 自分 | formal/informal | mainly males | Literally 'oneself'; used as either reflexive or personal pronoun. Can convey a sense of distance when used in the latter way. Also used as casual second person pronoun in the Kansai dialect. |
atai | あたい | very informal | females | Slang version of あたし atashi.[7] | |
atashi | あたし | informal | females, rarely males (Edo dialect) | A feminine pronoun that strains from わたし ('watashi'). Rarely used in written language, but common in conversation, especially among younger women. | |
atakushi | あたくし | informal | females | ||
uchi | うち | 家, 内 | informal | mostly females | Means 'one's own'. Often used in western dialects especially the Kansai dialect. Generally written in kana. Plural form uchi-ra is used by both genders. Singular form is also used by both sexes when talking about the household, e.g., 'uchi no neko' ('my/our cat'), 'uchi no chichi-oya' ('my father'); also used in less formal business speech to mean 'our company', e.g., 'uchi wa sandai no rekkāsha ga aru' ('we (our company) have three tow-trucks'). |
(own name) | informal | both | Used by small children and young women, considered cute and childish. | ||
oira | おいら | informal | males | Similar to 俺 ore, but more casual. Evokes a person with a rural background, a 'country bumpkin'. | |
ora | おら | informal | both | Dialect in Kanto and further north. Similar to おいら oira, but more rural. Famous as used by main characters in Dragon Ball and Crayon Shin-chan among children. Also ura in some dialects. | |
wate | わて | informal | both | Dated Kansai dialect. Also ate (somewhat feminine). | |
shōsei | しょうせい | 小生 | formal, written | males | Used among academic colleagues. Lit. 'your pupil'.[9] |
– you (singular) – | |||||
(name and honorific) | formality depends on the honorific used | both | |||
anata | あなた | 貴方, 貴男, 貴女 | formal/informal | both | The kanji are very rarely used. The only second person pronoun comparable to English 'you', yet still not used as often in this universal way by native speakers, as it can be considered having a condescending undertone, especially towards superiors.[3][8][better source needed] For expressing 'you' in formal contexts, using the person's name with an honorific is more typical. More commonly, anata may be used when having no information about the addressed person; also often used as 'you' in commercials, when not referring to a particular person. Furthermore, commonly used by women to address their husband or lover, in a way roughly equivalent to the English 'dear'. |
anta | あんた | informal | both | Contraction of あなた anata.[7] Can express contempt, anger or familiarity towards a person. Generally seen as rude or uneducated when used in formal contexts. | |
otaku | おたく | お宅, 御宅 | formal, polite | both | A polite way of saying 'your house', also used as a pronoun to address a person with slight sense of distance. Otaku/otakki/ota turned into a slang term referring to a type of geek/obsessive hobbyist, as they often addressed each other as otaku. |
omae | おまえ | お前 | very informal | both (masculine) | Similar to anta, but used by men with more frequency.[8] Expresses the speaker's higher status or age, or a very casual relationship among peers. Often used with おれ ore.[8] Very rude if said to elders. Commonly used by men to address their wife or lover, paralleling the female use of 'anata'. |
temee, temae | てめえ, てまえ | 手前 | rude and confrontational[7] | mainly males | Literal meaning 'the one in front of my hand'. Temee, a reduction of temae, is more rude. Used when the speaker is very angry. Originally used for a humble first person. The Kanji are seldom used with this meaning, as unrelated to its use as a pronoun, 手前 can also mean 'before', 'this side', 'one's standpoint' or 'one's appearance'. |
kisama | きさま | 貴様 | extremely hostile and rude | mainly males | Historically very formal, but has developed in an ironic sense to show the speaker's extreme hostility / outrage towards the addressee. |
kimi | きみ | 君 | informal | both | The kanji means 'lord' (archaic) and is also used to write -kun.[10] Informal to subordinates; can also be affectionate; formerly very polite. Among peers typically used with 僕 boku.[8] Often seen as rude or assuming when used with superiors, elders or strangers.[8] |
kika | きか | 貴下 | informal, to a younger person | both | |
kikan | きかん | 貴官 | very formal, used to address government officials, military personnel, etc. | both | |
on-sha | おんしゃ | 御社 | formal, used to the listener representing your company | both | only used in spoken language. |
ki-sha | きしゃ | 貴社 | formal, similar to onsha | both | only used in written language as opposed to onsha |
– he / she – | |||||
ano kata | あのかた | あの方 | very formal | both | Sometimes pronounced ano hou, but with the same kanji. |
ano hito | あのひと | あの人 | formal/informal | both | Literally 'that person'. |
yatsu | やつ | 奴 | informal | both | A thing (very informal), dude, guy. |
koitsu, koyatsu | こいつ, こやつ | 此奴 | very informal, implies contempt | both | Denotes a person or material nearby the speaker. Analogous to 'he/she' or 'this one'. |
soitsu, soyatsu | そいつ, そやつ | 其奴 | very informal, implies contempt | both | Denotes a person or material nearby the listener. Analogous to 'he/she' or 'that one'. |
aitsu, ayatsu | あいつ, あやつ | 彼奴 | very informal, implies contempt | both | Denotes a person or (less frequently) material far from both the speaker and the listener. Analogous to 'he/she' or 'that one'. |
– he – | |||||
kare | かれ | 彼 | formal (neutral) and informal (boyfriend) | both | Can also mean 'boyfriend'. Formerly 彼氏 kareshi was its equivalent, but this now always means 'boyfriend'. |
– she – | |||||
kanojo | かのじょ | 彼女 | formal (neutral) and informal (girlfriend) | both | Originally created from 彼の女 kano on'na 'that female' as an equivalent to female pronouns in European languages. Can also mean 'girlfriend'.[11] |
– we (see also list of pluralising suffixes, below) – | |||||
ware-ware | われわれ | 我々 | formal | both | Mostly used when speaking on behalf of a company or group. |
ware-ra | われら | 我等 | informal | both | Used in literary style. ware is never used with -tachi. |
hei-sha | へいしゃ | 弊社 | formal and humble | both | Used when representing one's own company. From a Sino-Japanese word meaning 'low company' or 'humble company'. |
waga-sha | わがしゃ | 我が社 | formal | both | Used when representing one's own company. |
– they (see also list of pluralising suffixes, below) – | |||||
kare-ra | かれら | 彼等 | common in spoken Japanese and writing | both |
Archaic personal pronouns[edit]
Romaji | Hiragana | Kanji | Meaning | Level of speech | Gender | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
asshi | あっし | 私 | I | males | Slang version of watashi. From the Edo period. | |
sessha | せっしゃ | 拙者 | I | males | Used by samurai during the feudal ages (and often also by ninja in fictionalized portrayals). From a Sino-Japanese word meaning 'one who is clumsy'. | |
wagahai | わがはい | 我が輩, 吾輩 | I | males | Literally 'my fellows; my class; my cohort', but used in a somewhat pompous manner as a first-person singular pronoun. | |
soregashi | それがし | 某 | I | males | Literally 'So-and-so', a nameless expression. Similar to sessha. | |
warawa | わらわ | 妾 | I | females | Literally 'child'. Mainly used by women in samurai family. Today, it is used in fictional settings to represent archaic noble female characters. | |
wachiki | わちき | I | females | Used by geisha and oiran in Edo period. Also あちき achiki and わっち watchi. | ||
yo | よ | 余, 予 | I | males | Archaic first-person singular pronoun. | |
chin | ちん | 朕 | I | males | Used only by the emperor, mostly before World War II. | |
maro | まろ | 麻呂, 麿 | I | males | Used as a universal first-person pronoun in ancient times. Today, it is used in fictional settings to represent Court noble male characters. | |
onore | おのれ | 己 | I or you | males | The word onore, as well as the kanji used to transcribe it, literally means 'oneself'. It is humble when used as a first person pronoun and hostile (on the level of てめえ temee or てまえ temae) when used as a second person pronoun. | |
kei | けい | 卿 | you | males | Second person pronoun, used mostly by males. Used among peers to denote light respect, and by a superior addressing his subjects and retainers in a familiar manner. Like 君 kimi, this can also be used as a honorific (pronounced as きょう kyou), in which case it's equivalent to 'lord/lady' or 'sir/dame'. | |
nanji | なんじ | 汝, less commonly also 爾 | you, often translated as 'thou' | both | Spelled as なむち namuchi in the most ancient texts and later as なんち nanchi or なんぢ nanji. | |
onushi | おぬし | 御主, お主 | you | both | Used by elders and samurai to talk to people of equal or lower rank, as well as by fictional ninja. Literally means 'master'. | |
sonata | そなた | 其方 (rarely used) | you | both | Originally a mesial deictic pronoun meaning 'that side; that way; that direction'; used as a lightly respectful second person pronoun in previous eras, but now used when speaking to an inferior in a pompous and old-fashioned tone. | |
sochi | そち | 其方 (rarely used) | you | both | Similar to そなた sonata. Literally means 'that way'. (Sochira and kochira, sometimes shortened to sochi and kochi, are still sometimes used to mean roughly 'you' and 'I, we', e.g. kochira koso in response to thanks or an apology means literally 'this side is the one' but idiomatically 'no, I (or we) thank/apologize to you'; especially common on the telephone, analogous to phrases like 'on this end' and 'on your end' in English.) |
Suffixes[edit]
Suffixes are added to pronouns to make them plural.
Romaji | Hiragana | Kanji | Level of speech | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
tachi | たち | 達 | informal; examples:
| Also can be attached to names to indicate that person and the group (s)he is with (Ryuichi-tachi = 'Ryuichi and friends'). |
kata, gata | かた, がた | 方 | formal (ex. あなた方, anata-gata) | More polite than 達 tachi. gata is the rendaku form. |
domo | ども | 共 | humble (ex. 私ども, watakushi-domo) | Casts some aspersion on the mentioned group, so it can be rude. domo is the rendaku form. |
ra | ら | 等 | informal (ex. 彼ら, karera. 俺ら, ore-ra. 奴ら, yatsu-ra. あいつら, aitsu-ra) | Used with informal pronouns. Frequently used with hostile words. Sometimes used for light humble as domo (ex. 私ら, watashi-ra) |
Demonstrative and interrogative pronouns[edit]
Demonstrative words, whether functioning as pronouns, adjectives or adverbs, fall into four groups. Words beginning with ko- indicate something close to the speaker (so-called proximal demonstratives). Those beginning with so- indicate separation from the speaker or closeness to the listener (medial), while those beginning with a- indicate greater distance (distal). Interrogative words, used in questions, begin with do-.[3]
Demonstratives are normally written in hiragana.
Romaji | Hiragana | Kanji | Meaning |
---|---|---|---|
kore | これ | 此れ | this thing / these things (near speaker) |
sore | それ | 其れ | that thing / those things (near listener) |
are | あれ | 彼れ | that thing / those things (distant from both speaker and listener) |
dore | どれ | 何れ | which thing(s)? |
kochira or kotchi | こちら / こっち | 此方 | this / here (near speaker) |
sochira or sotchi | そちら / そっち | 其方 | that / there (near listener) |
achira or atchi | あちら / あっち | 彼方 | that / there (distant from both speaker and listener) |
dochira or dotchi | どちら / どっち | 何方 | what / where |
Reflexive[edit]
Japanese has only one word corresponding to reflexive pronouns such as myself, yourself, or themselves in English. The word 自分 (jibun) means 'one's self' and may be used for human beings or some animals. It is not used for cold-blooded animals or inanimate objects.[3]
See also[edit]
- T–V distinction, pronoun distinctions more generally
References[edit]
- ^Noguchi, Tohru (1997). 'Two types of pronouns and variable binding'. Language. 73: 770–797. doi:10.1353/lan.1997.0021.
- ^Kanaya, Takehiro (2002). 日本語に主語はいらない Nihongo ni shugo wa iranai [In Japanese subjects are not needed]. Kodansha.
- ^ abcdefAkiyama, Nobuo; Akiyama, Carol (2002). Japanese Grammar. Barron's Educational. ISBN0764120611.
- ^Ishiyama, Osamu (2008). Diachronic Perspectives on Personal Pronouns in Japanese (Ph.D.). State University of New York at Buffalo.
- ^Maynard, Senko K: 'An Introduction to Japanese Grammar and Communication Strategies', page 45. The Japan Times, 4th edition, 1993. ISBN4-7890-0542-9
- ^'The many ways to say 'I' in Japanese | nihonshock'. nihonshock.com. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
- ^ abcdPersonal pronouns in JapaneseJapan Reference. Retrieved on October 21, 2007
- ^ abcdef8.1. Pronounssf.airnet.ne.jp Retrieved on October 21, 2007
- ^'Language Log » Japanese first person pronouns'. languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu.
- ^'old boy'. Kanjidict.com. Retrieved 2012-05-07.
- ^'he'. Kanjidict.com. Retrieved 2012-05-07.
External links[edit]
Look up Category:Japanese pronouns in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_pronouns&oldid=895898487'
Kodomo no Jikan | |
こどものじかん | |
---|---|
Genre | Comedy[1] |
Manga | |
Written by | Kaworu Watashiya |
Published by | Futabasha |
English publisher | |
Demographic | Seinen |
Magazine | Comic High! |
Original run | May 22, 2005 – April 22, 2013 |
Volumes | 13 (List of volumes) |
Original video animation | |
What You Gave Me | |
Directed by | Eiji Suganuma |
Written by | Mari Okada |
Music by | Masara Nishida |
Studio | Studio Barcelona |
Released | September 12, 2007 |
Runtime | 30 minutes |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Eiji Suganuma |
Written by | Mari Okada |
Music by | Masara Nishida |
Studio | Studio Barcelona |
Original network | |
Original run | October 12, 2007 – December 28, 2007 |
Episodes | 12 (List of episodes) |
Original video animation | |
Kodomo no Jikan 2 Gakki | |
Directed by | Eiji Suganuma |
Written by | Mari Okada |
Music by | Masara Nishida |
Studio | Studio Barcelona |
Released | January 21, 2009 – July 24, 2009 |
Episodes | 4 (List of episodes) |
Original video animation | |
Kodomo no Jikan: A Child's Summer Time | |
Directed by | Eiji Suganuma |
Written by | Mari Okada |
Music by | Masara Nishida |
Studio | Studio Barcelona |
Released | January 21, 2011 |
Runtime | 25 minutes |
Light novel | |
Written by | Kaworu Watashiya |
Published by | Futabasha |
Demographic | Male |
Imprint | Action Comics Comic High's Brand |
Published | January 12, 2012 |
Kodomo no Jikan (こどものじかん, lit.A Child's Time) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kaworu Watashiya. The story revolves around a grade school teacher named Daisuke Aoki, whose main problem is that one of his students, Rin Kokonoe, has a crush on him. It was serialized between May 2005 and April 2013 in Futabasha's Comic High! magazine and is compiled in 13 volumes. At one time, an English-language version of the manga was licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment for distribution in North America under the title Nymphet, but they ultimately decided not to publish it due to controversies over its content.[2] It was then relicensed by Digital Manga, who released the series in English through e-book.
A 12-episode anime adaptation of the series aired in Japan between October and December 2007. While content of the broadcast version was sometimes heavily censored, the DVD releases of the individual episodes remain unedited. A second anime season was released as four original video animation episodes between January and July 2009. A third original anime DVD was released in January 2011.
- 3Media
Plot[edit]
Kodomo no Jikan is centered around 23-year-old Daisuke Aoki, who has just landed his first teaching job as a grade school instructor at Futatsubashi Elementary School (双ツ橋 小学校Futatsubashi Shōgakkō). He is placed in charge of Class 3-1, where one of his students, a mischievously precocious nine-year-old girl by the name of Rin Kokonoe, develops a crush on him and proclaims herself as Aoki's girlfriend. At first he dismisses it as harmless, but she aggressively pursues her efforts to be with him. Aoki is in shock when she makes sexual advances towards him, thus leading him to believe that Rin comes from a troubled family. Aoki finds out that Rin's mother had died and she is living with a cousin whose flashbacks lead to violent outbursts.
Characters[edit]
Kodomo no Jikan main characters: Mimi (left), Rin (center), and Kuro (right).
- Rin Kokonoe (九重 りんKokonoe Rin)
- Voiced by: Eri Kitamura
- Rin is a young girl in third grade who has an intense crush on her teacher Daisuke. She has a mischievous nature and proclaims herself to be Daisuke's girlfriend. She goes to great lengths to make him fall in love with her, crossing moral and legal boundaries many times. Some of these tactics include taking advantage of Daisuke's inability to respond to her forcible advances by threatening to scream that he is trying to molest her, even though she initiated them. Despite Rin's mischievous nature she has shown herself to care deeply for her friends and family, going to any length to defend them. Much of her bad behavior is a result of trying to hide the traces of the vulnerable little girl she used to be as a result of a tragedy in her past. Rin ages throughout the story, but worries that Daisuke won't ever see her as an adult.
- Kuro Kagami (鏡 黒Kagami Kuro)
- Voiced by: Kei Shindō
- Kuro Kagami is one of Rin's closest friends, and frequent 'partner in crime' due to their similar levels of sexual knowledge. She is openly contemptuous of Aoki due to his inability to consistently enforce discipline in the classroom, and her belief that he is a lolicon. She is also aware that he is a rival for Rin's affection which infuriates her more as she has a crush on Rin. Kuro has a kinder side to her though as she manages to befriend both Rin and Mimi and is very protective of them. The apparent wealth of the Kagami family allows her to indulge her obsession with following the latest fashion trends. Kuro often wears clothing in the Gothic Lolita style, sometimes combined with nekomimi ears and tail. Kuro's overall distrust of men stems from her mother's divorce from her cheating husband.[3]
- Mimi Usa (宇佐 美々Usa Mimi)
- Voiced by: Mai Kadowaki
- A quiet, bespectacled young girl whose knowledge of adult and sexual matters is inversely proportional to her level of physical development. Mimi Usa struggles to establish a sense of self-identity as most of her characteristics emphasize qualities about herself which she is uncomfortable with. She is emotionally fragile, and increasingly depressed due to her abilities that her friends don't seem to possess, such as being well-endowed among others. Mami is also a shy person, but opens up over time from her friendship with Rin and Kuro. She eventually develops a secret crush on Rin's cousin Reiji as he recognizes much of who he once was in her. Reiji tells her to never lose hope that she would one day find someone who would understand and love her, and also encourages her to not succumb to anger and hatred at the world like he did.
- Daisuke Aoki (青木 大介Aoki Daisuke)
- Voiced by: Junji Majima
- Daisuke Aoki, is a freshly graduated 23-year-old elementary school instructor who has been placed in charge of the third grade class 3-1. Many of the idealistic notions he holds about his job, however, are quickly put to the test as he finds himself dealing with unexpected, complex situations, not the least of which is having a shamelessly flirtatious nine-year-old doing everything in her power to win his affections. Aoki's complete lack of previous teaching experience sometimes makes it hard for him to control his class or maintain their interest, a situation further complicated by the ease with which he is flustered by Rin's sexual innuendo and Kuro's remarks about his status as a virgin. His relatively normal, uneventful childhood also complicates his efforts to quickly and easily grasp the hardships faced by some of his students, though this has in no way discouraged him from trying or diminished his desire to help them. In fact, his seemingly unshakable enthusiasm, hands-on attitude, and emotional attachment to his students has often caused him to butt heads with the more traditional Sae Shirai. Almost from the beginning, Aoki has shared a special bond with Rin, one which has deepened and become so complex over time that even he, at one point, was terrified of Rin and began to fear her, and at another point, he began to ponder his feelings toward Rin, mainly to see her as only a 'child'.[4] Regardless of the nature of his love for Rin, his protectiveness of her has led him to become increasingly suspicious and mistrustful of the motives of her guardian and cousin, Reiji Kokonoe.
- Kyōko Hōin (宝院 京子Hōin Kyōko)
- Voiced by: Ryōko Tanaka
- A young, well-endowed teacher who is Aoki's colleague and friend at work. She tries to care for Aoki as he is still new to the job, and also has a crush on him. She has asked him out on several occasions, only to be interrupted every time by some incident, usually involving Rin. Due to her busty physique, she is nicknamed 'Boin' (a pun on her name 'Hoin').
- Reiji Kokonoe (九重 レイジKokonoe Reiji)
- Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita
- Rin's first cousin once removed, and guardian. He and Rin share a very close relationship, almost like a father and daughter or a brother and sister. For a short period of time, he was in love with Rin's mother, his own cousin Aki, before she died. After her death he became Rin's official guardian. He is very protective of Rin and does not seem to like Aoki at all because of Rin's affection towards him, which makes Reiji very jealous.
- Aki Kokonoe (九重 秋Kokonoe Aki)
- Voiced by: Yuri Amano
- Rin's mother, who died of lung cancer when Rin was very young. She revealed to Reiji that the father of Rin wanted Aki to have an abortion, but she refused to do it. She falls in love with Reiji and develops a relationship with him. She soon developed a cough, and was diagnosed with lung cancer which threatened her life, and for the sake of Rin and Reiji, she kept her disease hidden until it was too late to cure it. She entrusted him with the care of Rin after she died.
Media[edit]
Manga[edit]
The first chapter of a two-part 'pilot' for Kodomo no Jikan appeared in the premiere issue of Futabasha's seinen manga magazine Comic High! on March 2, 2004.[5] The successful reception of the pilot prompted the creator, Kaworu Watashiya, to rework the title into a full-fledged manga. Serialization began a little over a year later in Comic High! on May 22, 2005 and ran until April 22, 2013.[6] Futabasha published 13 tankōbon volumes between December 12, 2005 and June 12, 2013. While the aforementioned pilot is not considered part of the ongoing series' canon in spite of the shared name, largely identical main cast, and common central theme, many situations and ideas initially introduced there were revisited in the eventual manga series—and thus incorporated into official continuity—albeit in (slightly) altered or expanded form.
Digital Manga has licensed the series for publication in North America, and originally planned to publish it in omnibus format under its Project-H imprint.[7] Digital Manga later launched a Kickstarter to publish the series in five omnibus volumes and one additional volume under its newly launched PeCChi imprint.[8] The project reached its US$157,000 goal on July 3, 2016, however retail release dates for the series were yet to be determined. In all the project raised a total of US$185,725 making it the most funded graphic novel project ever on Kickstarter at the time.[9][10] Digital Manga president Hikaru Sasahara later stated in March 2018 that the company had run into a 'weakened' financial situation. Sasahara apologized for the delays which included the Kodomo no Jikan manga still not being fulfilled. The series has since been released in English via e-book format with print editions still on a TBA date.[11][12]
Audio dramas[edit]
An Internet radio show called Kojika Radio (こじからじお), hosted by Lantis Web Radio, Beat Net Radio!, and Kodomo no Jikan's official website, originally had a pre-broadcast on August 31, 2007, but began regular weekly broadcasts every Friday starting on September 7, 2007. It has three hosts—Eri Kitamura, Kei Shindō, and Mai Kadowaki, who played Rin Kokonoe, Kuro Kagami, and Mimi Usa in the anime, respectively—and was produced by Bandai Visual and Lantis. There are three corners on the show, which is used mainly to promote the anime version.[13][14][15] A CD entitled Kojika Radio on CD: Aki Ensoku Hen (こじからじお on CD ~秋の遠足編~) was released by Lantis on November 21, 2007. It contained an opening and ending talk as well as seven more tracks from the Internet radio show.[16] A drama CD was released on January 9, 2008 by Lantis.[17]
Anime[edit]
Comparison between the TV broadcast (top) and DVD (bottom) versions of episode one.
A thirty-minute, uncensored, single-episode original video animation (OVA) was released on September 12, 2007, available both on the anime's official website and in a limited edition version bundled with the fourth volume of the manga. The anime series, directed by Eiji Suganuma, written by Mari Okada, and produced by the animation studioStudio Barcelona, was originally scheduled to premiere in Japan on October 11, 2007, but two television stations—TV Saitama and Mie TV—removed it from their broadcast schedules.[18][19] In an official press release, TV Saitama stated that their decision was heavily influenced by the then-recent capture of Takayuki Hosoda, a notorious Japanese child pornographer who was revealed to be an elementary school vice principal.[20][21][22][23] Plans for Chiba TV and KBS Kyoto to air the series remained unchanged, and the anime premiered on Japanese television on October 12, 2007, running for twelve episodes until December 28, 2007. However, some of its content suffered censorship to varying degrees, from animated panels obscuring parts of the screen and sound effects being used to 'bleep' out dialogue in some instances to full suppression of both audio and video in others. The uncensored version of the anime series is available on DVD in six volumes containing two episodes each. The DVD volumes were released between December 21, 2007[24] and May 23, 2008.
A second anime season was announced, and a promotional video of this season was included with a special edition of the fifth manga volume released on July 11, 2008.[25] This season was released in original video animation format over four episodes between January 21 and July 24, 2009. A third anime adaptation was announced on the cover of the manga's eighth volume in May 2010, and was released on January 21, 2011.[26]
Music[edit]
Four pieces of theme music are used for the anime television series: one opening theme and three ending ones. The opening theme, used in all episodes except the twelfth, which did not have an opening theme, is 'Rettsu! Ohime-sama Dakko' (れっつ!おひめさまだっこ) by Eri Kitamura, Kei Shindō, and Mai Kadowaki, the voice actresses for Rin Kokonoe, Kuro Kagami, and Mimi Usa, respectively. The first ending theme, used for all but two episodes, is 'Hanamaru Sensation' (ハナマル☆センセイションHanamaru☆Senseishon) by Little Non; the second ending theme, used only for episode six, is 'Yasashii' (やさしい) by Chata; the third and final ending theme, used only in episode twelve and which was also the opening theme for the OVA, is 'Otome Chikku Shoshinsha desu' (オトメチック初心者でーす), once again sung by the trio of Kitamura, Shindō, and Kadowaki. The maxi single for the opening theme was released on October 24, 2007 by Lantis, and the one for the first ending theme was released on October 12, 2007, also by Lantis.[27][28] The anime's original soundtrack was released on January 23, 2008.[29]
The OVA's opening theme, the previously mentioned 'Otome Chikku Shoshinsha desu' (オトメチック初心者でーす) and was included on the same maxi single as 'Rettsu! Ohime-sama Dakko' as a B-side track.[27] The ending theme, 'Aijō◎Education' (愛情◎エデュケイション) by Little Non, appeared on the same maxi single as 'Hanamaru Sensation' as a B-side track.[28] Three character song albums were released by Lantis on December 26, 2007 for the characters Rin Kokonoe, Kuro Kagami, and Mimi Usa, featuring singing and voicework by their respective voice actresses.[30][31][32]
The second season's opening theme is 'Guilty Future' by Kitamura.[33] The ending theme for all but episode three is '1,2,3 Day' by Little Non.[34] The ending theme for episode three is 'Yoridori Princess' (よりどりプリンセス) by Kitamura, Shindō, and Kadowaki. An album was released by Lantis on January 27, 2010 containing all the music used in the anime.[35]
Criticism and controversy[edit]
Kodomo no Jikan was originally licensed for distribution in North America in 2006 by the Los Angeles–based company Seven Seas Entertainment, the first volume of the manga having been slated for an early 2007 release. According to Futabasha, the title of Nymphet was selected for the English language version at the suggestion—and later insistence—of the original creator, Kaworu Watashiya.[36] The manga, however, soon became the target of controversy after questions were raised about its appropriateness for North American audiences. In a written statement, the president of Seven Seas Entertainment, Jason DeAngelis, observed that 'those who are speaking out against Nymphet seem to be disturbed by the relationship between two characters in the story, namely an elementary school student and her adult teacher' and decided to delay the release of the manga so that he could 'have an open dialogue with the large book chains and other vendors.'[37] The title was subsequently dropped as a result of these concerns, with DeAngelis saying that it was 'not appropriate for Seven Seas to publish Nymphet,' and that it would cancel its release of the manga.[2]
In a second statement regarding Nymphet, DeAngelis explained some of the reasoning behind the decision to cancel the series. He stated that, 'my primary reason for canceling Nymphet is due to my recent realization that later volumes in the series can not be considered appropriate for the US market by any reasonable standard.' He also cited the fact that, '[the vendors] began dropping their orders left and right, so their opinion on this matter became pretty clear cut.'[38] Specifically, DeAngelis stated that, during his re-review of later Kodomo no Jikan anthologies, he discovered content that he regarded as highly unsuitable for publication.[36] The pages cited were of a scene of the main characters, Rin Kokonoe and Daisuke Aoki, stuck in a room with freezing temperatures. The two embrace in an effort to stay warm by sharing body heat, and Rin takes the opportunity to rub her crotch against Aoki's, almost causing him to get an erection.[36]
On June 7, 2007, Kaworu Watashiya posted a blog entry on the Kodomo no Jikan controversy in the United States.[39] She commented that, 'what I heard about 'issues in volume 2 and later' made me realize the differences in the cultures between the countries.'[40] The author went on to cite instances in later volumes that showed intimate relationships between cousins and a bath scene with a child and adult, going on to say that, 'my honest feeling is, 'It's unfortunate, but what can I do?'[40]
Former manga editor Toren Smith commented on the issue in favor of its content, accusing people who support the reverse gender scenario in series such as Negima! Magister Negi Magi of being hypocritical.[41]Anime News Network writer Zac Bertschy expressed complete disapproval of the content present in Kodomo no Jikan, categorizing it as lolicon and 'comic book kiddie porn'. He expressed dismay over Seven Seas Entertainment's decision in licensing the manga, and hoped that nobody would buy it once it is out for sale.[42]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Loo, Egan (May 10, 2010). 'Kodomo no Jikan Anime's Return Announced'. Anime News Network. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ ab'Seven Seas kills Nymphet'. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
- ^Watashiya, Kaworu (September 12, 2012). 'Class Period 81'. Kodomo no Jikan Volume 12. Futabasha. ISBN9784575841268.
- ^Watashiya, Kaworu. 'Period 30'. Kodomo no Jikan volume 5. Futabasha.
- ^'New Shōjo Manga Magazine for Boys'. Anime News Network. 2004-02-27. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
- ^コミックハイ! 2013年5月号 [Comic High! May 2013 issue] (in Japanese). Tohan Corporation. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
- ^'Project-H Asks Fans How They Want Their 'Kodomo no Jikan''. Anime News Network. April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^'Digital Manga's PeCChi Imprint Launches Kickstarter for Kodomo no Jikan Manga'. Anime News Network. May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^'Kodomo no Jikan Manga's Kickstarter Campaign Ends With US$185,725'. Anime News Network. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^@Watashiya (July 5, 2016). 'えっ「グラフィクノベル(長編漫画)部門で歴代1位の額だよ」ってリプライが…ってマジですか! わーありがたいやら申し訳ないやら(´ε`三 ´ з` )' (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved October 19, 2016 – via Twitter.
- ^Karen Ressler (March 21, 2018). 'Digital Manga President Comments on Kickstarter Reward Delay'. Anime News Network. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- ^Karen Ressler (January 4, 2019). 'Project-H Store Reopens With Kodomo no Jikan Manga'. Anime News Network. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
- ^'Kojika Radio hosted by Lantis Web Radio' (in Japanese). Lantis. Archived from the original on 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^'Kojika Radio hosted by Beat Net Radio!' (in Japanese). Bandai Visual. Archived from the original on 2007-10-14. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^'Kojika Radio at Kodomo no Jikan's official website' (in Japanese). Studio Barcelona. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^'Kojika Radio on CD: Aki Ensoku Hen official listing' (in Japanese). Lantis. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^'Kodomo no Jikan drama CD official listing' (in Japanese). Lantis. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^'Japan's Teletama Takes Nymphet, Higurashi off Schedule'. Anime News Network. 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
- ^'2nd Japanese TV Station Removes Nymphet from Schedule'. Anime News Network. 2007-10-09. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
- ^'TV Saitama, Kodomo no Jikan, and axe girl stuff'. 2007-10-05. Retrieved 2016-06-21.[dead link]
- ^'Teletama Reply for Pulling Kodomo no Jikan'. Alafista.com. 2007-10-11. Archived from the original on 2007-12-28. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^'Arrested school vice principal says he is a 'superstar' among pedophiles'. 2007-10-02. Retrieved 2008-01-04.[dead link]
- ^'Japanese teacher arrested on suspicion of teen sex act'. 2007-10-02. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
- ^'Official anime series DVD listing for Kodomo no Jikan' (in Japanese). Studio Barcelona. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
- ^'Kodomo no Jikan (Nymphet) Second Term Anime Announced'. Anime News Network. March 29, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ^'Kodomo no Jikan Anime's Return Announced'. Anime News Network. May 10, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
- ^ ab''Rettsu! Ohime-sama Dakko' opening theme single official listing' (in Japanese). Lantis. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ ab''Hanamaru Sensation' ending theme single official listing' (in Japanese). Lantis. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^'Kodomo no Jikan original soundtrack official listing' (in Japanese). Lantis. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^'Character song CD 1 official listing' (in Japanese). Lantis. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^'Character song CD 2 official listing' (in Japanese). Lantis. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^'Character song CD 3 official listing' (in Japanese). Lantis. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^''Guilty Future' opening theme single official listing' (in Japanese). Lantis. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
- ^''1,2,3 Day' ending theme single official listing' (in Japanese). Lantis. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
- ^''Kodomo no Jikan' Best Album official listing' (in Japanese). Lantis. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
- ^ abc'Jason DeAngelis blog'. Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
- ^'Seven Seas Entertainment Talks about Nymphet'. Anime News Network. 2007-05-29. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
- ^'Seven Seas' Nymphet Letter 2'. Anime News Network. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^'Kaworu Watashiya's blog entry on Kodomo no Jikan's cancellation' (in Japanese). June 7, 2007. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
- ^ ab'Nymphet Creator, U.S. Publisher Blog on Cancellation'. Anime News Network. June 7, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
- ^Smith, Toren (June 17, 2007). 'Gendanken Experiment'. The Dead Zone (blog). Archived from the original on July 9, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^Bertschy, Zac (May 18, 2007). 'Hey, Answerman!'. Anime News Network. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
This is - I think, anyway - the first lolicon title that's explicit enough to be released here with shrinkwrap, so the potential for danger is probably higher than it is with yaoi manga, but for right now I'm not sure I'd be panicked about this release.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Kodomo no Jikan |
- Anime official website‹See Tfd›(in Japanese)
- Kodomo no Jikan (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
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