#give a big applause to PaperGames JP branch translator

[hakutaichou]

[JP] Love and Producer: Pronouns + Speech Style Analysis

This post is about what pronouns and speech style the bois used in JP version. Unlike Chinese/Mandarin and English, in Japanese, there’re many honorifics used by different people's personalities with many formal and informal social situations.

Japanese grammar, as a whole, tends to function on hierarchy; honorific stems are appended to verbs and many nouns, primarily names, and in many cases one word may be exchanged for another word entirely with the same verb or noun meaning, but with different honorific connotations. (Wikipedia)

Prepare your snack and drink, this is gonna be a very long post.

P.S I’m using Gavin vs Shaw battle in episode 6 because they cursing each other using their “speech style”.

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First of all, let’s arrange some of JP word speech based on the bois...

“CEO Victor”

俺 (Ore) = I

私 (Watashi) = I [Formal]

おまえ (Omae) = You

きみ (Kimi) / あなた (Anata) = You [Formal]

バカ (Baka) = Dummy

来い (Koi) = Come here

“Prof. Lucien”

僕 (Boku) [Lucien] / 私 (Watashi) [Ares] = I

きみ (Kimi) [Lucien] / おまえ (Omae) [Ares] = You

馬鹿 / ばか (Baka) = Silly

おいで (Oide) = Come here

“Captain Gavin”

俺 (Ore) = I

自分 (Jibun) / 僕 (Boku) = I [Formal]

おまえ (Omae) = You

馬鹿 (Baka) = Silly

来い (Koi) = Come here

“Idol-Hacker Kiro”

オレ (Ore) [Kiro] / 俺 (Ore) [Helios] = I

キミ (Kimi) [Kiro] / おまえ (Omae) [Helios] = You

ばか (Baka) = Silly

こっちに来て (Kochi ni kite) = Come here

“College Student Shaw”

俺 (Ore) = I

アンタ (Anta) = You

バカ (Baka) = Silly

来いよ (Koi yo) = Come here

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Can you see it, the different words with same meaning that used by each of the bois?

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[Character Personality Description from Evol x Love JP Official Website]

CEO Victor is Huarui (LFG) Group’s CEO. He started Huarui in college, and climbed to the top of financial world in eight years. He’s also the investor of MC’s Company and the one who holds its fate. His personality is decisive and strict. He thinks rules is above all else than emotion, and he acts only for the benefit of the company. He hates spending time and money meaninglessly. He looks cold at first glance, but he also has a gentle side, such as approaching the weak things.

Since he is Tsundere, the most perfect pronouns for him is “Ore and Omae”

Hakutaichou: “I’ll explain his speech analysis with Gavin...”

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Captain Gavin is a EVOL special officer. He ostensibly works at Loveland City Police Station as an ordinary police officer. He is a lone wolf and brave man. He has absolute trust in the person he admits. He has his own policy, and doesn’t mind being misunderstood by others. He has his own right and wrong views, sometimes he acts out of the rules of the world.

Same as Victor, Gavin’s pronouns is “Ore and Omae” which usually used by cold-ruthless-hold power character in otome world. but what makes their personality different is on their “Silly/Idiot” word.

Victor’s バカ (Baka) in “Katakana”, and Gavin’s 馬鹿 (Baka) in “Kanji”

Where’s the difference? its from their speech style, Victor said “Baka” with decisive personality, meanwhile Gavin said it with polite personality.

if you can't tell the difference, you can hear some dialog from both of them in Chapter 26-27 (Gavin talking to guard in facility vs Victor met Leto in cargo ship)

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Professor Lucien is an authoritative scientist in neuroscientist community. He is a Elite who has returned from studying aboard. He’s known to the public as a guest professor at Loveland University. He has an amazing memory, that he will never forget what he saw once, and his IQ and EQ are high. He treats everyone politely, which in turn makes people feel that there is a sense of distance. No one knows his true nature and purpose.

Lucien is a “yasashii” gentle person with mysterious aura, he always make a smiling face to everyone, but at the same times he’s emotionless boi and had a dark personality he hides from them. His pronouns is “Boku and Kimi”, which sometimes used by intelligent/educated-gentle character in otome world.

As if a kind man with a many hidden motive (from bad thing to possessive thing) who wanted his loved one to come closer to him, “Oide” is the most “Come Here” word that used by a same character type as Lucien.

When he acted as Ares, his pronouns changed to “Watashi/Boku and Omae” or “Watashi and Anata [Anime only]” because his personality also changed to ruthless-polite person, but sometimes turned back to his “Boku and Kimi” when talking to MC only.

Lucien/Ares to MC: You (Kimi), can’t hurt yourself.

Ares to BS Member: What do you (Omae) know?

If you need more references, there’re some of gentle mysterious characters who voiced by Lucien’s JP VA, Hirakawa-san which using “Boku and Kimi” or “Watashi and Anata” for their pronouns, like Saint-Germain from Code: Realize.

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Idol-Hacker Kiro is a super popular idol who has been active since childhood. He wasn’t easy on his way, but he got over it with an optimistic personality. He is as bright as the sun, attractive and straightforward personality. He is mischievous, childish, and smart. He likes a mediocre life, sometimes disguises himself to go to convenience stores, and walk around the city. In addition to his occupation as a idol, he also has multiple identities and his true purpose.

That’s why, Kiro’s “Come here” is “Kochi ni kite”, that words same as persuade people, even kids to come closer, not like “Oide” or “Koi”, you can feel the owner’s very warm tone from that words.

Plus because Kiro once lived in America, his pronouns (Ore and Kimi) using “Katakana” not “Kanji/Hiragana” like others.

*Katakana: one of japanese writing system, usually used to write words that come from foreign languages that have been absorbed into Japanese

Kiro: Always stay by my (Ore [Katakana]) side.

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But when Kiro become Helios, besides swapped personality from warm innocent to cold ruthless mode, his pronouns also changed to Victor and Gavin’s pronouns (Ore and Omae).

Helios: Leave the rest to me (Ore [Kanji])

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Shaw [Error 404: Not found]

Since Shaw’s encounter with MC are still few...I’ll analyzed him from main chapter side and some of Date only.

Because Shaw is a arrogant gangster with polite attitude person, his pronouns is “Ore and Anta”

俺 (Ore) is from his arrogant personality, meanwhile アンタ (Anta) is informal pronoun of あなた (Anata) from his polite one.

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[Extra]

“She/Her and He/Him”

There’s no specific “She/Her” and “He/Him” pronouns in Japanese. All of japanese people calling each other using their name (except: their mom, auntie, grandma, etc). What if we didn’t remember their name? you can use “You” for calling them. And if you want to talking about someone, you can use “Ano hito”, “Ano ko”, “Ano yarou” which have one main meaning is, “That person”.

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Back to the main topic. In Main Chapters, MC like to call every love interests with their name, not “You” in dialog script.

MC: Haku, Zen, Kira, Helios, Simon, Ares, Shou.

And MC sometimes using “Kare” instead the boys’ name in description, or her inner mind.

彼 / カレ (Kare) means He/Him, sometimes used for close relationship like “Boyfriend”.

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Besides using MC’s name, Victor, Lucien, Kiro, and Gavin also using “Kanojo” to calling MC, meanwhile Shaw in early chapter called MC as “Ano ko” (That Girl) before changed to “Kanojo” in Chapter 19+

彼女 (Kanojo) means She/Her, usually used for close relationship such as...“Girlfriend”.

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That’s why...In episode 6 (Chapter 11)

JP Shaw: Maa demo...honki de “Ano ko” wo mamoritai nara, anna tokoro totto yameru nda na.

[Real ENG] JP Shaw: Well... if you really want to protect “That girl”, you’d better leave that place (STF) immediately.

JP Gavin: “Kanojo” wo te o dasu na!

[Real ENG] JP Gavin: Don’t you dare to touch MY GIRL!

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