Kuro First-Person Pronouns: Our Ciel Phantomhive
Unlike English, Japanese has many first-person pronouns ( “I”). These often will give you information about the type of person the character is. Are they very feminine or masculine? Polite or brusque? Young or old? Are they higher or lower in the social hierarchy? How close, psychologically, are they to the listener?
It’s not uncommon for one person to use different pronouns in different situations, and that is sometimes the case in the manga, depending on the character.
These ofc get lost in translation and are something I find very interesting. So this series will go through some of the Black Butler characters and show you which pronoun(s) they tend to use in Japanese and what that says about them as a character.
[Even more about Japanese pronouns.]
•私•僕•俺•儂•自分•我•私•僕•俺•儂•自分•我•
Our Ciel Phantomhive - 僕
Used By: (Young) Men | Casual or Polite: Semi-Formal
He consistently uses 僕 (boku) as his first-person pronoun of choice.
Here’s a couple examples from Volume 1 and then one of the more recent chapters:
This pronoun is an interesting one. Traditionally, 僕 is one of the typically “masculine” pronouns and is usually the first one that young boys are taught. Even though it is used by adults as well, it can sometimes have the connotation of childishness and immaturity.
However, the pronoun’s kanji 僕, also means male “servant” or “slave,” and it was considered humble in the same way one may say in English “I, your humble servant.” However, in the Meiji period it was adopted by academics (as a way of setting themselves apart from the uneducated), so it went from being a strictly humble, more casual pronoun to one that was more polite and elevated.
In the past, 僕 was actually used by older men, but now it’s associated more with young men, or men who want a pronoun that comes off as less brusquely masculine. It is also used sometimes by women nowadays, partly bc of the influence of manga and anime, and its “masculine” association has softened even more in recent years.
僕 is a kind of middle ground between the more neutral /formal/ distant 私 (watashi)—what Sebastian uses—and the rougher, more casual, harsher masculine pronoun 俺 (ore), which Bard, Wolf, and Ron use.
Additionally, 僕 can be used as a kind of second-person pronoun for young boys as a means of addressing them, sort of like we might say “kid” or “boy” to a child in English. (Note that this is not the same word Bard uses in recent chapters when talking about Ciel as a “runt,” btw.)
So what does this mean for Ciel? Well, it distinguishes him from Sebastian. Even though he also speaks more formally, you can easily identify his speech over his butler’s by pronoun alone. It also is a reminder that despite pretense, Ciel is still a young boy.
It’s also significant because 僕 is not typically a pronoun used with those above you. As an Earl, it would be rare for Ciel to have many (other than the Queen) who are above him in social station, so it fits that he uses that for himself.
Even with the Queen, Ciel uses 僕. Perhaps, it’s meant to be a sign of his younger age, but it could be precisely because he’s talking to the Queen that he doesn’t switch to a different pronoun. I know, that seems contradictory to what I said before, but 僕 still has an association with humbleness, so it can make you appear more humble or deferent, especially in formal situations. With that logic, then it makes sense that he would not change pronouns, in order to emphasize that he is, quite literally, her humble servant.
It’s impossible to say, but Ciel’s usage of 僕 could be a holdover from being the “spare.” (Though I’m not sure what pronouns Real Ciel uses yet so I could be blowing smoke with this assessment.)
In general, Ciel’s pronoun doesn’t tell us quite as much about him as Sebastian’s did, but it still gives us some insight into his character.
•私•僕•俺•儂•自分•我•私•僕•俺•儂•自分•我•
This is part of a series. More to come!
Sebastian | Our Ciel | Bard | Mey Rin | Finny | Lau | Grelle | Undertaker | Real Ciel | Blavat | Doll | Agni | Soma | Snake | Layla & Al
•私•僕•俺•儂•自分•我•私•僕•俺•儂•自分•我•
[ x x x x x ]
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Miruko: So, fly boy, you think you can handle me?
Jango: I don't think. I know~
Miruko: Bring it then!
You know, I've wanted to draw Jango spanking Miruko for a long time; I've always hesitated since I dropped MHA a little bit before she made her proper appearance and felt somewhat conflicted about drawing her.
BUT my buddy Cade0 has been whispering 'Miruko' into my ear, and like clockwork, I've had her on the brain. So Jango's decided to go full rabbit season and catch him a rabbit!
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Anyone have any good my hero fic recs?
I’m looking for:
Angst
Fluff
m/m
Kaminari Denki/Bakugou Katsuki, Todoroki Shouto/Bakugou Katsuki, Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku, Todoroki Shouto/Sero Hanta, Kirishima Eijirou/Bakugou Katsuki, or Kirishima Eijirou/Midoriya Izuku, Shinsou Hitoshi/Bakugou Katsuki
Fake Relationship if possible
Miscommunication
something along these vibes
And i would exclude anything with:
Major Character Death
Rape/Noncon
Villain fics for the moment
If you guys know of anything lmk! i’ve gone through so many. Pretty sure i’ve read like all of the TodoBaku or KamiBaku ones lol!
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