KARAKTERISTIK PEMBENTUKAN WAKAMONO KOTOBA DALAM ANIME “NAKITAI WATASHI WA NEKO O KABURU” KARYA MARI OKADA

Abstract

This research examines wakamono kotoba, a non-standardized Japanese youth vernacular influenced by popular culture, as represented in the anime Nakitai Watashi wa Neko o Kaburu. Employing a descriptive qualitative design anchored in pragmatic analysis, the study investigates both the formal properties and social functions of these expressions. Data were derived from character dialogues through systematic transcription and observation, subsequently classified according to frameworks by Yonekawa, Kageyama, and Sato. The interpretive process draws on Hymes’ SPEAKING model to situate usage within interactional contexts, with Austin’s speech act theory serving as an auxiliary conceptual guide. Results reveal the predominance of clipped forms, such as 「ヤバっ」 (from 「やばい」) and 「たまんね」 (from 「たまらない」), which operate as devices for emotional economy, intimacy-building, and informality. The findings suggest that wakamono kotoba in this narrative functions beyond linguistic innovation, constituting a strategic mechanism for enacting identity and reinforcing affiliative bonds among characters..

Keywords: wakamono kotoba, characteristics, slang, youth language variety, anime