To (Sub)Serve Man - Role Language and Intimate Scripts in Kioku no Dizorubu

Aug 22, 2026

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Japanese Adult Computer Games use immersive narratives built on intimate interactions with anime-manga characters, where players are encouraged to develop parasocial phenomena as part of the gameplay loop. The study shows that character-interaction language assigns roles and expectations that can be confirmed or subverted. It analyzes stylized character idiolects (yakuwarigo) and how these linguistic systems embed gendered roles in Kioku no Dizorubu.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Adult computer games, intimacy, and intimate scripts

Role language (yakuwarigo)

Intimate scripts and gendered roles in Kioku no Dizorubu

LEA-Lingue e letteratured’Oriente e d’Occidente Firenze University Press [www.fupress.com/bsfm-lea](www.fupress.com/bsfm-lea) Citation: L. Bruno (2023) To (Sub)Serve Man . Role Language and Intimate Scripts in Kioku no Dizorubu. Lea 12: pp. 99-116. doi: [https://](https://)[ ](https://)[doi . org/10 . 36253/lea-1824-](doi . org/10 . 36253/lea-1824-)[ ](doi . org/10 . 36253/lea-1824-)484x-14474 . Copyright: © 2023 L. Bruno. This is an open access, peer-reviewed article published by Firenze University Press ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/](oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/)[ ](oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/)[bsfm-lea](bsfm-lea)) and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Data Availability Statement: All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files. Competing Interests: The Author(s) declare(s) no conflict of interest. To (Sub)Serve Man Role Language and Intimate Scripts in Kioku no Dizorubu Luca Bruno Università degli Studi di Firenze (<[lucapaolo.bruno@unifi.it](lucapaolo.bruno@unifi.it)>) Abstract Japanese Adult Computer Games engage players in immersive narrative experiences centred on intimate interactions with anime-manga characters. Within these games, players are encouraged to develop parasocial phenomena as an integral aspect of the gameplay loop. The language employed during character interactions plays a pivotal role in shaping these parasocial phenomena, establishing specific roles, expectations, and the potential for their confirmation or subversion. This paper examines the systems of stylized character idiolects typical of anime-manga media – referred to as yakuwarigo by Kinsui 2017, 2003 – and explores how these linguistic elements embed gendered roles in the women-oriented video game Kioku no Dizorubu. Keywords: Adult Computer Games, Fictoromance, Intimacy, Intimate Scripts, Japanese Game Studies Introduction Adult computer games in Japan represent a sizeable portion of Japanese video game production, averaging five-hundred releases per year (Koyama et al. 2019) . Setting, themes and tone are manifold: adult computer games may feature narratives settings ranging from SF/Fantasy to fictionalized versions of present-day Japan; themes range from coming-of-age stories to postmodern fiction and grand-guignolesque horror; tone range from the lighthearted to the dramatic. They range from melodramatic stories meant to elicit deep emotional responses in users to pornographic depictions meant to provide masturbatory entertainment. They are also strictly one-way experiences, in which user imagination plays a foundational role. What these works of interactive software – out of a decidedly non-exhaustive list – have in common, as adult computer games, is the featuring of developing character intimacy as the Lea 12: 99-116, 2023 ISSN 1824-484X (online) | DOI: 10. 36253/lea-1824-484x-14474 100 luca bruno focus ofthe in-game experience and the focal point of intended in-game player activity. Players are actively encouraged to immerse themselves in a fictional, anime-manga inspired context and form emotional connections with the anime-manga characters with whom they will navigate the game’s world and storyline. To ensure that players comprehend their role within the game’s world and appropriately respond to characters on an emotional level, the language utilized by the characters to address users and refer to themselves becomes paramount. This significance is particularly heightened when considering that most of these games are written, developed, and primarily targeted at a Japanese audience. Furthermore, these games operate within a (g)local context where Japan is at the center and the anglosphere is at the periphery, which in turn influences assumed gender roles

FAQs

What role does language play in shaping parasocial phenomena in Japanese adult computer games?

Language used during character interactions assigns specific roles and expectations, influencing how parasocial phenomena develop and whether they are confirmed or subverted.

What framework does the paper use to analyze linguistic features in Kioku no Dizorubu?

It examines role language (yakuwarigo) and intimate scripts, drawing on prior work to interpret how synthetic idiolects and intimacy-related scripts construct identity and interaction.

How does the study connect gendered language to character identity and player roles?

By analyzing highly stylized gendered language, the paper investigates how it constructs character identity and the corresponding roles of characters and players within an intimate relationship.

Aug 22, 2026

Upload by Maeve