<p>There is a common mistake by the translator in the words of Kumagawa. The origin of the meaning of parentheses, whether in the anime or manga, has two reasons in the Japanese language. The first reason is that the words inside the brackets are all lies. The second reason is that the words inside the brackets are said in a single tone of voice without any feelings, whether anger, sadness or joy, and I think that Kumagawa uses both reasons</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-27T20:13:52.317Z
Welcome to Anime & Manga! Do you have a manga chapter/anime episode reference to support your answer?
ᴅᴀɴɪᴇʟッ
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-27T20:13:57.480Z
Please add further details to expand on your answer, such as working code or documentation citations.
Community
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-21T20:34:10.483Z
Your edit hasn't added anything of value to your answer.
F1Krazy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-27T18:31:31.883Z
2021-09-22T11:59:42.113Z
2021-09-22T11:59:42.113Z
GOOD LOSER
<p>The reason why Kumagawa's "speaks" in brackets is a <a href="http://dic.pixiv.net/a/%E7%90%83%E7%A3%A8%E5%B7%9D%E7%A6%8A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">bit of a pun</a> (see 『カギカッコ』). The context here implies literally [括弧]{かっこ}つける (kakko tsukeru), meaning "to add brackets/parenthesis (to something, e.g., a sentence)." The pun involves a well-known expression [格好]{かっこ}つける (kakko tsukeru), meaning "to show off or try to look cool." Kumagawa speaks in the way he does because he is trying to sound cool.</p>

<p>One thing to note about 格好 is it's a kanji with <a href="http://jisho.org/word/%E6%A0%BC%E5%A5%BD%E3%81%A4%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B" rel="nofollow noreferrer">irregular kana usage</a>. おう (ou) like えい (ei) is what's called a "long vowel." The おう (ou)  is essentially a long "oo" sound.  Historically [格好]{かっこう} (kakkou) is the correct spelling, however in certain, more colloquial contexts the う is <a href="http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E6%A0%BC%E5%A5%BD%E3%81%A4%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B" rel="nofollow noreferrer">omitted</a> for purposed such as brevity. </p>

<p>In <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/SwgiU.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">chapter 88</a> of the manga, when Kumagawa returns to the dream classroom and ask Ajimu for his original Minus back. Ajimu asks him to express himself sincerely, without brackets if he wants it back. </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/SD01v.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/SD01v.jpg" alt="第88話"></a></p>

<p>He <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/yerUY.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">replies</a> w/o square brackets.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/vx5vh.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/vx5vhm.jpg" alt="二重かぎかっこ"></a></p>

<p>It should be noted that he speaks using "double square brackets" (二重鉤括弧 『　』) used to mark quotes within quotes. In Japanese fiction this type of square bracket is often <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%8B%AC%E5%BC%A7#.E4.BA.8C.E9.87.8D.E9.89.A4.E6.8B.AC.E5.BC.A7.E3.80.8E.E3.80.8F" rel="nofollow noreferrer">used to denote</a> something heard through another device. It's implied in the case of Kumagawa that what we are seeing is essentially subtitles. We're hearing the literal meaning being his <em>cool</em> words.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/dvOVL.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5aVef.jpg" alt="More 二重かぎかっこ"></a> </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-14T00:01:45.830Z
I haven't read the manga (only watched the anime), but I have heard this explanation, and I've always found it a little dubious. 格好 is pronounced かっこう, whereas 括弧 is pronounced かっこ. Similar, but not quite the same.
senshin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-14T02:39:55.723Z
@senshin While the kanji 括弧 is pronounced かっこう, it seems that the non-kanji form [often drops the -う](https://www.google.com/search?q=かっこつける). (additional ref: [weblio](http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E6%A0%BC%E5%A5%BD%E3%81%A4%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B))
Cattua
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-14T03:19:35.730Z
格好 has irregular kana usage, so you see both in various places and in various capacities. A lot of time the う is omitted, usually for brevity, since the "-ou" is basically a long "-oo".
кяαzєя
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-13T23:57:41.440Z
2015-08-14T03:25:05.707Z
2015-08-14T03:25:05.707Z
кяαzєя
<p>「In the manga, Misogi Kumagawa talks with his words inside <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_typographic_symbols#Brackets_and_quotation_marks" rel="nofollow noreferrer">quotation marks</a>, just like this.」</p>

<p>「Here's a typical example:」</p>

<p><img src="https://i.gyazo.com/bf8243a4ddc2254092f737734aea6da8.png" alt="Kumagawa"></p>

<p>「Why is this? Is there a specific reason he has this notation while talking?」</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-13T18:33:19.843Z
I believe it has to do with his "All Fiction", which allows him to deny reality. 「So basically, what he says is not real, hence the quotation marks.」 Maybe?
Nolonar
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-13T18:37:01.117Z
@Nolonar I thought that, but he still has that notation when he swaps "All-Fiction" for "Bookmaker", so I don't think it's that. I know he still *technically* has it, but it's sorta locked away until that specific incident later in the story.
Matt
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-13T22:26:37.230Z
I guess it's to indicate a different style of talking? Like how Yotsuba in Mahou Sensei Negima speaks without text bubble.
nhahtdh
<japanese-language><medaka-box>
Why does Kumagawa talk in Japanese quotation marks?
# Why does Kumagawa talk in Japanese quotation marks?
Posted by: username_0 on 2015-08-13
「In the manga, Misogi Kumagawa talks with his words inside [quotation marks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_typographic_symbols#Brackets_and_quotation_marks), just like this.」

「Here's a typical example:」

![Kumagawa](https://i.gyazo.com/bf8243a4ddc2254092f737734aea6da8.png)

「Why is this? Is there a specific reason he has this notation while talking?」
**Tags:** japanese-language medaka-box
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I believe it has to do with his "All Fiction", which allows him to deny reality. 「So basically, what he says is not real, hence the quotation marks.」 Maybe?  
> **username_0**: @Nolonar I thought that, but he still has that notation when he swaps "All-Fiction" for "Bookmaker", so I don't think it's that. I know he still *technically* has it, but it's sorta locked away until that specific incident later in the story.  
> **username_2**: I guess it's to indicate a different style of talking? Like how Yotsuba in Mahou Sensei Negima speaks without text bubble.  
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_7 on 2015-08-13. Score: 9 | Accepted answer
The reason why Kumagawa's "speaks" in brackets is a [bit of a pun](http://dic.pixiv.net/a/%E7%90%83%E7%A3%A8%E5%B7%9D%E7%A6%8A) (see 『カギカッコ』). The context here implies literally [括弧]{かっこ}つける (kakko tsukeru), meaning "to add brackets/parenthesis (to something, e.g., a sentence)." The pun involves a well-known expression [格好]{かっこ}つける (kakko tsukeru), meaning "to show off or try to look cool." Kumagawa speaks in the way he does because he is trying to sound cool.

One thing to note about 格好 is it's a kanji with [irregular kana usage](http://jisho.org/word/%E6%A0%BC%E5%A5%BD%E3%81%A4%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B). おう (ou) like えい (ei) is what's called a "long vowel." The おう (ou) is essentially a long "oo" sound. Historically [格好]{かっこう} (kakkou) is the correct spelling, however in certain, more colloquial contexts the う is [omitted](http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E6%A0%BC%E5%A5%BD%E3%81%A4%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B) for purposed such as brevity.

In [chapter 88](https://i.sstatic.net/SwgiU.jpg) of the manga, when Kumagawa returns to the dream classroom and ask Ajimu for his original Minus back. Ajimu asks him to express himself sincerely, without brackets if he wants it back.

[![第88話](https://i.sstatic.net/SD01v.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/SD01v.jpg)

He [replies](https://i.sstatic.net/yerUY.jpg) w/o square brackets.

[![二重かぎかっこ](https://i.sstatic.net/vx5vhm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/vx5vh.jpg)

It should be noted that he speaks using "double square brackets" (二重鉤括弧 『　』) used to mark quotes within quotes. In Japanese fiction this type of square bracket is often [used to denote](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%8B%AC%E5%BC%A7#.E4.BA.8C.E9.87.8D.E9.89.A4.E6.8B.AC.E5.BC.A7.E3.80.8E.E3.80.8F) something heard through another device. It's implied in the case of Kumagawa that what we are seeing is essentially subtitles. We're hearing the literal meaning being his *cool* words.

[![More 二重かぎかっこ](https://i.sstatic.net/5aVef.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/dvOVL.jpg)
> **Comments:**
> **username_8** (2015-08-14): I haven't read the manga (only watched the anime), but I have heard this explanation, and I've always found it a little dubious. 格好 is pronounced かっこう, whereas 括弧 is pronounced かっこ. Similar, but not quite the same.  
> **username_9** (2015-08-14): @senshin While the kanji 括弧 is pronounced かっこう, it seems that the non-kanji form [often drops the -う](https://www.google.com/search?q=かっこつける). (additional ref: [weblio](http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E6%A0%BC%E5%A5%BD%E3%81%A4%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B))  
> **username_7** (2015-08-14): 格好 has irregular kana usage, so you see both in various places and in various capacities. A lot of time the う is omitted, usually for brevity, since the "-ou" is basically a long "-oo".  
---
### Answer by username_3 on 2021-08-27. Score: -1
There is a common mistake by the translator in the words of Kumagawa. The origin of the meaning of parentheses, whether in the anime or manga, has two reasons in the Japanese language. The first reason is that the words inside the brackets are all lies. The second reason is that the words inside the brackets are said in a single tone of voice without any feelings, whether anger, sadness or joy, and I think that Kumagawa uses both reasons
> **Comments:**
> **username_4** (2021-08-27): Welcome to Anime & Manga! Do you have a manga chapter/anime episode reference to support your answer?  
> **username_5** (2021-08-27): Please add further details to expand on your answer, such as working code or documentation citations.  
> **username_6** (2021-09-21): Your edit hasn't added anything of value to your answer.  
---
