History Main / Keigo

* Arashi Kishuu from ''{{X 1999}}'' is a {{Miko}} raised in the Ise Jingun temple, and has very archaic speech/writing patterns. It's specially notorious in her drama CD track, which is in the format of a letter she writes to Ise's head priestess and her ParentalSubstitute, Kaede Saijuu.
* Ichinose Tokiya from ''UtaNoPrinceSama'' uses keigo all the time, which adds to his aloof, sophisticated air.
* Satoko Hojou in ''HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi'' was so worried that people would see her badly [[LoserSonOfLoserDad when her family was ostracised]], that she took the habit of speaking absurdly politely even in trivial situations, and even with her friends. This somewhat constrasts the CheerfulChild personality that she has most of the time.

* In ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'', Natsuhi speaks like this, as part of her efforts to keep up appearances in front of her dysfunctional family.

* The ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'' series has two major examples.

* In ''[[SuzumiyaHaruhi Haruhi Suzumiya]]'', Itsuki Koizumi always uses keigo to convey his ultra-polite nature. Kyon reads this as Koizumi being a suck-up, and Koizumi himself admits he [[BeneathTheMask gets sick of being polite to his classmates all the time.]]

* LuckyStar has Miyuki Takara and Minami Iwasaki, both raised by upscale parents. Both of them tend to speak much more formally than their peers, and the words "super" and "totally" are ''not'' in their vocabulary. Miyuki even one time says that her old friends at an all-girls school greeted even close friends with "How do you do?"

** And then there are two times in episode 7 when Konata plays this stereotypically due to an obsession she has with MariaSamaGaMiteru. The second of these is where Miyuki mentions the aforementioned all-girls' school she went to.

** And then there are two times in episode 7 when Konata plays this stereotypically due to an obsession she has with MariaSamaGaMiteiru. The second of these is where Miyuki mentions the aforementioned all-girls' school she went to.

* LuckyStar has Miyuki Takara and Minami Iwasaki, both raised by upscale parents.

* In ''Manga/LuckyStar'', as if to demonstrate that even native Japanese speakers get confused by it all sometimes, the Hiiragi family is sitting around watching a program in which someone asks a question, then waits a few seconds before revealing the answer. The person on the program asks what the modest form of ''iku'' (to go) is. Matsuri immediately says it's ''ukagau'' ("To visit"--close, but not quite), and the rest of the family gets swept up in this incorrect answer. As shown in the description section of this article, the answer is ''mairu''. This triggers their memory that, yes, they knew that.

* In the first season of ''Manga/SailorMoon'' there is an episode where Usagi/Serena goes to a "princess school" for an episode. One of the things she's shown failing at are etiquette lessons for serving coffee. While it was funny in the english dub, it was flat out hilarious in the original form because Usagi doesn't know how to construct a polite formal sentence so she overuses the o- politeness form and essentially says "o-Would o-you o-like o-some o-coffee?"

-->--''[[https://web.archive.org/web/20140111123838/http://www.enemieslist.net/japanese/ So you want to learn Japanese...]]''

-->--''[[http://www.enemieslist.net/japanese/ So you want to learn Japanese...]]''

** It could be because, except in Seoul, Korean men are usually more formal than women. Korean has two polite forms, formal polite (verbs end in -(eu)bnida) and informal polite (verbs end in -(eo)yo). The formal polite in Japanese is exactly like the regular polite, except it says de arimasu instead of desu?it's the norm in the military, for instance.

->'''Harry''': Good Morning.

* In ''Manga/Saki'', Hajime is implied to use this on Touka (whom she otherwise refers to without honorifics) while in the presence of Touka's father, as Hajime works as maid at the Ryuumonbuchi mansion in addition to being Touka's friend and teammate. When she starts referring to Touka and Kormoo as "-sama" outside the mansion, Touka scolds her, and Hajime says, "I'm sorry, Touka."

* In ''Anime/LuckyStar'', as if to demonstrate that even native Japanese speakers get confused by it all sometimes, the Hiiragi family is sitting around watching a program in which someone asks a question, then waits a few seconds before revealing the answer. The person on the program asks what the modest form of ''iku'' (to go) is. Matsuri immediately says it's ''ukagau'' ("To visit" Close, but not quite), and the rest of the family gets swept up in this incorrect answer. As shown in the description section of this article, the answer is ''mairu''. This triggers their memory that, yes, they knew that.

* ''TigerAndBunny'''s Barnaby always uses this form of speech (even during his frequent arguments with Kotetsu in the earlier episodes), which is indicative of his [[IceKing aloof]] {{kuudere}} personality. Despite warming up to Kotetsu considerably in the second half of the series, he doesn't stop using keigo when conversing with him.

->--''[[http://www.enemieslist.net/japanese/ So you want to learn Japanese...]]''

-->"*groan* Atsuu gozaru!!"
** Other characters, mainly [[WarriorMonk Kenshin]] and [[PsychoForHire Mitsuhide]] are also fond of using keigo all the time, although with very different overtones.
** There's also Ichi who is "Ichi" to her husband and her older brother, and "Oichi" to everyone else.

* ''RurouniKenshin'' has Kenshin speak in Keigo almost constantly, and refers to all women with the extremely respectful title "dono". The pronoun he uses for himself translates to an extremely humble "this one", and generally his entire speech pattern is commonly used by old men, but it's when he ''stops'' all of the above that [[SuperpoweredEvilSide it's time to start worrying]].

* Basil from ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn!''

* In [[SuzumiyaHaruhi Haruhi Suzumiya]], Itsuki Koizumi always uses keigo to convey his ultra-polite nature. Kyon reads this as Koizumi being a suck-up, and Koizumi himself admits he [[BeneathTheMask gets sick of being polite to his classmates all the time.]]

* ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' has Nia and her Keigo version of Kamina's catchphrase, usually translated as "ARE YOU AWARE OF EXACTLY WHO I AM!?"

* Mr. Yotsuya from ''MaisonIkkoku'' speaks in keigo, always wears either traditional or business clothes, but is the most impolite character in the series, breaking a hole in the wall between his room and Godai's room to steal things and bother him at awkward hours and drilled a hole between Godai's and Roppongi's wall to walk in and peep on her when he feels like it.

* Syaoran in ''TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' is scolded by Sakura in the first episode when he uses keigo around her, calling her Sakura-hime, or simply Hime (Princess Sakura or Princess respectively); she wants him to just call her "Sakura" because they are close friends (therefore he doesn't need to use keigo around her). Although, throughout the series Syaoran speaks very polite Japanese.

--> Koyori: Koyori is very sorry for doing this, but please let Koyori call you on those cards.\\

* In ''LuckyStar'', as if to demonstrate that even native Japanese speakers get confused by it all sometimes, the Hiiragi family is sitting around watching a program in which someone asks a question, then waits a few seconds before revealing the answer. The person on the program asks what the modest form of ''iku'' (to go) is. Matsuri immediately says it's ''ukagau'' ("To visit" Close, but not quite), and the rest of the family gets swept up in this incorrect answer. As shown in the description section of this article, the answer is ''mairu''. This triggers their memory that, yes, they knew that.

* Tomoyo from ''CardCaptorSakura'', as a YamatoNadeshiko-ish {{Ojou}}, has almost abnormally polite speech patterns for her tender age of 10-11. In example, she calls her own mother Sonomi "Okaa-sama", one of the most polite words to refer to one's mother -- if not ''the'' most polite one.

* In the first season of ''SailorMoon'' there is an episode where Usagi/Serena goes to a "princess school" for an episode. One of the things she's shown failing at are etiquette lessons for serving coffee. While it was funny in the english dub, it was flat out hilarious in the original form because Usagi doesn't know how to construct a polite formal sentence so she overuses the o- politeness form and essentially says "o-Would o-you o-like o-some o-coffee?"

* A common occurrence ''SengokuBasara'', being set in the [[JidaiGeki Feudal Era]]. In particular Yukimura, who uses almost painfully humble and polite speech with ''everyone'', including his enemies. This is probably the result of a [[DopeSlap strict]] [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom upbringing]] by his master Shingen. In contrast Yukimura's [[TheRival rival]] Masamune is the complete opposite, [[GratuitousEnglish speaking English]] and being generally rude to everybody.

* Anime/MawaruPenguindrum's Masako Natsume is a mix of {{Ojou}} and ActionGirl with very Keigo-ish speech patterns. Not only she uses the traditional ''[[JapanesePronouns watakushi]]'' for herself, but she also refers to a young child not older than 10 as "[[spoiler:Mario]]-san". [[spoiler:Specially odd considering that Mario her younger brother.]]

* Arashi Kishuu from {{X 1999}} is a {{Miko}} raised in the Ise Jingun temple, and has very archaic speech/writing patterns. It's specially notorious in her drama CD track, which is in the format of a letter she writes to Ise's head priestess and her ParentalSubstitute, Kaede Saijuu.

* Tomoyo from CardCaptorSakura, as a YamatoNadeshiko-ish {{Ojou}}, has almost abnormally polite speech patterns for her tender age of 10-11. In example, she calls her own mother Sonomi "Okaa-sama", one of the most polite words to refer to one's mother -- if not ''the'' most polite one.
* Fukiko "Miya-sama" Ichinomiya from OniisamaE is a graceful, distant, very princess-like [[spoiler: and secretly VERY [[{{Yandere}} emotionally unstable]] ]] {{ojou}} from one of the richest families in Japan. Therefore, she speaks in an extremely polite and indirect manner, [[PassiveAggressiveKombat even when she's pissed off.]]
* Ichika in UtaKata is chided for using keigo with her friends

->''For an example of Politeness Levels in action, see the example below.''

-->''For an example of Politeness Levels in action, see the example below.''
-->'''Japanese Teacher''': Good morning, Harry.
-->'''Harry''': Good Morning.
-->'''Japanese Classmates''': (gasps of horror and shock)
-->--[[http://www.enemieslist.net/japanese/ So you want to learn Japanese...]]