How can I fall when I don't even have feet?!
Today's Resolution! I will not trip where there is nothing to trip on! ...Waugh!
—Sae Sawanoguchi, Magic User's Club
(Pronounced like "Doh-Jeek-Koh".)
This character type is a carefully constructed set of character traits and personality type designed to be one of the most popular forms of
Moe in Japan. The most notable features of a Dojikko are her
klutziness and her
ditziness; however, other notable features go into her construction. She will often be
non-threatening,
generally positive (
except when they suddenly need someone to cheer them up), and might have a
submissive or passive personality, as her target demographic
believes in an ideal female that gives them someone they feel they could protect, for the betterment of their egos.
Like many other
klutz characters, a dojikko's clumsiness rarely does
her serious harm, but can often set off
Rube Goldberg-like chain reactions of disasters. She's never seriously injured, though, and she always pops back up with a good-natured, but rueful, smile. If these disasters tend to take care of her enemies without her even realizing it, she is also
The Fool. It is almost inevitable that at some point her clumsiness will result in a
Crash Into Hello.
As another aspect of the character,
Fanservice can play a large role in the character type. "
Accidental" pratfalls often result in
Panty Shots (no
Magic Skirts here), and there is often plenty of overlap with
Ms Fanservice in this trope. (Unless they're going for a more
innocent emotional connection).
The popularity of this character among the anime subculture of Japan has led to a proliferation of these characters in anime in recent years, thanks in no small part to their ability to sell
The Merch. Expect
figurines
, wall scrolls, and full-sized body pillows. Because of this, they may be added as a way of expanding the marketability of a show, much like the
Token Loli.
While the dojikko can be a separate character, it is not rare for this to overlap with other female character types, especially
The Ditz. A
Meganekko is fairly similar to this character in target audience, different in that her non-threatening nature is generated by glasses rather than clumsiness, although it only requires placing glasses on a dojikko to make a Meganekko twofer. There's also rare male versions, designed to
draw in the female crowd by making a similar desire to
take him home and be his "big sister". Either way, expect
Tareme.
See
Cute Clumsy Girl for examples.
, wall scrolls, and full-sized body pillows. Because of this, they may be added as a way of expanding the marketability of a show, much like the Token Loli.
While the dojikko can be a separate character, it is not rare for this to overlap with other female character types, especially The Ditz. A Meganekko is fairly similar to this character in target audience, different in that her non-threatening nature is generated by glasses rather than clumsiness, although it only requires placing glasses on a dojikko to make a Meganekko twofer. There's also rare male versions, designed to draw in the female crowd by making a similar desire to take him home and be his "big sister". Either way, expect Tareme.
See Cute Clumsy Girl for examples.
