So, I’m aware that Japan is not just “the anime country” and that people don’t act and talk like an anime character. However, I did see that some women in anime (specifically more tomboyish/casual women) would say “boku”. I’ve also seen the standard “watashi” and “atashi” for women, but I’m generally more tomboyish and was wondering if it was weird to introduce myself like 「僕は五月です。」(Boku wa Satsuki desu).
My real name isn’t actually Satsuki as I’m not Japanese, I’m just using the character’s name as a pseudonym.
Again, I know people don’t talk like anime characters, but I still wanna make sure it’s not weird to address myself as that just because I’m a tomboy. Or is it similar to someone in one of my languages saying “Tô confuso” as a woman? (“I’m confused” but said as a man, tô confusa is correct for a woman).
personally i think you should use what feels right for you. Japanese society mainstream doesn’t think that way. for them, things are correct or not correct.
tl;dr - if you’re okay with lots of repetitive questions from every new acquaintance, feel free to try any persona in Japan. there are niche communities for everything (can be hard to find).
beware of Japanese ppl’s questions. they are not as familiar with the idea of asking in a considerate way. if they see someone with large breasts, they might even ask the person “do you like sex?” because many Japanese actually assume that having large breasts and talking is the same as bringing the topic of sex into the conversation.
back to “boku”, there’s one female celebrity that uses “boku”. her name is あの (ano) and her style ranges from gamer hoodies to frilly goth loli… apparel. if you fit a similar niche and/or only interact with gen Z or alpha or lgbtq folks in Japan, you might get away with using “boku” without facing a ton of questions/corrections.
otherwise, as a foreigner, every new person you meet over there will “correct” you to try to make you say whatever’s the textbook thing for your assigned-at-birth sex.
regarding pseudonyms usage irl, Japanese are more accepting of foreign sounding names for foreign looking faces. otherwise, again, a ton of questions, like “are you Japanese? any Japanese ancestors? half Japanese? quarter?” and every new person the same questions repeating over and over.
this happens so much with every part of life for foreigners in Japan, some tried to decrease meeting new people or reduce trips leaving their home neighborhood, etc, just to reduce the repetitive experience.
sorry for doom and gloom. just want to make sure people have as positive an experience as possible in Japan. that means setting realistic expectations.