夢女子

Japanese

Kanji in this term
夢	女	子
ゆめ Grade: 5	じょ Grade: 1	し Grade: 1
kun’yomi	kan’on

Etymology

Superficially of 夢(ゆめ) (yume, “dream”) + 女子(じょし) (joshi, “girl”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [jɯ̟ᵝme̞ʑo̞ɕi]

Noun

夢(ゆめ)女(じょ)子(し) • (yumejoshi) 

1. (informal, fandom slang) a girl or woman who projects herself into a fictional story; (often) one who loves or fantasizes about a two-dimensional character
   • 2018 October 19, “‘Yumejoshi’ imi ya tsukaikata wa yōgoshū kara CHECK! [Check the meaning and usage of ‘yumejoshi’ from the glossary!]”, in Numan‎^[1]:

     【１】主人公(しゅじんこう)に自分(じぶん)の名前(なまえ)をつけて、自分(じぶん)を投影(とうえい)し楽(たの)しむ
     【２】主人公(しゅじんこう)にオリジナルキャラクターを設定(せってい)し、別人(べつじん)に投影(とうえい)し楽(たの)しむ
     夢女子(ゆめじょし)といえば【１】のみを語(かた)られがちだが、実際(じっさい)の境遇(きょうぐう)とは異(い)なる【２】の視点(してん)となったうえで自己(じこ)を投影(とうえい)する夢女子(ゆめじょし)も多(おお)く存在(そんざい)する。

     【１】 Shujinkō ni jibun no namae o tsukete, jibun o tōei shi tanoshimu
     【２】 Shujinkō ni orijinaru kyarakutā o settei shi, betsujin ni tōei shi tanoshimu
     Yumejoshi to ieba 【１】 nomi o katarare gachi da ga, jissai no kyōgū to wa i naru 【２】 no shiten to natta ue de jiko o tōei suru yumejoshi mo ōku sonzai suru.

     (1) Give the main character your own name and enjoy putting yourself in the story
     (2) Create an original character as the protagonist and enjoy imagining yourself as another character
     Some yumejoshi only identify with definition (1), but there are also many yumejoshi who identify with (2), projecting themselves into a story that is very different from their own life.

   • [2019 November 19, “‘Yumejoshi’ to wa? Imi ya yurai aru aru ni tsuite mo kaisetsu! [What is a ‘dream girl’? Explaining the meaning and origin of yumejoshi!]”, in Nettopedia‎^[2]:

     「夢女子(ゆめじょし)」以外(いがい)にも二次元(にじげん)の男性(だんせい)を好(この)む女性(じょせい)を表(あらわ)す言葉(ことば)には「腐女子(ふじょし)」があります。この「腐女子(ふじょし)」と「夢女子(ゆめじょし)」の違(ちが)いは「自分(じぶん)が主体(しゅたい)になっているか？」です。「腐女子(ふじょし)」はあくまでも作品(さくひん)の登場人物(とうじょうじんぶつ)だけのやり取(と)りを楽(たの)しみ、作品(さくひん)と自分(じぶん)を分(わ)けているのに対(たい)して、「夢女子(ゆめじょし)」は自分(じぶん)を作品(さくひん)に投影(とうえい)させて「自分(じぶん)と二次元(にじげん)キャラの恋愛(れんあい)を楽(たの)しむ」という違(ちが)いがあります。

     “Yumejoshi” igai ni mo nijigen no dansei o konomu josei o arawasu kotoba ni wa “fujoshi” ga arimasu. Kono “fujoshi” to “yumejoshi” no chigai wa “jibun ga shutai ni natte-iru ka?” desu. “Fujoshi” wa aku made mo sakuhin no tōjō jinbutsu dake no yaritori o tanoshimi, sakuhin to jibun o wakete-iru no ni taishite, “yumejoshi” wa jibun o sakuhin ni tōei sasete “jibun to nijigen kyara no ren'ai o tanoshimu” to iu chigai ga arimasu.

     In addition to yumejoshi, another term for women who prefer two-dimensional men is fujoshi. The difference between fujoshi and yumejoshi is, ‘Will you become the subject?’ Whereas fujoshi are only interested in interaction between the characters and separate themselves from the work, yumejoshi imagine themselves within the work and ‘enjoy a romantic relationship with the two-dimensional character’.]

   • 2022 September 3, Hinataka, “ONE PIECE FILM RED no Uta ga ‘saikyō no yumejoshi kyara’ to ieru itsutsu no riyū [Five reasons why Uta of One Piece Film Red is said to be ‘the ultimate yumejoshi character’]”, in Joshi Spa‎^[3]:

     夢女子(ゆめじょし)は前述(まえじゅつ)した通(どお)り、意中(いちゅう)のキャラと親密(しんみつ)になることを妄想(もうそう)する。「主人公(しゅじんこう)の子(こ)どもの頃(ころ)からの友人(ゆうじん)」どころか「推(お)しの子(こ)どもになる」というストレートな夢女子(ゆめじょし)コンボをいきなりキメてくれていたのだ。

     Yumejoshi wa mae jutsushita dōri, ichū no kyara to shinmitsu ni naru koto o mōsō suru. “Shujinkō no kodomo no koro kara no yūjin” dokoroka “oshi no kodomo ni naru” to iu sutorēto na yumejoshi konbo o ikinari kimete kurete-ita no da.

     Yumejoshi, as mentioned above, often fantasize about becoming intimate with the character. “Being the protagonist’s best friend since childhood” not to mention “becoming their chosen favorite” is an ideal combo for straight yumejoshi girls.

See also

• 腐女子(ふじょし) (fujoshi)
• English: self-insert