Wordplay is an important aspect of Japanese humor, and Hitoribocchi makes heavy use of it — many characters have puns as names! Read on to find out what they all mean.

Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu was one of the most popular comedies of the Spring 2019 season, filled with relatable gags, eccentric high school girls, and lots of headbutting. But for those of you who aren't as familiar with the Japanese language, you may have missed out on an extra layer of comedy displayed in the show: almost every character's name is a pun associated with their personality or circumstances.

Note: This article only covers characters who appear in the anime adaptation.

Hitori Bocchi



Our titular character, the cripplingly shy Hitori Bocchi, enters middle school with the daunting task of making friends with everyone in her class.

Derived from hitoribocchi, her name means "loneliness" or "solitude." But thankfully, her name was only a brief curse.





Sunao Nako



She may have a tough-looking exterior that scares her homeroom teacher, but Nako is a kind and supportive friend who always speaks her mind (especially toward Aru).

Derived from sunao na ko, her name means "honest child."





Honshou Aru



As the vice-class representative of Bocchi's class, Aru strives to maintain an appearance of perfection and elegance despite being clumsy, forgetful, and overall zannen (unfortunate).

Derived from honshou aru, her name means "has a hidden nature." Her young alter ego, Honshou Mieru, means "hidden nature is visible".





Sotca Luckythar (Sotoka Rakita)



Obsessed with ninjas and making paper shuriken, Sotcais a foreign student who becomes Bocchi's disciple before eventually befriending her.

Derived from soto kara kita, her name means "came from outside."





Kurai Kako



Kako is perhaps Bocchi's greatest challenge: because of her desire to be strong enough to survive alone, she has a policy against making friends, teasing some kind of tragic backstory that led her to this mindset.

Derived from kurai kako, her name means "dark past."





Oshie Teruyo



When she isn't stressing over how to deal with the "delinquent" Nako, Oshie-sensei is busy being the homeroom teacher to the series' ensemble of characters.

Derived from oshieteru yo, her name means "I'll teach you."





Yawara Kai



Worried about Bocchi's social anxiety when they end up going to separate middle schools, Kai decides to break off their friendship to help Bocchi make new friends, even if it hurts them both in the short term.

Derived from yawarakai, her name means "gentle."





Kurie Ito



Shy like Bocchi, Ito is a student librarian who is best friends with Peko Onaka.

Derived from kurieito, her name means "create."





Onaka Peko



Peko adores desserts and snacks and is always seen hanging out with her best friend Kurie Ito.

Derived from onaka pekopeko, her name means "I'm starving."





Futago Nosaki



They sadly don't get their turn in their spotlight in the anime adaptation, but the Futago twins still make a short appearance in the first episode as the witnesses of Bocchi's failed attempt to escape her new class.

Derived from futago no saki (saki = previous), Nosaki's name means "the elder twin."





Futago Notsugi



And of course, Nosaki's twin sister. Admittedly, I don't know which is which...

Derived from futago no tsugi (tsugi = next), her name means "the younger twin."





Minagawa Rau



We didn't get to witness Rau's tone-deafness in the anime adaptation, but we do see her confidently introduce herself in the first episode with a humorous flourish.

Derived from mina ga warau, her name means "everyone laughs."





Ojousa Mayo



We first see Mayo being dropped off by her chauffeur, which quickly demonstrates her family's wealth. Mayo does her best to help Bocchi avoid having to switch classes away from her friends, but it was just an adorable ploy to get close to her in the end.

Derived from ojou-sama yo, her name means "I'm a rich girl."





Nakanai Karane



Even though she was only briefly introduced in the final episode when Bocchi pins a corsage on her, Nakanai Karane also has a name that's a pun, just like everyone else.

Derived from nakanai kara ne, her name means "I won't cry."