Why does Kumagawa talk in Japanese quotation marks?


「In the manga, Misogi Kumagawa talks with his words inside [quotation
marks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_typographic_symbols#Brackets_and_quotation_marks),
just like this.」

「Here's a typical example:」

![Kumagawa](https://i.gyazo.com/bf8243a4ddc2254092f737734aea6da8.png)

「Why is this? Is there a specific reason he has this notation while talking?」




The reason why Kumagawa's "speaks" in brackets is a [bit of a
pun](http://dic.pixiv.net/a/%E7%90%83%E7%A3%A8%E5%B7%9D%E7%A6%8A) (see
『カギカッコ』). The context here implies literally [括弧]{かっこ}つける (kakko tsukeru),
meaning "to add brackets/parenthesis (to something, e.g., a sentence)." The
pun involves a well-known expression [格好]{かっこ}つける (kakko tsukeru), meaning "to
show off or try to look cool." Kumagawa speaks in the way he does because he
is trying to sound cool.

One thing to note about 格好 is it's a kanji with [irregular kana
usage](http://jisho.org/word/%E6%A0%BC%E5%A5%BD%E3%81%A4%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B).
おう (ou) like えい (ei) is what's called a "long vowel." The おう (ou) is
essentially a long "oo" sound. Historically [格好]{かっこう} (kakkou) is the correct
spelling, however in certain, more colloquial contexts the う is
[omitted](http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E6%A0%BC%E5%A5%BD%E3%81%A4%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B)
for purposed such as brevity.

In [chapter 88](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SwgiU.jpg) of the manga, when
Kumagawa returns to the dream classroom and ask Ajimu for his original Minus
back. Ajimu asks him to express himself sincerely, without brackets if he
wants it back.

[![第88話](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SD01v.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SD01v.jpg)

He [replies](https://i.stack.imgur.com/yerUY.jpg) w/o square brackets.

[![二重かぎかっこ](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vx5vhm.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vx5vh.jpg)

It should be noted that he speaks using "double square brackets" (二重鉤括弧 『 』)
used to mark quotes within quotes. In Japanese fiction this type of square
bracket is often [used to
denote](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%8B%AC%E5%BC%A7#.E4.BA.8C.E9.87.8D.E9.89.A4.E6.8B.AC.E5.BC.A7.E3.80.8E.E3.80.8F)
something heard through another device. It's implied in the case of Kumagawa
that what we are seeing is essentially subtitles. We're hearing the literal
meaning being his _cool_ words.

[![More
二重かぎかっこ](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5aVef.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dvOVL.jpg)




The reason why Kumagawa's "speaks" in brackets is a [bit of a
pun](http://dic.pixiv.net/a/%E7%90%83%E7%A3%A8%E5%B7%9D%E7%A6%8A) (see
『カギカッコ』). The context here implies literally [括弧]{かっこ}つける (kakko tsukeru),
meaning "to add brackets/parenthesis (to something, e.g., a sentence)." The
pun involves a well-known expression [格好]{かっこ}つける (kakko tsukeru), meaning "to
show off or try to look cool." Kumagawa speaks in the way he does because he
is trying to sound cool.

One thing to note about 格好 is it's a kanji with [irregular kana
usage](http://jisho.org/word/%E6%A0%BC%E5%A5%BD%E3%81%A4%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B).
おう (ou) like えい (ei) is what's called a "long vowel." The おう (ou) is
essentially a long "oo" sound. Historically [格好]{かっこう} (kakkou) is the correct
spelling, however in certain, more colloquial contexts the う is
[omitted](http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E6%A0%BC%E5%A5%BD%E3%81%A4%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B)
for purposed such as brevity.

In [chapter 88](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SwgiU.jpg) of the manga, when
Kumagawa returns to the dream classroom and ask Ajimu for his original Minus
back. Ajimu asks him to express himself sincerely, without brackets if he
wants it back.

[![第88話](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SD01v.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SD01v.jpg)

He [replies](https://i.stack.imgur.com/yerUY.jpg) w/o square brackets.

[![二重かぎかっこ](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vx5vhm.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vx5vh.jpg)

It should be noted that he speaks using "double square brackets" (二重鉤括弧 『 』)
used to mark quotes within quotes. In Japanese fiction this type of square
bracket is often [used to
denote](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%8B%AC%E5%BC%A7#.E4.BA.8C.E9.87.8D.E9.89.A4.E6.8B.AC.E5.BC.A7.E3.80.8E.E3.80.8F)
something heard through another device. It's implied in the case of Kumagawa
that what we are seeing is essentially subtitles. We're hearing the literal
meaning being his _cool_ words.

[![More
二重かぎかっこ](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5aVef.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dvOVL.jpg)

