<![CDATA[This study investigates the use of the Japanese sentence-final particles (shūjōshi) yo and ne in formal and informal speech registers, focusing on dialogue in the anime Violet Evergarden (2018) by Kana Akatsuki, episodes 1–4. Using a qualitative descriptive method, 57 utterances containing yo and ne were identified, transcribed, and classified according to speech context (teineigo/formal versus futsūgo/informal) and the social relationship between interlocutors (vertical versus horizontal), then interpreted through Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory. The results show that both particles overwhelmingly occur in informal contexts, while formal usage is comparatively rare (yo: 3 formal vs. 25 informal tokens; ne: 4 formals vs. 25 informal tokens). Functionally, yo tends to mark assertive-directive meaning in formal speech and shifts toward assertive-empathetic meaning in informal speech, whereas ne consistently functions as a confirmatory, dialogic marker that softens claims in formal contexts and strengthens solidarity in informal ones. Social hierarchy also shapes particle choice: superiors favor yo (15 tokens) when addressing subordinates, while subordinates favor ne (4 tokens) when addressing superiors; among peers, the two particles occur in a near-balanced distribution (14 vs. 13 tokens). Positive politeness strategies, particularly PP-1 (attending to the hearer’s wants), dominate over negative politeness strategies. These findings confirm that yo and ne function not merely as grammatical markers but as pragmatic devices sensitive to social context and interpersonal relationships.]]>
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