Falling into Hiragana | Part 2: The Cute and Strong Sides of 'ro'

'ro' is actually quite cute.

First of all, the sound is good. Not the katakana 'RO', but the sound of 'ro'. When it becomes katakana, it makes a sharp, clicking sound, but in hiragana, I feel like it becomes a soft, fluffy sound. 'korokoro' feels somehow smoother than 'KOROKORO'.

If you try to pronounce it continuously, 'rorororo...', your tongue gets tied. That's also kind of fun. It has a ring to it that makes you laugh even if you're in a hurry. It's more muffled than 'lalala...', and the feeling of the pronunciation itself rolling along—isn't that unique to 'ro'?

While 'ro' has such a round image, the trick is that it isn't completely round. If you make it too round in search of cuteness, it becomes a '3'.
Once it becomes a '3', it suddenly feels very realistic. Somehow, no matter what you do, a '3' is just a '3', and it feels like you've suddenly been confronted with a problem or asked for an answer. It's strange. Even though the corners should be reduced.

Apparently, for 'ro' to be recognized as 'ro', being round isn't enough. The parts that need to be sharp must be sharp, and the parts that need to be rounded must be boldly rounded; that contrast is what makes 'ro' be 'ro'.

I thought 'ro' was quite cute, but it seems it might not just be cute; it might be a character that truly has its own core.
A character that can firmly assert, 'I am, after all, "ro".' A character that doesn't just go with the flow, but can properly stop where it needs to. How charming. I want to be that kind of person, too.

▼ 'Falling into Hiragana' Summary