Japanese by Example
Learning through examples in manga

わたし from a very young child

Vocabulary Explanation: Personal Pronouns

からかい上手の高木さん » Volume 5 » Page 6

In a bonus story, Takagi is shown as an adult with a child. A package arrives, and Takagi prepares to open it with a box cutter.

ちー:
「あー　わたしやるー」
"Ah, I'll do it!"

It’s common for very young children to refer to themselves by name, as is the case for Chi during later appearances. Since she hadn’t been named yet on her first appearance here, she instead refers to herself as わたし. The lack of kanji is stylistic of dialogue for very young characters. (In the next panel, Chi isn’t allowed to open the box due to the box cutter being dangerous.)