Re these questions:

  * [How does last name-kun/chan compare to 1st name-san?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/93904/how-does-last-name-kun-compare-to-1st-name-san)

  * [(Danganronpa) Why does Naegi call Togami "kun" and Aoi "san"?](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/36915/why-does-naegi-call-togami-kun-and-aoi-san/40442#comment78780_40442)

  * [(Kaguya-sama) WWhy does Chika call Miyuki as 'kun' (not 'san') but Kaguya 'san' (not 'chan')? (Re anime s2 and live action 1st movie)](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/67145/why-does-chika-call-miyuki-as-kun-chan-but-kaguya-san-anime-s2-and-live)

**Scope** : Actually my ideal is to ask this generally, but I think it's too
big. I'm gonna limit asking to high school students, which is really my main
target because I'm asking these re anime/manga which mainly feature high
school students anyway. (For now, I'm just going to forego thinking about this
for the anime/manga characters that are 20+.)

**Question** : Suppose student Ashanti Tanaka calls student Bidatz Mikoto as
Mikoto-san. **How relevant is the gender** of Ashanti or Bidatz for if later
Ashanti would later "upgrade" to call Bidatz as Bidatz-san or Mikoto-kun/chan
(but not Bidatz-kun/chan)?

  * Somehow, I suspect Japanese boys will upgrade calling other Japanese boys from last name-san to last name-kun but will upgrade calling Japanese girls from last name-san to 1st name-san. Idk. I know age factors in here, but my question here would then be: in any case of age, does gender ever matter?

Note 1: Also, hopefully this isn't an issue, but I hope we can assume for
simplicity that 'kun' is used only for males and 'chan' is used only for
females, **even though of course I know it's not true.** If not, then please
explain why this assumption must be violated to really answer this.

Note 2: **My issue is the 'upgrading'** of last name-san to either 1st name-
san or last name-whatever honorific, NOT why sometimes males/females can be
called, resp, chan/kun. And also the honorific in 'last name-whatever
honorific' is meant to be **fixed/predetermined** like as follows:

  * Case 1: Bidatz Mikoto is female. Then Ashanti would say either 'Bidatz-san' or 'Mikoto-chan'. **Here, it's given** that 'Mikoto-kun' isn't a choice. Also, Bidatz-kun and any other forms of address other are somehow ruled out. How relevant is the gender of Bidatz or Ashanti in Ashanti's decision between 'Bidatz-san' and 'Mikoto-chan' ?

  * Case 2: Bidatz Mikoto is male. Then Ashanti would say either 'Bidatz-san' or 'Mikoto-kun'. **Here, it's given** that 'Mikoto-chan' isn't a choice. Also, Bidatz-chan and any other forms of address are somehow ruled out. How relevant is the gender of Bidatz or Ashanti in Ashanti's decision between 'Bidatz-san' and 'Mikoto-kun' ?

  * Or idk is 'any other forms of address are somehow ruled out' a huge or weird assumption to make?

* * *

Some examples:

  1. In [My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/95406/why-when-being-romantically-affectionate-do-these-ex-romantic-partner-step-sibli), Yume Irido (formerly Yume Ayai) calls male friend Kogure Kawanami by last name Kawanami-kun but female friend Akatsuki Minami by 1st name Akatsuki-san. See.
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manga politeness anime honorifics gender
How relevant is gender in comparing last name-kun/chan compare to 1st name-san?
In high school, among boys groups,they never use さん and くん each other since
they can talk casually. Even if they are not friendly each other,they don’t
use さん (they might use くん in this case,though).

But when they talk with girl students, they use さん. ESPECIALLY when they call
the girl’s first name,they use さん not to be regarded as so intimate with each
other.

And,some instructors who are elderly often use くん regardless of gender not to
make a difference between boy and girl.

So…in conclusion,we can’t distinguish between male or female just from さん and
くん words strictly.

But in high school,we are using ちゃん mainly for girls. So when you read ちゃん in
novel, this character is most likely female. But there is an exception like
following one.

Sometimes,they call boy nickname+chan This way to use chan is used for
expressing intimacy.

Ex, Yamada kun→ Yama cha But in high school,we are using ちゃん mainly for girls.
So when you read ちゃん in novel, this character is most likely. But there is an
exception.

Sometimes, boy sutudent’s nickname can be nicknamed like

> Yamada kun→Yama chan

(Not in high school but in normal situations,chan can be used for little
children like 赤ちゃん(akachan)=baby regardless of gender.This word can be used to
call cute persons or creatures.)

And in fact,it’s very difficult to understand and explain completely even
Japanese native speaker…
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