English in Japanese Dramas
I don’t watch many Japanese dramas, but I did manage to catch part of an episode of one called Asakusa Fukumaru Ryokan last week. It is a drama about a Japanese style inn in Tokyo’s Asakusa district and its employees.
It just so happened that the episode I found myself watching was one focusing on a new member of their staff who helps them learn basic English to communicate with their foreign customers. Here’s a clip of some the the English scenes:
The new worker impresses her co-workers when she is able to talk to foreign customers, after which she teaches a few basic phrases to them. I guess a lot of it was meant to be cute comic relief, especially with the one woman who can’t answer the foreigners’ follow-up question. However, if it was kind of painful for me to watch because the actress playing the English-speaking staff member delivered her English lines so badly (would it have been so hard to get one of those foreigners on the set to coach her to speak her lines without the feel of strained reciting of katakana English?).
Later on in the episode she starts getting close to one of the foreign guests, a white guy who can speak Japanese. It looked like some sort of romance was developing between them, and the other Japanese characters seemed to have nothing but positive things to say about it. Having my fill of drama for the day, I ended up changing the channel before the episode was over.
A Chinese Family That Loves Japanese Stuff
20 Billion Tweets
First Errand Failure
Doorway Monster
Thousands Line Up For Hayabusa Exhibit
Tokyo Sky Tree Beer
Karuizawa Cosplay
Japan Facing a Farmville Invasion
3D Camcorder
Japanese Kid Takes Solo Bullet Train Trip
Spiny Softshell Turtle in Japan
Summer 2010 Beef Bowl Price War
Any mention in the show of asking the foreign guests for their passports as “it’s Japanese law”?
Probably not.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Nope, not in the part I watched.
Is that Abe Hiroshi?
His English in Survive Style 5+ is amazing!
Rate this comment:
0 
0
“However, if it was kind of painful for me to watch because the actress playing the English-speaking staff member delivered her English lines so badly [...].
If I may, I’m a bit confused at the source of the pain of watching. Is this not how some Japanese folks who speak a little bit of English sound? That is, was it unrealistic? Or was her character supposed to have been more fluent?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I have had the opportunity to engage in English conversation with many Japanese people in my time here, and few of them pronounce their words or talk like she does. Even Japanese who only know basic English tend to pronounce their words a bit differently.
Having taught English in junior high schools, I’d say her strange pronunciation gives away the fact that she has just memorized lines without really knowing what the words mean.
It’s unrealistic to expect that they would go out of their way to pick an actress that can actually speak English, but as a former English teacher, her fake English is kind of annoying to listen to.
Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Whenever I see a foreigner on a Japanese drama show these days, I wonder in the back of my mind if they are unemployed Nova teachers or not.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
My god, that was painful to watch. And I’m not just saying that because of the butchered Engrish. Japanese sitcoms just seem horrible to begin with!
Rate this comment:
0 
0
They are. Funny, but they just aren’t funny. Their cartoons manage to be funny, so why can’t their sitcoms be funny? I think they’re trying too hard, like the overly-dramatic dramas. The Japanese can make funny films, of course – it’s not a lack of a sense of humour, by no means. It just never translates well into TV sitcoms.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
God, that’s awful – I only got as far as the group of ex-Nova teachers arriving at the door. And what’s with the constant background, nay, foreground music? They all seem to be hamming up like they are on stage and need to be seen from the back of the hall.
Oh, and did you notice the sign on the counter “Order please sound a bell” – at least that’s authentic Engrish!
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I’m pretty sure if I was a tourist, I wouldn’t understand a single word of the gibberish.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
they’re all so happy >.<
Rate this comment:
0 
0
at the end of the episode they get this sign to solve their problems:
http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=3415
Rate this comment:
0 
0
HA!! good one…
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Trust me. All around the world, we suffer hearing Hollywood stars destroying our languages.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
This made me lol all over the carpet. What a mess.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
They all sound like 8 year olds struggling to do maths. Once again the idea of things in Japan and the reality of Japan are two seperate things….At least some Ex nova teachers found some work for the day.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
“At least some Ex nova teachers found some work for the day.”
hahahahaha
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I just realized “What’s for dinner tonight” guy is doing a Jedi mind trick on her, but Japanese are immune.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
ROFL comedy for retards. Seriously J-Drama can be at least taken seriously at some parts but every time when I watch j-comedy I have to stop after a few minutes, because of the awful acting and writing.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I saw that episode. My wife, who is Japanese, loved that drama. I… tolerated it, and happened to watch that episode because of the silly English theme (no, really). The thing between the blond Japanese-speaking Prince Charming and the new worker (who happens to be the ryokan owner’s daughter) unfortunately didn’t go anywhere. She just took him and his companions on a walking tour of Asakusa the next day. Although one time during the tour one of the guests did give her a scandalous hug….
Even before I knew much Japanese (I still don’t) I could already tell how corny these dramas were and how in every single episode there were always happy resolutions to not-too-threatening situations. I suppose if you want to forget the hardships of the day and journey into La La Land for 50 minutes these dramas are the way to go.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Why did it seem like happy gas was being pumped through the Inn?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
OMG, this is pathetic!!
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Try listening to the horribly butchered barely decipherable Russian that you hear in American movies. TV sucks.
Rate this comment:
0 
0