Comments on: English in Japanese Dramas

By: not me

not me — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:23:14 +0000

Try listening to the horribly butchered barely decipherable Russian that you hear in American movies. TV sucks.

By: WoW

WoW — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:36:47 +0000

OMG, this is pathetic!!

By: lologon

lologon — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 16:46:51 +0000

“At least some Ex nova teachers found some work for the day.”

hahahahaha

By: D-san

D-san — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:53:22 +0000

Why did it seem like happy gas was being pumped through the Inn?

By: kabocha5000

kabocha5000 — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:18:01 +0000

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.

By: toratora

toratora — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:08:40 +0000

HA!! good one…

By: Samabake

Samabake — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:55:13 +0000

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.

By: Claytonian

Claytonian — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 23:52:20 +0000

I just realized “What’s for dinner tonight” guy is doing a Jedi mind trick on her, but Japanese are immune.

By: newsboy

newsboy — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:05:37 +0000

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.

By: Ryry

Ryry — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:54:36 +0000

This made me lol all over the carpet. What a mess.

By: Leandro

Leandro — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:11:48 +0000

Trust me. All around the world, we suffer hearing Hollywood stars destroying our languages.

By: Claytonian

Claytonian — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 20:11:54 +0000

at the end of the episode they get this sign to solve their problems:
http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=3415

By: marinaliteyears

marinaliteyears — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 20:01:22 +0000

they’re all so happy >.<

By: reisender

reisender — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:01:25 +0000

I’m pretty sure if I was a tourist, I wouldn’t understand a single word of the gibberish.

By: Ippoippo » Handle Keeper

Ippoippo » Handle Keeper — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:34:08 +0000

[...] Meanwhile… how about to cheesy J-Drama. [...]

By: Ken Y-N

Ken Y-N — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:56:12 +0000

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!

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:37:16 +0000

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.

By: Karisu

Karisu — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:15:29 +0000

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!

By: RYO

RYO — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:26:53 +0000

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.

By: Me3

Me3 — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:18:33 +0000

Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification.

By: James

James — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 08:34:26 +0000

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.

By: Me3

Me3 — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 08:20:04 +0000

“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?

By: hadji

hadji — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 08:06:11 +0000

Is that Abe Hiroshi?

His English in Survive Style 5+ is amazing!

By: James

James — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:34:19 +0000

Nope, not in the part I watched.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:31:47 +0000

Any mention in the show of asking the foreign guests for their passports as “it’s Japanese law”?

Probably not.