General Anime Question

[Draykov]

I'm not exactly what you'd call an Otaku, just a geek with some selective interest in anime and the singular Japanese take on toys (giant robots/monsters = GIANT FUN!). My question is this: Why is there occasionally English slipped into an anime series or product. I've noticed it mainly in songs, but in small part in model/toy packaging. And this is the case for series/products that are not slated for release in the U.S. as often as not. Are there any sociological/cultural answers?

[JRock]

The same reason why people in the west wear button down shirts with samurai images and Kanji characters. Cause to them, it looks cool. No matter the lack of grammatical accuracy (Which is why sites like engrish.com exists, and most of the Kanji in the shirts usually translates to certain condiments and spices in English).

[Draykov]

The same reason why people in the west wear button down shirts with samurai images and Kanji characters.

I never noticed, but the reasoning doesn't seem far off: "because."

[joke-machine]

Well there is also the linguistic answer which is far and above the main reason you hear English phrases in foreign languages. Many times (actually near countless amount of times) languages will adopt words from another language exactly as they are becuase no equivilent word exists in the host language. For example, think of the words Ninjitsu, Samurai, Otaku, Pom Frites, Guacamole, Burrito, En Guarde, etc... Why do we use the native language version of that word, and not some english version. They are all words that English adopted into its lexicon without changing the word itself. It is true as well with Japanese. Many English words you hear spoken in anime are spoken that way because the word didn't exist before in Japanese, and therefore they adopt the English word. It is especially true with nouns.

Who knew that linguistics class I took as an undergraduate would actually be useful someday

[Khyron]

Of course there are times when the English word is spoken when there HAS to be a Japanese word for it. Numbers is an example.

I have a theory that there are Japanese viewers who watch these and go "WTF did they just say??". I know many japanese people know some English but not everyone.

Other conpiracy theory. They are secretly converting all world languages to English so they don't have to put up with fans whining about subtitles/dubs.

[Agent ONE]

Thats because everyone in the world wishes they could be American.

[Draykov]

Well there is also the linguistic answer which is far and above the main reason you hear English phrases in foreign languages. Many times (actually near countless amount of times) languages will adopt words from another language exactly as they are becuase no equivilent word exists in the host language. For example, think of the words Ninjitsu, Samurai, Otaku, Pom Frites, Guacamole, Burrito, En Guarde, etc... Why do we use the native language version of that word, and not some english version. They are all words that English adopted into its lexicon without changing the word itself. It is true as well with Japanese. Many English words you hear spoken in anime are spoken that way because the word didn't exist before in Japanese, and therefore they adopt the English word. It is especially true with nouns.

Who knew that linguistics class I took as an undergraduate would actually be useful someday

Well, as a specific example: Out of nowhere in the middle of the Mospeada opening theme song, the guy belts out "lonely soldier boy" in, what I guess you could call, the refrain. I don't think this particular example fits your description. It's almost as if it's done to emphasize the words: but how does changing the language emphasize it to a Japanese kid?

[JELEINEN]

I'm not sure of the source, but a friend once quoted me a statistic that Japan spends more money than any other country in the world, that doesn't use it as its native language, on teaching English. Yet, they routinely score among the lowest when it comes to English proficiency tests.

Edited October 27, 2003 by JELEINEN

[gnollman]

I'm not sure of the source, but a friend once quoted me a statistic that Japan spends more money than any other country in the world, that doesn't use it as its native language, on teaching English. Yet, they routinely score among the lowest when it comes to English proficiency tests.

Well.... part of that is due to the proficiency of the English teachers. Seriously...

I've met a number of the JET teachers, and I'd say only a third of them were anywhere close to proficient enough in their native languages (English) to teach it to someone else. Considering that you really have to know the ins and outs of a language to teach it, most Americans just aren't qualified....

Another factor is the native Japanese English Teachers. I worked with a number of them when I was living in Japan, and a large majority of them could barely function in the language.... Most rarely read anything in English, and very few said they felt secure enough to carry on a conversation with a native English speaker.

Notice, this is all my own personal experience, so take it for what it's worth. Which, on the internet, ain't much....