Some questions regarding Densha answered

[Horoko]

Err...I meant "Is from Japan and says Japanese is their favorite langauge. That would be like an American saying English is his favorite language." My bad. Nothing wrong having Japanese as your favorite language. I'm just saying, wouldn't it be a bit "odd" for a "Japanese" person to be using random Japanese words like some random Wapanese nut? >.>

 

[Kyusaku]

I don't see how someone could have a favorite language, then again I'm not one to play favorites. I'm pretty indecisive, but out of the 3 languages I know; English, Spanish, and Japanese, I can't see any as my "favorite". They're just forms of communication different societies use. I guess I'm not the kind of person that finds another language "cool".

 

[Horoko]

I don't see how someone could have a favorite language, then again I'm not one to play favorites. I'm pretty indecisive, but out of the 3 languages I know; English, Spanish, and Japanese, I can't see any as my "favorite".

Heh, I understand. I don't have favorites either, but I can understand how people can. It's just a fascination with something different. Once you learn more of it, the interest in it slowly starts to diminish though. (Since it becomes second nature.)

They're just forms of communication different societies use. I guess I'm not the kind of person that finds another language "cool".

Heh, tell this to the thousands of people with those with "Kanji" and "Engrish" shirts. XD

 

[kyo28]

I think Kyusaku put a fine definition of what an Otaku is. As far as I'm concerned I don't consider myself Otaku since I don't spend tons of money on a hobby or TV series, and I don't obsess over ... well, anything. It's all a matter of degree and knowing how to behave socially (e.g. don't talk about Kamen Rider to your boss or to your girlfriend's friends).
In that respect, I also agree that Densha Otaku give a realistic, albeit exaggerated, view on the life of Otakus: no friends, no social life, obsessive hobby and often weird sexual tastes (gotta love the ol' ankle fetish). We could debate this for days in a row but suffice it so say that indeed, in western cultures Otaku has taken on a different meaning than it's orginal meaning, and perhaps it was high time to clear this up.

Getting frustrated and saying "onore" is better than saying "motherfucker," I think.

I beg to differ: the (negative) connotation is the same, you're just saying it in another language. But that's just my opinion...

I could try digging up that news article about that woman marrying an otaku who wanted to dress up as Kamen Rider for his wedding. Although I vaguely remember where I read it.

LOL!! This is gold! It's a miracle a guy like that could even get a girl to marry him ... then again, there are female Otaku in the world as well *shudders*

As for the language thingy, being a translator, I can't really say I have a 'favorite' language, for me, it's just all work, work, work (-_-

 

[Kyusaku]

Heh, I understand. I don't have favorites either, but I can understand how people can. It's just a fascination with something different. Once you learn more of it, the interest in it slowly starts to diminish though. (Since it becomes second nature.)

Heh, tell this to the thousands of people with those with "Kanji" and "Engrish" shirts. XD

Yeah, the old "grass is greener on other side" kind of thing, I suppose.

Oh man, the people with kanji shirts that can't even prounce what they say... -_-;;

LOL!! This is gold! It's a miracle a guy like that could even get a girl to marry him ... then again, there are female Otaku in the world as well *shudders*

Yeah it was amusing, the woman was really against the idea, her mother was like ready to disown her if he did that too.

 

[kyo28]

Yeah, the old "grass is greener on other side" kind of thing, I suppose.

Oh man, the people with kanji shirts that can't even prounce what they say... -_-;;

Which is one of the reasons why I'm against the use of suffixes like -san or retaining Japanese words in fansubs: it will only incite those people more to use that vocabulary, often in weird (wrong) contexts.

 

[Igadevil]

I could try digging up that news article about that woman marrying an otaku who wanted to dress up as Kamen Rider for his wedding.

I am totally doing that for my wedding now. At the very least, we have to get married by a guy dressed as Kamen Rider. :laugh: j/k

Seriously, I also get irked when people who don't know Japanese try to use Japanese words and fail miserably ("Die skii" is my all-time favorite) and saying something like "Oh my kami-sama, that's so kawaii!" just sounds embarassing.

Buuuut, I think if you have an actual understanding of Japanese and enough common sense to know when certain words could or should be used, and you know what those words actually mean...you can use them, as long as it's in the right context. Like if you needed to explain to someone how the JR trains work (i.e. the different types) or something...I feel that's okay. I would never just randomly throw out Japanese to impress my friends (I actually dislike speaking Japanese with another foreigner unless it's in a classroom setting, but that's just me.) But I do incorporate a lot of Japanese words into my daily vocabulary, but then again I'm speaking Japanese most of the time anyway now, so it's just me being lazy and forgetting English.

It's all a matter of degree and knowing how to behave socially (e.g. don't talk about Kamen Rider to your boss or to your girlfriend's friends).

I guess it's just going different for different people. I know I probably spend too much money on Tokusatsu stuff these days (I even caved in and bought one of the Shocker USB drives the other day.) And so far this year, when meeting new people, I unbashedly admit "Figure collecting" is one of my hobbies. And I'm not shy about admitting I like Kamen Rider to others (although I also mention that since it's a kids show and therefore easy to understand, it's also educational! :anime: ) And the people I mostly speak with on a daily basis are college students, who are a pretty subjective bunch.

And yet I still have lots of friends (including quite a few girls, one whom I would consider myself pretty close to), and a life outside of my hobby.

I don't consider myself obsessed, hardcore maybe (hey, I dropped the cash partly to go see some rock that was in the original Kamen Rider for about 10 seconds, right?) but I don't let it dominate my life. So I think it's just all in how you portray yourself (which is basically what kyo said, I'm not disagreeing but just adding my personal experience.)

Possibly, it could just be that as a foreigner, I'm already "odd" enough to most people that liking Kamen Rider is just one more odd trait, or that as a student (and i.e., not yet a full part of the adult world) they just cut me some slack...but I dunno, I have yet to have an experience where it's caused me any social grief (well, aside from my American friends now calling me "Kamen Rider Paul" to seperate me from another Paul in the same class. :laugh: )

I'd like to hear from other foreigners who live/have lived in Japan, about how outgoing they were with their interests, and whether it was a problem or not.

 

[kyo28]

I Possibly, it could just be that as a foreigner, I'm already "odd" enough to most people that liking Kamen Rider is just one more odd trait,

I totally agree with that assumption. Since most (all?) foreigners are considered 'outsiders' vis-a-vis Japanese society, they don't care so much about them liking this or that ... or at least not as much as they would with Japanese people.

I do feel that on the workfloor, one has to be extremely careful, not just with the politeness rules (which I still find very confusing) but also with the topics one choses. I never talk about any anime or toku, just to be on the safe side. Even when my g/f boss started talking about Gundam, I just pretended to "have heard about it but that's all", even though I know most of the series. Since he's in a higher position in reference to me and my g/f, better to play it safe I always say.

Well, that's just my idea. I live by the credo: "better safe than sorry", especially considering the intrinsic complexity of Japanese society as a whole.

 

[Horoko]

Yeah, the old "grass is greener on other side" kind of thing, I suppose.

Oh man, the people with kanji shirts that can't even prounce what they say... -_-;;

Yup.

And I agree. But then again...I'm not that great with kanji...(and I've been speaking the language for years. I still don't know all the jouyou kanji.)

Which is one of the reasons why I'm against the use of suffixes like -san or retaining Japanese words in fansubs: it will only incite those people more to use that vocabulary, often in weird (wrong) contexts.

Well, I keep them. Only because it's like second nature to me. If people are too stupid to know "You're in an English conversation...don't automatically BUST OUT IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE YOU DON'T KNOW," then they deserve to be ridiculed...In my humble opinion...you know, because I'm nice...XD

Seriously, I also get irked when people who don't know Japanese try to use Japanese words and fail miserably ("Die skii" is my all-time favorite) and saying something like "Oh my kami-sama, that's so kawaii!" just sounds embarassing.

How about "kak wee"? (kakkoii) XDDDD

Hmmm, funny thing about that...when I was in Japan, I said "OH MY GOD!" really loud and all the Japanese people looked at the funny Japanese/Chinese/Black foreigner like he was crazy (Of course, they were already staring at me to begin with...) >.>

Buuuut, I think if you have an actual understanding of Japanese and enough common sense to know when certain words could or should be used, and you know what those words actually mean...you can use them, as long as it's in the right context. Like if you needed to explain to someone how the JR trains work (i.e. the different types) or something...I feel that's okay. I would never just randomly throw out Japanese to impress my friends (I actually dislike speaking Japanese with another foreigner unless it's in a classroom setting, but that's just me.) But I do incorporate a lot of Japanese words into my daily vocabulary, but then again I'm speaking Japanese most of the time anyway now, so it's just me being lazy and forgetting English.

Heh, sometimes people ask me "Can you speak Japanese for me?" So I will just do it to make them happy. Usually it's complete bullshit, but hey, what do they know? XD

Oh, and I do the same thing. It's becoming a habit really.

 

[Kyusaku]

Hmmm, funny thing about that...when I was in Japan, I said "OH MY GOD!" really loud and all the Japanese people looked at the funny Japanese/Chinese/Black foreigner like he was crazy (Of course, they were already staring at me to begin with...) >.>

Best, ever.