To be fair Nao Touyama isn't that bad either. Not perfect but still a step above other Engrish.
Nao Touyama play's up her engrish on purpose. If you see her in interviews she can do much better english if she doesn't engrish intentionally to be cute.
Nao Touyama play's up her engrish on purpose. If you see her in interviews she can do much better english if she doesn't engrish intentionally to be cute.
Have a specific link? All I've heard is the exaggerated engrish in kancolle and kinmosa.
Nao Touyama play's up her engrish on purpose. If you see her in interviews she can do much better english if she doesn't engrish intentionally to be cute.
It doesn't change the fact that Kongou's English is not good. That "cute side" even makes Kongou look silly to be an Englishman wannabe.
Teaching Japanese kids in middle school, it's hilarious at how true this is. The problem is that the Japanese school system teaches kids to pronounce English using katakana sounds (Japanese sounds) so it mangles their pronunciation. We don't say RABU, we say LOVE.
Also, talk about intentional Engrish reminds me of a story my translation professor once told me. He had a friend (native English speaker) who was in the business of speaking English for companies, like ads, instructional movies, etc. for Japanese listeners. So once he was tasked to talk in English for a promotional video. After speaking naturally in perfect English, he was asked to re-record his take. When he asked what he did wrong, the Japanese directors told him his English was TOO perfect, they wanted him to make it sound more Engrishy so Japanese listeners could understand it better.
It doesn't change the fact that Kongou's English is not good. That "cute side" even makes Kongou look silly to be an Englishman wannabe.
YMMV some people find it cute others grating. The enrish may appeal to Japanese fans as they themselves don't really care much for the language. Though it's understandable for natural English speakers to gnash their teeth at such things. I still personally think it's one of her charm points though it's odd that Touyama doesn't use her proper english to voice these characters.
Your point still stands though that Kongou could use English lessons.
Nao Touyama play's up her engrish on purpose. If you see her in interviews she can do much better english if she doesn't engrish intentionally to be cute.
Aqualado said:
It doesn't change the fact that Kongou's English is not good. That "cute side" even makes Kongou look silly to be an Englishman wannabe.
I understand the endearing aspect of Kongou's English in addition to the later opinion of proper English, but I think this is a matter of context; not one of merit.
I think Kongou's English is not very good, and she sounds absolutely hilarious saying her mangled English when she is fired up or just being silly. However, I also think that if Kongou were to act the same way and pronounce similarly in a formal setting, she would sound ridiculous and it would be insulting and infuriating to listen to.
I think it best to just take it as it is: this is a ridiculous scenario, and Kongou is funny here; but if Ellen were to be serious in another comic and Kongou were to do the same thing, Kongou would look like an idiot (notwithstanding whether she is or not to begin with).
TL;DR: This is funny here, but would not be in a formal setting. Now I am going to enjoy the comic strip again. :)
friendly reminder that japanese does not have either l or r and that we only write the sound with an r because we're stupid
Fine, fine, let's write it down as /ˈbɜː.nɪŋ lʌv/ (BUR-ning luv) then.
(Or /ˈbɜ˞·nɪŋ lʌv/ for American speakers, since they pronounce the r's. 'cept Bostonians like Ms. Baker who don't. They would pronounce it as /ˈbəː.nɪŋ lʌv/ "BUHR-ning luv" instead.)
The way Kongou pronounces it is more like /bəːr.nɪŋ.gə ˈɺʌː.və/ (buuhr-ning-guh LUUR-vuh), some unholy mix of hypercorrection and katakana (the r-l sound is still messed up as a flap instead of an approximant).
Which is no doubt endearing to some, I expect. The awkward stress is painful to me though.
('course, pot calling the kettle black here, since my native language isn't English either. Knowing IPA and being able to look up the pronunciations in a dictionary does help a lot though.)
Pure katakana would be バーニングラーブ, or /ba:.nin.gɯ ɺa:.bɯ/ (baah-neen-goo laah-boo). Plenty of Japanese would know how to take out the 'u's at the end, making it sound like /ba:.ning ɺa:b/ (baah-neeng laahb), which is quite passable. (And personally speaking, sounds better than Kongou's variant).
Strictly speaking, the Japanese r/l sound is an apical flap that can vary between alveolar and postalveolar, as well as between lateral (air goes down the sides of the tongue, or l-like) and central (air goes down the center of the tongue, or r-like). It sounds more like an 'l' before the 'a' sound though. Technically the sound is the flapped 'dd' sound found in "pudding" (which is why pudding is written as プリン in katakana).
The Japanese do also have a noticeable r consonant though, the trilled r /r/. It's technically non-standard, but pops up very frequently in rougher, more masculine speech. (The most infamous example being the 'korrrrrrrrrrra' [Hey!] interjection).
And of course, Wakamoto.
SearingTin said:
Ellen gonna have a field day with Kongou and Iowa.
tararan said:
It's not Iowa's fault the staff don't have a firm grasp of English.
Ms. Baker: Tonic!
Iowa/Kongou: Pop!
Ms. Baker: TOOOONIC!
Iowa/Kongou: POOOOOOPP!
Okay, I admit, tonic is now already considered old-fashioned in Boston and is more likely to give you a can of fluorescent quinine instead. And usually only older people call soft drinks pop in England.
Okay, I admit, tonic is now already considered old-fashioned in Boston and is more likely to give you a can of fluorescent quinine instead. And usually only older people call soft drinks pop in England.
