The Anime Blog Poll: Are You Learning Japanese?

March 23rd, 2007 at 8:00 am

Where’s the poll? Anyway, I’m slowly learning Japanese. I’ve got the Genki Intermediate book but haven’t really gotten past the first two lessons. I’ve passed level 2 on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and hope to pass level 1 this year.

Why am I learning Japanese? I was learning it as our company did a lot of business with Bandai in Japan (I was a graphic artist making posters and instruction pamphlets)… later, I needed it to communicate better with my Japanese girlfriend.

I hope to get to a high enough level to become a professional translator one day.

2 | Chami

March 23rd, 2007 at 8:07 am

I’m learning Japanese because I would like to get into the visual novel scene a bit more (and that’s not happening without knowing Japanese, since a lot of games are untranslated and will stay that way).

With regards to everyday use though, speak to me in goddamned English.

3 | bd_

March 23rd, 2007 at 8:28 am

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Certainly, if you just randomly mix in simple Japanese while talking English it can be a bit annoying. But I think the Japanese language itself is quite interesting. As far as I’m concerned, that’s reason enough.

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PS, the Japanese in this post is probably quite bad. Don’t try to imitate it as a good example.

4 | Rachel

March 23rd, 2007 at 8:30 am

@Wrex, here’s ze poll. Rae is tired but she still makes ze poll.

@Chami, good for you to learn this difficult language! Does it tick you off when fans use -kun, -san, or -chan?

5 | Futaba-chan

March 23rd, 2007 at 8:47 am

I didn’t set out to actively *try* to learn Japanese… I just started noticing certain words and phrases, matching them up with the subtitles, and retaining them. After 10-15 years of watching subtitled anime, I’ve picked up enough of the language to be the equivalent of an intermediate-level language course, though I’m pretty hopeless with kanji. But it’s a fun language (I love the fine shades of subtlety), and it really came in handy last year when a really amazing anime came out (Simoun) that fansubbers were (at the time) ignoring, and I found that I’d picked up enough to be able to watch the raws.

But no, I don’t go to cons or anime clubs, much less annoy others with random snippets in Japanese there.

Picking up a language by hearing it spoken a lot is a great way to learn. I really ought to watch more French language films and TV shows (we have francophone TV here in Canada), to pick back up all that French that I studied in high school and university….

6 | kuromitsu

March 23rd, 2007 at 8:56 am

“It all goes back to Turning Japanese. Anime fans all suffer this affliction to some degree; be it preferring to watch anime in subs only”

So preferring subs makes me a Japanese-wannabe… er, no? I prefer to watch anime sub only for the same reason I prefer to watch everything sub only - I prefer to hear the original voices, the original language. I’ve always been like that ever since I was a kid. It’s got nothing to do with anime.

For the record, I am learning Japanese (well, not at the moment… no time and no money, but I do use the language regularly), and my incentive WAS anime - but again, the main reason was that I was curious of the original dialogues. (In fact, what started me off was a doujinshi…) I’m learning Japanese for the same reason I learned Old English (when I studied Anglo-Saxon poetry) and would like to learn Old Icelandic someday: to be able to watch/read stuff I’m interested in in the original, not to rely on other people’s interpretations more than it’s necessary. Besides, Japanese is a very interesting and very pretty language.

And yeah, I use some Japanese honorifics and words when I’m with my anime-fan friends… ‘cos it’s fun. *shrug* I know how to use them properly and I guess that’s enough. (It helps that the sounds of my first language are pretty similar to those of Japanese so I don’t have a strong accent.)

7 | kristalyamaki

March 23rd, 2007 at 9:17 am

I wish I could, but so far, I’m not. But deep down, I don’t think I’ll ever want to learn Japanese. That’s the main reason what fansubs are there for.

Although I believe that I’ll be able to understand/grasp the Japanese language bit by bit without needing to go to cram schools by watching fansubs, I think it’s a far far away dream to me.

8 | Rachel

March 23rd, 2007 at 9:19 am

@Futuba-chan, immersion is the best way to go to learn a language. While you weren’t forced to learn by living in Japan, it seems it seeped into you over a long period of time. Cool. I don’t retain unless I have to (so sad). Most of the Japanese I know now, comes from being a foodie: mushi=steam, kushi= skewer, yaki=grill, mochi=glutinous rice, yomogi=mugwort, and so on and so on.

@kuromitsu, Perhaps I was too flippant with the subs preference remark. I forget that many fans prefer subs because they feel that so much gets lost in translation. My apologies.

Being a Japan-o-phile is quite different from being a Japan-wannabe. One can still have a deep affection for something and yet still retain their identity. I’m an American artist who loves Japanese culture and anime. I like being Rachel and I don’t feel that liking a culture defines me as being a part of it (or wanting to be a part of it in the sense that I want to be that nationality).

9 | Sasa

March 23rd, 2007 at 11:02 am

Actually I’m not studying japanese actively even though I want to. My main incentive is not anime, but manga and novels though, because every single anime I’ve wanted to see has gotten subbed one day. However, there are lots and lots of manga and novel titles I want to read but cannot.

However, I think I have learnt a lot through anime watching. My boyfriend read his japanese textbook for me and I basically understood everything. Now we both need an intermediate book if we want to study japanese *harr harr* (And I should start by memorizing kana.)

I’m a food person too, by the way. Arrrr!

10 | wontaek

March 23rd, 2007 at 11:57 am

I wonder if ” Hai! Nihongo o Benkyo shite imasu!” is better choice for the first choice in the poll. My Japanese is rusty so someone correct me on this, please.

11 | Shokkeru

March 23rd, 2007 at 12:03 pm

I’ve studied Japanese in high school just to fulfill my foreign language requirements. I wasn’t exactly big on anime back then as I am now but I do admit that I wanted to learn it to understand anime and Japanese games. But even though I did study Japanese, a lot of what I learned in the classroom was forgotten and the few phrases and words that I still know are usually from watching subbed anime. So I guess it’s true that the only real way to learn a language is to practice it.

I do still want to learn Japanese, not just for anime but, it would be beneficial for me to learn it since I want to get into the video game industry and possibly work with some of the Japanese developers.

12 | Lenners

March 23rd, 2007 at 1:05 pm

I want to buy the Genki book, but it’s too expensive for me T__T

I’m studying it outside of school, so I can just walk in and take the final exam at school XD

The class I’m currently taking [on Saturdays] is more conversational, no kanji… so I’m planning on taking another class that teaches kanji but no conversation [on Fridays].

Lol, maybe I should find one that teaches it all? XD Pretty expensive though~ My friend’s tutor is $50/hour, but I could never afford that *pays for all the lessons herself*

I don’t really mind when people speak Japanese in their limited, anime-fashion, but when I have my cousin regularly call me BAKA BAKA BAKA, it gets pretty annoying ;P

13 | Rachel

March 23rd, 2007 at 1:49 pm

@Sasa, I know what you mean about needing to know Japanese to read the manga! Chikashi ordered Hellsing Vol. 8 from Japan and offered to lend it to me. Too bad I don’t know kana. Then he offered to read it to me; my ignorance is too shameful T_T

@wontaek; your guess is probably better’n mine.

Say, now that you’re here, a reader’s been trying to find a manhwa called “Country of Wind” . Mochi said you know your manhwa and could probably give this guy a lead as to where to purchase an English translation. Any info you have would much appreciated!

@Shokkeru, what a cool high school you have to offer Japanese as a foreign language! All we had was French, German, Spanish, and Latin. I took French and only use it now to find out if Grandma is talking smack about the grandkids. Japanese woulda been awesome.

@Lenners, my meetup group started using Genki and the few beginning members that have purchased it sing its praises. I’m holding off on buying it to see if the group will, in fact, be using it at the meetups. Otherwise, meh, I’ll stick with the books I have that I can’t learn Japanese from rather than buy a $40 book and not use that one either.

I’ve found learning as an organized group, with everybody on the same page (pun fully intended) is just as conducive to learning as a classroom with a price tag. The trick is to have everyone start on the same foot. It just doesn’t work when you have advanced speakers wanting to further their high level skills mixed in with beginners and low level speakers; that’s a recipe for boredom and frustration for everyone involved. Perhaps there are groups that meet where folk can meet in their perspective areas where you can learn Japanese without throwing down cash…

14 | bd_

March 23rd, 2007 at 1:59 pm

@wontaek , that’s right - maybe another option “ã‚‚ã†ã™ã§ã«ãºã‚‰ãºã‚‰ã ï½—”ã€€ï¼ˆâ€ï¼©â€™ï½ already fluent ;)”) would be good too though

15 | DrmChsr0

March 23rd, 2007 at 2:55 pm

I’d be doing it for the eroge.

Also, to piss off a certain translator by being better than he is at his hobby.

But no money

16 | Chami

March 23rd, 2007 at 3:52 pm

“@Chami, good for you to learn this difficult language! Does it tick you off when fans use -kun, -san, or -chan?”

I just pass it off as a stage that fans go through. After all, I went through that 7 or 8 years ago when I first got into anime, (a few years before I dropped the hobby for a while. Bending to girlfriend disapproval sucks.) so I can understand how they might find it “cute”. I just politely tell people to just use straight English when talking to me.

17 | Rachel

March 23rd, 2007 at 4:44 pm

@DrmChsr0, which “certain translator” are you gunning for?

@Chami, Never bend to girlfriend disapproval. Especially with anime; it might break! No seriously, did your girlfriend not like you watching anime, learning Japanese, or both?

18 | huamulan03

March 23rd, 2007 at 6:01 pm

I’m trying to teach myself to write Japanese but plans to study the language seriously has to wait on my RL. My reason: the predictable to watch anime raw reason (so I can better concentrate on the seiyuu acting instead of focusing on that tiny strip down where the subs are ^^) Of equal importance: to read original manga. I mean Kinokuniya where I live has the entire Hana-Kimi set already and VIZ’ release is still in the teens; it’s for the sake of my sanity ^^

19 | Ojamajo_LimePie

March 23rd, 2007 at 10:00 pm

Yes, I’ve taken Japanese language courses at my local community college. However, it’s only
partly due to anime-related reasons. One of my other hobbies is etomology (the study of languages),
and the two just happen to intercept.

20 | Narcolepsy

March 24th, 2007 at 6:38 am

Gee, thanks for reminding me of the Japanese homework I have been putting off.

Seriously, I am in my fourth semester of Japanese (it’s my minor), and there are days I regret it. I have to take four (contiguous) semesters of a foreign language for my film major. I wanted either Japanese or French, since my favorite (live-action) movies are from those two countries. I eventually went with Japanese.

Mistake? Possibly. I spend more time studying for one Japanese class than all of my other courses. Combined. Ever since we upgraded from hiragana to kanji, and I discovered there is a different way to conjugate or add particles for every situation in life, it has lost the mystique.

Although, it makes trips to Japan and talking with IELI (foreign students) much easier.

21 | rymes

March 24th, 2007 at 3:33 pm

Oh, but the thing is I really /do/ hear “Ohayo, Sarah-san!” nearly everyday from someone who really is a Japanophile. *shudder* It’s annoying when people start putting in random snippets of Japenese (or any other language really) into conversation and especially more so when it’s wrong. xD

I voted “don’t care” on the poll, although I do know a few words/phrases that have been gradually picked up from anime- at the point where I can understand the gist of basic converstaion and occasionally help my begginer Japenese-learning friends. I’m taking Spanish for crying out loud. ;__; Hmm. But I’m more or less hopeless with reading/writing.

It’s nice to learn different languages though. It’s nice realizing that you can understand things and don’t need to read the subs (which might be wrong), even when it isn’t anime. *shrugs*

Hearing some girl screaming “BAKA BAKA BAKA SHIRO-CHAN KAWAII-NEH SOUDANOU!!” at me /constantly/ is hemmorage-inducing, though. *twitch*

22 | Gogo

March 25th, 2007 at 10:33 am

this was a really interesting blog to find. personally however, i can say that ive gone through my japanophilic stages already, and they have faded in effect to my motives in continuing japanese. are there others who have wanted to learn the language simply to immerse themselves in another country, able to communicate? lol.

23 | Rachel

March 25th, 2007 at 5:55 pm

@ huamulan03, nothing wrong with learning the language to get deeper into the anime. It wasn’t my reason, but I first started to take an interest in Japanese about five years ago and I forgot what the reason was, specifically. I don’t even know what my reasons are for continuing to dabble in the language. Looks like I need to do some serious thinking…

@ Ojamajo_LimePie, etymology is a good way, IMO, to discover more about a country through it’s language(s). Have you learned about the Japanese culture through applied use of etymology?

@ Narcolepsy, homework sucks. Japanese homework must blow; tough break. Have you been to Japan for an immersion course? My friend’s minor was German and I remember her traveling to Potsdam for the summer for immersion work. Worth a shot.

@ rymes, sounds like you’ve got it rough.

@Gogo, I’m glad you think the blog is interesting! I truly do think that many fans do pass through a Japanophile stage (to some degree). Like I stated in a previous comment; Japaonphile does not equal Japanese-wannabe. After sorting out that not everything that comes out of Japan is sparkling gold, I imagine that most people develop their affection for the culture in a mature way.

24 | Narcolepsy

March 26th, 2007 at 7:05 am

An immersion course would postpone my film major, so that’s outta zee question.

25 | Chris

March 28th, 2007 at 10:23 am

Unfortunately, for now, my schedule allows learning Japanese only as a hobby. I’m planning on taking a formal class with my wife during the fall session at the community college down the road, but for right now I make due with Pimsleur lessons, Japanesepod101.com, and cult films

26 | apricotsushi

March 29th, 2007 at 9:48 pm

Hmm… I do know enough Japanese to agree with wontaek about the poll… I think this is a very interesting discussion, as I am often faced with various ‘otaku’ as a Japanese major myself, and I often feel that a lot of the other majors study the language only so that they can show off/get a Japanese girl/boyfriend, etc… I admittedly got into the study of Japanese because of my love for anime/manga but I definitely feel now that that has little effect on my desire to learn more about the culture and study the language… Having an interest in Japanese due to anime is no less admirable than anything else; it’s when I see Naruto tee-shirt wearing individuals complain about the workload and decide to change majors because it’s “too hard” that bugs me most…

On a side note, out of the many Japanese textbooks I have used throughout the years, Genki happens to be one of them… :3

27 | Rachel

March 30th, 2007 at 4:23 pm

@Chris, yeah, ditto with me; Japanese is primarily a hobby now. That’s a great idea to learn with your wife!! It’s always better to learn with someone who can quiz you and encourage you. It’s also a bonus if they can help you understand the courses better. The classes I took with my friends back in school were usually the ones I did better in.

@apricotsushi, I’ve been officially schooled by you, bd_, and wontaek ^^;;///. Anime and manga are gateways into Japanese culture, I think. That’s a good thing. There’s no shame in that and if anime is what gets more people interested in the culture, food, and philosophy, well, then anime can’t be all that bad - ^.

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