Ask John: Why Do Some American Fans Use So Much Japanese?

Question:
I noticed that a lot of the more hardcore and even some generic anime fans kinda get into using Japanese words and puns more often or not. Like I see some fans using “tankoben” or however you spell it, for like graphic novels, even though they’re foreign and all, and probably most people that see them for the first time are gonna be like “huh?” But my main question here is, do American anime fans find it “cool” to use Japanese words to show off they’re an “otaku” or what?

Answer:
I’m going to step lightly here. I think that people who read between the lines already know my opinion of fans that have a habit of using bits of Japanese language whenever possible. It’s my firm belief that anime fandom is not, and should not be about trendiness or appearances. Especially for Westerners watching imported Japanese animation, the attraction of anime is its ability to serve as pure escapist entertainment, more effectively that virtually any other entertainment medium. In my personal opinion, a true hardcore fan is someone that watches and collects anime because he or she loves the art form, not because he or she wants to seem “cool” or more stylish or more “otaku” than anyone else.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with commonly using Japanese nouns and adjectives when appropriate. For example, calling a standard size 11.5 x 17cm manga volume a “tankobon” is perfectly logical because this book has no proper descriptive name in English. Describing something as “shoujo” or “ecchi” or “shonen” or even “genki” are likewise acceptable when these terms are used with their Japanese definitions to describe Japanese anime or manga or movies or music. In the same way it’s logical to use scientific terms to refer to scientific events, it’s logical to use Japanese terms to refer to Japanese pop culture. These words are proper nouns and distinct analytical descriptive terms.

What annoys many fans is Westerners with limited or very novice knowledge of Japanese language attempting to use Japanese language in everyday or casual speech. Often times people that do this do it wrong- most noteably by adding Japanese honorables to their own names, which is technically almost entirely inappropriate. (Honorables are added to names when addressing someone, not when introducing oneself. Only children who are not yet fully competent in Japanese language, or child-like anime characters wishing to be perceived as child-like, may be excused for improperly adding suffixes like “-chan” to their own names.) In many other cases guilty fans will use Japanese words in place of their natural, native English when appropriate English terms are available, resulting in broken grammar, and expositive writing that simply doesn’t effectively express its meaning to average English speaking readers. On one hand, as an English teacher and professional writer, I firmly believe that the best writing is that which effectively expresses its point. And it’s simply not possible for mixed Japanese and English, composed by a writer with little or no comprehensive knowledge of Japanese language, to competently convey meaning as efficiently as proper, grammatical English or Japanese.

However, as an anime fan, I appreciate and excuse many fans the faus pax of mixing native English with pidgin Japanese. There are those that will argue that fans who pepper their writing or speech with Japanese do so to appear superior or more intellectual or more cultured or more experienced than other fans. And in some cases, this may be the case. But I think that in the majority of instances, Western fans that inappropriately use Japanese terms and language in their writing or conversation do so as an honest expression of their fondness for Japanese culture. Under this light, I can’t fully dislike them. I do wish that fans with enough devotion to and interest in Japanese culture would be respectful enough, and wise enough to recognize their own inexperience, but I can’t fault their enthusiasm. (I, for one, know enough about anime and Japanese culture to recognize that I don’t know everything and never will. Therefore I’m always humbled by my own ignorance.) Fans that sprinkle their English with Japanese may seem excessive or boisterously fanatic and therefore annoying, but I think it’s wise to remember that many of these fans have honest and pure intentions. They don’t exhibit their limited Japanese to show off; they use their limited Japanese as a natural, almost unconscious, irrepressible expression of their devotion to anime. And in this sense, it’s hard to fault someone for loving something too much.

If you’d like to share your own opinion, visit the AnimeNation Forum.