Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Composition 3 (にじゅうねんごのわたし)
にじゅうねんごのわたしはせいぶつこうがくしゃです. じんこうしんぞうとじんこうごたいについてけんきゅうします. アメリカのイ-ストコ-ストガアメリカのウエストコ-ストにいます. つまとこどもがふたりいます. はははおばあさんですから, わたしのかていがははのうちのちかくにいます. げつようびからきにょうびまではたらきます. いろいろなプロジェクトをします. ひまなじかんにおもしろいホビ-クラフトをします. わたしのてでものをつくりたい. にじゅうねんごのわたしはしあわせです.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Katakana Analysis
On the cover of Utada Hikaru’s “Boku wa Kuma” cover, Utada uses katakana to write her given name, Hikaru and kanji for her family name, Utada. In an interview, she says that she gave her song “Hikari” the same kanji as her given name (Hikaru) because the song was so special to her. But if that is the case, why doesn’t she just use the kanji for light? Well, one textbook says that katakana is used for “words the writer wishes to emphasize. (The Japanese Writing System (2))” Maybe that is why Utada chooses to use ヒカル instead of 光: to emphasize her given name as being distinct from her family name. Though we may all (her listeners, anyway) call her Utada, she isn’t just Utada: she is still Utada Hikaru.
On the signs for McDonald’s in Japan, the signs read マックドナルドハンバ-ガ-. This could be in part “for the convenience of foreigners, (II. Japanese Script)” but if that were the case it would merely read マックドナルド. Instead, I believe that the sign’s use of katakana is for both foreigners’ convenience and for the Japanese consumer: the hamburger part added into the title also serves to “give an impression of sophistication and modernity.” Anyone that has been to McDonald’s knows what it serves, so instead the ハンバ-ガ- part reminds the Japanese consumers that the restaurant is modern and foreign. Even though the ハンバ-ガ- part ends up making it unnecessarily long, it markets to the Japanese consumer the fact that McDonald’s serves hamburgers, an exotic and sophisticated dish. Just like in the US, foreign foods instantly have an extra allure to them, even if they are commonplace in their home countries.
I couldn’t find a katakana source of onomatopoeia I liked, so I decided to use myself as a source of katakana. In a previous post, I drew the three starter Pokemon in battle and used various onomatopoeia to depict their motion. But why not use hiragana for onomatopoeia? I believe that it is done to obey the “Rule of Cool.” This means that katakana, with its sharp angles, simply looks cooler than hiragana does. Especially in the case of manga, the sharpness adds to the intensity of whatever is depicted.
Katakana is a versatile writing form. In the examples shown above, I’ve depicted katakana’s use for emphasis, loan words, sophistication, and visual appeal. Perhaps in the case of McDonald’s, the katakana serves to make a distinction between a Japanese establishment and a foreign one. On another level, this serves to maintain a Japanese cultural identity distinct from foreign influences. This emphasis, as we’ve discussed, isn’t limited to loan words. Utada Hikaru’s use of katakana for her given name despite the existence of an appropriate kanji for it emphasizes her identity as more than her stage presence. And of course, sharp angles look cool, it's why bad guys always have spikes and such.
On the signs for McDonald’s in Japan, the signs read マックドナルドハンバ-ガ-. This could be in part “for the convenience of foreigners, (II. Japanese Script)” but if that were the case it would merely read マックドナルド. Instead, I believe that the sign’s use of katakana is for both foreigners’ convenience and for the Japanese consumer: the hamburger part added into the title also serves to “give an impression of sophistication and modernity.” Anyone that has been to McDonald’s knows what it serves, so instead the ハンバ-ガ- part reminds the Japanese consumers that the restaurant is modern and foreign. Even though the ハンバ-ガ- part ends up making it unnecessarily long, it markets to the Japanese consumer the fact that McDonald’s serves hamburgers, an exotic and sophisticated dish. Just like in the US, foreign foods instantly have an extra allure to them, even if they are commonplace in their home countries.
I couldn’t find a katakana source of onomatopoeia I liked, so I decided to use myself as a source of katakana. In a previous post, I drew the three starter Pokemon in battle and used various onomatopoeia to depict their motion. But why not use hiragana for onomatopoeia? I believe that it is done to obey the “Rule of Cool.” This means that katakana, with its sharp angles, simply looks cooler than hiragana does. Especially in the case of manga, the sharpness adds to the intensity of whatever is depicted.
Katakana is a versatile writing form. In the examples shown above, I’ve depicted katakana’s use for emphasis, loan words, sophistication, and visual appeal. Perhaps in the case of McDonald’s, the katakana serves to make a distinction between a Japanese establishment and a foreign one. On another level, this serves to maintain a Japanese cultural identity distinct from foreign influences. This emphasis, as we’ve discussed, isn’t limited to loan words. Utada Hikaru’s use of katakana for her given name despite the existence of an appropriate kanji for it emphasizes her identity as more than her stage presence. And of course, sharp angles look cool, it's why bad guys always have spikes and such.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Katakana Literary Work
This image depicts the three original starter Pokemon in battle. I chose this because it demonstrates the many uses of onomatopoeia in Japanese (the rustling of leaves, jumping, splashing, fire blasts, etc), all done with katakana.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Composition 2 (さわださんにてがみをかきました)
さわださん,
はじめまして. わたしはウオ-レサンピ-タ-です. にほんでにほんごをならいます. じゅうきゅうさいです.コロンビアだいがくのさんねんせいです. そして, わたしのせんこうはせいぶつこうがくです.ニュ-ヨ-クからきました. にほんのりょこうはすばらしいです. そしておもしろいです.ニュ-ヨ-クとコロンビアだいがくはたくさんぶんかがあります.コロンビアだいがくでにほんごをならいます. ひらがなとかたかながわかります. そしてわたしのくらすでかんじをはじめました. にほんごがちょっとむずかしいですが, おもしろいです. にほんのおんがくがすきです. ウタダヒカルとエムフロウのうたがよくききます. どぞよろしく, さわださん. にほんのせいかつはどうですか.
あなたのともだち,
ピ-タ-
はじめまして. わたしはウオ-レサンピ-タ-です. にほんでにほんごをならいます. じゅうきゅうさいです.コロンビアだいがくのさんねんせいです. そして, わたしのせんこうはせいぶつこうがくです.ニュ-ヨ-クからきました. にほんのりょこうはすばらしいです. そしておもしろいです.ニュ-ヨ-クとコロンビアだいがくはたくさんぶんかがあります.コロンビアだいがくでにほんごをならいます. ひらがなとかたかながわかります. そしてわたしのくらすでかんじをはじめました. にほんごがちょっとむずかしいですが, おもしろいです. にほんのおんがくがすきです. ウタダヒカルとエムフロウのうたがよくききます. どぞよろしく, さわださん. にほんのせいかつはどうですか.
あなたのともだち,
ピ-タ-
Saturday, November 6, 2010
サムライチャンプル-
これがメイリングさんはすすめりますから, サムライチャンプル-をみました. すごいです. サムライチャンプル-のふうかくはヒップホップです. そしてこのあにめのおんがくはたくさんヒップホップです. カウボイビバップのいんちょうはサムライチャンプル-nおいんちょうです. このあにめのしゅじんこうはむげんとじんとふうです. むげんはとてもげんきです. そしてはんこうてきなひとですが, ほんとにぜんだまです. じんはしんせつです. そしていつもおちついたです. ふうはない-ぶです. そしてつたないです. むげんのたたかいのふうかくはブレ-クダンスとカポエイラです, とてもおもしろいですね. このあにめがとてもたのしいですよ, みてください.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Katakana Analysis Draft
On the cover of Utada Hikaru’s “Boku wa Kuma” cover, Utada uses katakana to write her given name, Hikaru and kanji for her family name, Utada. In an interview, she says that she gave her song “Hikari” the same kanji as her given name (Hikaru) because the song was so special to her. But if that is the case, why doesn’t she just use the kanji for light? Well, one textbook says that katakana is used for “words the writer wishes to emphasize. (The Japanese Writing System (2))” Maybe that is why Utada chooses to use 光 instead of ヒカル: to emphasize her given name as being distinct from her family name. Though we may all (her listeners, anyway) call her Utada, she isn’t just Utada: she is still Utada Hikaru.
On the signs for McDonald’s in Japan, the signs read マックドナルドハンバ-ガ-. This could be in part “for the convenience of foreigners, (II. Japanese Script)” but if that were the case it would merely read マックドナルド. Instead, I believe that the sign’s use of katakana is for both foreigners’ convenience and for the Japanese consumer: the hamburger part added into the title also serves to “give an impression of sophistication and modernity.” Anyone that has been to McDonald’s knows what it serves, so instead the ハンバ-ガ- part reminds the Japanese consumers that the restaurant is modern and foreign. Just like in the US, foreign foods instantly have an extra allure to them, even if they are commonplace in their home countries.
On the signs for McDonald’s in Japan, the signs read マックドナルドハンバ-ガ-. This could be in part “for the convenience of foreigners, (II. Japanese Script)” but if that were the case it would merely read マックドナルド. Instead, I believe that the sign’s use of katakana is for both foreigners’ convenience and for the Japanese consumer: the hamburger part added into the title also serves to “give an impression of sophistication and modernity.” Anyone that has been to McDonald’s knows what it serves, so instead the ハンバ-ガ- part reminds the Japanese consumers that the restaurant is modern and foreign. Just like in the US, foreign foods instantly have an extra allure to them, even if they are commonplace in their home countries.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Utada Hikaru!
Utadaのポストです. Utadaはだいすきですよそしてとてもゆうめいです.Utadaのうたがきれいです. Colorsがとてもきれいです I've been waiting months to have a reason to make this post, そしていまわたしのにほんごくらすいろをならいます. かんぺきですよ!Final distanceをきれいですこれどもかなしいです. It’s sad because she devoted the song to a student killed in school (ごめんなさい, きまじめですね). かんけつにUtadaはコロンビアだいがくのがくせいでした, おもしろいね?Utadaはにほんごとえいごをしります.Utada is famous in America for her songs on Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, Simple and Clean (ひかり) and Sanctuary (Passion), でもえいごとにほんごでUtadaはすごいうたをかきました: I recommend everyone giving her songs a listen (I'll be putting more songs from her and other artists up in the future).
Monday, October 11, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
あにめがすきです
カウボイビバップです. たくさんのひとはカウボイビバップをみました. It's one of my favorites not only because the story is well written, but the music is amazing. ビデオはタンクとリアルフォークブルーズです. The synopsis is as follows:
Spike Spiegel is a bounty hunter with a dark, violent past. Nowadays, he roams between the seedier colonies of space along with his partner Jet Black and their spaceship Bebop as they try to catch a bounty or two, barely making a living at it. Some of their bounties, like the mysterious Faye Valentine and the intelligent 'data dog', Ein, end up as fellow partners. Is Spike trying to justify prior misdeeds by working for the right side of the law? What will happen when his past catches up to him? And what of the pasts of his fellow shipmates? Will any of them survive long enough to find out?
Yoko Kanno is a great composer, and she does a great job with the music in the show. It is very diverse music, drawing influences from jazz, blues, country, classical music, and other styles. The show is 26 episodes of about 21 minutes each. Even without the anime, the music is worth listening to (not that the anime shouldn't be seen, it's much better with the anime). Whether you watch anime or not, Cowboy Bebop is worth giving a shot.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Why I Am Studying Japanese
"Why are you taking Japanese, there's no language requirement for SEAS and it takes up a lot of time?" Well, so far I have studied English and Spanish. I wanted to learn another language, but I wanted to learn one that was very different from the ones that I've done. Since Spanish is a Romance language (Latin derived), I decided to look at a language that was about as far away from that as possible. I noticed that after taking so much Spanish, I am able to watch shows without subtitles and actually understanding most of it. After watching so much anime growing up, I decided to go the trilingual route and study Japanese (despite all the warnings against it).
I'm excited to learn Japanese, to be able to watch shows in Japanese without needing subtitles. The hardest thing I foresee is balancing Japanese stuff with the other BME classes, but I'll have to wait and see.
I'm excited to learn Japanese, to be able to watch shows in Japanese without needing subtitles. The hardest thing I foresee is balancing Japanese stuff with the other BME classes, but I'll have to wait and see.
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