Comments on: Editorial Cartoons

By: Deas

Deas — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:56:58 +0000

Rick – man, what a great comment. It’s been a long time since I’ve even thought about this post, and your fresh take was really welcome. I like your interpretation, and agree with it. Makes sense to me. Unfortunately, I also agree with the complete lack of laugh-worthiness. Your take seems to mean that the foreign language loan words aren’t really the focal point, but that the “good-for-them = bad-for-us” pattern isn’t true, but instead a “bad-for-them = bad-for-us” or, more accurately “when it rains, it pours” kind of sentiment is? Maybe? Anyway, welcome to the blog, and thanks for the comment!

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:14:19 +0000

Hi,

Just started reading your blog – I used to live in Fukuoka so the title caught my eye.

4-koma manga really puzzle me – on the one hand they’re so close to “American joke” style humor, where they set up a situation and deliver a punch line. On the other hand, they’re almost never funny.

My take on it: 横文字 is as you say, foreign words – but more than that, “everyone is talking about topics in the West.” That there is trouble in the States with these various problems is shown by the words’ origin in English.

Then the friend says “oh yeah, but they’re also using Japanese” and the topic of conversation is shifting, so it also should be shifting from bad news. But here’s the news in Japan:

1) endaka(円高) if the yen gets stronger, Japan’s export-based economy won’t get customers

2) kabuyasu(株安) the Japanese stock market is dropping, so its companies are being undervalued

3)Nihon-uri(日本売り) “They’re buying Japan up” Do you remember in the 1980s when Japanese companies bought everything from Pebble Beach to Columbia Records? I think the fear is that as other countries get economically stronger, the properties of Japan will be threatened as well.

So the “joke” would be the guy thinking there would be good news about Japan but not hearing it. Hmm.

It occurs to me that Wikipedia might be good at giving background for some of those phrases.

Interesting topic! Thanks for the blog.

By: Deas

Deas — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:34:30 +0000

How weird is that? Do you think 横文字 is more or less synonymous with 外来語 then? As in, anything non-Japanese (even source material for the Japanese language) is lumped into the catch-all? Hmmm. Interesting catch.

By: claytonian

claytonian — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:27:24 +0000

I was reading Grappler Baki. Whenever a Chinese person in it speaks, the text is written horizontally. Even though they write the same way, I guess Chinese get lumped into the horizontal crowd. claytonian's last blog post: My studies continue (cause I can't quit you, babe)

By: Deas

Deas — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 04:50:12 +0000

Michaels –
Surely I feel sympathy or empathy for them. I’m not a mean person! Ha ha. I just think it serves as a good case example for how government intervention once may cause problems that the government will attempt to correct again down the line. The government should not be in the private markets, and should never have told the loan companies that they must approve poor people for loans. It worked out royally screwing up the system. I’d rather other countries learned from the mistake instead of following suit! But surely anyone with a heart can understand what happened and feel for those who wound up in a bind thanks to it all. But I still think people should live within their means.

I like your take on the comic. Makes as much sense as any of the other guesses so far. The idea that speaking in legalese or other niche vernaculars sets up walls. Hmmm. I wonder if the guy who drew the comic knew what he was getting at himself…

By: Michaels

Michaels — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 07:44:39 +0000

The sad thing is America’s trend has also led to other countries following suit, regarding the sub prime situation. I don’t honestly know about its impact (if any) on Japan, but certainly the UK is now facing the aftermath of its own sub prime crunch.

Personally I feel a bit more sympathy for the people involved in this though. In the UK property prices are so high that many people have to accept “sub prime” status just to get a basic roof over their heads (I’m talking ex-council house). At the end of the day people always want the best for their families – it’s certainly not greed, nor a situation any of those people want to be in. I dunno, I think America is probably a different kettle of fish anyway.

As for the comic, my take on it (using your translation) was that no one can understand the “all Greek” foreign words, but in truth, even in Japanese, “financial speak” doesn’t make much sense either.

By: Deas

Deas — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 07:03:36 +0000

まゆみ　- 両方見えるよね。まだまだわからない。僕も最初に同じように要らない外来語を使うことをバカにしているかなぁと思っていたが、今どうかな。さっぱりだな。ハハハ。

Thanks for your opinion anyway! There is nothing to apologize for, silly. Let me know if you have any other thoughts about it.

By: まゆみ

まゆみ — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:20:50 +0000

あ、全然違うかも。今見直したら、右端の人もマンガに出てきてるし、一緒に盛り上がって話してた。ごめんなさ～い。
Forget it about the last posting.

By: まゆみ

まゆみ — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:16:13 +0000

横文字, literally meaning horizontal words, indicates they are loan words. In the frame 4, the guy supposedly sitting at the far right , you don’t see in this manga, is making sarcastic remarks about the guy, you see him drooping his head, using all Japanese and criticizing all 横文字-speaking guy for selling Japan because he is using all loan words. Like 「日本人の癖に横文字ばかり使って/横文字にかぶれて(loan word　mania）」
Am I making sense?
I’m not sure but it’s my reading.

Have a nice home visiting!

By: Nicole

Nicole — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 04:10:20 +0000

The comics are the only thing I religiously read in the papers over here. Or at least attempt to. I make it my daily ritual during lunch time and when the kids come in I attempt to make them explain it to me. When I have a day that I can read the entire thing myself, I'm exceptionally proud. That one, was definitely, above my head. Nicole's last blog post: KY Is Not Just Short For Kentucky Anymore