Awkward Interviews in English: Tomochin from AKB48

By Ernie | Tuesday, July 19, 2011 | 9 Comments

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Citizens of the Internet who aren’t into female musical groups that could double as sexy junior high classrooms: meet Tomochin AKA Itano Tomomi, Japanese pop star and member of 48-member (!) Japanese Pop Group AKB48. As a bonus on one of her DVDs, she recorded an obviously-staged interview in English to amaze her Japanese fans at how awesome and popular abroad she is.

What she didn’t expect was all us dirty gaijin to watch the interview as well, like Moye and I in this last minute IM chat transcript:

[both watch video]
Ernie: annnnnd i’m dying inside.
Moye: It’s for an English language thing, I guess.
Moye: but the white lady is talking to her like she’s “special.”
Moye: and the girl isn’t helping.
Ernie: this girl sounds like a dolphin.
Ernie: actually, it’s easier to pretend that the Japanese girl is a dolphin.
Moye: hahahaha
Moye: OMG the students i went to elementary school with in japan had better English than this.
Moye: “oooh dats rwight”
Ernie: [throws a fish]

Japanese Pop-Idol, you can clearly take some lessons from BoA or Ayumi Hamasaki. Patronizing American Interviewer, you don’t help matters with the “DEFINITELY! WOW! ABSOLUTELY!” remarks either.

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http://www.rahatahmed.com/ dequinix

Seriously, nobody in and around the production companies know how bad these Americans sound? This is what ruined potentially great films like Address Unknown and, to a lesser degree, Joint Security Area.
Takuma

Aha lol, a bit more practice needed for Tomochin. Also the white lady does kinda speak kinda weirdly “WOW, AMAZING”, “So lovely to meet you”, ect. I really didn’t laugh too much but it was amusing considering that lady’s clear over exaggeration. Personally I think she has almost passable English…But almost passable isn’t passable. Even more so for somebody from AKB48, an idol group.

She better get some more lessons. I’m pretty lenient when it comes to English, as long as I can understand it. Learning another language is difficult (but fun) if you are in a country where typically they only speak one language and have little need for another. Unlike places like…Canada(english/french)…or….almost any European nation. (I’ve heard the ppl speak like 3+ languages each, which is pretty crazy considering I have trouble with just two.)
mwei

@Takuma I thought white chick was on drugs or something. and surely Tomo can afford a good orthodontist?

maybe that was mean spirited to say, but I get more out of that virtual avatar girl than either of these two.
Takuma

@mwei orthodontics isn’t as popular in Japan as it is in America. I know there is a specific name for it but crooked teeth in Japan is considered “cute” on girls by some ppl from what I heard. But straighter teeth is needed, and is at least more aesthetically pleasing. Totally off topic ftw!
sbard

@Takuma Teeth like that are called “yaeba” (八重歯) and many consider them to be part of a woman’s unique charm.
EmilyElaineDzenowski

Poor Tomo, I thought she did really well. But that American lady…I mean, I hope she realizes how odd her behavior looks in this video.
http://www.mamazilla.blogspot.com/ mamazilla

“what she wasn’t expected” did you mean to write “what she didn’t expect” or “what she wasn’t expecting”(??) and yes, the video was very funny and painful to watch…
Xxxtine

that was … really painful … you’d think the American would’ve been able to make it less awkward.
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