Should've left for work a half-hour ago

[sincere]

Every time I hear the Ace of Base song "Tokyo Girl" (and I know that right now half of you are thinking, what, why do you hear Ace of Base songs ever, well shut up I'm a 90s girl) I wind up thinking about its lyrics way too much and having distinctly inappropriate reactions to them, like,

"Her yes is no, no is a maybe / her language is so hard to learn"

Hey, wait a a minute, says my brain. Okay, a yes is totally sometimes a no in Japanese, but if someone in Japan is actually rude enough to say "no" to you outright, that not only means no, it probably means "NO AND OH GOD IF YOU DO THAT RADIOACTIVE LIZARDS WILL DESTROY THE CITY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!"

More properly, adds my brain further, that lyric should probably read, "Her yes is no, maybe is also probably a no."

Unless, of course, she's in a hentai anime, in which case "no" totally means maybe and sometimes "yes more".

What? Coherency? NEVER.

Comments

[terrykun.livejournal.com]

Hey, wait a a minute, says my brain. Okay, a yes is totally sometimes a no in Japanese, but if someone in Japan is actually rude enough to say "no" to you outright, that not only means no, it probably means "NO AND OH GOD IF YOU DO THAT RADIOACTIVE LIZARDS WILL DESTROY THE CITY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!"

XD Kay, you continue to narratively win at life. Do you also win at PhallusKingdom Hearts II lately?

[soi.livejournal.com]

I would totally think the same thing if I had ever heard that song. XD

[aucodemonkey.livejournal.com]

Now you need to listen to Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla." :-P

Also, reading this has made my morning and confused me at the same time. It's like the Japanese are girls that you're trying to hook up with if their yes is sometimes a no and no is more or less "hell no."

[gatafairy.livejournal.com]

...

God bless you. XD

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

I am victorious over KH2! It's full of gay. In case you didn't notice.

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

I honestly am not sure if the girl in the song is magical or what though. XD Or maybe she fights crime under a secret identity. "Many have tried to get near her... Found nothing there but a mirror; she's no one you'll ever know."

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

In Japan it's VERY rude to tell someone "no" to their face. XD So you'll get a lot of things like "So can I do that?" "Yes, but, I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible." "So... you mean no." A lot of times when they say yes they're just acknowledging what YOU said, and don't necessarily CONFIRM it for their own part. XD

I clearly do need that song.

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

*belatedly sneezes*

♥

[emptybackpack.livejournal.com]

-cough- There's nothing wrong with Ace of Base.

[angrybabble.livejournal.com]

death to anyone who doesn't like at least SOME ace of base songs! I really like that particular one. <3 and I've had the same thoughts about that line, though usually I've thought, "it's so totally un-PC BUT SO TRUE ARGH" XD

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

That's what I say!

...quietly. to myself. in my room. late at night.