Saalik Jackson
“Nani!?” A Japanese word most commonly used in the English subtitled version of Anime. Anime I’m English dubbed is without a doubt much more comfortable to watch. However, those who do watch the English dubbed version of anime miss out on certain words like Nani. This word when translated to English means “what?”. The actors deliver this phrase with great bafflement in their voices.This word is very popular on the internet amongst anime watchers. In Japan it may just be a common phrase, however, it has become ubiquitous in the United States. There are many memes on the internet that use this word. Nani, a one word phrase, is common knowledge to all anime watchers in both the United States and Japan.
The word is so used that there is no way that a consistent viewer would not know of the word. Regardless of knowing or not knowing it’s meaning, any anime watcher has at least heard of the word. The word made it’s way from Japanese language in to the
This word is very popular in the Japanese audio of anime. Anime are animated tv shows that are started in Japan and spread to the rest of the world. Anime has gained a lot of popularity in Japan as well as in the United States.Characters often use the word nani when they are shocked about something that another character did. For example, when a character is hit by a surprise attack he or she might respond with “Nani!?”. The one word phrase is a remark that is almost equivalent to the saying “excuse me?” Or “I beg your pardon” in a confused tone. A lot of times a character might say Nani because they got hit with an overwhelming attack of mental distraught.
The word Nani alone is very common in English subbed anime so it’s no surprise that viewers in the United States would know of the word. In addition to how common it is, the word’s popularity in the United States can also be credited to the memes on social media. Kenshiro, a Japanese character from Tetsou Hara’s 1980’s series titled Fist of the North Star, is the reason why there are so many memes with this word. There is a clip from the series that displays kenshiro attacking people. After kenshiro finishes his brutal assault he then calmly says his signature phrase “Omae wa mou shindeiru”. When translated to English this phrase means “ you’re already dead”. Once kenshiro says this, his enemies would then say “Nani” in a confused tone. After the character screams the word then they collapse and die, just as kenshiro proclaimed. These clips exploded over the internet and get millions of views from people around the world. Not only were people in the United States introduced to the word Nani, but they also are introduced to the other series I had previously mentioned,” first of the North Star”.
The internet introduces Americans to a lot of things. One of these many things is Japanese culture. The use of social media such as Facebook and Instagram have made it easier to find out certain things. The platforms prove to be very informative. Social media provides information that both does and does not pertain to you. What makes social media significant is that once something takes off and becomes viral, it’s hard for a person to avoid it. This is the case with the word Nani and the kenshiro meme. It was everywhere on Facebook and Instagram that you could not possibly avoid it. There was no kind of way that an avid user of social media had not seen or heard of the word Nani at least once. By way of social media, the word Nani had became significantly known in the United States amongst many social media users.
People who adamantly use Facebook and other forms of social media learn a lot of things. Nani is just one of the words that people may have learned due to the internet. Not only does it hold vast knowledge, but social media can also be an influencer. Depending on how often you might see certain words like Nani, you might tend to use the word in your vernacular. Someone who has often seen or heard this word might introduce it to a friend. Then the cycle continues and the word starts to spread. This is a perfect example of how words and phrases catch on amongst a group a people. For example, the New York phrase “Deadass” had to come from somewhere. Someone had to hear it and then start using it and in result, made it spread. People don’t often realize it but they make things catch on and go viral just by conversing. Whether it be for 2 days or just 2 minutes, that duration of time speaking about a subject can contribute to it spreading and increasing in its popularity. This is exactly what social media does for different subjects. No matter what the subject is, any thing in the world has the potential to become viral and spread amongst people on the internet.
The word Nani is most often used in a confused tone regardless of the situation. Whether during a fight or a regular conversation, Nani is typically exclaimed enthusiastically. Usually it is said more enthusiastic than the many other words in the Japanese language. Some words are usually said more calmly and more reserved than Nani. For example, the Japanese word gomennsai. This word means to apologize in a very polite way. This word is almost the equivalent of apologizing after bumping into a stranger on the subway. The word Nani has become so significant to some anime viewers because this word stands out more than many others.
Sometimes, but not always, things will become overwhelmingly popular. Things will sometimes get so popular and spread to a lot of media and entertainment. Things get so popular in one place that it inevitably spreads to somewhere else. Television shows at times may reference something that has gotten popular. Some cartoons reference memes that have went viral on the internet. This also happens with songs as well. Unfortunately, to my knowledge Nani has not been a word featured in any media in the United States other than the internet. Nani is a word that a lot of people know but some do not. Only people who often use social media or watch anime would only recognize this word.
The summarize, things from other countries often influence things in the United States. Anime has become very popular in the United States despite being something that started in Japan. The word Nani has become very known by many people that live in the United States. This includes both people who watch anime and people who don’t partake in it. The word was able to spread from Japan to the United States through the use of the internet, more specifically social media.
