| Shouldn't they speak a completely different language seing how they are from another world? Like how do they even comunicate with the Japanese MC if they are not supposed to speak their native language then? |
SpunkertJan 19, 2024 10:16 AM
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| Here's a similar question: In Code Geass, how on earth are the Britannians fluent in Japanese long before they invaded Japan? |
| I am using the best palette swap. |
Reply to Peach_Main
Here's a similar question: In Code Geass, how on earth are the Britannians fluent in Japanese long before they invaded Japan?
| @Peach_Main They are all probably speaking the lingua franca of that world wich is probably English. But they are all from the same world so it's make sense. |
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| The same reason everyone speaks English in Oz: you're not supposed to think about that. |
| その目だれの目？ |
| Well, some Isekai where the mc is reborn as a baby have scenes or at least mentions the MC learning the new language. |
Itsuki >  |
| Probably the same reason aliens always speak english |
| My waifu is the most wonderful waifu. Mai Valentine. We're freaking out that we're running out of time, but to do what? Should i stop and think of that? Is there something i could do to slow it down? Live in a day for once, instead of watch it sprinting by |
| Its not like most Isekai are like that just cause, some make the effort into having in-lore reasons why the characters can speak the foreign language. Even if you hear them speak Japanese, its not necessarily Japanese in-universe. In Mushoku Tensei they actually dont speak Japanese in-universe (with few important exceptions), you hear their fantasy language when Rudeus is born. Had to learn the language in order for him to be as natural as his past live´s Japanese. They also sometimes have moments where they speak the Demon language, so that you know its different from the regular human language from that world. There are also moments where the inhabitants of their world hear actual Japanese and couldnt understand him and the story goes out of its way to make the distinction. In Ascendance of a Bookworm Urano is reincarnated into a world where she cant understand the people. You actually hear the foreign language until she gets the memories of the original Myne flooded into her. Since the original Myne never learned to even write this language, Urano Myne needed to learn how to write the language on her own cause she only knew Japanese. There is even a scene where she first wrote her name in Japanese kanji, then wrote it in that worlds language. In Uncle from Another World, Yousuke needs to speak the fantasy language of Granbahamal in order to perform spirit magic. He also has Wild Talker skill that basically functions as a Star Trek translator, instantly translating the fantasy language into a language he understands. However there are indeed isekais where they just understand each other with no issue, with no in-lore explanations as to why this is the case or if they are actually speaking a foreign language that just auto-translated to Japanese for us viewers. Also I dont count video game isekai as those are intentionally made convenient for the trapped players. Then there are hand crafted or specifically targeted other worlds, where the person is reincarnated to a world where the language is near or identical to the one from his original world. Those are easy ways to go around the language barrier without also making an effort into crafting a makeshift fantasy language. |
 "Don't let your memes be dreams."- Ancient Japanese proverb, probably |
| They don't. It's actually translated from Westron for your convenience. |
| MEA·MENTVLA·INGENS·EST |
Reply to Dije
@Technopunk Those who do not made the effort to explain this, is because they rely on the suspension of disbelief... Why they speak the same language may be a nice detail to have but it neither adds nor takes away from the plot
| @Dije Depending on the type of Isekai, it will matter. However there are those Isekai where worldbuilding is not really a focus, rather the other world is mostly a tool for creating wacky scenarios to insert their characters into. |
"Don't let your memes be dreams."- Ancient Japanese proverb, probably |
| *me being the fish who takes the bait* For the same reason why foreign dubs exist: because most viewers don't want to read subs, so different languages get unified for their convenience. Authenticity has a much lower priority in this regard. |
*kappa* |
| It is just there for the viewer. Sometimes they indeed are speaking Japanese suggesting a connection between worlds but other cases it is some translation ability or the MC is just speaking another language because they learned it being born in that world. Might be interesting to see a show use a fictional language instead of Japanese though and just use subtitles. |
| ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣸⠋⠀⠀⠀⡄⠀⠀⡔⠀⢀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⡘⡰⠁⠘⡀⠀⠀⢠⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠁⠀⣀⠀⠀⡇⠀⡜⠈⠁⠀⢸⡈⢇⠀⠀⢣⠑⠢⢄⣇⠀⠀⠸⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⢰⡟⡀⠀⡇⡜⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⡇⠈⢆⢰⠁⠀⠀⠀⠘⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⠀⠀⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠤⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡼⠀⣧⠀⢿⢠⣤⣤⣬⣥⠀⠁⠀⠀⠛⢀⡒⠀⠀⠀⠘⡆⡆⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⢵⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡰⠀⢠⠃⠱⣼⡀⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠛⠳⠶⠶⠆⡸⢀⡀⣀⢰⠀⠀⢸ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣀⣀⣀⠄⠀⠉⠁⠀⠀⢠⠃⢀⠎⠀⠀⣼⠋⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠴⠢⢄⡔⣕⡍⠣⣱⢸⠀⠀⢷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⡰⠃⢀⠎⠀⠀⡜⡨⢢⡀⠀⠀⠀⠐⣄⠀⠀⣠⠀⠀⠀⠐⢛⠽⠗⠁⠀⠁⠊⠀⡜⠸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⢀⠔⣁⡴⠃⠀⡠⡪⠊⣠⣾⣟⣷⡦⠤⣀⡈⠁⠉⢀⣀⡠⢔⠊⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡤⡗⢀⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⢀⣠⠴⢑⡨⠊⡀⠤⠚⢉⣴⣾⣿⡿⣾⣿⡇⠀⠹⣻⠛⠉⠉⢀⠠⠺⠀⠀⡀⢄⣴⣾⣧⣞⠀⡜⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠐⠒⣉⠠⠄⡂⠅⠊⠁⠀⠀⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣻⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⢠⣷⣮⡍⡠⠔⢉⡇⡠⠋⠁⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀ |
Kvistis said: Yep, it's called a plot device. Star Trek has it, but in the ST universe, it's a piece of technology called the "universal translator." It's a silly, unbelievable thing, really, but it's there because having to deal with so many different extraterrestrial languages over and over would get in the way of the storytelling. I like when shows put in efforts to create new languages and so on, but sometimes it's too much effort for the creators. Yeah they do same thing in Doctor Who as well where the TARDIS translates within a certain range. Spoken is almost always done in native language with a few exceptions here and there for more a high fantasy vibe. Except with writing which is almost always a fictional language because the artists love inventing characters. |
| ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣸⠋⠀⠀⠀⡄⠀⠀⡔⠀⢀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⡘⡰⠁⠘⡀⠀⠀⢠⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠁⠀⣀⠀⠀⡇⠀⡜⠈⠁⠀⢸⡈⢇⠀⠀⢣⠑⠢⢄⣇⠀⠀⠸⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⢰⡟⡀⠀⡇⡜⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⡇⠈⢆⢰⠁⠀⠀⠀⠘⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⠀⠀⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠤⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡼⠀⣧⠀⢿⢠⣤⣤⣬⣥⠀⠁⠀⠀⠛⢀⡒⠀⠀⠀⠘⡆⡆⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⢵⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡰⠀⢠⠃⠱⣼⡀⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠛⠳⠶⠶⠆⡸⢀⡀⣀⢰⠀⠀⢸ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣀⣀⣀⠄⠀⠉⠁⠀⠀⢠⠃⢀⠎⠀⠀⣼⠋⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠴⠢⢄⡔⣕⡍⠣⣱⢸⠀⠀⢷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⡰⠃⢀⠎⠀⠀⡜⡨⢢⡀⠀⠀⠀⠐⣄⠀⠀⣠⠀⠀⠀⠐⢛⠽⠗⠁⠀⠁⠊⠀⡜⠸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⢀⠔⣁⡴⠃⠀⡠⡪⠊⣠⣾⣟⣷⡦⠤⣀⡈⠁⠉⢀⣀⡠⢔⠊⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡤⡗⢀⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⢀⣠⠴⢑⡨⠊⡀⠤⠚⢉⣴⣾⣿⡿⣾⣿⡇⠀⠹⣻⠛⠉⠉⢀⠠⠺⠀⠀⡀⢄⣴⣾⣧⣞⠀⡜⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠐⠒⣉⠠⠄⡂⠅⠊⠁⠀⠀⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣻⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⢠⣷⣮⡍⡠⠔⢉⡇⡠⠋⠁⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀ |
| Well because the source material and the anime is made by Japanese people who speak their language and will make this language in their entertainment media. They won't spend additional money to find several or more people who can speak fluently in different languages for a single short project. Ancient Romans in alot of western movies spoke fluently in English same case, same reasons. Obviously there are always exceptions, Barbarians in which there are Latin and Germanic language. Great Pretender where in some scenes they spoke English and left the note that the characters speak in English but for the comfort of Japanese audience they'll change the language of the show etc. |
| Somebody fact-check me on this, but in Mushoku Tensei, they(the people in the Isekai world) don't actually speak Japanese but obviously, it has to sound like Japanese to the viewers. |
  𝒮𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒𝓈, 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃'𝓉 𝓂𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓌𝒶𝓇𝒹 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝒸𝓁𝑜𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝑜𝓇 𝒷𝑒𝒽𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊. - 𝑅𝑒𝒾 𝒦𝒾𝓇𝒾𝓎𝒶𝓂𝒶   |
| Oh, some deep thinking, I see xD... Me, too. Me, too: -Why can every human jump 6 feet in the air, in Anime? -Why do Anime characters survive horrible, bloody accidents/fights? -How come Animals seem always a lot smarter in these Shows, compared to real life? -Isn't it weird that everybody, in Anime, is blushing this frequently? -Call me crazy, but isn't it a bit unrealistic the way the main character always get's a power up at the most critical moment? -What about these scenes when the Anime girl coincidentally stumbles onto the male characters lap or kisses him accidentally. Cmon, that wouldn't happen, would it? Here you go. |
 |
| The real question is why italian gangsters speak japanese in JoJo Golden Wind. |
 |
| In kuma kuma kuma bear, Yuna gets transported into a Japanese game released in Japan, so it makes sense that everyone there would speak Japanese. |
| You can buy lossless digital music from your favorite Japanese artists on https://ototoy.jp/. The songs are all DRM-free and you can re-download your purchased albums as you wish. Show your support to your favorite artist if you can! ps. if you are looking for Japanese albums, you have to search it in Japanese (not romaji). Just copy and paste the name. For those who want to learn Japanese through anime Resources for learning the language |
| I think some manga do explain that they either get transported to a world where japanese is spoken (maybe a Japanese game or due to a Japanese godess or something). Otherwise I just think that the MC learned or was born with the knowledge of language spoken in that world but its written in Japanese for the viewers to understand. |
If you enjoyed the time you wasted, then its not a waste of time.  |
| well, they don't. to be fair, sometimes isekai mcs question this themselves and it usually turns out they are able to understand the new language because of one of their multiple newly acquired op skills; perhaps at some point we get such skills too while watching those shows |
| They don't. It just became some sort of axiom in the genre as its unreasonable to expect every isekai anime to explain the basics again and again and again |
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| Convenience for the plot to progress. It's the same reason almost everyone in Star Wars speaks Galactic Basic (English), aliens speak the same language as humans in any show, etc. |
This post is brought to you by your local transfem gamer goblin. Will not tolerate bigotry and will fight against "anti-woke" sentiment to make the anime community a safer place.  |
| It is done for default to not confuse readers and watchers. |
 |
| There's often a quick mention that the MC will immediately know the language of that world as part of their gift when being isekai'd, while not always it's quite common. Some even take it literal like Tsukimichi where he's unable to speak the 'human' language because his gift the world's goddess gave him allows him to speak to everything but humans but of course its just Japanese to the viewers for convenience and the fact it's a Japanese show. Some shows do go at creating completely new languages, use some other existing language or just have a gibberish language with letters swapped. There are some where the character has to learn the language but usually when this happens, the show doesn't really go too much into detail with them actually learning it and just goes with 'they eventually learn it' after a quick scene/panel of them studying. |
PaulJan 19, 2024 1:44 PM
| so they can add characters whenevera |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
| Often they don't. In many isekai it's explicitly mentioned that the person is given the skill to understand and speak the local language(s). Consequently, in some of those, they can intentionally choose to write notes in Japanese so they couldn't be read by the locals. Or they detect other isekai'ed people based on them speaking Japanese, not any of the local languages. Probably some do a sort of "live interpretation" thing, similar to how it works in Doctor Who. There's also a few ones where they get spawned as babies and naturally learn the local language. And some where they don't understand the local language and have problems due to that. But as mentioned, even if none of the above apply, this simplification is not unique to isekai, and happens in a ton of anime that involves other, non-Japanese speaking, countries. |
| Uhhh isn't it more like the protagonist speaking THEIR language? |
"Nobody could laugh at someone who's trying their hardest" -Machio- |
| Because there wouldn't be much of a plot if everyone in the world just went around saying "Eekka akka bookka wookka" all day long. I mean, I'd watch that, but that's besides the point. |
 This ground is soiled by those before me and their lies. I dare not look up for on me I feel their eyes |
| I’m all for a good worldbuilding, but I don’t think it’s necessary to explain why in fantasy worlds characters speak the same languages from ours. You would either need to make some messed up, unnecessary, and boring explanation of why aliens or elves speak English or Japanese, or you could make your own language which would be tiresome and confusing for both the author and the public. |
| "Why do everybody speak Japanese in the Isekai world?" In order to make it easy to understand for the Japanese audience imk. |
| I need somebody who can love me at my worst No, I'm not perfect, but I hope you see my worth 'Cause it's only you, nobody new, I put you first And for you, girl, I swear I'll do the worst If you stay forever, let me hold your hand I can fill those places in your heart no else can Let me show you love, oh, I don't pretend, yeah I'll be right here, baby, you know I'll sink or swim |
| So we don't have to sit through several hundred boring episodes of someone of normal intelligence trying to decipher a completely foreign language. |
| "The name's Gambit. Remember it." -Gambit "X-Men '97"  |
| There are plenty of isekai where they don't speak Japanese. Often the character is just automatically able to understand what the characters are speaking even though it's not Japanese, as part of the process in going to the isekai. For example, in Re Zero the characters don't actually speak Japanese, which is why Subaru has to learn the writing system and why the characters of the world can't read Japanese. In Konosuba as well it is a similar thing, and I believe it is explained when he is transported to the other world how it works. In Isekai Ojisan, I think his specific power he gets is being able to communicate with people (and other things). Then there are cases like Zero no Tsukaima, where when Saito is first transported to the world he can't understand what anybody is saying and they can't understand him, but someone casts a magic spell on him so he can communicate. You also have isekai where the protagonist is reborn in the world, for example Youjo Senki, so it would make sense that the character is able to communicate. And then there are the "isekai" where they are really just trapped in a game (Overlord, Princess Connect, etc) so it makes sense that it is in Japanese, because the game was originally in Japanese. All this being said, it is hardly something unique to isekai. There are plenty of series not set in Isekai where characters who shouldn't be able to understand each other do, for example series where characters go to America, Europe, China etc or vice versa and yet everyone can still understand each other. It's also not really a uniquely anime thing, it's just a lot easier to have everyone understand each other rather than make up fake languages and try to write episodes around that. |
| Same reason why everybody speaks English in most Hollywood movies set in foreign countries: for the convenience of the actors, the writers, the casting directors, and the target audience demographic to a certain degree ('Murican normies especially tend to dislike having to read subtitles in their movies). It's just one of those things in storytelling media where some suspension of disbelief is required. |
OrororurandoJan 19, 2024 11:23 PM
| Same reason aliens speak English in western media even though as aliens they should 100% have their own language 100% of the time. It's strictly for convenience rather than having to come up with a whole new language each time. They could easily just do a throwaway line about using magic/technology to translate, but they rarely ever do. The thing that really annoys me with languages is when a character comes in from another country and someone says something along the lines of "you speak Japanese well for being from 'x' country". It's like, show, I can just assume this person studied Japanese before they left their country. I don't need this filler dialog to tell me that. Or alternatively I can assume this is like Tekken where everyone can understand every language with zero issues. |
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