The work “Boys Over Flowers” started as a manga, then adapted into an anime, and eventually produced as a drama, becoming a globally renowned piece.
It gained immense popularity in the four East Asian countries of South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China, all being adapted into dramas. The original work originated from a Japanese manga, and in the Korean version of “Boys Over Flowers,” actress Gu Hye-sun played the role of the protagonist Geum Jan-di, while the character Gu Jun-pyo, who played the leader of “F4” within the story, also garnered significant popularity.
Japanese Version of “Boys Over Flowers” Drama
Based on a Japanese manga, this work was made into an anime and later reincarnated into a drama. In the drama, the character is named Makino Tsukushi.
The actress who portrayed this role is Inoue Mao, receiving praise not only for her visual beauty when adorned but also for her character portrayal, which appears modest yet strong. She adeptly portrayed Tsukushi, who is brave, just, and straightforward in all matters but still inexperienced in love.
However, in May 2002, there was considerable attention drawn to a scene within the drama online. It was the scene where Inoue Mao delivers lines in English, pronouncing “Mother, Father, Brother” as “Maza, Waza, Braza” in what is termed “Japanese-style English pronunciation.”
This occurred due to the limitations of pronunciation in Japanese, unlike Korean, where it is possible to write and pronounce “The” as “Zya.” Unlike Korean, where “th” sounds can be represented by characters such as “ㅆ”, there is no way to express the “th” sound in Japanese.
Thus, in Japan, “The” is written and pronounced as “za (ザー).” For reference, even “Arthur” cannot be pronounced as it is in Japanese, and is pronounced as “Asa.”
noue Mao, Full Version of Japanese-Style English Dialogue
While the typical “My father, my mother, my brother” version is well known, checking out the full version allows us to encounter even clearer Japanese-style English pronunciation.
Perhaps, without subtitles, it might be difficult to accurately grasp what lines are being delivered.
- Even without a house to live in.
- I love my father, my mother, and my brother.
- The most important thing for me is my family.
- I believe what is most needed for deprived children is a family.
- It’s about one family.