GlassMoon wrote:
Anyone notice how there's a typical anime archetype of the American/halfie bimboish girl with blonde hair, a bunny suit, and an Osaka accent? I never got how the Osaka thing is connected to the other parts... If anything, one would think that they would be speaking English instead of a Kansai-ben... of course, I like Kansai-ben more. Nandeyanen!!!!
Now I can't say I'm an authoritative voice, but based on my extensive knowledge of Japanese accents (Read: I've seen Love Hina and Azumanga Daioh), I've always gotten the impression that the Kansai accent signals a down-home, laidback kinda character, while the Osaka one signifies a character who's not only a bumpkin, but a total ditz to boot. 'Course, I'm a scrub who watches everything English-dubbed, so I can't say I've made the observation personally.
As for why they don't speak English? Same reason they make Romans speak with British accents in movies. They want a character that feels foreign, but not too foreign such that they're incomprehensible. At least that's my hot take on it.
