Language Cheat Reincarnation – Young Girl VTuber Saves the World

<There are other interesting ways to count things in English too… like how ‘a pride of lions’ refers to ‘a group of lions.’>

<That sounds kind of cool.>

<Crows are called a "murder", rats are a "mischief", and buffalo are a "gang", among others.>

<Wow, I didn’t know that.>

<Well, it’s not really a common way of counting things. But it does feel like there’s a playful side to English that Japanese counters don’t have.>

Language is fascinating; the more you learn, the more interesting it gets.

There are actually hundreds of ways to count animals in English, so if you look into it, you might discover even more.

<In these details, you can really see the values and sensibilities of, say, Americans.>

<Values and sensibilities, huh? This is my personal opinion, but I believe that to truly learn a language, you also need to learn the culture of that country. It's kind of unavoidable.>

<That reminds me, you said before that when you went back to Ukraine, the cultural gap with Japan was shocking.>

<Yes! It was so shocking!>

<Whoa!?>

Iryena jumped in with great enthusiasm.

It seems she has quite a story to tell.

<In Japan, before a meal, you say "Itadakimasu", right?>

≫It’s a word that expresses gratitude to the ingredients, the farmers, and the person who made the meal (Ukrainian).

≫There’s no equivalent in Ukraine (Ukrainian).

≫Though we do have some phrases before meals here, too (Ukrainian).

<That’s right. But those phrases are more about "enjoying the meal!" than expressing gratitude.>

<It’s the same in America. Depending on religion, some people pray to the earth or God before meals, but it’s quite different in nuance from Japan’s "Itadakimasu.">

<Ukraine is culturally closer to America than Japan, so I understand that. Or maybe Japan is just "too unique" as an island nation.>

≫Yeah, I can’t really argue with that LOL (Ukrainian).

If you suddenly started eating without saying anything in Japan, it’d probably be considered rude (Ukrainian).

≫It’s kind of like how we give a toast before drinking (Ukrainian).

<That’s exactly it! That’s the point I wanted to make!>

<Whoa, calm down, why so excited?>

<In Ukraine, before meals, we say something like a speech. For example, "For our health", and the longer, the better.>

<Whoa…>

That sounds like something the average Japanese person would struggle with.

Maybe only the principal at school would be good at it. Although, to be honest, even then, we'd prefer if they kept it short.

<If you don’t say anything, or if it’s too short, people will be like, "Huh?" When I went back home and ate with my friends, I had to say the most, given the situation.>

I see…

It seems that even for Iryena, who has adapted to Japanese culture, the Ukrainian way still sticks with her.

<I’m not great at speeches like that, so I’d probably have a hard time.>

In American high schools, there are lots of opportunities for presentations, speeches, and public speaking.

Because of that, you kind of get used to it, whether you like it or not…

<Oh, it doesn’t matter what you talk about, so you could even talk about VTubers!>

<Then that’s easy! I could talk forever!>

≫Hey, no, stop! (Ukrainian)

≫If you let Iroha talk about VTubers, we’ll never start eating (Ukrainian).

≫Even Ukrainians would get tired of Iroha LOL.

<So, I spread the word about Iroha-sama while I was there too!>

<…Wait, what!? Weren’t you saying it was tough!? >

<Not at all. I was just trying to share how cute Iroha-sama is with the world.>

≫LMAO (Ukrainian)

≫This is classic Illyusha (Ukrainian).

≫I’ll spread the word at my next dinner with friends too (Ukrainian).

<Alright, that’s enough of that! Are there any other cultural differences between Japan and Ukraine?>

<Well, in Ukraine, there’s no culture of smiling at strangers. Smiles are reserved for people you're close to. Smiling at others can actually be considered rude.>

<Really!?>

<Yes. So, when Japanese people smile and talk to us, it can make many Ukrainians wary.>

<Culture sure is tricky.>

<But it’s not that we’re in a bad mood, so please don’t misunderstand. At the same time, we also need to be careful not to offend others.>

<Hmm, I didn’t know that. Or maybe I just didn’t notice. I always had the impression that you were smiling brightly at me from the very start.>

<Of course! I always show Iroha-sama an even bigger smile than I would my family!>

<…Oh, I see. Thanks.>

<Not at all! It’s how I really feel!>

<O-okay…>

≫Iroha-chan is on the defensive LOL.

≫She's both on the defensive and being admired LOL.

≫Despite everything, Iroha’s weak when it comes to direct expressions of feelings (Ukrainian).

<Another unique thing about Japan is how people treat objects like they have personalities, right? Like how the Japanese often "personify" things.>

≫Countries, battleships, swords, animals… it's harder to find things the Japanese haven’t personified (Ukrainian).

≫In Japan, there’s a belief that gods reside in all things, so maybe it’s a form of idol worship (Ukrainian).

≫Sorry, I’m only thinking about what’s "moe" LOL (Ukrainian).

<…Ah, I misspoke. I meant to say that the Japanese often use "personification" in expressions.>

<Haha. That makes more sense.>

Iryena corrected herself, looking a bit embarrassed.

But honestly, I love personification. In fact…

It’s something that’s very common with VTubers too!