I write a lot about memes because they’re an interesting form of communication in the 21st century. Memes, of course, are “units of human knowledge and culture” that move through society, changing and evolving the way organisms do. Just the progress of animal genes will be corralled by physical barriers like a mountain range or an inland sea, memes are often grouped by geography and language, with only a few — Maru the Cat, the cardboard box Gundam cosplay guy, the awesomeness of Bob Ross — able to make the jump from one area to another. While users of the English-speaking Internet might be sharing Come At Me, Bro! or Overly Attached Girlfriend JPEGs, Japanese would likely be using memes from Japan’s 2ch BBS like 日本語でおk [sic] nihongo de ok (“please say that again, in simple Japanese this time”), or quoting that most memorable line from Mobile Suit Gundam “You hit me! Not even my own father hit me!” which is likely not so memorable to gaijin fans. The English translation of Steins;Gate poses some unique challenges in this area, since several characters speak in Japanese “netspeak” and use verbal memes that would be unfamiliar to non-Japanese fans, many of them obscure references from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Happily the game has a useful on-screen “tips” feature which explains these references as well as the many scientific terms found in the game.
Some memes manage to cross from East to West, but not many.
