14 Jan 2011

kaigou: Skeptical Mike is skeptical. (1 skeptical mike)
I am completely baffled, because here's a language for which no one gives subtitles.

In jdramas, I've seen people bow when they greet, when they depart, when they apologize, and when they congratulate. Often it's multiple bows in the same space of time, such as bowing in greetings, to which the other person bows, and then there's a response bow. (This got parodied wonderfully in a short segment in the first episode of the kdrama, Coffee House.) From CP and Japanese friends, I have some understanding of the basic etiquette of bowing... but it's not doing me much good in understanding the nuances when I'm watching kdramas. At least, I can't just assume the two correlate, because when you deconstruct kdrama bows, the details and style are different -- enough that I'm not willing to just take it for granted that they mean the same or should be applied/understood the same way.

Where, when, and who of bowing in jdramas, kdramas, and tw-dramas, with notes on what looks like the styles of bowing for each. )

I've found various essays/articles about bowing for Japanese culture, but none for Korea or Taiwan, and definitely none that compare the greeting/departure nuances between the three. If you watch any of those countries' dramas, or are familiar with any of the cultures directly, am I missing something that might explain the nuances? Do you see the same pattern, or do you see real-life patterns being different, and if so, any idea of why the drama-versions vary from real life and/or are so consistent in their presentation?

whois

kaigou: this is what I do, darling (Default)
锴 angry fishtrap 狗

to remember

"When you make the finding yourself— even if you're the last person on Earth to see the light— you'll never forget it." —Carl Sagan

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