Japanese Artist Asks English Speakers Not To Post Memes Like This As English Sarcasm Does Not Translate Well In Japanese

Every now and then, human communication encounters errors. ‘Cause it’s already hard enough to come across a simple, clear message. But it’s a whole different story when it comes to building bridges between cultures. One word at the wrong place and wrong time and you’re screwed.

This is essentially why one Japanese artist felt it was vital to let their English fandom know what not to do while commenting on Japanese artists’ works. In an urgent tweet with the caption “Please read!”, Chii urged avoiding using particular memes because English sarcasm and humor may come across as insulting. Her tweet got a whopping 179.7K likes and 78.5K retweets, showing that so many people weren’t immune to her argument.

And honestly, chances are, you too have been unsure of whether a statement is indeed ironic. So the next time you pop the “Are you serious?” question, think of the cultures that just don’t enter that grey area.