<blockquote>
<p>Gin: &quot;Not like that! Ka-wa-wi-i!&quot;<br />
Kagura: &quot;Ka-wa-wi-i!&quot;<br />
Gin: &quot;No! Ka-wa-&quot; (here he chokes on his coffee)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Kagura says Ka-wa-wi-n the second time.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If so, though, I'd expect Gin to tell her to drop it rather than say the word from the beginning again.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>No one can tell what the writers want Gin to say instead.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-26T21:08:10.967Z
2020-12-26T21:08:10.967Z
Yuu
<p>This is more of a Japanese language question, but since it's based on goofy anime scene, I thought I'd ask here.</p>
<p>The scene is from episode 88 of Gintama:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mBS9-EQbqw" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mBS9-EQbqw</a></p>
<p>Gin asks Kagura to go to the ladies' room with the other women on a group date and play up his good looks.  Paraphrased into English except for the word &quot;cute,&quot; it goes like this:</p>
<p>Gin: &quot;Remember what I told you to say?&quot;</p>
<p>Kagura: &quot;What do you think of the boys?  My favorite is that silver-haired guy.  He's <em>ka-wa-i-i!</em>&quot;</p>
<p>Gin:  &quot;Not like that!  <em>Ka-wa-wi-i!</em>&quot;</p>
<p>Kagura:  &quot;<em>Ka-wa-wi-i!</em>&quot;</p>
<p>Gin:  &quot;No!  <em>Ka-wa-</em>&quot;  (here he chokes on his coffee)</p>
<p>I love this scene, but it's always bugged me that I can't tell what fault Gin is finding with Kagura's delivery that second time.  Their pronunciations sound identical to me, except that <em>maybe</em> Kagura might be adding an <strong>n</strong> sound to the end of hers.  If so, though, I'd expect Gin to tell her to drop it rather than say the word from the beginning again.</p>
<p>The only other possibility I can think of is that Kagura isn't saying <em>ka-wa-wi-i</em> very enthusiastically; in fact, she looks bored.  But then, Gin says it in a pretty flat voice too.</p>
<p>So is there some sound difference that's inaudible to this non-native speaker?  Or is it something else?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-21T03:45:07.337Z
I have a hunch this is a reference to a Japanese-specific parody, but not yet confirmed by the Japanese fans themselves...
Aki Tanaka
<japanese-language><gintama>
What's wrong with Kagura's pronunciation of "ka-wa-wi-i"?
# What's wrong with Kagura's pronunciation of "ka-wa-wi-i"?
Posted by: username_0 on 2020-06-20
This is more of a Japanese language question, but since it's based on goofy anime scene, I thought I'd ask here.

The scene is from episode 88 of Gintama:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mBS9-EQbqw>

Gin asks Kagura to go to the ladies' room with the other women on a group date and play up his good looks. Paraphrased into English except for the word "cute," it goes like this:

Gin: "Remember what I told you to say?"

Kagura: "What do you think of the boys? My favorite is that silver-haired guy. He's *ka-wa-i-i!*"

Gin: "Not like that! *Ka-wa-wi-i!*"

Kagura: "*Ka-wa-wi-i!*"

Gin: "No! *Ka-wa-*" (here he chokes on his coffee)

I love this scene, but it's always bugged me that I can't tell what fault Gin is finding with Kagura's delivery that second time. Their pronunciations sound identical to me, except that *maybe* Kagura might be adding an **n** sound to the end of hers. If so, though, I'd expect Gin to tell her to drop it rather than say the word from the beginning again.

The only other possibility I can think of is that Kagura isn't saying *ka-wa-wi-i* very enthusiastically; in fact, she looks bored. But then, Gin says it in a pretty flat voice too.

So is there some sound difference that's inaudible to this non-native speaker? Or is it something else?
**Tags:** japanese-language gintama
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I have a hunch this is a reference to a Japanese-specific parody, but not yet confirmed by the Japanese fans themselves...  
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_2 on 2020-12-26. Score: 2 | Accepted answer
> Gin: "Not like that! Ka-wa-wi-i!"  
> Kagura: "Ka-wa-wi-i!"  
> Gin: "No! Ka-wa-" (here he chokes on his coffee)

Kagura says Ka-wa-wi-n the second time.

> If so, though, I'd expect Gin to tell her to drop it rather than say the word from the beginning again.

No one can tell what the writers want Gin to say instead.
---
