Kansai Regional Accent

In Japanese, Kansai-ben. Accent commonly associated with the Kansai region of Japan. Since most anime is made in Tokyo (the accents sound different even if you can't understand them), this is usually very thick and exaggerated. It's also usually the first variation to pop up. The Kansai region generally consists of Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Wakayama, and Nara, as well as the surrounding region. While the dialects generally get lumped together as Kansai-ben because of their general similarities, there are distinctions between them.

Osaka-ben (Osaka dialect) used to be the stereotypical villain accent until Osaka comedians performing with their accent became popular in the nineties. These days Osaka-ben is generally used to indicate a fun loving, impatient, loud, boisterous personality. (See also The Idiot From Osaka.) Osaka-ben speaking comedians are common in Real Life and in anime, and the Boke and Tsukkomi Routine has its roots there. Recall, for instance, the scene in Azumanga Daioh where Tomo learns that the new transfer student is going to be from Osaka, and wonders if she'll have an incredible tsukkomi. The comedy routine consists of the Boke, who generally says stupid things, and the Tsukkomi, who corrects the Boke though physical devices, such as a rap on the head.

Even though it is also part of Kansai-ben, Kyoto-ben is generally a much softer dialect. The Kyoto dialect has its roots in the courtly dialect from the time when the capital of Japan was Kyoto instead of Edo (later Tokyo). Recently in anime, Kyoto-ben has been reserved as a primarily female dialect. (See: Shizuru in My-HiME, Konoka in Mahou Sensei Negima, and Akesato in Peacemaker Kurogane, amongst others.) This is possibly due to the fact that Kyoto-ben is softer, and thus sounds more feminine.

A few quick tips for catching a character speaking Kansai-ben:

• If a female, look for the use of uchi instead of atashi.
• Replacement of desu or da with ya (or, in Kyoto-ben, dosu).
• The use of the -hen ending, instead of -nai, as in wakarahen versus wakaranai (lit. "don't know").
• -han instead of -san as an honorific.
• Using the word "aho" (roughly, "dumbass") instead of "baka". "Baka" is a much more serious insult to a Kansai native, and is rarely used by one except in deadly earnest. "Aho" also possesses all the affectionate subuses that "baka" gets elsewhere in Japan.
• The use of the "-haru" ending as an intermediate between plain style and the formal "-masu"
• Saying "se ya naa" instead of "sou da ne" ("I know, right?"; "I agree."; "Is that so?")
• Using "meccha" (not that mecha, the "ch" is soft like "Charles") instead of "tottemo" as an intensifier.
• Listen closely to when they say something like "e~to" (uh; um; er...). The "e", which is pronounced "eh", will be pronounced a bit more like "ih" (IPA: ɪ). This is easier to pick out when singing, as it is more exaggerated, making words like "shonen" sound a bit more like "shonihn" or "shonuhn".

For a good explanation of Kansai-ben versus standard Japanese, see the following page: http://www.nihongoresources.com/language/dialects/kansaiben.html

Depending on the country, preserving these dialects through translations and dubs can be tricky. The usual British equivalent is Cockney, though a Northern accent might represent the geographic and societal differences better than a dialect of the capital (and for Osaka-ben specifically, Brummie might be more accurate, being that Birmingham is Britain's second city, with a gritty industrial image and a local accent with markedly different intonation patterns and pronunciation from those of the southeast; Scouse may be even more appropriate, since it combines the gritty industrial image with a reputation for good humour). In American adaptations, Kansai usually translates to either a Southern or Texan accent (comparisons between Osaka and Houston as large, business-oriented cities with rowdy reputations in the southern part of their respective countries are perhaps not without merit), or a nasal New York or Boston accent (closer in terms of the actual nasal sound of the accent, and New York's fast-paced reputation isn't far off from Osaka's). The location of the company making the decision seems to be more than a little important in which gets chosen. They're considered stupid like rednecks, but rude and brash like New Yorkers. A good approximation for a thick one would be a Brooklyn accent a la Tony Soprano, while a softer one might be good as a North Jersey accent (a real one, not the stereotypical and completely inaccurate "Joisey" one).

On the other hand, in China, the Shenyang dialect (a large city in Northeastern China) seems to be a clear Chinese version of this accent, being stereotyped with the exact same traits as Kansai. Of course, the Shenyang dialect becomes both a source of laughter and scorn for many Chinese. In Russian translations the Odessa dialect, with its colorful accent and slightly unusual, Yiddish- and Greek-influenced grammar, seems to be gaining popularity as a stand-in. Which has additional cultural benefits, as Odessa always was a center of grain trade and Odessites have a reputation for an innate comedic talent, closely paralleling other Osakan stereotypes (see below).

Oddly, Kansai is sometimes so strongly associated with certain personality traits that characters with those traits are given the accent even when they are not actually from the Kansai region, and would have no legitimate reason to have learned the accent. This includes foreigners and especially Americans, who would more likely have learned "formal" Japanese, but are considered to have the brash, outspoken Osakan personality. Similarly, the association between Kansai-ben and a specific character archetype is so strong, shows set in region (but where the setting is not immediately relevant to the plot) may go out of their way to avoid giving the characters this dialect, even if it would technically be appropriate. (See The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for a show set in the heart of Kansai (in the suburbs of Kobe, to be precise), but where everyone speaks Standard Japanese.)

Despite the prominence of the dialect in Japanese media, it's still prone to being a victim of Did Not Do the Research, thanks to Tokyo-based writers who don't actually speak it. Depressingly common is the tendency for everyone in Kansai (apart from Kyoto) to use the dialect specific to Osaka, or a youthful character in a modern work to use vocabulary that's way out-of-date. (No teenager would use -han as an honorific except in jest, for example.)

See also: Tohoku Regional Accent.

Examples of Kansai Regional Accent include:

Anime

• Maeda, the main character of Rokudenashi Blues, slips back into his natural (and extremely thick) Kansai accent whenever he gets mad.
• Ranma ½ has Ukyo Kuonji, an Osakan who averts The Idiot From Osaka by actually being very smart, cunning, and a workaholic (which is a different sort of Kansai stereotype). As is common in Western translations, her accent is translated into a soft, vaguely American South accent. Except for one scene in the anime, where her accent is thickened for comedic purposes.
• Kinnosuke from Itazura na Kiss has a very thick Kansai accent. He even uses the word "aho" instead of "baka".
• Sakura the Kyuubi-fox in Hyper Police has one of the thickest Kansei accents in all of anime. Even non-Japanese speakers can pick it out.
• In the Sailor Moon English dub, the appropriately-named Osaka Naru was given a thick New York (specifically Brooklyn) accent. Despite the otherwise Macekre reputation of the dub, this is probably a fairly reasonable equivalent.
• Likewise Kouhei, the shopkeeper with the five o'clock shadow in Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai. However, most of the other characters in the show (who all use Kansai-ben) are given coastal Texan accents.
• Tina Foster in Ai Yori Aoshi is an "American" who was raised in Hakata, Fukuoka, on Kyushu, southernmost of the main islands. She speaks in Hakata-ben, a dialect that varies even more from the Standard language than Kansai-ben. In English, as in some of the other examples here, she gets a cornpone southern accent.
• Keroberos from Cardcaptor Sakura. It's explained that the magical book he protects was stored in Osaka for an extended length of time, and he picked up the accent.
• Ken-chan from Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito
• Sumiyoshi from Excel Saga solves the problem of what to dub the accent as, since all of his dialogue appears as written text floating in the air next to him. (Interestingly, at one point in the series, he's turned from his usual vaguely ugly self to a handsome version... and loses his "accent" in the process.) In the English translation of the manga his accent is translated as a Geordie accent; the European Spanish scanslation by Swamp renders his accent as Mexico City Spanish.
  • In the manga, however, his dialect is not Kansai at all, but Okayama (which happens to be much closer to the series' setting of Fukuoka, as well). His accent in the manga could even be considered a bit of Lampshade Hanging, commenting indirectly on the fact that everyone in Fukuoka is inexplicably speaking Standard Japanese, rather than Hakata-ben.
• In episode 18 of Keroro Gunsou, Kururu invents a machine to change one's accent to Kansai-ben in order to make them better at a Boke and Tsukkomi Routine contest. The English dub goes for a different tack, where it makes Natsumi "swear like a comedian".
• Kaolla Suu of Love Hina speaks in Kansai-ben as part of a Running Gag about her uncertain origin. It was later revealed this was because she was taught (shaky) Japanese by Kitsune, who is a genuine native of the area (and a good example of one of the classic Kansai character types).
• The American dub version of Osaka from Azumanga Daioh speaks in a Houston accent. The translated manga version of the series actually portrayed her with an unwieldy Brooklyn accent ("Fughedaboudit!") in the first volume before inexplicably switching to a Southern/Texan one. Osaka herself is a reversal of the personality stereotype, and initially goes through the standard 'Not all Osaka folk are like that' speeches. When it comes to loud boisterous behaviour, Osaka herself ranks with Gentle Giant Sakaki, child genius Chiyo, and possibly bits of the architecture.
  • In the Russian translation of the manga the "Kansai" phrases that Osaka uses in her first appearance are in Ukrainian. Considering the Russian sterotypes of Ukrainians as unsophisticated and greedy, the fit seems close enough. The translator also makes a side note to the effect of "Kansai-ben is not that different from standard Japanese, but Yukari probably thinks otherwise".
  • The Korean localization of Azumanga has "Osaka" come from the city of Pusan which, like the city of Osaka is a major southern port city and the population has a reputation for being unrefined.
• Nanako Kuroi in Lucky Star, and NOT from that region! In the English dub, they handle this by giving her a Southern accent.
• Mikan in Gakuen Alice.
• Lovely Complex takes place in Osaka, and the characters speak accordingly. This helps reinforce the two main characters being perceived as a Manzai comedy duo.
• Hazel from Saiyuki: Reload Gunlock is from "a land far west of India" (by his Old West themed appearance, implicitly America), but speaks in Kansai-ben. In this case, the "brash outsider" associations of the dialect contrast with the character's exaggeratedly gentle and friendly demeanor; the less confrontational he delivers "Sanzo-han", the more sarcastic it sounds.
• An episode of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex has a character (actually a brain in a box) faking a Kansai accent. The English dub has him doing an overblown Texan accent.
• Something of a bit character, Cho of the Juppongata from Rurouni Kenshin receives a hilarious "southern" accent in the English dub. Take a listen.
• My-HiME's Shizuru (a Kyoto native) speaks with a soft "Southern Belle" voice in the English dub, as befits her nature as her school's Ojou. Shizuru Viola from Mai-Otome uses the same speech pattern.
• It's not too clear why Tentomon, from Digimon Adventure, uses this accent.
  • The English dub drops it more or less completely; Tentomon is distinguished primarily by his vocabulary, rather than his accent.
• Aspiring comedian Haruki Emishi in GetBackers.
• Bleach:
  • Ichimaru Gin uses Kyoto-ben. Since it's a high-class accent, the English dub makes him sound a little posh instead of going the standard Southern-accent route.
  • Shinji and Hiyori of the Vizards also use Osaka-ben. In one of the anime's next episode previews he tried to form some sort of Kansai-solidarity alliance with Gin, only for him to point out that their accents are different and spark a flame of Osakan pride in Shinji.
• The Spiderman from Yaiba speaks with a thick Osaka-ben, since he's referred as a parody of Osaka people
• John Brown, the Catholic priest from Australia in Ghost Hunt has this. However, he has a very meek and shy personality - he learnt Japanese in the Kansai region as he thought it was the "polite" version of Japanese.
• Hayate of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. This may be why some fanworks portray her as infatuated with the Boke and Tsukkomi Routine.
• Aoi Nogami from Zettai Karen Children, or just many of the characters played by her seiyuu, Ryoko Shiraishi, who is from Nara. Incidentally, Aoi uses the Osaka dialect, but she herself is from Kyoto (the one place in Kansai where the Japanese usually use the right dialect).
• Nobody uses the dialect in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, even though they ought to: the series is set in Nishinomiya, home of the Hanshin Tigers. This phenomenon seems distinct from Not Even Bothering with the Accent, since the creator of the series was born and raised in Nishinomiya and wouldn't have to fake it. More likely, he sacrificed his native dialect in the text for the sake of broader appeal. Of course, Mikuru, Yuki, and Itsuki are excused from this by the fact that they're not actually from there, but at the very least, Kyon and Haruhi should be speaking full-on Kansai-ben. Haruhi (voiced by Nagoya-native Aya Hirano) does call Kyon "aho" sometimes, as well as using some Kansai-ben grammar occasionally, but it's usually the "blink-and-you'll-miss it" type of usage. Tsuruya-san, voiced by Osaka-nite Yuki Matsuoka, comes closest to having a Kansai accent; in the dub, it's rendered as a Valley Girl's dialect.
• Toji in Neon Genesis Evangelion uses Kansai-ben, rendered in the manga as a heavy Brooklyn "wise guy" accent.
• The Tigers team in Zoids New Century all have thick Kansai accents. However, they appear to have been engineered as a deliberate Shout-Out to the Hanshin Tigers...
• Tasuki from Fushigi Yuugi.
• Amano Jyaku from Urotsukidouji. For some reason, though, his sister Megumi sounds nothing like him.
• Nicholas D. Wolfwood from Trigun uses Kansai-ben; in an audio drama listed in the second OST, the other main characters (who normally speak Tokyo dialect) use Kansai while Wolfwood uses Tokyo, an invert of the normal. The others mock Wolfwood and say that his accent is going to make them sick.
• Case of an American using it for personality purposes - Eddy Tsukioka from Ask Dr. Rin!.
• Played straight with Iincho Tomoko Hoshina in To Heart, as she grew up in Kobe. This was also used as a fairly minor plot point in the first Omake of To Heart: Remember My Memories.
• The Black Tri-Stars, an Ace Pilot trio from the original Mobile Suit Gundam, though their case is somewhat inexplicable as none of them are Japanese. In the American dub, they're all given Southern accents.
• Hattori Heiji and Toyama Kazuha from Detective Conan
• Nanako (aka Casey) in the Japanese version of the Pokémon anime.
  • Also Bill in Pokémon Special. Pearl has the personality from the region as well, but not the accent.
• In Magic Knight Rayearth, the main characters meet someone on the medieval fantasy world of Cephiro who has such an accent. They even ask why she has it, but this is never answered.
  • It's explained in the series' second part that Caldina (the girl in question), is not actually from Cephiro, but rather Chizeta, an Arabian-style fantasy world. Only two other characters from that realm are given speaking roles within the series itself, and although they both appear to speak standard Japanese, one of them is faking it and lapses into Kansai-ben when agitated, so it may just be common there. Somewhat understandable since their seiyuus, Yuko Nagashima and Aya Hisakawa respectively, are Osaka-born and thus fluent in the accent.
• Several characters in Transformers:
  • Wheeljack in Transformers Generation 1 (adlibbed by the Osakan voice actor)
  • Browning in Transformers Super God Masterforce
  • Diver, Thrust, Dirge, and Ikard in Beast Wars II
  • Gusher (Slapper) in Transformers: Robots in Disguise
  • Hitoshizuku Amaō and Teletraan 10 in Kiss Players
• Antonio/Spain from Axis Powers Hetalia. Himayura typically renders Spanish speaking countries speech as Kansai accents. Also, Berwald/Sweden speaks Touhoku-ben, Denmark speaks Ibaraki-ben, Belgium speaks Shiga-ben, and Feliks/Poland, like, totally speaks Nagoya-ben.
  • The actual character of Osaka speaks in that accent, and his VA is from that region.
• Seita and Setsuko in Grave of the Fireflies speak in the dialect, since they're from Kobe. This is solely for the accuracy of the setting, however, and definitely not Played for Laughs.
• Kawachi from Yakitate!! Japan speaks with a Kansai accent, given his personality.
• Natsumi from Sketchbook speaks Fukuoka-ben, with its typical drawn-out vowels. It's weird that she is the only one who speaks that way, considering the series takes place in the Fukuoka prefecture.
• Averted in GA Geijutsuka Art Design Class. Awara's accent, perceived as the Kansai dialect, is actually the Nagoya dialect.
• The Osakan characters (particularly Takane) in Burst Angel.
  • In the Funimation dub, this is portrayed as a somewhat overdone Texan accent.
• K-On!: Ritsu suggests that the girls should talk like this while on a school trip to Kyoto, and demonstrates by adding Kansai endings. Mugi on the other hand, shows that she can speak it fluently.
  • Most street scenes in the anime are actually situated in Kyoto (mostly in the Kamigyou ward), whereas the high school is modeled after an elementary school in Kansai's Shiga prefecture, right next to Kyoto, where people speak a similar dialect. So in theory the girls should be speaking full-on Kansai-ben all the time. Since the anime is by Kyoto Animation, the possible reasons why they don't are mostly the same as with Haruhi Suzumiya.
• Juzo Naniwa from Combattler V
• Scanlations of Yamatogawa's manga often have their characters speaking in colloquialisms such as "Didja ferget yer old friend?" reportedly as a reflection of this trope, either as a literal accent adaptation or as an indication of a character's personality.
• Mako from Nerima Daikon Brothers, being The Idiot From Osaka, speaks with this accent. In the dub she's given a thick southern belle sort of accent which is pretty over-the-top--but the series itself is very over-the-top, so that was probably an intentional choice.
• Aizawa Sakuya from Hayate the Combat Butler.
• For reasons unexplained, Guu speaks like this to Haré sometimes to freak him out.
• Hadzuki Nouge from Koe de Oshigoto! is from Kyoto and speaks Kansai-ben. While being somewhat airheaded, she is far from an idiot, having the second best grades in her class.
• When the other people on the riverbank think Recruit is a leech in Arakawa Under the Bridge it serves as a Berserk Button. He becomes so enraged he starts speaking in a Kansai Accent.
• Oddly not used in Death Note. Misa says that she's from Osaka, and has lived there until only recently, yet doesn't have an accent.
  • Not that surprising since many people from the Kansai region learn to speak in the "Tokyoite accent" so as to fit in or at least to not stand out. Even less surprising in the case of Misa since she's an idol.
• The characters from the Nue story in Mononoke speak Kyoto-ben since the setting is near the capital. The ~han honorific is fairly prominent.
• Watari Yutaka from Yami no Matsuei
• Yuina from Hanasaku Iroha fakes this accent when she first meets Ohana at school, although Yuina fakes a different accent whenever she meets with Ohana.
• The ferret mascot Tarte (and the denizens of the Sweets Kingdom) from Fresh Pretty Cure speak in this dialect.
• Misaki of Angelic Layer speaks in Kansai-ben as does Icchan which may be a reason she first trusts him. Interestingly enough his younger brother from Osaka does not though this is later explained.
• Yuuko of A Channel. It's mentioned that she moved from Osaka to Tokyo shortly before the series started. She's voiced by Minako Kotobuki whose native dialect is Kansai-ben.
• In the Skypeia Arc of One Piece Luffy uses this briefly. To test a tone dial, he calls Usopp an "aho" rather than a baka, which the series normally uses.
• Hinata Hino of Mirai Nikki. Her father, the 10th user, also slips into the dialect during his last conversation with her.
• Hime Onizuka from Sket Dance speaks this but addresses herself with "atashi" instead of the standard "uchi".
• Subverted in Slam Dunk, where Rukawa refers to Sakuragi as "aho" but doesn't seem to be from Osaka. Played straighter by Hikoichi and his sister Yayoi, who are Osaka-nites and use the accent. (Yayoi is also voiced by the Osaka-nite Yuko Nagashima.)
• Upotte!! has two characters who speak in Kansai-ben: 16 (an American) speaks in Osaka-ben, and Sako (Finnish) speaks in Kyoto-ben.

Literature

• Her author has stated that Gamu of Kokoro, who has a casual western accent, actually uses a Kansai-ben, although her personal pronoun is "ore".
• "American Hijiki", a short story by the author who wrote Grave of the Fireflies, is for the most part in Kansai-ben. The main character lives in Tokyo, but grew up in Osaka during the Occupation, and still has some serious mental scars that manifest themselves when an American couple come to visit.

Live Action TV

• In Kamen Rider Kiva, Kengo Eritate has a notable Kansai accent, which goes with his rocker/general fun-loving personality. After a crippling injury ruins his guitar playing and he feels betrayed by his friends and mentor, he takes on a Badass persona, and drops the Kansai accent in favor of his natural Tokyo accent. When he realizes he sucks at being a badass and no one likes him, he takes a Heel Face Turn and returns to his Kansai accent. There was much rejoicing.
• Kintaros of Kamen Rider Den-O noticably spoke in with a Kansai accent likely to compliment his Samurai/Sumo Wrestler personality.
  • One live stage-show had the Imagin "losing" their voices, with Ryotaro and Yuto having to "recover" them by naming the voice actors. An impatient Yuto mixes up Kintaros and Ryutaros' actors, resulting in a Kansai-accented Ryuta ("Can't hear yer answer!")
• The female lead of Kamen Rider Double Akiko Narumi (portrayed by Osaka-born Hikaru Yamamoto) played up her native accent, as well as her love of takoyaki.
  • The Nightmare Dopant arc has Akiko put in a dream where she's back in Osaka, along with Shotaro, Phillip, and Ryu, all of whom take on stereotypical Osakan accents and personalities.
• Kotoha from Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, especially notable on her using "Akante!" when Chiakai drew whiskers on Takeru's face after a Monster of the Week pulled a Freaky Friday Flip instead of the usual "yamete" or "tomare" for "stop".
• In Garo Gaiden, the usually mute Kodama speaks for the first time, and Kaoru thinks it's Kansai-ben... it's actually Surprisingly Good English.

Video Games

• In the Japanese, Ultros from Final Fantasy VI has an Osaka accent, to indicate his comic relief status. It's also a gag based on the fact that octopus is a food typically associated with Osaka.
  • Likewise, Cait Sith from Final Fantasy VII. On account of the game's lousy translation this ended up as the rare case of Ooh Me Funetik Aksents Slipping, with Cait Sith randomly developing and losing his Southern drawl. More recent works have it translated as an obnoxious Scottish accent instead, what with the character's vague origins in Celtic mythology.
  • Selphie of Final Fantasy VIII thinks in Kansai-ben, but speaks like the other characters. Interestingly, her younger Kingdom Hearts incarnation speaks with an unmistakable Kansai accent.
• In the Japanese version of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Lotta Hart uses a Kansai accent. In the brilliantly Woolseyised English translation, she uses a deep-south American accent.
  • In Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations, Furio Tigre had a Kansai accent, which was translated to a Brooklyn accent.
• Hideyoshi in Umineko no Naku Koro ni frequently fakes a Kansai accent.
• Pigma Dengar in Star FOX has a Kansai dialect. Word of God is that the name is reference to people with Kansai accents ending their sentences with "-dengar".
• SNK (or SNK Playmore, as it's now known) has its headquarters in Esaka, Ōsaka, and they appear to like sneaking in references to Ōsaka stuff (e.g. the Japan Team theme song in the KOF series is titled "Esaka", and a few stages in the series are based on the area). While many SNK characters don't speak Kansai-ben, including ones canonically from the area, Kensou (Chinese) and Robert (Italian-American), curiously enough, do. There's also Akari, and certainly others. Tsugumi from Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition is pretty much a walking Ōsaka tribute, and although she doesn't use Kansai-ben, Xiangfei's move names are mostly references to Ōsaka locations.
• Asuka Kazama from Tekken speaks in Kansai dialect.
• Breath of Fire III actually had, in the original Japanese version, a character named the Kansai Dolphin which not surprisingly spoke entirely in Kansai-ben. The English localisation took a rather unique approach in rendering the Kansai-ben in an extremely thick, Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin-esque Australian accent that actually had the option for translation into American English.
• Kurt, Bill, Whitney, and a few other NPCs in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.
• Kijyo Madoka in Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 1 speaks Kansai-ben, and it's remarked upon several times over the course of his route. Kids at the park call him "Kansai no oniichan" and tell the protagonist he chases away high school-aged bullies for them, which he waves away as the bullies being creeped out by his dialect; similarly, a guy who harasses the protagonist at the beginning of a date makes a run for it when he hears Kijyo speaking Kansai-ben. Kijyo also drops the dialect and speaks normally during the school play, which impresses the protagonist with how serious he seems.
  • In Tokimeki Memorial Pocket, the Game Boy Color version of the original game, Patricia McGrath (only when she's in Unstoppable Rage mode, though), as well as her brother and father, speak Kansai-ben.
• Natsume in Kara no Shoujo speaks in a weird manner that doesn't translate very well, but is noted instory as being based on the Kyoto dialect.
• Catherine Kyohbashi from Arcana Heart 2 speaks fluent Kansai-ben. She was born in the U.S.A., but her grandmother is from Osaka.
  • Kyohbashi is, among other things, the name of a bridge across the Neya River (Neyagawa) north of Osaka Castle. The Kyohbashi commercial district around the bridge has a lot of bars and love hotels.

Web Original

• Yanki J, the alternate persona of JewWario, is an Osakan expatriate who speaks English with a native inflection. Before the character's backstory was expanded, his Brooklyn-esque accent led some viewers to assume he was from New York (and/or Mafioso).