OKITSURA Anime Embraces Okinawan Culture and Language
There are certain manga series that somehow feel like they’d gain something by inspiring an anime adaptation. It could be something about characterizations, the settings, or other elements. For example, K-On is great, and the animated version is even more fun because of the added original soundtrack. In the case of OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She's Saying, I’m sure the original manga is fun, but I love how the anime now airing on Crunchyroll helps embrace the unique dialect and brings cultural differences to life. Editor’s Note: There will be some spoilers for the first two episodes of the OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She's Saying anime below. So OKITSURA’s title is pretty self explanatory. Teruaki Nakamura used to live in Tokyo, but due to his family moving, he’s now living in Okinawa. He’s just starting to settle in, and in so doing he’s met a young woman named Hina Kyan who goes to the same school as him. However, Hina is an Okinawan native, which poses some troubles. Namely, because as the title of both the anime suggests, there’s a language barrier. Both are from Japan, sure, but his problem is succinctly put forth in the first episode’s title, “The Girl I Like Speaks in Uchinaaguchi.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX-hpkk-yqs&ab_channel=Crunchyroll However, that’s exactly what I love about the show at the outset, and something that makes OKITSURA stand out from all of the other anime series that debuted in the Winter 2025 season. We have love stories. We have comedies. But here we also have something that’s an interesting insight into the culture of a particular area in Japan. I felt like it was also educational. Because whenever Akari Kito, who voices Hina, talks, it is in Uchinaaguchi. When the English subtitles come up, those won’t be translated sometimes! So in the initial episode, when she says it was “deeji” this morning and we’re reading along, we don’t know what she’s saying either! And we don’t even get context clues since the localization follows that up with “Akisamiyoo! That katabuiyoo we just had!” It’s a novel way to really hammer home part of the point of the series and show. We’re as clueless as Teruaki, and it’s fantastic. Couple that with the Okinawan accents, and it’s just perfect. Of course, that is also only part of why I feel like OKITSURA feels like a standout anime for 2025. There’s also the ambiance. Since Teruaki is coming to Okinawa from Tokyo, this is all new to him. Likewise, it is new to us too! The opening theme features hallmark activities, imagery, and clothing from the area. We’re being exposed just like he is. And since this is new to him, it’s allowing the show to offer introductions and explanations in a natural way that doesn’t feel like a lecture. Fortunately, there are also characters like Kana Higa and mascots at commercial breaks to offer insights to both him and us. So while the first episode is all about the language difficulties, especially even bringing up how Higa is a popular last name, it means other episodes can focus on other things like cultural activities like a beach party in the second. But being an interesting peek into a region or culture isn’t enough to carry a series, and that is also why OKITSURA already seems promising. The story seems equally strong. Part of it is from the comedy of errors that stems from Teruaki living in a new place where people there speak Uchinaaguchi. So in the first episode alone, we have him not understanding Hina, him not realizing how to properly call out to Kana in a crowd, and dealing with a lost child. However, there’s also the development of relationships. A strong love triangle is immediately set up at the very outset. Teruaki likes Hina. Hina considers him a friend. Hina and Kana are close friends. Teruaki relies on Kana to understand Hina. Kana is in love with him. The dynamic is really fun to watch, and I honestly found myself rooting for both Teruaki and Kana equally at times because of their situations, while absolutely adoring Hina for her enthusiasm and earnestness. I’m just so excited about the OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She's Saying anime. It feels so different and fresh compared to some of the other romantic comedies I’ve watched recently. The characters and their relationships seem fantastic and like they could develop quite well over the course of the show. The localization decisions are great. The voice actors and insight into Uchinaaguchi are fantastic. I love the cultural and educational tips that come up as we learn more about Okinawa. It’s so much fun, and I feel like it’ll remain that way throughout the season. The OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She's Saying anime is airing in Japan and streaming on Crunchyroll, and the manga is currently only available in Japan. The post OKITSURA A
There are certain manga series that somehow feel like they’d gain something by inspiring an anime adaptation. It could be something about characterizations, the settings, or other elements. For example, K-On is great, and the animated version is even more fun because of the added original soundtrack. In the case of OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She's Saying, I’m sure the original manga is fun, but I love how the anime now airing on Crunchyroll helps embrace the unique dialect and brings cultural differences to life.
Editor’s Note: There will be some spoilers for the first two episodes of the OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She's Saying anime below.
So OKITSURA’s title is pretty self explanatory. Teruaki Nakamura used to live in Tokyo, but due to his family moving, he’s now living in Okinawa. He’s just starting to settle in, and in so doing he’s met a young woman named Hina Kyan who goes to the same school as him. However, Hina is an Okinawan native, which poses some troubles. Namely, because as the title of both the anime suggests, there’s a language barrier. Both are from Japan, sure, but his problem is succinctly put forth in the first episode’s title, “The Girl I Like Speaks in Uchinaaguchi.”
However, that’s exactly what I love about the show at the outset, and something that makes OKITSURA stand out from all of the other anime series that debuted in the Winter 2025 season. We have love stories. We have comedies. But here we also have something that’s an interesting insight into the culture of a particular area in Japan. I felt like it was also educational. Because whenever Akari Kito, who voices Hina, talks, it is in Uchinaaguchi. When the English subtitles come up, those won’t be translated sometimes! So in the initial episode, when she says it was “deeji” this morning and we’re reading along, we don’t know what she’s saying either! And we don’t even get context clues since the localization follows that up with “Akisamiyoo! That katabuiyoo we just had!” It’s a novel way to really hammer home part of the point of the series and show. We’re as clueless as Teruaki, and it’s fantastic. Couple that with the Okinawan accents, and it’s just perfect.
Of course, that is also only part of why I feel like OKITSURA feels like a standout anime for 2025. There’s also the ambiance. Since Teruaki is coming to Okinawa from Tokyo, this is all new to him. Likewise, it is new to us too! The opening theme features hallmark activities, imagery, and clothing from the area. We’re being exposed just like he is. And since this is new to him, it’s allowing the show to offer introductions and explanations in a natural way that doesn’t feel like a lecture. Fortunately, there are also characters like Kana Higa and mascots at commercial breaks to offer insights to both him and us. So while the first episode is all about the language difficulties, especially even bringing up how Higa is a popular last name, it means other episodes can focus on other things like cultural activities like a beach party in the second.
But being an interesting peek into a region or culture isn’t enough to carry a series, and that is also why OKITSURA already seems promising. The story seems equally strong. Part of it is from the comedy of errors that stems from Teruaki living in a new place where people there speak Uchinaaguchi. So in the first episode alone, we have him not understanding Hina, him not realizing how to properly call out to Kana in a crowd, and dealing with a lost child.
However, there’s also the development of relationships. A strong love triangle is immediately set up at the very outset. Teruaki likes Hina. Hina considers him a friend. Hina and Kana are close friends. Teruaki relies on Kana to understand Hina. Kana is in love with him. The dynamic is really fun to watch, and I honestly found myself rooting for both Teruaki and Kana equally at times because of their situations, while absolutely adoring Hina for her enthusiasm and earnestness.
I’m just so excited about the OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She's Saying anime. It feels so different and fresh compared to some of the other romantic comedies I’ve watched recently. The characters and their relationships seem fantastic and like they could develop quite well over the course of the show. The localization decisions are great. The voice actors and insight into Uchinaaguchi are fantastic. I love the cultural and educational tips that come up as we learn more about Okinawa. It’s so much fun, and I feel like it’ll remain that way throughout the season.
The OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She's Saying anime is airing in Japan and streaming on Crunchyroll, and the manga is currently only available in Japan.
The post OKITSURA Anime Embraces Okinawan Culture and Language appeared first on Siliconera.
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