Shadowing Practice: 6 Annoying Anime Tropes - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Since this video will be on the topic of anime and entertainment, I'd like to quickly say thanks to my sponsor Verve for making this video possible.
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The folks at Verve have a special limited time offer for
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my viewers to try out Verve Premium for 30 days for free.
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Just use the link in the description.
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There'll be more info on that at the end of the video.
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Now, I want to talk with you about a storytelling tool often used in anime called the trope, or the cliche.
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As we all know, common tropes exist in just about every anime, but there are a few that I get really tired of seeing, which I've compiled in a fun little list.
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Of course, there's nothing wrong with enjoying these tropes, and just because an anime uses these tropes doesn't mean it's automatically bad, I just personally am not a fan of them.
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Let me know what tropes you think are super annoying, or even tropes that you appreciate.
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Harems I've never really been a fan of harem animes, mainly because the main protagonist is always this boring looking,
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uninteresting guy who doesn't have any particularly interesting qualities, yet still catches the attention of like six different girls, all with differing personalities.
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You've got like, the childhood friend, the token tsundere, the loli, sometimes a little sister which is kinda weird,
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the older mature type, the rowdy energetic classmate, and the almost human one.
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And somehow, they're all equally terrible at communicating their feelings to the main character.
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Also, for some reason, he's dense as a rock and can't figure out which girl he likes, so he kinda just leads each of them on for 26 episodes.
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I know harem protagonists are made to be basic
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and sort of like a blank slate so that the viewer can project themselves onto the character, but it always ends up being kind of boring to watch.
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Tsundere's.
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Tsundere is a term for a character that is initially cold
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and hostile to their own love interest in order to hide their true feelings, but occasionally show a sweet, warm, lovey side.
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In anime, tsundere girls are usually really violent and frequently beat up or berate their love interest.
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So, I know my most popular video on this channel is an animatic for a song dedicated entirely to this particular trope, but I'm gonna be honest,
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the violent tsundere is, um, not really my thing.
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There have been a few times where I really enjoyed the tsundere trope, like in the anime Nichijou,
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where they make fun of the trope by having the tsundere go to the extreme with heavy weaponry and guns, which makes the interactions even more hilarious.
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But however, for the most part, tsunderes and their annoyingly oblivious love interests are more or less the same every time.
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This trope is also the type that seems like it'd be really annoying to deal with in real life.
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I've seen girls in real life try and emulate this personality, but I've found that it's not nearly as cute as it comes off in anime.
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Hey, I baked some cookies last night and I had some extras. So here.
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Oh, thank you.
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These look great.
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But- but don't get the wrong idea.
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I only patched you some because I had leftovers.
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Uh, alright.
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It's not because I like you or anything, got it?
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I didn't even say anything about that.
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Look, if you're gonna change your mind, you can have them back.
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H-huh?
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No way!
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You've already dirtied the bag with your hands!
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There's no way he'll take it back now!
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Okay, that was excessively rude, but I'll be sure to enjoy them!
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D-don't expect me to do this all the time, okay?
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You're such an idiot!
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Ugh!
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What the hell?!
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I don't even want these anymore!
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The Way Anime Girls Eat
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Magical Girl
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Transformations.
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I personally really enjoy Magical Girl animes, but ever since I was a kid,
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it would always confuse me whenever the main character did her super glamorous and lengthy transformation sequence,
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and all that changed was the outfit and, like, some additional accessories.
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Not every magical girl anime is guilty of this, of course, but somehow everyone is completely oblivious to the hero's identity.
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I like to imagine there's like one unimportant background character who's completely aware of who the main character is, but nobody acknowledges them.
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Heh, thank goodness Sailor Moon is here!
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I wonder who's underneath that radiant persona!
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Okay, you guys know that's Usagi, right?
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What?
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No way!
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Usagi's clumsy and unmotivated!
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That's impossible!
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Are you serious?
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They're literally the same person.
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Oh silly background character.
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You should really get your head checked.
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So we're just gonna ignore the fact that they have like the exact same hair, face, and voice?
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Yup.
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Problems Caused by Miscommunication This trope seems to be a staple of the shoujo genre and I cannot stand it.
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There's nothing more frustrating than seeing the perspective of the two characters
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and being completely aware of their thoughts and how they can solve their misunderstanding
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But all you can do is sit there
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and painfully wait for them to have the conversation that should have happened eight episodes ago I hurt Mamuka-chan's feelings.
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I want to tell her it was all a misunderstanding, but she won't even look at me Satoru-kun hates me.
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How could I face him now?
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I wish he'd understand how I feel Mamuka-chan, listen to me I'm sorry!
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Oh my god!
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Just talk to each other!
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I can't sit through this for another five episodes!
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It takes like two minutes to fix this misunderstanding, so why can't you just communicate?!
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Momokachan, there's something I've been wanting to tell you.
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Uh.. what is it?
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Well, I...
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I've always really.. loved...
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What you guys talking about?!
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I'm really annoying, and I'm gonna keep doing this until you finally get him alone in a more dramatic setting in the season finale, which the fans are totally gonna wait for,
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because they're already way too emotionally invested in this relationship.
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Okay, so now it's time for you to check out some anime to spot the tropes on your own, and I suggest you head over to Verve,
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since they have an incredibly big collection of subbed and dubbed anime, some of it even delivered an hour after it airs in Japan.
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For those of you that don't know, Verve is an app made by the team over at Crunchyroll that combines anime, animation, gaming, comedy, horror, fantasy, and technology.
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You can download the Verve app on Xbox, PlayStation, iOS, or Android.
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Like I mentioned before, for a limited time, you can try out Verve Premium 30 days for free by using the link provided in the description.
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With Verve Premium, you have unlimited access to many great channels, first access to new content, exclusive series available only for Premium members,
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and zero ads, which makes the binge watching sessions, a much more pleasant experience.
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One of the new shows this fall that I'm particularly excited for is Harman Quest, where you watch a group of comedians play Dungeons & Dragons,
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except all the interactions are animated and it's absolutely hilarious.
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I recommend watching it with a group of friends.
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But if that's not your cup of tea, there's also the season 3 premiere of the popular anime Food Wars,
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among a varied selection of other anime that you can watch subbed or dubbed on Crunchyroll and Funimation, whichever you feel more inclined to watch.
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If you use the free trial link in the description, feel free to recommend me some good shows or anime to binge.
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Try out the 30-day free trial today and see how you like it!
Why practice speaking with this video?
Engaging with the video "6 Annoying Anime Tropes" offers an excellent opportunity for English learners to practice speaking within a fun and relatable context. Anime is a widely popular genre, and discussing its common tropes, such as harems and tsundere characters, allows learners to tap into shared cultural references while practicing their speaking skills. Using a shadowing app or a shadowing site can enhance this experience by allowing learners to mimic the speaker's intonation, pacing, and expressions. By participating in this exercise, learners will not only improve their pronunciation and fluency but also build their confidence in expressing personal opinions and preferences.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Analyzing some of the key conversational structures used in the video can significantly aid English learners in their speaking practice. Here are a few expressions that stand out:
- “I know...” - This phrase is often used to introduce a personal opinion or observation, encouraging learners to express their own thoughts.
- “There’s nothing wrong with...” - This expression highlights the importance of providing balance in arguments, which is useful in IELTS speaking practice when discussing varying perspectives.
- “For the most part...” - A useful transitional phrase that can help learners indicate general trends or prevalent opinions in discussions.
By practicing these phrases in their shadow speech routines, learners can enhance their conversational skills in relaxed and informal settings, similar to the style of the video.
Common Pronunciation Traps
English learners may face some pronunciation challenges based on the transcript of the video. Here are a few tricky words and phrases to focus on:
- “Tsundere” - Pay attention to the pronunciation of this term, which may not be familiar to English speakers. Emphasizing the syllables can help learners say it correctly.
- “Boring” - The vowel sounds in this word can be mispronounced; emphasize the 'or' sound to articulate clearly.
- “Characters” - This word has multiple syllables and can be tricky. Breaking it into its syllabic components can improve clarity.
Utilizing a shadowing app, learners can practice these sounds by listening and repeating along with the speaker, helping to refine their pronunciation and natural speech rhythm.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.