Hello everybody, I'm writing an article about Osaka and I would like to write something about the Kansai dialect. Multiple times when I was there, people talked to me about the Ochi wo Tsukeru concept of adding a humorous comment at the end of a story. But my japanese isn't perfect and if anybody here could confirm or explain in more details about this in english, I'd be very thankful.
by tokyotochicago
2 comments
落ち/Ochi is litterally the fall, the landing of a story or a conversation. In english it would be better translated as the puchline.
Kansai is renown for its comedy. People from Osaka especially are (allegedly) more outgoing, when you tell a story, you are supposed to have an Ochi, a punchline that will suprise or make laugh. Some Osaka people like to say their daily conversation is like manzai, you will naturally get a joker and a straight man. I think the expectation of Ochi stems from this pride in their comedy.
Ochi wo tsukeru / 落ち (or sometimes オチ in this context) をつける means adding a punchline. The more plot twist-y it is, the better. It’s an important element in comedy which Osaka is famous for. So I wouldn’t say it’s a Kansai-ben (dialect) thing, but rather an area thing. Although… The dialect is what gives flavor to comedy.