あなたとは違うんです

“I’m Not Like You”

After serving as Japan’s Prime Minister for about a year, Yasuo Fukuda announced his resignation last week. When, during the press conference, a reporter suggested that Fukuda had been “detached” while in office, the sober yin got his yang on. “I can see myself objectively,” he explained, “I’m not like you.” Slam!

In Japan, fans of the Fukuda quote have dropped its first half and have taken to plugging the remaining second half into countless customized phrases as needed. Try it yourself! It’s as easy as “Smurf” or “Abercrombie”:

” I  am/can/have [insert desireable attribute] . I’m not like you.”

And, like Day-Lewis’ “I drink your milkshake” line from There Will Be Blood, Fukuda’s quote (“anata to wa chigaun desu”) has made its way onto a fantastically-designed T-shirt. The accompanying graphic, created from ASCII characters, was appropriated from Japanese internet forum 2channel, where it had been posted anonymously. Online store Club T offers it in over forty color patterns with prices ranging from ¥1,995 to ¥2,415. 

Here’s a decent link: http://www.pinktentacle.com/2008/09/anata-to-wa-chigau-n-desu/