Anime Titles
Added 2023-07-05 12:18:47 +0000 UTCI've always found it interesting that Japanese anime titles tend to be more descriptive and straightforward than their English/American counterparts. For example, the title Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind gives you an idea that it'll be about a fictional character with somewhat mythical traits (Greek or Scandinavian maybe?) who is living in a valley where there is a lot of wind blowing. And you'll be exactly right. Similarly, Castle in the Sky is about, you guessed it, a castle in the sky.
Same goes for translations of Western anime films distributed in the Japanese market. Frozen has been renamed Anna and the Snow Queen here, which should enable you, once you're done with seeing the "Do You Want to Make a Snowman" scene, to safely assume that the story will focus on Anna and also her older sister, who will grow up to be a Snow Queen.
And can you guess what the Pixar film Up is called here? It is accurately called Grandpa Carl's Flying House...wow, it's such an honest giveaway maybe I just saved myself 96 minutes of my time by not actually seeing it! :-)
Comments
They should technically have named it "When Evening Cicadas Chirp," which means it's dusk and you’re in the countryside where there are cicadas around (a good horror drama setting). Well Japanese does not have separate words for humans "crying" and bugs "chirping" so there is another layer of ominous feel...and how the translation was done as is is somewhat understandable.
savaster
2023-07-06 11:55:35 +0000 UTCTypically, I'd think the word "utopia" is rather an uncommon word in other cultures and thus the change happened. But in Japan the title Zootopia stayed as is because the word "utopia" is fairly well known - "u" (or "yu") coincidentally means "hot water" in Japanese and thus many baths and spa venues are named "Utopia."
savaster
2023-07-05 23:49:42 +0000 UTCmy mind, my poor mind
thekill
2023-07-05 16:40:11 +0000 UTCI read it as anime titties
melangalade
2023-07-05 15:09:04 +0000 UTCVery interesting observation. Didn't know that! At least it's reasonable. Several countries have renamed Zootopia into Zoomania here xD
Dragon-Tear
2023-07-05 14:35:10 +0000 UTCOh did not know that word meant that *_* But another example is Higurashi which the Western title was When they cry. Which have gotten a lot of backlash from the fans because of how confusing it’s So yes Japanese titles are better in how straightforward they are ^^
Didrik Svahn
2023-07-05 14:26:56 +0000 UTCI think it is rather because the word “youjo” is knowingly pedo. And yes the anime is a tale of war of a little girl. So again very straightforward naming here.
savaster
2023-07-05 14:01:59 +0000 UTCYeah how they translate titles can say a lot of how the west and east/(Japan) interpret titles and stories. A good example of this is Youjo Senki or as the English title of the anime is called Saga of Tanya the evil, where if you did a direct translation I have heard that the title would be A little girl tale of war. So the western title really tell you of the protagonist morality will not be that heroic
Didrik Svahn
2023-07-05 13:26:02 +0000 UTC
