Japanese words

[Agent Zero]

And what if your character is Japanese but he recently moved to US ( or somewhere else ) ? ( And it's stated in the story that he/she moved. )

[MaiMai]

Well, if they moved to another country like the US... I don't see why they would be using honorifics unless they were speaking to someone else specifically in Japanese. But then if they're in a country that doesn't use Japanese, why would they need to? Unless of course, you're making up a scenario that deals with what I call 'lost in translation,' but otherwise they'd probably be communicating in the language that's used around them to get by.

[platonicheart]

It can't be help, since majority of the people here in the forum are anime addicts. (I hope I'm right) And given that situations, most of them might be fond of using some "Common Japanese Languages or Honorifics" because it's quite fun and amusing to be able to use it... hehe... So, if you find it confusing when you find Japanese words in the vn your playing, I advise you to either join the anime addict side or just search the net for the meaning or translation of the Japanese word you don't know.

[LateWhiteRabbit]

It can't be help, since majority of the people here in the forum are anime addicts. (I hope I'm right) And given that situations, most of them might be fond of using some "Common Japanese Languages or Honorifics" because it's quite fun and amusing to be able to use it... hehe... So, if you find it confusing when you find Japanese words in the vn your playing, I advise you to either join the anime addict side or just search the net for the meaning or translation of the Japanese word you don't know.

Most of us don't find the words "confusing", we find them annoying when used inappropriately. A huge number of people on these boards read manga or watch anime or study Japanese, so we know perfectly well the translations and proper meanings.

I suspect you are right about them being peppered in because the author thinks it is "fun and amusing", but it destroys the narrative tone of a story if it doesn't fit and have a real reason for being there.

I used the example of "surfer-speak" in an earlier post. It might seem fun for someone that loved that kind of talk to sprinkle it into a story set in Japan, but it wouldn't fit, would it? It would fast get annoying. "Gnarly chick, eh, bra? Hope to catch her on the flip-side!" If the character was Japanese the reader would well be going "What the hell?" And even if the character using that speech was from California and part of the surfer culture that speaks that way, one would wonder why he is continuing to do so in a foreign language in a foreign country.

Using Japanese words in every VN regardless of setting or characters in VNs just comes off as "fan-fiction idolatry" to the origins of the genre, rather than creating good, new, and impactful fiction within that genre.

[platonicheart]

@LateWhiteRabbit: I get your point about getting off the main content of the vn if you used inappropriately, I agree on you about that. Well, I myself haven't yet encountered any vn that used Japanese word inappropriately so I think this post could make those who are still working on their project to be aware about what others think would develop a good vn: "You can use Japanese words only if the setting asks for it"

[pondrthis]

For the love of God and all that is holy, even in translations, there's no need for honorifics.

There are so many colorful titles in English. We can do pretty much everything if we think hard enough.

Let's get a list!

-Mr./Ms./Mrs./Miss
-Dr.
-Your honor
-Your majesty
-My lord
-My liege
-Master/Mistress
-The honorable...
-Sweetheart (works in almost all instances of -chan)
-Prince/Princess
-Lord/Lady
-Boss
-Dad/Mom
-Father/Mother (both genetically and religiously!)
-Brother/Sister (same here)
-Bro/Sis
-Sir/Ma'am
-Mademousselle (sp?) if you want more flair, Fraeulein in the same vein.

The only one I can't think of anything good for is sempai/senpai, but that is so unnecessary it doesn't even matter. Especially since most of the time the narration says "he/she is a senpai" which for God's sake should be "upperclassman".

EDIT: If you can translate -shitsuchou (a business honorific often simply translated as "Mr."), you can translate anything for crying out loud.

[J. Datie]

-Mademousselle (sp?) if you want more flair, Fraeulein in the same vein.

Those two are French and German, I believe.

[pondrthis]

-Mademousselle (sp?) if you want more flair, Fraeulein in the same vein.

Those two are French and German, I believe.

Har har. Yeah, I meant "recognizable to English-only audiences". Good call though.

[south desert islander]

-Mademousselle (sp?) if you want more flair, Fraeulein in the same vein.

Those two are French and German, I believe.

It's French. The French-language equivalent of "miss" (ma = "my" + demoiselle = "little lady" or "my girl") Which is diffrent from Madam.

Madam takes off from the French word Madame (My Lady). Calling a woman Madam is possibly the most formal and respective way you address a woman in English speaking countries. In the states it's rarely, if ever, used. Ma'am is a shortten version of this and is on the same level of Sir. Sir or Ma'am is much used when addressing a superior but Madam is rarely used in American language since many people seem to separate the two.

[Suikama]

*`~Eileenhimesamachan suggoi kawai nano desu!~`* v(^-^)v

[pondrthis]

*`~Eileenhimesamachan suggoi kawai nano desu!~`* v(^-^)v

I threw up a little in my mouth there.

[Anima]

You should be careful with Fräulein, it's not really common any more and has a pretty negative connotation.

[Snowflower]

Let's get a list!

-Mr./Ms./Mrs./Miss
-Dr.
-Your honor
-Your majesty
-My lord
-My liege
-Master/Mistress
-The honorable...
-Sweetheart (works in almost all instances of -chan)
-Prince/Princess
-Lord/Lady
-Boss
-Dad/Mom
-Father/Mother (both genetically and religiously!)
-Brother/Sister (same here)
-Bro/Sis
-Sir/Ma'am
-Mademousselle (sp?) if you want more flair, Fraeulein in the same vein.

Adding:
-My love
-Darling
-Your Highness
-Your grace
-Miss

I'm sure there's more

[LateWhiteRabbit]

-Mademousselle (sp?) if you want more flair, Fraeulein in the same vein.

Those two are French and German, I believe.

Loan words. I've yet to encounter an American that didn't know the meaning of those two words. If foreign words are used long enough in a native tongue it becomes an actual word in the language - like tsunami, taco, coup, sushi, etc.

pondrthis's point is very good though. English has its own honorifics that should be used in place of Japanese ones if any are necessary.

[J. Datie]

I don't think I've heard "Fraeulein" used before, but maybe it's more popular in America. I agree that English translations don't need Japanese suffixes, but things like "mademoiselle" strike me as being sorta the same thing as "senpai" and the like. I don't think I've ever heard it used other than to increase the Frenchness of a sentence. And, unlike tacos and tsunamis, it has an English equivalent. Of course, this is just me nitpicking, and it's true most people will understand it.