Getting sick of Japanese names

[ririruetoo]

I get. I understand that VN's originated in Japan ( mostly), and that most of the people who make VN's on this site are also fans of the Japanese culture/whatever. I understand, really I do. But when a story is set somewhere other than Japan ( fantasy world/other country/etc.) Why use Japanese names? Unless the world/story draws inspiration from said culture, I think it odd to have the characters named Japanese names. I don't know, its just grating to me to see VN's time and time again with Japanese names. If the plot can take place anywhere, why Japan? Or more especially, it the place is not specified, why the Japanese names? Don't people realize that names from other countries and cultures exist also?

What are your thoughts?

[Pyonkotchi]

same reason why people use any other name
cuz they like it

a lot of vn fans like japanese stuff, its not surprising that they'd like the names too

[ririruetoo]

I suppose your right about that @pyonkotchi but still...

[feathersnake]

Hmm. Well, I can't really speak for anyone but myself on this topic, but I think it's basically as Pyonkotchi says. People probably just tend to use names that they like. It could also have something to do with how unfamiliar yet familiar the names are. Fans of Japanese culture may shy away from names in their own language because they're already so used to the names they see around them. So it could feel less unique when they have Japanese names in front of them that they're familiar with because of all the Japanese media going around. Because they don't see a ton of Japanese names around them but they've seen so much of it in media, it could feel a little more unique or appealing to them because they're still comfortable around the names after seeing them quite a bit, but it's still foreign and different to them.

I hope that made sense. Haha. Anyways, that's just the way I see it. I could be completely wrong. Plus, I can't really speak for people who are actually around Japanese names in their culture.

Also, when it comes to commercial games at least, the seller is trying to reach a certain audience. Games made in Japan would likely be mainly for their Japanese audience, and would therefore use Japanese names. Games in other countries that use Japanese names could possibly be aiming for the audience that is a fan of Japanese culture/media. Especially since that is probably where the market is with things like Visual Novels.

If I'm speaking of my stories personally, I get really oddly picky with my character's names. It takes me forever to find the right one sometimes. I like to make sure the name of the character fits. I'm probably biased to certain names because of my personal preference, but I've taken names from multiple origins. Eventually as one learns more about writing, they will probably start to try to make the character names make sense within each culture/situation in the story for continuity and such.

[VerdeICe]

I understand how you feel. When ever I see a Japanese game in a VN I get really turned off. Especially if its done by an american, or the setting of the VN isn't even japan. Where is your creative spirit peoples? But I guess people can do whatever they want, none of my business.

To tell you the truth though, the moment I see a VN has Japanese names with no real reason as to why I automatically come to the conclusion that the writing is going to be awful weeboo shit.

[Zylinder]

Think of it as a fantasy. Why write about vampires when there are no vampires? Because the idea of tall, dark, and handsome giving me a deadly hickey interests me. Why write about dragons when the closest thing we have is the Komodo? Because the idea of flying without having to buy a plane ticket excites my inner scrooge. Why write about Japanese people in Moscow, England, and Dubai? Because globalization, baby.

Snark aside? That's what it is. A kink from some anime/game, so why not write about it? In the same way people read Tolkien and want to write about Pixies from Middle-Mars, people play Love Revo and want to write a game about Unagi-san the transfer student. Not saying it's pleasant, or likable, but it'll always be that way.

[ShippoK]

To tell you the truth though, the moment I see a VN has Japanese names with no real reason as to why I automatically come to the conclusion that the writing is going to be awful weeboo shit.

Agreed, if you're going to have Japanese names, put them into an environment where it makes sense to have them.

Unless it's used for parody reasons.
"Steve-kun-sama-senpai, watashi wa deisuke! <3!"
"Oh Romotakaimonamatashi...mo! I deisuke you too!"
Then they had made sweet passionate... Ramen together!
Glorious...

I always found Japanese names more interesting and fun to hear, though I did grow up with Anime most of my life.
I've have a bad habit of naming a lot of my character Japanese names, but I'm trying to quit that habit! (Harder then you think).

But I totally understand how you feel, but there's not much you can do about it.
If Visual Novels were more popular in the west and many other country's, we could get more American/Spanish/Polish/German/etc based character names...

"Marco! Te quiro!"
"Oh Takila! Te quiro too!"
"entonces tenian... tacos together!"
Glorious...

[Aines445]

It might be because they don't like names from their own country, like don't use the names Inês and Bernardo because they're not really appealing (At least in a VN because I like them in real life <.<), so I go for names that I like, like Miranda, Daniel, Sarah, Liam.... But there are also some people that make up weird names because it's a fantasy setting like Aewyre......(OMG if that exists I'm sorry unknown person I didn't mean to offend you! XD // Shot for laughing while doing the apology (Shot again for sometimes leaving typos XD)) I forgive japanese names if they have japanese settings (Well-made ones....<.<), but I'm not really cool with them being in other settings, not without a very solid reason, a good, solid reason (I bet that repetition didn't make any sense XD). But I don't really make that many assumptions when I see one, I just go like "Another japanese-set game! It will have an ulterior plot that will be more than highschool life, right?.....right? <.<" It kinda turns me off if some names don't sound gender appropriate though, but I'm not japanese so I don't have the right to correct that X.X (I don't want to disrespect and piss off some people.....) One thing though: Some people go with doing the highschool setting but instead make it in another country like Korea, America (I'm just giving examples <.<) and all that, but doesn't it still make it the same thing? It's still a highschool, so I don't really get the originality of making it somewhere else. Yeah I know that people always make it in japan so it's better and all, but the only difference would be if the creator would be weaboo enough to put all the honorifics and words and everything, so I don't really get it, not that I'm really sick of that theme, just kind of curious (Just too much drama and tragedy and angst, that's just a flat no for me X.X).

[dramspringfeald]

I get. I understand that VN's originated in Japan ( mostly), and that most of the people who make VN's on this site are also fans of the Japanese culture/whatever. I understand, really I do. But when a story is set somewhere other than Japan ( fantasy world/other country/etc.) Why use Japanese names? Unless the world/story draws inspiration from said culture, I think it odd to have the characters named Japanese names. I don't know, its just grating to me to see VN's time and time again with Japanese names. If the plot can take place anywhere, why Japan? Or more especially, it the place is not specified, why the Japanese names? Don't people realize that names from other countries and cultures exist also?

What are your thoughts?

Really it's simply because Either most of them are Lazy and want to sound foreign OR that Anime was their first time experiencing a foreign view that was not local OR they are sad victims of "Happy fun time now" and know nothing about the culture and embrace it because they saw it on ANIMU!!! I vote 1&3 on almost all accounts. It's the reason they make so many Japanese high school love games.

Saturday Night Live - J-Pop: Christmas - 12/8/12 <<< Seriously this is how you sound. I am not making it up, It's NOT funny and you should look to making things from your own culture so the rest of us can learn from it. But really Write what you know not what you think you know after watching Anime.

As a Side note my name is based off the Drink "Dram"buie and Springfield after the armory. "Springfeald" is phonically similar but legally safe for the armory on his ship.

*now I'm going to lurk and enjoy the butt hurt caused by OP*

[ShippoK]

Saturday Night Live - J-Pop: Christmas - 12/8/12 <<< Seriously this is how you sound. I am not making it up, It's NOT funny and you should look to making things from your own culture so the rest of us can learn from it. But really Write what you know not what you think you know after watching Anime.

This video man... It made my day-du-du.
(Especially better because it involves my state.)

*now I'm going to lurk and enjoy the butt hurt caused by OP*

Pretty much this.
(Watch this become a hate anime in general thread in a few days)

[MaiMai]

I love anime and manga, I don't care much for emulating it trope for trope though.

[enta]

For me.... the setting of my project(one moment in summer) is actually based in my own province(I live in a rural town in Okayama where you look east, west, south, north and there's nothing but mountains) BUT despite the Japanese names and setting, I never write "Something-chan" or "something-kun" because English players are playing an English game. Honorifics only means to Japanese games and there are proper honorifics for each of them in English anyway(Mr; Mrs; Ms, milady, senior, junior etc.)

Also, I don't dare challenge myself to write something in America or England or where ever when I hadn't even stepped on that land even once. So I really got no choices but to write something in a Japanese setting All I know about America is that it is the land of freedom, Barack Obama's the president and that most of the Japanese(I know) have this strange thinking that America = burgers and meat.

I once played a VN(forgot the name) and there was a line, "Oh~ That's so kawaii~~". I was grossed out. What if I didn't know the meaning of the kawaii? Why can't it be "cute"? I think I jerked off the game then and move on with life.

I am fine with Japanese names, setting etc. so long as it is not just a super obvious work of a noob who saw some anime she liked and thought, "I'm going to make a VN with a theme like this! >:3", post the WIP thread and disappear after a few weeks or month.

[Lishy]

It depends setting/context. If for example the story takes place in Canada and involves the War Measures Act, then a Japanese character isn't too out of place in that context. Though honestly I get turned off more from bad art than Japanese names.

[Coren]

I have to admit Japanese names are really curious to me. I like thinking up of Japanese names more than any other name, because of the large variety mix between kanji, hiragana and katakana you can choose from to think up of just one name. How two names pronounced the same way can have completely different meanings as well, and in turn how you can make up a common-sounding name like "Miyako (宮子)" and simply write it differently (e.g.　魅夜子) and it can become entirely mysterious.

But of course, most of that effect is lost in English.

Also for me, I'm living in some remote Asian country people probably think is somewhere in China or something. I know more about Japan than I know about, say, America or England.

(But I still end up using English names more than Japanese names for some reason)

[eingelle]

I've always wondered why that is too... Ahaha! ^_^;;
It does get slightly annoying seeing Japanese names in a 100% English game. It'd make sense if the game was Japanese to begin with and it was translated in English; keeping the names the way it was.

I guess the creators of these VNs really want the "essence" of anime to radiate within the game? All the more reason if their characters/CGs are drawn in anime/manga-style... But that's just my thought in the matter. I could be wrong.