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Adapting a live action movie Part II - English or Japanese names?

posted 11 years ago by takashi_kupo
8 replies | jump to latest

As a part of a regular series, we are going to discuss what it would take to make a successful live action adaptation of Sailor Moon including character changes, casts, languages, nationalitys, ethnicities, music, composers, etc;

Part II - Fans of Sailor Moon play favorites when it comes to what they call their characters. If you take a look at any message board or fanpage, one might see that fans dedicatedly call the characters by either their English names (Serena, Ami, Mina, Lita, Rei) or their Japanese names (Usagi, Minako, etc;). What nameset would be more successful and why?

[–] TrekBeatTK 11 years ago

This does partially depend on whether this movie is set in an English-speaking country or in Japan. Assuming we set it in some movie version of Japan where everyone speaks English and maybe even look Caucasian, I think usually sticking with the original names is better. Several of them are just spelling issues or slight proununciation issues (Ami/Amy, Rei). Minako can be called Mina for short as a nickname.

Usagi is tricky because it's a very foreign sort of name to Western audiences. But I wouldn't want them just calling her Bunny like the original manga translation did. Her name Tsukino Usagi is a kind of important pun about the rabbit of the moon. You lose that if you change her name. While Serena isn't bad, since it is related to Serenity, I think maybe her name should officially be Serena, but everyone calls her Usagi.

I go back and forth about Makoto. That's the one where I most understand changing it. But, pink sugar wand to my head, I'd say stick with the Japanese name.

Another element to consider when using Japanese nomenclature is whether to stick with the honorific suffixes. I don't think we need to replace "Tuxedo Mask" with "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" but there's something endearing about the way Usagi says "Mamo-chan".

I think if a name is changed it should be somehow related to the original name if not in sound than etymologically if possible. So if someone's name means something like "sincerity" then find a Western name with a similar meaning.

I also wouldn't be entirely opposed to shooting two versions of the movie, one with correct names and one with English dub names. Well, three versions, because I've always liked the idea of shooting a version entirely in Japanese as well. they used to do that sort of thing in the 1930s.

-TK

"I've always admired atheists; I think it takes a lot of faith." -Dr. Joel Fleischman

[–] TrekBeatTK 11 years ago

Oh, and I like these little discussion threads. Too bad more people aren't participating. Maybe there are more fans on the other Sailor Moon board (I think there's technically one for the original and one for the dub) who'd come over?

-TK

"I've always admired atheists; I think it takes a lot of faith." -Dr. Joel Fleischman

[–] takashi_kupo 11 years ago

Thanks :] Perhaps there are other boards which are more alive? I know there are some particular facebook pages that are very active in discussions and Sailor Moon mythos. Do you have any recommendations?

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] TrekBeatTK 11 years ago

Sailor Mars is definitely Asian, and I agree on a Caucasian Moon and Venus.

But I strongly object to Mercury being black (I refuse to say African-American, as that's nation specific, rather than inclusive of the race as a whole). The Ami character is sort of a stereotypically ideal Asian. She's sort of shy and soft-spoken, incredibly studious with high career ambitions, and much more consciously polite than the others.

I'm cool with actors who have ethnic looks cast in this though. Maybe ideally people who at least have some Asian heritage. A way to realistically find a middle ground between characters being Japanese or living in Japan, and characters who look like their anime counterparts.

-TK

"I've always admired atheists; I think it takes a lot of faith." -Dr. Joel Fleischman

[–] blondiebear_17 11 years ago

I would go with a mix of both. I mean I would say leave Ami and Rei as is since they appear the most asian they should definitely be cast as such. I would say the looks of Usagi Minako and Makoto are way more American so I would cast them all white and go with the dub names. Don't hurt me guys.

RIP Cory Monteith your fans miss you dearly

[–] xenophile2002 11 years ago

In the dub, the thinking seems to be that they had to be "relatable," which meant that they had to have "ordinary" names. I reject this categorically. Even in the 1950s Disney was able to do a Zorro TV series, and they didn't call the character "Don Derrick," "Al Hando," and "Foxy." No, they were "Don Diego," "Alejandro," and "Zorro." The characters spoke English, but with Spanish accents, and they slipped in Spanish phrases like "buenas tardes" and "caballero." I don't see why a Sailor Moon show or movie couldn't do the same, only with Japanese instead of Spanish.

Of course, this assumes an all Asian cast, which is unlikely (though not impossible). If set in the US, and not Hawaii or San Fransisco, then a multi-ethnic cast is probably a good idea. So... Rei can stay Japanese, and be a shrine maiden, and be named Rei even in this scenario.

NONE of the names are hard to say, even for monolingual Americans like me. I've run into Japanese names I had trouble pronouncing, but not Mamoru, Usagi, or other names in Sailor Moon.

I'll jump into some of the other topics tomorrow, or I guess I mean later today, since it's just past midnight now.

EDIT
If set in Japan, then yes for the love of Endymion keep the -san -chan -sama and the rest of it.

EDIT
OK, I didn't get to it "tomorrow." Ah well. Hey, the Olympics are on.

I disagree with you, but I'm pretty sure you're not Hitler.
- Jon Stewart

[–] 11 years ago

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