literatehyaena : Oookay.

Current music:

"Reminisce--Light and Shadow at the Film Studio" -- GS1

Oookay.
When did referring to a game or anime/manga by its Japanese title become a sign of snobbery? I realise I'm a little old-school, and when I was less of a hermit (basically, when I had Quatre to drag me around) I know it used to just generally be considered respectful to do that, especially if the English name was dumb. But lately, for some reason, this has become a serious offence. I (out of a bad habit) refer to the Phoenix Wright games as Gyakuten Saibon... maybe 60% of the time, if I'm writing. I don't really have any excuse for this, since I'm just fine with the English rendition of the game, unless you count the fact that I've been waiting for the third game for a year, during which time it was generally known as GS3. And to be frank, Gyakuten Saibon is more interesting for me to say. Not much in the way of reasoning, but habit is habit. And I learned to call things by their Japanese name, so that's what I do. Anyway, as someone who genuinely IS a snob for most things, I find it really interesting that me calling something by its Japanese name gets me called an elitist... but that immediately dismissing someone's favourite book or breaking into a frothing rage at Christopher Paolini does not.

I understand social expectations are unreasonable, but when they make me laugh, it's probably a bit far.

What else generally gets considered snobbery these days?

And what are your opinions on regressive titling (i.e. calling things by their original name, as per my habit)?

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	seiran 2008-01-08 13:34 (link)
	I would say "Since Cartoon Network and Tokyopop turned anime/manga into an Americanized badly dubbed slag pit for your lazy idiot peers". Next time it happens, just point to your eyes, and they'll probably fall all over themselves apologizing. "Oh my GOD, that's RIGHT. You're, like, AZN. FOR REAL." I usually refer to things in the language I was introduced to them. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	literatehyaena 2008-01-09 04:36 (link)
	No, only for half-real. (Reply to this) (Parent)

delcat
2008-01-09 04:14 (link)

Accusations of snobbery (at least, in excess--there ARE anime snobs out there, of course, but they generally take pride in that fact) make me froth at the mouth. Can't people share in a mutual enjoyment of a series instead of causing unnecessary drama that takes away everyone's fun? Shit like this strikes me as a serious case of "THE INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS".

That having been said, there is a time and place. Specifically, I find it endlessly tiring trying to keep fics straight when authors insist on using Japanese names, especially in complex fandoms with a zillion characters like Digimon. It's unpleasant being expected to know a fresh set of names for characters you're used to calling something else--confusing, difficult, and uneasy on the inner level where you've put meaning behind a particular proper noun. However, I understand that this problem persists on both sides, and is not easily solved.

I think Japanese names can be used in a snobbish manner. God knows we've all seen the thirteen-year-olds who think that only the Japanese names in a series are "pure". I think that's what it boils down to, really--whether you do it out of a sense of fun, or out of a sense of "Only what *I* do is right". It's not hard to tell the difference.

Personally, I prefer English names for things because they have greater resonance for me, and because my Japanese spelling sucks (Gyakuten Sai...um...). However, I will use the Japanese if it's fun to say, especially in regards to katakana (Vincento, Shido) and especially if it's also easier to type (Furuba = easier than Fruits Basket).

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literatehyaena
2008-01-09 04:35 (link)

I suppose. I really am an anime snob on some levels, but at the same time, I try to make it a point not to detract from others' enjoyment of whatever it is. As a Gundam brat, I get a LOT of "GUNDAM WING IS A PIECE OF SHIT" from people. So I can understand the need for common courtesy, ya?

I tend to have very flexible brain and have never had much problem with swapping between Japanese and English names, but I do tend to use one set or the other consistently. In Phoenix Wright, I call the game Gyakuten Saibon but use the English names for the characters, because that's what I know them as. I can, however, read fics with the Japanese names just fine. But what I call the characters, I call them consistently. The only name I really have any problem keeping constant out of Phoenix Wright is Godot's original name, which I got to know very well... and I also have a slight dislike for his English name, which doesn't help. But in order to keep things constant I go by his English when writing. Even if it isn't the name of I tend to think of him as.

In the Digimon fandom, the real problem for me is not people using the Japanese names for the humans but people using the Japanese names for the Digimon. I'm familiar with the original names for a few and I can usually puzzle out others, but it's still a bit of a pain.

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