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PlutoniumBoss · Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:27 am Post subject:

What do you mean, the comic written in Japanese? Why would a comic book that he bought in New York be written in Japanese?

SainterThom · Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:32 am Post subject:

I wonder if SuperHiro has been chomping at the bit to have me help out here. I lived in Japan for two years.

Most young people in Japan can understand and speak rudimentary (sp? where's that spell checker?) English. It is, by far, the most popular foreign language in school. Also, keep in mind that English is quite possibly the hardest second language for any other culture to learn. English is also, generally, the universal language for business, although this would be more for upper echelon businessmen.

Many Japanese/Nipponese words are crossover words, adapted from other cultures, just as in any language. However, in Japan, it is very popular to embed yourself into American culture, and so, many pop culture phrases are phoenetic translations, not literal. This is why when you hear Hiro say something to Ando in "English" it has a very funny accent, or possibly an extra syllable at the end, i.e. waffles-u. (I'm getting somewhere with this, I promise.)

If you really look at the comic reading scene, he focuses on specific words. Star Trek. Peter Parker. The name, of course, would not be "translated", but you would think Star Trek would. Actually, Nipponese would call it by the original name, Star Trek, or as close as they could. He picks up on those words, not the ordinary conversation. The only part that this wouldn't be true is the part when Hiro comes back and starts talking to Ando. I believe Hiro would have picked up on the word Sake. The rest of his inference of the comic could be done by pictures.

Just trying to clarify!

birq · Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:34 am Post subject:

sniperomega · Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:21 am Post subject: