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/jp/ - Otaku Culture

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2553970 No.2553970 [Reply] [Original]

Hey /jp/ I'm a bit of a writefag in my spare time and I've recently been looking for character names for my current project. Realizing that most of my influence is Japanese media I have been debating whether or not my character should have Japanese names. My common sense tells me that is far too weeaboo, but what I have written feels similar to a TM or Boogiepop light novel and Katawa Shoujo seems to have proven that the use of Japanese names is acceptable to at least a niche western audience (when it fits the media). I think someone put it "Visual Novels are mostly Japanese so it would be natural to use Japanese names?" I guess it could be the same for a light novel format?

tldr; What's /jp/'s opinion on using jap names in western writing?

>> No.2553975 [DELETED] 

http://tinyurl.com/qtkh8s
Colon blow, perfect mother's day present!

>> No.2554008

Only if your story takes place in Japan.

>> No.2554009
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2554009

>> No.2554026

don't be such a weeaboo

>> No.2554035

>>2553970
Do you even know anything about Japanese names, or are you just going to throw in stuff that sounds japanese, whether or not you know what it means or how it would be written in Kanji?

It's a western project so you should use western names.

>> No.2554039

Use old Germanic names.

>> No.2554042

7/10 would rage again

>> No.2554058
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2554058

>>2554035
My knowledge is minimal
I've only just finished memorizing Hiragana and Katakana

Thanks for the good point

>> No.2554071

>What's /jp/'s opinion on using jap names in western writing?

DON'T. For god's sake. It's stupid. Be proud to be non-Jap.

>> No.2554083

>>2553970

it depends on where the project is set at if its in japan use japanese names if not use western my friend and i are writing a dojinn, and it is set in japan, so we are using japanese and japanese sounding names.... some are more accurate, and some are made up but what ever dont let these people tell you what kinds of names to use do what you want and if people like it they like it

>> No.2554084

>>2554058
Exactly. You should not use Japanese names. Honestly you'd probably only be able to use something superficially resembling japanese names; i.e. it'd sound real to people on /jp/ but people on 2chan would probably laugh if they found it. It also sounds like you'd just try to use Japanese names to try to stand out from more American names, almost perfectly following the definition of weeaboo.

Yeah. Don't do it.

>> No.2554086

>>2553970
>>2553970
You do realize that majority of /jp/ are not weaboo and hate Japan.
Unless your story setting is Japanese I don't see the reason why you need to use japanese name.

>> No.2554089

Don't. Seriously. It's shameful.

>> No.2554116

I felt Katawa Shoujo's names were embarrassing, but since they wanted to stay true to the source material, I can let it pass.

But if you don't know even the next thing about japanese names, don't even try to write a japanese setting. You'll shame yourself. Besides, it'd be refreshing to see a VN that's not scared of being gaijin.

>> No.2554128
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2554128

It seems a lot of you are saying that it's cool if the story is set in japan, but then is it still too weeaboo to have your story set in japan in the first place?

>> No.2554137

>>2554116
If I ever make a KS doujinshi, I'm gonna change the names to English ones.

Hanako = Hannah
Emi = Emily

etc.

>> No.2554140

>>2554039
>Use old Germanic names.

This 1000x. It worked brilliantly for Legend of Galactic Heroes.

And OP, using Japanese names is pretty much the most retardly weeaboo thing you can do apart from visiting Gaia; the fact that you're citing using Katawa Shoujo as a successful literary precedent leads me to question the quality of your work and the breadth of your intelligence.

>> No.2554147

>>2554128
>but then is it still too weeaboo to have your story set in japan in the first place?

Yes.

Japan is not some magical happy fantasy land that is automatically more interesting or worthwhile than any other country.

>> No.2554155

>>2554140
>>2554140
Most of the new posters first VN is KS.
It will be sometime before they play all the VNs that we have play.

>> No.2554157

>>2554128
Why would you set your story in Japan? Anyone who isn't human detritus would immediately be repulsed by finding the setting to be in Japan and for your part, I doubt you know anything substantive about the country. What would make Japan so special that you'd need to place your story there and not somewhere better?

>> No.2554158

>>2553970
If your characters are Japanese people born in Japan, they should have Japanese names.
If your characters are Japanese, but born somewhere else, they can have either Japanese names or names from where they were born.
Names can come from their parents or their birthplace, either works. But don't be so silly to think that choosing Japanese names or characters make you a weeabo.

About your second point, it's true that VNs are really popular in Japan. However, that doesn't mean the characters MUST be from that place. There are lots of manga characters that aren't japanese, even when the genre was born there.

>> No.2554181

>"Visual Novels are mostly Japanese so it would be natural to use Japanese names?"

Foreign film makers don't ask "Movies are mostly American so it would be natural to use Americans names?"

>> No.2554182

>>2554128
>but then is it still too weeaboo to have your story set in japan in the first place?
It's simple.

Is there any reason for it to be set in Japan beyond "It's Japan"?
Are you just trying to add japanese stuff to what you write to try to make it Japanese?
If so, then don't.

If there is a reason for it to be set in Japan specifically and not some other country, then do so. For example if you were to take some Japanese folklore and make a VN out of that. It wouldn't make much sense for it to be sent outside of Japan. If there's a real reason, then go for it. If you're trying to stick in 'japan' everyone solely to try to make it more Japanese or to try to appeal to anyone (from /jp/ or elsewhere), then don't do it. If taking away the Japan would change nothing, then it shouldn't be there.

>> No.2554192
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2554192

>>2554158

>There are lots of manga characters that aren't japanese, even when the genre was born there.

>manga[...] genre
>manga (comic books) born [in Japan].

>> No.2554202
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2554202

>>2554140
It's a good lead in because it has been widely talked about and in once of the few recent incidents of japanese names being used in a western project. If I were talking about the quality of the writing you would be entirely correct.

>> No.2554238

>>2554202
>in once of the few recent incidents of japanese names being used in a western project

Guess why there are only a few incidents.

>> No.2554241

I like how Umineko used english names.

>> No.2554278

Dignified Western names are superior to crappy Japanese wordvomit.

>> No.2554566
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2554566

ah well appears we are done here
thanks for the surprisingly helpful thread /jp/

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