#14 The Fun of Comparing Japanese & English Titles of Manga & Anime Part1
Today, I thought I’d go with a more casual, chatty topic. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it at your leisure!
What inspired me to write about this theme
Living abroad has made me realise something interesting.
The titles of movies on streaming platforms like Netflix change from their Japanese versions to English ones!
When that happens, you know what? You glance at the title of a film you only remembered by its cover image and think, "Huh? Was that the title?"
For example, one of my favourite French films, The Intouchables (Japanese title: 最強のふたり/Saikyō no Futari or The Invincible Duo). The cover image, featuring a wealthy white man in a wheelchair and a young black man recently released from prison pushing him, left a strong impression on me. It's a fantastic human drama based on a true story. But when I saw the English title, "Intouchables," I remember thinking, "That’s completely different! Haha!"
Of course, the translators must have put a lot of thought into the title, so I have no intention of criticising them at all.
When I looked up "Intouchables," I found that it can mean "not able or allowed to be touched or affected" either physically or emotionally. I felt that the title might be referring to the idea of two people from completely different backgrounds, who would never have interacted under normal circumstances, breaking down the walls and barriers between them through caregiving. It’s a brilliant title that captures the essence of the story in a single word.
By the way, as I’m writing this in a café, "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire has just started playing, and it’s bringing back memories of the film’s storyline.
On the other hand, the Japanese title, 最強のふたり (The Invincible Duo), when translated literally, gives the impression of focusing on the outcome of the bond between the two protagonists. Personally, I recall being drawn to the title when I first saw it, especially after reading the outline of the film at the time. It’s true that the Japanese title captivated me.
However, when I later came across the original French title, I couldn’t help but feel that it was the more fitting choice for the story overall.
I know I’ve gone on a bit, but this has made me realise something important: the original titles of works are carefully chosen by their creators in their own language, using words that best represent the essence of the piece. As such, I can’t help but feel that translated titles often miss out on capturing the full intent and nuance of the originals.
With that in mind, I’d like to introduce a few examples of Japanese works whose English titles, in my opinion, don’t quite convey the same nuances as their originals.
千と千尋の神隠し – Spirited Away
Well, this is something that catches your attention, doesn’t it? On Netflix’s international versions, you can basically watch all Studio Ghibli films. Did you know, though, that you can’t watch them on Netflix Japan?
Take Spirited Away, for example, known as Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (千と千尋の神隠し) in Japanese. But let’s be honest, if someone said kamikakushi to you, you’d probably have no idea what it means, right?
Japan is a country blessed with abundant natural beauty, but at the same time, people have long held a deep sense of awe towards nature’s overwhelming power. This has given rise to ancient beliefs in nature worship, animism. Mountains, the sun, the sea, practically every element of nature and natural phenomena are thought to be home to various gods and spirits.
Nowadays, if someone disappears in the mountains, most people would first think of an accident or getting lost. But in the past, people often believed that the gods(神) had hidden(隠す) the person, especially children.
For those who’ve seen Spirited Away, the title Kamikakushi comes from this cultural background.
The concept of "god" in monotheistic cultures and the Japanese understanding of "kami (神)" are fundamentally not the same. I’m sure they understood this, but in English-speaking countries where Christianity is more prevalent, directly translating Kamikakushi might have been quite a challenge.
僕のヒーローアカデミア – My Hero Academia
This is a flagship manga that was serialised in the famous Weekly Shōnen Jump. The English title is a straightforward translation: My Hero Academia.
What caught my attention, though, was the "My" part. It’s not that the meaning changes, but the nuance doesn’t quite come through in English. Why is that?
Japanese personal pronouns are incredibly diverse. And they aren’t just there for the sake of variety. They each come with a specific image or nuance. Let’s focus on first-person pronouns, equivalent to "I" in English. In Japanese, there’s a range of commonly used words, like watashi (私), boku (僕), ore (俺), uchi (うち), and washi (わし), among others.
The pronoun boku (僕), which is used in the title of this manga, carries the image of a young, somewhat vulnerable boy.
If the title were Watashi no Hero Academia (私のヒーローアカデミア), you might imagine it to be a story about a woman or a man.
On the other hand, Ore no Hero Academia (俺のヒーローアカデミア) would make you think of an energetic, confident boy.
And Washi no Hero Academia (わしのヒーローアカデミア)?
That would sound like an old man’s hero school, wouldn’t it? It’s so unexpected that it might even arouse your curiosity! haha
As you can see, just changing the personal pronoun completely alters the impression of a manga’s title. It’s something that simply can’t be conveyed in English translation. This is one of the fascinating features of the Japanese language!
Summary
The translated titles were created with great care and thought by translators, and it’s true that even the translated versions have captivating titles. However, the unique privilege of being able to enjoy both the original and the translated titles is reserved for those of you studying Japanese. It’s truly wonderful that Japanese anime and manga have gained such global popularity and have even inspired people to start learning the language.
Why not pay attention not just to the content of the works but also to their titles? You might discover something fascinating that deepens your appreciation and motivates you further in your Japanese studies. If something catches your interest, don’t hesitate to ask a nearby Japanese friend or teacher!
Thank you for reading!