Quote:
Originally Posted by Arukan
I personally believe we should not use the honorifics in English speech/fanfics. they just don't belong, we're not in Japan. >.>
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I can already hear someone saying "But the characters are!" Folks, listen... Just
try to get along without honorifics before you dismiss the possiblity. It's not
neccessary for--to use an incredibly popular example--Hinata to refer to Naruto as "Naruto-kun" to communicate how she feels about him. That comes through in the dialogue, in the actions and reactions.
And if it doesn't? Then you need to rewrite it. All concerns about culture aside, honorifics still represent a crutch for a writer, and it's not one you want to be leaning on. Honorifics like -san, -chan, etc. don't get under my skin quite so badly, even if I don't think you should be using them. But "oniichan?" "Itadakimasu?" No. Never.
"Big brother," and "let's eat!" mean the
exact, same thing.
"Nakama?" I loves me some One Piece, and I know how important the word is in the series, but 'comrade/shipmate/crewmate' can all be used interchangeably, and with the same strength of emotion behind them. All this stuff might read a little strangely to you the first time you attempt it, especially if you're used to fansubs. But reading random Japanese scattered around a story breaks the mood very quickly. You
can train yourself to hear the voices fully in English if you try.