Attack Name Changes: Good or Bad?

[Konekone]

Yes, this is actually a topic that sticks up for 4Kids.

People often have said that the name changes that 4Kids gave to Shaman King attacks are odd and don't make sense.

However, after translating the attack names of the originals, I have discovered that 4Kids aren't that far off. They're really just censored names, censored for references to religion, other races etc.

Here are the ones I have analysed already.

Shinkuu Buttagiri/Shockwave Buddha Chop (Cleave or Slash)/Celestial Slash-

For this attack, they've really only dropped off the "Shockwave" part. Since it's 4Kids, they can't have reference to "Buddha", so they put it as "Celestial", which is okay. And "Slash" is a possible translation of "Giri" as I showed in my translations.

Chuuka Zanmai (Technically, it should be "Mae")/Chinese Slash Dance/Rapid Tempo-

This one is odder, but it can still work. Since Len was made British, by the sounds of it, whereas Ren was Chinese, and because you couldn't have reference to another country, "Chuuka" for "Chinese" was dropped off. The "Rapid" was added instead of "Slash", because although they allow "Slash", the lip flaps would not fit, and as for "Tempo", this refers to the speed at which a dance takes place, so it still refers to the "Dance".

[ViciousKatanaGuy]

Then there is Viz' names:
* Shockwave Buddha Giri
and
* Vorpal Dance or Zhong Wa Zhan Wu

[Lovely]

I noticed what you are pointing out JUST the other day Kenni ^^; .
"Hey wait... Celestial.... Budha.... Oh my God 0_0 ...."

So... I sort of don't mind some of the changes/translations, because they ARE still trying to keep it relatively close (for some, for others...).

I'd prefer the translations to be a little closer though ^_~. Bring us back our random religion and death XD !

I should mention that I ussually STRONGLY DISPLEASED when an attack name is kept in Japanese and not translated.

"ooh! but it's more true to the original if you keep it in Japanese!"

No. It's not. In Japan, the attack names (ussually) had a LITERAL MEANING >_< . That's like saying subtitles are ruining the intergrity of the film. And yes, sometimes attack names are intentionally kind of goofy. THEY ARE NOT ALLWAYS "COOL" !

Sorry, excuse my little rant ^^; .

[Pinkechidna]

I don't know if uncut DVD's count, but on the SK Uncut DVD, Ren did call his attack "Slash Dance." I think Yoh's attack was called "Amida-Style Halo Blade." Which seems okay to me because I believe "Amida" is one of the names for the Buddah.

[Lovely]

Actually, the "Shinkuu Buttagiri" and "Amida ryu Gokoujin" are two different attacks ^^;. Yoh doesn't get the Buttagiri till a little later.

(heh, I complain about the use of the original names but... I still only know the attack names by their original names ^^; .)

[ViciousKatanaGuy]

As for Horohoro's attacks: (Note that Viz mentions the Ainu along with the translated name)

Ainu: Emus Noki-pekonr
Viz: Icicle Sword
4Kids: Ice Dagger Attack

Ainu: Mososo Kruppe
Viz: The Frost that Rouses the Sleeping
4Kids: Ice Quake, Iceberg attack

Ainu: Kaukau Priwenpe
Viz: Renegade Hail
4Kids: Icicle Assault, Ice Blizzard

Ainu: Epittarki Upas-Horkkek
Viz: All-Swallowing Avalanche
4Kids: Avalanche

[Lovely]

That's right, I forgot to mention-- It's good that Viz keeps the original names for Horohoro's attacks in addition to the translation. Horohoro's attacks are SUPPOSED to sound a bit foreign and odd. (The other characters even make fun of the attack names in one of the specials ^^;. )

[Shadowchan]

Pinkechidna said:

I don't know if uncut DVD's count, but on the SK Uncut DVD, Ren did call his attack "Slash Dance." I think Yoh's attack was called "Amida-Style Halo Blade." Which seems okay to me because I believe "Amida" is one of the names for the Buddah.

Yeah, the name Amidamaru was derived from a Buddist chant that had the word "amida" in it. It's in my Shonen Jump. I'd go get it and give the actualy chant but I gave up manga for lent

(At least I can cheat on Sundays!)

[Dessa]

Not directly to SK, but I remember people complaining about Viz's name-changes to the Naruto attacks.

My favorite one was the complaints about Bunshin no Jutsu/Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Apparently Viz's translation is "Art of the Doppleganger." Bunshin no Jutsu is "Technique of Clone" (I've also seen "jutsu" translated as 'art' in reference to martial arts). Ooooh... "Doppleganger" is another word/translation of "clone." BIG name change...

[Konekone]

Dessa said:

Not directly to SK, but I remember people complaining about Viz's name-changes to the Naruto attacks.

My favorite one was the complaints about Bunshin no Jutsu/Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Apparently Viz's translation is "Art of the Doppleganger." Bunshin no Jutsu is "Technique of Clone" (I've also seen "jutsu" translated as 'art' in reference to martial arts). Ooooh... "Doppleganger" is another word/translation of "clone." BIG name change...

Technically, "jutsu" is strictly "technique". If they were to use "Art of the Poison Gas", for Shizune's "Ninpo: Doku Gasu", then they'd be correct, because "Ninpo" is "Ninja Arts", so there'd be a more correct translation.

Pinkechidna said:

I don't know if uncut DVD's count, but on the SK Uncut DVD, Ren did call his attack "Slash Dance." I think Yoh's attack was called "Amida-Style Halo Blade." Which seems okay to me because I believe "Amida" is one of the names for the Buddah.

And, yes, the attack that Yoh uses on Ren in their match is "Amida-Style Halo Blade", not "Shinkuu Buttagiri" although I think "Halo Blade" seems to be a loose translation, as I believe the original attack is "Amida-Ryu Gokoujin". "Ryu", as well as "Dragon", means "Style", as in "Santoryu", or "Three Sword Style", so that part's right, but "Gokou", I believe, is something like "Sky", and "Jin", as I know it, is something like "Person", so I'd make it out as "Amida Style Sky Person".

ViciousKatanaGuy said:

Then there is Viz' names:
* Shockwave Buddha Giri
and
* Vorpal Dance or Zhong Wa Zhan Wu

Shockwave Buddha Giri is just translating "Shinkuu" and "Buddha Giri" is just "Buttagiri". "Butta" is just a way of writing "Buddha" for Japanese. Technically "Giri" should be on its own, but then again, "Zanmai" should be "Zanmae".

As for "Vorpal", I'm still working on that one, trying to find out what "Vorpal" means. I saw a book that was called "The Vorpal Blade", so I'm trying to think on it, but "Dance" is right, and a Chinese friend of mine told me that in fact "Zhong Hua Zhan Wu" is in fact a translation, although of which translation I've forgotten.

[Lovely]

I use dictionary.com for all my language needs.

vorpal, it apparently means "deadly". (It's also apparently a word invented by Lewis Carol ^o^ .)

I like how Viz uses uncommon english words to translate uncommon Japanese words. It's an interesting touch. Not appreciated by many... but an interesting touch.

[ViciousKatanaGuy]

Dessa said:

Not directly to SK, but I remember people complaining about Viz's name-changes to the Naruto attacks.

My favorite one was the complaints about Bunshin no Jutsu/Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Apparently Viz's translation is "Art of the Doppleganger." Bunshin no Jutsu is "Technique of Clone" (I've also seen "jutsu" translated as 'art' in reference to martial arts). Ooooh... "Doppleganger" is another word/translation of "clone." BIG name change...

Yep, and Viz is now including Japanese names along with English names, starting in the last Shonen Jump.

Another Viz translation is "Muscle Memory Buddha Giri"

[Dessa]

Just FYI, the origin of the word "vorpal" (as well as a few other words).

[Konekone]

ViciousKatanaGuy said:

Yep, and Viz is now including Japanese names along with English names, starting in the last Shonen Jump.

Another Viz translation is "Muscle Memory Buddha Giri"

Well, THAT one can't be right. "Kinniku" is "Muscle".

[Rapid]

Lovely said:

That's right, I forgot to mention-- It's good that Viz keeps the original names for Horohoro's attacks in addition to the translation. Horohoro's attacks are SUPPOSED to sound a bit foreign and odd. (The other characters even make fun of the attack names in one of the specials ^^;. )

^^;

Yeah, I just got through reading Volumes 3-5 (got them all in one go), and HoroHoro's attack names made me trip up in reading. XD

I was just like.... "Erm, how the crap do you pronounce this?!" XD

Also, I was kinda freaked out by that Buddhist chant/prayer thing Yoh said that was kept in Japanese. ^^; Translation, anyone?