Japanese language - Revision history

BerylRoll: /* Translating the untranslatable */

2026-05-12T18:43:21Z

Translating the untranslatable

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:43, 12 May 2026
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	A popular form of wordplay in Japanese is to adjust the length of vowels. For instance, a word, usually English, that's normally written with a single "e" (エ) gets written with an elongated "ee" or "eh" (エー) to turn it into a name that's clearly the word but also fancily just not. This is easy to understand in English, but there are two possible problems when it's time to Romanize. The first is that the vowelplay has to be recognized as deliberate and not be mistaken for an alternative or erroneous spelling that can be ignored, and the second is that sometimes, changes in the vowel length are straightforward in Japanese but not so in English.		A popular form of wordplay in Japanese is to adjust the length of vowels. For instance, a word, usually English, that's normally written with a single "e" (エ) gets written with an elongated "ee" or "eh" (エー) to turn it into a name that's clearly the word but also fancily just not. This is easy to understand in English, but there are two possible problems when it's time to Romanize. The first is that the vowelplay has to be recognized as deliberate and not be mistaken for an alternative or erroneous spelling that can be ignored, and the second is that sometimes, changes in the vowel length are straightforward in Japanese but not so in English.
	*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination\|Operation Combination]]'' [[Sireen]]'s name in Japanese is spelled サイレーン (''Sairēn''). Normally, "siren" is katakanized as サイレン (''sairen''). One could believe the katakana is erroneous and that "Siren" is the intended meaning of the name or one could understand this as vowelplay.		*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination\|Operation Combination]]'' [[Sireen]]'s name in Japanese is spelled サイレーン (''Sairēn''). Normally, "siren" is katakanized as サイレン (''sairen''). One could believe the katakana is erroneous and that "Siren" is the intended meaning of the name or one could understand this as vowelplay.
	*''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers#Beast Wars II\|Beast Wars II]]'' [[Scylla]]'s Japanese name is ''Sukyūre'' (スキュウレ), which is most likely a corruption created by moving the long vowel at the end of ''Sukyurē'' (スキュレー), the katakana rendition of the Ancient Greek ''Skúllē'', to the syllable prior. This bit of vowelplay was not recognized back in the day, hence why the character ended up as the wordplay-free "Scylla" rather than something like "Skyulle" or "Skúulle" in English publications.		*''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers#Beast Wars II\|Beast Wars II]]'' [[Scylla (BW)\|Scylla]]'s Japanese name is ''Sukyūre'' (スキュウレ), which is most likely a corruption created by moving the long vowel at the end of ''Sukyurē'' (スキュレー), the katakana rendition of the Ancient Greek ''Skúllē'', to the syllable prior. This bit of vowelplay was not recognized back in the day, hence why the character ended up as the wordplay-free "Scylla" rather than something like "Skyulle" or "Skúulle" in English publications.
	*The "lawb" portion of ''[[Generations Selects Special Comic\|Generations Selects]]'' [[Lawbhammer]]'s name is a Romanization of ロウブ (''rōbu''), which is a portmanteau of ロブ (''robu''), the katakana for "lob", and ロウ (''rō''), the katakana for "law" in "claw". Directly converting it to Latin script would result in "Lohb", which is not the intention. To keep the portmanteau of "lob" and "law", ロウブ has to be rendered as either "lawb" or "lowb".		*The "lawb" portion of ''[[Generations Selects Special Comic\|Generations Selects]]'' [[Lawbhammer]]'s name is a Romanization of ロウブ (''rōbu''), which is a portmanteau of ロブ (''robu''), the katakana for "lob", and ロウ (''rō''), the katakana for "law" in "claw". Directly converting it to Latin script would result in "Lohb", which is not the intention. To keep the portmanteau of "lob" and "law", ロウブ has to be rendered as either "lawb" or "lowb".

Doomdorm64: /* Bad dubs */

2026-03-23T18:23:54Z

Bad dubs

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:23, 23 March 2026
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	Furthermore, on many occasions, when Japanese ''Transformers'' cartoons have been translated and dubbed into English, the translations and scripts have been rushed, resulting in mind-boggling dialogue.		Furthermore, on many occasions, when Japanese ''Transformers'' cartoons have been translated and dubbed into English, the translations and scripts have been rushed, resulting in mind-boggling dialogue.

	When the [[Omni Productions]] dub was produced for ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)\|The Headmasters]]'', ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)\|Masterforce]]'' and ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)\|Victory]]'' and when the [[Voicebox Productions\|Voicebox]] dub was produced for ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)\|Armada]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)\|Energon]]'', early, unpolished translations of the Japanese TV series were used for the final scripts. While these translations were (mostly) accurate, they were accurate in a tremendously ''literal'' sense, often not being adjusted to fit the English language properly. What resulted were incoherent lines of dialogue which sounded like a ''Babelfish'' translation of a web page.		When the [[Omni Productions]] dub was produced for ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)\|The Headmasters]]'', ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)\|Masterforce]]'' and ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)\|Victory]]'' and (to a lesser extent) when the [[Voicebox Productions\|Voicebox]] dub was produced for ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)\|Armada]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)\|Energon]]'', early, unpolished translations of the Japanese TV series were used for the final scripts. While these translations were (mostly) accurate, they were accurate in a tremendously ''literal'' sense, often not being adjusted to fit the English language properly. What resulted were incoherent lines of dialogue which sounded like a ''Babelfish'' translation of a web page.
	{{--}}		{{--}}

Saix at 10:20, 11 March 2026

2026-03-11T10:20:05Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:20, 11 March 2026
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	=====Hasbro=====		=====Hasbro=====
	Around the onset of the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'', Hasbro evidently discovered the quick and easy trademarking joys of ''aggressively'' literal Romanization.		Around the onset of the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'', Hasbro evidently discovered the quick and easy trademarking joys of ''aggressively'' literal Romanization.
	*''[[Titans Return (toyline)\|Titans Return]]'' [[Doublecross#Generations\|Twinferno]]'s [[Titan Master]] is named "[[~~Daburu (TR)~~\|Daburu]]" after the Japanese rendition of the word "double" (ダブル), after Twinferno's original Generation 1 name, "Doublecross" (ダブルクロス).		*''[[Titans Return (toyline)\|Titans Return]]'' [[Doublecross#Generations\|Twinferno]]'s [[Titan Master]] is named "[[White Leo\|Daburu]]" after the Japanese rendition of the word "double" (ダブル), after Twinferno's original Generation 1 name, "Doublecross" (ダブルクロス).
	*When the duo of Generation 1 dinosaur cassettes [[Dile]] (ダイル) and [[Zaur (G1)\|Zaur]] (ザウル) (plays on "reptile" and "dinosaur", respectively) finally made their way across the Pacific after some 30 years, they were given the localized names [[Dairu]] and [[Zauru]].		*When the duo of Generation 1 dinosaur cassettes [[Dile]] (ダイル) and [[Zaur (G1)\|Zaur]] (ザウル) (plays on "reptile" and "dinosaur", respectively) finally made their way across the Pacific after some 30 years, they were given the localized names [[Dairu]] and [[Zauru]].
	*To add insult to injury, when the pair received evil recolors, they were given these names backwards* in English spelling, producing the truly bizarre "[[Uriad]]" and "[[Uruaz]]".<ref>If you are wondering how authentic backwards spelling works in Japanese phonetic structure, ''Dairu'' (ダイル) would be reversed as "''Ruida''" (ルイダ) and ''Zauru'' would become "''Ruuza''" (ルウザ).</ref>		*To add insult to injury, when the pair received evil recolors, they were given these names backwards* in English spelling, producing the truly bizarre "[[Uriad]]" and "[[Uruaz]]".<ref>If you are wondering how authentic backwards spelling works in Japanese phonetic structure, ''Dairu'' (ダイル) would be reversed as "''Ruida''" (ルイダ) and ''Zauru'' would become "''Ruuza''" (ルウザ).</ref>

BerylRoll: Crosslinked, removed joke that doesn't sit well in 2026.

2026-01-27T14:19:14Z

Crosslinked, removed joke that doesn't sit well in 2026.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:19, 27 January 2026
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	==Romanization==		==Romanization==
	"{{w\|Romanization}}" refers to the adaptation of languages or words that do not use Latin letters to the 26-character Latin [[alphabet]] used in English ~~(among other, less important languages)~~. Technically, the English-specific term would be "Anglicization".		"{{w\|Romanization}}" refers to the adaptation of languages or words that do not use Latin letters to the 26-character Latin [[alphabet]] used in English. Technically, the English-specific term would be "Anglicization".

	Any writing system is, at best, an approximation of the sounds it represents. The modern Japanese writing system distinguishes between fewer {{w\|phoneme}}s than most, but this does not mean the language ''lacks'' those phonemes, merely that different sounds can be represented by the same symbols. English has more than twenty-six sounds denoted by character-combinations (ex. "{{w\|Voiceless postalveolar affricate\|ch}}" makes a sound that is not the combination of the mouth-movements for "{{w\|Voiceless velar plosive\|c}}" and "{{w\|Voiceless glottal fricative\|h}}", but a close cousin), but even those combinations are imperfect; the "oo" letter sequence represents different sounds in "{{w\|Near-close near-back rounded vowel\|cook}}" and "{{w\|Close back rounded vowel\|spook}}". While Japanese does have official romanization systems, such as the {{w\|Nihon-shiki romanization\|Nihon-shiki}}, it can still be difficult to romanize a Japanese word to match its author's intent due to the sharing of phonemes and other artifacts of the differences between the English and Japanese languages.		Any writing system is, at best, an approximation of the sounds it represents. The modern Japanese writing system distinguishes between fewer {{w\|phoneme}}s than most, but this does not mean the language ''lacks'' those phonemes, merely that different sounds can be represented by the same symbols. English has more than twenty-six sounds denoted by character-combinations (ex. "{{w\|Voiceless postalveolar affricate\|ch}}" makes a sound that is not the combination of the mouth-movements for "{{w\|Voiceless velar plosive\|c}}" and "{{w\|Voiceless glottal fricative\|h}}", but a close cousin), but even those combinations are imperfect; the "oo" letter sequence represents different sounds in "{{w\|Near-close near-back rounded vowel\|cook}}" and "{{w\|Close back rounded vowel\|spook}}". While Japanese does have official romanization systems, such as the {{w\|Nihon-shiki romanization\|Nihon-shiki}}, it can still be difficult to romanize a Japanese word to match its author's intent due to the sharing of phonemes and other artifacts of the differences between the English and Japanese languages.
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	===="High concept" names====		===="High concept" names====
	[[File:ViolenJygar1.jpg\|right\|211px\|thumb\|Tragically not actually a juggler of violins.]]		[[File:ViolenJygar1.jpg\|right\|211px\|thumb\|Tragically not actually a juggler of violins.]]
	And then there are the names that didn't mean much to begin with, or are so baroque that any Romanization would have to be either extremely liberal in order to make sense, or end up nonsensical either way. Accuracy is sometimes a low priority, as English-derived names are ''generally'' simply intended to sound "cool", not necessarily make sense to Japanese children. A familiar point of reference might be the atrocities we in the English market regularly inflict upon Latin.		And then there are the names that didn't mean much to begin with, or are so baroque that any Romanization would have to be either extremely liberal in order to make sense, or end up nonsensical either way. Accuracy is sometimes a low priority, as English-derived names are ''generally'' simply intended to sound "cool", not necessarily make sense to Japanese children. A familiar point of reference might be the atrocities we in the English market regularly inflict upon [[Latin language\|Latin]].

	Examples:		Examples:
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	*The peculiarities of English spelling can also cause confusion in Japanese transliteration. In the English word "bomb", the final b is not pronounced. A Japanese person ignorant of that would spell it ''bonbu'', as happened to [[Bombshell (G1)\|Bombshell]] (ボンブシェル ''Bonbusheru''). Compare to [[Snakebomb (Beastformers)\|Snakebomb]] (スネークボム ''Sunēkubomu''), which properly transliterates the actual pronunciation of "bomb". (Although a trading card Romanizes it as "Snakebom". You can't win them all.)		*The peculiarities of English spelling can also cause confusion in Japanese transliteration. In the English word "bomb", the final b is not pronounced. A Japanese person ignorant of that would spell it ''bonbu'', as happened to [[Bombshell (G1)\|Bombshell]] (ボンブシェル ''Bonbusheru''). Compare to [[Snakebomb (Beastformers)\|Snakebomb]] (スネークボム ''Sunēkubomu''), which properly transliterates the actual pronunciation of "bomb". (Although a trading card Romanizes it as "Snakebom". You can't win them all.)
	*A related example to the one above is the differing transliterations for [[Rampage (G1)\|Generation 1 Rampage]] (ラムページ ''Ramupēji'') and [[Rampage (BW)\|''Beast Wars'' Rampage]] (ランページ ''Ranpēji''). N before {{w\|bilabial stop}}s (b, p, and m; see {{w\|n (kana)}} for more detail) ends up sounding like m in Japanese, but this was forgotten in the case of the first character, giving him the odd implication of "Ram Page".		*A related example to the one above is the differing transliterations for [[Rampage (G1)\|Generation 1 Rampage]] (ラムページ ''Ramupēji'') and [[Rampage (BW)\|''Beast Wars'' Rampage]] (ランページ ''Ranpēji''). N before {{w\|bilabial stop}}s (b, p, and m; see {{w\|n (kana)}} for more detail) ends up sounding like m in Japanese, but this was forgotten in the case of the first character, giving him the odd implication of "Ram Page".
	*Different pronunciations (and the word itself sometimes) of non-English loanwords in both languages can also cause issues, especially in regards to Latin and Greek. Japanese usually sticks very closely to the original names and pronunciations of figures like {{w\|Heracles\|Herakles}} (ヘラクレス ''Herakuresu''), much more commonly known in English as {{w\|Hercules}} (ハーキュリーズ ''Hākyurīzu'') thanks to Latin influence, and often sticks to Latinate pronunciation (i.e. "C" is always pronounced like "K", -us is transliterated as ''us'', not ''as'') as opposed to English pronunciation. Sometimes the two different pronunciation systems can even be mixed in the same work, leading to annoying confusion. The long and short of it is that English is not the only language Japanese is trying to transliterate. One example in ''Transformers'' is the character [[Gilthor]], a Romanization proposed by his creator. However, the Japanese pronunciation follows modern Nordic rules ("Tor" トール ''Tōru'') rather than British English rules ("Thor" ソー ''Sō'').		*Different pronunciations (and the word itself sometimes) of non-English loanwords in both languages can also cause issues, especially in regards to [[Latin language\|Latin]] and Greek. Japanese usually sticks very closely to the original names and pronunciations of figures like {{w\|Heracles\|Herakles}} (ヘラクレス ''Herakuresu''), much more commonly known in English as {{w\|Hercules}} (ハーキュリーズ ''Hākyurīzu'') thanks to Latin influence, and often sticks to Latinate pronunciation (i.e. "C" is always pronounced like "K", -us is transliterated as ''us'', not ''as'') as opposed to English pronunciation. Sometimes the two different pronunciation systems can even be mixed in the same work, leading to annoying confusion. The long and short of it is that English is not the only language Japanese is trying to transliterate. One example in ''Transformers'' is the character [[Gilthor]], a Romanization proposed by his creator. However, the Japanese pronunciation follows modern Nordic rules ("Tor" トール ''Tōru'') rather than British English rules ("Thor" ソー ''Sō'').
	*Related to the above is ''enerugī'' (エネルギー), uniformly always Romanized as "energy". However, this is actually based on the German "Energie"; English "energy" is rendered as ''enajī'' (エナジー), which is uncommon, but still sees use. This has also influenced the Japanese pronunciation of "[[energon]]".		*Related to the above is ''enerugī'' (エネルギー), uniformly always Romanized as "energy". However, this is actually based on the German "Energie"; English "energy" is rendered as ''enajī'' (エナジー), which is uncommon, but still sees use. This has also influenced the Japanese pronunciation of "[[energon]]".

BerylRoll: /* Things that are not mistranslation */

2026-01-06T07:30:40Z

Things that are not mistranslation

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:30, 6 January 2026
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	=====English=====		=====English=====
	There are also spelling errors in background lettering found in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]]:		There are also spelling errors in background lettering found in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] and its [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Japanese sequels]]:
	*In "[[Heavy Metal War]]", [[Teletraan I]]'s files on the Decepticons (with the texts lifted directly from the show's [[production bible]]) have [[Rumble (G1)\|Rumble's]] name misspelled "Ru'''n'''ble". (It's possible that this was an example of poor Romanization as well; the kana for "n" is ''pronounced'' as "m" when it's followed by a b, p, or m sound, so "runble" would have been the correct spelling in directly ~~romanized~~ kana.)		*In "[[Heavy Metal War]]", [[Teletraan I]]'s files on the Decepticons (with the texts lifted directly from the show's [[production bible]]) have [[Rumble (G1)\|Rumble's]] name misspelled "Ru'''n'''ble". (It's possible that this was an example of poor Romanization as well; the kana for "n" is ''pronounced'' as "m" when it's followed by a b, p, or m sound, so "runble" would have been the correct spelling in directly Romanized kana.)
	*Furthermore, in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]", [[Galvatron (G1)\|Galvatron]] opens an airlock aboard the Decepticon flagship, which has "AIR LO'''O'''K" written on it.		*Furthermore, in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]", [[Galvatron (G1)\|Galvatron]] opens an airlock aboard the Decepticon flagship, which has "AIR LO'''O'''K" written on it.
	*Less certain is an instance in "[[Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)\|Hoist Goes Hollywood]]", where a chair with [[Tracks (G1)\|Tracks's]] name written on it has it misspelled as "Tr'''u'''cks". This ''could'' either be an extension of the recurring joke where the [[Attack of the Alien Robots director\|director]] constantly gets [[Hoist (G1)\|Hoist]]'s name wrong, or a true translation error (presumably stemming from a misunderstanding on the part of Japanese animators, as the English short "a" and short "u" sounds are identical to the Japanese ear). The world may never know.		*Less certain is an instance in "[[Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)\|Hoist Goes Hollywood]]", where a chair with [[Tracks (G1)\|Tracks's]] name written on it has it misspelled as "Tr'''u'''cks". This ''could'' either be an extension of the recurring joke where the [[Attack of the Alien Robots director\|director]] constantly gets [[Hoist (G1)\|Hoist]]'s name wrong, or a true translation error (presumably stemming from a misunderstanding on the part of Japanese animators, as the English short "a" and short "u" sounds are identical to the Japanese ear). The world may never know.
	*Likewise, [[newtronium]] from "Only Human" could have very well just been meant to be {{w\|neutronium}}.		*Likewise, [[newtronium]] from "Only Human" could have very well just been meant to be {{w\|neutronium}}.
			*In "[[An Enemy? The Third Godmaster, Ranger]]", a mine in the [[Rocky Mountains]] bears a sign that reads "Lokky M". "Lokky" is a technically fair but contextually incorrect Romanization of ロッキー, which should actually be "Rocky".

	==References==		==References==

BerylRoll: /* Japanese: a crash course */

2025-12-24T08:43:50Z

Japanese: a crash course

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:43, 24 December 2025
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	"{{w\|Furigana}}" ({{ruby\|振\|ふ}}り{{ruby\|仮名\|がな}}) is a reading aid that employs superscript, known as "{{w\|ruby text}}" (ルビ), to provide a pronunciation guide for kanji. It serves two purposes. Primarily, it makes kanji accessible to people who haven't yet memorized the 500-3000 kanji needed in daily life, so if you see a lot of furigana, it's likely a product meant for a young audience. The other purpose is ''gikun'' (義訓), which is when the furigana does not sound out kanji in a traditional sense, but freeforms a whole new pronunciation and meaning. Essentially, conventional furigana explains the kanji, while ''gikun'' furigana cooperates with kanji to create a new term. Think of is as the "side B" to a phrase in a manner that is dimly analogous to conversational footnotes<ref>waka waka</ref> in English.		"{{w\|Furigana}}" ({{ruby\|振\|ふ}}り{{ruby\|仮名\|がな}}) is a reading aid that employs superscript, known as "{{w\|ruby text}}" (ルビ), to provide a pronunciation guide for kanji. It serves two purposes. Primarily, it makes kanji accessible to people who haven't yet memorized the 500-3000 kanji needed in daily life, so if you see a lot of furigana, it's likely a product meant for a young audience. The other purpose is ''gikun'' (義訓), which is when the furigana does not sound out kanji in a traditional sense, but freeforms a whole new pronunciation and meaning. Essentially, conventional furigana explains the kanji, while ''gikun'' furigana cooperates with kanji to create a new term. Think of is as the "side B" to a phrase in a manner that is dimly analogous to conversational footnotes<ref>waka waka</ref> in English.

	~~====~~Examples~~====~~		;Examples
	*ブルー{{ruby\|偉大なる\|ビッグ}}{{ruby\|司令官\|コンボイ}} ("[[Blue Big Convoy]]")		*ブルー{{ruby\|偉大なる\|ビッグ}}{{ruby\|司令官\|コンボイ}} ("[[Blue Big Convoy]]")
	::ブルー = (''Burū'', "Blue", katakana)<br>		::ブルー = (''Burū'', "Blue", katakana)<br>

BerylRoll: Rewrote furigana section to be, in my opinion, clearer.

2025-12-24T08:43:06Z

Rewrote furigana section to be, in my opinion, clearer.

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:43, 24 December 2025
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	'''Kana and kanji'''		'''Kana and kanji'''
	*超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー ("[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)\|Super Robot Lifeform Transformer]]")		*超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー ("[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)\|Super Robot Lifeform Transformer]]")
	::超 (''chō'', "super-")<br>		::超 (''chō'', "super-", kanji with on'yomi)<br>
	::ロボット (''robotto'', katakana)<br>		::ロボット (''robotto'', katakana)<br>
	::生命体 (''seimeitai'', "lifeform", kanji with on'yomi)<br>		::生命体 (''seimeitai'', "lifeform", kanji with on'yomi)<br>
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	===Furigana===		===Furigana===
	"{{w\|Furigana}}" ({{ruby\|振\|ふ}}り{{ruby\|仮名\|がな}}) is a ~~kind of Japanese~~ reading aid that employs superscript, known as "{{w\|ruby text}}" (ルビ), to provide a pronunciation guide for ~~particularly difficult words~~. ~~Now as you can probably guess from reading the above~~, it ~~is usually used~~ to ~~provide~~ the ~~kana to sound out~~ kanji in ~~educational contexts~~. ~~What does this have to do with~~ ''~~Transformers~~''~~? In~~ the ~~wider world~~, furigana ~~see another use: PUNS.<ref>~~''~~Advanced~~'' ~~puns.</ref> In this context,~~ furigana ~~can be used~~ to ~~impart~~ a ~~sort~~ of "side B" to a phrase in a manner that ~~can be thought of as~~ dimly analogous to ~~comedy~~ footnotes<ref>waka waka</ref> in English.		"{{w\|Furigana}}" ({{ruby\|振\|ふ}}り{{ruby\|仮名\|がな}}) is a reading aid that employs superscript, known as "{{w\|ruby text}}" (ルビ), to provide a pronunciation guide for kanji. It serves two purposes. Primarily, it makes kanji accessible to people who haven't yet memorized the 500-3000 kanji needed in daily life, so if you see a lot of furigana, it's likely a product meant for a young audience. The other purpose is ''gikun'' (義訓), which is when the furigana does not sound out kanji in a traditional sense, but freeforms a whole new pronunciation and meaning. Essentially, conventional furigana explains the kanji, while ''gikun'' furigana cooperates with kanji to create a new term. Think of is as the "side B" to a phrase in a manner that is dimly analogous to conversational footnotes<ref>waka waka</ref> in English.

	====Examples====		====Examples====
	*ブルー{{ruby\|偉大なる\|ビッグ}}{{ruby\|司令官\|コンボイ}} ("[[Blue Big Convoy]]")		*ブルー{{ruby\|偉大なる\|ビッグ}}{{ruby\|司令官\|コンボイ}} ("[[Blue Big Convoy]]")
	::ブルー = (''Burū'', "Blue", katakana)<br>		::ブルー = (''Burū'', "Blue", katakana)<br>
	::偉大なる司令官 ("Grand Commander" - standard reading)<br>		::偉大なる司令官 ("Grand Commander" - standard reading)<br>
	:::偉大なる = (''Idainaru'', "Grand", kanji)		:::偉大なる = (''Idainaru'', "Grand", kanji)

S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 47: /* Japanese */

2025-12-20T15:17:36Z

Japanese

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:17, 20 December 2025
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	*The peculiarities of English spelling can also cause confusion in Japanese transliteration. In the English word "bomb", the final b is not pronounced. A Japanese person ignorant of that would spell it ''bonbu'', as happened to [[Bombshell (G1)\|Bombshell]] (ボンブシェル ''Bonbusheru''). Compare to [[Snakebomb (Beastformers)\|Snakebomb]] (スネークボム ''Sunēkubomu''), which properly transliterates the actual pronunciation of "bomb". (Although a trading card Romanizes it as "Snakebom". You can't win them all.)		*The peculiarities of English spelling can also cause confusion in Japanese transliteration. In the English word "bomb", the final b is not pronounced. A Japanese person ignorant of that would spell it ''bonbu'', as happened to [[Bombshell (G1)\|Bombshell]] (ボンブシェル ''Bonbusheru''). Compare to [[Snakebomb (Beastformers)\|Snakebomb]] (スネークボム ''Sunēkubomu''), which properly transliterates the actual pronunciation of "bomb". (Although a trading card Romanizes it as "Snakebom". You can't win them all.)
	*A related example to the one above is the differing transliterations for [[Rampage (G1)\|Generation 1 Rampage]] (ラムページ ''Ramupēji'') and [[Rampage (BW)\|''Beast Wars'' Rampage]] (ランページ ''Ranpēji''). N before {{w\|bilabial stop}}s (b, p, and m; see {{w\|n (kana)}} for more detail) ends up sounding like m in Japanese, but this was forgotten in the case of the first character, giving him the odd implication of "Ram Page".		*A related example to the one above is the differing transliterations for [[Rampage (G1)\|Generation 1 Rampage]] (ラムページ ''Ramupēji'') and [[Rampage (BW)\|''Beast Wars'' Rampage]] (ランページ ''Ranpēji''). N before {{w\|bilabial stop}}s (b, p, and m; see {{w\|n (kana)}} for more detail) ends up sounding like m in Japanese, but this was forgotten in the case of the first character, giving him the odd implication of "Ram Page".
	*Different pronunciations (and the word itself sometimes) of non-English loanwords in both languages can also cause issues, especially in regards to Latin and Greek. Japanese usually sticks very closely to the original names and pronunciations of figures like {{w\|Heracles\|Herakles}} (ヘラクレス ''Herakuresu''), much more commonly known in English as {{w\|Hercules}} (ハーキュリーズ ''Hākyurīzu'') thanks to Latin influence, and often sticks to Latinate pronunciation (i.e. "C" is always pronounced like "K", -us is transliterated as ''us'', not ''as'') as opposed to English pronunciation. Sometimes the two different pronunciation systems can even be mixed in the same work, leading to annoying confusion. The long and short of it is that English is not the only language Japanese is trying to transliterate. One example in ''Transformers'' is the character [[Gilthor]], a Romanization proposed by his creator. However, the Japanese pronunciation follows modern Nordic rules ("Tor" トール ''Tōru'') rather than English rules ("Thor" ソー ''Sō'').		*Different pronunciations (and the word itself sometimes) of non-English loanwords in both languages can also cause issues, especially in regards to Latin and Greek. Japanese usually sticks very closely to the original names and pronunciations of figures like {{w\|Heracles\|Herakles}} (ヘラクレス ''Herakuresu''), much more commonly known in English as {{w\|Hercules}} (ハーキュリーズ ''Hākyurīzu'') thanks to Latin influence, and often sticks to Latinate pronunciation (i.e. "C" is always pronounced like "K", -us is transliterated as ''us'', not ''as'') as opposed to English pronunciation. Sometimes the two different pronunciation systems can even be mixed in the same work, leading to annoying confusion. The long and short of it is that English is not the only language Japanese is trying to transliterate. One example in ''Transformers'' is the character [[Gilthor]], a Romanization proposed by his creator. However, the Japanese pronunciation follows modern Nordic rules ("Tor" トール ''Tōru'') rather than British English rules ("Thor" ソー ''Sō'').
	*Related to the above is ''enerugī'' (エネルギー), uniformly always Romanized as "energy". However, this is actually based on the German "Energie"; English "energy" is rendered as ''enajī'' (エナジー), which is uncommon, but still sees use. This has also influenced the Japanese pronunciation of "[[energon]]".		*Related to the above is ''enerugī'' (エネルギー), uniformly always Romanized as "energy". However, this is actually based on the German "Energie"; English "energy" is rendered as ''enajī'' (エナジー), which is uncommon, but still sees use. This has also influenced the Japanese pronunciation of "[[energon]]".

BerylRoll: /* Lost in Translation */ General updates/improvements. Added section on vowel elongation to have something to link to.

2025-12-20T13:40:00Z

Lost in Translation: General updates/improvements. Added section on vowel elongation to have something to link to.

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:40, 20 December 2025
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	[[Image:KojinOnoPhoto.jpg\|thumb\|200px\|right\|The man with many names, all of which are the same.]]Romanizing a name isn't always easy.		[[Image:KojinOnoPhoto.jpg\|thumb\|200px\|right\|The man with many names, all of which are the same.]]Romanizing a name isn't always easy.

	Actual Japanese people can ~~often~~ have their names romanized in several ways, all of which are, by default, equally valid: For example, the name of legendary ''Diaclone'' and Generation 1 toy designer [[Kōjin Ōno]] (大野光仁 ''Ōno Kōjin'') can also be Romanized as "Kojin Ohno" or "Kouzin Ono". Japanese people who frequently interact with the Western world may settle for an "official" version for simplicity's sake~~; in~~ that case, insisting on using an alternate Romanization would be considered pedantic and ignorant.		Actual Japanese people can have their names romanized in several ways, all of which are, by default, equally valid. For example, the name of legendary ''Diaclone'' and Generation 1 toy designer [[Kōjin Ōno]] (大野光仁 ''Ōno Kōjin'') can also be Romanized as "Kojin Ohno" or "Kouzin Ono". Japanese people who frequently interact with the Western world may settle for an "official" version for simplicity's sake. In that case, insisting on using an alternate Romanization would be considered pedantic and ignorant.

	Since the vast majority of Transformers names used for the Japanese market are English or English-derived, romanizing them isn't particularly difficult— for example, [[Megatron (disambiguation)\|Megatron]]'s Japanese name (メガトロン ''Megatoron'') is simply a transliteration of his Western name; the same applies to [[Thundercracker (disambiguation)\|Thundercracker]] (サンダークラッカー ''Sandākurakkā''). Many characters whose names were changed for the Japanese market are still easy to decipher; for example, [[Jazz (G1)\|Jazz]] traditionally becomes "Meister" (マイスター ''Maisutā''), [[Sideswipe (G1)\|Sideswipe]] becomes "Lambor" (ランボル ''Ranboru''), and [[Optimus Prime (G1)\|Optimus Prime]] becomes "Convoy" (コンボイ ''Konboi'').		Since the vast majority of Transformers names used for the Japanese market are English or English-derived, romanizing them isn't particularly difficult— for example, [[Megatron (disambiguation)\|Megatron]]'s Japanese name (メガトロン ''Megatoron'') is simply a transliteration of his Western name; the same applies to [[Thundercracker (disambiguation)\|Thundercracker]] (サンダークラッカー ''Sandākurakkā''). Many characters whose names were changed for the Japanese market are still easy to decipher; for example, [[Jazz (G1)\|Jazz]] traditionally becomes "Meister" (マイスター ''Maisutā''), [[Sideswipe (G1)\|Sideswipe]] becomes "Lambor" (ランボル ''Ranboru''), and [[Optimus Prime (G1)\|Optimus Prime]] becomes "Convoy" (コンボイ ''Konboi'').
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	Some times, the romanization is on point, the meaning of each word is more or less correct, and the sentence structure is ''technically'' acceptable, but no one in the room is fluent in the language and the wind just isn't at their backs, producing results that are... off.		Some times, the romanization is on point, the meaning of each word is more or less correct, and the sentence structure is ''technically'' acceptable, but no one in the room is fluent in the language and the wind just isn't at their backs, producing results that are... off.

	On occasion, some popular English catchphrases for the brand have been translated into Japanese and then ''re-translated'' back into English, producing a particularly brutal contrast with the "correct answer." A prime example is when the tagline "More than meets the eye" was translated into Japanese and then re-translated back into English for the packaging of the Japanese release of the ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line, producing the trainwreck, "The truth who the eyes met before!"		On occasion, some popular English catchphrases for the brand have been translated into Japanese and then ''re-translated'' back into English, producing a particularly brutal contrast with the "correct answer." A prime example is when the tagline "[[More than Meets the Eye (disambiguation)\|More than meets the eye]]" was translated into Japanese and then re-translated back into English for the packaging of the Japanese release of the ''[[Heroes of Cybertron (toyline)\|Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line, producing the trainwreck, "The truth who the eyes met before!"
	{{--}}		{{--}}

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	Much like in English, many Japanese Transformer names are corny puns. This becomes problematic very quickly when puns that work in Japanese do not in English:		Much like in English, many Japanese Transformer names are corny puns. This becomes problematic very quickly when puns that work in Japanese do not in English:
	*The name for ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)\|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Ruination (RID)\|Ruination]]'s ''Car Robots'' counterpart is derived from "[[Bruticus (G1)\|Bruticus]]", whose toy he is redecoed from, by shifting some of the sounds that make up the name. Thus, ''Burūtikasu'' (ブルーティカス) became ''Barudigasu'' (バルディガス). For years, the correct Romanization of said name was up in the air, with "Baldigus" and "Valdigus" being the most popular fan spellings, until his ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors\|Unite Warriors]]'' toy provided an official Romanized spelling, as "Baldigus".		*The name for ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)\|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Ruination (RID)\|Ruination]]'s ''Car Robots'' counterpart is derived from "[[Bruticus (G1)\|Bruticus]]", whose toy he is redecoed from, by shifting some of the sounds that make up the name. Thus, ''Burūtikasu'' (ブルーティカス) became ''Barudigasu'' (バルディガス). For years, the correct Romanization of said name was up in the air, with "Baldigus" and "Valdigus" being the most popular fan spellings, until his ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors\|Unite Warriors]]'' toy provided an official Romanized spelling, as "Baldigus".
	*''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)\|Kiss Players]]'' "[[Autorooper]]" (オートルーパー ''Ōtorūpā'') is a ''portmanteau'' of "auto" (オート ''ōto'') and "trooper" (トルーパー ''torūpā''), the latter roughly pronounced "torooper" in Japanese. ~~Any Romanization~~ of ~~the name misses out on at least half~~ of ~~the pun~~.		*''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)\|Kiss Players]]'' "[[Autorooper]]" (オートルーパー ''Ōtorūpā'') is a portmanteau of "auto" (オート ''ōto'') and "trooper" (トルーパー ''torūpā''), the latter roughly pronounced "torooper" in Japanese. You can Romanize it as "Autorooper" and you lose sight of "trooper". You can Romanize it as "Autrooper" and you lose sight of "auto". You can Romanize it as "Autotrooper" to save both components, but then you have no portmanteau anymore. There is no winning.
	*~~Similar is the~~ upgraded form of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)\|Galaxy Force]]'' [[Red Alert (Armada)\|First Aid]] (ファストエイド ''Fasuto Eido'', ''Cybertron'' Red Alert), "First Gunner" (ファストガンナー ''Fasuto Gan'nā'', [[Cybertron Defense Team (Cybertron)\|Cybertron Defense]] Red Alert ~~for Hasbro~~). To Japanese ears, "First" and "Fast" sound almost the same, thus making the upgrade a "fast gunner". Takara decided to keep the spelling from "First Aid" consistent in the Romanization, thus ending up with the somewhat nonsensical name "First Gunner".		*The upgraded form of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)\|Galaxy Force]]'' [[Red Alert (Armada)\|First Aid]] (ファストエイド ''Fasuto Eido'', ''Cybertron'' Red Alert) is "First Gunner" (ファストガンナー ''Fasuto Gan'nā'', [[Cybertron Defense Team (Cybertron)\|Cybertron Defense]] Red Alert). To Japanese ears, "First" and "Fast" sound almost the same, thus making the upgrade a "fast gunner". Takara decided to keep the spelling from "First Aid" consistent in the Romanization, thus ending up with the somewhat nonsensical name "First Gunner".
	*''Galaxy Force'' [[Spiral\|Gagenda]] (ガゼンダ ''Gazenda''), [[Oval\|Cyaana]] (シアーナ ''Shiāna''), and [[Backtrack (Armada)\|Sullow]] (スロー ''Surō'') are named with modifications of their primary colors: magenta (マゼンタ ''mazenta''), cyan (シアン ''shian''), and yellow (イェロー ''yerō''), the former two of which Japanese did not take from English but rather from Italian and Dutch, respectively. (An additional complication is Japanese adaptation of Italian and Dutch having evolved over time. Today, "magenta" would probably be rendered with greater sophistication as ''majenta'' (マジェンタ) and "cyaan" as ''shiān'' (シアーン).		*''Galaxy Force'' [[Spiral\|Gagenda]] (ガゼンダ ''Gazenda''), [[Oval\|Cyaana]] (シアーナ ''Shiāna''), and [[Backtrack (Armada)\|Sullow]] (スロー ''Surō'') are named with modifications of their primary colors: magenta (マゼンタ ''mazenta''), cyan (シアン ''shian''), and yellow (イェロー ''yerō''), the former two of which Japanese did not take from English but rather from Italian and Dutch, respectively. (An additional complication is Japanese adaptation of Italian and Dutch having evolved over time. Today, "magenta" would probably be rendered with greater sophistication as ''majenta'' (マジェンタ) and "cyaan" as ''shiān'' (シアーン).
	*''[[Robotmasters (franchise)\|Robotmasters]]'' "Reverse Convoy" (リバースコンボイ) becomes "Rebirth Megatron" (リバースメガトロン), with the English words "Reverse" and "Rebirth" using the same katakana spelling. This makes considerably less sense in English.		*''[[Robotmasters (franchise)\|Robotmasters]]'' "Reverse Convoy" (リバースコンボイ) becomes "Rebirth Megatron" (リバースメガトロン), with the English words "Reverse" and "Rebirth" using the same katakana spelling. This makes considerably less sense in English.

			====Vowel woes====
			A popular form of wordplay in Japanese is to adjust the length of vowels. For instance, a word, usually English, that's normally written with a single "e" (エ) gets written with an elongated "ee" or "eh" (エー) to turn it into a name that's clearly the word but also fancily just not. This is easy to understand in English, but there are two possible problems when it's time to Romanize. The first is that the vowelplay has to be recognized as deliberate and not be mistaken for an alternative or erroneous spelling that can be ignored, and the second is that sometimes, changes in the vowel length are straightforward in Japanese but not so in English.
			*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination\|Operation Combination]]'' [[Sireen]]'s name in Japanese is spelled サイレーン (''Sairēn''). Normally, "siren" is katakanized as サイレン (''sairen''). One could believe the katakana is erroneous and that "Siren" is the intended meaning of the name or one could understand this as vowelplay.
			*''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers#Beast Wars II\|Beast Wars II]]'' [[Scylla]]'s Japanese name is ''Sukyūre'' (スキュウレ), which is most likely a corruption created by moving the long vowel at the end of ''Sukyurē'' (スキュレー), the katakana rendition of the Ancient Greek ''Skúllē'', to the syllable prior. This bit of vowelplay was not recognized back in the day, hence why the character ended up as the wordplay-free "Scylla" rather than something like "Skyulle" or "Skúulle" in English publications.
			*The "lawb" portion of ''[[Generations Selects Special Comic\|Generations Selects]]'' [[Lawbhammer]]'s name is a Romanization of ロウブ (''rōbu''), which is a portmanteau of ロブ (''robu''), the katakana for "lob", and ロウ (''rō''), the katakana for "law" in "claw". Directly converting it to Latin script would result in "Lohb", which is not the intention. To keep the portmanteau of "lob" and "law", ロウブ has to be rendered as either "lawb" or "lowb".

	====Furigana frenzy====		====Furigana frenzy====
	[[File:Generations Selects Primus Vanguard.jpg\|upright=2\|right\|thumb\|Three cheers for the Pun Patrol!]]		[[File:Generations Selects Primus Vanguard.jpg\|upright=2\|right\|thumb\|Three cheers for the Pun Patrol!]]

	~~As discussed above, the~~ grammatical construction known as "[[Japanese language#Furigana\|furigana]]" doesn't ~~really~~ have a clean analogue in English. Thankfully this particularly elaborate form of wordplay is pretty rare in ''Transformers'' media, perhaps due to the younger-skewing demographics of the franchise. Rare, that is, with one prominent exception: the saga of the technicolor warrior monks known as the [[Primus Vanguard]] utilizes a truly dizzying array of furigana puns in the names of its major characters, up to and including [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (2)\|Optimus Prime]] himself.		The grammatical construction known as "[[Japanese language#Furigana\|furigana]]" doesn't have a clean analogue in English and even less does its ''gikun'' usage. Thankfully, this particularly elaborate form of wordplay is pretty rare in ''Transformers'' media, perhaps due to the younger-skewing demographics of the franchise. Rare, that is, with one prominent exception: the saga of the technicolor warrior monks known as the [[Primus Vanguard]] utilizes a truly dizzying array of furigana puns in the names of its major characters, up to and including [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (2)\|Optimus Prime]] himself.
	*Each officer of the Vanguard utilizes a classic ''Transformers'' title in their rank, with "Commander" ({{ruby\|司令官\|コンボイ}} ''shireikan'') being "pronounced" as "Convoy" (コンボイ ''Konboi'') while "Marshal" ({{ruby\|元帥\|プライム}} ''gensui'') becomes "Prime" (プライム ''Puraimu'').		*Each officer of the Vanguard utilizes a classic ''Transformers'' title in their rank, with "Commander" ({{ruby\|司令官\|コンボイ}} ''shireikan'') being "pronounced" as "Convoy" (コンボイ ''Konboi'') while "Marshal" ({{ruby\|元帥\|プライム}} ''gensui'') becomes "Prime" (プライム ''Puraimu'').
	*The puns go even further, as the officers' personal names (sandwiched between their assigned color and rank) are "spelled" as a highfalutin adjective, resulting in configurations such as "[[Blue Big Convoy]]" (ブルービッグコンボイ ''Buru Biggu Konboi'') being read "Blue Grand Commander" (ブルー{{ruby\|偉大なる\|ビッグ}}{{ruby\|司令官\|コンボイ}} ''Buru Idainaru Shireikan'').		*The puns go even further, as the officers' personal names (sandwiched between their assigned color and rank) are "spelled" as a highfalutin adjective, resulting in configurations such as "[[Blue Big Convoy]]" (ブルービッグコンボイ ''Buru Biggu Konboi'') being read "Blue Grand Commander" (ブルー{{ruby\|偉大なる\|ビッグ}}{{ruby\|司令官\|コンボイ}} ''Buru Idainaru Shireikan'').

M Sipher at 05:12, 14 November 2025

2025-11-14T05:12:35Z

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	[[Image:GenerationsJapaneseNames.jpg\|right\|~~200px~~\|thumb\|Modern-day Japanese ''Transformers'' packaging with properly romanized names alongside their katakana spelling, leaving nothing to interpretation.]]		[[Image:GenerationsJapaneseNames.jpg\|right\|upright=2\|thumb\|Modern-day Japanese ''Transformers'' packaging with properly romanized names alongside their katakana spelling, leaving nothing to interpretation.]]

	Borne as it is from the partnership between the American [[Hasbro]] and the Japanese [[TakaraTomy]], ''Transformers'' has from its inception been a bilingual franchise, split cardinally between English, the language of this wiki, and the '''Japanese language''' (日本語 ''Nihongo''). The road between the two does not always run smoothly, and many quirks of the ''Transformers'' franchise can be ascribed to this friction.		Borne as it is from the partnership between the American [[Hasbro]] and the Japanese [[TakaraTomy]], ''Transformers'' has from its inception been a bilingual franchise, split cardinally between English, the language of this wiki, and the '''Japanese language''' (日本語 ''Nihongo''). The road between the two does not always run smoothly, and many quirks of the ''Transformers'' franchise can be ascribed to this friction.

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:30, 6 January 2026
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	=====English=====		=====English=====
	There are also spelling errors in background lettering found in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]]:		There are also spelling errors in background lettering found in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] and its [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|Japanese sequels]]:
	*In "[[Heavy Metal War]]", [[Teletraan I]]'s files on the Decepticons (with the texts lifted directly from the show's [[production bible]]) have [[Rumble (G1)\|Rumble's]] name misspelled "Ru'''n'''ble". (It's possible that this was an example of poor Romanization as well; the kana for "n" is ''pronounced'' as "m" when it's followed by a b, p, or m sound, so "runble" would have been the correct spelling in directly ~~romanized~~ kana.)		*In "[[Heavy Metal War]]", [[Teletraan I]]'s files on the Decepticons (with the texts lifted directly from the show's [[production bible]]) have [[Rumble (G1)\|Rumble's]] name misspelled "Ru'''n'''ble". (It's possible that this was an example of poor Romanization as well; the kana for "n" is ''pronounced'' as "m" when it's followed by a b, p, or m sound, so "runble" would have been the correct spelling in directly Romanized kana.)
	*Furthermore, in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]", [[Galvatron (G1)\|Galvatron]] opens an airlock aboard the Decepticon flagship, which has "AIR LO'''O'''K" written on it.		*Furthermore, in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]", [[Galvatron (G1)\|Galvatron]] opens an airlock aboard the Decepticon flagship, which has "AIR LO'''O'''K" written on it.
	*Less certain is an instance in "[[Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)\|Hoist Goes Hollywood]]", where a chair with [[Tracks (G1)\|Tracks's]] name written on it has it misspelled as "Tr'''u'''cks". This ''could'' either be an extension of the recurring joke where the [[Attack of the Alien Robots director\|director]] constantly gets [[Hoist (G1)\|Hoist]]'s name wrong, or a true translation error (presumably stemming from a misunderstanding on the part of Japanese animators, as the English short "a" and short "u" sounds are identical to the Japanese ear). The world may never know.		*Less certain is an instance in "[[Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)\|Hoist Goes Hollywood]]", where a chair with [[Tracks (G1)\|Tracks's]] name written on it has it misspelled as "Tr'''u'''cks". This ''could'' either be an extension of the recurring joke where the [[Attack of the Alien Robots director\|director]] constantly gets [[Hoist (G1)\|Hoist]]'s name wrong, or a true translation error (presumably stemming from a misunderstanding on the part of Japanese animators, as the English short "a" and short "u" sounds are identical to the Japanese ear). The world may never know.
	*Likewise, [[newtronium]] from "Only Human" could have very well just been meant to be {{w\|neutronium}}.		*Likewise, [[newtronium]] from "Only Human" could have very well just been meant to be {{w\|neutronium}}.
			*In "[[An Enemy? The Third Godmaster, Ranger]]", a mine in the [[Rocky Mountains]] bears a sign that reads "Lokky M". "Lokky" is a technically fair but contextually incorrect Romanization of ロッキー, which should actually be "Rocky".

	==References==		==References==

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:40, 20 December 2025
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	[[Image:KojinOnoPhoto.jpg\|thumb\|200px\|right\|The man with many names, all of which are the same.]]Romanizing a name isn't always easy.		[[Image:KojinOnoPhoto.jpg\|thumb\|200px\|right\|The man with many names, all of which are the same.]]Romanizing a name isn't always easy.

	Actual Japanese people can ~~often~~ have their names romanized in several ways, all of which are, by default, equally valid: For example, the name of legendary ''Diaclone'' and Generation 1 toy designer [[Kōjin Ōno]] (大野光仁 ''Ōno Kōjin'') can also be Romanized as "Kojin Ohno" or "Kouzin Ono". Japanese people who frequently interact with the Western world may settle for an "official" version for simplicity's sake~~; in~~ that case, insisting on using an alternate Romanization would be considered pedantic and ignorant.		Actual Japanese people can have their names romanized in several ways, all of which are, by default, equally valid. For example, the name of legendary ''Diaclone'' and Generation 1 toy designer [[Kōjin Ōno]] (大野光仁 ''Ōno Kōjin'') can also be Romanized as "Kojin Ohno" or "Kouzin Ono". Japanese people who frequently interact with the Western world may settle for an "official" version for simplicity's sake. In that case, insisting on using an alternate Romanization would be considered pedantic and ignorant.

	Since the vast majority of Transformers names used for the Japanese market are English or English-derived, romanizing them isn't particularly difficult— for example, [[Megatron (disambiguation)\|Megatron]]'s Japanese name (メガトロン ''Megatoron'') is simply a transliteration of his Western name; the same applies to [[Thundercracker (disambiguation)\|Thundercracker]] (サンダークラッカー ''Sandākurakkā''). Many characters whose names were changed for the Japanese market are still easy to decipher; for example, [[Jazz (G1)\|Jazz]] traditionally becomes "Meister" (マイスター ''Maisutā''), [[Sideswipe (G1)\|Sideswipe]] becomes "Lambor" (ランボル ''Ranboru''), and [[Optimus Prime (G1)\|Optimus Prime]] becomes "Convoy" (コンボイ ''Konboi'').		Since the vast majority of Transformers names used for the Japanese market are English or English-derived, romanizing them isn't particularly difficult— for example, [[Megatron (disambiguation)\|Megatron]]'s Japanese name (メガトロン ''Megatoron'') is simply a transliteration of his Western name; the same applies to [[Thundercracker (disambiguation)\|Thundercracker]] (サンダークラッカー ''Sandākurakkā''). Many characters whose names were changed for the Japanese market are still easy to decipher; for example, [[Jazz (G1)\|Jazz]] traditionally becomes "Meister" (マイスター ''Maisutā''), [[Sideswipe (G1)\|Sideswipe]] becomes "Lambor" (ランボル ''Ranboru''), and [[Optimus Prime (G1)\|Optimus Prime]] becomes "Convoy" (コンボイ ''Konboi'').
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	Some times, the romanization is on point, the meaning of each word is more or less correct, and the sentence structure is ''technically'' acceptable, but no one in the room is fluent in the language and the wind just isn't at their backs, producing results that are... off.		Some times, the romanization is on point, the meaning of each word is more or less correct, and the sentence structure is ''technically'' acceptable, but no one in the room is fluent in the language and the wind just isn't at their backs, producing results that are... off.

	On occasion, some popular English catchphrases for the brand have been translated into Japanese and then ''re-translated'' back into English, producing a particularly brutal contrast with the "correct answer." A prime example is when the tagline "More than meets the eye" was translated into Japanese and then re-translated back into English for the packaging of the Japanese release of the ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line, producing the trainwreck, "The truth who the eyes met before!"		On occasion, some popular English catchphrases for the brand have been translated into Japanese and then ''re-translated'' back into English, producing a particularly brutal contrast with the "correct answer." A prime example is when the tagline "[[More than Meets the Eye (disambiguation)\|More than meets the eye]]" was translated into Japanese and then re-translated back into English for the packaging of the Japanese release of the ''[[Heroes of Cybertron (toyline)\|Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line, producing the trainwreck, "The truth who the eyes met before!"
	{{--}}		{{--}}

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	Much like in English, many Japanese Transformer names are corny puns. This becomes problematic very quickly when puns that work in Japanese do not in English:		Much like in English, many Japanese Transformer names are corny puns. This becomes problematic very quickly when puns that work in Japanese do not in English:
	*The name for ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)\|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Ruination (RID)\|Ruination]]'s ''Car Robots'' counterpart is derived from "[[Bruticus (G1)\|Bruticus]]", whose toy he is redecoed from, by shifting some of the sounds that make up the name. Thus, ''Burūtikasu'' (ブルーティカス) became ''Barudigasu'' (バルディガス). For years, the correct Romanization of said name was up in the air, with "Baldigus" and "Valdigus" being the most popular fan spellings, until his ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors\|Unite Warriors]]'' toy provided an official Romanized spelling, as "Baldigus".		*The name for ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)\|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Ruination (RID)\|Ruination]]'s ''Car Robots'' counterpart is derived from "[[Bruticus (G1)\|Bruticus]]", whose toy he is redecoed from, by shifting some of the sounds that make up the name. Thus, ''Burūtikasu'' (ブルーティカス) became ''Barudigasu'' (バルディガス). For years, the correct Romanization of said name was up in the air, with "Baldigus" and "Valdigus" being the most popular fan spellings, until his ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors\|Unite Warriors]]'' toy provided an official Romanized spelling, as "Baldigus".
	*''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)\|Kiss Players]]'' "[[Autorooper]]" (オートルーパー ''Ōtorūpā'') is a ''portmanteau'' of "auto" (オート ''ōto'') and "trooper" (トルーパー ''torūpā''), the latter roughly pronounced "torooper" in Japanese. ~~Any Romanization~~ of ~~the name misses out on at least half~~ of ~~the pun~~.		*''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)\|Kiss Players]]'' "[[Autorooper]]" (オートルーパー ''Ōtorūpā'') is a portmanteau of "auto" (オート ''ōto'') and "trooper" (トルーパー ''torūpā''), the latter roughly pronounced "torooper" in Japanese. You can Romanize it as "Autorooper" and you lose sight of "trooper". You can Romanize it as "Autrooper" and you lose sight of "auto". You can Romanize it as "Autotrooper" to save both components, but then you have no portmanteau anymore. There is no winning.
	*~~Similar is the~~ upgraded form of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)\|Galaxy Force]]'' [[Red Alert (Armada)\|First Aid]] (ファストエイド ''Fasuto Eido'', ''Cybertron'' Red Alert), "First Gunner" (ファストガンナー ''Fasuto Gan'nā'', [[Cybertron Defense Team (Cybertron)\|Cybertron Defense]] Red Alert ~~for Hasbro~~). To Japanese ears, "First" and "Fast" sound almost the same, thus making the upgrade a "fast gunner". Takara decided to keep the spelling from "First Aid" consistent in the Romanization, thus ending up with the somewhat nonsensical name "First Gunner".		*The upgraded form of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)\|Galaxy Force]]'' [[Red Alert (Armada)\|First Aid]] (ファストエイド ''Fasuto Eido'', ''Cybertron'' Red Alert) is "First Gunner" (ファストガンナー ''Fasuto Gan'nā'', [[Cybertron Defense Team (Cybertron)\|Cybertron Defense]] Red Alert). To Japanese ears, "First" and "Fast" sound almost the same, thus making the upgrade a "fast gunner". Takara decided to keep the spelling from "First Aid" consistent in the Romanization, thus ending up with the somewhat nonsensical name "First Gunner".
	*''Galaxy Force'' [[Spiral\|Gagenda]] (ガゼンダ ''Gazenda''), [[Oval\|Cyaana]] (シアーナ ''Shiāna''), and [[Backtrack (Armada)\|Sullow]] (スロー ''Surō'') are named with modifications of their primary colors: magenta (マゼンタ ''mazenta''), cyan (シアン ''shian''), and yellow (イェロー ''yerō''), the former two of which Japanese did not take from English but rather from Italian and Dutch, respectively. (An additional complication is Japanese adaptation of Italian and Dutch having evolved over time. Today, "magenta" would probably be rendered with greater sophistication as ''majenta'' (マジェンタ) and "cyaan" as ''shiān'' (シアーン).		*''Galaxy Force'' [[Spiral\|Gagenda]] (ガゼンダ ''Gazenda''), [[Oval\|Cyaana]] (シアーナ ''Shiāna''), and [[Backtrack (Armada)\|Sullow]] (スロー ''Surō'') are named with modifications of their primary colors: magenta (マゼンタ ''mazenta''), cyan (シアン ''shian''), and yellow (イェロー ''yerō''), the former two of which Japanese did not take from English but rather from Italian and Dutch, respectively. (An additional complication is Japanese adaptation of Italian and Dutch having evolved over time. Today, "magenta" would probably be rendered with greater sophistication as ''majenta'' (マジェンタ) and "cyaan" as ''shiān'' (シアーン).
	*''[[Robotmasters (franchise)\|Robotmasters]]'' "Reverse Convoy" (リバースコンボイ) becomes "Rebirth Megatron" (リバースメガトロン), with the English words "Reverse" and "Rebirth" using the same katakana spelling. This makes considerably less sense in English.		*''[[Robotmasters (franchise)\|Robotmasters]]'' "Reverse Convoy" (リバースコンボイ) becomes "Rebirth Megatron" (リバースメガトロン), with the English words "Reverse" and "Rebirth" using the same katakana spelling. This makes considerably less sense in English.

			====Vowel woes====
			A popular form of wordplay in Japanese is to adjust the length of vowels. For instance, a word, usually English, that's normally written with a single "e" (エ) gets written with an elongated "ee" or "eh" (エー) to turn it into a name that's clearly the word but also fancily just not. This is easy to understand in English, but there are two possible problems when it's time to Romanize. The first is that the vowelplay has to be recognized as deliberate and not be mistaken for an alternative or erroneous spelling that can be ignored, and the second is that sometimes, changes in the vowel length are straightforward in Japanese but not so in English.
			*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination\|Operation Combination]]'' [[Sireen]]'s name in Japanese is spelled サイレーン (''Sairēn''). Normally, "siren" is katakanized as サイレン (''sairen''). One could believe the katakana is erroneous and that "Siren" is the intended meaning of the name or one could understand this as vowelplay.
			*''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers#Beast Wars II\|Beast Wars II]]'' [[Scylla]]'s Japanese name is ''Sukyūre'' (スキュウレ), which is most likely a corruption created by moving the long vowel at the end of ''Sukyurē'' (スキュレー), the katakana rendition of the Ancient Greek ''Skúllē'', to the syllable prior. This bit of vowelplay was not recognized back in the day, hence why the character ended up as the wordplay-free "Scylla" rather than something like "Skyulle" or "Skúulle" in English publications.
			*The "lawb" portion of ''[[Generations Selects Special Comic\|Generations Selects]]'' [[Lawbhammer]]'s name is a Romanization of ロウブ (''rōbu''), which is a portmanteau of ロブ (''robu''), the katakana for "lob", and ロウ (''rō''), the katakana for "law" in "claw". Directly converting it to Latin script would result in "Lohb", which is not the intention. To keep the portmanteau of "lob" and "law", ロウブ has to be rendered as either "lawb" or "lowb".

	====Furigana frenzy====		====Furigana frenzy====
	[[File:Generations Selects Primus Vanguard.jpg\|upright=2\|right\|thumb\|Three cheers for the Pun Patrol!]]		[[File:Generations Selects Primus Vanguard.jpg\|upright=2\|right\|thumb\|Three cheers for the Pun Patrol!]]

	~~As discussed above, the~~ grammatical construction known as "[[Japanese language#Furigana\|furigana]]" doesn't ~~really~~ have a clean analogue in English. Thankfully this particularly elaborate form of wordplay is pretty rare in ''Transformers'' media, perhaps due to the younger-skewing demographics of the franchise. Rare, that is, with one prominent exception: the saga of the technicolor warrior monks known as the [[Primus Vanguard]] utilizes a truly dizzying array of furigana puns in the names of its major characters, up to and including [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (2)\|Optimus Prime]] himself.		The grammatical construction known as "[[Japanese language#Furigana\|furigana]]" doesn't have a clean analogue in English and even less does its ''gikun'' usage. Thankfully, this particularly elaborate form of wordplay is pretty rare in ''Transformers'' media, perhaps due to the younger-skewing demographics of the franchise. Rare, that is, with one prominent exception: the saga of the technicolor warrior monks known as the [[Primus Vanguard]] utilizes a truly dizzying array of furigana puns in the names of its major characters, up to and including [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (2)\|Optimus Prime]] himself.
	*Each officer of the Vanguard utilizes a classic ''Transformers'' title in their rank, with "Commander" ({{ruby\|司令官\|コンボイ}} ''shireikan'') being "pronounced" as "Convoy" (コンボイ ''Konboi'') while "Marshal" ({{ruby\|元帥\|プライム}} ''gensui'') becomes "Prime" (プライム ''Puraimu'').		*Each officer of the Vanguard utilizes a classic ''Transformers'' title in their rank, with "Commander" ({{ruby\|司令官\|コンボイ}} ''shireikan'') being "pronounced" as "Convoy" (コンボイ ''Konboi'') while "Marshal" ({{ruby\|元帥\|プライム}} ''gensui'') becomes "Prime" (プライム ''Puraimu'').
	*The puns go even further, as the officers' personal names (sandwiched between their assigned color and rank) are "spelled" as a highfalutin adjective, resulting in configurations such as "[[Blue Big Convoy]]" (ブルービッグコンボイ ''Buru Biggu Konboi'') being read "Blue Grand Commander" (ブルー{{ruby\|偉大なる\|ビッグ}}{{ruby\|司令官\|コンボイ}} ''Buru Idainaru Shireikan'').		*The puns go even further, as the officers' personal names (sandwiched between their assigned color and rank) are "spelled" as a highfalutin adjective, resulting in configurations such as "[[Blue Big Convoy]]" (ブルービッグコンボイ ''Buru Biggu Konboi'') being read "Blue Grand Commander" (ブルー{{ruby\|偉大なる\|ビッグ}}{{ruby\|司令官\|コンボイ}} ''Buru Idainaru Shireikan'').