The Naruto Dub

[Yukimura]

Who cares how you spell jutsu in english, it's a translation, and it's 'wrong' by definition. They should have just translated it to technique anyway, then it would sound to English speakers the way it sounds to Japanese when it's heard there. They hear the words 'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu' as we would hear 'Shadow Clone Technique'.
I'm guessing they didn't translate it because they thought jutsu sounded 'cooler' you must remember the market in America is all about the hip cool thing, not the right thing. My point is why bother arguing about the wrongness of something that was wrong to attempt in the first place. Would you argue that an athlete who used steroids used the wrong steroids?

[XanBcoo]

I'm guessing they didn't translate it because they thought jutsu sounded 'cooler' you must remember the market in America is all about the hip cool thing, not the right thing.

That's pretty much what it is. Viz is seriously catering to the fans with this dub. Take that any way you want to.

My point is why bother arguing about the wrongness of something that was wrong to attempt in the first place. Would you argue that an athlete who used steroids used the wrong steroids?

While you're right that it's useless to argue about this, I'm just trying to make the point that at least they're pronouncing the Japanese terms (like Jutsu, Sharingan, Byakugan, etc) correctly. There are some dubs that can't even do that right.

[JaySee]

1. Yes, I know I made your head hurt. Sorry it's so hard for you to comprehend English, but you eventually you got pretty close.
2. jut-soo or even jit-soo is a much closer pronounciation to the original Japanese pronounciation than JOOT-soo in the English language. So my problem is not the transliteration, but the incorrect pronounciation of the transliteration, NOT the original Japanese pronounciation. I know you have trouble comprehending, so I thought I'd spell that out for you.

Anyways, I don't think the use of Japanese technique names is fan service. I agree that it's to make it "cool" since they are Ninjas, thus in/around Japan.

Would it be cool if Ryu said fireball and dragon punch in Street Fighter than using the Japanese words? What if Goku yells ARTHUR! instead of Kamehameha in British airings of Dragon Ball? It was strange but fitting though that he pronounced Kamehameha properly in the dub unlike the Japanese because the VA sounded like a surfer.

[mage]

The japanese voice actor mispronounced kamehameha while the english got it correct? Lol, right. Anyway, the only reason they left "jutsu" in the dub is so that they would have little kids running around on the playground screaming "FIREBALL JUTSU!!"

[JaySee]

The japanese voice actor mispronounced kamehameha while the english got it correct? Lol, right.

Yes, the Japanese VA's mispronounce Kamehameha. The English VA's pronounce it correctly. It is the name of a Hawaiian king, not a Japanese word.

No. It's not. The word for "technique" or "skill" (Jutsu) in Japanese uses the rounded vowel similar to the oo sound in English (like in moon or food) in both syllables. Again, it's similar, not the same. Any other vowel (like the u in put or foot, the u in butt, or the i in hit) is wrong.

That's a matter of opinion. I care about the word sounding similar to the original vs matching vowels. Jutsu or jitsu more closely matches the Japanese pronounciation than jootsu in my opinion.

Following the rules of Romaji, the letter U is pronounced (and always pronounced) as "oo". Therefore, to pronounce "jutsu" (spelled in Romaji) you use the "oo" sound in place of the letter U's. The very fact that you use "SOO" as a replacement for "-su" at the end of the word shows that you understand this. Why, then, do you think that the first sound "jut" doesn't follow the same principle?? They're the same sound. I never said you had a problem with the Japanese pronounciation. You just seem to think "jutsu" is pronounced JUHT-SOO or even JIT-SOO, and you're wrong.

Again you show that you do not understand how to read or comprehend the English language. A vowel followed by two consonants is not pronounced in long form. In order to have a long oo sound it would need to be spelled jootsu or jutesu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepburn...ion#Variations
There are variations in Hepburn. Even with your obsession with the "rounded vowel" you can convert the word to Jötsu.

So again, PLEASE take a reading and comprehension course before trying to argue English pronounciations of written words.

This statement is so amazingly strange that I just couldn't leave it alone.
1) They aren't using the japanese technique names, they're using the japanese word for technique.

2) Fan service generally implies the creators doing something unessecary for anything other than entertaining the fans, ie not needed for the overall plot but because they think the viewers will see it as cool or appealing...

Note: Point 2 is based on my understanding of the meaning of fanservice, thus if you see fanservice differently I would like to know what your definition is, as my arguments would be weakened and your statement might make more sense to me.

3) The only examples I've ever heard of a dub tring to effectively keep true to it's Japanese roots is the addition of honorifics like Mr. or Lord in place of -san or -sama. Tenjou Tenge even did one better and actaully kept Aya's san's and sama's in verbatim.

4) Naruto doesn't take place in our world...so there is no Japan. It's merely a world imagined by a Japanese person, thus stronly influenced by the Japanese culture. While there are ninja's in that world, they only speak Japanese because that's the language the audience speaks.

EDIT: 5) Since when has coolness been linked to authenticity anyway? This dub isn't for people who watch subs, it's for all the common viewers, both sub viewers and regular folk, and there are a lot more of them than of us.

So to tally up, we have an erroneous statement, a contradiction, a redundant explanation for the underlying cause for the contradiction, and an unreasonable conclusion .


If I remember correctly Kamehameha roughly translates to Turtle Blast Wave...just out of curiousity where did ARTHUR! come from?

I might be mistaken on the dubbing. I was under the impression they say the full japanese technique names, not just jutsu at the end. I only watch the occasional airing on CN and don't watch very intently.

My idea of fanservice is wanting to please established fans of Naruto who have watched the original or subs, not the new fans they're making from the dubs.

As for Kamehameha, I understand the Turtle Blast Wave translation seeing as he learned it from Kame-sama, but the series is known for it's puns and Kamehameha IS a Hawaiian King's name.

[Psyke]

Yes, the Japanese VA's mispronounce Kamehameha. The English VA's pronounce it correctly. It is the name of a Hawaiian king, not a Japanese word.

I just want to clarify that the Japanese VA did not mispronouce Kamehameha. True enough, it's not a Japanese word, and it sounds the same as a Hawaiian King.

But Kamehameha (かめはめ波) is supposed to be a pun on the word Kame (かめ), which also means turtle (亀), which of course refers to Master Roshi, also known as 亀仙人 which means Kame Sennin (Turtle deity). And the last Ha (波) means wave, which is also the Ha in Hadouken (波動拳）.

Hope I manage the clear this bit up.

[JaySee]

I just want to clarify that the Japanese VA did not mispronouce Kamehameha. True enough, it's not a Japanese word, and it sounds the same as a Hawaiian King.

But Kamehameha (かめはめ波) is supposed to be a pun on the word Kame (かめ), which also means turtle (亀), which of course refers to Master Roshi, also known as 亀仙人 which means Kame Sennin (Turtle deity). And the last Ha (波) means wave, which is also the Ha in Hadouken (波動拳）.

Hope I manage the clear this bit up.

I did some googling and apparently the creator's wife thought it up as a Japanese pun on Kame. It's just coincidence that it's an actual name apparently. Accidental double pun! Go figure. So I guess both Japanese and English VAs are pronouncing it right.

[XanBcoo]

That's a matter of opinion. I care about the word sounding similar to the original vs matching vowels. Jutsu or jitsu more closely matches the Japanese pronounciation than jootsu in my opinion.

Except it's not a matter of opinion. That's how the word is said. If you can't accept that, then this argument isn't going anywhere.

Again you show that you do not understand how to read or comprehend the English language. A vowel followed by two consonants is not pronounced in long form. In order to have a long oo sound it would need to be spelled jootsu or jutesu.

1. Again, we're talking about Japanese, not English. Stop referring to English spelling/pronounciation rules.
2. As I already mentioned, your problem is with how the word is spelled in English (how it is transcribed). I don't care if you want to spell it "jootsu" or "jutesu" because at least then you would be pronouncing it correctly. Saying "Jitsu" or "Juhtsu" is dead wrong. Did you even read my post?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepburn...ion#Variations
There are variations in Hepburn. Even with your obsession with the "rounded vowel" you can convert the word to Jötsu.

No, you would convert the word to Jutsu with a horizontal line over the "u". That would make the correct pronounciation agree with English pronouncation rules.

So again, PLEASE take a reading and comprehension course before trying to argue English pronounciations of written words.

It's a fucking Japanese word. For the last time, regular English pronounciation rules do not apply. I'll say it again (perhaps you'll see what I'm saying this time). Your problem is with the fucking spelling.

My idea of fanservice is wanting to please established fans of Naruto who have watched the original or subs, not the new fans they're making from the dubs.

I agree with this, however I do think Viz was mindful of Naruto's already massive online fanbase. They knew they were getting a hot title, and they dealt with it knowing they needed to sell to not only new fans, but to already existing ones (which is where the profit would come in). That's just speculation though. Who knows why they decided to keep so many Japanese terms.

The second episode of Lee vs Gaara!

Naruto - 49 English Dubbed part 1

Naruto - 49 English Dubbed part 2

Thanks for the link dude. Can't watch it now . I'll post my opinions of it later though. I'm really looking forward to this ep.

[JaySee]

Except it's not a matter of opinion. That's how the word is said. If you can't accept that, then this argument isn't going anywhere.

How it's spelled and pronounced in English IS a matter of opinion. My argument is that it
is better to get the overall sound of the word versus the proper pronounciation of the vowel (which is impossible). Similar to how Japanese use an "L" sound because they have no "R" sound. There is no short oo sound in English.

1. Again, we're talking about Japanese, not English. Stop referring to English spelling/pronounciation rules.
2. As I already mentioned, your problem is with how the word is spelled in English (how it is transcribed). I don't care if you want to spell it "jootsu" or "jutesu" because at least then you would be pronouncing it correctly. Saying "Jitsu" or "Juhtsu" is dead wrong. Did you even read my post?

Again your failure to read and comprehend English comes into play.
1. I'm talking about English and you're arguing about Japanese. I agree totally with the proper Japanese pronounciation you're talking about, but you can't get it through your thick skull and keep arguing about your own topic that no one is arguing about.
2. Yes, I read your post. You read mine, but your low mental ability apparently can't comprehend it. My argument is that it's spelled and pronounced incorrectly in English, not in Japanese.

No, you would convert the word to Jutsu with a horizontal line over the "u". That would make the correct pronounciation agree with English pronouncation rules.

Again you miss the point completely.

It's a fucking Japanese word. For the last time, regular English pronounciation rules do not apply. I'll say it again (perhaps you'll see what I'm saying this time). Your problem is with the fucking spelling.

Wrong. It's a Japanese word, written into a script for a VA in ENGLISH. The VA may or may not know the pronounciations of Japanese vowels. Thus, English spelling and pronounciatiation IS important and DOES apply. Your necessity to cuss and losing your cool reveals your 12 yr old mentality or that you are in fact 12. Maybe you're better off
trying to argue with someone like Mizuchi.

[XanBcoo]

2. jut-soo or even jit-soo is a much closer pronounciation to the original Japanese pronounciation than JOOT-soo in the English language.

No. It's not. The word for "technique" or "skill" (Jutsu) in Japanese uses the rounded vowel similar to the oo sound in English (like in moon or food) in both syllables. Again, it's similar, not the same. Any other vowel (like the u in put or foot, the u in butt, or the i in hit) is wrong.

So my problem is not the transliteration, but the incorrect pronounciation of the transliteration, NOT the original Japanese pronounciation. I know you have trouble comprehending, so I thought I'd spell that out for you.

Following the rules of Romaji, the letter U is pronounced (and always pronounced) as "oo". Therefore, to pronounce "jutsu" (spelled in Romaji) you use the "oo" sound in place of the letter U's. The very fact that you use "SOO" as a replacement for "-su" at the end of the word shows that you understand this. Why, then, do you think that the first sound "jut" doesn't follow the same principle?? They're the same sound. I never said you had a problem with the Japanese pronounciation. You just seem to think "jutsu" is pronounced JUHT-SOO or even JIT-SOO, and you're wrong.

Hell, I'm not even saying JOOT-SOO is totally correct! But it's the most similar vowel sound to the one the Japanese word uses.

[DarthEnderX]

Anyways, I don't think the use of Japanese technique names is fan service.

Well your wrong. Suck a dick.

[Yukimura]

Anyways, I don't think the use of Japanese technique names is fan service. I agree that it's to make it "cool" since they are Ninjas, thus in/around Japan.

This statement is so amazingly strange that I just couldn't leave it alone.
1) They aren't using the japanese technique names, they're using the japanese word for technique.

2) Fan service generally implies the creators doing something unessecary for anything other than entertaining the fans, ie not needed for the overall plot but because they think the viewers will see it as cool or appealing...

Note: Point 2 is based on my understanding of the meaning of fanservice, thus if you see fanservice differently I would like to know what your definition is, as my arguments would be weakened and your statement might make more sense to me.

3) The only examples I've ever heard of a dub tring to effectively keep true to it's Japanese roots is the addition of honorifics like Mr. or Lord in place of -san or -sama. Tenjou Tenge even did one better and actaully kept Aya's san's and sama's in verbatim.

4) Naruto doesn't take place in our world...so there is no Japan. It's merely a world imagined by a Japanese person, thus stronly influenced by the Japanese culture. While there are ninja's in that world, they only speak Japanese because that's the language the audience speaks.

EDIT: 5) Since when has coolness been linked to authenticity anyway? This dub isn't for people who watch subs, it's for all the common viewers, both sub viewers and regular folk, and there are a lot more of them than of us.

So to tally up, we have an erroneous statement, a contradiction, a redundant explanation for the underlying cause for the contradiction, and an unreasonable conclusion .

What if Goku yells ARTHUR! instead of Kamehameha in British airings of Dragon Ball?

If I remember correctly Kamehameha roughly translates to Turtle Blast Wave...just out of curiousity where did ARTHUR! come from?