Saiyan being spelt as Saiyan

[One_Instance]

Why does everyone dislike the way FUNimation pronounces it in their dubs? It fits better than Saiya-jin which is too Japanese and from another thread the "-jin" isn't even part of the name. It's supposedly meaning person and isn't unique to the name Saiyan. Cyan just sounds dumb. I think FUNimation's way is perfect. It sounds alien and rolls off the tongue perfectly. It isn't dumb either.

I agree, I pronounce it either the 'sy-an' way or just use saiyajin, just because I like to be accurate. However, 'say' fits the English language better than 'sigh' would.

[Dayspring]

Is there some sort of word-filter at play here...?

Yes, and for no reason, apparently.

As noted, it's to correct careless spelling mistakes. It may have led to confusion here, but it has prevented countless tragedies on other occasions. Probably. Actually, it didn't even fix Saiyan_nation_'s username, so I guess it is a bit useless.

The underscore in his username probably turns it into one word string. As such, the filter's probably not picking it up as a misspelling of "Saiyan."

On a related note, why was Saiya-jin translated as "Saiyans" instead of "Saiyas?" Do we know if it's just oldschool dubbie dumbness or an actual mistake?

[johnboy1]

The underscore in his username probably turns it into one word string. As such, the filter's probably not picking it up as a misspelling of "Saiyan."

On a related note, why was Saiya-jin translated as "Saiyans" instead of "Saiyas?" Do we know if it's just oldschool dubbie dumbness or an actual mistake?

I think the "-ns" was their attempt to translate the "-jin". For example, the "Russia people" would be "Russians", so why wouldn't the "Saiya people" be "Saiyans"? That's may best guess.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

Yeah, I don't really see how anyone can be viewing that as a mistake. Not unless you don't want them to adapt it and prefer the use of "Saiya people" like in the Big Green or Speedy dubs (I can't remember which one does it).

[One_Instance]

Yeah, I don't really see how anyone can be viewing that as a mistake. Not unless you don't want them to adapt it and prefer the use of "Saiya people" like in the Big Green or Speedy dubs (I can't remember which one does it).

It's the Speedy dub that does Saiya people, the Big Green dub does "super space warriors" or something like that, if memory serves.

[Herms]

Why does everyone dislike the way FUNimation pronounces it in their dubs? It fits better than Saiya-jin which is too Japanese and from another thread the "-jin" isn't even part of the name. It's supposedly meaning person and isn't unique to the name Saiyan. Cyan just sounds dumb. I think FUNimation's way is perfect. It sounds alien and rolls off the tongue perfectly. It isn't dumb either.

You're conflating separate issues. Yes, "Saiyan" is a good adaptation of Saiya-jin into English, but that's got nothing to do with the way the Funi dub opted to pronounce "Saiyan". There's no particular reason they couldn't have pronounced it closer to the Japanese pronunciation. You could say their pronunciation sounds "better", but it's pretty much entirely down to personal preference. And odds are, if the Funi dub had pronounced it differently, you'd find that pronunciation natural and better-sounding.

[Adamant]

On a related note, why was Saiya-jin translated as "Saiyans" instead of "Saiyas?" Do we know if it's just oldschool dubbie dumbness or an actual mistake?

It's a pretty standardized way of referring to groups of people belonging to something of a specific name. You and your peers are Canadians, not Canadas.

[dbboxkaifan]

Why does everyone dislike the way FUNimation pronounces it in their dubs? It fits better than Saiya-jin which is too Japanese and from another thread the "-jin" isn't even part of the name. It's supposedly meaning person and isn't unique to the name Saiyan. Cyan just sounds dumb. I think FUNimation's way is perfect. It sounds alien and rolls off the tongue perfectly. It isn't dumb either.

There's different roads to which a word can sound to one another as someone who's in UK, US or AUS have their own pronunciations so it's not "dumb" just different and more accurate. As far as I can remember from the dubs that I've watched the two which use Saiya-jin (+ Saiya-yin) are the Mexican Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese while the others say Saiyan properly unlike FUNimation.

I think the Catalán dub still holds on to the "Super Warrior" term (Super Guerrier). At least it's what I remember from the Catalán dub.

[Dayspring]

On a related note, why was Saiya-jin translated as "Saiyans" instead of "Saiyas?" Do we know if it's just oldschool dubbie dumbness or an actual mistake?

It's a pretty standardized way of referring to groups of people belonging to something of a specific name. You and your peers are Canadians, not Canadas.

Russia, Canada, etc are places, not cultures or species. This analogy would only work if they were called "Vegetans." One Saiya, two Saiyas; one Vegetan, two Vegetans. A real-world analogy would be the Cree people. One Cree, two Crees, The Cree. Never "Creein" or "Creeins."

Not sure if I'm making sense, so I'll go back to the Canadian analogy: I'm an Anglophone and not an "Anglophonian." What makes me Canadian is that it's the citizenship of my country.

[johnboy1]

Russia, Canada, etc are places, not cultures or species. This analogy would only work if they were called "Vegetans." One Saiya, two Saiyas; one Vegetan, two Vegetans. A real-world analogy would be the Cree people. One Cree, two Crees, The Cree. Never "Creein" or "Creeins."

This is kind of cheating, but it was later established in the guidebooks that the true home planet of the Saiyans was indeed Planet Saiya. They migrated from there to Planet Plant and renamed it Vegeta.

[Puto]

Actually I don't think it was ever given a proper name.

[huzaifa_ahmed]

The "Latin Spanish" dub uses "Super Saiyajins" / "Super Saiyayins" (they use it interchangeably) , as well as "Pikoro", "Bejita" and "Kamisama".. These are just things they went overboard with for a dub. It's a dub after all so they shouldn't have went through the trouble of doing this.

Agreed. It may be a Japanese show, but they are certainly not purely Japanese names, especially not names that are wholly untranslatable (if that is a word). I would likely be somewhat irked for a subtitled release to spell them as such. Especially the foreign words, such as "Vegeta" and "Dragon" (can you imagine this show being called "Doragon Boru Zetto" in the States?)

I can imagine Shen Long being called "Shenron".

Shenlong's anime pronounciation always bugged me. "Shenurono" would have been more convincing. "Shenron" sounds neither Japanese, the language of the production, nor fitting the possible Chinese appearance of the dragon.
I could tell this from reading about 40-50 issues of Shonen Jump, and a few standalone manga volumes, before I read the Viz translation of this series, where the transliteration "Shenlong" appeared. A light bulb clicked the . Granted, as a small nitpick, "Shen Long" would have been more appropriate.

[Puto]

Shenlong's anime pronounciation always bugged me. "Shenurono" would have been more convincing. "Shenron" sounds neither Japanese, the language of the production, nor fitting the possible Chinese appearance of the dragon.

...I have no idea what you're talking about.

[Thouser]

Shenlong's anime pronounciation always bugged me. "Shenurono" would have been more convincing. "Shenron" sounds neither Japanese, the language of the production, nor fitting the possible Chinese appearance of the dragon.

I don't understand how "Shenurono" should sound more convincing. It doesn't sound Japanese at all, which makes sense, because it's complete gibberish.

The appearance of Shenlong isn't "possibly" Chinese, it is Chinese.

In the manga, Shenlong's name is written 神龍. In Japanese this would be pronounced "Shinryū" or "Jinryū." However, in furigana (think of it like a Japanese pronunciation guide) Toriyama writes シェンロン (Shenron) next to the Chinese characters. This is because Toriyama wants the readers to pronounce the name using the Chinese reading of the kanji, "Shenlong," instead of saying Shinryū or Jinryū (or Kamitatsu).

ロン (ron) is how the Chinese "long" is approximated in Japanese kana. Chinese -ng endings are simplified to -n, such as the xing (星) in Si Xing Qiu, which becomes shin (シン).

[huzaifa_ahmed]

Shenlong's anime pronounciation always bugged me. "Shenurono" would have been more convincing. "Shenron" sounds neither Japanese, the language of the production, nor fitting the possible Chinese appearance of the dragon.

I don't understand how "Shenurono" should sound more convincing. It doesn't sound Japanese at all, which makes sense, because it's complete gibberish.

The appearance of Shenlong isn't "possibly" Chinese, it is Chinese.

In the manga, Shenlong's name is written 神龍. In Japanese this would be pronounced "Shinryū" or "Jinryū." However, in furigana (think of it like a Japanese pronunciation guide) Toriyama writes シェンロン (Shenron) next to the Chinese characters. This is because Toriyama wants the readers to pronounce the name using the Chinese reading of the kanji, "Shenlong," instead of saying Shinryū or Jinryū (or Kamitatsu).

ロン (ron) is how the Chinese "long" is approximated in Japanese kana. Chinese -ng endings are simplified to -n, such as the xing (星) in Si Xing Qiu, which becomes shin (シン).

I know that the dragon is Chinese, but I was referring to past experience. On first sight, I mean.

Anyhow, "Shinryu" makes sense, and sounds like Japanese, much more than "Shenron", which I now see as either a misinterpretation, or purposeful mistranslation.

I haven't actually seen much of the anime in either home or "original" language dub. I've seen all Kai in English and sampled the Japanese (really dig the decent audio track here), up to Red Ribbon in English, and ~20 episodes in Japanese, but my main knowledge of the story is Shonen Jump/Viz, after seeing snippets here and there on Toonami circa 2001.

[Hujio]

Why does everyone dislike the way FUNimation pronounces it in their dubs?

I can't speak for everyone, but I know I dislike it because it's not an accurate, representative pronunciation of the original word.

Cyan just sounds dumb. I think FUNimation's way is perfect. It sounds alien and rolls off the tongue perfectly. It isn't dumb either.

Well, that is the prevailing opinion amongst most English speaking fans. It's not really an opinion I support, but it is an opinion, I suppose. I'm not really willing to fight anyone on it though, since it is so entrenched in the English speaking fanbase. I could say that "Sayin" sounds dumb to me, but I honestly don't care at this point; I know what someone is trying to say and it doesn't affect how they write it, and therefore I can read it with my own pronunciation.

For the record though, anything you're not used to saying does sound dumb, at least at the beginning. And just because it's easier to say, or doesn't sound as dumb to you, doesn't make it any more correct or accurate. I've been saying Cyan for so long that it just rolls off the tongue, no problem at all. If FUNimation had pronounced it from the beginning as Cyan, similar to its Japanese pronunciation, most English speaking fans these days would have no problem with it because they'd be used to it. Besides, it's always a fun conversation starter in public when people try to correct my pronunciation.

[Herms]

I know that the dragon is Chinese, but I was referring to past experience. On first sight, I mean.

Anyhow, "Shinryu" makes sense, and sounds like Japanese, much more than "Shenron", which I now see as either a misinterpretation, or purposeful mistranslation.

I'm still not sure you quite understand.

Shinryu: Actual Japanese name
Shenlong: Actual Chinese name
Shenron: A Japanese approximation of the Chinese name, similar to how the English word "Trunks" is approximated as "Torankusu" in Japanese.