"Saiya People" is actually more accurate than Saiyans (not really)

[floofychan333]

I remember the Speedy dub calls Saiyans the "Saiya People," which is in fact an actual translation from "Saiya-jin." Also, "Saiya" is actually pronounced correctly (Sigh-a) instead of "say-an." If Saiyan was pronounced "Sigh-an" I think it would be more accurate but "Saiya People" is still more accurate. I guess people make fun of "saiya people" because they butcher the grammar by calling individuals "saiya people," example "Kakarod, you are a saiya people!" or "I am duh Saiya People!" If they'd said "I am a Saiya person" there wouldn't be anything wrong with it.

[Metalwario64]

Saiya people is like saying "America People" instead of "Americans".

"Say-an" is just a mispronunciation, but has the proper syntax.

[Kamiccolo9]

I remember the Speedy dub calls Saiyans the "Saiya People," which is in fact an actual translation from "Saiya-jin." Also, "Saiya" is actually pronounced correctly (Sigh-a) instead of "say-an." If Saiyan was pronounced "Sigh-an" I think it would be more accurate but "Saiya People" is still more accurate. I guess people make fun of "saiya people" because they butcher the grammar by calling individuals "saiya people," example "Kakarod, you are a saiya people!" or "I am duh Saiya People!" If they'd said "I am a Saiya person" there wouldn't be anything wrong with it.

In Japanese, "American" is アメリカ人, which is "Amerika-jin." "Saiya-jin" similarly becomes "Saiyan" when put into English. It's the same reason we don't use "Russia People, Egypt People," etc.

"Saiya people" is a perfect example of a literal translation that is better suited by adaptation rather than a direct shift into another language.

[RedRibbonSoldier#42]

Except, while I might use the exact same grammar and call myself a アメリカ人 in Japanese, it would be very strange to tell some one I'm an "America Person". "Saiyan" is a more natural sounding made up term than the other made up term "Saiya person". And is is pronounced right in some circles (like here).
EDIT: lol two people used the exact same example as me before I could even type it. Another example is: If you are committed to such literallism, you should also be saying "Demon Person Boo".

[Cetra]

Either you just say Saiyajin or Saiyan. Just because I am a doitsujin does not mean I say I am a "Germany person".

[nite_jay]

Except, while I might use the exact same grammar and call myself a アメリカ人 in Japanese, it would be very strange to tell some one I'm an "America Person". "Saiyan" is a more natural sounding made up term than the other made up term "Saiya person". And is is pronounced right in some circles (like here).
EDIT: lol two people used the exact same example as me before I could even type it. Another example is: If you are committed to such literallism, you should also be saying "Demon Person Boo".

I always thought a funny way of localizing "Demon Person Boo" could be "Deman Boo". Because Demon+Man hehehe...

[RedRibbonSoldier#42]

Except, while I might use the exact same grammar and call myself a アメリカ人 in Japanese, it would be very strange to tell some one I'm an "America Person". "Saiyan" is a more natural sounding made up term than the other made up term "Saiya person". And is is pronounced right in some circles (like here).
EDIT: lol two people used the exact same example as me before I could even type it. Another example is: If you are committed to such literallism, you should also be saying "Demon Person Boo".

I always thought a funny way of localizing "Demon Person Boo" could be "Deman Boo". Because Demon+Man hehehe...

I prefer "Ma' Man Boo".

[successoroffate]

Funny or not, I think OP is right, Saiya People is more accurate than Saiyans. I'm glad the LatinAmerican version stayed with Saiyajin and not "Saiyanos"

[Metalwario64]

Funny or not, I think OP is right, Saiya People is more accurate than Saiyans."

It's really not though. Saiyan is perfectly valid, and even used in Japanese (Saiyan Blood). "Saiya People" is broken English.

[Anime Kitten]

Not totally relevant, but...

What's wrong with "Say-yan"? I don't understand how "Sigh-yan" is so much better. I've noticed most of the original (Japanese) voices pronounce it "Say" instead of "Sigh".

[Kamiccolo9]

Not totally relevant, but...

What's wrong with "Say-yan"? I don't understand how "Sigh-yan" is so much better. I've noticed most of the original (Japanese) voices pronounce it "Say" instead of "Sigh".

No, they don't.

[Anime Kitten]

No, they don't.

Well, maybe I have hearing issues then. I thought it was pretty clear that quite a few pronounce it like that (perhaps a mixture of them?).

[successoroffate]

Funny or not, I think OP is right, Saiya People is more accurate than Saiyans."

It's really not though. Saiyan is perfectly valid, and even used in Japanese (Saiyan Blood). "Saiya People" is broken English.

Like I said, Saiya People is extremely hilarious but doesn't make it any less accurate or less valid when compared with Saiyan.

[Kamiccolo9]

Funny or not, I think OP is right, Saiya People is more accurate than Saiyans."

It's really not though. Saiyan is perfectly valid, and even used in Japanese (Saiyan Blood). "Saiya People" is broken English.

Like I said, Saiya People is extremely hilarious but doesn't make it any less accurate or less valid when compared with Saiyan.

It mean, it's the equivalent of throwing a Japanese book into Google translate, and treating the result as "accurate." Sure, the words are right, but would you really consider that an "accurate" translation?

[successoroffate]

It's really not though. Saiyan is perfectly valid, and even used in Japanese (Saiyan Blood). "Saiya People" is broken English.

Like I said, Saiya People is extremely hilarious but doesn't make it any less accurate or less valid when compared with Saiyan.

It mean, it's the equivalent of throwing a Japanese book into Google translate, and treating the result as "accurate." Sure, the words are right, but would you really consider that an "accurate" translation?

Take the Malaysian dub for example. It is difficult to not see the dub as a whole mess of Broken English, I agree. But just the plain meaning of the words seems accurate. If it was a case of a recognized well done dub which decided to call them "Saiya People" during the whole show but the rest of the dub would have no errors or no Broken English, then I would say "They get a pass" cause it's "Technically" accurate. But you're right, looking at the whole picture of the Malaysian dub, may not help my case of saying it's accurate.

[Cetra]

No, they don't.

Well, maybe I have hearing issues then. I thought it was pretty clear that quite a few pronounce it like that (perhaps a mixture of them?).

Well, despite him saying "no" I do understand how you get that feeling. It is very often in all languages the case that you can hear some sort of mixed sound that is not exactly what you expect. Still "ai" is totally normal in Japanese to be pronounced like the English "eye", even if you sometimes might hear or think to hear something else - which also is normal. Not everyone pronounces perfectly identical.

[MetaMoss]

I don't see how "Saiya People" is any more accurate than "Saiyans", as the two convey the exact same idea: the people of Saiya.

What's wrong with "Say-yan"? I don't understand how "Sigh-yan" is so much better.

Consistency's sake, mostly. The Japanese pronounced the "Sai" as "sigh", so it really was an unnecessary change on Funimation's part. Same issue occurred with the Kaio-ken (even though Kaio was never called King Kay), which was corrected in the Kai dub, funnily enough.

I've noticed most of the original (Japanese) voices pronounce it "Say" instead of "Sigh".

Do you have any particular examples of this? The only instance I can think of somebody on the Japanese side of things using Saiyan was with Saiyan Blood, which had Ryo Horikawa pronouncing it "Sigh-yan".

[RedRibbonSoldier#42]

Do you have any particular examples of this? The only instance I can think of somebody on the Japanese side of things using Saiyan was with Saiyan Blood, which had Ryo Horikawa pronouncing it "Sigh-yan".

Yoka Yoka Dance also uses Saiyan.

[Bansho64]

Not totally relevant, but...

What's wrong with "Say-yan"? I don't understand how "Sigh-yan" is so much better. I've noticed most of the original (Japanese) voices pronounce it "Say" instead of "Sigh".

Can you give me an example? I've never heard them say it like that. It's always Sigh-ya-jin. Maybe Sigh-ya or Sigh-yan (song) but never Say-en. Also the reason it's kinda inaccurate to say Say-en is because the whole pun intended is lost in the process. Saiyajin is a pun off of Yasai which mean Vegetable in Japanese.

[RedRibbonSoldier#42]

Not totally relevant, but...

What's wrong with "Say-yan"? I don't understand how "Sigh-yan" is so much better. I've noticed most of the original (Japanese) voices pronounce it "Say" instead of "Sigh".

Can you give me an example? I've never heard them say it like that. It's always Sigh-ya-jin. Maybe Sigh-ya or Sigh-yan (song) but never Say-en. Also the reason it's kinda inaccurate to say Say-en is because the whole pun intended is lost in the process. Saiyajin is a pun off of Yasai which mean Vegetable in Japanese.

To be fair, the pun is lost anyway. You'd have to do something like "Vegetians".