Name Pun Round-up

[TenshinFan]

Holy tits! Herms you are a champion. Seriously, this has gotta be the most helpful thread about Dragon Ball EVER.

A few points:

1) Son Goku. Is that any more or less "correct" than Son Gokuu or Gokou? I've seen the latter on japanese merch such as the SBC, and the former seems more... japanese-y. Any definitive answer here?

2) "Jeice" or Jheeze or Jheese etc. I spell it as "Jeece". I like Jeece because it sounds closest to "Jiisu" while still retaining a cheese-like pun.

3) Yamcha or Yamucha?

4) Buruma/Bulma? Lately I've been spelling it "Blooma," which I feel best suits the pun and the japanese pronunciation.

Thoughts?

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Holy tits! Herms you are a champion. Seriously, this has gotta be the most helpful thread about Dragon Ball EVER.

A few points:

1) Son Goku. Is that any more or less "correct" than Son Gokuu or Goku? I've seen the latter on japanese merch such as the SBC, and the former seems more... japanese-y. Any definitive answer here?

2) "Jeice" or Jheeze or Jheese etc. I spell it as "Jeece". I like Jeece because it sounds closest to "Jiisu" while still retaining a cheese-like pun.

3) Yamcha or Yamucha?

4) Buruma/Bulma? Lately I've been spelling it "Blooma," which I feel best suits the pun and the japanese pronunciation.

Thoughts?

I know I'm not Herms and I'll f*** this up it some way or another but here goes:

1) "Son" is his last name so it's not necessary to use it when referring to him. "Gokuu" is redundant since "u" and "uu" have almost identical sounds. Another example that I can think of that you might know is "Yuu Yuu Hakusho" which was a elongated or double "u" becoming "Yu Yu Hakusho" in the dub.

2) Well, I use "Jeese" because I think putting a "h" in there is redundant since it doesn't change the pronounciation at all and I don't put a "z" in there because it does change the pronounciation.

"Jeece" is correct since your'e just changing the "s" for a soft "c". "Jeice" is incorrect in my opinion because putting that "i" in there isn't needed and can change the pronounciation of the word to "Jayce".

3) "Yamcha" just comes from shortening "Yamucha" since the "u" is short and not stressed like "Kuririn" becoming "Krillin".

4) "Buruma" and "Bulma" are both correct. Many people used "Bulma" becomes it's sometimes written on her clothes, but "Bluma" or "Blooma" are closer to the pun.

[TenshinFan]

Holy tits! Herms you are a champion. Seriously, this has gotta be the most helpful thread about Dragon Ball EVER.

A few points:

1) Son Goku. Is that any more or less "correct" than Son Gokuu or Goku? I've seen the latter on japanese merch such as the SBC, and the former seems more... japanese-y. Any definitive answer here?

2) "Jeice" or Jheeze or Jheese etc. I spell it as "Jeece". I like Jeece because it sounds closest to "Jiisu" while still retaining a cheese-like pun.

3) Yamcha or Yamucha?

4) Buruma/Bulma? Lately I've been spelling it "Blooma," which I feel best suits the pun and the japanese pronunciation.

Thoughts?

I know I'm not Herms and I'll f*** this up it some way or another but here goes:

1) "Son" is his last name so it's not necessary to use it when referring to him. "Gokuu" is redundant since "u" and "uu" have almost identical sounds. Another example that I can think of that you might know is "Yuu Yuu Hakusho" which was a elongated or double "u" becoming "Yu Yu Hakusho" in the dub.

2) Well, I use "Jeese" because I think putting a "h" in there is redundant since it doesn't change the pronounciation at all and I don't put a "z" in there because it does change the pronounciation.

"Jeece" is correct since your'e just changing the "s" for a soft "c". "Jeice" is incorrect in my opinion because putting that "i" in there isn't needed and can change the pronounciation of the word to "Jayce".

3) "Yamcha" just comes from shortening "Yamucha" since the "u" is short and not stressed like "Kuririn" becoming "Krillin".

4) "Buruma" and "Bulma" are both correct. Many people used "Bulma" becomes it's sometimes written on her clothes, but "Bluma" or "Blooma" are closer to the pun.

Thanks for the quick and helpful response! On my first point I guess I was typing too quick, I meant "Son Gokuu" or "Son Gokou" with an o. The o is present on SBC boxes, so I was wondering if that was more correct or anything. But I guess since the pronunciation is the same it doesn't matter.

As for "Jeece", to me "Jeese" sounds the same as "Jeeze", which is why I use c instead to sound closer to "Jiisu". But Jeese rhymes with Cheese, which is the pun. So I'm torn.

As for Bulma/Blooma... I guess since Bulma is written on her clothes and such, that may be more "official"... but Blooma or Bluma is more like the pun... so I'm torn here too lol

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Again, don't quote me on this, I could be wrong. (And have been in the past).

Thanks for the quick and helpful response! On my first point I guess I was typing too quick, I meant "Son Gokuu" or "Son Goku" with an o. The o is present on SBC boxes, so I was wondering if that was more correct or anything. But I guess since the pronunciation is the same it doesn't matter.

Goku with an "ou" is correct, but I don't use it because "ou" is pronounced "ow" in English

As for "Jeece", to me "Jeese" sounds the same as "Jeeze", which is why I use c instead to sound closer to "Jiisu". But Jeese rhymes with Cheese, which is the pun. So I'm torn.

I dunno. "s" and "z" have different sounds to me, but use "Jeece" if you feel more comfortable with it.

As for Bulma/Blooma... I guess since Bulma is written on her clothes and such, that may be more "official"... but Blooma or Bluma is more like the pun... so I'm torn here too lol

"Bulma" was Toriyama's way of transliterating the name, because he put it on her clothes and whatnot, so I'm gonna go with that.

[Hujio]

Goku with an "ou" is correct, but I don't use it because "ou" is pronounced "ow" in English.

I thought we'd been over this before, maybe even a couple of times. In Japanese, "ou" is not pronounced the same as "uu", it's pronounced like "oo". So if you were to say "Gokou" as it's written there, it should be pronounced Goko, although the second "o" sound would be a little longer since the vowel is elongated. Think of the "ou" sound as the same as when you say "dough", or as Homer from The Simpsons says, "DOH". Consequently, "uu" is just a harder "u" sound. So, technically speaking, Goku with the "ou" ending is wrong. It often ends up being used by the Japanese because for some reason they think in English the "ou" is pronounced like a "u". My theory is they got the "ou" sound confused with our "oo" sound, like in the word "tattoo" or "poop". Ain't pronunciation a bitch?

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Goku with an "ou" is correct, but I don't use it because "ou" is pronounced "ow" in English.

I thought we'd been over this before, maybe even a couple of times. In Japanese, "ou" is not pronounced the same as "uu", it's pronounced like "oo". So if you were to say "Gokou" as it's written there, it should be pronounced Goko, although the second "o" sound would be a little longer since the vowel is elongated. Think of the "ou" sound as the same as when you say "dough", or as Homer from The Simpsons says, "DOH". Consequently, "uu" is just a harder "u" sound. So, technically speaking, Goku with the "ou" ending is wrong. It often ends up being used by the Japanese because for some reason they think in English the "ou" is pronounced like a "u". My theory is they got the "ou" sound confused with our "oo" sound, like in the word "tattoo" or "poop". Ain't pronunciation a bitch?

It sure is!

Thanks Hujio.

[Herms]

@TenshinFan: When it comes to alphabet spellings for DB character, “correct” is kinda a tricky term. That’s a lot of different factors to consider, and I think ultimately it comes down to which ones you place the most weight on. So Goku/Gokuu/Gokuh/etc, Yamucha/Yamcha, Jeice/Jheeze/etc, Bulma/Blooma/etc, is all kinda up to you to decide, based on how much you think that the spelling ought to reflect the name pun, or follow the spellings used by Toriyama or on official merchandise, or clearly convey the proper pronunciation, or whatnot. I guess that’s really a cop-out answer, but I’m kinda tired right now.

It often ends up being used by the Japanese because for some reason they think in English the "ou" is pronounced like a "u". My theory is they got the "ou" sound confused with our "oo" sound, like in the word "tattoo" or "poop". Ain't pronunciation a bitch?

Well, "ou" actually is pronounced like a long "u" sound (the sort in Goku") in certain English words, like "you" or "caribou". I think that's probably what they were going for, rather than that it be prounced like a Japanese おう/ou-sound.

[Amigo Ten]

Is there any reason for "Olibue" rather Olibu, Olivu, etc?

I don't know, I guess he put an "e" at the end to make it closer to the pun. He should've put it as "Olivue" to make it closer to the pun though.

How does the "e" make it closer to the pun though, is what I meant. To me at least, it changed the pronunciation, since "bue" looks like "cue" or something.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Is there any reason for "Olibue" rather Olibu, Olivu, etc?

I don't know, I guess he put an "e" at the end to make it closer to the pun. He should've put it as "Olivue" to make it closer to the pun though.

How does the "e" make it closer to the pun though, is what I meant. To me at least, it changed the pronunciation, since "bue" looks like "cue" or something.

"ue" can be pronounced as "ew", but it can also be pronounced as "oo" like in "blue" and "Shenmue".


I personally wouldn't put the "e" on the end because it can alter the pronounciation like Frieza and Jeice.

[Puto]

It often ends up being used by the Japanese because for some reason they think in English the "ou" is pronounced like a "u". My theory is they got the "ou" sound confused with our "oo" sound, like in the word "tattoo" or "poop". Ain't pronunciation a bitch?

Well, "ou" actually is pronounced like a long "u" sound (the sort in Goku") in certain English words, like "you" or "caribou". I think that's probably what they were going for, rather than that it be prounced like a Japanese おう/ou-sound.

Which is probably why everyone and their mom in the US tends to mispronounce Street Fighter's "Hadôken" (romanised in the manual as "Hadouken") as "Haduuken". :/

[SilverPlaqueVII]

"Jeice" or Jheeze or Jheese etc. I spell it as "Jeece". I like Jeece because it sounds closest to "Jiisu" while still retaining a cheese-like pun.

In my naming conventions, I decided to spell Jhiszu to match close to his Japanese/Viz name. But I latterly get Bautta, Reakoomu, and Gulurdo to make the latter of the Ginyu-Special Squad names.

[Amigo Ten]

I go with Jheese just because it's how Viz has it. Same with Butta, Gurd, and Reacoom. Although I did think Gurd was a pun on a curd at first just because it sounds more like that than yogurt.

[Gaffer Tape]

Yeah, that's why I prefer to go with Gurudo for that character because that's written more like his name is actually pronounced. But even if Simmons had opted to put an "o" at the end of his interpretation (Ghurdo), it probably would have looked a bit closer. But that's just my personal preference. Preserving the pun is important to me, but maintaing the pronounciation ranks just a bit higher, which is also why I pronounce Mr. Satan as Sah-tan... I mean, that's just how everyone in the show says his name.

[Amigo Ten]

I'm not really bothered when it comes to the Japanese pronunciation. Gurd's name comes from "yogurt" so Gurudo just makes no sense in the English language. I don't dislike "Gurd", i just never realised it was a pun on yogurt before since curd seemed more obvious, and it fits the theme too.

[TenshinFan]

Yeah Gurd is a tricky one. Usually I go with Gurd or Gurdo, but sometimes I use Gurt. Are there any problems with Gurt? Would the Japanese pronounce Guruto much differently than Gurudo?

[Amigo Ten]

Well according to this topic there's a difference, since the original word is "yoguruto" and his name is "gurudo".

[TenshinFan]

Well according to this topic there's a difference, since the original word is "yoguruto" and his name is "gurudo".

Ah. Well, I have faith enough in Herms that gurudo is intended to be a tweaked pun on yoguruto, so I guess I'll stick to calling him Gurd.

A few more:

1) Kuririn. I don't see an issue here, really, but in the last few weeks I've been calling him Kurilin, for the sole reason that it's easier to pronounce. Also, if the "rin" came from "Shaolin", then "lin" would be just as correct. Does anyone else do this?

2) Pan. Is there any chance that this might be a double-pun on bread and the mythological creature? I know what Toriyama's memory is like, so maybe he forgot, and thought it was just "bread"? I must say, if the double-pun is intentional then Toriyama is brilliant.

3) Adjutant Black. Is Adjutant his official title? What is it in Japanese? Same with all the RR guys... how accurate are all the Commanders and Colonels, etc?

4) Kiwi vs Kyui. How would you pronounce Kyui anyway? Q-E? Kwi?

5) Panputto. Since Toriyama "can't even remember the character", do any of you guys know what the roots of this name might be?

Heh, I guess I'll stop here for now. I don't wanna be a douche and ask like 60 consecutive questions. Piccolo Daimaoh, Herms, and everyone else, thanks for your help (and patience) so far.

[SilverPlaqueVII]

Well according to this topic there's a difference, since the original word is "yoguruto" and his name is "gurudo".

Ah. Well, I have faith enough in Herms that gurudo is intended to be a tweaked pun on yoguruto, so I guess I'll stick to calling him Gurd.

A few more:

1) Kuririn. I don't see an issue here, really, but in the last few weeks I've been calling him Kurilin, for the sole reason that it's easier to pronounce. Also, if the "rin" came from "Shaolin", then "lin" would be just as correct. Does anyone else do this?

2) Pan. Is there any chance that this might be a double-pun on bread and the mythological creature? I know what Toriyama's memory is like, so maybe he forgot, and thought it was just "bread"? I must say, if the double-pun is intentional then Toriyama is brilliant.

3) Adjutant Black. Is Adjutant his official title? What is it in Japanese? Same with all the RR guys... how accurate are all the Commanders and Colonels, etc?

4) Kiwi vs Kyui. How would you pronounce Kyui anyway? Q-E? Kwi?

5) Panputto. Since Toriyama "can't even remember the character", do any of you guys know what the roots of this name might be?

Heh, I guess I'll stop here for now. I don't wanna be a douche and ask like 60 consecutive questions. Piccolo Daimaoh, Herms, and everyone else, thanks for your help (and patience) so far.

4: Mine is always Kywi to avoid confusion with other names.

1. Kuririn or Krillin, you name 'em!

[Amigo Ten]

As for Kiwi/Kyui, the name isn't spelled like the word "kiwi" in Japanese it seems, so calling him that would be like using Freezer or Radish as character names I suppose. It's still what I usually go with though just because I'm used to it (thanks to Viz). That and people know who I mean when I say Kiwi.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Which is probably why everyone and their mom in the US tends to mispronounce Street Fighter's "Hadôken" (romanised in the manual as "Hadouken") as "Haduuken". :/

Yeah, it pretty much goes against every system to romanize a long "u" sound as "ou" and a long "o" as "uu".

1) Kuririn. I don't see an issue here, really, but in the last few weeks I've been calling him Kurilin, for the sole reason that it's easier to pronounce. Also, if the "rin" came from "Shaolin", then "lin" would be just as correct. Does anyone else do this?

2) Pan. Is there any chance that this might be a double-pun on bread and the mythological creature? I know what Toriyama's memory is like, so maybe he forgot, and thought it was just "bread"? I must say, if the double-pun is intentional then Toriyama is brilliant.

3) Adjutant Black. Is Adjutant his official title? What is it in Japanese? Same with all the RR guys... how accurate are all the Commanders and Colonels, etc?

4) Kiwi vs Kyui. How would you pronounce Kyui anyway? Q-E? Kwi?

5) Panputto. Since Toriyama "can't even remember the character", do any of you guys know what the roots of this name might be?

Heh, I guess I'll stop here for now. I don't wanna be a douche and ask like 60 consecutive questions. Piccolo Daimaoh, Herms, and everyone else, thanks for your help (and patience) so far.

1)"Kurilin" would be correct, but keep in mind that there are no "l" sounds in Japanese so that's why it's not written like that in Japanese.

2) Well, there is a Greek god called Pan, but as I've said before Toriyama wouldn't have known a lot about Greek and Greek gods so it's unlikely that he would have got her name from there.

3) Okay first off, I don't know what the hell a Adjutant is but his name in Modified Hepburn Romaji is Burakku Sanboo, which may be a play on Little Black Sambo. Sanboo isn't a common word in Japanese, but according to some online Japanese translators it means "staff officer".

4) His name in Japanese is "Kyui" or "Cyui" which is pronounced "Q-E" as you said. As for "Kiwi", I don't know where they get the "w" from. I know it's a play on "Kiwi" but when transliterating Japanese you can't pull letters from nowhere like that.

5) Toriyama just said "Panputto" sounded like a Thai name. As for the root of the word, no friggin clue.