I said the "F" word... It's okay, I am Japanese!

Tanooki Kuribo · Post by **Tanooki Kuribo** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:14 pm

I was wondering, In the Japanese DB they would say stuff like shit, bastard, hell, damn and well, being Dragonball is generally a kids show in Japan, is it socially acceptable for kids to curse? Are they even considerd bad words in Japan?

Post by **SaiyaJedi** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:50 pm

Tanooki Kuribo wrote:I was wondering, In the Japanese DB they would say stuff like shit, bastard, hell, damn and well, being Dragonball is generally a kids show in Japan, is it socially acceptable for kids to curse? Are they even conciderd bad words in Japan?

While DB doesn't have nearly as much "language" as you seem to think ("fuck," at least the literal interpretation, isn't going to make it into a kids' show), Japan doesn't quite have an obsession with "forbidden" words like we English-speakers do. While it's incredibly rude to say some things in certain social contexts (and social context is everything in Japanese), it's hard to say that using such language is "cursing." Rather, it's just being coarse or exceptionally rude.

It's something of an odd distinction, depending on how you look at it, but the fact of the matter is that since the Japanese aren't obsessed over keeping "bad words" out of their children's ears, Japanese people in general are much more comfortable with them, and don't take offense (unless, of course, it's an insult directed at them).

The comparative level of language in the English version is left, to a degree, up to the translator's discretion. But Daimao would be a better person to ask about that. Daimao?

El_Diablo · Post by **El_Diablo** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:30 pm

So what would be the 'rudest' word used in Dragon Ball?

And what exactly does Gotenks say when he is absorbed by Buu? (some guy on another board is convinced it is F**k and that Viz tones down the frequent bad swearing in the manga to get it to kids level or something)

MajinVejitaXV · Post by **MajinVejitaXV** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:46 pm

If I've been told correctly, 'f-ck' is not a curse word in Japanese. It would literally mean 'intercourse', which while it'd be amusing, is probably not what Gotenks says. I'm guessing he says 'kuso', which is literally excrement/shit (though sometimes translated as 'Crap', 'Damn', etc. as it's less course in Japanese, as described above).

-Corey

Frobman · Post by **Frobman** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:47 pm

Few characters pulled out the middle finger too.

On a related note, Transformers the Movie had the word [shoot] in the theatrical release, due to the fact that it would be aimed to kids and teens. (Yes, I don't say that and [fudge]! Slowly to [bastardos]!)

IncredibleGuy · Post by **IncredibleGuy** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:16 pm

I'd like to know how well educated kids in Japan are on sex, and the opposing gender. I mean, do they actually understand why Master Roshi being such a pervert is so funny?

Post by **SaiyaJedi** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:11 pm

IncredibleGuy wrote:I'd like to know how well educated kids in Japan are on sex, and the opposing gender. I mean, do they actually understand why Master Roshi being such a pervert is so funny?

Because he's old, and always greatly overestimates his chances?

omae no kaasan · Post by **omae no kaasan** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 8:47 pm

Note: Half the stuff in DB wouldn't make it into television animation these days.

Post by **VegettoEX** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 9:13 pm

omae no kaasan wrote:Note: Half the stuff in DB wouldn't make it into television animation these days.

Just like half of the old Disney stuff would never get into television animation these days

. Though I believe we had this conversation before... about a rabbit... and a well-known Disney song...

The S · Post by **The S** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 11:48 pm

Reminds me that some of the old fansubs.

Like on many of them, whenever "Shi ne!" (Die!) is shouted, the subs would say "Fuck you!"

Thus, renaming Gotenks's Renzoku Shi ne Shi ne Missiles to "Rapid Fuck You Fuck You Missile!"

And also, whenever the word "Makaku" is uttered, you get a range of adlibs, like "Oh shit!" "Holy shit!" "Holy fuck!", and so forth.

Chibi Mystic Gohan · Post by **Chibi Mystic Gohan** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:28 am

"Rapid Fuck You Fuck You Missile!"
Did they really call it that? I'm assuming that you were joking, as most I've seen call it the "continuing death-death missiles"

Death-death sounds really odd...I like "die-die" better

ThunderPX · Post by **ThunderPX** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 1:22 pm

Let's not forget the banned Donald Duck cartoon about Hitler.

When the Fuhrer says, he is the master race... (sings)

The S · Post by **The S** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 2:21 pm

I kid you not. I've seen two different fansubs refer to it as that. Another referred to it as the "Double Death Missile Souflee"

DBW · Post by **DBW** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 2:41 pm

MajinVejitaXV wrote:If I've been told correctly, 'f-ck' is not a curse word in Japanese. It would literally mean 'intercourse', which while it'd be amusing, is probably not what Gotenks says.

Exactly, I explained this once a while ago on the OA. The word "fuck" is a crude way of saying "intercourse" in English and is very rude. But in Japanese they don't really have an equivalent for this, so the word "fuck" would be taken to literally mean intercourse, which would just be bizarre. (Go intercourse yourself!)

The middle finger in Japan is more-so used as a symbolic gesture, rather than to literally mean "fuck you." Although I guess if someone wanted to argue that they use the "F" word in Dragonball, characters giving the middle finger would be their best argument.

Fuujin · Post by **Fuujin** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:51 pm

Okay, now I'm curious.

What IS the equivalent of English "fuck you"?

DBW · Post by **DBW** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 11:23 pm

Fuujin wrote:Okay, now I'm curious.

What IS the equivalent of English "fuck you"?

The word "fuck" isn't in my Japanese dictionary, so I tried some online translation sites. Here's what I got...

Site #1: Fuck you = No Matches Found
Site #2: Fuck you = Fuckあなた　(Fuck anata), anata meaning "you"
Site #3: Fuck you = セックスする　(sekkusu suru), which means "to have sexual intercourse"

So there you have it!

Zackarotto · Post by **Zackarotto** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 2:08 am

There is no translation or single meaning for "fuck". It doesn't just mean intercourse. If it did, "fuck you" would have to mean "I want to fuck you". Not true at all. So it can be a way to convey negative emotions, or just slang for sex. Other things, too... hell, there's some Monty Python audio about "fuck" that everybody here must have heard a thousand times. Plenty of examples in it.

So "go intercourse yourself" is a pathetic example. Try "go have sex with yourself". "Fuck" has too many forms, too much versatility to be swapped for a single word. If a Japanese guy flips you off, it means the same thing as it does in the states. He doesn't like you. The Japanese just didn't bother making a word for it. Not that this makes us more organized with the subject. See for yourself.

Japanese example: What does that middle finger mean?
It means I don't like you because of something you did.

English example: What does the middle finger mean?
It means "fuck you".
• So what does fuck mean?
It means a lot of stuff. In the case of the middle finger, it means I don't like you because of something you did.

Isn't that unnecessary? I love the word, don't get me wrong. But it doesn't help the language. Every form of fuck can be expressed in Japanese, only the different phrases will have no connection to each other.

I doubt I'm talking about anything even slightly related to the topic now, I don't know. I think I even had some more of this nonsense to ramble about. Whatever.

Fuck the fucking fuckers. Or as the Japanese version might go... "Forget those sexually active jerks." Maybe something totally different. Maybe it depends on the day of the week. Whee!

Fuujin · Post by **Fuujin** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 11:04 am

Uh, okay...I'm not looking for direct translation, just a word that's considered as rude and vulgar as English "fuck".

...You know, this discussion is really, really strange.

Jerseymilk · Post by **Jerseymilk** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 1:29 pm

A discussion being strange on Daizex?! NEVER.

Sun_Wukong · Post by **Sun_Wukong** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 3:18 pm

I've heard that "Kuso" doesnt literally mean shit. Its more along the lines of crap or even darn it. Is this accurate? Or was that Shi bata (sp?)

We really need to get Daimo to provide us with a list of curse words.

Kanzenshuu

I said the "F" word... It's okay, I am Japanese!

I said the "F" word... It's okay, I am Japanese!

Re: I said the "F" word...Its ok Iam Japanese!

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