Is it spelled Boo or Buu in the Japanese translations?

[OWmyDragonBallz]

People constantly argue over how his name is originally spelled and if there is anyone here who knows, let me know. I look in my Dragon Boxes and it says "Boo", so I am assuming that is the one. But I am not sure...

[VegettoEX]

What do you mean by "in the Japanese translations"?

Steve Simmons uses "Boo" in the subtitles on FUNimation's DVDs. FUNimation uses "Buu" for their English dub. Viz uses "Boo" for their English translation of the manga. We use "Buu" on Kanzenshuu. Lots of Japanese merchandise and games have used "Boo".

It's up to you. The katakana reads as ブウ. A straight Hepburn system romanization would get you "bū". The name stems from Cinderella and the song/lyrics "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo". Do you want to spell the name exactly as it comes from the Disney song, or slightly differently but with the same pronunciation?

Our (well, my) logic is that since we adapt バビディ as "Babidi" (and not "Bobbidi"), I'll spell the name as "Buu" instead of "Boo".

[OWmyDragonBallz]

What do you mean by "in the Japanese translations"?

Steve Simmons uses "Boo" in the subtitles on FUNimation's DVDs. FUNimation uses "Buu" for their English dub. Viz uses "Boo" for their English translation of the manga. We use "Buu" on Kanzenshuu. Lots of Japanese merchandise and games have used "Boo".

It's up to you. The katakana reads as ブウ. A straight Hepburn system romanization would get you "bū". The name stems from Cinderella and the song/lyrics "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo". Do you want to spell the name exactly as it comes from the Disney song, or slightly differently but with the same pronunciation?

Our (well, my) logic is that since we adapt バビディ as "Babidi" (and not "Bobbidi"), I'll spell the name as "Buu" instead of "Boo".

it seems you already answered my question. Thanks.

[Majin Boo]

Our (well, my) logic is that since we adapt バビディ as "Babidi" (and not "Bobbidi"), I'll spell the name as "Buu" instead of "Boo".

So why don't you adapt them as Bibbidi and Bobbidi? That's what their names are based on, and they're rendered the same way.

Using the kana spellings in English looks really weird to me.

[VegettoEX]

Nothing anywhere says they have to be adapted literally from their source. Just because their basis is in the Cinderella song doesn't mean they inherently have to be spelled exactly the same way -- if that were the case, every name pun in the series would be literal and lacking in the "pun" department.

It's not like バビディ is an "English word" a la セル (Cell) or トランクス (Trunks). It's a made-up word going from English to Japanese and back to "English" again.

If anything, for self-consistency we should probably spell the character's name as "Darbra" instead of "Dabra" -- the "ar" would preserve the long "aa" sound from ダーブラ (like we do with "Zarbon" and "Tarble") and it would fit with "Bibidi" and "Babidi" and "Buu" instead of "Dabra" and "Bibbidi" and "Bobbidi" and "Boo".

[dbboxkaifan]

It's up to you, either Majin Boo, Majin Buu or Majin Bu.

Take the English pronounciation of Bejito's name it's Vejito (Vegito / Vegetto), Bejita to Vejita (Vegeta). So on.

But I don't really get how the hell they came up with 'Frieza' fri-e-za translated to PT means coldness.

[Son Satan]

But I don't really get how the hell they came up with 'Frieza' fri-e-za translated to PT means coldness.

The romanization of フリーザ is "Furiiza", so it's some sort of mixing of the romanization and the pun, Freeza. (Which is from either refrigerator or freezer, can't remember which)

[MCDaveG]

Just thought, Darbura sounds cool
But well, it is Dabra like from abracadabra??? I think I heard that somewhere....
Who said that Japanese can't make a mistake in writing foreign words with katakana.

[Lord Eeyore Haw-Haw]

I dunno. I sometimes use the get out clause that "Toriyama makes puns and also changes around some of the letters in the names, to make them further puns, as opposed to just the word itself", like with, say... Well, "Freeza" and "Tapion", or the Saiyan name "Cacarrotto". He just makes it a little more original, by tweaking the spelling, so I can sorta see the "Darbra" thing, and might consider using it, actually...

But more specifically to the question, yeah, it's your own personal decision. If Toriyama provided a romanised spelling anywhere, that's the closest you'll get to an official way of spelling it (like with Monkey D. Luffy or Roronoa Zoro *), but even then, because these are Japanese people spelling out foreign words or names (or at least foreign-sounding), there's always gonna be some inconsistency, or some... Let's just say "interesting" choices. *cough-cough, "Grimjaw Jaggerjack" being officially romanised as "Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez"... **

* It's theorised that Roronoa came from Francois l'Olonnais, often seen spelled as l'Ollonais and more signficantly l'Ollonois. I can't remember if Oda has ever actually confirmed this.

** On researching this, it turns it may be that Kubo was actually taking some inspiration from other foreign names, as opposed to just making a cool sounding name out of nowhere, so my point wavers a little in this regards.

[Adamant]

* It's theorised that Roronoa came from Francois l'Olonnais, often seen spelled as l'Ollonais and more signficantly l'Ollonois. I can't remember if Oda has ever actually confirmed this.

He has, in the very first One Piece letter column in vol 4.

[SaiyamanMS]

I seem to recall a sign in the crowd at the 28th Budokai saying "Mr. Boo" on it in English letters? Of course, this was the anime and it's been ages since I've watched the episodes in question, so I can't say anything with certainty in regards to Toriyama. Buu is still a completely valid way to spell it though.

[son veku]

Say's boo in Viz and in Subs so I agree

[Gaffer Tape]

As far as the song goes, isn't the actual lyric spelled as "Bippity boppity boo" as opposed to "Bibbidi bobbidi boo"? As a somewhat lapsed Disney nut, I can only say that with some authority. If anyone else would like to back me up on that, that would be great. Anyway, my point is, those names are already altered from the lyrics they come from, so saying that Bobbidi is more accurate than Babidi is rather a moot point.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

As far as the song goes, isn't the actual lyric spelled as "Bippity boppity boo" as opposed to "Bibbidi bobbidi boo"?

Well, Wikipedia disagrees: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo

[Codarik]

For me, it looks better spelled out "Buu", everytime I see it spelled out as "Boo" I think of a ghost.

[Gonstead]

For me, it looks better spelled out "Buu", everytime I see it spelled out as "Boo" I think of a ghost.

I second this.

[dbboxkaifan]

For me, it looks better spelled out "Buu", everytime I see it spelled out as "Boo" I think of a ghost.

You: U
The: Duh/Da
Knot: Not
Gnasher: Nasher
Hour: Ow-ur
Games: Gay-mes
Call: Cawl

So you see English's pretty inconsistent same goes for Majin Boo can be written however you desire, Boo, Buu or Bū.

[Red Tiger]

I spell "Buu", in my opinion looks better then "Boo", but it's up to you (OWmyDragonBallz).