Methinks it's time for a poll.

[nenena]

[Poll #1432144]
ETA: livejournal post where you can see the poll!

If I were a better person, I would be distinguishing between the just plain Did Not Do the Research linguistic sins ("Jacuzzi Splot") versus the Chalk This One Up to Good Old-Fashioned Linguistic Barriers names ("Gopher").* But I'm not.

Anyway, feel free to add your own nominations in the comments. Requirements: It must be a totally awesome, complex, fascinating, dramatically "heavy" character who is saddled with a name that makes it difficult or nearly impossible for non-Japanese speakers to take said character seriously.

* I'm sure that, for Ohkubo's intended audience of Japanese speakers, "Gopher" is quite the brilliant name. It's a double-whammy Biblical pun (animal theme + "gopher wood") plus a sly linguistic nod to modern office slang. Unfortunately, the word "gopher" just has extraordinarily silly conotations for English speakers. And even more unfortunately, it sounds exactly like the word for "waffles" to, oh, anybody who speaks a Romance language. Which, yes, of course - I know, you know, we all know that Ohkubo isn't writing for an international audience, he's writing for his Japanese audience - but still. Unfortunate linguistic coincidences are LULZ no matter where they come from.

Comments

[ilikebigtoes.livejournal.com]

is it wrong for me to take a character seriously if I call him Waffles but Gopher sends me into face palms?

[nenena.livejournal.com]

No. No, it is not wrong.

He's basically "Waffles" in my head now, anyway.

[stephendann.livejournal.com]

Even when Shrek's Donkey shouts "And in the morning, I'm making Waffles!"?

[nenena.livejournal.com]

Yes. Even then.

[stephendann.livejournal.com]

You? You are awesome.

[the-sun-is-up.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, so that's where the Waffles nickname came from. At any rate, I like Waffles better than Gopher. :D

[keiichi-chan.livejournal.com]

Iceman Hottie is an amazing name!

[lost-angelwings.livejournal.com]

Wow all those names are just O_O;;

[sagesoren.livejournal.com]

Actually, in (the Japanese version of) Eternal Sonata, there's a man who leads a resistance against this nutbar count. He's really cool and strong and respected, as well as being the object of at least three women's affections, and his name is...

Jitterbug.

(All the characters have music-themed names.)

This was changed to Jazz in the English version, though, which is a lot better, but still. And Jacuzzi? Wtf!

[nenena.livejournal.com]

Jitterbug. Oh, that is excellent! Thanks for the awesome example.

[keiichi-chan.livejournal.com]

I WISH they'd left that unchanged for the gang.
guy with massive sword and ponytail...JITTERBUG

[mikk1o5.livejournal.com]

As much as I was going to say Gopher, I had done research and OH DEAR LORD WTF is Jacuzzi Splot? LOLOL

WOW.

Though, I was still torn between those two---just had to choose Jacuzzi because...Well Come on! LOL

This may be a stupid question, but I am still confused as to the relation between Waffles and Gopher. It sounds, as in an auditory effect, the same in the english language; or rather, when translated from Japanese to english? Or I am just missing something entirely. Forgive me

I feel stupid. lol

[nenena.livejournal.com]

Nah, it's not a stupid question! Lemme see if I can explain.

In Japanese: Go-fe-ru = Gopher.

However, "Goferu" (and also "Gopher") happens to sound a lot like the word for "waffles" in several languages, including...

Spanish: Gofre
French: Gaufre
Polish: Gofr

...and these are all languages that happen to be represented in the Soul Eater fandom. :)

Er, does that make sense?

[mikk1o5.livejournal.com]

Makes complete sense. LMFAO

Thanks a bunch. I know a lot of spanish I am surprised I didn't know how to say Waffles in spanish. Now I know.

LOLOL waffles

[chiisai-neko.livejournal.com]

WAFFLES~! *dies*

[stitchy-soul.livejournal.com]

I will also be a comment whore and lol over 'Waffles'. Hmn... I think this all calls for a sly pun to be made from Justin about the language barrier in 'Raison D'etre'. *grins*

Quite honestly I thought 'Kid' was a rather unfortunate name, but I've come to accept it. Same with Soul, Spirit, and Cloud.

I've got to say that I find Franken Stein to be rather unfortunate. Obviously it's FITTING and all, but... wouldn't have the last name sufficed? ^^;;; That's got to be an embarrassment to the poor guy, unless for some strange reason Mary Shelley never existed in their world. O_o;;;

Surprisingly, even the most unusual names have grown on me to where I no longer think about it. Funny how that happens. Hunh. o_o;;;

[the-terrible.livejournal.com]

*phone rings* Hello? Oh, Aunt Jemima! ...wait, you like Soul Eater now? It's your favorite...?

[nenena.livejournal.com]

Gosh, how could you tell?

:)~

[the-terrible.livejournal.com]

XD

[aiwatan.livejournal.com]

Voted for Waffles because I don't know the others, but Jacuzzi?? Iceman Hottie?? God.

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

Who could forget the kickass heroine from Dunbine, Marvel Frozen?

[nenena.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is an amazing name. ♥

[sno-oki.livejournal.com]

Not nearly as good as the other examples, but the character Enzan Ijuuin was changed to Eugene Chaud Blaze in English. French lessons were never the same...

Chaud = hot, warm
Enzan (from basic googling skills) = fire mountain

Seriously? I can understand the link between Enzan and Chaud, but what's with the Eugene? O_O; No wonder the kid never introduces himself as Eugene.

[nenena.livejournal.com]

Eugene Chaud Blaze. My gosh, that is epic.

[sno-oki.livejournal.com]

He was supposed to be the token 'serious, calm, collected' character too!

[sagesoren.livejournal.com]

I think the "Eugene" thing comes from how "Ijuuin" sounds when it's spoken. xD

I totally forgot about that one, though. Such a silly name.

[sno-oki.livejournal.com]

You-jean
Ih-jyou-iiin

Hmmm...I think you may be onto something there!

[neocloud9.livejournal.com]

Actually, Jacuzzi's silly name just makes him THAT MUCH MORE BADASS.

... *splorfles*

[olgiebear.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that I'll get used to it...eventually.
When I first heard of the name Gopher, the image of the animal just popped in my head in place of our dear Waffles. When I see "Gopher" I get this uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach because I keep on mentally placing buck teeth on him and imagine many figiting motions. ;^;

Then at a french class while speaking about what we did over the week-end, one person spoke of an amusement-park and...the word waffles (but in french) came up...I LOL'd.

Soul Eater is filled with WTF, uncomfortable names...but I suppose you get used to it.
When I first got into the Soul Eater fandom, the names just BLEW ME AWAY.
Soul? Death the Kid? Black*Star? Franken Stien? Ox Ford? Harva D'Eclair?
Now that I think of it...most of the names in Soul Eater have some sort of word play, or refrence to something-something.
Now, I'm surprised that I can say Soul, Stien, Kid and Black*Star seriously. I mean... I could write an epic, serious, court-room drama using those names and I would feel no tension being disolved due to the names.

[its-onthefritz.livejournal.com]

Voted for "Waffles" mostly due to the fact that I don't watch any of the other shows you listed ^^;. I have been meaning to check out Basquash! though, and sadly, I think those goofy names (Jacuzzi Splot, really? Really?) are only encouraging me.

[wannabe-tenshi.livejournal.com]

I think I (soon) might be the only one who doesn't see "Gopher" as "waffles" or animal. .-. Not to say it's not amusing, just... I don't know, maybe it's because it's written with "phe"/"ph" instead of "f" that helps me see a difference between what is supposed to be a character's name and a name of the food (or animal). x-x;;;

Also - more absurd names. (I KNEW a list like that had to exist somewhere! :D;;)

[temidete.livejournal.com]

Yesterday I ate waffles. With whipped cream.

Jacuzzi Splot and Iceman Hottie TOTALLY killed me. Just... LULZ, LULZ. Who does invent such names anyway?!

Now I'm thinking of other totally awesome, complex, fascinating, dramatically "heavy" names... If I recall, I'll write. Everything because Clown You. Be proud of yourself. XD