I guess I better add my $.02 here. I don't really think that Japanese
should be used when there is an appropriate english translation ("sempai"

I agree in some cases, but simple words like Nani? Ano? Arigatou etc. are
pretty easy to understand. And even the more difficult ones are also if used
in a good way. For example, Kun-chan's lemon series uses a LOT of Japanese

words

to describe *ahem* yet it is pretty obvious what they mean. AND, as a

bonus, you

learn a little Japanese.

imho, who cares about using those words?  i think it's...well, bad form, in
a way.
we speak english, you can live without japanese in your story, therefore why not
just stick to english?  i think this ranks up there wtih using multiple
punctuations
(!!!) or (???) or even (?!).  not terribly horrible, but bad form anyways.

I'll have to break my silence and disagree here.  I only speak marginal
Japanese (3 semesters and a *lot* of anime), but I feel it can add a
great deal of character and tone to a story if done right.  Done wrong
it's at least annoying, if not completely distracting.

Most anime is based on Japanese culture patterns and ideas, some of
which have absolutely no equivilent in other societies, particularly
those of the western English-speaking world (yeah, even you Aussies :).
The sense of duty and obligation in relationships for example, from
which the story use of Japanese names/honorifics comes. There isn't
really anything similar in our (personal our there) culture that matches
the sempai relationship.  Yeah you can say it's kinda like being an
upperclassman, but it isn't quite the same.  That Japanese relationship
defines a lot more in the way of duties and benefits, in both
directions, than the classman relation does.  Family terms are the same
way.  The differences between oneesama, oneesan, oneechan, nee-chan, <someone>-ane,
and <someone>-onechan, are subtle, but can tell you a lot about the
relationship to that person's older sister.  The difference between
oyaji and otoosan are more pronounced, but still not quite like anything
in English at least (may between 'Pops' and 'Dad' but not exactly).
Japanese uses of first and last name, along with an honorific is the
same way, there's a much wider spectrum in terms of degree of respect
than just 'Nickname, First Name, Mr. Lastname, Sir'.  A simplification,
but it proves the point.

The use of Japanese for other words is also an easy way to get the
proper tone and flavor.  Most of the characters *are* Japanese, having
them use the right words at the right times is very natural, and makes
the characterization more believable.  Shouting 'Nani?' or stammering
'Anou' is far more likely to give the right 'anime' mood than 'What' and 'Um'
respectively.

On the flip side, people who use too much Japanese are probably forcing
the issue, especially if it isn't well explained or worse, unexplained.
Using it wrong is also very, very distracting.  The recent Kasumi fic,
"Heart of the Family" by Richard Lawson for example, was an *excellent*
story  (Keep it up Richard! :).   But at the same time every time Kasumi
used 'Akane-oneechan', or 'Nabiki-oneechan', I just cringed.  The recent
update was a little better (the relationship imooto is right at least),
but I was taught that a Japanese speaker would almost never use it that
way.   More likely it would be just 'Nabiki and Akane', or perhaps
'Nabiki-chan and Akane-chan' in the right situations, considering the
relative closeness of the Tendou family.  Imooto is far more far more
likely, in my understanding, to be used when refering the sibling in
conversation with non-family, and not often as an honorific, but as just
a title as in 'Imooto, san-nin ga imasu' {I have three younger sisters}.

The big trick is just finding the proper balance.

	-DaR
--
Dan Root - dar@pobox.com (personal)  dar@andrew.cmu.edu (work)