At 03:27 PM 6/15/98 -0500, The Eternal Lost Lurker wrote:
DISCLAIMER: Opinion rant ahead. I don't claim that all my info is perfect
or 100 percent accurate, so use at your own risk.
**Generally, he's accurate enough, and I'd like to add my ten yen (ones and
fives are virtually useless here nowadays) to the rant. As Lurker says
above, none of my info is perfect, either (a real embarassment, since it's
well known that I live here in the land of the sinking yen), and I'll be
using examples from other sources.
How does one make them? Like just pick some Japanese words [puff] Instant
ki? attacks.
NO.
You don't "Like just pick some Japanese words [puff] Instant ki? attacks",
if you give the least hint of a damn about what you're doing.
**Agreed. Crafting words in any language, unless you're going for
experimental, should make at least some minor degree of sense. Anything
less shows a lack of knowledge of Japanese (acceptable) and a lack to do
research (INACCEPTABLE).
When you create new ki attacks, you should do the following:
(1) Take into consideration the personality of the user. Your attack should
suit them. Shampoo, for instance, would not use a ki attack based on
submissive sexual tendencies. (And yes, there *are* some out there that are
that strange.)
**Note that a move's name doesn't neccesarily have to suit the person, it
can also suit the situation. Bear in mind, Ranma--his attacks are all
aggressive (Hiryu Shoten Ha, Moko Takabisha, etc.). However, he also has
in that roster, a move, Ri Gyo Hon Shin, which translates roughly as Carp
Body Wave (admittedly, he didn't create or name it), but it's a
passive/defensive move and not in the norm with Ranma's persona. However,
it does fit the situation at hand.
(2) Have fun with it. Pun, create something totally silly. For instance,
the most famous special attack from Dragonball, "Kamehameha", is a pun as
well as a completely silly name: "kame" is a reference to the attack's
creator Kamesennin, the Turtle Hermit), and can be translated roughly as
"turtle wave", but in actuality is named after a historical figure
(Hawaiian king Kamehameha)...or at
least, happens to be an amazing coincidence ^_^
**Agreed on this. I was reading a fanfic draft by someone, when they
created a projectile move which she named the Seitendama (roughly, Cannon
Shot). When I asked about it, she replied that there was a sound-based pun
there: the character, who was an occult worshipper, had a move that could
be spelled as Seitendama, but pronounced as SATAN-dama. It's an odd
example, but one nonetheless.
(3) Don't, please, randomly string together syllables in an attempt to come
up with something that sounds Japanese. There are enough reference
materials available both in bookstores and on the Web, that you can at
least try to be authentic.
**A good example of this can be found at the West of Tokyo club
(www.wot-club.org.uk/RanmaFAQ/arts/special), which gives a lengthy list of
attacks. another idea is to get yourself a book or two on Japanese. My
preferences are (for literary purposes, anyway) Kodansha's Dictionary of
the Japanese Language (AE-J version) and for grammar intent, AJALT's
Japanese for Busy People.
(4) Not *every* attack has to end in -ken or -ha.
**Once more, correct. Another outside example, but take a look at Capcom's
ever expanding move lists. You have the Sho Ryu Ken, and the Hado Ken
(which doesn't mean fireball, FTR; it should translate as Energy Wave
Punch), but you also have Tatsu Maki Sempu Kyakyu (and not all kicks have
to end in -kyaku, either), the Haru Ichiban, Midare Zakura, Sho Ryu Reppa,
Ryu En Bu, and so forth and so on. In a bit closer to home, Hinako's Happo
Tsurisen Gaeshi is a powerful projectile move, but also has no -ken, or -ha
in it.
(5) When you decide on the *English* version of the attack name, and
decide to translate it to Japanese, remember that literal translations are
WRONG about 80 percent of the time. Once you come up with something, or get
stuck and need help, e-mail someone who has a fairly decent grasp on
Japanese. (The address of this person is usually
EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net ^_^)
**Try also N5YN@c7f.navy.mil.
Also, keep in mind that there is *nothing* wrong with leaving an attack
name in English, or partially in English, under certain circumstances.
**For that matter, why should every attack be in Japanese or Chinese? I
have several characters in my fics who calls out their moves in English.
No one who learns a martial art is required to learn an Asian language to
call out their moves. For that matter, a martial arts expert that I ping
on for choreography advice once commented that one big difference between
Eastern and Western artists is that Westerners aren't big on calling out,
much less naming, attacks.
Can i have some assistance here? I'm witting(yeah right) something about
Happosai and i need new chi? attacks for him. Aside from his Chi bombs.
Keep in mind that Happousai already has some rather impressive, albeit
strange, attacks...such as the so-called "Bean Jam Blowout" whirlwind, or
the massive battle-aura attack he frequently uses...granted, that one's
more intimidation than anything...
**This is a character that you can have fun giving attack names with. I
pre-read for a person who gave ol' Happy a move which the author called
"Prom Night Special." Another author gave him a move with a
more...interesting...name (Dark Sneak Love Action--it's Japanese slang for
sex in the park. The explanation would take too long to explain, other
than the fact that Daiba-koen is a good place to...um, never mind. ^_^;)
And Whats the difference between Chi and Ki. Aside from the spelling
that is.
Chi is the Chinese pronunciation. Ki is the Japanese pronunciation. Aside
from that, there is no difference.
**Again, your character may not see this in the same light. What the
Chinese and Japanese respectively call chi or ki, the Hindi call chakra.
Some translate it as willpower, force, or spirituality. Yu Yu
Hakusho/Poltergiest Report is famed for the Rei Gun attack (another example
of a sound pun--Rei means spirit, or Ki; Rei Gun=Ray Gun, which can also be
stretched to =Reagan, the President who initiated the Star Wars program).
Hope this helps.
--Rob (at least, pyhsically, not sure about the mental.)
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Tadzunetsuru Being on my way to pay a visit,
Hana ka tote koso I found that which I took to be a flower,
Hi wo kurase Therefore, here I spend the day...
Akenu ni otoru Why in that time before dawn that dawn-blush
Akane sasuran? tint should glow--
That, indeed, I know not.
--from the Japanese fairytale The Tale of Aoyagi