New English dubbed names

[Marisa]

By using the name "Dr. O'Shay", they were probably trying to shorten Ochanomizu. And it worked. Although I've grown attached to Elefun...

Zoran... well, took me forever to figure out how to spell Uran. Don't wanna make the little kids heads explode, now... ^_~

[jeffbert]

Perhaps, but I believe it is cultural inclusion. By making Dr. O, Irish,

Kenichi ->KENNEDY, and very dark-shkinned



this boy Hispanic(?) ->RENO,


Tamao -> ALEJO
,

etc, The dubbers hope to widen the show's appeal. Which makes some sense, although since anime is as popular as it is, without Westernizing the names, this move seems unnecessary.

[Marisa]

XD Don't you remember the English trailer that was on the Japanese Tetsuwan Atom website? O'Shay didn't have an Irish Accent.. he just sounded like an upbeat elderly man. :3

[jeffbert]

I had forgotten all about that English dubbed preview, thanks for reminding me. Even though O'Shay lacks an Irish accent, so do many others, whose parents and perhaps grandparents has assimilated into American Culture.

[Marisa]

In my opinion, you're reading a little too far into this. ^_~ From what I can tell, Sony's trying to keep it as close to the Japanese as possible. But if the name gets too complicated (Like Ochanomizu, for example) the name is shortened. O'Shay is probably derived from the "Ocha" in Ochanomizu.

[jeffbert]

Nevertheless, the old and familiar Dr. Elefun, which was used in the two previous series, would certainly have been as well-received by this generation as it had by the two before it. Funny names make kids giggle, and add to the show's appeal. There must have been a reason why those tried and true names were rejected. The names that were chosen do have the characteristics I have described. Cultural inclusion might have nothing to do with it, it could be sheer coincidence that the new names are culturally diverse. Nevertheless, one could certainly make a decent case that Cultural inclusion and diversity did have everything to do with it.

[Marisa]

Whoah, when did I log out? x_X That was odd. But yeah. What I just said a post ago XD

[DrFrag]

In the 60s he was Dr Pachydermus J Elefun, which is even better (pachyderms are the species which elephants belong to). And the J kind of looks like a trunk.

[jeffbert]

In the 60s he was Dr Pachydermus J Elefun, which is even better (pachyderms are the species which elephants belong to). And the J kind of looks like a trunk.

How could I have forgotten about the first and middle names?

Anonther thing about names is that the Japanese prefer using titles. Even in families, only the elder members use the names of younger members. In the episode in which Uran is introduced (80s), the Dr. rebukes her for calling her elder brother by name, after which she calls him elder brother. Likewise in Tenchi, Ayaka calls her younger sister by name, but the younger sister calls the elder elder sister. But everybody calls Tenchi by his name. Both Atom and Uran call Dr. O simply Professor.

Of all the anime I have seen, only Nuku Nuku uses mama-san and papa-san. The others use Okasan and Otasan, respectively.