For my first Katakana sample, I have selected the box for the
collectible Pokemon figurine, “Pikachu.” The figurine itself sells under the
moniker: ともだちピカチュウ.
“Pikachu” is the name of the character in the show “Pokemon.”
According to at least one textbook that explains the origins of Katakana, this
syllabary is occasionally utilized to emphasize names. In the show, Pikachu’s
signature move is a discharge of electricity. During this discharge, the small
electric mouse screams “Pi—Ka—Chuuuu,” which is a term that one might associate
with electric discharge, thereby suggesting that the katakana writing is
justified through onomatopoeia.
Pikachu, however, is not the only Pokemon that uses Katakana to
spell its name in Japanese. “Dodrio,” which is a portmanteau of the words
“Dodo” and “Trio,” is written as: ドードリオ. This Pokemon may have its name written in Katakana for the same
reason as Pikachu, to reflect an emphasis of its name, but its transcription
may have more to do with the fact that it is a combination of loan words. Even
so, the fact remains that “Dodrio” is *still* the Pokemon’s name, and an
emphasis of the name may be the reason that the Pokemon’s name is written in
Katakana.
Perhaps the strongest argument that both Pikachu and Dodrio are
written in Katakana arises from the fact that the main area of Pokemon, Kanto,
is also written in Katakana in both the game and the television show. In
Pokemon, Kanto is written as カントー, as opposed to its formal Kanji. Kanto, apparently, is a region of Japan (Honshu) that occupies seven prefectures. Therefore, it is *neither* onomatopoeia *nor* a loan word, since it has its natural Japanese derivation. We can therefore assume that Kanto is written in Katakana for perhaps the previously posited suggestion regarding Pikachu: That the advertisers and marketing directors chose to write the name in Katakana to either simplify or emphasize the name.
There are numerous reasons why textbooks define Katakana in different ways. Perhaps one reason has to do with the textbook author’s familiarity with both Japanese and the language into which she is translating. There are so many nuances in both English and Japanese, that it would be difficult to find a translation that encompasses each of these variations. Furthermore, language is always evolving. While Kanji is fixed, there are a seemingly infinite number of loan words and “new words” entering the lexicon on a nearly daily basis. The Japanese language must accommodate these new phrases, and Katakana is the means with which it can do so.
There are numerous reasons why textbooks define Katakana in different ways. Perhaps one reason has to do with the textbook author’s familiarity with both Japanese and the language into which she is translating. There are so many nuances in both English and Japanese, that it would be difficult to find a translation that encompasses each of these variations. Furthermore, language is always evolving. While Kanji is fixed, there are a seemingly infinite number of loan words and “new words” entering the lexicon on a nearly daily basis. The Japanese language must accommodate these new phrases, and Katakana is the means with which it can do so.
According to Bulbapedia...
ReplyDeletePikachu is a combination of ピカピカ pikapika (onomatopoeia for sparkle) and チューチュー chūchū (the sound of squeaking).
So close enough, haha.
It'd be interesting to look at other Japanese cartoons and see where they use hiragana/kanji vs. katakana as well. I think your reasoning about the familiarity also makes a lot of sense.
You raise some interests about the degree to which children's advertising campaigns utilize katakana. I don't know to what extent children learn extensive kanji at an early age, but it seems at a casual glance the katakana can be an effective marketing tool at younger audiences.
ReplyDeleteIt's always interesting when we look at the names of fictional anime characters. I think the world of Pokemon is very "complex": on one side it's very Japanese; on the other side it seems very Western too, many characters/players have Western names and look Western....
ReplyDeleteI guess I just want to say most manga have a diegesis which is different from traditional Japanese culture, and thus should be considered "foreign" and written in Katakana.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to know some other Japanese cartoons whether they use hirgana/katakana/kanji. I agree with Austin's comment that katakana/hiragana might be used more commonly than kanji for things targeted for younger audiences. Do Japanese people actually know all kanjis at early age..?
ReplyDelete