Profanity in anime

[otakudes]

I mention it because I seldom see it in subtitled anime yet the same show dubbed may be filled with F*** words. I've heard the subbed version Panty & Stocking is filled with F bombs. I bet that's not the case in the Japanese version. About the only anime I've seen using vulgarity is Ebichu. (Ebichu rocks BTW)

I can't understand why the U.S. chooses to add profanity that doesn't exist. Is it for marketing?

[Leader Desslock]

Originally Posted by otakudes

I can't understand why the U.S. chooses to add profanity that doesn't exist. Is it for marketing?

Why do you ask questions for which you already know the answer?

There is absolutely no purpose for a company importing and sub/dubbing foreign animation other than "how much money can we make on this title, and is it more than we paid for the license?"

Any company who follows a rule other than that is allowing fools to make economic decisions, and likely went out of business in the great market crash of [whatever year it was].

[otakudes]

If that's the case who are they marketing to? Kids? 'cause it sounds childish to me.

[old hat]

I don't know if they literally say that in Panty and Stocking but it's a pretty damn raunchy show.

[Leader Desslock]

Originally Posted by otakudes

If that's the case who are they marketing to? Kids? 'cause it sounds childish to me.

Welcome to the world of the Lowest Common Denominator.

[Sora N]

Originally Posted by otakudes

If that's the case who are they marketing to? Kids? 'cause it sounds childish to me.

Personally, I have never considered most anime series appropriate for children in the first place. 90% of the anime I own (which is a lot) I would never let a child see. Heck, even some series (not including hentai) are not even appropriate for teenagers (maybe mature teenagers can handle some of the mature anime themes though), so it seems the anime companies are marketing for adults or older (mature) teenagers.

[Dreamstryder]

I've watched Panty & Stocking in Japanese, and when they curse, they do it in English. The same thing with J-dubbed South Park episodes. Panty & Stocking is already referencing US animation among other things (Powerpuff Girls in art style, irreverent vulgarity similar to South Park and Ren & Stimpy), so it seems common-sense the language of that vulgarity would be in English.

As far as I've heard, Japanese doesn't have swear words the exact way English does. Offensive speech is accomplished through choice of pronouns and verb conjugation; in general, rudeness is from being brusque in situations expecting more formality. For example, you can use "onore" (you) and "yarou" (jerk), or "fuzakeruna" (a clipped way of saying "don't mess around with me!").

Shonen Jump characters do this all the time, so it's not something they'd hide from their young adults and older children, so I'd assume such behavior is rude, but not offensive to see characters use.