Ask John: Should Anime Titles Be Altered for American Release?

Question:
I just started watching Zipang and so far I’ve been very impressed. As good as I’ve found the show to be, it’s occurred to me that its greatest weakness was its too-enigmatic title. I mean, what is it supposed to mean? I don’t think any consumer really knew what to make of the title, and therefore gave it little consideration.

I’m addressing this as part of a larger issue as the anime industry falters: while valuing the integrity of a licensed title is laudable, maybe distributors need to be more flexible in how they market titles; this can come right down to the title it is marketed under. Suppose, instead of Zipang, it had been marketed under a title like the movie it is loosely based on, “The Final Countdown.” I think people might have given it a second look. Recognizing that marketing is a key part of selling a product and communicating an idea, perhaps some anime may need to take some liberties in order to reach that broader market. What do you think?

Answer:
Allow me to address your questions in sequence. First, regarding the title “Zipang,” the name “Zipang,” also sometimes romanized as “Zipangu” or “Jipangu” is the ancient name for the nation of Japan, predating the names “Nippon” and “Japan.” Considering that Kaiji Kawaguchi’s alternate history story is decidedly nationalistic and deals with the concept of going back in time to create a history in which Japan remained dominant, the reference to the traditional name of the Japanese nation is very fitting.

I’m sure that every American anime fan has an individual opinion on the policy of changing the titles of imported anime for commercial reasons. Because the question was posed specifically to me, I’ll respond with my own, personal perspective. My own opinion is that sometimes changing the titles of imported anime is, and should be, a necessary evil rather than a standard policy or preferable action. And let me clarify that I make a distinction between translating titles and entirely changing titles. This is a difficult debate with weighty and valid reasons for and against. I’ll do my best to present them both respectfully.

The debate over altering titles is a conflict between the necessity of commercial marketing and respect for artistic integrity. Traditionally many respected Japanese films have been imported to America with their original titles intact. Look to Rashamon, Sanjuro, Yojimbo, Ran, Tanpopo, and Kwaidan for examples. More recently, the Thai martial arts film Ong Bak was successfully released theatrically and on American DVD with its original title intact. Alternately, even I concede that some titles need to be changed for the benefit of American audiences. The title “Kyogoku Natsuhiko Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari” may be very meaningful to Japanese audiences who are familiar with both author Kyogoku Natsuhiko and the tradition of “hyaku monogatari,” but this title means nothing to Americans. So the change to “Requiem From The Darkness” was necessary. “Totsuzen! Neko no Kuni Banipal Witt” (Suddenly! Country of the Cats: Banipal Witt) doesn’t have nearly the impact on Americans that the original American title “Catnapped” does. Nor does “Muteki Kanban Musume” (Invincible Advertising Sandwichboard Girl) have the same meaning in English as “Ramen Fighter Miki.” “Grrl Power” terribly dates the American release. It’s a more accessible English title than the original Japanese “Makasete Iruka” (Leave It To Iruka), but the original Japanese title is more relevant to the content of the series.

But I have to wonder if “Ronin Warriors” is genuinely more exotic and commercial in America than the original Japanese title “Samurai Troopers.” Likewise, was it really necessary to change “Human Scramble” to “Human Crossing?” Moreover, sometimes title changes for American releases undermine their own commercial purpose by creating confusion among consumers. For example “Cardcaptors” is censored and English dubbed while “Card Captor Sakura” is uncut and subtitled. “Knights of the Zodiac” is censored and dubbed while “St. Seiya” is uncut and subtitled. And Media Blasters released the “Rurouni Kenshin” television series while AD Vision released the “Samurai X” motion picture and OVAs. Ultimately I have to question whether drastic title changes actually have a significant impact on sales potential. The Magical Girl Pretty Samy television series was re-titled “Magical Project S,” and the UFO Princess Valkyrie franchise re-titled “UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie” reportedly because the Best Buy retail chain asserted that “feminine” sounding titles didn’t sell well. But did changing the titles of these anime really generate a significant number of additional consumer sales? Considering that other anime titles including Princess Tutu, Princess Minerva, and Elf Princess Rane have been released on domestic DVD with their titles intact, I’m forced to focus a suspicious eye on the necessity of changing select “feminine sounding” titles but not others.

In the majority of cases American anime fans are opposed to especially loose translations. So it seems contradictory to demand a faithful translation of the original Japanese dialogue yet not apply the same standards to the original Japanese title. I’ll admit that I’m an anime purist. In fact, I’m still incensed by Software Sculptors, Central Park Media, and FUNimation adding the definite article “the” to the title of “The Slayers.” (At least AD Vision retained the literal original Japanese title, which is simply “Slayers”). While I know that anime is a frequently a commercial product, it’s also a creative art. I find it distasteful and disrespectful for people unrelated to the creation of artworks to impose changes upon those artworks. In certain cases, such as those cited above, changes are necessary and justified. But in many cases I personally believe that Americans interested in Japanese art should be respectful of Japanese artistic decisions. The compromise, which has been used occasionally in America – and not frequently enough for my taste – is to include both original Japanese and “Americanized” titles. Synch Point’s release of I’m Gonna Be An Angel included a reversible cover with the original Japanese title “Tenshi ni Narumon.” Releases such as Media Blasters’ “White Cross” and Central Park Media’s “Knights of Ramune” include the original Japanese titles “Weiss Kreuz” and “Lamune & 40 Fresh” on the covers as well.