_Barefoot Gen_

[filkferengi]

Only the title has any connection with sounis, but it's extra compelling to make up for it. The biography manga is recommended as being brilliant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_Gen

Does this manga create confusion with the Japanese editions of mwt? What do they call Gen in Japanese?

Comments

[ladyfox.livejournal.com]

Newp, I doubt it creates any confusion at all for a number of reasons. For one thing, Japanese has a separate phonetic alphabet for "foreign" names and words, so Gen (from Barefoot Gen) and Gen (from the Queen's Thief books) wouldn't even be written in the same alphabet.

Also I think the pronunciation is different. Based on the kana (phonetic letters) on the linked Wikipedia page, Barefoot Gen rhymes with Ken, or perhaps even closer to the English word "gain" with a hard G, followed by an A sound. Attolian Gen on the other hand, at least according to Amazon Japan, is pronounce with a soft G as "Jen" like the abbreviation for Jennifer.

That's what I gather from the kana anyway. Anyone feel free to correct me please.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Do you know how it's spelled in katakana?

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

That's funny.

Anyhow, Filk...

Gen's name being a foreign word would be written in an alphabet called katakana. The name of the main character of this manga is also written in katakana, but that's normal in order to denote who the main character is.

(Note: the rest of the title is written is hirigana.)

In the audio books, Gen is pronounced like Jen.

The Japanese would pronounce the word differently. The GE would be the same as the GA in gain. Japanese does not contain any hard "j" sounds, so that is why the name sounds different.

I don't know for certain how Gen is written in "Toushinden", but I assume it would be spelled like it is in this manga.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Oh... Wait...

Strike that.

The Japanese would probably spell his name in a fashion that directly transcribed from katakana into Roman letters would look like this.

Jiyan or Jan.

So yeah..

The Gen in this manga and the Gen in QT would be different then.

[ladyfox.livejournal.com]

Minor correction, the katakana in barfoot gen is a "hardened" ke sound. That makes it "gay" and then "n" coming out more like the English "gain" (though not quite as much of an A sound.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Yeah... That's what I figured when I thought about it. The "ji" sounds mixed with the "e" or "a" sound would be the closest to how we say it. Ergg... Figuring out how they would write English words is so complicated sometimes.

I couldn't check myself because the internet wasn't working.

[bluestalking.livejournal.com]

Sorry, this is probably a personal issue more than anything, but could you please add a warning that the link leads to info on a horrifying, graphic manga about atomic bombs?

[bluestalking.livejournal.com]

(If people don't know the title already it seems sort of rough to drop it on them with no prelude. *wishes for comment editing ability*)

[newbia.livejournal.com]

There's nothing graphic on this page. There's only one picture and it just shows two children looking very scared. Anyone who did not want to read about atomic bombs would only have to read the summary at the top of the page to realize that they ought to avoid reading the rest.

(Note: Please don't misunderstand my tone. I'm not trying to start an argument with you or yell at you for posting that comment. It's very hard to convey the correct tone on the internet. ^_^;;;;)

[bluestalking.livejournal.com]

I didn't take offense! I also didn't look at the page, at all, because, as I said, it's not something I handle very well. I know the series and just the title is enough to freak me out, which is why I said it might be a personal thing. ^^;; So, that is good to know. On the other hand, I don't think it would hurt to have a line, just so people don't have to navigate to another page just to find out it's something they don't want to read about. Maybe that is just me remembering dial-up, though. And having a really crummy wireless router.

[jezmitt.livejournal.com]

From the manga, the name is spelled ゲン, Gen, and pronounced "gehn" with a hard "g".

In MWT's books, the name is spelled ジェン, Jen, and pronounced "jehn".

:D

[(Anonymous)]

*raises hand* The first one is "gahn" actually, but I could be wrong (my katakana is super rusty).

[(Anonymous)]

I TAKE IT BACK! *hides* You're right! >.>