Category Archives: Language

Is the Sailor Starlights’ Kinmokusei a Planet or a Star?

Posted
Filed under Articles, In-Universe Lore, Language
Where are Kakyuu and the Starlights from??

Where are Kakyuu and the Starlights from??

As a translator, one of the most difficult issues to deal with is that of trying to figure out what an ambiguous word means when you don’t have enough context. This issue becomes infinitely harder when you’re working within a fantasy setting and there quite simply isn’t any further information for you to look up.

The debate surrounding Kinmokusei is one such problem. In Japanese, it could just as easily be either a planet or star (but thankfully not both).1 But depending on which one it is, that kind of changes our perception of where the Starlights come from.

Today, we’re going to see if we can try to unravel this mystery. Get suited up, it’s gonna be a rocky flight!

Continue reading →

Why Does Sailor Moon Talk About Angry Lizards, Salamanders, and Fish?

Posted
Filed under Anime, Articles, Language
Correction: Lizards, Salamanders, Fish, AND RABBITS will be angry

Correction: Lizards, Salamanders, Fish, AND RABBITS will be angry

While I typically avoid going down into the tiny nitty-gritty in individual episodes (that kind of analysis is saved for the Episode Reviews), there’s something about this line that I just found so nonsensical and confusing that I just had to look into it. And I’m glad I did.

For those of you who have no idea what I’m even talking about, today we’re going to take a look at the odd line in episode 5 of the original 90s anime, where Sailor Moon exclaims that three animals are “going to be mad” about Jadeite’s plan.

If you’re as confused as I was, stick around!

Continue reading →

What Is the Correct Spelling of Haruka’s Last Name, Tenoh or Tenou?

Posted
Filed under Articles, Fandom, Haruka Tenoh, Language, Michiru Kaioh, Setsuna Meioh
Wait, which one is it Haruka?!

Wait, which one is it Haruka?!

While I’m sure I’ve made quite a reputation for myself about being a stickler for the every little tiny detail in the Sailor Moon universe, I’m just going to say up front that I find it absolutely absurd that fans even argue about this.

And argue they do! As someone who’s been a part of the Sailor Moon internet community since the late 90s, I can say that I’ve seen this argument come and go since the earliest days of the fandom.

So, since this is a question I see from time to time in my inbox and DMs, I figure it’s time I throw in my 2.27 yen!1 What is the correct spelling?

Continue reading →

Where Did the Dead Moon Circus’ Lemures Get Their Names? (Part 3)

Posted
Filed under Articles, Dead Moon Circus, Language
The Amazoness Quartet

The Amazoness Quartet

Well, here we are! We’ve finally made it to the exciting climax (??) of the three-part series into where the Lemures get their names.

Today, we’ll be talking about the Lemures that served under the Amazoness Quartet and, I have to admit, the names are quite a challenge to describe!

Since we’ve got a lot to discuss, let’s just dive right in!

Continue reading →

What Are Some Difficulties Faced in Translating Sailor Moon?

Posted
Filed under Articles, Fandom, Language, Making Of
What translating feels like

What translating feels like

One common theme that runs through many of the topics I end up discussing is that of the differences between Japanese and English nuance, and how much of that gets lost in translation.

I want to make it clear that I don’t mean this as an indictment against some of the translators who have taken on (or been assigned) the challenge that Sailor Moon has to offer. In fact, I’d like to take a look at some of the challenges people face when translating Sailor Moon – or really, any Japanese media with a sufficiently deep enough plot – into another language.

This topic may be a little inside baseball, but if you’ve ever been interested in the art of translation, this article may be for you!

Continue reading →

Where Did the Dead Moon Circus’ Lemures Get Their Names? (Part 2)

Posted
Filed under Articles, Dead Moon Circus, Language, Making Of
♪ It's the eye of the tiger ♪ It's the thrill of the fight ♪

♪ It’s the eye of the tiger ♪ It’s the thrill of the fight ♪

If I were to compare the Lemures in Sailor Moon SuperS to any of the other Monsters of the Day, I’d say their closest match about probably be the early Dark Kingdom youma.

What do I mean? Well, the Lemures felt a lot like just lower-ranking members of the Dead Moon Circus, like they were simply lower on the corporate ladder than the Four Kings, who had already managed to secure positions as supervisors through long days at the office, countless unpaid overtime, and a little bit of corporate schmoozing.

Contrast that with the Cardians, Droids, and Phages, and you can see their role is pretty different.

But that’s not what we’re here to talk about, now is it? We’re here to continue taking a look into where the Lemures get their names from. Stick around as we continue with Part 2 of this series!

Continue reading →

Where Did the Dead Moon Circus’ Lemures Get Their Names? (Part 1)

Posted
Filed under Articles, Dead Moon Circus, Language, Making Of
"Where we're going, we don't need roads!"

“Where we’re going, we don’t need roads!”

Bringing up the topic of the Sailor Moon SuperS anime in conversation can be about as divisive and unwise as discussing politics at the dinner table, religion over Thanksgiving, or subs vs. dubs in a comic book shop. You just don’t know where the other party stands, and no matter what their opinion is, they’re bound to be passionate about it.

But today we’re only skirting around the issue of whether or not the series has any merits, and instead are talking about something we can all hopefully get behind: where did the names of the Lemures come from? Stick around to find out!

Continue reading →