Of the katakana words I found, I liked オールド・ボーイ (Old Boy) and ドラゴンボール(Dragon Ball) the most. Both are titles of Manga series. I do not read Manga, but I heard about these two series through other types of media. I heard about Dragon Ball from the Anime cartoon series I watched as a child, "Dragon Ball Z." Oldboy I heard about though a movie I watched of the same title. I believe that katakana is used, in addition for foreign words, to make certain words stand out. It seems similar to how when writing in English, sometimes someone writes a word bold or in italics.
All the textbooks seemed to agree on a couple uses, but then had different reasons for katakana use as well. I think the proper use for katakana, besides those agreed on consistently by all the textbooks, is all dependent on the writer. If the writer feels that it is a proper time to write a word in katakana, they throw it in so the word stands out.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
そうですね。I agree that these expressions are written in katakana for emphasis and because they are loanwords. I also want to add one more hypotheses. Although lots of adults read manga in Japan, it's mainly for young people (including people in their 20's). Young people tend to use katakana more than old people do, so オールドボーイ and ドラゴンボール, written in katakana, are catchy for young people. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteIt's true, there's a lot of katakana in anime and manga in particular. Do you agree that it's because a lot of it's intended for children? Do you think it's part of what adds to anime/manga's appeal in America, and do you have any favorite anime/manga? :)
ReplyDeleteドラゴンボール happens to be one of my favorite manga. I first read it more than 20 years ago. I read it again 2 years ago in Shanghai and it was as good as any new manga. Talking about great manga! For some reasons, ドラゴンボール is one of the rare comic books they sell in China. It is not that people in China don't read manga, it is just that they usually read pirated version online. BTW, I am not even sure whether the printed ドラゴンボール I bought at a proper bookstore in Shanghai was an authorized version...
ReplyDelete私も ヅラゴンボルを すきですよ。
ReplyDeleteJoshさんは Onepieceを すきですか？
That would make sense about younger people viewing katakana more than older ones. Most of what I looked at for katakana expressions (manga and advertisements) are things aimed more towards younger people. So the ad makers would need to catch the eye of the young people to get them interested in their product. The use of katakana might also add to manga's popularity in the US. The youth in the US are likewise drawn in by the use of "cool" characters.
ReplyDeleteOnepiece を よみません。While I did watch Dragon Ball and all the variations a lot when I was younger, I never actually read the manga. Though, with so much positive feedback, I may have to give it a try.