The Correct Pronunciation for Manga

[White Raven]

My nephew tried pronouncing it once and came up with Mag-na. LOL. So with I read it I hear him saying Mag-na. That also makes me think of the time I told him Frieza on DBZ was a boy not a girl. He looks at me a says. “But he has lipstick on.â€

[Lunis]

One of my friends at school thought Frieza was a girl, and I kept arguing with him that he wasn't. We kind of forgot about it, and a long time later, I heard him talk about Frieza, saying "he." I was like, "Finally you understand that he is a boy!" My friend was like, "I never thought he was a girl. What are you talking about?" Gah!

My nephew tried pronouncing it once and came up with Mag-na.

Lol! My friend (a different friend) and I thought that was what it was when we were younger.

[Indigo_Eyes]

Do you want to know something really sad? I have always called it 'main-ga' and most of the people I know say it the same way, so I have 'corrected' some of my high school friends when they say 'monga'. I'm so ashamed. I don't know why- but 'monga' sounds so weird to me. I guess its just cause I first got into manga over the internet- and I assumed it was 'main-ga'. Now I can't get it out. I must try, though, for it is my duty to be the grammer and pronunciation queen!!! Sigh...

Sounds exactly like me

[ShiroiHikari]

I say "mahn-ga" because 1. it's the correct Japanese pronunciation and 2. "main-ga" sounds too hickish to my ears, even though I was raised in Oklahoma. ^__^;;

[termyt]

Not to split hairs, but the difference between mahn-ga and main-ga is quite small. I think both are acceptible.

I think the heretic is the one who pointed it out, but the "n" is it's own syllable in Japanese and the "a" is always short. Ma-n-ga.

And I still think Freiza's a girl. To the point that I keep wondering why they call her a him in the DBZ episodes.

[uc pseudonym]

And I still think Freiza's a girl. To the point that I keep wondering why they call her a him in the DBZ episodes.

This is fairly common, from what I hear. I have a set of friends who (despite their knowledge of the truth) consistantly use female pronouns to refer to Frieza. But then again, Goku's Japanese voice actor was a woman, so the anime already has some gender ambiguity...

[nightblade]

so the anime already has some gender ambiguity...

Most anime does however, like Naruto for instance has a female voice actor. Did Kenshin? (Japanese that is) I thought he did but I wasn't sure.

[Debitt]

Yes, Kenshin's voice actor was also female. But it's not uncommon for women to play the roles of younger boys or some males in anime, so I don't see the big deal. =O

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I've pronounced it as man-ga and muhn-ga (I think the latter is more authentic sounding)

[Mangafanatic]

Yes, Kenshin's voice actor was also female. But it's not uncommon for women to play the roles of younger boys or some males in anime, so I don't see the big deal. =O

And yet it bothers me none the less.

[uc pseudonym]

Yes, Kenshin's voice actor was also female. But it's not uncommon for women to play the roles of younger boys or some males in anime, so I don't see the big deal. =O

Oh, I'm not making a big deal about it, but I do object on principle. If the character is a young boy, use a young boy as a voice actor. If a male, a male, a female, a female. Just because it is common doesn't make it in any better taste to me.

Americans have their counterparts, of course. This isn't at all anime, but Junior of Veggie Tales is played by a woman.

[termyt]

It's hard to find talented actors who are young children, so the roles of young boys often go to women. That's a tradition dating back to the theater. It's harder to pull it off on TV, but on stage or if you are just hearing the voice, it's rather easy. I guess I would say it doesn't bother me in the least. I don't think there is necessarily any gender ambiguity introduced by a female playing a male, although it's a harder sell the other way around.

[Arnobius]

Unless, it's done for comedy...

Oh, I'm not making a big deal about it, but I do object on principle. If the character is a young boy, use a young boy as a voice actor. If a male, a male, a female, a female. Just because it is common doesn't make it in any better taste to me.

Watch the live action version of Sailor Moon and watch how these teenagers "act."

More seriously, in Japan, people audition, then get selected for roles based on how the director wants them to sound. Most pre-pubescent boys are played by female seiyuu because their voices are not as low and deep as an adult male's. Kenshin is played by a woman, but remember that the real individual Kenshin was based on was an effeminate man who pulled off some of his assassinations disguised as a woman.

Also, talented child actors are rare in any country, and doing voices for animation takes some talent to do well (it's different from regular acting where the face and body are important). It's much easier to find a professional adult woman who can make her voice sound like a child's.

I don't think there is anything unwholesome about it, and it's certainly less troublesome morally than doing VA work for porn anime, which regardless of gender correlation of chara/actor is promoting something immoral even though nothing is actually being done by real people.

[Nate]

It's much easier to find a professional adult woman who can make her voice sound like a child's.

Well, this is true. Bart Simpson is played by a woman.

[Debitt]

Some of my favorite seiyuus are ladies who play male characters. For example, Paku Romi and Yuriko Fuchizaki were Heimdall and Loki in Matantei Loki Ragnarok, and it's difficult to tell that women were preforming. (Especially when you listen to Loki's image song on the MLR drama CDs. >> It's amazing, I tell you.) I say that it's better to get a lady who can do the voice you want really really well then to get a man or a young boy who's preformance is somewhat subpar.

[Arnobius]

Well, this is true. Bart Simpson is played by a woman.

You know, I completely forgot about that one.

[uc pseudonym]

It's hard to find talented actors who are young children, so the roles of young boys often go to women. That's a tradition dating back to the theater. It's harder to pull it off on TV, but on stage or if you are just hearing the voice, it's rather easy. I guess I would say it doesn't bother me in the least. I don't think there is necessarily any gender ambiguity introduced by a female playing a male,

I should clarify that by "gender ambiguity" I was speaking in a mostly nonserious sense.

I realize that it is difficult to find talented children, and I won't make any issue about the choice of older persons to voice act for children. Adult males, on the other hand, I would prefer to be played by adult males.

I don't think there is anything unwholesome about it, and it's certainly less troublesome morally than doing VA work for porn anime, which regardless of gender correlation of chara/actor is promoting something immoral even though nothing is actually being done by real people.

Allow me to also clarify I don't think it is unwholesome, merely pointless.

Kenshin is played by a woman, but remember that the real individual Kenshin was based on was an effeminate man who pulled off some of his assassinations disguised as a woman.

To remember I would have had to have known the fact, but that is good to know. Given that information, I suppose it fits the role.

[Arnobius]

I guess that's the problem with text-- you can't tell if someone is serious or not. I thought you were, so I guess most of my post was off the mark.

[bigsleepj]

THe correct way to pronounce cthulhu...oops, wrong thread.