-kun is diminutive too
Comment on Onii-Chan is watching you đ©
pivot_root@lemmy.world âš4â© âšdaysâ© agoFor localization, would -kun work? It wouldnât be a correct translation, but the idea is that the average citizen is conditioned into having that of closeness and familiarity with Big Brother might make for an interesting take on it.
morphballganon@mtgzone.com âš4â© âšdaysâ© ago
BillyClark@piefed.social âš4â© âšdaysâ© ago
Although I speak some Japanese, I am not an expert in Japanese. I have never heard anybody say nii-kun. Itâs a common failing of people in my situation to think that because they personally havenât heard it, that it doesnât exist, so Iâm not going to say that, but even if it does exist, I donât think -kun would be used.
â-kunâ like you said indicates closeness and familiarity, but it also is commonly used for a business subordinate. Like, if you were at work, your boss might refer to you as âpivot-kunâ, even if you werenât that close. I donât think Big Brother could ever be seen as a subordinate.
With my limited knowledge, if they wanted to use a Japanese word and not an English loanword, I think theyâd use aniki or maybe ani-ue (although Iâve only heard these words in anime, I think people might actually still use aniki? It sounds like a Yakuza sort of word to me). These convey a respect that I think would be necessary for the mental image of Big Brother.