Diglett it is then
New Japanese Law Stops Parents From Naming Their Baby 'Pikachu'
Submitted 9 months ago by alphacyberranger@sh.itjust.works to anime@ani.social
https://www.cbr.com/japanese-law-bad-news-pokmon-pikachu/
Comments
Agent641@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Jimmycakes@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Japan: people won’t have kids we don’t know why
isyasad@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I don’t believe it actually bans “Pikachu” when spelled as 光宙 because ピカチュウ is actually a pretty reasonable reading, although maybe not the #1 most obvious one. Based on a random Japanese article I read about it (link), I really don’t think 光宙/Pikachu will be technically illegal, although all the English articles will say so because it’s click fodder.
The law bans: things that are not related to the kanji reading at all, things that add unexpected extra stuff on the end of the obvious reading, or things that mean the opposite of what the kanji means.
I don’t believe any of this applies to Pikachu, and the examples they cite are not really comparable.
DesolateMood@lemm.ee 9 months ago
This is actually not what this law does. The problem is that Japanese parents name their kids using kanji characters, except that they are using creative interpretations on the pronciation of those characters (YouTube short that can better explain the phenomenon). Basically, you can still name your kid Pikachu, it just has to be spelled like Pikachu
anonymous_in_atl@ani.social 9 months ago
Fine i’ll name my kid Ekans you bunch of ingrate
Toes@ani.social 9 months ago
That’s ok, digimon is cooler anyways.
LordOfLocksley@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Well, duh. A baby Pikachu is called Pichu
Snowpix@lemmy.ca 9 months ago
In middle age, they become Gorochu.
DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 months ago
My mom told me someone named their kids first name “Rebel Alliance”
That’s a great way for your kid to hate star wars and then you
Anomalocaris@lemm.ee 9 months ago
aren’t there Japanese names that mean something shitty?
detun3d@lemm.ee 9 months ago
- WHA~?
- Go to sleep, Agumon. We’re safe.
isekaihero@ani.social 9 months ago
Fine. Charmander it is.
Enkrod@feddit.org 9 months ago
Sometimes I am quite happy about strict german naming laws.
The first name …
- must be recognizable as a first name
- must not be a widespread place name or brand name.
- must not be a family name. Exceptions have been made in particular for East Frisian middle names (for example “ten Doornkaat”) and for very rare, unusual surnames (for example Wannek, Birkenfeld), as well as of course for surnames that are mainly known as first names (such as Gerhart).
- may not denote a title such as Lord or Princess.
- does not have to be clearly masculine or feminine, as was the case until 2008, but may also be neutral.
- must not harm the child’s welfare by ridiculing the child or creating a connection “to evil”
Pikachu absolutely falls under ridicule and maybe even brand name
sj_zero 9 months ago
"does not have to be clearly masculine or feminine, as was the case until 2008, but may also be neutral."
If my child is a boy, I will name him fish. If a girl, Fishwife. If non-binary or it doesn't like the other names, scaly skin.
sj_zero 9 months ago
(just in case people misunderstand and think I'm making a more pointed attack than I really am, I'm just making a reference to the 1880 essay "The Awful German Language" by Mark Twain)
systemglitch@lemmy.world 9 months ago
No maybe about that lol
Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 9 months ago
But Snorlax is still on?
Dojan@pawb.social 9 months ago
Nah it’s kirakira names in general. So weird made-up readings, pop culture references 光宙 (pikachuu falls under both), foreign words, and taboo/denigrating names.
For example.
- 皇帝 (koutei) meaning emperor, read as Kaiser
- 光宙 (kou, light and chuu, space) read as Pikachuu
- 愛保 (ai, to love, and go, to keep) read as Rabuho (love hotel)
- 宝冠 (takara, treasure and kanmuri, crown) read as Tiara.
FMT99@lemmy.world 9 months ago
We asked our kids how they would feel if they got a silly name like Pikachu. Snorlax said it would be awful but Bulbasaur didn’t see it as all that bad.
shadowedcross@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
Good. I can’t imagine any child appreciates growing up with a name like that.
halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 9 months ago
At least Pokemon names have a fun background.
Now imagine all the girls named Khaleesi after Game of Thrones. Especially after her character arc finished. That wasn’t even her name, it was a title. They’re literally just named Queen.
ILikeTraaaains@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Well, Typhlosion has a certain background…
SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 months ago
Many names have meanings similar to that, and yet they’re names. I don’t think a name such as khaleesi is inherently bad
ElPsyKongroo@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
I knew about this story already, but damn if the article name doesn’t seem more of a big deal. (Strictly the article title. Your post title is more clear, I’m not referring to that)