No, I'm not talking about Clint Eastwood. I'm talking about movies made not in Asia. Specifically, Hollywood movies in this case.
Hollywood movies are popular in Japan, as are their actors. It's not uncommon to see famous faces from the US promoting products on Japanese TV. People like Arnold the Govenator, for example. Or Keanu Reeves and Demi Moore.
Sometimes the movie titles are translated literally, using Japanese or Katakana English. Here's a few examples:
エデンの東 (eden no higashi) East of Eden
逃亡者 (toubousha) The Fugitive
ファーゴ (faago) Fargo
ユー・ゴッタ・メール (yuu gotta meeru) You've Got Mail
However, sometimes they aren't and the titles the translators come up with leave us Westerners scratching our heads. For some reason the word "Love", ai or koi in Japanese, is quite popular in Japan...
愛が壊れるとき (Ai ga kowareru toki) When Love is Broken = Sleeping with the Enemy
恋に落ちたら (Koi ni ochitara) When Falling in Love = Mad Dog and Glory
恋愛小説家 (Renai shousetsuka) A Romance Novel Writer = As Good As It Gets
愛と悲しみの果て (Ai to kanashimi no hate) The End of Love and Sorrow = Out of Africa
Strangely enough, many of the changes make sense...in some twisted way or another. Others, however, don't:
マルコビッチの穴 (Marukobicchi no ana) The Hole of Malkovitch = Being John Malkovitch
モンタナの風に抱かれて (Montana no kaze ni dakarete) Held by the Wind in Montana = Horse Whisperer
真実の行方 (Shinjitsu no yukue) The Place Truth Has Gone = Primal Fear
Interesting. I wonder how they come up with these titles? One has to wonder...
Posted by Zoso at March 1, 2007 08:45 PM