Translation and localization of beloved properties is a complicated endeavor. Certain words just cannot be translated into the English language, while some just sound better in their native tongue. When localizing anime, sometimes translators are tasked with the difficult decisions of finding and choosing words that would resonate better with an English-speaking audience.

Sometimes, these words range from slang to puns. Other times, this includes changing a character's name altogether. But when it reaches that point, one has to wonder when those decisions are acceptable, or no different from whitewashing.

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For much of the anime released in the late 80s to early 2000s, particularly those aimed at children, most localization teams saw it fit to change the characters' names to American-sounding ones. These changes often led to rewrites to the original script that would often lead to a complete overhaul of certain characters' personalities. The changes were sometimes so great that fans consider such characters to be completely different people from their original iterations. When this occurred, it feels less like an attempt to make a translation more accessible, and more like an attempt to make Japanese characters fit into the standards of American media. This doesn't mean that all dub name changes are inherently bad, in fact, some translations have pulled it off these changes very well.

One of the best examples of dub name changes that worked well is the Ace Attorney series. The entire cast of the quirky visual novel series have characters with pun-based names, which contributes to the series' signature style of humor. As all of these names are based on Japanese puns, English-speaking fans would not be able to see that extra layer of humor if the names were left untranslated.

The translation team at Capcom did what they could to preserve that extra layer of comedy by Westernizing character names, and made it work. For example, the protagonist's last name is Naruhodo, which, when translated to English, means "I see". The name was changed to "Wright" in the English release, which carries a similar meaning and further emphasizes his role as a defense attorney that commits himself to revealing the truth in court.

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The Subway Masters from Pokemon Black & White

Another good example would be from Pokemon, another video game series with an immensely popular anime adaptation. Like Ace Attorney, many of the characters have names derived Japanese puns that add to a trainer's gimmick or theme. For example, the Subway Masters from Black & White are named Nobori and Kudari in the Japanese version. Kudari means "out-bound line" while Nobori means "in-bound line", referencing their work as train conductors. These puns were carried over to their English names, Emmett comes from the word "emit" while Ingo comes from the word "ingoing". Their names in other languages have also been changed to keep the meaning behind the puns in place.

These examples prove that there is in fact a correct way to adapt Japanese names into those that will better resonate with English-speaking audiences. The problem with the translation for many dubs produced by the likes of 4Kids and DiC is that their name changes often don't reflect the meanings behind the original Japanese version. A rather notorious example would be the changes made to the main characters from Tokyo Mew Mew.

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Ichigo Momoiya from Tokyo Mew Mew.

The Mews all have food-themed names, which is reflected in their signature colors, powers, and magical girl costumes. Ichigo means "strawberry", Zakuro means "pomegranate", Bu-ling is Chinese for "pudding", Retasu means "lettuce", and Minto means "mint". By comparison, in Mew Mew Power all the girls are given fairly generic names: Zoey, Renee, Kikki, Bridget, and Corina. As a result, their names don't carry as much thematic weight as their Japanese counterparts. A better way to translate their names to an English audience would have been to keep the food theme naming intact. Ichigo and Zakuro's names could have been changed to something fruit-related while Bu-ling, Retasu, and Minto's names could have just been directly translated.

Most anime and media in general use names as a narrative tool to tell the audience about a character's personality. For anime that's translated into English, particularly those that aim to reach a wider audience, Westernizing names seems like the right choice. Ultimately, it comes down to how those names are localized.

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The reason why Ace Attorney and Pokemon's translations work so well is that they still keep the spirit of the characters' names in place. Not only that, but they keep the characters' original personalities in place as well. Phoenix Wright is just as much of an earnest, hard worker as Ryuichi Naruhodo. Ingo and Emmett are polar opposite twins who love trains just as much as Kudari and Nobori. Their English names still reflect the themes behind their characters perfectly.

The same cannot be said for shows like Mew Mew Power, Sailor Moon, and Cardcaptors, and that's one of the many reasons why those English dubs are not regarded fondly by most fans, particularly those who grew up with more faithful translations. What's worse is that it's often not just their names that are changed, but the personalities of the characters as well.

An example of how polarizing DiC's translation choices for Sailor Moon were compared to the likes of Ace Attorney, just take a look at Raye Hino. Raye is much more hotheaded than her Japanese counterpart, getting into more arguments with her comrades and rarely having moments that show her kinder side. Her full name in Japanese, Rei Hino, means "spirit of fire", matching her fiery personality. Her name in DiC's dub is Raye, "female sheep" in Hebrew, which doesn't suit Raye's amped-up hotheaded personality at all.

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An image of Doraemon leading the way in Doraemon

Having characters' names and personalities botched in English translations is far less common now compared to before, but that doesn't mean the practice has completely stopped. Saban Brands' attempt at Americanizing Smile Precure! in 2015, even going so far as to change the title to Glitter Force. Bang! Zoom Entertainment did the same to Doraemon in 2014, although the name changes admittedly were not as bad as Glitter Force's, with most of the names just being changed to something shorter or easier to pronounce for the typical American child.

If there are any more attempts in the future to Westernize an anime, here's hoping it takes the same approach as video game franchises like Pokémon and Ace Attorney. On the other hand, the likes of Mew Mew Power and Glitter Force should be shining examples on how not to Westernize a Japanese property.