Ask John: Should Anime Translations Include Profanity?

Question:
Some American fans seem to get upset when swear words appear in English translations of anime. Among them, there are those who argue that Japanese does not have swear words and the words that we see in English translation like “b*tch” and “b*st*rd” are just different forms of the pronoun “you” in Japanese. They also say expletives like “sh*t” and “f*ck” are not bad words in Japanese. Some say Japanese does not have any swear words and what Americans claim are swear words are used in anime of all ages from Pokemon to Ghost in the Shell. Are they right? Should English subtitles and dubs not have swear words?

Answer:
Before beginning my response, I’ll need to state my conventional disclaimer. My familiarity with Japanese language is very limited, so anyone especially interested in this discussion should engage in further research rather than adopting my own explanation as absolute evidence.

The philosophy that Japanese language has no expletives is reductive and short-sighted. The fact that Japanese language has few or no terms with exclusively profane definitions does not mean that Japanese language has no profanity. Anger and aggravation are universal human emotions, so anywhere there are human beings, there will also be profanity. “Omae” literally means, “you,” and may be used in common conversation without any negative connotation. But a harsh inflection changes the word from a neutral “you” to a venomous insult. Similarly, “kisama” literally means “you,” but is typically only used in an aggressive or condescending tone, resulting in its implied meaning being “bastard!” The word “bakayaro” typically means “fool,” but with strong inflection becomes a stronger insult. Japanese is an inherently polite language that includes multiple levels of “politeness.” So swearing is conveyed through inflection rather than diction or grammar. Critics or translators who overlook that fact are missing a very important aspect of Japanese language.

One may argue that the distinction between “crap!” and “shit!” is entirely arbitrary. After all, they’re both four letter words referring to excrement and both express a sense of surprise, anger, or outrage. The Japanese equivalent for this sentiment is “kuso!”, a word sometimes heard in children’s anime. A good translator has a responsibility to appropriately interpret the tone of a Japanese expression into an adequate English equivalent. So “Crap!” or “Shit!” depend upon circumstance. However, Americans should remember that Japanese children’s anime that include topics and themes like sexuality and death may also be mature enough to actually use uncompromised profanity.

I’m familiar with old American bootleg translations of Dragon Ball Z that over-emphasize profanity to make the program seem more edgy and adult-oriented than it was ever meant to be. I’ve also heard the argument that profanity is unnecessary in English translations of anime because Japanese language has no formal swear words. I think that both extremes are equally misconceived. Japanese anime, including children’s anime, does occasionally include profanity – exclamations and pronouns specifically intended to be offensive or shocking. There’s no need to exaggerate the frequency of these exclamations because doing so distracts viewers from the intended thrust of an anime. Entirely excluding profanity or softening all rude Japanese exclamations creates an inaccurate perception of anime and fails to convey an accurate translation of the writers’ and animators’ intended cinematic experience. Anime does sometimes include swearing. Viewers whose emotional constitutions are too delicate to handle hearing occasional swearing should consider carefully selecting which anime to watch and not watch.