Ask John: Why Wasn’t Ai Yori Aoshi’s Title Translated?

Question:
The names of most anime titles are translated or replaced when the title is commercially released in the U.S. (unless the title was a proper name to begin with). Why wasn’t that done with Ai Yori Aoshi?

Answer:
There are two reasons why the title “Ai Yori Aoshi” wasn’t translated for its American release. The first reason is because the title simply doesn’t have a good English translation. The title loosely means “More Blue than Blue” or “Bluer than Indigo,” which simply doesn’t translate well into English. The second reason is because Pioneer is now making an effort to retain more of the cultural and artistic integrity of the anime they translate for Americans. For example, whenever possible Pioneer USA is now retaining original Japanese DVD cover art, retaining original Japanese titles like Haibane Renmei, which will be released in America under the name “Haibane Renmei,” not “Ash Wing Alliance” or “Charcoal Feather Federation” or some other similar translation.