Convince VIZ to stop changing the characters' name

[tenken]

I sent email - several times - to VIZ voicing the concern over the originality of characters' names in DC series, and they obviously ignore it.


Published by VIZ, only Conan's name is unchanged. The rest are:

Shinichi is changed to Jimmy (lamest name ever!)
Ran = Rachel
Haibara Ai = Anita
Heiji Hattori = Harley
Kogoro = Richard

Why do those characters' names - known all over the world as their originals - appear as such in America ? I can't stand disrespect to the author and readers!

Especially, VIZ even changed Gin and Vodka's codenames into "Kasper" and "Melkior" : now it's not only a matter of sounds or respect, it has changed a bit of plot ! Mafia's codenames are supposed to be derived from alcohol brand names, and Conan can tell whether a character is "one of them" based solely on his codename. By changing their names to the MEANINGLESS "Kasper" and "Melkior" and the likes, VIZ has posed a problem to Conan's deduction! and no excuse can be made to amend the plot UNLESS Viz is willing to switch it to the original.

The foremost annoyance is the switching of the series title from DETECTIVE CONAN to lame "Case Closed"! What's wrong with "Detective Conan" ?!! What's wrong with Japanese names ?! If I go to France or Japan talking about "Detective Conan" or Shinichi Kudo, people know what I'm talking about; if I go there speaking of "Case Closed" or Jimmy, I'll have to spend time explaining. I believe that it is necessary to maintain the original characters' names.

First, the fact that many things were mistranslated and never corrected is upsetting to readers. Second, they are still unwilling to fix. These are things that deter fans from supporting Viz [ that's true, I would have bought DC if they HADN'T done such things ] This, combined with the numerous errors in translation, word choice and layout give the impression of a complete disregard for quality on the part of Viz Media.


If you're also upset like I am at this issue, we can try to organize a campaign to voice our concerns with Viz and tell them that their DC products are lacking in quality.

www.viz.com/about/contact/

Well, you can call Viz during their business hours (they are on the west coast).

The number is [phone]

I'll do my part.

[megadee]

while i agree that the name changing is stupid, i do know that some of it is due to legal issues and copyright laws. like it being named case closed and not detective conan. apparently the name conan is copyrighted to conan the barbarian (even thought is a name, that many people have).

[playingmonk]

Yeah, writing your emails isn't going to do anything.

What happened was TMS, Japanese animation company that produces Detective Conan, convinced FUNimation to Americanize the names of the main characters of the show for the english dub. Yes, the title was to avoid a copyright suit from the Conan the Barbarian people, but the name changes were because TMS thought Detective Conan would be a prime time hit in America on a major network like it is in Japan. That is why they basically made FUNimation Americanize the names; they wanted it to do REALLY well here, not realizing that it was just not realistic for the widespread American audience.

VIZ started translating the manga around the time FUNimation started doing the dub and to be consistant they asked funimation what names they were going to use so they could do the same. Apparently, the dub was originally going to use the names "Kaspar" and "Melkior" instead of Gin and Vodka as those were the names VIZ were given. Gin and Vodka are not named in their first appearance, and in fact aren't named at all until after episode 50 of the series! So by the time it became apparent that FUNimation changed their minds and decided to use the names Gin and Vodka VIZ had already printed the manga with the names "Kaspar" and "Melkior". They have since changed the names to Gin and Vodka in the most recently translated volumes (they actually changed some dialogue to make Haibara explain to Conan that he got the names wrong and that they were really named Gin and Vodka).

For VIZ to just randomly change all the main character's names now when they are in the mid 20s volume-wise would just be ridiculous and would alienate all the people who have been reading this version faithfully. I suggest you stop the e-mailing and phone calling campaign as it will not work and even if it did wouldn't be in the best interest of this version of the series.

[Kisaki]

Well I agree too that the names are pretty lame, but I am wondering how yould you say Shinichi or Kogoro in English? I mean I am from Switzerland and it is pretty easy to say this names, but in English it would sound a little crazy, wouldn't it?
But that they changed Gin and Wodka that doesn't make sense, cuz this is the same spell in English as well.
Kaspar and Melkior is such a stupid Name change for Gin and Wodka

[Methuselah]

Um.. You do realize that Conan Dub is at manga 20's and switching the names at that point means a shot right up the bum for collector's fans and non-translation readers alike. (And who would want to have a verb as a name? Ran. "Oh, Ran ran to the cemetery.")

[tiger81]

well I don't think you could have a character named one truth running around.

[shinichi4ever]

It is stupid that they ruined the names! How can you have the series if important parts of it are changed!?

[playingmonk]

It's not as big of a deal as people make it out to be, shinichi4ever. What characters are called has no bearing on the story (except in movie 2 >_>) so it really doesn't matter. They do a great job of keeping the story intact.

Personally, I'm kind of glad they changed the names. The names Rachel and Richard just seem a lot more natural to me. I probably would have gotten used to "shinichi" pretty quickly but Kogoro and Ran... those just aren't names to me. It wouldn't feel right.