(Naruto Manga, "kapatsu," sound of crushing rocks)
(Japanese Product, "naive," loaned word)
By writing onomatopoeias in katakana it allows it to stand out to the reader. Though I read the manga issues in an English translation, I would assume that Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana are used when characters are speaking. By having random Katakana words placed outside of speaking bubbles it allows these words/sounds to pop out at the reader. Similarly, by using the word Naive and writing it in Katakana it makes it stand out to the shopper. Instead of using the word "sobokuna," the word naive is used making it stand out as a unique product.
I guess these effects are created because it goes away from what a reader or consumer expects. If there are set words that exist in the Japanese language (as in the English language), words from different languages or words that do not exist stand out to us. Not only that, but since we are told katakana is used for specific purposes it trains our minds to look out for them. And when we get used to using them in these ways, whenever they are used for something other than what we expect, it stands out to us. Textbooks explain katakana use differently because in reality there is no definite use, only a practiced use. Artistically katakana can be used we feel the need to make something more important than the rest of the phrase, such as a loaned word, a sound, or a regular word. Well, this as much as I have gathered from the use of katakana.
Thanks for reading.
I also used a manga example and thought it was interesting that even in translated comics the Katakana is still Katakana. I guess it is considered part of the art, since the majority of the English speaking audience can't understand the sound effects anyway.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on that when katakana is used for something we do not expect, it stands out. I would like to know the context of the word Naive in context. Is it used in a sentence on the product?
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis. I totally agree that this katakana is a way to make things stand out. However, do you know for sure that loan words such as naive and their Japanese counterparts such as sobokuna can be used so interchangeably? Usually, even though words may be defined the same way, there can be differences in appropriate usage of the word itself.
ReplyDelete