The Language Barrier: Take 2

[thekingsgambit]

Remember that language essay I wrote a while back? The one where I debated over using kaichou or president for Milly. Needless to say, I decided to go with the former because the other sounds just plain wrong. Thanks to a discussion on equivalent_t's journal, I devised some rationality for this choice. By the way, you should read the threads because they provide an interesting take on language in Britannia and Geass as a whole, everything from Raksharta to Diethard. Back to the subject at hand, someone suggested fanwriters maintain Nunnally's "onii-sama" when addressing Lelouch. As Nunnally is not Japanese, it would seem better for her to simply call him Lelouch, Brother or Big Brother being awkward no matter how you put it. But this also detracts from the nature of the relationship, particularly in a Japanese-based show that chooses titles for a reason. One explanation for writers was that when Nunnally and Lelouch were growing up in Japan, Nunnally picked up on the honorific habit and they stuck with it as a sort of petname or something signifying respect/affection.

I'm going out on a limb and applying the same logic to Lelouch's use of "kaichou" for Milly. Maybe she heard it said one day, liked the sound and now encourages the council to use it; she is eccentric enough. I much prefer his using "kaichou" in threads with Milly than either president or Milly, the latter possibly only when he's especially serious. I don't know yet. Since the council is one of the few things Lelouch enjoys about his present "life" -- they being the only group he goes out of his way to spend time with in Ashford according to an interview -- keeping the title is a way of hanging onto that. Seeing as I play Lelouch before his new "mentality" in 23, this is especially important to me. Lelouch will still be using "president" to talk to others about Milly and save the address for their conversations only.

Again, these are the silly things that occupy my head all day. That and wtf is up with Ben Franklin being an Earl in Geass? I'm still not computing how the American Revolution still existed but was repressed, given Geass' divergent time line.

I am planning a fanart site post in the near future because I spend entirely too much time looking for fanart.

Oh yeah, I'm also going to do a mini-essay on Lelouch's strength, failing at PE and other such things. Maybe when I'm done watching anime. Need moar Mokkun now.