LogFAQs > #939523250

Damn_Underscore posted...

Also in Prison School Gakuto referred to names like that as surnames >_>

I'm willing to bet that a fansubber just didn't know the right words.

chan is generally used for feminine friends. It's also, however, not uncommon for girls and women to use "chan" when referring to male friends, but when used by males for other males, it's seen as rude.

chin, cchi, and tan are also used for female friends, but as far as I can remember, I've only ever seen it used for very close friends (and sometimes girlfriends).

kun is generally used for masculine friends. Not just boys, but also, sometimes, tomgirls. I haven't personally seen it used to demean someone.

san and senpai (sometimes spelled as sempai) are both generally used as a respectful term, like Mr., Mrs., sir, or madam. Senpai is generally how underclassmen would refer to upperclassmen, and san is generally used when talking to people you're not close to.

Sensei is used for a teacher or someone for whom you hold a great deal of respect. You'll often see people refer to their favorite male mangakas and actors as "Araki-sensei". Female actors, especially Idols, are generally referred to with chan, though. (not the Doctor Who character)

I've never seen dono, so it might be a more "traditional" way to refer to people, or a certain dialect.

Also, sometimes, when people are close, they drop the honorifics altogether.

Side note: These rules are all very flexible. Some people also like to generally use "san" for everyone, as a form of respect.

Questionmarktarius posted...

So long as half-assed fansubbers keep using honorifics for no good reason...

Honorifics mean something you idiot. There's always a good reason to include them, since it reflects on the relationship between the characters.
And if you don't use honorifics and there happens to be a plotline centered around characters being upset about being referred to in a certain way, you get some straight nonsense.


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