Son Gokuu (孫悟空)

The Japanese pronunciation of Chinese 孫悟空. Sun Wukong is one of the main characters in the classic Chinese tale 西遊記, best known as "Journey to the West" to English speakers. We know that the Dragon Ball character's name is not meant to be Sun Wukong, because the associated furigana reads そんごくう, rather than something approximating the original Mandarin reading.

Since this is simply a Japanese name unaltered from its original spelling, I use a straight-up transliteration.

Blooma (ブルマ)

A play on the English word "bloomers," referring to a kind of female underwear. It is approximated in Japanese a number of ways, such as ブルマー, ブルーマー, or even ブルマ (the same as the Dragon Ball character's name).

I started using the "Blooma" spelling based on the idea that it wasn't the same as the original word. Years later, I learned that ブルマ can also refer to bloomers, so one day I may even switch to using "Bloomer." We'll see.

Sea Turtle (ウミガメ)

Simply a word that refers to sea turtles. He is sometimes referred to as just "turtle" (カメ). It is unknown if he has a more specific name.

Since this is more of a description than anything, I see no reason not to translate this.

Turtle Sage (亀仙人)

A title that refers to a sage associated with turtles. Broken up, 亀 means turtle; 仙人 refers to a person that has achieved great power and wisdom through training, who then gives up their worldly attachments and becomes a hermit.

He is also commonly known by another title, 武天老師, or the Almighty Fighting Master. Broken up, 武 refers to the art of war; 天 refers to the sky or heavenly beings/objects; 老師 refers to an elderly master or teacher. It is unknown if he has a more specific name than these two titles.

Since these are both titles rather than names, I see no reason not to translate them.

Oolong (ウーロン)

烏龍茶 is the name of a type of Chinese tea. It is approximated as ウーロン茶 in Japanese, and commonly anglicized as "Oolong."

Normally I would use the proper Pinyin romanization (I actually did for a while), but "Oolong" is so well-known that I feel wrong to resist it. (Compare Tokyo vs Toukyou, for instance.)

Puer (プーアル)

普洱茶 is the name of a type of Chinese tea. It is approximated as プーアル茶 in Japanese.

This is simply a Chinese word, so I use the Pinyin romanization.

Yamcha (ヤムチャ)

飲茶 is a Chinese custom in which you enjoy yourself eating dim sam and drinking tea. It is approximated as ヤムチャ in Japanese.

This is simply a Chinese word, but it comes from Cantonese rather than Mandarin, so I instead use a Cantonese Yale romanization in this case.

Chichi (チチ)

乳 is a Japanese word referring to milk. It can also refer to breasts. Cows are famous for producing milk, and her father's name refers to cattle.

This is simply a Japanese word, so I use a straight-up transliteration.

Bull Demon King (牛魔王)

The Japanese pronunciation of 牛魔王. Niu Mo Wang is a character in the classic Chinese tale 西遊記, best known as "Journey to the West" to English speakers. We know that the Dragon Ball character's name is not meant to be Niu Mo Wang, because the associated furigana reads ぎゅうまおう, rather than something approximating the original Mandarin reading. Broken up, 牛 refers to cattle; 魔 refers to demons or witchcraft; 王 refers to kings. It is unknown if he has a more specific name.

Since this is more of a title than a name, I see no reason not to translate it.

Shen Long (神龍)

A Chinese term meaning "dragon god." It refers to a kind of mythological dragon. It is unknown if he has a more specific name.

This is more of a title than a name, but since it uses a Chinese reading rather than Japanese, I choose to simply use a Pinyin romanization and leave it untranslated.

Kuririn (クリリン)

A combination of 栗, meaning "chestnut," and 林, meaning "forest." 林 is used in 少林寺, the Japanese name for Shaolin Temple.

Since this name comes from Japanese words, I use a straight-up transliteration.

Lunch (ランチ)

"Lunch" is an English word referring to meals eaten in the middle of the day. It is approximated in Japanese as ランチ.

This is simply an English word, so I use its normal English spelling.

Temporary List:

• ブリーフ博士: Dr. Brief
• ボラ: Bora
• ウパ: Upa
• カリン: Karin
• 占いババ: Divining Hag
• 餃子: Jiaozi
• 天津飯: Tenshinhan
• ヤジロベー: Yajirobee
• ミスター・ポポ: Mr. Popo
• 神様: God
• ピッコロ: Piccolo
• 孫悟飯: Son Gohan
• カカロット: Cacarrot
• ベジータ: Vegeeta
• 閻魔大王: Great King Yama
• バブルス: Bubbles
• 界王: Realm King
• デンデ: Dende
• ネイル: Nail
• 最長老: Grand Elder
• トランクス: Trunks
• ミスター・サタン: Mr. Satan
• ビーデル: Videl
• グレートサイヤマン: Great Saiyaman
• 孫悟天: Son Goten
• マーロン: Marronn
• 界王神: Realm King God
• キビト: Kibito
• 老界王神: Old Realm King God
• ゴテンクス: Gotenks
• ベジット: Veget
• ウーブ: Oob
• ブラ: Bra
• パン: Pan
• ミスター・ブウ: Mr. Boo
• ベエ: Bay
• 則巻アラレ: Arale Norimaki
• 18号: #18

Carrotizing Rabbit (兎人参化)

A title referring to a rabbit that turns people into carrots. Broken up, 兎 refers to rabbits; 人参 refers to carrots; 化 refers to changing or altering the form of something/someone. It is unknown if he has a more specific name.

Since this is a simple descriptive title, I see no reason not to translate it.

Pilaf (ピラフ)

A word referring to a seasoned rice dish that may contain meat or vegetables. It is approximated as ピラフ in Japanese.

This is simply an existing word of Turkish origin, but used in many different languages. I use the English spelling, which lines up perfectly with ピラフ.

Shuu (シュウ)

焼売 is the Japanese term for Chinese 焼賣. It refers to a kind of dumpling served in dim sam. In Japan, they typically consist of finely chopped vegetables and ground pork, which are wrapped in a thin layer of flour and steamed. シュウ of course comes from the first part of 焼売.

Since this comes from a Japanese word (or at least a Japanese reading), I use a straight-up transliteration.

Mai (マイ)

焼売 is the Japanese term for Chinese 焼賣. It refers to a kind of dumpling served in dim sam. In Japan, they typically consist of finely chopped vegetables and ground pork, which are wrapped in a thin layer of flour and steamed. マイ of course comes from the second part of 焼売.

Since this comes from a Japanese word (or at least a Japanese reading), I use a straight-up transliteration.

Temporary List:

• シルバー大佐: Colonel Silver
• レッド総帥: Commander-in-Chief Red
• ブラック補佐: Assistant Black
• ホワイト将軍: General White
• メタリック軍曹: Sergeant Metallic
• ムラサキ曹長: Sergeant Major Murasaki
• ブヨン: Buyon
• ブルー将軍: General Blue
• イエロー大佐: Colonel Yellow
• 桃白白: Taobaibai
• 鶴仙人: Crane Sage
• ピッコロ大魔王: Demon Lord Piccolo
• タンバリン: Tambourine
• シンバル: Cymbal
• ドラム: Drum
• ラディッツ: Raditz
• ナッパ: Nappa
• フリーザ: Freeza
• キュイ: Kewi
• ザーボン: Zarbon
• ドドリア: Duduria
• ギニュー特戦隊: Ginyuu Special Squad
• コルド大王: Great King Kold
• メカフリーザ: Mecha Freeza
• セル: Cell
• セルジュニア: Cell Jr.
• スポポビッチ: Spopovitch
• ヤムー: Yamuu
• ダーブラ: Darbra
• バビディ: Bobbidi
• 魔人ブウ: Boo the Genie

Namu (ナム)

A play on 南無阿弥陀仏, which is the Japanese version of a Buddhist prayer to Amitabha that originally comes from Sanskrit.

Since this comes from a Japanese word (or at least a Japanese reading), I use a straight-up transliteration.

Giran (ギラン)

I believe this name is simply meant to sound like a typical Japanese giant monster name, so I use a straight-up transliteration.

Lanfan (ランファン)

A play on the word "lingerie," referring to undergarments, and the English word "foundation," referring to the base make-up applied to facial skin. "Lingerie" is approximated in Japanese as ランジェリー, while "foundation" is approximated as ファンデーション.

Obviously, these are not identical to the original words (the former of French origin, but used in many languages). "Linfoun" would bare a better resemblance to the original words, but with my English bias, I just can't reconcile that spelling with the Japanese pronunciation. So I use "Lanfan" as a compromise for the time being.

Jackie Chun (ジャッキー・チュン)

A play on "Jackie Chan," the name of a Hong Kong martial artist and movie star. It is approximated as ジャッキー・チェン in Japanese.

This is not identical to the original name, so I only use a spelling resembling it.

Bacterian (バクテリアン)

A play on the English word "bacteria," referring to microscopic organisms. It is approximated as バクテリア in Japanese.

This is not identical to the original word, so I only use a spelling resembling it.

Temporary List:

• ドラキュラマン: Draculaman
• スケさん: Suke
• ミイラくん: Mummy
• アックマン: Akkuman
• マジュニア: Ma Jr.
• 匿名希望: Anonymous
• シェン: Shen
• シン: Shin
• マイティマスク: Mighty Mask

Panzy (パンジ)

A play on the English word "pansy," referring to a species of flower (Viola × wittrockiana, or Viola tricolor hortensis). It is approximated in Japanese as パンジー.

Since this is not identical to the original word, I do not spell it as such.

Vongo (ボンゴ)

A play on the Italian word "vongole," referring to clams. It is approximated in Japanese as ボンゴレ or ヴォンゴレ. But the Japanese approximations tend to specifically refer to "spaghetti alle vongole," Italian for "spaghetti and clams."

This is not identical to the original word, so I only use a spelling resembling it.

Pasta (パスタ)

A word referring to a type of dough typical of Italian cooking. It is approximated as パスタ in Japanese.

This is simply an existing word of Italian origin, but used in many different languages. I use the English spelling, which lines up perfectly with パスタ.

Gourmes (グルメス)

A play on the word "gourmet," referring to refined food and drink. It is approximated in Japanese as グルメ.

This is not identical to the original word (of French origin, but used in many languages), so I only use a spelling resembling it.

Temporary List:

• ガーリックJr.: Garlic Jr.
• Dr.ライチー: Dr. Lychee
• 怨念増幅装置: Hatred Amplification Device
• ハッチヒャック: Hatchihyakku
• バーダック: Burdack
• クウラ: Coola

Temporary List:

• 武泰斗: Mutaito
• ファンファン: Fanfan
• アンニン: Annin
• 太上老君: Grand Supreme Elder Lord
• カタッツ: Katattsu
• ベジータ王: King Vegeeta
• 魔導師ビビディ: Bibbidi the Mage
• 大界王神: Grand Realm King God
• 国王: (National) King
• 蛇道神: Snake Road God
• 蛇姫: Snake Princess
• チャオ: Chao
• 金角: Golden Horn
• 銀角: Silver Horn
• 陳大拳: Taiken Chin
• 天龍: Tenlong
• シュラ: Shura
• 猪鹿蝶: Inoshikachou
• コンキチ: Konkichi
• ハッカケばあさん: Old Lady All-Teeth-Gone
• グレゴリー: Gregory
• ライム: Lime
• バーボン: Bourbon
• 大界王: Grand Realm King
• パイクーハン: Paiguhan

Rock-Paper-Scissors (ジャン拳)

ジャン拳 is simply the Japanese name of the Rock-Paper-Scissors game. Outside of Dragon Ball, it's also written じゃん拳 and じゃんけん.

I never really found a good reason not to translate this, so I simply use the English name for the game, clunky though it may be.

Wolf Fang Wind Wind Fist (狼牙風風拳)

Broken up, 狼 refers to wolves; 牙 refers to fangs; 風 refers to wind; 拳 refers to fists or fighting styles.

Though the literal translation seems wordy, it's not much worse than Rougafuufuuken straight up. So I figured I may as well just translate it.

Kamehameha Wave (かめはめ波)

Also spelled カメハメ波 in the anime. Because the kamehame portion is written only in kana, it doesn't have a distinct meaning. But the final 波 means "wave." However, kame is a homophone for 亀 ("turtle"), which is reminiscent of the technique's creator. The entire name is also a homophone for Kamehameha, as in the Hawaiian king.

Due to the connection to King Kamehameha, the incomparable sound quality to the ka-me-ha-me-ha chants, and the lack of specific meaning to the kamehame portion, I choose to go with something fairly unorthodox. With "Kamehameha Wave," I can keep the whole name and also translate the only part with a definite meaning. It's redundant, but then so are a lot of common terms like "shiitake mushroom."

Great Monkey (大猿)

Broken up, 大 refers to large or grand things; 猿 refers to monkeys or apes.

Since this is such a simple term, I see no reason not to translate it.

Round-and-Round Gum (グルグルガム)

Broken up, グルグル refers to circular or spinning motions; ガム is an approximation of the English word "gum."

Though the literal translation seems wordy, it's not much worse than Guruguru Gum straight up. So I figured I may as well just translate it.

Afterimage Fist (残像拳)

Broken up, 残像 refers to afterimages; 拳 refers to fists or fighting styles.

Since this is such a simple term, I see no reason not to translate it.

Aerial X Fist (天空X字拳)

Broken up, 天空 refers to the air or the sky; X字 refers to an "X" character; 拳 refers to fists or fighting styles.

Since this is fairly straightforward, and even seems less wordy in English, I see no reason not to translate it.

Drunken Fist (酔拳)

Broken up, 酔 refers to alcoholic intoxication; 拳 refers to fists or fighting styles.

Since this is such a simple term, I see no reason not to translate it.

Crazy Fist (狂拳), Mad Dog (狂犬)

Broken up, 狂 refers to madness; 拳 refers to fists or fighting styles; 犬 refers to dogs.

Since these are such simple terms, I see no reason not to translate them. The joke is that they're homophones, but without kanji you still lose the difference between Kyouken and Kyouken anyway.

Monkey Fist (猿拳)

Broken up, 猿 refers to monkeys; 拳 refers to fists or fighting styles.

Since this is such a simple term, I see no reason not to translate it.

Good Boys Go to Sleep Fist (よいこ眠眠拳)

Broken up, よい refers to goodness and kindness; こ refers to children; 眠 refers to slumber; 拳 refers to fists or fighting styles.

Though the literal translation seems wordy, it's not much worse than Yoi Ko Minminken straight up. So I figured I may as well just translate it.

International Surprise Palm (萬國驚天掌)

Broken up, 萬 refers to the number 10,000; 國 refers to nations; 驚 refers to surprise and shock; 天 refers to the sky or heavenly beings/objects; 掌 refers to the palm of a hand. However, most of these kanji use abnormal readings. 萬國 together are read as ばんこく, which is otherwise the reading for 万国, meaning "all nations" or "international." (萬 and 國 are also synonyms for the more common characters of 万 and 国, respectively.) 驚天 together are read as びっくり, which is a word meaning "surprise" or "shock."

Though the literal translation seems wordy, it's not much worse than Bankoku Bikkuri Shou straight up. The name is a homophone for 万国びっくりショー, which is the title of an old Japanese TV show, but that's not something you can easily adapt into English either way.

Temporary List:

• 魔封波: Demon Sealing Wave
• 舞空術: Sky Dancing (Technique)
• 元気玉: Vitality Ball

Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール)

"Dragon" is an English word referring to mythical giant reptile monsters. It is approximated in Japanese as ドラゴン. "Ball" is an English word referring to spherical objects. It is approximated in Japanese as ボール.

This is simply two English words, so I use their normal English spellings.

-- Xing Qiu (--星球)

The individual Dragon Balls are referred to using Mandarin Chinese: 一星球 Yi Xing Qiu ("one star ball"); 二星球 Er Xing Qiu ("two star ball"); 三星球 San Xing Qiu ("three star ball"); 四星球 Si Xing Qiu ("four star ball"); 五星球 Wu Xing Qiu ("five star ball"); 六星球 Liu Xing Qiu ("six star ball"); 七星球 Qi Xing Qiu ("seven star ball").

Since these use a Chinese reading rather than Japanese, I choose to simply use a Pinyin romanization and leave it untranslated.

Dragon Radar (ドラゴンレーダー)

"Dragon" is an English word referring to mythical giant reptile monsters. It is approximated in Japanese as ドラゴン. "Radar" refers to methods of detecting objects via radio waves, and devices that use that method. It is approximated in Japanese as レーダー.

This is simply two English words, so I use their normal English spellings.

Compliance Staff (如意棒)

The Japanese pronunciation of 如意棒. Ruyi Bang is the name of Sun Wukong's expanding staff in "Journey to the West," and it means "staff of (my) will." The full name is 如意金箍棒, meaning "gold-bound staff of (my) will," but that is not used in Dragon Ball. We know that the Dragon Ball item's name is not meant to be Ruyi Bang, because the associated furigana reads にょいぼう, rather than something approximating the original Mandarin reading.

The name for this item is somewhat complicated, but I don't want to let that hold me back from translating it anymore. Using an English name can also help showcase the connection to "Journey to the West" better than "Nyoibou" can.

Hoi Poi Capsule (ホイポイカプセル)

Blooma initially shouts "Hoi" (ほいっ) whenever she throws a capsule, and "Poi" (ポイッ) is onomatopoeia for the sound of a capsule being thrown. "Capsule" is a word referring to various kinds of casings, coatings, or containers. カプセル actually comes from German "kapsel" (meaning the same thing).

Since "Hoi" and "Poi" likely came from Japanese words, I've left them as is. And though カプセル is technically derived from German, "CAPSULE" is also frequently used in the series, implying that the English word may have been intended after all. Either way, they're similar enough in pronunciation anyway.

Somersault Cloud (筋斗雲)

An alternate spelling for 觔斗雲, which is the Japanese pronunciation of 觔斗雲. Jindouyun is the name of Sun Wukong's ability to travel across clouds, and it means "somersault cloud." We know that the Dragon Ball item's name is not meant to be Jindouyun, because the associated furigana reads きんとうん, rather than something approximating the original Mandarin reading.

The name for this item is somewhat complicated, but I don't want to let that hold me back from translating it anymore. Using an English name can also help showcase the connection to "Journey to the West" better than "Kintoun" can. I also want to be consistent with Nyoibou/Compliance Staff.

PP Candy (PPキャンディー)

"PP" is simply the letter P doubled, pronounced like "pee pee." "Candy" is an English word referring to sweets and confectioneries. It is approximated in Japanese a number of ways, such as キャンディー, キャンディ, and キャンデー.

Since "PP" is already in romaji and does not have any special meaning, I simply leave it as is. And since "candy" is simply an English word, I use its normal English spelling.

Banana Fan (芭蕉扇)

The Japanese pronunciation of 芭蕉扇. Ba Jiao Shan is the name of an item from "Journey to the West," meaning "banana (leaf) fan." We know that the Dragon Ball item's name is not meant to be Ba Jiao Shan, because the associated furigana reads ばしょうせん, rather than something approximating the original Mandarin reading.

The name for this item is a fairly simple descriptive term, so I see no reason not to translate it. (Though I have changed my mind about it many times, and may change it again one day.)

Rich Stone (リッチストン)

"Rich" is an English word referring to wealth or abundance. It is approximated in Japanese as リッチ. "Stone" is an English word referring to rocks or gems. It is approximated in Japanese as ストン or ストーン.

This is simply two English words, so I use their normal English spellings.

Temporary List:

• 電子ジャー: Rice Cooker
• スカウター: Scouter
• ゼットソード: Zet Sword
• 超聖水: Super Holy Water

Mount Baozi (パオズ山)

包子 is a type of filled bun common in Chinese culture. It is approximated in Japanese as パオズ. 山 is simply a Japanese word referring to mountains.

The name portion is simply a Chinese word, so I use the Pinyin romanization.

Kame House (カメハウス)

カメ is a homophone for 亀 ("turtle"), which is reminiscent of the house's owner. ハウス is an approximation of the English word "house," which refers to a person or family's home.

Since kame is both written in katakana and spelled out in romaji on the house itself, I think it's far more logical to leave it untranslated. It loses the direct connection to its owner's name, but compared to not translating Kamesennin, or renaming a house with such a prominent name, I consider it an acceptable casualty.

Mount Frypan (フライパン山)

フライパン is an approximation of the English words "fry" and "pan," together referring to frying pans. 山 is simply a Japanese word referring to mountains.

The name portion is simply a compound of two English words, so I use a compound of their normal English spellings.

Temporary List:

• 涼景山: Mount Ryoukei
• あの世: Afterlife
• この世: Living World
• 五行山: Mountain of Five Elements
• 八卦炉: Furnace of Eight Trigrams
• 惑星ベジータ: Planet Vegeeta
• 界王星: Realm King Planet
• プラント星: Planet Plant
• ナメック星: Planet Namek
• 魔凶星: Planet Makyou
• カナッサ星: Planet Kanassa
• ミート星: Planet Meat
• 西の都: West City
• マッスルタワー: Muscle Tower
• ペンギン村: Penguin Village
• 聖地カリン: Holy Land of Karin
• カリン塔: Karin Tower
• クレス王国: Cress Kingdom
• 魔界: Demon Realm
• パパイヤ島: Papaya Island
• キングキャッスル: King Castle
• アーリア星: Planet Aria
• 蛇の道: Snake Road
• 惑星フリーザ№79: Planet Freeza #79
• αHZ星: Planet αHZ
• ヤードラット星: Planet Yardrat
• 新ナメック星: New Planet Namek
• 精神と時の部屋: Room of Spirit and Time
• 大界王星: Grand Realm King Planet
• サタンシティ: Satan City
• オレンジスターハイスクール: Orange Star High School

Turtle Sage School (亀仙流)

Broken up, 亀 means turtle; 仙 refers to hermits and their mystic associations; 流 refers to streams and flows, or to styles and methodology.

If I translate Kamesennin, I have to translate Kamesenryuu too. It's simple enough anyway.

Oorin Temple (多林寺)

Broken up, 多 refers to large quantities; 林 refers to trees and forests; 寺 refers to temples. This name is very similar to 少林寺, which is the Japanese name for Shaolin Temple. But the first character in 少林寺 is instead 少, which refers to small quantities.

I choose to only translate the portion meaning "temple," to make it analogous to Shaolin Temple. It also leaves the "rin" portion to connect it to Kuririn's name.

World's Best Martial Arts Fest (天下一武道会)

Broken up, 天下 refers to the living world; 一 refers to the number 1; 武道 refers to martial arts; 会 refers to social gatherings.

Although this is a fairly unique and interesting compound, I can no longer consider that justification for leaving it untranslated.

Temporary List:

• レッドリボン軍: Red Ribbon Army
• 人造人間: Android
• 魔族: Demon Tribe
• サイヤ人: Saiyan
• 戦闘力: Battle-Power
• ツフル人: Tsfruian
• 超サイヤ人: Super Saiyan
• ナメック語: Namekian (language)
• ナメック星人: Namekian
• 完全体: Complete Form
• セルゲーム: Cell Game
• 王立防衛軍: Royal Defense Force
• あの世一武道会: Afterlife's Best Martial Arts Fest
• グレートサイヤマン: Great Saiyaman