Notes:
The interview occurred at 06.03.07 at WacDonald's, the Japanese version of McDonald's, to be exact. If you're wondering why they're both guys, most of my friends that are girls here doesn't play videogames that much and some I have lost contact with. *sob* Anyway, the Q/A is written exactly as what I've gotten from the two Japanese FFVII fans I've interviewed with.
ÁµÈË=koi bito in kanji.
Û¤·¤Æ¤ë= aishiteru.
Chirine: What do you think about the difference of koibito to koi bito that was used in the RF files?
Saicho: Hm¡*I think it doesn¡¯t really matter, whether you use it in koi bito or koibito, as long as they¡¯ll get your point. If its written kanji then you¡¯ll really get koi bito ¡®as the one who loves¡¯/or the love is one sided because that¡¯s how we actually use it.
Kenji: If you write it in kanas (hiragana/katakana), it would just give variety of meanings, it could be koi bito, or koibito. You will mostly find it in Japanese dictionary that koi bito/koibito will always have the ¡®sweetheart/girlfriend/boyfriend¡¯ meaning, along side, ¡®suitor¡¯. But in our case we don¡¯t use it like that, instead we add some extensions to our names to call people we love so they could get familiarized. As in, Chi-ai.
Saicho: I ran to a PM you showed me from a CloudxTifa fan, saying that I was wrong about my translations and my explanations and called me a baka. Hah, I never mentioned that koi bito is rarely used. I always hear it especially with fangirls. But I did say that it is rarely used as ¡®sweetheart/boyfriend/girlfriend¡¯. *grunts* What¡¯s the purpose of this interview again?
Chirine: For every misled and mistranslated fandom. Can you define the common mistakes of Japanese translators over the internet?
Kenji: Well firstly, they assume that they mastered Japanese-knew how to read, write and speak but the fact that they really don¡¯t, because they just throw off words without really knowing the use of it, our language uses more of the feelings and emotions than direct description. These so-called translators can either be: a. show offs b. Japanese- wannabes or c. diehards.
Chirine: B and C are pretty much the same¡*ah, Saicho¡*say, what do you think?
Saicho: Well, if you put up ¡®ore wa¡¯ ¡®watashi¡¯ which both means ¡®I¡¯, watashi would be more formal, while ore wa for informal. This kind of system usually goes to other words in Japanese, there will always be the formal/informal thing, if you get me. To be easier, most Japanese words has limits that foreign speakers aren¡¯t aware of.
I remember another PM you showed me that says that aishiteru can be used often¡*well, if we call it a teenage love and nothing serious yet, we mostly use ¡®suki desu¡¯, the only time you can use aishiteru is when you¡¯re in a serious sexual relationship. (his voice gets high and a bit furious) You can¡¯t just say that to your crush or something!
You can also find aishiteru used in songs, well, because they¡¯re directly speaking to their loved ones and with all the cheesy stuff. Supposedly that¡¯s what songs do, right? Give a sincere message!
Kenji: They did?! (he curses here)
Chirine: Are you mad? (o_O
anything you want to say?
Kenji: Frankly kinda because I remembered how foreigners claim themselves Japanese already because they mastered the language. They just misunderstand us! It reminds me of my English teacher, I guess it¡¯s fair because I always get misunderstand English as well.
Chirine: Ah¡*okay¡*so, what about translators, who are Japanese descendants, but didn¡¯t grew up on Japan? Do their translations can be accurate?
Saicho: I don¡¯t really think so. Japanese inhabitants pretty much have more knowledge about the language and the culture itself than those who didn¡¯t have enough time to live here. It¡¯s really different when you live here. Hope you get my point.
Chirine: Forgetting the fact that I am a CloudxAerith fan, as a neutral, what are your thoughts in the LT considering the environment you have?
Saicho: I¡¯m not much of a fan of Cloud, Tifa or Aerith, but I personally think, that Cloud loves Aerith.
Kenji: I think Tifa and Cloud look good together!
Chirine: Aw. My heart is filled with joy. Why so, Saicho? What do you think about Tifa?
Saicho: Well, I think Tifa¡¯s cool and all but Cloud doesn¡¯t love her. Simple.
Chirine: How can you be so sure about that? (T.T)
Saicho: Eh? Didn¡¯t your brain receive the message of the ending of AC/FFVII? It¡¯s weird that Western fans are actually debating over this thing when the fact it is already answered, even if not verbally.
Chirine: It¡¯s not that we¡¯re unsatisfied¡*anyway, what about you (Kenji) as a Tifa fan, your thoughts on the LT?
Kenji: sad¡*Cloud and Tifa was better¡*but I guess Aerith will do for Cloud, as much as hard to admit it, Cloud showed more of his affection and he opened up to Aerith and I think, even though she¡¯s dead, AC ending pretty much screams CloudxAerith to me.
Chirine: Since I don¡¯t spend my whole life here in Japan, what do you guys think at other FFVII fans + LT?
Saicho: Well, I guess, in our environment, the thing that you tell me how Western CloudxTifa fans can be rabid, is exactly the opposite of that couple¡¯s fans here. Well, they don¡¯t really care about what is canon, but they do believe that Cloud and Aerith is. They don¡¯t bash around just like what you told me, instead, they spend their time for their fandom¡ªdoujinishi, fanfiction and fanart. They even make CloudxAerith for goodness sake, and the same goes for the CloudxAerith fans too. Hm¡*I guess both fandoms live peacefully. As for me¡*I don¡¯t know¡*I like a single Yuffie.
Kenji: just a question, for a 21 year old, why are you even bothering to prove yourself right to these CloudxTifa fans? No, this also goes for the Western fans and the Americans. You¡¯re all so worked-up!!! *they both laugh and we start to eat*