Guardian thoughts: If they were speaking Japanese

[nnozomi]

So because a) I remain obsessed with this drama (honestly, fandoms usually do not take me this way), and b) I have vast piles of work that have to be done today, this week, and this month,
naturally I have decided to write an entry about the first-person pronouns the Guardian characters would use if they were speaking Japanese (I don't know if there are any good Japanese subtitles out there, so I'm not sure what has actually been used for them). Some fannish people sort by Hogwarts Houses, I ramble about pronouns. 

Zhao Yunlan would say "ore" all the time, because he is the most ore guy ever to say ore. I think he probably stopped saying "boku" the day after he overheard his parents having that argument. He might say "oresama" sometimes to mess with Da Qing.

Da Qing himself probably does say "oresama"--being the King of Cats and all that--or maybe, if the translator was in a mood for literary jokes, "wagahai."

Zhu Hong would say "atashi" in private conversation and "watashi" on the job, I think; if there's a special snake pronoun I've sure never heard it. I can actually see her as a sharp Osaka girl saying "uchi", but it might sound funny without the rest of the dialect.

Lin Jing mostly says "ore" without really thinking about it, but when he's first talking to Sha Ya he says "boku" and it stands out a mile.

I don't know enough old-fashioned pronouns to come up some for Wang Zheng and Sang Zan, but they seem to use fairly standard modern language anyway? so most likely just "watashi" and "boku" respectively.

Guo Changcheng is 100% pure unadulterated "boku" and would probably blush just at the idea of saying "ore."

Chu Shuzhi might actually use one of the more old-fashioned, countrified rough male pronouns, like "ora" or even "washi" (I do know one or two men under sixty who use "washi," it's a regionalism)..

Ya Qing probably says "atakushi," bless her heart.

I'm not sure about Zhu Jiu--he might use "ore" in internal monologues and "oresama" when he's talking to other people, in keeping with his extraness, but I don't get him very well.

Ye Zun definitely says "oresama" when he's the Voice in the Pillar--or maybe "yo" like kings etc. or even "chin" like the Emperor--but once he "glamorously comes on stage," I think he deliberately plays against type and says "boku."

Shen Wei has many faces and consequently many pronouns. I think as Professor Shen he would say "boku" to Zhao Yunlan and the general population, but "watashi" in lectures and when otherwise talking to his students. There is probably a suitable old-fashioned pronoun for him to use as Hei Pao Shi, but I don't really know it. Maybe even just "ware," which of course would be confusingly the "wo" in Chinese. I don't think he ever uses "ore," except just possibly when he's facing off with Ye Zun.

And don't even get me started on the second person pronouns...I'm sure there would be a moment somewhere when Shen Wei first calls Zhao Yunlan "kimi" instead of by his name...

Comments

[winter_blossom]

I was actually thinking about this recently! Your thoughts mirror mine for the most past, so I was pretty much nodding my head throughout the post.

I was wondering whether Zhu Hong would say "atashi" or "watashi," and you provided a good solution.

Lin Jing mostly says "ore" without really thinking about it, but when he's first talking to Sha Ya he says "boku" and it stands out a mile.

Ooh, good one!

I bet ZYL and DQ both say "ore-sama" to piss each other/other people off, or when they're in a particular "putting on airs" kind of mood. But they both probably say "ore" in normal conversation, lest ore-sama lose its novelty ;) (Always figured ZYL dropped "boku" soon after his mother died.)

I like the idea of Ye Zun speaking like the Emperor - definitely something he'd do. Hell, he might accidentally(?) let it slip out when he's masquerading as the BCE, to add to the wrongness.

About Shen Wei, though. My personal headcanon is that he uses "watashi" both professionally and when speaking to other acquaintances (like the SID), because his default persona is Prof Shen, and "ware" as the BCE (or something even more archaic? I don't know too many archaic pronouns, so). But he'd use "ore" in monologues and when speaking with Ye Zun, because I've seen a lot of "sweet on the outside/BAMF on the inside" characters doing that. I also kind of like the idea of him using "boku" in personal conversations with ZYL (ie: when there's no one else around) but occasionally letting "ore" slip out when he's being emotional, especially post-Envoy reveal.

But then again, I've never learned Japanese properly - just what I've picked up through anime/manga - so I'm probably way off the mark with these, haha.

[nnozomi]

Thanks for the great comment! It's good to know I'm not the only one who has random thoughts of this kind.

I think all your suggestions are dead on target. No one is going to take you seriously if you say ore-sama and sound like you mean it, unless you're Zhu Jiu maybe, so even Zhao Yunlan probably saves it for when he wants to make it clear that he's messing with you. (Da Qing on the other hand...)

Hell, he might accidentally(?) let it slip out when he's masquerading as the BCE, to add to the wrongness.
Yes--or he might figure that it's how the BCE ought to speak and he's just correcting his big brother!

I think you're probably right about Shen Wei, too, that sounds absolutely in character. (I kind of have a thing for grown men saying "boku," though, so I don't want him to overdo the "ore" ;) ). Come to think of it, I know a Shen Wei type (sweater vests, on-and-off glasses, air of sweet distraction and professionally formidable...) who invariably uses "watashi," I've never heard him venture into "boku" let alone "ore." Maybe with his ZYL equivalent ;)

[xparrot]

This is such a perfect analysis overall (also educational -- "ware" is the Chinese "wo," I didn't know!) but especially Zhu Hong using "uchi" is maybe dialectically odd but would be so perfectly her! Maybe it can be a Snake dialect thing? (admittedly when I lived in Japan I was in Kyoto, so "uchi" to me sounds normal and cute, reminds me of my little 8-year-old students! ^^)

--but once he "glamorously comes on stage," I think he deliberately plays against type and says "boku."

HAH Ye Zun totally would!

There is supposedly a Japanese audio drama for the Guardian novel in the works and I am SO CURIOUS what pronouns they'll pick!

[nnozomi]

Thanks! (I think yeah, when used by itself 我 is "ware" in Japanese, but obviously it's not super common...).

Maybe all the Yashou speak variations on Kansai dialect? ;)

ooh, I will have to keep an eye out for the Japanese audio drama, thanks for the news! Excellent, now I can get my BL-loving niece into the fandom too.

[solo]

I love this post! Sorry i'm so late to the party!

I agree with pretty much everything. I wonder about 'sessha' for Chu Shuzhi...

Da Qing is totally oresama and yes, so much yes for Zhao Yunlan.

Ya Qing could also be boku.

2nd person - oh, I want to know about the 'temee's and 'kisama's. :)

Can I friend you? I love language geeks!

[nnozomi]

thanks for nice comment! ooh, "sessha" for Chu Shuzhi, I did not think of that one--that sounds likely. (Although I wouldn't be surprised if he uses a more aggressive pronoun, as it were, when he's talking to Xiao Guo.)
lol, second person opens up another can of worms too! We will definitely have to look out for this promised audio drama as mentioned in comments above, and see what they actually come up with.
(Yes, please friend me if you'd like to! I am ridiculously shy about friending people on Dreamwidth but love it when it happens; someday I'll make myself set up a proper dw circle.)

[solo]

Friended! And looking forward to what you find out, or any further musings!