mufc wrote:

Thx HPriest for more goodies Wow this name changing business is confusing. So it looks like the name change is only for the chinese translated version of her name, while her original japanese (and english translation) remains the same? How do you even pronouce her name in chinese (cantonese)? Well, I always only refer to her as Erika which her father gave to her right, so that should never change. Although I think japanese pronouce it as "eah li ka" instead of how I say it, "eah rick ka". Ah whatever, she's the same Erika to me regardless

This change of name to me seems to be totally for media use.I see no reason whatsoever y she would change her name except for the fact that by changing her name such that it sounds much nicer...which is of course to attract more fans.

Her name should not change...at least the first two kanji characters which is read as Sawajiri isn't going to be altered.Whether must we call her with a totally different prounciation...you got to ask a native Japanese.Only they can translate the kanji without breaking a sweat...

hm..from what i had read 英龍華 has very similar pronouciation as erika (as seen by erika and her agency) so I guess it doesn't really matter much to most fans who know her as just erika.

Anyway 绘里香 is never the correct name for Erika so we can't really said Erika had changed her name. The reason the chinese media used 绘里香 to translate " エリカ (Erika) " because in Japan the more popular name 绘里香 has the same pronouciation as Erika. Erika obviously dun like her name to be changed into some other girl's name. ( There is already a lot of "Erika" in the Japanese market, like Erika Toda etc but they are all written differently in Kanji). 绘里香 to Erika probably never sound like a translated name but more of changing her name to someone else.

In the end, Erika wanted her name "エリカ" to be translated to 英龍華 whereby 英 has similar meaning to heroine, elite ; 龍 mean dragon , 華 means chinese. ( I guess the last word chinese is used to show that the name is chinese translated version). In the article posted, she claim that the new translation is more lively , more energetic and cool compared with the previous translation 绘里香 which means sweet and demure.

Another reason (my hypothesis) is that the word "Erika" is meant to be in English in the first place (like a christian name, that is why her name is not in Kanji) and hence should not be translate to any other Japanese version. This maybe true as we know that Erika's family communicate in English and Japanese so it will not be surprising for Erika to see her name as E-R-I-K-A not any other traditional japanese name.

yuji wrote:

hm..from what i had read 英龍華 has very similar pronouciation as erika (as seen by erika and her agency) so I guess it doesn't really matter much to most fans who know her as just erika. Anyway 绘里香 is never the correct name for Erika so we can't really said Erika had changed her name. The reason the chinese media used 绘里香 to translate " エリカ (Erika) " because in Japan the more popular name 绘里香 has the same pronouciation as Erika. Erika obviously dun like her name to be changed into some other girl's name. ( There is already a lot of "Erika" in the Japanese market, like Erika Toda etc but they are all written differently in Kanji). 绘里香 to Erika probably never sound like a translated name but more of changing her name to someone else. In the end, Erika wanted her name "エリカ" to be translated to 英龍華 whereby 英 has similar meaning to heroine, elite ; 龍 mean dragon , 華 means chinese. ( I guess the last word chinese is used to show that the name is chinese translated version). In the article posted, she claim that the new translation is more lively , more energetic and cool compared with the previous translation 绘里香 which means sweet and demure. Another reason (my hypothesis) is that the word "Erika" is meant to be in English in the first place (like a christian name, that is why her name is not in Kanji) and hence should not be translate to any other Japanese version. This maybe true as we know that Erika's family communicate in English and Japanese so it will not be surprising for Erika to see her name as E-R-I-K-A not any other traditional japanese name.

Wow, It felt like my head exploded after reading that. It sounds very complicated! Though one thing I'm sure is her name is meant to be english, or foreign for that matter. She uses katakana characters to write her name so that proves it's supposed to be foreign. Thanks for the translations, yuji (yuji and ruji, I find it funny ). Let's just wait for an announcement on the official website.

i was searching for maid cafe-maid of Akihabara and came across this video clip of Erika Sawajiri, not sure if you have seen it, but enjoy anyways....
finally contributing again to the Erika thread that i started up on.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cMIAw9Ao--8&mode=related&search=
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yuji wrote:

In the end, Erika wanted her name "エリカ" to be translated to 英龍華 whereby 英 has similar meaning to heroine, elite ; 龍 mean dragon , 華 means chinese. ( I guess the last word chinese is used to show that the name is chinese translated version). In the article posted, she claim that the new translation is more lively , more energetic and cool compared with the previous translation 绘里香 which means sweet and demure. Another reason (my hypothesis) is that the word "Erika" is meant to be in English in the first place (like a christian name, that is why her name is not in Kanji) and hence should not be translate to any other Japanese version. This maybe true as we know that Erika's family communicate in English and Japanese so it will not be surprising for Erika to see her name as E-R-I-K-A not any other traditional japanese name.

hmm.. new name sounds like wuxia novels names..
anyway Erika is still Erika no matter wat changes.. maybe the name suit her even more if she continue on her singing.. like a heroine
And nice post, your hypothesis might be correct ruj.. *pause for a moment* ..erm i mean yuji...
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kami is "god", kaze for "wind"

Haha nice, I actually know how to say her new name in chinese, although when I read it in cantonese it sounds a bit odd to me but as long as she likes it! Perhaps she should use this 嬅 (wah) instead, a bit more feminine

Can anyone tell me how I pronounce her last name in cantonese?

ruji wrote:

Wow, It felt like my head exploded after reading that. It sounds very complicated! Though one thing I'm sure is her name is meant to be english, or foreign for that matter. She uses katakana characters to write her name so that proves it's supposed to be foreign. Thanks for the translations, yuji (yuji and ruji, I find it funny ). Let's just wait for an announcement on the official website.

haha..it is easier to understand if you know chinese and japanese. Basically to summarise everything again:

Erika Sawajiri's actual name has always been 沢尻エリカ.

It is impossible for chinese media to use katakana as the chinese reader do not know how to read katakana. They hence need to translate エリカ (or erika) into 绘里香.

绘里香 (means sweet and demure) are both chinese and kanji wordings of same meaning. In chinese it is pronouced as Hui-Li-Xiang and in Kanji it is pronounced as Erika. It must be noted that 绘里香 is not the same to エリカ even though they have the same pronunciation "erika'.

Our queen think her name エリカ is mistranslated in chinese and want to change her name's chinese translation into 英龍華 which is more unique and cool to her.

英龍華 is both chinese and kanji wordings and like 绘里香 has similar pronuciation "Erika".

Eika sawajiri's name remains as 沢尻エリカ except she had change the chinese translation of エリカ from 绘里香 to 英龍華. So it doesn't really bother the non-chinese fan.

You can imagine that she would probably wonder if the fan's letter or present are for her when they address her as 绘里香. (There may even be a real 绘里香 in her company since 绘里香 is such a common name ).

anyhow, if you come across that vid i just posted, enjoy it, otherwise continue your discussion on Erika's name in Cantonese...lol
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qilver wrote:

i was searching for maid cafe-maid of Akihabara and came across this video clip of Erika Sawajiri, not sure if you have seen it, but enjoy anyways.... finally contributing again to the Erika thread that i started up on. http://youtube.com/watch?v=cMIAw9Ao--8&mode=related&search=

Saw this one before, although I have no clue what they're asking her, but she's extremely cute when she was answering and laughing

mufc wrote:

Saw this one before, although I have no clue what they're asking her, but she's extremely cute when she was answering and laughing

yeah...definitely heading back there my next visit...to Akiba

i wonder if they will have some Erika trading cards, or a new pb out.
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Thanks for explaining again, yuji. So I was right, it only applies to the chinese..

qilver, thanks for the vid too, we already saw that one, one priceless vid in my opinion. And I thought I told you to do your obligatory post here everyday since you started the thread!!!

mufc, KJ-FOX translated some of the questions/answers on that vid. You can find it on the thread (that means you have to dig it up again). I doubt you'll do that though...

cannot come to JDorama few days,,,
but I still can see the shocked news of erika...
the Chinese version of her name really made me shock..
it's just like a name of a man...
as many Chinese know her name is 繪里香
but now...is 英龍華...
I saw from the news, they said is Erika herself choose this name
okay....so we have to accept this...

nvm I will still call her 'erika'
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ruji wrote:

mufc, KJ-FOX translated some of the questions/answers on that vid. You can find it on the thread (that means you have to dig it up again). I doubt you'll do that though...

I will! Well, I tried but didn't find it...yet

However, I dug up something else I cannot resist posting again! Found this on page 82.

hydetetsu wrote:

wen_yamada wrote:

cannot come to JDorama few days,,, but I still can see the shocked news of erika... the Chinese version of her name really made me shock.. it's just like a name of a man... as many Chinese know her name is 繪里香 but now...is 英龍華... I saw from the news, they said is Erika herself choose this name okay....so we have to accept this... nvm I will still call her 'erika'

It does sound somewhat weird, it sounds like she's some guy in the next triad movie but she's so cute for picking that name herself, haha I love her.

wen_yamada wrote:

cannot come to JDorama few days,,, but I still can see the shocked news of erika... the Chinese version of her name really made me shock.. it's just like a name of a man... as many Chinese know her name is 繪里香 but now...is 英龍華... I saw from the news, they said is Erika herself choose this name okay....so we have to accept this... nvm I will still call her 'erika'

agree the name change is so masculine, an unknown reader would mistake it for a man

But it does sound very rich and prosperous, might help her fame outside of Japan!

mufc wrote:

It does sound somewhat weird, it sounds like she's some guy in the next triad movie but she's so cute for picking that name herself, haha I love her.

ya~
I can only say Erika is so cool to have this name

actually 英龍華 sounds like a boss in a gangland
and龍 means dragon...
anyway she can choose her name herself, that's good
maybe the name 繪里香 is build in my heart too deeply
so still a bit shock...
now I have to accept this name~
of course my love of erika will not change~
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mufc wrote:

Haha nice, I actually know how to say her new name in chinese, although when I read it in cantonese it sounds a bit odd to me but as long as she likes it! Perhaps she should use this 嬅 (wah) instead, a bit more feminine Can anyone tell me how I pronounce her last name in cantonese?

hee. hi? hav been following this thread for quite some time nw. but din noe wat to say. and since i noe cantonese, i tot i finally can post smth. lol. 英龙华 in cantonese wuld b 'yam long wah' . hav to agree its a very masculine name indeed. nice meeting u guys =)

qilver wrote:

i was searching for maid cafe-maid of Akihabara and came across this video clip of Erika Sawajiri, not sure if you have seen it, but enjoy anyways.... finally contributing again to the Erika thread that i started up on. http://youtube.com/watch?v=cMIAw9Ao--8&mode=related&search=

nice vid.. but ive seen this also...

blastx wrote:

hee. hi? hav been following this thread for quite some time nw. but din noe wat to say. and since i noe cantonese, i tot i finally can post smth. lol. 英龙华 in cantonese wuld b 'yam long wah' . hav to agree its a very masculine name indeed. nice meeting u guys =)

welcome!! dont be afraid to post here.. hehehe we will not gonna eat you or something... so what Erika drama/movie did you seen? and the reason why you like Erika?
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blastx wrote:

hee. hi? hav been following this thread for quite some time nw. but din noe wat to say. and since i noe cantonese, i tot i finally can post smth. lol. 英龙华 in cantonese wuld b 'yam long wah' . hav to agree its a very masculine name indeed. nice meeting u guys =)

nice to see u~
but i think 'ying loong wah' is more accurate in Cantonese..
and in Japanese is 'e ryu ka' (similar to erika)
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hee. srry. mistook the 英 for 音. my apologies xP

blastx wrote:

hee. hi? hav been following this thread for quite some time nw. but din noe wat to say. and since i noe cantonese, i tot i finally can post smth. lol. 英龙华 in cantonese wuld b 'yam long wah' . hav to agree its a very masculine name indeed. nice meeting u guys =)

Welcome.. and join the craze.

"Ying Loong Wah" huh? Sounds cool.