Japanese or English?

[PApagreg]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Half of them have Chinese weapons. Should they speak Chinese?

Well technically speaking Nunchucks, Sais and Bo staffs are all Okinawa weapons. So they should be speaking Ryukyuan

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

Sure, why not?
They live in New York, it's not like Chinese is a language you can't hear there.

That's fair, I guess. There's a part of me that would like the Turtles to know a bunch of languages. You know, you can get the scene in all those movies and shows with Russian gangsters talking crap to each other, and suddenly Raphael pipes in in Russian, blowing their minds.

I mean come on, like Michaelangelo wouldn't be fluent enough in Chinese to order from the really good restaurants...while also flirting with the waitstaff.

Maybe about the restaurants part.

[myconius]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

So Leo being able to give a brother(s) a quick command mid-combat for pulling off some kind of maneuver together, while not allowing the enemy to be aware of the plan (as concerns English speaking enemy who don't understand Japanese), wouldn't be an asset... Okay then.


Or go the (Navajo) Code Talkers route, but using Japanese.

that's tactically unwise to base your battle plans on what any given combatant might or might not understand.

and a whole lot of energy spent when they could just use code names for drills.

i'm pretty sure i've even seen the turtles in films use names for battle tactics?

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Code Talkers route

Originally Posted by myconius

just use code names for drills.

Yup.





Though with all due respect...if fluent, I don't see how using a language costs energy.

[Tetsu Deinonychus]

Originally Posted by Candy Kappa

Be able to even read what Shinobi-no-jutsu scrolls Yoshi leaves behind or Splinter possess would be a advantage. Just saying, those don't get translated too often

I think this is a major reason right there, and I always assumed left-over scrolls are part of how Splinter refined his training after his mutation.

Also, I think Mirage makes it pretty clear they know Japanese. Otherwise how did they talk to all those Japanese people in "Masks" (especially with no English traders around). And, Splinter would have to know Japanese to know certain details about Yoshi, Nagi, Shen, and Saki (like their names), and to communicate with Hatsumi Gosei who I doubt spoke English (though that might not matter in psychic communication).

It's just easier to believe that Splinter picked up Japanese the same way he picked up Ninjutsu (or went through the trouble of learning afterwards), and taught some to the Turtles then to think all that stuff happened in English for some reason.

As for other languages, they do live in New York and New York is a true melting pot. It's reasonable that they'd know at least bits and pieces of other languages too. They're lucky they grew up in a city that could educate them like that. Who knows how they'd turn out if they mutated in Alabama?

Also, technically Anime started coming to the US in the 60s with Astro-Boy and Speed Racer. But, I don't see why Anime has to be popular for characters in a ninja comic to speak Japanese.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Half of them have Chinese weapons. Should they speak Chinese?

You don't speak the language of the weapons you carry.

[Candy Kappa]

I donno about you, but I speak Sword fairly well.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Candy Kappa

I donno about you, but I speak Sword fairly well.

So if you use a boomerang, would you speak any of the languages from the aboriginal Australians?

[myconius]

Originally Posted by candy kappa

i donno about you, but i speak sword fairly well.

^ Hear! Hear!

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Tetsu Deinonychus

Who knows how they'd turn out if they mutated in Alabama?.

They'd have to hie even more, and fight for the green power resistance movement.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by Candy Kappa

I donno about you, but I speak Sword fairly well.

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

So if you use a boomerang, would you speak any of the languages from the aboriginal Australians?

Not necessarily... but half way through a sentence you'd d'uoy ecnetnes a hguorht yaw flah tub ...ylirassecen toN involuntarily turn around and repeat yourself backwards.