Do the Turtles know Japanese?

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Originally Posted by Galactus

I think only Raphael in Image was ever shown to speak Japanese with any expertise and even then I could be remembering that wrong.



That would work if ever other instance of animals mutating in the series didn't show it to be instantaneous. Slash never had a childhood or Groundchuck and Dirtbag or Tokka and Rahzar.

How about the Punk Frogs or Leatherhead? (And for that matter, where did Leatherhead learn to cook?)

[DonatelloDomeHead31]

I seem to recall Donatello learning how to say "Hello, Mustard" in Ninja Turtles III. He admits his Japanese was a little off.

A little joke there, but still, in my opinion, Leo would know the most Japanese as he always made his training stronger...

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Cryomancer

The root question is probably really if Splinter knew English. Assuming they grow up in the US together, it's quite likely that Splinter taught them Japanese and they then learned English together. That'd be a neat angle to work in a future version.

It may or may not be relevant to the conversation that the Japanese TMNT manga was full of Japanese stereotypes and caricatures, despite being made by a Japanese person for the Japanese market. Most notoriously: http://puu.sh/1cdE (don't click if you are going to be offended by this sort of thing)

I thought English was taught at school in Japan, so in TMNT version were Splinter is Hamato Yoshi, he would know. Same with Shredder.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by Galactus

That would work if ever other instance of animals mutating in the series didn't show it to be instantaneous. Slash never had a childhood or Groundchuck and Dirtbag or Tokka and Rahzar.

We never saw Tokka and Rahzaa's mutation in the show. They just showed up one day (only referring to the OT). As for Slash, I'll give you that one. ^^

As for Groundchuck and Dirtbag, maybe they were an "adult" animals.

Originally Posted by Type 97 Chi-ha

How about the Punk Frogs or Leatherhead? (And for that matter, where did Leatherhead learn to cook?)

Well, I would say that the frogs were already "adult" since you know, a baby frog is a tadpole.

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Originally Posted by Swedenfan 1982

I thought English was taught at school in Japan, so in TMNT version were Splinter is Hamato Yoshi, he would know. Same with Shredder.

I heard that it was taught, but even after school the Japanese never actually learn it until they interact with native speakers, for which there are few opportunities for most people.

[Galactus]

Originally Posted by Type 97 Chi-ha

How about the Punk Frogs or Leatherhead? (And for that matter, where did Leatherhead learn to cook?)

Indeed.

Originally Posted by ssjup81

We never saw Tokka and Rahzaa's mutation in the show. They just showed up one day (only referring to the OT). As for Slash, I'll give you that one. ^^

True but didn't that episode rationalise their existence as being from when Shredder played around with mutagen in the zoo. A veiled reference to Planet of The Turtleoids perhaps? Unless they grew up really fast it's unlikely Tokka and Rahzar had a childhood.

As for Groundchuck and Dirtbag, maybe they were an "adult" animals.

Well, I would say that the frogs were already "adult" since you know, a baby frog is a tadpole.

Good point but you'd think that they'd be some kind of period of adjustment instead of them instantly mastering english or Groundchuck developing his cowboy lingo etc. I'm not criticising the show for this, it's a fun cartoon that we're just supposed to accept that animals exposed to mutagen instantly mutate and know all their is to know about the world around them.

Something like this however I felt was more of a problem with Secret of the Ooze were despite their baby quality Tokka and Rahzar were still too fully developed and especialy in the IDW series.

[Cryomancer]

Originally Posted by Swedenfan 1982

I thought English was taught at school in Japan, so in TMNT version were Splinter is Hamato Yoshi, he would know. Same with Shredder.

Maybe, I was thinking more of the pet rat background though. There's also time considerations there (when did teaching English become commonplace? Would Yoshi have been in school before or after that point?), and even if he did grow up with a Japanese education in English, that level of speech wouldn't be quite where we see the TMNT at (with their heavy use of slang and so on).

I'm sure it would be a complex and over-time kind of deal no matter what the scenario of course.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Galactus

Indeed.



True but didn't that episode rationalise their existence as being from when Shredder played around with mutagen in the zoo. A veiled reference to Planet of The Turtleoids perhaps? Unless they grew up really fast it's unlikely Tokka and Rahzar had a childhood.



Good point but you'd think that they'd be some kind of period of adjustment instead of them instantly mastering english or Groundchuck developing his cowboy lingo etc. I'm not criticising the show for this, it's a fun cartoon that we're just supposed to accept that animals exposed to mutagen instantly mutate and know all their is to know about the world around them.

Something like this however I felt was more of a problem with Secret of the Ooze were despite their baby quality Tokka and Rahzar were still too fully developed and especialy in the IDW series.

Tokka and Rahzar are cooler in the 1987 show ("Dirk Savage, Mutant Hunter").

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by Swedenfan 1982

I thought English was taught at school in Japan, so in TMNT version were Splinter is Hamato Yoshi, he would know. Same with Shredder.

Yeah. They're forced to take 6 years of English, but with the way it's taught, it doesn't really stick for a good chunk of them. It mostly consists of a lot of translation so the actual communication skills aren't very good. Ironically, to get into Japanese universities, you have to take entrance exams (like high school and private junior high schools) and there's an English section to it.

The ones who actually do better when it comes to English language learning are probably those who go to eikaiwa (English Conversation Schools [where I work]) after school or eitther a juku (cram school). In public schools, seems they focus more on passing exams as opposed to learning the the language. Yes, there are more ALTs in some public schools, but the system here is still pretty broken. When I was an ALT, I had mixed feelings about it and how it differs from place to place.

Originally Posted by Galactus

True but didn't that episode rationalise their existence as being from when Shredder played around with mutagen in the zoo. A veiled reference to Planet of The Turtleoids perhaps? Unless they grew up really fast it's unlikely Tokka and Rahzar had a childhood.

To be honest, I don't remember. ^^;

Good point but you'd think that they'd be some kind of period of adjustment instead of them instantly mastering english or Groundchuck developing his cowboy lingo etc. I'm not criticising the show for this, it's a fun cartoon that we're just supposed to accept that animals exposed to mutagen instantly mutate and know all their is to know about the world around them.

Crap, I didn't even think of that. lol

Something like this however I felt was more of a problem with Secret of the Ooze were despite their baby quality Tokka and Rahzar were still too fully developed and especialy in the IDW series.

I didn't even think of that either. ><

Gotta love the inconsistency of the OT series.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by ssjup81

Yeah. They're forced to take 6 years of English, but with the way it's taught, it doesn't really stick for a good chunk of them. It mostly consists of a lot of translation so the actual communication skills aren't very good. Ironically, to get into Japanese universities, you have to take entrance exams (like high school and private junior high schools) and there's an English section to it.

The ones who actually do better when it comes to English language learning are probably those who go to eikaiwa (English Conversation Schools [where I work]) after school or eitther a juku (cram school). In public schools, seems they focus more on passing exams as opposed to learning the the language. Yes, there are more ALTs in some public schools, but the system here is still pretty broken. When I was an ALT, I had mixed feelings about it and how it differs from place to place.
To be honest, I don't remember. ^^;Crap, I didn't even think of that. lolI didn't even think of that either. ><

Gotta love the inconsistency of the OT series.

Before you create a fictional story.
Rule 1. You spend years reading everything about a country's education system.

[Lordmylar06]

I think this subject is a part of the oversight of having them speak english from the beginning. I'm sure if Eastman and Laird had thought that they would be as successful as they had been with the first issue and beyond they would have written more of an explanation.
That being said, I think the possible explanation has to do with the mutation itself. If they're the "ultimate form" of a turtle or rat, or whatever animal was mutated, then perhaps this was part of it, absorption of language through observation...
Sure it's a longshot, but other than that, you gotta wonder how they knew english in the first place, unless Hamato Yoshi spoke it constantly in front of his pet rat... and that his pet rat's feeble unmutated brain somehow locked those conversations in his feeble unmutated memory, and he later knew exactly how to teach his pupils language. Big ol' run on thought there...

[Donnie]

Don apparently knows some French for some reason in IDW, so I would imagine he might know some Japanese. Leo would study it more traditionally probably, and as has been said Mikey and Raph wouldn't bother unless Splinter instructed.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Michelangelo

Don apparently knows some French for some reason in IDW, so I would imagine he might know some Japanese. Leo would study it more traditionally probably, and as has been said Mikey and Raph wouldn't bother unless Splinter instructed.

Doesn't he know that in "Rust Never Sleeps" in the 1987 show too? Pig or something?

[Mr.Turtle]

i think don knos all kinds of languages... leo knos japanese a lil too but mikey n raph... only english.

[thelouisguy]

Originally Posted by Jester

Learn something new everyday. "Clan" is a Japanese word.

This is the best!

[Mr.Turtle]

im thinking abt the ninja tribunal season. remember the guys were 1st assigned to read in the library? since they were in japan, wut language do u think it is in those books? i remember donnie went thru the books pretty easily and leo asked him abt some parts he didn't understand. so it's very likely that they both knos japanese.

[Galactus]

Originally Posted by Mr.Turtle

im thinking abt the ninja tribunal season. remember the guys were 1st assigned to read in the library? since they were in japan, wut language do u think it is in those books? i remember donnie went thru the books pretty easily and leo asked him abt some parts he didn't understand. so it's very likely that they both knos japanese.

Good point. I'd say it's safe to say the 4kids turtles have a fair knowledge of Japanese.

[Mr.Turtle]

not mikey or raph tho.

[Donnie]

Originally Posted by Mr.Turtle

i think don knos all kinds of languages... leo knos japanese a lil too but mikey n raph... only english.

I doubt Don knows "all kinds" of language. He probably knows a little bit of some select languages, but seriously he can't be that smart. He's never been a linguist. He's already surpassed a normal IQ in almost all iterations, save maybe Mirage.

Originally Posted by Mr.Turtle

not mikey or raph tho.

Dude, chill, we know, you think Mikey and Raph don't know any Japanese. We get it.

[Machias Banshee]

Well, Don's knowledge of languages can depend on what kind of education Yoshi's had. If he's been taught several languages (which is possible if he's from from a well-off clan), it could be very possible that he'd teach Donnie several languages. With such a fertile mind, Donnie could really go anywhere in their "homeschooling".

I could see Donnie getting interested in understanding the history of languages...