What if the Turtles had Japanese names instead of Italian names? Would it be popular?

[frank_one]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I still find it funny all the Turtles names end in, "o" except Raphael. Like its something I never thought about, even when saying their names all out loud, "DonatellO" or "LeonardO" or "MichelangelO."

Funny how you think it would feel weird or something.

Raphael it's his English/American name. It's real name is Raffaello. As an Italian, I've always found quite funny how he is the only one that is called with a different name outside Italy.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

Although who has EVER heard of the guy Donnie is named for?

I certainly did, but then I've always had an interest in art, especially from the Renaissance.

Originally Posted by neatoman

A quick Wikipedia check is bound to fix that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donatello

"Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (c. 1386 – December 13, 1466), better known as Donatello, was an early Renaissance sculptor from Florence. He is, in part, known for his work in bas-relief, a form of shallow relief sculpture that, in Donatello's case, incorporated significant 15th-century developments in perspectival illusionism."

He is also best known for his bronze David, which was supposedly the inspiration for Michelangelo's marble version- and was one of the earliest nudes of the Italian Renaissance Greek Revival style. Prior to that, most sculptors kept the appearance of clothes on their figures for propriety reasons. (Thanks largely to the Church.)

As a side-note, my mom's birthday is the same as the day he died. Weird.

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

Well, yes, that's what Wikipedia is for. But I never learned about Donato during my art history course. Raphael, yeah. Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci? Obviously. Donato, though... not only is he typically people's least favorite Turtle, he's the least well-known artist. At least in my experience. Poor purple-bandanna-wearing Turtle can't catch a break. Oh, and he gets the least appealing weapon.

No love for my man Donatello.

I learned about him in world history, art, and also from personal studies into Renaissance art and history.

Originally Posted by nameless

i remember Kevin Eastmen said that Donnie was almost named after another artist but they decided they needed another "O" ending name. can't remember the artist now but i think it started with a "G". been a while since that panel

If it was a "G" name, it was probably Giovanni Bellini- or most likely just Giovanni.

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Think Bernini was the one.

We'd totally be calling him Bernie right now.

Nah, he'd be Gio. Which Mikey would probably play with several ways....

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I still find it funny all the Turtles names end in, "o" except Raphael. Like its something I never thought about, even when saying their names all out loud, "DonatellO" or "LeonardO" or "MichelangelO."

Funny how you think it would feel weird or something.

Raph's actual name does, too!

Originally Posted by Candy Kappa

Well, the artists actual name is Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, and some places do call Raph Raffaello instead of Raphael.

^ This.

[FlogginMcMurryZombiePizza]

To this day there still hasn't been a use of the Renaissance names like in TMNT so, it's all part of their unique package. You don't hear those names outside art classes and I can't really count how many people I have met who go buy any of those names.
I have friends named Mike and that's really it.

The Japanese names... They would need to be catchy like in Dragonball otherwise I couldn't remember the other names of character when I was younger. The Turtles just clicked like that, with everyone.

It is surprising Eastman and Laird didn't try with Japanese, Chinese, or Hong Kong names since they were so influenced by martial arts and kung fu movies, especially Bruce Lee.

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

Well, yes, that's what Wikipedia is for. But I never learned about Donato during my art history course. Raphael, yeah. Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci? Obviously. Donato, though... not only is he typically people's least favorite Turtle, he's the least well-known artist. At least in my experience. Poor purple-bandanna-wearing Turtle can't catch a break. Oh, and he gets the least appealing weapon.

No love for my man Donatello.

Weird. I ended up learning about all 4 Turtles in my art history class. Donnie is the one I do keep forgetting about though. Just his David sculpture.
Mikey and Leo are the most popular ones and Raph is also kinda the odd one that no one really knows without looking it up themselves or taking an art class.

Calling Donnie the "least favorite" is a tough call though, I would say all the Turtles seem fairly evenly split between favoritoes. I know lots of people who love Mikey and Raph the most but I know a lot of others who are fans of Leo and Donnie instead. I sometimes feel Leo is the least fav 'cus he's the leader and usually kinda "shallow" in comparison but I know that is far from the truth.

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Think Bernini was the one.

We'd totally be calling him Bernie right now.

HAHAHA Holy ****!! Bernini?! That would be a horrible name! lol
Bern. Bernie. Oi lol

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by MsMarvelDuckie

If it was a "G" name, it was probably Giovanni Bellini- or most likely just Giovanni.

Nah, he'd be Gio. Which Mikey would probably play with several ways....

Ah, that works, too. Had seen Bernini mentioned online last year, but Giovanni shortened to Gio would have been a decent fit, has a bit of a modern tech ring to it if pronounced like Geo.

[FlogginMcMurryZombiePizza]

"Geo" wouldn't be bad... It's just hard trying to imagine the brothers with different names.
Bellini would be too weird, I think, for kids.
Leonardo, Bellini, Michaelangelo, Raphael...
Eeeehhh... Or
Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Giovanni, Raphael
Works a little better but....

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by frank_one

Raphael it's his English/American name. It's real name is Raffaello. As an Italian, I've always found quite funny how he is the only one that is called with a different name outside Italy.

Have you ever seen an Italian dub of Secret of the Ooze? I've always wondered how the "all the good ones end in O" joke worked out if y'all call him Raffaello.

[Candy Kappa]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

Have you ever seen an Italian dub of Secret of the Ooze? I've always wondered how the "all the good ones end in O" joke worked out if y'all call him Raffaello.

I think someone on the forums actually mentions it, the joke is still there, so it's one of those jokes that is lost in translation

[snake]

I honestly think they wouldn't be as popular or memorable.

[IndigoErth]

Or heck, maybe the joke is lost, but it ends up saying they're all equally good? Not a bad thing.

[Powder]

Maybe it's just something like "All the best names end in O!", like you say, making them equally cool. Funny enough, that'd make Keno real rad too.

[frank_one]

When did they say that line in Secret of the ooze? I've seen it with the italian dub but honestly I can't remember how they actually render that joke.

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by Powder

Maybe it's just something like "All the best names end in O!", like you say, making them equally cool. Funny enough, that'd make Keno real rad too.

Haha, and Splinter made him do ten flips because his feelings were hurt lol.

[FlogginMcMurryZombiePizza]

Originally Posted by frank_one

When did they say that line in Secret of the ooze? I've seen it with the italian dub but honestly I can't remember how they actually render that joke.

When Keno is being introduced to everyone after he delivered pizza to April and passed out after seeing Splinter.

[frank_one]

I've just checked that scene with the italian dub and the dialog it's just the same as the original one except.. that joke totally got lost in translation. One sees Raph getting hangry with Mike but really doesn't understand why.

[Klunk1234]

Originally Posted by frank_one

Raphael it's his English/American name. It's real name is Raffaello. As an Italian, I've always found quite funny how he is the only one that is called with a different name outside Italy.

And I noticed that Michelangelo full name is mispronounce by English speakers. The exact pronunciation is Mikelangelo, not the way they do it. Also, it was misspelled (michaelangelo) until 2001 when Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman corrected it. But I noticed something the original series episode "Back to the Egg" , Mikey spells his full name correctly.

[frank_one]

Originally Posted by Klunk1234

And I noticed that Michelangelo full name is mispronounce by English speakers. The exact pronunciation is Mikelangelo, not the way they do it. Also, it was misspelled (michaelangelo) until 2001 when Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman corrected it. But I noticed something the original series episode "Back to the Egg" , Mikey spells his full name correctly.

Well, the only name that is pronunced correctly by english speakers is Donatello. The first two letters of "Leonardo" are pronunced like "Lee" in UK/USA but here in Italy we pronunce them like the first two letters in "Legend".
This is how we say it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB16eWIWySE

[IndigoErth]

Interesting. My own ear doesn't hear too much of a difference, though maybe we just pronounce the "e" stronger than the original pronunciation?

Granted the guys are in the U.S., and have U.S. accents, so it would make sense that their names are the local pronunciation. I'm sure my own Greek origin name has probably changed over time from it's roots, maybe more-so.

[sdp]

All the TMNT copy cats had a long quirky names including big players like "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" and many named their characters because of some random fact. I remember the Snaliens being named after presidents.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

I need to dig out my TMNT trivia book now. It mentioned all of the rip-offs and their characters' names. Including the PTDGKFK. (That's Pre-Teen Dirty-Gene Kung-Fu Kangaroos.) Yes, that is a "real" thing. A parody of TMNT that was done back in the late 80's after the cartoon became popular, apparently.

[frank_one]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Granted the guys are in the U.S., and have U.S. accents, so it would make sense that their names are the local pronunciation. I'm sure my own Greek origin name has probably changed over time from it's roots, maybe more-so.

I agree. After all they're ninja turtles living in the sewer, not foreign languages professors