At Mon, 2 Sep 1996 14:51:17 +0100 Chris Rijk (cpr1@doc.ic.ac.uk) wrote:

> Are you asking us (Westerners) how we feel about the use of Japanese culture
> in Ranma 1/2, or the relationship between the two, or something else?

  I was asking about relationship between the two.

> Just how common a family name is 'Hibiki'? I was wondering since I 
> recently saw an (non Ranma) anime which has a Hibiki.

  I have *never* heard about parson named "Hibiki". I think there may be
person nemed Hibiki, but as long as I know, there isn't Hibiki-san.

> Also, in another anime, the people who did the translation added some
> comments at the end... one of them was that in Japan, sometimes married
> couples don't use their given names to refer to each other, but use their
> family names instead.
> I was a bit surprised - what is you're comment on this?

  It is polite manner to call other's family name in Japan. For example, when
we meet someone for the first time, Japanese refer each other with their
family names.
 
> On a slightly related note - any idea why Genma and Soun use 'Tendo-kun'
> and  'Saotome-kun' to refer to each other and not their given names? They
> have been friends for some time after all.

  To use family name to refer others more formal custom than to use first
name. You shall find when Soun and Genma use their family name to refer
another, they are talking something serious.

  I'm sorry my ability of English is very poor. Please tell me how to improve
my English, and enable me to write good articles!
 
 
Hideaki TAKASAKA
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Faculty of Engineering Niigata university

e-mail (hidechan@on.rim.or.jp)
URL (http://www.on.rim.or.jp/~hidechan)