Life of Pi

Japan: ライフ・オブ・パイ/トラと漂流した227日 = "Life of Pi/227 days of drifting with a tiger"

• トラ = tiger
• 漂流 = drift

Korea: 라이프 오브 파이  = "Life of Pi" written in hangul.

Thailand: ชีวิตอัศจรรย์ของพาย = "Wondrous Life of Pi"

• ชีวิต = life
• อัศจรรย์ = wondrous

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is taken from the poem Eloisa to Abelard byAlexander Pope.

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!

The world forgetting, by the world forgot.

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! 

Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;

Since the movie title is so long, the corresponding Japanese and Korean titles are abbreviated to only "Eternal Sunshine" written in katakana and hangul respectively.

Japan: エターナル・サンシャイン

Korea: 이터널 선샤인

Thailand: ลบเธอ...ให้ไม่ลืม = "Forget... to remember". A more literal translation is "Erase her... so as not to forget"

• ลบ = erase
• เธอ = second person pronoun signifying both male and female, third person pronoun signifying female
• ให้ = 1. so that..., for 2.give, grant 3.allow, consent (1st meaning in this case)
• ไม่ = no, not
• ลืม = forget

I guess the Thai tile is a bit spoiler-ish? :P

Friends with Benefits

Friends with Benefits

Japan: ステイ・フレンズ "Stay Friends" written in katakana

Korea: 프렌즈 위드 베네핏 "Friends with Benefits" written in hangul

Thailand: เพื่อนกัน มันส์กระจาย "Friends, fun to the max"

• เพื่อน = friend
• มันส์ = fun, enjoy
• กระจาย = disperse, spread

Alice in Wonderland

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland  

Japan: アリス・イン・ワンダーランド => Just "Alice in Wonderland" written in katakana.

Note that in Japan, Alice in Wonderland(Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to be exact) is widely known as "不思議の国のアリス".

• 不思議(fushigi) = wonder, strange
• 国 = country
• アリス = Alice

Korea: 이상한 나라의 앨리스 = Alice in Wonderland

• 이상 = strangeness
• 나라 = country
• 앨리스 = Alice  

Thailand : อลิซในแดนมหัศจรรย์ = Alice in Wonderland

• อลิซ = Alice
• ใน = in
• แดน = land, country, territory
• มหัศจรรย์ = wondrous, miraculous

Being John Malkovich

"Being John Malkovich" is one weird movie. Let's see how well the weirdness got translated in the movie titles of each country.

Japan:マルコヴィッチの穴 = Malkovich's hole

• マルコヴィッチ = Malkovich
• 穴 = hole

Korea:존 말코비치 되기 = Being John Malkovich

• 존 말코비치 = John Malkovich
• 되기 = becoming, being (from the verb 되다 to be, to become)

Thailand:ตายละหว่า...ดูดคนเข้าสมองคน = My goodness!...Men suck into a human's brain!

• ดูด = to suck, to draw
• คน = human, man, person
• สมอง = brain
• 
  

Don't you just love the Thai titles? They are never lazy.

There's Something About Mary

Japan:メリーに首ったけ = head over heels for Mary

• メリー = Mary
• 首ったけ(kubittake) = head over heels, madly in love   

Korea: 메리에겐 뭔가 특별한 것이 있다 = There's something special about Mary

• 메리 = Mary
• 뭔가 = something
• 특별한 것 = special things
• 있다 = there is, there are     

Thailand: มะรุมมะตุ้มรุมรักแมรี่ = Flocking after Mary, loving her

• มะรุมมะตุ้ม = to besiege someone closely
• รุม = to crowd, to flock
• รัก = to love
• แมรี่ = Mary

My Best Friend's Wedding

My Best Friend's Wedding, one of the most memorable films ever. It's been over ten years but the "I say a little prayer for you" musical scene, the jello vs. Crème brûlée dialog, and the karaoke from hell scene are still clear in my mind. That's saying a lot considering the kind of brain I have. :P

Japan : "ベスト・フレンズ・ウェディング" = "Best Friend's Wedding" written in katakana. Appearently, keeping "My" in the title would make it too long in Japan. :P

Korea : "내 남자친구의 결혼식" means "My Boyfriend's Wedding". For some unknown reason, Koreans decided to change "best friend" to "boyfriend"!

• 남자친구 = boyfriend
• 결혼 = marriage
• 결혼식 = wedding ceremony

Thailand : "เจอกลเกลอ วิวาห์อลเวง" literally means "meet friend's tricks, chaotic wedding".

• เจอ = to meet, to face, to encounter
• กล = trick
• เกลอ = friend (a little archaic)
• วิวาห์ = wedding
• อลเวง = chaotic

I swear Thai movie titles are the hardest to translate ever!! grrrgh

Lost in Translation

This is one movie that this blog can't do without. :P

In Japan, there's no change in the title. "ロスト・イン・トランスレーション" is just "Lost in Translation" written in katakana.

The Korean title "사랑도 통역이 되나요?" means "Can love be translated too?"

• 사랑 = love
• 통역 = translate, interpret

In Thailand, the full movie name is "Lost in Translation หลง/เหงา/รัก".

• หลง = lost (but can also mean infatuate)
• เหงา = lonely
• รัก = love

Yes, we seem to love stringing words together in Thailand. :P

In my opinion, we should not alter the movie title in this case because the original meaning might get lost in translation. (sorry for the lame pun. can't help myself.)

The Shawshank Redemption

"The Shawshank Redemption" is another of my all time favorites. Let's see how they name it in the 3 countries.

Japan : "ショーシャンクの空に" means "To Shawshank's sky" signifying the main character's hope and freedom.

• ショーシャンク = Shawshank
• 空 = sky

Korea : "쇼생크 탈출" means "Shawshank Escape". 

• 쇼생크 = Shawshank
• 탈출 = escape

Thailand : "ชอว์แชงค์ มิตรภาพ ความหวัง ความรุนแรง" means "Shawshank Friendship Hope Violence". 


Isn't the Japanese title so beautiful for this one? It gives off a happy yet sad vibe which is very fitting to the movie. :)

The Korean title sounds like an action movie. Don't you agree?

Dead Poets Society

Let me celebrate the start of this new blog with one of my favorite movies of all times, Dead Poets Society!

In Japan, they decided to go for a softer image and titled it "いまを生きる(ima wo ikiru)" which means "Live the present". 

• いま = now
• 生きる = to live

In Korea, however, the title is literally translated to "죽은 시인의 사회".

• 시인 = poet
• 죽은 시인 = dead poet
• 사회 = society

In Thailand, the title sounds like that of an evening-slot TV drama targeted to preteens. "ครูครับ เราจะสู้เพื่อฝัน" means "Teacher, we will fight for our dreams".

I personally love the original English title. It's very unique, memorable and makes one curious about the movie. So, among all these, which one do you prefer?