Talk:Mara

From OMGWiki

This article brings up an interesting point. I've always been kind of torn between the "official" American (Dark Horse) versions of the pronunciations, and the unofficial (but probably more correct) versions that are around. Take, for example, the name of the series. I refer to it as Oh My Goddess! because that's the title of the english manga, and this site was originally based completely on that. However, I'm of the mind that Ah! My Goddess! is perhaps more correct. Thoughts, anyone?

LaR - I myself use Ah! My Goddess since that is the Japanese romanization/translation used in many Japanese merchandise. Also, the movie was licensed over here as Ah! My Goddess, and I think it's already licensed as the same by Media Blasters. I believe it's most likely due to personal preference; neither is more correct, because Mr. Fujishima himself is rather vague at times. For instance, the character Lind is spelled that way in a tankouban, but most fans call her Rind. Rind is correct in a way since that's how it's spelled as a reference to Norse Mythology. Lind would be correct as well since that's how Mr. Fujishima spells it.

It also brings up the point about Belldandy. Her originally spelling, before mutilated by kana, was Verthandi or Verdana. Berudandi became Belldandy, but it's all good (at least she's not called Burgundy).

In any case, it's all very ambiguous. Most fans pick and choose.

[edit] Mara

I just kind of happened on this gallery.

I prefer Mara not only because it's what I'm used to or because you can make the arguement with the L/R fusion, but because of an interesting take on the mythology.

Mara was the demon that was sent to tempt Siddhartha Guatama (the historical Buddha) when he was under the tree and was the old God of Sex and Death and considered almost the anti-Buddha.

That certainly fits with the Mara we know, using someone's desires (like Sayoko for example) to cause mischief. Plus it gives Mara a bit more historical depth if I think of her that way. I know that the Buddhist Mara was a male, but hey, K1 though that Mara was Belldandy's fiance and a he way back in the beginning (at least in the English version) so who knows.

Here's a source page for the Hindu/Buddhist Mara

http://ankokumon.chaosmagic.com/majutsu.htm

Also I'm trying to add this comment and hope it doesn't erase whats already there.

LaR - I must agree with you that Mara is more correct. Marller is more or less something I would think of as a "creative mispelling", much like how Verthandi was turned into Belldandy.