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View Full Version : Intentional mispellings of famous brand names

pianocello
06-13-2007, 05:45 AM
I do occasionally see famous brands appear in anime scenes. To avoid potential lawsuits, the names will be intentionally mispelt. To give some examples, one of the most common ones is McDonalds burgers. If I'm remembering correctly, it appears in InuYasha as WcDonalds and in Darker than Black as McDonness.

Any other examples you can think of?
RayeKinezono
06-13-2007, 07:15 AM
"Pochy" and "Prech" from the Onegai Teacher/Twins series, is the one that immediately comes to mind for me.
touma
06-13-2007, 07:32 AM
I think that I have seen "Somy" more than once, but I cannot remember any examples right now.
Lego
06-13-2007, 09:12 AM
Wcdonalds is legendary when it comes to anime.
Kouji Tamino
06-13-2007, 09:24 AM
Ha ha, the one that instantly stood out in my mind was 'Pizza But' (Pizza Hut, of course) from Full Metal Panic! TSR
guyver83
06-13-2007, 09:26 AM
In Chrno Crusade they spelled Brooklyn something totally off I can't remember the way they spelled it but it was wrong.


edit: Ok i'm AN IDIOT who needs to READ the headlines more. My bad.
WTK
06-13-2007, 10:05 AM
In MoonPhase, Kouhei's camera is made by NINOLTA!
The Great Bear
06-13-2007, 10:51 AM
I think that I have seen "Somy" more than once, but I cannot remember any examples right now.


That one's very common, along with the alternate "Sany" that I've seen on occasion as well.
EmperorBrandon
06-13-2007, 10:56 AM
Wcdonalds is legendary when it comes to anime.

Heh, several examples are given here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WcDonald%27s). ;)
Relwarc
06-13-2007, 12:12 PM
Starchild Coffee in GitS: Stand Alone Complex. It's what inspired the Laughing Man logo. Still, you'd think they could've come up with a better replacement for Star"bucks" than "child."
The Great Bear
06-13-2007, 01:03 PM
Starchild Coffee in GitS: Stand Alone Complex. It's what inspired the Laughing Man logo. Still, you'd think they could've come up with a better replacement for Star"bucks" than "child."

Well, there may be something well known to those in the anime business in Japan that may have influenced that one. While it has nothing at all to do with GiTS:SAC as far as I know, King Records has an anime music label called Star Child, so maybe that inspired the name.
TnAdct1
06-13-2007, 01:04 PM
Negima has a lot of them in both the anime and the manga. Among some of the products:

Google - Bagle (with it inspiring its own t-shirt) (http://www.cafepress.com/class3a.65093054)
Starbucks - Starbooks
Fudce
06-13-2007, 01:10 PM
I think that I have seen "Somy" more than once, but I cannot remember any examples right now.


That one's very common, along with the alternate "Sany" that I've seen on occasion as well.
Don't forget Sorny
DiGiKerot
06-13-2007, 02:49 PM
"Pochy" and "Prech" from the Onegai Teacher/Twins series, is the one that immediately comes to mind for me.

Onegai Twins also had "Starjackass Coffee"...
Shiroi Hane
06-13-2007, 03:45 PM
I started a page for this years ago. Still take screenshots whenever I see something amusing but haven't gotten around to updating for a while unfortunately :(

http://anime.thenexxus.org/prodmis/
Solbrain
06-13-2007, 04:42 PM
In Initial D, the Toyota Logo is heavily altered on the engine block of Takumi's Trueno.

Also, Black Lagoon has some of these gems:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/phantomskyline/b32fef11.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/phantomskyline/b599a5d3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/phantomskyline/bb4d4486.jpg
Andrew Cunningham
06-13-2007, 05:28 PM
There's the famous Japanese burger joined MOS Burger...which, in Cyber Team in Akihabara, became DOS Burger.
ADC
06-13-2007, 06:30 PM
I think that I have seen "Somy" more than once, but I cannot remember any examples right now.
That one's very common, along with the alternate "Sany" that I've seen on occasion as well.
Don't forget Sorny
And Zony.
pianocello
06-13-2007, 08:37 PM
Wcdonalds is legendary when it comes to anime.

Heh, several examples are given here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WcDonald%27s). ;)


I don't get it. If InuYasha is sponsored by McDonalds, what is wrong with using the correct spelling in the show?
mikedude
06-13-2007, 09:48 PM
The VAOI PC in X TV cracks me up everytime.

I also recall a Zenny's (Denny's) in Gravitation.
Fudce
06-13-2007, 10:11 PM
The VAOI PC in X TV cracks me up everytime.
Given that it's CLAMP, wouldn't YAOI be mor apropriate?
Solbrain
06-13-2007, 10:39 PM
Wcdonalds is legendary when it comes to anime.

Heh, several examples are given here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WcDonald%27s). ;)


I don't get it. If InuYasha is sponsored by McDonalds, what is wrong with using the correct spelling in the show?


Perhaps Trademark dilution. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark_dilution) LEGO Group has this exact problem when people refer to their bricks (or any other comnpetitors plastic bricks) as Legos.

Or if McDonalds came on board with the sponsorship after the first episode of W-Burger, it might be an issue of continuity.
mikedude
06-13-2007, 10:45 PM
The VAOI PC in X TV cracks me up everytime.
Given that it's CLAMP, wouldn't YAOI be mor apropriate?

Yes, but that's too blatant, so I'll take VAOI. :D
RayeKinezono
06-13-2007, 11:03 PM
Still, you'd think they could've come up with a better replacement for Star"bucks" than "child."

Isn't there a production company in Japan called "Star Child"? I'm pretty sure I've seen their logo at the beginning of an NGE show or something.
Solbrain
06-14-2007, 01:29 AM
Still, you'd think they could've come up with a better replacement for Star"bucks" than "child."

Isn't there a production company in Japan called "Star Child"? I'm pretty sure I've seen their logo at the beginning of an NGE show or something.

NGE and FLCL. I think i've seen it elsewhere, gotta look into my Dvd collection.
Chloe
06-14-2007, 08:35 PM
You know I could SWEAR there was a swear word on one of the building signs in Abenobashi. It was only there for a second, but I was stunned that they would even try to get away with that. It's like they figure if they bury in on one of the middle episodes the censors might not notice. :P

Oh, and I am pretty aure I've seen Zony too. Lupin the third is good for ome of these every couple episodes.
PhilipReuben
06-14-2007, 09:05 PM
You know I could SWEAR there was a swear word on one of the building signs in Abenobashi. It was only there for a second, but I was stunned that they would even try to get away with that. It's like they figure if they bury in on one of the middle episodes the censors might not notice. :P

A swear word in English, or a "swear word" in Japanese? Either way, I doubt it would be an issue on Japanese TV.

A great example: Sonic X (a show obviously aimed at kids) features Sonic saying the English word "shit" in the Japanese version.
Shiroi Hane
06-15-2007, 01:06 AM
We're going off-topix, but I saw a screenshot once that showed an English swear word graffitied on a wall in one of the Digimon movies.
DataDogEin
06-15-2007, 01:27 AM
I vaguely recall a box of "Bocky" and a can of "Bepsi" lying around the office in Witch Hunter Robin.
Kellory
06-15-2007, 02:29 AM
The VAOI PC in X TV cracks me up everytime.

What I find interesting is that in GTO Yoshikawa wears a VAIO shirt that is actually the VAIO logo and we see Sony used a lot without any misspellings.

I know I've seen Suzuki named Suzuka a couple of times. I believe I've seem 7/11's named 24/7, but using similar fonts and colors.

And not strictly a brand name, but the Shibuya 109 building is frequently shown with a different number. 100 or 10Q is a pretty common misspelling of it.
Ty
06-15-2007, 04:17 PM
The laptop computers Haruhi "procures" from the computer club in an episode of TMOHS have "Epsom" clearly printed on them.
monkeebiz
06-16-2007, 05:58 AM
Somewhere in Marmalade Boy (maybe in both the anime and manga) you see famous Japanese cosmetic company Shiseido misspelled as Zhizeido.
GyroidFanatic
06-16-2007, 03:07 PM
Negima has a lot of them in both the anime and the manga. Among some of the products:

Google - Bagle (with it inspiring its own t-shirt) (http://www.cafepress.com/class3a.65093054)
Starbucks - Starbooks

Don't forget Mahoo, a combination of either "mahou" (meaning magic) or Mahora (the name of the school) and Yahoo
Kyon
06-16-2007, 06:52 PM
I've seen "Pippu" as a substitute for Pepsi in Cowboy Bebop.
touma
06-16-2007, 07:17 PM
I just saw a character in Assemble Insert playing a Yamoha accordion.
Kiggy
06-16-2007, 09:17 PM
I once saw a guy driving a Nisan (or was it Nisson?) truck.

I don't remember which series/OAV though.
Shiroi Hane
06-16-2007, 10:14 PM
I vaguely recall a box of "Bocky" and a can of "Bepsi" lying around the office in Witch Hunter Robin.
The Bepsi image is up on my page which I linked earlier.
Solbrain
06-17-2007, 06:45 AM
Negima has a lot of them in both the anime and the manga. Among some of the products:

Google - Bagle (with it inspiring its own t-shirt) (http://www.cafepress.com/class3a.65093054)
Starbucks - Starbooks

Don't forget Mahoo, a combination of either "mahou" (meaning magic) or Mahora (the name of the school) and Yahoo

Also Photoshock = Photoshop
touma
06-17-2007, 02:41 PM
Another variation on McDonald's is "NcDonald's" in The World of Narue.
touma
06-19-2007, 10:16 PM
Some characters in The World of Narue were reading an anime magazine titled "Nyatype." :neko:
EmperorBrandon
06-20-2007, 01:10 AM
Hah... just saw an "HFC" in Fancy Lala, while the magical creatures are snacking on chicken. Reminded of me of this thread. :)
Takato
06-24-2007, 03:32 PM
In episode two of the Rayearth OVAs, Umi and Fuu can be seen eating Sabways. Seems kind of out of place to me in an otherwise dark anime.
Shiroi Hane
06-26-2007, 05:44 PM
There's a Minboms 99 OS screenshot, also from Narue, on my page.
Garrett Jax
06-27-2007, 10:43 PM
I was just watching Yukikaze and discovered that their apparent beer of choice is "Badwilser."

The can's design is clearly meant to mimick Budweiser. :)