How-to: Naming Convention

Naming Convention

AniDB uses a slightly modified Hepburn Method for transcription titles (the Japanese Kanji/Kana written with Romaji).

• Official Names are always Japanese
• Main Names are always Japanese Transcription

Now as you might've encountered already, some Japanese titles or names are in English. That doesn't mean that you have to set the Official Title/Name to English, but to leave it as Japanese (even if we all know it's English).

Rule of Thumb: Is the name used on official Japanese Sources (be it movie posters, DVDs, CDs) it HAS TO be set to Japanese and will always be given just how it's on these official sources - regardless if it's gibberish at times or not.

The transcription on the other hand will be handled as followed with examples (Bleach episode names):

	Example 1	Example 2	Example 3	Example 4
Original Japanese Name	雨竜VS竜弦！激突クインシー親子	浦原の決断、織姫の想い	again	ALONES
WRONG Transcription	Uryuu VS Ryuuken! Gekitotsu kuinshii oyako	Urahara No Ketsudan, Orihime No Omoi Urahara no ketsudan, Orihime no omoi	again	ALONES
CORRECT Transcription	Uryuu VS Ryuuken! Gekitotsu Quincy Oyako	Urahara no Ketsudan, Orihime no Omoi	Again	Alones
Explanation	As you can see, the Katakana word クインシー didn't get transcripted to kuinshii but to the "real name" Quincy.	This example shows you that it's also wrong to start every word upper Case - particles, such as の (no), を (o), が (ga), へ　(e), か (ka) aso are transcribed to lower case.	This example shows how to work with English named Japanese originals	This example shows how to work with English named Japanese originals

Japanese Names

Western names have the scheme

• Given Name - Last Name

but Japanese Names are the other way around

• Last Name - Given Name

and this is also the way AniDB lists the names. Every entity that has a given and a last name you add to the db will have to be add the japanese way. Please always make sure that you didn't accidentally switch both.