Something that also ought to be kept in mind (although it is difficult to do in English) is that the Japanese language itself changes depending on who you are talking to, not just the titles used. This is usually done by altering the form of the verb, although in some cases, even different vocabulary is used. It's one of the more difficult things for English-speakers to grasp when learning the language: not the forms themselves, but when to use them and with whom.
English just doesn't do this. We used to have a second-person familiar form (thou and the verb structures that went with it), but that fell out of usage centuries ago.
One of the fun things to watch for in Japanese drama is the moment when people change the way they address one another. Big emotional impact there--in that moment, a wall comes down (or goes up). It's subtle and beautiful.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Probably more than you needed to know.
Date: 2008-09-20 02:40 pm (UTC)English just doesn't do this. We used to have a second-person familiar form (thou and the verb structures that went with it), but that fell out of usage centuries ago.
One of the fun things to watch for in Japanese drama is the moment when people change the way they address one another. Big emotional impact there--in that moment, a wall comes down (or goes up). It's subtle and beautiful.