L = R ? A confusion about Jap/Eng Pokemon ames

[Meweren]

My confusion has started with Rukario/Lucario. On the official 8th movie site,when you write the movie title in latin alphabet, it seems to be Rukario. But when you look to their products Example:http://www.pokemoncenter-online.com/portal/servlet/EC0204?jan_cd=4521329049199
It seems to be Lucario.
I did a little research on this.I read some Japanese/English Pokemon names containing "R" and "L" letters.Let's take a look.(my spelling of japanese names can be wrong)

Ratiosu/Latios
Ratiasu/Latias
Serebii/Celebi
Rukario/Lucario
Monjara/Tangela

So is that means L = R ?

 

[deoxys_attack_mode]

That's intersesting.....maybe the letters are interchangable.

 

[Kakashi-Sharingan Warrior]

and in fullmetal Alchemist Riza Hawkeye was changed to Liza Hawkeye

I do have no idea why they do that though...

 

[MaskedManAbsolkid]

Lugia's jaanese name was Rugia. It's changed from Latin english to regular English.

 

[Ludicolo von Nosepass]

Serebii seems to have choosen the name Rukario instead of Lukario but we wait and see what name it get!

 

[Kakashi-Sharingan Warrior]

Lugia's jaanese name was Rugia. It's changed from Latin english to regular English.

actually it was Ruugia

I heard something on Pokebeach about them saying about how Serebii was to ignorant to change it and stuff... I still think both are correct (rukario for japanese text, lucario for english)

 

[Meweren]

On Pokebeach, they say they had a conversion face to face, the man who Pokebeach talked pronounced it?Loo-car-e-o?.

 

[RaZoR LeAf]

In the japanese language there is no sound for 'L' it is pronounced 'R'. So everything that has an R in it has an L in the english name. In pokemon it's the names you've listed, Zelda also has the infamous Zora/Zola debate that makes it easier to understand.

As for Lucario/Rukario. Serebii waits until there is a 100% confirmed name before posting anything different.

 

[Altmer]

it's because the japanese have no different sound for L or R so in japanese it's pronounced as one and the same sound.

and that's what it sounds like in English which is why Gamefreak adopted that spelling.

Ratiosu would be pronounced Latios in english because the "u" is silent and because R = L in japanese

hence their funny accents

 

[Water Pokemon Master]

There's actually something interesting about the Japanese names when you see the English version in Japan. If you notice however, all of the Pokemon names are in Katakana, hinting that if there's some "weirdness" to the name, it's probably not Japanese in origin. "Lucario" is actually the real name of "Rukario", Lucario is what the creators intended to call him, not Rukario.

But yeah, R's are used for L's and B's are used for V's.

Finally.

Of course there are many ways to spell Lucario, but the OFFICIAL name from Japan is LUCARIO, so that is what its name is - not Rukario. Various products in Japan have been released spelling it that way as well. Rukario was never an official spelling of it. Also, based on my talks with Nintendo reps IRL, it is spelled Lucario and pronounced Loo-car-e-o. Check my site for the details if you feel like reading.