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Post by Koopaul on Sept 18, 2009 1:26:02 GMT -5
This is something that has been bugging me forever. Whenever I see an Octopus in an anime or Japanese game I always notice two things: A. They're Red B. They have these strange cannon-like snouts (or mouths) Look.  I need to know why the hell do they do that? Usually I don't question the bizarre things that come from Japan but this is such a common trend, I'd like to know why. |
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Post by The Qu on Sept 18, 2009 1:46:43 GMT -5
I'd like to know too. It's odd and interesting.
And it's not a new thing- it's been going on for, at the least, three to four hundred years. That makes it even odder.
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Post by nocturnal YL on Sept 18, 2009 2:56:36 GMT -5
(a) Not really. Game & Watch Octopus is black. =P
(b) It's a character stereotype, I guess. Why do mad scientists sprout strange hairstyle (or, in cases like Dr Crygor in WarioWare, wear strange equipments)?
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Post by Fryguy64 on Sept 18, 2009 3:42:39 GMT -5
Well, the red colour is due to the typical colouration of the octopus (Tako) around Japan.  As for the snout, the Japanese Wikipedia "Tako" page has a picture at the top that appears both red and with a snout poking out. Mmm... Tacos. |
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Post by TV Eye on Sept 18, 2009 7:28:39 GMT -5
Actually, that's not a snout, that's just one of his two ears, or ink jets, or whatever they're called. |
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Post by Fryguy64 on Sept 18, 2009 8:08:39 GMT -5
I expect that's what became the snout in old illustrations though, and eventually transformed through popular use into what we see today.
Much like no frog actually goes "ribbit", apart from one particular kind of frog that lives near Hollywood. Popular use of that sound effect led to something that wasn't true being widely accepted in the English speaking world.
Strange but true!
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Post by Wildcat on Sept 18, 2009 10:23:12 GMT -5
Hey, I learned something new today. ^_^
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Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2009 10:47:14 GMT -5
Onomatopoeia is awesome, especially when you start cross-language stuff. The sound for scissors is "snip" in English languages, and "choki" in Japanese, for example.
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Post by TV Eye on Sept 18, 2009 11:34:25 GMT -5
"choki" in Japanese, for example. Maybe when cutting construction paper, otherwise, I don't hear it. Another Japanese thing is how they draw bears. Because of one bear native to Asian territories has a little "U" shaped patch under his neck, they seem to draw every bear like that. (Ursaring for example) |
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Post by Hiker of Games on Sept 18, 2009 12:09:21 GMT -5
That's one mystery solved. I used to think they were all cameos of Octoroks way back when.
It's worth noting that the 'snout' also carries over to Gooper Blooper as well.
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Post by The Qu on Sept 18, 2009 22:47:20 GMT -5
The Bloopers are squids, and squids have beaks. I can see how that could be stylized into a snout in that case, for use as a cannon like Gooper did.
Though it goes without saying that its influenced by the Tako image.
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Post by parrothead on Sept 19, 2009 3:34:27 GMT -5
That explains why the Mech Taco in Data East's arcade game, Captain America & The Avengers is called that.
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Post by Wildcat on Sept 19, 2009 21:23:35 GMT -5
Heh, I got to use this newfound knowledge today. A girl in my archaeology lab has a boyfriend who's Japanese, and she went to a family get-together of his once. She was asked if she wanted "taco" salad, and under the impression it was the Mexican kind, said yes. It was the "tako", octopus kind. I passed along my info gained from this thread to her, and it made sense to her at last (although I don't know if her boyfriend ever told her that).
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Post by nocturnal YL on Sept 20, 2009 1:52:00 GMT -5
......I don't think each of them know what "taco" means on the other side.
...And it makes me want to try some taco. I can't seem to find any in HK.
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Post by Fryguy64 on Sept 20, 2009 16:02:11 GMT -5
Mmm... Tako Taco!
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