Sometimes I find that "tanuki" in anime is used for (or translated as) red pandas. But technically it should be raccoon dog. Does anyone know why?
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1Could you give a more specific example (like an episode of an anime) where you see it translated as red pandas?– knowledge_is_powerOct 7, 2017 at 15:54
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It was just a mistake, wasn't it?– Yuuichi TamOct 7, 2017 at 16:12
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It sounds like a bad translation wherever tanuki is not raccoon dog.– psosunaOct 11, 2017 at 18:29
2 Answers
This is a bad translation. I would imagine this was done as an error or for the translators convenience. (saves having to explain what a Tanuki is to a western audience)
The correct translation to "tanuki" is raccoon dog. If it is translated as something else, it is most likely that the translator do not fully understood the word and translated to panda for simplicity.
I guess you are referring to the anime, "umaru". Your understanding is correct, tanuki = raccoon.
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Considering the word "panda" evokes an image of a giant panda in likely >99.9% of English-speaking population, I wouldn't call it "for simplicity".– macrafDec 26, 2017 at 6:10