Just saw this in my Bunpro reviews, wasn't sure if it was recently updated due to the sad news or if it actually usually has this meaning. Rest in Peace Ozzy Osbourne.
I see that used a lot in anime, meaning “Demon King”
The word 魔王 (maou) has been strongly influenced by the wildly successful Dragon Quest video games. “The brave chosen one 勇者 (yusha) embarks on a journey to defeat the evil 魔王” story stereotype has been deeply etched into the cultural fabric of Japanese fiction, mainly due to its use in Dragon Quest, particularly 1 through 3.
Both 勇者 and 魔王 are usually singular and considered unique entities, even in-universe — works that have many 勇者s and 魔王s are rare. The 魔王 also has a lot less religious connotations than its common translations like “Satan” or “devil”, probably due to the Japanese public being unaware of the details of Christianity; “dark lord” is probably a more appropriate translation. (Also, 王 is “king” while 王子 is “prince”, so 魔王 is more a king than a prince.)
Ozzy’s common alias in Japan was メタルの帝王 (The Emperor of Metal). プリンス・オブ・ダークネス (“Prince of darkness” simply transliterated into katakana) is also used. So I’m not sure whether the word popping up was a tribute or a coincidence. Either way, Rest in Peace, Ozzy Osbourne.
Not trying to stir the pot. But since it’s pronounced / sounds like Mao, did Japanese people ever use this as a double entendre against Mao Zedong?
The term 魔王 originated from Indian goddes Mara and came into Japan through Buddhism. 牛魔王 is also a major antagonist in Journey to the West. In modern fiction 魔王 is a ruler of 妖魔, but this term is also sometimes used for Christian Satan.
I learned this word as a kid because a decade before funimation got the rights to dub DBZ i was watching a local Hawaii channel sub version of Dragon ball. Piccolo’s name was ピッコロ大魔王
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I see that used a lot in anime, meaning “Demon King”
The word 魔王 (maou) has been strongly influenced by the wildly successful Dragon Quest video games. “The brave chosen one 勇者 (yusha) embarks on a journey to defeat the evil 魔王” story stereotype has been deeply etched into the cultural fabric of Japanese fiction, mainly due to its use in Dragon Quest, particularly 1 through 3.
Both 勇者 and 魔王 are usually singular and considered unique entities, even in-universe — works that have many 勇者s and 魔王s are rare. The 魔王 also has a lot less religious connotations than its common translations like “Satan” or “devil”, probably due to the Japanese public being unaware of the details of Christianity; “dark lord” is probably a more appropriate translation. (Also, 王 is “king” while 王子 is “prince”, so 魔王 is more a king than a prince.)
Ozzy’s common alias in Japan was メタルの帝王 (The Emperor of Metal). プリンス・オブ・ダークネス (“Prince of darkness” simply transliterated into katakana) is also used. So I’m not sure whether the word popping up was a tribute or a coincidence. Either way, Rest in Peace, Ozzy Osbourne.
Not trying to stir the pot. But since it’s pronounced / sounds like Mao, did Japanese people ever use this as a double entendre against Mao Zedong?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Darkness_(Satan)
The term 魔王 originated from Indian goddes Mara and came into Japan through Buddhism. 牛魔王 is also a major antagonist in Journey to the West. In modern fiction 魔王 is a ruler of 妖魔, but this term is also sometimes used for Christian Satan.
I learned this word as a kid because a decade before funimation got the rights to dub DBZ i was watching a local Hawaii channel sub version of Dragon ball. Piccolo’s name was ピッコロ大魔王