Serena...

[Kawaisa Sailor Moon]

Was the name "Serena" a good choice or a bad choice? Let me explain...

JP:

Usagi means bunny rabbit
ChibiUsa = little rabbit

MANGA:

Bunny = bunny
Rini = little rabbit

ENG:

Serena = peaceful, tranquility
Rini = little rabbit

When you look at the NA dub, the name sticks out like a sore thumb and doesn't fit with the rest of the SM trends. In my opinion, they should have gone with "Bunny". Still, since they had to change it for some reason, doesn't Selena make a lot more sense?

Selena = moon

No it doesn't keep the whole "rabbit" meaning but at least it makes more sense then "Serena". In some ways it keeps the "rabbit from the moon" pun. Since Rini is her daughter, she's a "rabbit" from the "moon".

However I brought this up once before on a different guild about how her name was a bad choice and I was ridiculed and yelled at. Apparently Her name was an excellent choice due to her past life mother being "Serenity".

I don't think it makes sense at all. Her mother was Serenity, yes, but...Usagi isn't and she never was. "Serenity" is a completely different entity that exists in the past and future.

What do you guys think?  

[Kawaisa Sailor Moon]

To make things clear, I think "Serena" was a poor choice simply because there are so many better options.

Names that mean "Bunny" or "Rabbit":

Usagi, Bunny, Bonnie, Coney

Names that mean "Moon":

Selena, Celena, Cynthia, Chandra, Tsukiko

Names that mean "Princess":

Sara, Yasmin, Cassandra

To name a few. Pulling "Serena" out of no where doesn't hold true to the JP name or meaning of the name, or the show. I feel like the DUB ignored her origins by choosing a name and doesn't suit her character or character history. ESPECIALLY When you take into consideration that they kept everyone's last names the same as their JP counterparts. We all know that they butchered other character's names as well, but Usagi is the MAIN character.

"Serena" in itself is a pretty name but it's like putting a square peg through a round hole. It just doesn't work.  

[Kawaisa Sailor Moon]

The "Princess" category is there because the whole plot revolves around finding the princess at first. The "Moon" category is there because of the quick fix that you can make with the NA DUB.  

[BlueRockman]

Is it possible that the dub only caught on to the fact that Queen Serenity named her daughter after herself, thus, we have Princess Serenity? The "Serena" may be a coin on that, though... yeah, misses the pun entirely, which her hairstyle was the focus thereof.  

[Kawaisa Sailor Moon]

BlueRockman

Is it possible that the dub only caught on to the fact that Queen Serenity named her daughter after herself, thus, we have Princess Serenity? The "Serena" may be a coin on that, though... yeah, misses the pun entirely, which her hairstyle was the focus thereof.

That WOULD work...except Queen Serenity isn't her mother. In her modern day reincarnation Ikuko is her mother. She later becomes Neo Queen Serenity when she rediscovers her past life and becomes powerful enough to become Queen, but as a modern day girl she doesn't even know she's royalty, let alone has been named by royalty. That's why in all other versions her name is different...except for the NA DUB. I have a feeling that they didn't do their research.  

[Illumina Vierge]

heart In order for me to enjoy the english dub, (which took a little effort at first) I had to learn to take a lot of the issue and errors with a grain of salt. Essentially, I got used to it, and Serena/Usagi, just sticks nowadays. I tried not to be bothered by it. heart  

[Kawaisa Sailor Moon]

Stardust Queen Serenity

heart In order for me to enjoy the english dub, (which took a little effort at first) I had to learn to take a lot of the issue and errors with a grain of salt. Essentially, I got used to it, and Serena/Usagi, just sticks nowadays. I tried not to be bothered by it. heart

I still just feel "Bunny" would have been a better choice stressed

I do agree that it does take effort to enjoy the dubbed version. mad  

[Sailor Jupit3r]

Three of the scouts kept their names, but changed the spelling

Ami ---> Amy - Basically they dropped the "i" and added a "y"
Minako --> Mina - Used the root word in her name, or shorter version of Minako
Rei ---> Raye - More less Americanized it.

I don't care for Makoto's dubbed name..  

[Kawaisa Sailor Moon]

"Makoto" and "Lita" are two completely different names too. I feel "Mako" would have made everyone think of the shark though, so I can see the change. Still, wouldn't May or Mary or Mai fit better?

Makoto = sincerity/truth/honesty/etc

Lita = Joyful

...Yet another name they just pulled out of thin air then.

You can't help but wonder where "Darien" came from either. Mamoru doesn't sound or look like that at all.

Mamoru = Earth (lol)

Darien = Wealthy

...I'm beginning to see a pattern here of making things as random as possible.  

[Senshi_Sailor Harpyia]

Well I think it was a better choice than before when they were going to name her Victoria in the earlier Promo commercial ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEXqoPgbH0c  

[Ranluka]

I don't know about Japan, but when I hear about a Girl named "Bunny" first thing I think is stripper...or playboy bunny. While the pun may work in Japan, it would have different connotations here I think.  

[Kawaisa Sailor Moon]

Victoria...really? stare Anyway~

Considering America automatically throws Sailor Moon into the "Cartoon are for KIDS" catagory I don't see harm in Bunny. As an adult/teenager I could see viewers snickering at Bunny, but when I was 6 and thought of bunnies I thought of this:

 

[Kawaisa Sailor Moon]

Tay Lorien

I think of Serena as meaning Daughter of Serenity. Same thing with Rini.

Although I also think maybe Selenity might have been interesting, Selena for short. But when I think selenity, I confuse it with being slender.

I could also point out that the word 'serenity' isn't far off from another moon connection, the Sea of Tranquility. Both have the connection to peacefulness.

Right the Mare Tranquillitatis in the Tranquillitatis basin on the Moon. in SM canon the past Moon Palace was set in the middle of it. It just bothers me that Queen/Neo Queen/Princess/etc Serenity isn't modern day Usagi, but the dub thought different. sweatdrop They could have done worse, but I still feel it could have been done better. neutral  

[Lilliana-Jade]

well at first i was thinking that same thing as it being short for Serenity, but your right with Ikuko being her mother in modern day. I'm not quite sure why they did the random name changes but it's been done and we've no reason why