First in a two-part series.
When Toho Studios released its new sci-fi action film ¥·¥ó?¥´¥¸¥é (Shin Gojira, ¡°Shin Godzilla¡°) in July, several writers were moved to comment on use of katakana in its title. ¡°Shin¡± has dozens of possible kanji readings, and while readers¡¯ natural tendency would be to assume this particular ¡°shin¡± signified Р(new), use of katakana had the effect of leaving the intended meaning open to other interpretations.
Might not the ¡°shin,¡± some wondered, instead mean Õæ (real)? Or ßM (evolved)? Or ÐÅ (belief)? Or even Éñ (god)?
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