Honorifics are all about the degrees of separation between people or assumed degrees of separation. Sadly even if you try to replace all of those with western equivalents some don’t have any.

Even when their is a western equivalent you can run into the problem of relationships still not being represented. Example: Hime pretty well translates to Princess. However the problem arises when some call her Hime, others call her Hime-sama and still others Hime-chan. In these cases you have to either ignore the relationship difference or use cringe worthy titles like Mistress Princess or Little Princess (not that chan really has a direct correlation to size).

“CrossChris says:
(Why the hell would honorifics be in the sub track anyway? Are your viewers normally deaf?)”

It is because I am not deaf that I need the honorifics otherwise I get subtitle dissonance and have to pause for a moment.
Most people even those that don’t understand a language are able to pick up names in the middle of the “gibberish” so most should also notice when what is said differs from what is written. So whenever a name is said with something attached it should be obvious to the non-deaf and if they are deaf I have explained why honorifics are important.

“anon says:

If you understand honorifics, you can hear them being used and understand them then. Adding them to subs doesn’t help a bit. If you don’t understand honorifics, adding them to subs is only confusing.

Either way honorifics have no reason to ever be in subtitles. Keep up the good work!”

Is learning that difficult? If you don’t understand them is it that hard to learn? If you don’t want to learn is it that hard to ignore? I am currently watching anime with my 50 year old parents and just from a quick explanation and a few episodes they are even picking up words from the Japanese that I didn’t bother to teach them.

Keep English honorifics, but not Japanese? Consistency where?

Translation Convention trope. Reallly. One should assume that the characters are talking in their native languages (even though they’re speaking Japanese). That is, unless it’s pointed out by another character and such. Suou is half Japanese, and it’s almost impossible to tell when she switches from Japanese to Russian without help from the plot pointing it out for us. If a character was using English honorifics in one scene, then uses Japanese in another when speaking with Suou, that becomes a plot point.

If all of Suou’s friends are using Japanese honorifics, even when they should be speaking Russian… then one should assume they all either know Japanese or really are speaking Russian. Either way, the director is doing that for the sake of the audience (Japanese audiences). Either assume that the director don’t care if equivalent words don’t exist in the native setting’s language or assume that the director believes equivalent words exists for the honorifics.

Whichever it is, the director wants his character to be viewed and understood in his way, and since honorifics are serious business to the Japanese audience, it’s only natural to retain them for characterization.

Either way honorifics have no reason to ever be in subtitles. Keep up the good work!

(Why the hell would honorifics be in the sub track anyway? Are your viewers normally deaf?)

@Vic- either you are using the wrong video player or you forgot to turn the goddamn subs on. Either way: derp derp.

tl;dr: Thanks BSS.