

Watching the anime titled [Ao Haru Ride](http://anidb.net/perl-
bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=10385) (AniDB link), I noticed that the [title
screen](https://myanimelist.cdn-
dena.com/s/common/uploaded_files/1441512929-a2698347b568f40c657af0c914306d9e.png)
displays the title in kana but it is given as アオハライド or _Ao Ha Raido, Ao Ha
Ride;_ entirely missing a kana ル for _ru_

I noticed that this is already present in what seems to be the Japanese manga
cover I found on Google images:

[![Cover of Ao Haru
Ride](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Q4nnI.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Q4nnI.jpg)

The title in kana reads _Ao Ha Raido_ while the title in romaji reads _Ao Haru
Ride_. Why this discrepancy?


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question
blue-spring-ride
Why is the title written differently in kana and romaji?


From [Tae Kim's guide to learning
Japanese](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/slang),

> There is one major driving factor behind the majority of slang in Japanese.
> The primary goal of most slang is to make things easier to say. In other
> words, the goal is to reduce or simplify the movement of your mouth. There
> are two primary ways in which this is accomplished, 1) By making things
> shorter or, 2) By slurring the sounds together.

This would imply that the author felt that saying 「アオハルライド」is either harder or
more annoying (or both) to say in conversation than 「アオハライド」.

You can try it yourself: saying _ao haru raido_ forces you to pause between
_haru_ and _raido_ , whereas one can say _ao ha raido_ in one go.

**Update 2019:**

There's an explanation given in the first volume of the manga. Here's an
excerpt from the official translation:

> Right away people sent letters and tweets, asking about the Japanese title
> _Aoharaido_. So I'd like to be able to answer.
>

>> **Aoharaido** = youth + ride

>
> The Japanese kanji for "youth" can also be read as _aoharu_ , and I imagine
> that the characters are on a ride through their youth, giving it all they
> can. Compared to _aoharuraido_ , when you say it out loud, _aoharaido_ is
> easier to say and more impactful, so that became the title of the series.


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Short Title : アオハライド Long and full title : “Ao —- Haru —- Ride”. These were
printed on the cover of the Manga . Factual, objective.

Short one-word name is useful for quick reference. “アオハライド” is “Aoharaido” .
So that is what the publisher wants you to use as a short name. Why they
removed the ru(ル) can be debatable, unless mentioned by the author or
publisher, the rationale remains subjective.

But in the end, “Aoharaido” is the finalized short word suggested for the
short name. The string of English alphabet “a.o.h.a.r.a.i.d.o” , strictly
speaking, has no English meaning. It is typical for Japanese to write a
foreign (non-Japanese ) word in Katakana .“Aoharaido” ,hopefully, is adopted
by fans to mean the manga “Ao Haru Ride” .

“アオハライド” has no spaces . It was not printed as “アオ ハ ライド” , which has no
relevant meaning . So we should just stick to “aoharaido”

“Ao Haru Ride” is the long title . It is meant to be a sensible sentence with
some meaning . So the alphanumeric English name they might wish you to use is
“Ao Haru Ride” . If you say it out in Japanese, it would be “あおはるライド” .

“Ride” is an English word. (As in the “ride” in “riding a horse”) . So the use
of katakana would be the normal and expected. あお はる ,write them individually
in kanji is 青春 。”青春” is “せいしゅん” 、meaning youth !

So “Ao Haru Ride” , is “青 春 ライド” or ... “Youth Ride”. Very appropriate for a
youthful manga.


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