MangaBaka Japanese Romanization Style

## Core Romanization Style

This style guide defines how to consistently romanize and style Japanese-language titles for metadata purposes.
The goal is to provide a standard that is easy to read, type, and apply across various databases, while staying true to linguistic norms.

### Base Romanization

#### Modified Hepburn Romanization

At the base we use [Modified Hepburn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepburn_romanization#Variants) as the romanization, meaning;

- は, へ, and を as *particles* are always romanized as **wa**, **e**, and **o**.
- ん is *always* romanized as **n**, or as **n'** — *with an (straight) apostrophe* — when the ん is followed by a *vowel* or *y*.
- ず and づ are *both* romanized both as **zu** as they are phonetically identical.

!!! example Examples
- 私は学校へ友達を迎えに行きます is romanized as **Watashi wa Gakkou e Tomodachi o Mukae ni Ikimasu**.
- 婚約 is romanized as **Kon'yaku**, and similary 転移 is romanized as **Ten'i**.
- 女 is romanized as **Onna** there is no need to apostrophe the *double n* (looking at you Google Translate).
!!!

#### Adjustments made to Modified Hepburn

We have made the following adjustments on Modified Hepburn for ease of use, clarity, and community recognition;

- Represent **long vowels** using full-length spellings (e.g., *ou*, *oo*, *uu*, *aa*, *ee*, *ii*) instead of using macrons (e.g., *ō*, *ū*, *ā* *ē*, *ī*).
- Represent the **sokuon (っ)** with a “ch”-syllable as *cch* instead of the “strict” Modified Hepburn *tch*, however the *tch* romanization shall be used in the alternative title.

!!! tip About the sokuon (っ)
We **intentionally** deviate from strict modified Hepburn romanization when representing sokuon (っ) with “ch”-syllables as the primary romanization. This choice aligns with *common usage and recognition* within the manga or anime community and preserves visual phonetic consistency, making it more readable and immediately recognizable (e.g, あっちこっち → *Acchikocchi* and **not** Atchikotchi, ぼっち・ざ・ろっく！ → *Bocchi the Rock* and **not** Botchi the Rock).
!!!

#### Regarding loanwords, non-native names, and native names

- Render **Non-assimilated or identifiable loanwords**, and **non-Japanese names** in their established source equivalents whenever identifiable (e.g., スキル → *Skill*, ダンジョン → *Dungeon*, クリス → *Chris*).
- Retain **clipped slang**, or **fully lexicalized loanwords** in everyday Japanese, where the Japanese phonology or sociocultural meaning is distinct (e.g., ギャル → *Gyaru*, バイト → *Baito*, ラブホ → *Rabuho*).
- Always romanize **native Japanese personal and place names** using Japanese romanization rules, even if an English exonym is widely known (e.g., 東京 → *Toukyou*, 大阪 → *Oosaka*).

!!! tip About ギャル
ギャル is a perfect example of why certain loanwords should be retained in their Japanese form rather than “restored” to English. Although the term ultimately derives from *gal*, ギャル has long since diverged in meaning and now refers to a distinctly Japanese sociocultural category with its own aesthetics, subtypes, and historical context. Rendering ギャル as *Gal* erases this distinction and falsely implies a generic English meaning, whereas *Gyaru* accurately reflects the term as it functions in Japanese today.

In cases like this, the original foreign source is no longer a recoverable identity as the meaning has become distinct, preserving the kana-derived form avoids semantic loss and cultural flattening.
!!!

### Capitalization

As we are romanizing **titles** of Japanese literature, we use the following capitalization style:

1. **Capitalize** all *nouns*, *verbs*, *adjectives*, and *adverbs*.
2. **Keep lowercase** all *particles*, *copulas (including their inflections or grammar bridges)*, and *conjunctions*, even when they appear at the end of a sentence.

- *Example*: **Ore wa Maou de aru** (I am the Demon King).
- *Example*: **Akuyaku Reijou de atta node** (Because I was a Villainess).

### Word Spacing, Fusions, and Hypenation

Keep **all words**—including *particles*, *copulas (and their inflections)*, and *conjunctives*—separate, except for the following specific cases:

- **Conjunctives & Grammar Bridges** are kept fused and lowercase when functioning as a single unit rather than a sequence of distinct parts (e.g., なのに → *nanoni*, でも → *demo*, ですが → *desuga*).
- **Morpheme ん (from の)** is fused with the following element to prevent a loose letter in the title romanization (e.g., んです → *ndesu*, んだけど → *ndakedo*).
- **Auxilaries** are always fused to the main verb or adjective—whether via the **-te form** or the **stem** (e.g, 見てください → *Mitekudasai*, 可愛すぎる → *Kawaisugiru*, してない → *Shitenai*).
- **Fossilized adverbs** are kept fused as a single unit (e.g., いつの間にか → *Itsunomanika*, なんとなく → *Nantonaku*, ひょっとして → *Hyottoshite*, もしかしたら → *Moshikashitara*) 
- **Lexicalized Compounds & Generic Groups** are fused when they form a **single dictionary unit**, a **profession**, or a **general category**. (e.g., 女の子 → *Onnanoko*, 文芸部 → *Bungeibu*, 駄菓子屋 → *Dagashiya*).
- **Thematic Portmanteaus and Coined Terms** are treated as single, fused lexical units, even if they are not found in standard dictionaries. (e.g., 異世改活 → *Iseikaikatsu*, 死に戻り → *Shinimodori*).
- **Reduplications (Echo)** are fused into a single word when a word is **repeated** for emphasis or as onomatopoeia (ムリムリ → *Murimuri*, ワクワク → *Wakuwaku*, フワフワ → *Fuwafuwa*).
- **Leading honorifics o- and go-** are fused without a hyphen and capitalized (お姫 → *Ohime*, ご主人 → *oshujin*).
- **Hyphenation** is used to protect the identity of a Proper Noun or to mark functional/relational boundaries that are not part of a compound noun’s core identity.

!!! info Kudasai (ください) in modern Japanese grammar is a request auxiliary when it is preceeded by a *-te form* of a verb, and is thus always fused like auxilary verbs (見てください → **Mitekudasai**).
!!!

!!! warning Two consecutive -te form verbs are always separated, any auxilaries present are fused to the immediately preceding final -te form.
- 放っておく→ **Houtteoku**: Is kept fused, as it is a set dictionary expression / compound verb.
- 放っておいてくれ → **Houtte Oitekure**: The added auxiliary verb turns *oku* into its -te form, separating it from *houtte*; the auxiliary *kureru* is then fused.
- 放っておいてくれません → **Houtte Oitekuremasen**: An extra contracted auxiliary *-masen* is present, and is directly fused to the preceding auxiliary verb.
!!!

!!! warning Suru and Suru Inflected Forms Following Nouns
- When suru or its inflected forms (e.g., *shita*, *sareta*) attach to a noun, they are romanized **separately** and with the suru-form **capitalized** (e.g., 転生した → *Tensei Shita*).
- Auxiliary elements are directly **fused** to the suru-form without a hyphen (e.g., 毛嫌いしていた → *Kegirai Shiteita*, 結婚してください → *Kekkon Shitekudasai*).
- Fixed or lexicalized suru-verbs such as 恋する (*Koisuru*), 愛する (*Aisuru*), 画する (*Kakusuru*) are romanized **fused**, since suru is part of the verb stem.

Note that -su verbs (stem) are **unrelated** to Suru; their -shite or -shita forms come from regular conjugation (e.g, 隠して → *Kakushite*, 話した → *Hanashita*).
!!!

!!! warning Semantic Binomial and Determinative Compounds
**Semantic binomial compounds** — fixed expressions formed from two or more morphemes in an “X and Y” relationship — may be split and romanized separately for clarity and consistency.
Similarly, **determinative compound nouns** — where the first element modifies or specifies the second — are also romanized separately even when written as a single word in Japanese.

- 王侯貴族 → **Oukou Kizoku** (“kings and nobles”)
- 士農工商 → **Shinou Shoukou** (“warriors, farmers, artisans, and merchants”)
- 国外追放 → **Kokugai Tsuihou** (“banishment from the country”)
- 国内旅行 → **Kokunai Ryokou** (“domestic travel”)

**Strongly lexicalized idioms**, such as four-character idiomatic compounds (**yojijukugo**), should remain fused, since they function as a single lexical unit

- 悠々自適 → **Yuuyuujiteki**
- 一石二鳥 → **Issekinichou**
!!!

## Expanded Explanation and Examples

### Auxiliaries

Japanese auxiliary elements are **always fused** with the preceeding verb or adverb, to modify aspect, voice, or nuance, and can be rougly divided in three groups.

- Auxiliary verbs (e.g. *-kuru*, *-iku*, *-shimau*, *-ageru*, *-morau*, *-kudasai*, *etc.*) typically follow the -te form of a main verb and express sequence, aspect, completion, or request.
- Contracted auxiliaries (e.g. *-iru → -teiru/-teru*, *-ita → -teita/-teta*, *-iyou → -you*, *-mashita*, *etc.*) represent shortened or conjugated forms of auxiliary verbs.
- Adjectival auxiliaries (e.g. *-sugiru*, *-yasui*, *-nikui*, *-rashii*, *etc.*) to express degree, desire, or ease/difficulty.

!!! example Some Examples of the three groups
- 頑張ってくれ → *Ganbattekure*
- 見てください → *Mitekudasai*
- 行ってしまった → *Itteshimatta*
---
- 楽しんでいたら → *Tanoshindeitara*
- 食べてる → *Tabeteru*
- していた → *Shiteita*
---
- 可愛すぎる → *Kawaisugiru*
- 集まりすぎました → *Atsumarusugimashita*
- 読みやすい → *Yomiyasui*
!!!

### Thematic Portmanteaus and Coined Terms (Zougo)

Many Japanese titles feature unique, coined compounds (造語, zougo) created by blending or clipping multiple existing words into a single keyword. These function as a specific "brand name" or thematic identity for the series. 

For romanization, these are to be treated as single, fused lexical units, even if they are not found in standard dictionaries. This preserves the "wordplay" and distinguishes the term from standard descriptive modifiers. If the component parts are clipped or intended to be read as a single concept, they should always be fused.

!!! example Examples
- [異世改活](https://mangabaka.org/98345) → *Iseikaikatsu* (Isekai + Kaikatsu, overlapping "kai" (reading) from both words).
- [ガチャンキイ](https://mangabaka.org/565634) → *Gachankii* (Gacha + Yankii, the "ya" (ャ) however is lost with the romanization).
- [魔王城](https://mangabaka.org/3083) → *Maoujou* (Mouou + Oujou, overlapping "Ou" (王) from both words).
!!!

### Hyphenation

!!! note The word following the hyphen should always be in lower-case and without extra spaces surrounding the hyphen.
!!!

#### **Honorifics**, **Titles**, and **Household/Clan names**

- 直美さん is romanized as **Naomi-san** (name + honorific)
- お兄ちゃん is romanized as **Onii-chan** (kinship + “honorific”)
- 田中先生 is romanized as **Tanaka-sensei** (name + title)
- 魔王様 is romanized as **Maou-sama** (demon king + honorific)
- 天使様 is romanized as **Tenshi-sama** (rank + honorific)
- 聖騎士さま is romanized as **Seikishi-sama** (rank + honorific)
- [京兼家](https://mangabaka.dev/1332) is romanized as **Kyougane-ke** (household/clan name)
- [篝家](https://mangabaka.dev/98540) as **Kagari-ke** (household/clan name)

Titles that are a standalone noun title, such as 陛下, are always romanized separately and without a hyphen; 国王陛下 → **Kokuou Heika**.

!!! note Be careful of lexicalized kinship terms as they are fused without an hyphen.
!!!

- お姉さん / おねえさん is romanized as **Oneesan** (elder sister)
- お兄さん / おにいさん is romanized as **Oniisan** (elder brother)
- 叔父さん / おじさん is romanized as **Ojisan** (uncle or middle-aged man)
- 叔母さん / おばさん is romanized as **Obasan** (aunt or middle-aged woman)
- 奥さん is romanized as **Okusan** (wife)
- お嫁さん is romanized as **Oyomesan** (bride + polite prefix)
- おっさん is romanized as **Ossan** (old man)
- 皆さん is romanized as **Minasan** (everyone)

!!! note Do not hyphenate -sama when the entire word is an established noun in dictionaries and/or function as fixed vocatives rather than compositional “noun + title” expressions.
!!!

- 神様 is romanized as **Kamisama** (god)
- 姫様 is romanized as **Himesama** (princess)
- 旦那様 is romanized as **Dannasama** (husband or master of x)
- お嬢様 is romanized as **Ojousama** (young lady)
- ご主人様 is romanized as **Goshujinsama** (master)
- おひとり様 is romanized as **Ohitorisama** (a person alone)

!!! note Avoid double hyphenation by fusing the honorific when applicable.
!!!

- れい姉ちゃん is romanized as **Rei-neechan**

####  **Multi-word Expressions**

These words function as a single semantic or grammatical unit, particularly modifier–noun phrases, semi-lexicalized constructions, or commonly recognized set expressions. This is **especially common when the first element is a katakana loanword or roman-letter term or abrivation**, where the hyphen helps clarify word boundaries and preserves the perception of a single semantic unit

- [Ｓランク](https://mangabaka.dev/5065) is romanized as **S-Rank** (Considered as a fully loaned word, so it is capitalized as such).
- [バイト先](https://mangabaka.dev/376) is romanized as **Baito-saki** (先 is fused with a hyphen due to the katakana loanword; *location*).
- [ポーション師](https://mangabaka.dev/82664) is romanized as **Potion-shi** (師 is fused with a hyphen due to the katanana loanword; *master*).
- [Ｓ級](https://mangabaka.dev/search?q=s-kyuu) is romanized as **S-kyuu** (級 is fused with a hyphen due to the Roman letter term; *class*).
- [僕たち](https://mangabaka.dev/2469) is romanized as **Boku-tachi** (たち is always fused with a hyphen; *pluralization*).
- [環状戦](https://mangabaka.dev/45715) is romanized as **Kanjou-sen** (級 is always fused with a hyphen; *battle/war/fight*).
- 契約婚 is romanized as **Keyaku-kon** (“contract marriage” hyphenated due to the clipped 婚約)

#### **Arabic numerals** and Their **Counters** and **Modifiers**

Arabic numerals followed by counters are always fused **with** a hyphen to the counter.
The counter uses its regular numeral-attached reading; the standard form used in dictionaries and this is most often On’yomi, but not always.

- ２人 is romanized as **2-nin** (and not as *2-ri* using the -ri from “futari” special reading).
- １０００体 is romanized as **1000-tai**.
- [10年](https://mangabaka.dev/35296) is romanized as **10-nen**.
- [8月31日](https://mangabaka.dev/2131) is romanized as **8-gatsu 31-nichi**.
- [８号](https://mangabaka.org/2207) is romanized as **8-gou**.

!!! note Avoid double hyphenation by fusing the modifier to the counter or by fusing the counter to the preceding number unit.
!!!

- [１０年間](https://mangabaka.dev/50895) is romanized as **10-nenkan** as number + counter (年) + fused modifier (間).
- [２２２日目](https://mangabaka.dev/107993) is romanized as **222-nichime** as number + counter (日) + fused modifier (目).
- [３１番目](https://mangabaka.dev/35026) is romanized as **31-banme** as number + counter (番) + fused modifier (目).
- [６歳上](https://mangabaka.dev/43775) is romanized as **4-saijou** (number + counter (歳) + fused lexicalized (上)).
- [１０歳下](https://mangabaka.dev/185244) is romanized as  **10-saishita** as number + counter (歳) + fused lexicalized (下).
- [８万枚](https://mangabaka.dev/4207) is romanized as **8-manmai** as number + number unit (万) + fused counter (枚).
- [３億円](https://mangabaka.dev/53504) is romanized as **3-okuen** as number + number unit (億) + fused counter (円).
- １０万年 is romanized as **10-mannen** as number + number unit (万) + fused counter (年).

!!! note 後 and 前 are treated as unit-final temporal suffixes in numeral constructions, and they are also fused to the counter to avoid double hyphenation. 
!!!

When 後 or 前 follow an Arabic-numeral counter construction, they are treated as **unit-final temporal suffixes** and read as **-go** and **-mae** respectively.

- [１００日後](https://mangabaka.org/55847) is romanized as **100-nichigo**
- １００年後 is romanized as **100-nengo**
- １００日前 is romanized as **100-nichimae**
- １００年前 is romanized as **100-nenmae**

*Note: While **-zen** is technically a Sino-Japanese reading (On-yomi) that matches **-go**, in modern Japanese, **-zen** as a suffix is almost exclusively formal, historical, or academic.* 

!!! note When the counter is a loanword then write the number and counter like it would be in English, the hyphen **can** then be used for the modifier.
!!!

- 5キロ is romanized as **5 Kilo** (Capitalized because it is used in a title).
- 5キロ減 is romanized as **5 Kilo-ge** (number + counter + modifier).
- 2メートル is romanized as **2 Meter** (Capitalized because it is used in a title).
- 2メートル越え is romanized as **2 Meter-koe** (number + counter + modifier).

### Romanization of Native Kanji Numerals and Their Counters

Native anji numerals followed by counters are always fused **without** a hyphen to the counter, any modifier present is also fused directly to the counter.
This ensures that *special numeral–counter* readings or *suppletive* readings are reflecting natural lexicalization and are correctly preserved in romanization.

- 二人 → **Futari** (and not *Ninin*)
- 一年 → **Ichinen**
- 四年生 → **Yonensei**
- 八男 → **Hachinan**

!!! note 後 and 前 are treated as unit-final temporal suffixes in numeral constructions, and they are bound with a hyphen to the counter like normal bound suffixes 
!!!

- 二日前 → **Futsuka-mae**
- 数日前 → **Suujitsu-mae**
- 三年後 → **Sannen-go**

### Romanization of Quotations

1. Japanese quotation marks `「文章」`, and `『文章』` are to be romanized to double straight quotation marks `"text"`.
2. Any straight or smart quotation marks `“文章”` are to be romanized to double straight quotation marks `"text"`.
3. If the lenticular brackets `【文章】` is clearly used as quotation then it also should be romanized to double straight quotation marks `"text"`.

!!! hint In practice when lenticular brackets 【文章】 hold a \"skill name\" then it is *usually* romanized as `[text]`.
!!!

### Romanization of Other Special Characters

1. Full-width square brackets `［文章］` or lenticular brackets `【文章】` *when unclear if they are for quotation*, are to be romanized to normal square brackets `[text]`.
2. Double Angle Brackets `《文章》` or the Much Less/Greater-Than `≪文章≫` are to be romanized to double straight quotation marks `"text"`
3. Any other (unicode)symbol present (×,♥,♡,★,☆,○,♂,♀,ect.) shall be copied as-is but there shall **nearly always** (overruled by author/cover styling) be a space around these symbols!

!!! example Some Examples
- [《魔力無限》](https://mangabaka.dev/4586) is romanized as **"Maryoku Mugen"**.
- [L♥DK](https://mangabaka.dev/10417) is romanized as **L♥DK**, kept as-is without any spaces.
- [まどか★マギカ](https://mangabaka.dev/search?q=madoka) is romanized as **"Madoka★Magica"**, author/cover specific styling.
- [黒騎士♂、戦闘メイド♀に](https://mangabaka.dev/1438) is romanized as **Kurokishi ♂, Sentou Maid ♀ ni**.
!!!

### Suffixes

Suffixes are handled based on their function. We distinguish between suffixes that create a new "Identity" (Internal) and those that denote a "Relationship or Time" (External).
Regarless, any suffix after a personal- or placename, or non-embedded identifiable loanword (e.g., they are romanized to their loaned origin) are always **hypenated**.

#### Conceptual & Identity Suffixes (Direct Fusion)

Use this for suffixes that “transform” the base noun into a new concept, class, or trope. These create a single **Identity Pillar**.

For example but not limited to;
- 婚 (-kon, “marriage suffix”): 契約婚 → **Keiyakukon** (Contract Marriage), 転生婚 → **Tenseikon** (Reincarnated Marriage), or 速婚 → **Sokkon** (Quick Marriage).
- 化 (-ka, “-ification suffix”): 猛獣化 → **Moujuuka** (Beastification), or 悪役化 → **Moujuuka** (Villainization).
- 屋 (-ya, “shop suffix”) 本屋 → **Hon'ya** (Book Store), パン屋 → **Panya** (Bakery), or ゲーム屋 → **Game-ya** (Game Store).

#### Attribute & Bound Suffixes (Hyphenated)

Use this for suffixes that describe a specific attribute, lifestyle, or action performed upon/by the noun. These often undergo **Rendaku** (voicing), which must be reflected in the romanization.

| Kanji | Reading | Handling Logic | Native Example | Loanword/Letter Example | Note |
| ----- | ------- | -------------- | -------------- | ----------------------- | ---- |
| たち | -tachi | Always hyphenated | 私たち → *Watashi-tachi* | エルフたち → *Elf-tachi* | Pluralization |
| 好き | -zuki / -suki | Always hyphenated | オシャレ好き → _Oshare-**zu**ki_ | ＴＳ好き → _TS-**su**ki_ | x-lover |
| 殺し | -goroshi / -koroshi | Always hyphenated | 神殺し → _Kami-**go**roshi_ | モンスター → _Monster-**ko**roshi_ | x-slayer |
| つき | -tsuki / -zuki | Always hyphenated | 皇帝つき → *Koutei-tsukii* | | |
| ぐらし | -gurashi | Always hyphenated | 辺境ぐらし → *Henkyou-gurashi* | スローライフ → *Slow Life-gurashi* | x-life |

!!! example Real Title Examples
- オシャレ好き → [Oshare-zuki](https://mangabaka.org/576484) (“Fashion Lover”).
- ＴＳ好き → [TS-suki](https://mangabaka.org/36325) (“TS Lover”).
- 神殺し → [Kami-goroshi](https://mangabaka.org/3330) (“God Slayer”).
- 辺境ぐらし → [Henkyou-gurashi](https://mangabaka.org/mod/series/2425) (“Frontier Life”).
!!!

#### Suffix-like Content Designators

These suffix-like content designators (編, 譚, 章, 録, etc.) have their grammatical behavior shifts depending on what precedes them;

- When directly attached to a single noun or compound, they act as suffixes and are hyphenated to the preceding word (冬編 → **Fuyu-hen**, 妖怪譚 → **Youkai-tan**).
- When following a phrase or clause-like structure, they function as independent nouns and are separated and capitalized (俺が最強になった編 → **Ore ga Saikyou ni Natta Hen**, 斬吸血鬼譚 → **Zan Kyuuketsuki Tan**).

*Hyphens mark tight morphological fusion, while separation marks syntactic or semantic independence.*

### Ordinal Number (第) Prefix

The prefix **Dai (第)** transforms a cardinal number into an *ordinal* (e.g., from “seven” to “seventh”). To maintain consistency and scannability, we use two mirrored formats depending on the numeral type.

!!! tip The following mirrors the two forms found in English: “Seventh Prince” (Native Numerals → Ordinal Words) vs. “7th Prince” (Arabic Numerals → Ordinal Digits).
!!!

1. Native (*Kanji*) Numeral Sequences:
- Rule: Fuse Dai **directly** to the number word. The following “counter” or “noun” is always separated with a space and capitalized.
- Logic: This treats the rank as a single descriptor (e.g., Dainana = Seventh).

1. Arabic (*Digits*) Numeral Sequences:
- Rule: Attach Dai to the digit **using a hyphen**. The following “counter” or “noun” is always separated with a space and capitalized.
- Logic: The hyphen acts as a visual anchor between the Japanese text and the Western digit, preventing the number from “floating.”

!!! example Some Examples
第一章	→ **Daiichi Sho** (“First Chapter”).
第二部	→ **Daini Bu** (“Second Part”).
第三幕	→ **Daisan Maku** (“Third Act”).
第七王子 → **Danana Ouji** (“Seventh Prince”).
第１章	→ **Dai-1 Sho** (“1st Chapter”).
第２部	→ **Dai-2 Bu** (“2nd Part”).
第３幕	→ **Dai-3 Maku** (“ meaning “3rd Act”).
第７王子 → **Dai-7 Ouji** (“7th Prince”).
公安第９課 **Kouan Dai-9 Ka** (“Public Safety 9th Division”).
第二の職業 → **Daini no Shokugyou** (“Second Profession”).
!!!

### Descriptor (Intensifier and Status) Prefixes 

Many Japanese titles utilize prefixes to act as **Intensifiers** (Power Words) or **Status Modifiers**. These “say” something about the subject that follows. To keep the romanization *modular* and *clean*, these are always to be romanized **separately and capitalized**.

This approach prevents “clutter” when prefixes are stacked and ensures that auxiliary elements (like verbs) remain attached to the subject without creating an unreadable “wall of text” or using excessive hyphenation.

1. **Intensifier Prefixes**: These amplify the following subject.,
- Examples are but not limited to; 超 (Chou), 激 (Geki), 鬼 (Oni), 神 (Kami), and 極 (Kyoku).
2. **Status Prefixes**: These define the current state of the subject.
- Examples are but not limited to; 元 (Moto), 新 (Shin), 生 (Nama).

**Lexicalization**: If a word with one of these prefixes is a fixed dictionary entry where the meaning has shifted away from the literal parts (e.g., 新聞 → *Shinbun* meaning Newspaper and not “New News”) or are, it is a single compound and must be **fused**. The clipped compounds 元カレ → *Motokare* and 元カノ → *Motokano* also fall under here, and are always romanized fused.

!!! example Some Examples
- 超ガキ → **Chou Gaki** (“Super/Extreme Brat”).
- 激愛された → **Geki Aisarete** (“Dearly Loved”).
- 元冒険者 → **Moto Boukensha** (“Former Adventurer”).
- 新世界 → **Shin Sekai** (“New World”).
- 新生活 → **Shin Seikatsu** (“New Life”).
- 元超ガキ → **Moto Chou Gaki** (“Former Super/Extreme Brat”).
- 大冒険者 → **Moto Dai Boukensha** (“Former Great Adventurer”).
!!!

#### The 大 Prefix 

The prefix **大 (Dai)** requires extra attention. Many words using *Dai* are fully lexicalized (the “Great” is invisible), while others are used specifically as Titles or Epithets for emphasis in fiction.

1. **Fuse** if the term is a common dictionary noun or a shifted compound.
*If the *Dai* acts as a permanent part of the word's definition, keep it fused.*

| Kanji | Romanization | Meaning | Logic |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 大好き | Daisuki | Love | Meaning shifted from “Great Like” |
| 大嫌い | Daikirai | Hate | Meaning shifted from “Great Dislike” |
| 大人気 | Daininki | Very Popular | Standard adjectival noun |
| 大学 | Daigaku | University | A specific entity (not “Great Study”) |
| 大冒険 | Daibouken | Great Adventure | Standard collocation |
| 大事故 | Daijiko | Major Accident | Fixed idiomatic phrase |
| 大成功 | Daiseikou | Great Success | Fixed idiomatic phrase |
| 大作戦 | Daisakusen | Great Plan | Fixed idiomatic phrase |
| 大問題 | Daimondai | Serious Problem | Fixed idiomatic phrase |
| 大聖堂 | Daiseidou | Cathedral | Standard collocation | 

2. **Separate** if *Dai* is a descriptive Title or Fantasy Epithet.
*In Light Novel and Manga titles, *Dai* is often used as a rank (like “Arch-” or “High-”). In these cases, separate it to highlight the character's status.*

| Kanji | Romanization | Meaning | Context |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 大冒険者 | Dai Boukensha | Great Adventurer | Descriptive Rank |
| 大賢者 | Dai Kenja | Great Sage | Descriptive Rank |
| 大戦士 | Dai Senshi | great warrior | Title-style descriptor |
| 大魔王 | Dai Maou | Great Demon Lord | Fantasy Epithet |
| 大聖女 | Dai Seijo | Great Saintess | Title-style descriptor |
| 大聖者 | Dai Seija | Great Saint(ess) | Title-style descriptor |
| 大魔導士 | Dai Madoushi | Archmage | Specialized Title |

!!! note While words like *Daiseijo* or *Daimadoushi* are morphologically compounds, we split them (**Dai Seijo**, **Dai Madoushi**) in titles to mirror the Western “Great/High” modifier, making the rank immediately scannable.
!!!

3. With Tie-Breakers
*In extreme edge cases where both fused and split versions carry meaning (e.g., 大天使), and the author's specific intent is unknown, always default to the **fused dictionary version**.*

| Kanji | Romanization | Meaning |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 大天使 | Daitenshi | (Default) Archangel |
| ^| Dai Tenshi | (Ephasis/Descriptor) Great Angel |

### Dual-Role Connector 兼 (Ken)

兼 (ken) is a conjuntion meaning “and” or to act as a the “/” or “-cum-” in English so it is always romanized in lowercase as **ken** with spaces around it (e.g., Ａ兼Ｂ → *A ken B*).

### Onomatopoeia and Onomatopoeic Sequences

Onomatopoeic words (words representing a sound effect) are always romanized literally. They must never be replaced with English equivalents or approximations (e.g., use *Pan* for パン, not Clap).

- Sequences: In a sequence of different sound effects, each individual sound is treated as a standalone, capitalized word and is not fused (e.g., ぺチパンパチン → *Pechi Pan Pachin*).
- Reduplication: If a single sound is repeated to form a lexicalized rhythmic word, the sounds are fused as one word (e.g., ぺチぺチ → Pechipechi).

## Particles, Copulas, and Conjunctions

### Particles and Copula

| Expression | Romanization | Function / Meaning |
| ---------- | ------------ | ------------------ |
| だ         | da           | plain copula |
| だった      | datta       | plain past copula |
| です       | desu         | polite copula |
| でした     | deshita      | polite past copula |
| は         | wa           | topic particle |
| が         | ga           | subject particle |
| を         | o            | object particle |
| の         | no           | Genitive or nominalizer particle |
| な         | na           | adjectival(-noun) linking particle or sentence-ending particle |
| に         | ni           | particle “to / at / in” |
| と         | to           | particle “and / with / that” |
| で         | de           | particle “at / in / by means of” |
| へ         | e            | particle “toward” |
| も         | mo           | particle “also / even” |
| や         | ya           | particle “and / among other things” |
| った       | tte          | particle “[you/he/she/they] said / even if” |
| だけ       | dake         | particle “only” |
| まで       | made         | particle “to / until” |
| から       | kara         | particle “from / because” |
| より       | yori         | particle “x rather than y / x over y” |
| にて       | nite         | particle (formal / literary) “at / in / by means of / on the occasion of” |
| しか       | shika        | particle “nothing but / except / no more than” always followed by a negation |
| くらい     | kurai        | particle “approximately, about, around”; **note** if it undergoes rendaku (after a simple noun) it is a hypenated -gurai suffix | 
| ばかり     | bakari       | particle “only / merely / nothing but / no more than” |
| ばっか     | bakka        | particle “only / merely / nothing but / no more than”; colloquial form of ばかり |
| なんか     | nanka        | particle “something like... / things like...”; **not** to be confused with 何か (*Nanka*) |
| なんて     | nante        | particle “things like / such a thing as / like” |
| など       | nado         | particle-like “etc” / “and the like” |
| だと       | *da to*      | copula + quotative particle, always separate; marks said / thought / considered content |
| だに       | *da ni*      | copula + particle, always separate, even if even if archaic or when some dictionaries list it as a “particle” |
| なの       | *na no*      | copula + nominalizer structure, always separate, even when used sentence-finally or labeled an “expression” |
| のか       | *no ka*      | nominalizer + question particle structure, always separate, even if some dictionaries list it as a “particle” |
| とか       | toka         | conjunctive particle “and so on” / “for example” |
| けど       | kedo         | conjunctive particle “but / although” |
| でも       | demo         | conjunctive particle “but / however” |
| し         | shi          | conjunctive particle “and / not only that / but...” |
| だろう     | darou        | plain conjectural of copula だ “probably / I suppose” |
| でしょう    | deshou      | polite conjectural of copula です “probably / I suppose” |
| でしょ     | desho        | colloquial contraction of deshou “right? / isn’t it” |
| か        | ka           | sentence-ending particle to indicate a question or after alternatives in a summary, always separate |
| ね        | ne           | sentence-ending particle “right / isn’t it”, always separate |
| わ        | wa           | sentence-ending particles for emphasis or tone (feminine), always separate |
| ぞ / ぜ / さ | zo / ze / sa | sentence-ending particles for emphasis or tone (masculine), always separate |
| もん       | mon          | sentence-ending / explanatory particle-like contraction (from もの) indicates reason or excuse, or dissatisfaction (feminine) |

### Conjuntions

| Expression | Romanization | Function / Meaning |
| ---------- | ------------ | ------------------ |
| なら       | nara         | conjunctive conditional “if so / that being the case” |
| だけど     | dakedo       | conjunction “but / however / although” |
| だから     | dakara       | conjunction “therefore / that’s why / because …” |
| だったら   | dattara       | conjunction “if it's the case” |
| だが       | daga         | conjunction “however / but” |
| ですが     | desuga       | conjunction “but / however / nevertheless” |
| ですから   | desukara     | conjunction “therefore / so”, polite discourse connector, clause-initial or sentence-final |
| それでは   | soredewa      | conjunctive discourse marker “well then / so / in that case” |

### Copula Grammar Bridges

| Expression | Romanization | Function / Meaning |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| である / であります | de aru / de arimasu | Copula Bridge “is / am / are” |
| であった | de atta | Past Copula Bridge “was / were” |
| であれ | de are | Imperative/Conditional Bridge “no matter...” |
| として / とする | to shite / to suru | Capacity Bridge “as a...” |
| とすると / とすれば | to suru to / to sureba | Conjunction Bridge “if so / then” |
| にした | ni shita | Decision/Selection Bridge “made into / decided on” |
| について | ni tsuite | Topic Bridge “about...” |
| に対して | ni taishite | Relational Bridge “towards/against...” |
| によって | ni yotte | Causal Bridge “by/due to...” |
| のこと (に / を) | no koto (ni / o) | Structural Bridge (concerning / regarding) |
| のはず (の) | no hazu (no) | Modal Bridge (expectation) / “should be” |
| のわけ (は) | no wake (wa) | Structural Bridge (reason) / “the case is” |
| のある / のない | no aru / no nai | Existence Bridge “with / without / that has” |

*Note: These are only some examples, be aware of any possible inflections of **aru** like “de arou” and **suru** like “shimashita”!*
*Note: Any auxiliary that follows a bridge "sticks" to the vocal part (e.g., “to shitekuru”)*

As we always romanize as **da to** two separate particles, proper chaining can occur.

| Expression | Romanization | Function / Meaning |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| だとしても | da to shite mo | Concessive Bridge ("even if it is...") |
| だとしたら | da to shitara | Conditional Bridge ("if it were...") |
| だとしてもらう | da to shitemorau | Benefactive Chain ("have them be...") |

!!! tip "Bridge" Capitalization (Priority of Correctness)
While our goal is consistent visual hierarchy, we prioritize **Structural Accuracy** over **Capitalization Perfection**.

- **Structural Accuracy:** The most important factor is maintaining *correct spacing* and keeping base particles *lowercase* in these grammar bridges. 
- **Capitalization Perfection:** If a volunteer *accidentally capitalizes* the verbal element of a bridge this is not considered a *hard* error, as the visual spacing is preserved.

1. **Critical:** Correct Spacing and particles lower case (e.g., *“to shite”* vs *“Toshite”*, *“de aru”* vs *“Dearu”*, *“you na node”* vs *“you nanode”*).
2. **Preferred:** Lowercase Bridge-Verbs or Formal Nouns (e.g., *“to shite”* vs *“to Shite”*, *“de aru”* vs *“de Aru”*, *“you na node”* vs *“You na node”*).

*As long as the “Bridge” remains split and the particle is lowercase, the metadata remains clean and searchable. We value your time—don't stress the small stuff!*

**Example:**  双子の姉が神子として引き取られて、私は捨てられたけど多分私が神子である。→ *Futago no Ane ga Miko to shite Hikitorarete, Watashi wa Suterareta kedo Tabun Watashi ga Miko de aru.*
!!!

!!! warning Exception: ja / de wa + Emphasis Hooks
In case where **ja** (じゃ) or **de wa** (では) is followed by a negative adjective (e.g., “Nai”, “Nakatta”, “Nakunaru”) or a strong adjectival noun (e.g., “Dame”), the element following the copula is **always capitalized**.

These words act as a “Hook” for the negation or emphasis of the title. Keeping them lowercase by the base bridge rule would cause the “Hook” to fizzle out in a “lowercase soup”, especially in long titles.
- **Example:** じゃなくなるとしても → *ja Nakunaru to shite mo*
- **Example:** 聖女じゃないから → *Seijo ja Nai kara*
!!!

### Separte or Conjunction Special Cases

| Expression | Romanization | Details | Function / Meaning |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| ので | **no de** | [See ので](#ので) | nominalizer + particle “because / since”, causal relation |
| ^| **node** | [See ので](#ので) | conjunction “because / so” |
| のに | **no ni** | [See ので](#ので) | nominalizer + particle “despite the fact that / although”, clause-linking |
| ^| **noni** | [See のに](#のに) | conjunction “although / even though” |
| なので | **na node** | [See なので](#なので-and-なのに) | copula + conjunctive *node* [bridge](#copula-grammar-bridges), split after **Formal Nouns** (e.g., you, wake, hazu) |
| ^| **nanode** | [See なので](#なので-and-なのに) | conjunction “because / since”, after plain nouns and na-adjectives |
| なのに | **na noni** | [See なので](#なので-and-なのに) | copula + conjunctive *noni* [bridge](#copula-grammar-bridges), split after **Formal Nouns** (e.g., you, wake, hazu) | 
| ^| **nanoni** | [See なので](#なので-and-なのに) | conjunction “even though / despite that”, after plain nouns and na-adjectives |
| では | **de wa** | [See では](#では) | copula/particle construction marking contrast or condition, often before negation  |
| ^| **dewa** | [See では](#では) | discourse marker “well then / so / in that case” at clause-start only |
| だって | **da tte** | [See だって](#だって) | copula + quotative particle, transparent structure |
| ^| **datte** | [See だって](#だって) | lexicalized particle “even / after all / because” |

#### ので

!!! hint In practice, especially for Japanese titles, ので is nearly always the conjunctive **node**!
!!!

Romanize ので single conjunctive **node** when:
- It functions as a single conjunctive particle meaning “because / so / since”.
- Commonly follows verbs, adjectives, or copulas to connect cause and result.
- Very often written as ので、 — with a comma — when starting a new clause.
- Example: 困ったので帰ります → *Komatta **node** Kaerimasu* (“Because I got into trouble, I’ll go home”).

Romanize ので as two particles **no de** — in extremely **rare cases** for titles — when:
- の *no* is the genitive or nominalizing particle, and で *de* marks the location or instrument (with / by / at).
- The meaning is literal “of X + with / by / at” rather than “because / so / since”.
- If you can replace の *no* with な *na* or remove の *no* entirely and the phrase still makes sense, it is two particles.
- Example: 本の写真で説明する → *Hon **no de** Shashin de Setsumei Suru* (“Explain with pictures of the book”).

#### のに

!!! hint In practice, especially for Japanese titles, のに is nearly always the conjunctive **noni**!
!!!

Romanize のに as single conjunctive **noni** when:
- It functions as a single conjunctive particle meaning “despite / even though”.
- Commonly follows i-adjectives, verbs, or noun+particle structures.
- Very often written as のに、 — with a comma — when starting a new clause.
- Example: みんな疲れているのに頑張っている → *Minna Tsukareteiru **noni** Ganbatte Iru* (“Even though everyone’s tired, they’re pushing on”).

Romanize のに as two particles **no ni** — in extremely **rare cases** for titles — when:
- の *no* is the genitive or nominalizing particle, and に *ni* marks location or direction (at / in / on).
- The meaning is literal “of X” + “at / in / on” rather than “despite / even though”.
- Example: 君のに夢を置いた → *Kimi **no ni** Yume o Oita* (“I placed a dream in yours”).

#### なので and なのに 

The sequences なので and なのに are handled differently depending on what precedes them.

Romanize なので or なのに as single conjunctive **nanode** or **nanoni** when they follow a “*Concrete Noun*” or a “*Na-Adjective*”:
- Functioning as a bridge meaning “because / since” or “even though / despite that” respectively.
- **Concrete Nouns**: Sensei nanode, Manga nanoni, Himitsu nanode.
- **Na-Adjectives**: Suki nanoni, Kirei nanode, Shizuka nanode.

Romanize なので or なのに as a copula + conjunctive structure **na node** or **na noni** when they follow “*Formal Noun*”:
- This prevents these “weighty” Formal Nouns from being swallowed by the grammar.
- See the list down below for the these Formal Nouns (abstract concepts) and are generally written in *kana* only.
- In this structure, the sequence is a complete bridge so these Formal Nouns are lowercased!

| Formal Noun | Meaning | Example Structure | Example Romanization |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| よう (You) | Seeming / Appearance | ようなので | you na node |
| わけ (Wake) | Reason / Way | わけなのに | wake na noni |
| ため (Tame) | Sake / Purpose | ためなので | tame na node |
| こと (Koto) | Thing / Fact | ことなのに | koto na noni |
| はず (Hazu) | Expectation / Should | はずなので | hazu na node |
| もの (Mono) | Object / Reason | ものなのに | mono na noni |
| つもり (Tsumori) | Intention | つもりなので | tsumori na node |
| とき (Toki) | Time / When | ときなのに | toki na noni |
| ところ | Place / Moment | ところなので | tokoro na node |

!!! tip Quick Test 
If the word before na is an abstract concept such as “Time”, “Reason”, “Seeming”, “Intention”, “Expectation”, etc. the na is separated; *na noni*.
On the other hand if the word is a concrete “thing” then it is the full conjunctive; *nanoni*.
!!!

!!! hint When na is separated for these formal nouns, the remaining element is always the conjunctive **node** or **noni**. There is **never** a "na no de" or "na no ni" structure in this context.
!!!

#### だって

Romanize だって as **datte** (conjunctive particle) when:
- It functions as a single conjunctive particle meaning “even / after all / because”.
- It usually appears before nouns or at the beginning of a sentence.
- It can often be replaced with も *mo* without changing the meaning.
- Example: 女の子だって遊びたい → *Onnanoko datte Asobitai* (“Even girls want to play.”)
- Test: *Onnanoko mo Asobitai*

Romanize だって as **da tte** (copula + partcile) when:
- It is literally *da* (copula “is/was”) followed by *tte* (quotative/colloquial topic particle).
- It usually follows a noun or adjective to state “X is” + quoted/topic element.
- You can replace だ *da* with です *desu* or だった *datta* and the meaning stays the same.
- Example: 「犯人は君だ」って言った → *Hannin wa Kimi da tte Itta* (“I said ‘The culprit is you’”)
- Test: *Kimi desu tte itta*

#### では

If では follows a noun or phrase and directly governs a predicate (especially before negation, contrast, or evaluation), they are always as two separate elements **de wa**.
Any standalone adjective or adjectival noun following では, are always separated and capitalized as independent words;

- ではない → *de wa Nai*
- ではなく → *de wa Nakku*
- ではいられない → *de wa Irarenai*
- では済まない → *de wa Sumanai*

If では appears sentence-initially or functions as a discourse marker meaning “well then / in that case”, treat it as lexicalized conjunctive **dewa**.

## な + ん + Copula Sequence

The **な + ん + copula** sequence is treated as a **single grammatical bridge**:
1. The morpheme **ん** (from **の**) fuses directly with the following copula or conjunctive as per the core style (e.g., んです → *ndesu*).
2. The initial **な** is then fused to create a single lowercase unit which reflects the function of a fixed explanatory phrase (“it is that…” / “the reason is…”).

> Ensure that it **nan** comes from the particles な + の, and not from 何 (“What”) as it would be otherwise separated and capitialized (e.g, 何ですか → *Nan desu ka as* for “What is it?”).

!!! example Examples
- なんです → **nandesu**
- なんだ → **nanda**
!!!

!!! info Title Analysis of [地雷なんですか？地原さん](https://mangabaka.org/5548)
- Romanized as: **Jirai nandesu ka? Chihara-san**  
- Interpretation: “Is it [the case] that you are a landmine (girl)?, Chihara-san.” 

> If it were capitalized “Jirai [wa] Nan desu ka? Chihara-san” the reading would shift to “What is a landmine? Chihara-san” which misses the explanatory nuance of the title..
!!!

## じ + Adjective Sequences

When the copula *ja* is followed by a standalone adjective or adjectival noun, they are kept as separate and capitalized as independent words. This preserves the semantic weight of the negative or prohibitive word.

1. Ja is a contraction of the cluster “de wa”, so it is treated as a **copula** and as per the core style copula are always written separately and in lowercase.
2. The negative adjective or adjectival noun (e.g. *nai*, *dame*) is **not fused** to *ja* and capitalized as independent words.

> Note that じゃん is always romanized separate and in lowercase as **jan**, as it is a colloquial contraction of **ja Nai** (and not from ja + no).

!!! example Examples
- 好みじゃない → *Konomi ja Nai*
- 聖女じゃなかった → *Seijo ja Nakatta*
- 学生じゃなくなる → *Gakusei ja Naku Naru*
- 浮気じゃダメ → *Uwaki ja Dame*
- これじゃ無理 → *Kore ja Muri*
- 可愛いじゃん → *Kawaii jan*
!!!

## Noun + Suru Romanization

When **Suru or Suru inflected forms** (*Shita*, *Shite*, *Sareta*, *Saseru*, etc.) attaches productively to a **(productive) noun** write it separately and capitalize it.

*These are simply nouns that gain verbal force through the addition of suru; dictionaries may list them as so called “suru”-verbs but morphologically they are still a noun + suru.*

!!! example Examples
- 転職する → **Tenshoku Suru**
- 辞退して → **Jitai Shite**
- 転生した → **Tensei Shita**
- 追放された → **Tsuihou Sareta**
- 愛します → **Aishimasu**
!!!

By contrast, **fixed or lexicalized suru-verbs** such as 恋する (*Koisuru*), 愛する (*Aisuru*), or 画する (*Kakusuru*) are romanized fused, since suru is no longer detachable but part of the verb stem.

*Dictionaries may list them as normal suru-verbs, found by its suru base form, and they should be treated as a verb.*

!!! example Examples
- 愛して → **Aishite**
- 恋した → **Koishita**
- 画された → **Kakusareta**
!!!

Auxiliary verbs or contracted auxilaries are directly fused to the suru-form without a hyphen

!!! example Examples
- 毛嫌いしていた → **Kegirai Shiteita**
- 溺愛されてました → **Dekiai Saretemashita**
- 全国配信してしまう → **Zenkoku Haishin Shiteshimau**
- 追放してきた → **Tsuihou Shitekita**
- 愛してる → **Aishiteru**
!!!

## Title Examples (for test cases)

### Title 1 [MB:359750](https://mangabaka.org/359750)

**異世界グルメで成り上がり無双　～山に追放されたので、のんびりキャンプを楽しんでいたらいつの間にか強くなっていて、王侯貴族や実力者たちが俺を放っておいてくれません。一方、俺を追放した貴族たちは破滅が始まる～**
*Isekai Gourmet de Nariagari Musou: Yama ni Tsuihou Sareta node, Nonbiri Camp o Tanoshindeitara Itsunomanika Tsuyoku Natteite, Oukou Kizoku ya Jitsuryokusha-tachi ga Ore o Houtte Oitekuremasen. Ippou, Ore o Tsuihou Shita Kizoku-tachi wa Hametsu ga Hajimaru*

!!! quote Elaboration
This title showcases long te-form chains with fused auxiliaries, where verbal sequences are treated as single units rather than spaced word-by-word. Loanwords like Gourmet and Camp are rendered in their origin forms, while productive Japanese compounds such as Nariagari remain fused. Itsunomanika is treated as a fossilized adverb and written as one word. Semantic binomials (王侯貴族) are split for transparency, plural groups use -tachi, and benefactive auxiliaries like oite kuremasen are fully fused. Conjunctions such as node are lexicalized and kept as single units. It also contains the rare ya particle.
!!!

### Title 2 [MB:8670](https://mangabaka.org/8670)

**信じていた仲間達にダンジョン奥地で殺されかけたがギフト『無限ガチャ』でレベル9999の仲間達を手に入れて元パーティーメンバーと世界に復讐＆『ざまぁ！』します！**
*Shinjiteita Nakama-tachi ni Dungeon Okuchi de Korosarekaketa ga Gift “Mugen Gacha” de Level 9999 no Nakama-tachi o Te ni Irete Moto Party Member to Sekai ni Fukushuu & “Zamaa!” Shimasu!*

!!! quote Elaboration
Here the focus is on auxiliary fusion and modern stylistic elements. Verb forms like korosarekaketa are fused according to auxiliary rules, while te ni irete reflects standard te-form chaining. Loanwords (Dungeon, Gift, Level, Party Member) retain their non-assimilated English forms. Group nouns take -tachi, quotation marks are preserved for in-text labels and slang, and symbols such as & are kept as-is when functioning stylistically rather than grammatically. Colloquial expressions like zamaa are retained verbatim rather than normalized.
!!!

### Title 3 [MB:30392](https://mangabaka.org/30392)

**俺が好きなのは妹だけど妹じゃない**
*Ore ga Suki na no wa Imouto dakedo Imouto ja Nai*

!!! quote Elaboration
This title is a clean example of structural transparency. The sequence na + no is treated as copula plus nominalizer and always kept separate, even though it appears fused in kana. The contrast is carried by dakedo, which is treated as a single lexicalized conjunctive unit. The negative copula ja + Nai is kept split to reflect its morphology rather than collapsed into a pseudo-particle.
!!!

### Title 4 [MB:46802](https://mangabaka.org/46802)

**異世界転生して魔女になったのでスローライフを送りたいのに魔王が逃がしてくれません**
*Isekai Tensei Shite Majo ni Natta node Slow Life o Okuritai noni Maou ga Nigashitekuremasen*

!!! quote Elaboration
This title demonstrates how conjunctive particles and auxiliaries dominate spacing decisions. Both node and noni are treated as fused conjunctive forms. The benefactive kureru in nigashitekuremasen functions as an auxiliary and therefore fuses to the preceding te-form; the -shite here comes from a verb (-su), not a noun + suru construction, so no separation occurs. Loanwords like Slow Life are rendered in origin form, while native verbs follow standard inflectional fusion.
!!!

### Title 5 [MB:28009](https://mangabaka.org/28009)

**農民関連のスキルばっか上げてたら何故か強くなった。**
*Noumin Kanren no Skill bakka Agetetara Nazeka Tsuyoku Natta.*

!!! quote Elaboration
This title highlights colloquial particles and fossilized adverbs. Bakka is retained as written as a clipped, casual form of bakari, rather than being expanded or normalized. Nazeka is treated as a fossilized adverb and written as a single unit. Verb forms like agetetara and natta follow normal auxiliary fusion rules, while Skill is kept in its origin form as a non-assimilated loanword.
!!!

### Title 6 [MB:9333](https://mangabaka.org/9333)

**真の仲間じゃないと勇者のパーティーを追い出されたので、辺境でスローライフすることにしました**
*Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party o Oidasareta node, Henkyou de Slow Life Suru Koto ni Shimashita*

!!! quote Elaboration
This title combines copular negation, productive suru constructions, and passives. The ja + Nai structure is kept split, while Slow Life Suru follows the productive noun + suru rule rather than being fused or translated. Oidasareta reflects regular verb inflection of oidasu into the passive, and node again functions as a fused conjunctive particle. Loanwords (Party, Slow Life) remain in origin form, while native place terms like Henkyou are romanized normally.
!!!

## LLM Ruleset and prompts

```
romanization_style:
  name: "MangaBaka Romanization Style"
  version: "1.2"
  base_system: "Modified Hepburn (customized)"
  macrons: false
  long_vowels: "Always written fully (ou, oo, uu, aa, ee, ii)"
  sokuon_rule: "Represent っ before ch as cch (e.g., Maccha instead of Matcha)"
  n_rule: "ん is romanized as n. Use n' when ん is followed by a vowel or y to avoid ambiguity (e.g., Ten'i, Kon'yaku)."

  capitalization: >
    Capitalize all nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and auxiliary verbs when written separately.
    Keep all particles, copulas, and copula inflections or contractions lowercase. Copula forms
    (da or desu and all inflections) are never capitalized, even when sentence-final.

  suru_taxonomy: >
    Distinguish suru-forms as follows:
    (1) Productive noun + Suru constructions are written separately, with Suru
        and its inflections capitalized (e.g., Benkyou Suru, Tensei Shita).
    (2) Verbs ending in -su are true verbs, not noun + Suru; their inflected forms
        fuse normally with auxiliaries (e.g., Mezashite, Otoshita).
    (3) Fixed or lexicalized suru-verbs listed as single verbs in dictionaries are
        always fused, since Suru is part of the verb stem (e.g., Koisuru, Aisuru, Kakusuru).

  auxiliaries: >
    All auxiliary verbs and auxiliary-like forms are fused to the main verb
    or adjective, whether attached via the -te form, the stem, or as
    contracted forms (e.g., Natteshimatta, Kawaisugiru, Shiteita).

  te_form_chains: >
    When two or more verbs appear consecutively in the -te form, each lexical verb
    is written separately. Any auxiliaries that follow are fused to the immediately
    preceding final -te form. Examples are:
    - 放っておく → Houtteoku
    - 放っておいてくれ → Houtte Oitekure
    - 放っておいてくれません → Houtte Oitekuremasen

  particles: >
    Particles are always written separately and in lowercase
    (e.g., no, ga, o, de, mo, ni, wa).

  conjunctive_particles: >
    Conjunctive particles are fused when functioning as a single lexical unit
    (e.g., nanoni, demo, dakedo, desuga). Node and noni are fused unless they are
    clearly separate particles in a grammatical construction.

  ja_auxiliary: >
    Forms like じゃない and じゃだめ are romanized as ja + Auxiliary
    (e.g., ja Nai, ja Dame). Ja is treated as a particle (from de wa) and
    remains separate and lowercase; auxiliaries are capitalized when
    written separately. Contractions like じゃん are romanized as jan.

  compounds_semantic_binomial: >
    Semantic binomial compounds (X and Y relationships) may be split for
    clarity and consistency (e.g., Oukou Kizoku, Shinou Shoukou).

  compounds_determinative: >
    Determinative compounds (modifier + head noun) are written as separate
    words unless strongly lexicalized (e.g., Kokugai Tsuihou, Kokunai Ryokou).

  lexicalized_idioms: >
    Strongly lexicalized idioms and fixed expressions, including yojijukugo,
    remain fused (e.g., Yuuyuujiteki, Issekinichou, Jakunikukyoushoku).

  lexicalized_adverbs: >
    Lexicalized adverbs and set expressions are written as single words
    (e.g., Itsunomanika, Nazeka, Nanto, Nidoto, Doushitemo).

  native_personal_and_place_names: >
    Always romanize native Japanese personal and place names using Japanese romanization
    rules, even if an English exonym is widely known (e.g., Toukyou, Oosaka).

  loanwords: >
    Render Non-assimilated or uncommon loanwords, and non-native personal or place names
    in their established native-language equivalents whenever identifiable (e.g., Skill, Dungeon).
    Retain loanwords that are clipped slang, phonologically adapted, or fully lexicalized in everyday Japanese,
    where the foreign source is no longer treated as a recoverable identit (e.g., Baito, Rabuho, Gyaru).

  hyphens: >
    Use hyphens with honorifics, personal titles, household or clan names,
    Arabic numbers with counters, and multi-word expressions functioning as
    one unit. Honorifics are hyphenated except for lexicalized kinship terms
    (e.g., oneesan, ojisan) or established dictionary nouns (e.g., kamisama).
    Arabic numbers + counter + modifier use a single hyphen with the modifier
    fused to the counter (e.g., 31-banme) including 後 or 前 which are treated
    as Sino-Japanese unit-final temporal suffixes and read as -go and -zen
    respectively. Counters use their numeral-attached readings. Fully native
    numbers + counter + modifier are fully fused to preserve special readings
    (e.g., nidome, futari).

  titles_and_compound_title_nouns: >
    Distinguish between true titles/honorifics and compound title nouns.
    True titles and honorifics that attach to a person or name are written
    with a hyphen (e.g., Ou-sama).
    Compound title nouns that function as a single lexical noun are fused
    without a hyphen (e.g., Ningyouhime, kamisama, Maoujou).

  bound_suffixes: >
    Bound suffixes that modify the preceding element or when cannot stand alone as noun, verb, or adjective
    without the loss of meaning are fused with a hyphen for clarity (e.g., Oshare-suki, Kami-goroshi, Inaka-gurashi)

  copula_vs_conjunctive_dewa: >
    Distinguish grammatical de wa (copula + particle) from lexicalized
    conjunctive dewa. Grammatical de wa is written separately (de wa),
    while conjunctive dewa meaning “well then / in that case” is written
    fused (dewa), usually at the start of a clause.

  example_validation:
    input: "異世界グルメで成り上がり無双　～山に追放されたので、のんびりキャンプを楽しんでいたらいつの間にか強くなっていて、王侯貴族や実力者たちが俺を放っておいてくれません。一方、俺を追放した貴族たちは破滅が始まる～"
    output: "Isekai Gourmet de Nariagari Musou: Yama ni Tsuihou Sareta node, Nonbiri Camp o Tanoshindeitara Itsunomanika Tsuyoku Natteite, Oukou Kizoku ya Jitsuryokusha-tachi ga Ore o Houtte Oitekuremasen. Ippou, Ore o Tsuihou Shita Kizoku-tachi wa Hametsu ga Hajimaru"
```

### YAML Ruleset (2.0) WIP!!

```
romanization_style:
  name: "MangaBaka Romanization"
  version: "2.0"
  response_language: "English"
  response_style: "Romanized title in plain text and a short breakdown of the romanization and applied rules, with additional notes on important areas"
  base_system: "Modified Heburn"
  macrons: false
  n_rule: "ん is romanized as n. Use n' when ん is followed by a vowel or y to avoid ambiguity (Ten'i, Kon'yaku, Onna)"
  zu_rule: "ず and づ are always both romanized as zu, no exceptions"
  long_vowels: "Always written out fully (ou, oo, uu, aa, ee, ii) so correct romanization occurs without macrons"
  sokuon_rule: "Represent っ before ch as cch (e.g., Maccha instead of Matcha) essentially always doubling the following letter"

  capitalization: >
    Capitalize all nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs. All particles, copulas, copula inflections, 
    and the vocal bridge elements of grammatical bridges are always lowercase, even when sentence-final.

  auxiliaries: >
    All auxiliary elements are fused to the main verb or adjective (via stem or te-form), this includes the vocal element of 
    a gramatical bridge ('Natteshimatta', 'Kawaisugiru', 'Shiteita', 'te shiteiru'). Kudasai is considered a request auxilary 
    for -te form verbs, so is also always fused ('Mitekudasai').

  formal_nouns: ['koto', 'hazu', 'wake', 'mono', 'tokoro', 'tame', 'you']
  formal_nouns_description: "Nouns that are abstract concepts rather than concrete 'things'"
  formal_noun_bridges:
    description: >
      Lowercase these specific visual patterns to ensure grammar stays in the valley. These patterns overrule general 
      noun capitalization and should also prevent lowercasing where these formal nouns are a pillar ('Sonna Koto ni').
    patterns:
      - sequence: "no <formal noun> [na/ni/no/o/ga/wa/desu/da]"
        logic: "Always lowercase the formal noun and the particle/copula that follows."
        example: "'no koto ni', 'no you na', 'no tame no', 'no koto desu'"
      - sequence: "[Verb/Adjective] <formal noun> [na/ni/desu/da/o/ga/wa]"
        logic: "Always lowercase the formal noun and following bridge element."
        example: "'Shiteita you desu', 'Iku wake nai', 'kawaii koto ni'"
      - sequence: "<formal noun> na [node/noni]"
        logic: "Lowercase the formal noun and the conjunction as a bridge."
        example: "'koto na node', 'wake na noni'"
  grammatical_bridges:
    description: >
      In addition to the formal noun bridges, we want to apply the lowercase bridge logic to the following 
      selected bridges, inflections of these vocal elements also count. Any auxilary elements after the 
      bridge are fused to the vocal part of the bridge normally ('to shitekuru').
    accepted_bridges: ['de aru', 'to suru', 'ni suru', 'ni tsuite', 'ni taishite', 'ni yotte', 'no aru', 'no nai']
    inflection_note: "Aru and Suru inflections ('de atta', 'de arou', 'to shite', 'ni shita') follow the same lowercase split rule."

  particles_and_conjunctions:
    particles: "Always separate and lowercase (no, ga, o, de, mo, ni, wa)"
    conjunctions: "Are kept fused as one single lexical unit and lowercase (でも, だけど, ですが, だったら)"
    always_separate: "Elements that gramatically are split and don't have a specific new meaning are always separate (だと, だに, なの, のか)"
    conditional: >
      Conjuctions such as ので, のに, なので, なのに, だって, では that have meaning both when fused as a lexical unit or as 
      individual elements need to be romanized accordingly depending on the sentence context, meaning 'node' vs 'no de', 
      'noni' vs 'no ni', 'datte' vs 'da tte', and 'dewa' vs 'de wa'. なので and なのに specifically, they are romanized as 
      a single conjuntion 'nanode' or 'nanoni' when they follow a 'concrete noun' or a 'na-adjective'. If they are part of 
      a formal noun bridge sequence they are romanized as 'na node' or 'na noni', see formal_noun_bridges patterns.

  ja_sequence: >
    'ja' (from 'de wa') is a conjunction so always lowercase and separate. Any element following 'ja' or 'de wa' is always capitalized,
    especially with negation, for emphasis. This overrules the lowercase bridge rule ('ja Nai', 'ja Nakatta', 'ja Dame', 'de wa Jimi').
  jan_contraction: "じゃん is always romanized as 'jan', lowercase and separate"

  explanatory_sequences: >
    The explanatory 'no' or 'n' (derived from 'no') are always fused to the following copula or conjunction 
    to avoid loose characters and semantic ambiguity with 何 when preceeded by 'na' which in turn is also
    directly fused to the already fused to the sequence to create one identifiable unit.
    (1) n + copula fuses ('nda', 'ndesu', 'ndatte', 'ndesukara').
    (2) na + n + copula fuses into a single unit ('nandesu', 'nanoda', 'nandakara').
    (3) na + no + copula also fuses into a single unit ('nanodesu', 'nanoda', 'nanodakara').
```