"I've tried to be as accurate as possible with my use of Japanese terminology and honorifics, and recruited a dirty posse of badass Japanese speaking folks to help me with my translations. But I did co-opt a few terms for my own nefarious reasons, and I am gaijin at the end of the day. Hopefully no offense is caused. This is fantasy folks, not international frackin' diplomacy."
My dad is an international diplomat. He helps organize cultural and academic exchanges -- including fellowships for writers to do research in other countries. It's quotidian stuff, no high-level save-the-world negotiations. But it's the kind of thing that Kristoff could have benefited from, and it's the kind of thing that creates the understandings that make saving the world unnecessary. Engaging with other countries, even through art, is essentially an act of amateur diplomacy, and it helps if you realize that's what you're doing instead of assigning responsibility to the professionals. That tends to result in them having to clean up your mess.
From the FAQ on his website
My dad is an international diplomat. He helps organize cultural and academic exchanges -- including fellowships for writers to do research in other countries. It's quotidian stuff, no high-level save-the-world negotiations. But it's the kind of thing that Kristoff could have benefited from, and it's the kind of thing that creates the understandings that make saving the world unnecessary. Engaging with other countries, even through art, is essentially an act of amateur diplomacy, and it helps if you realize that's what you're doing instead of assigning responsibility to the professionals. That tends to result in them having to clean up your mess.