Japanese question

[owlmoose]

So I started Fruits Basket (just a few pages in, but it's definitely promising). I know people have explained this to me before, but I'm already getting lost with all the forms of address in Japanese. My understanding is that -san denotes respect and -chan denotes affection (and I realize I'm probably missing all sorts of nuances there), but what does -kun mean? Are there others I need to remember?

Comments

[ovo-lexa.livejournal.com]

-San is generally polite. Sans -San means ... either rudeness or close friends, depending on the context.

-Chan is affection, usually towards girls (If you were addressing someone as "Little Suzie," and meant it as a compliment). As such, -Chan towards boys happens, but is giggle-worthy or an intended insult.

-Kun is a term of affection towards a boy who is a close friend, usually from a girl, but not always. It is also very hard to get away with properly, or so I've been told.

In addition, -Sama is a clear-cut better ("My Lord"), or flattery.

^ My limited scholarly experience. I have no actual speaking experience, so I may be very wrong.

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Very useful summary. Isn't -Sama what Braska was called in the original Japanese script for FFX? I remember hearing that somewhere.