Did Chinese becomes Japanese in the movie?

[Quinn Mallory]

I've seen the Firefly series and noticed that the background decoration were often written in Chinese, in addition to the occasional lines of Mandarin.

I missed the Serenity movie in the theater and I'm definitely looking forward to it coming out on DVD but in my recent anticipation for the DVD, I found some screencaps of the movie where the signs and stuff on the inside of Serenity and a computer screen in which River was reading from appeared to be Japanese now.

Anyone else noticed that or know any reason for the change (other than the sort of obvious changes in set production people)?

[Madeleine]

They probably still have many minor languages in the 'verse, as well as english and mandarin. River knew at least some latin, so perhaps she knew japanese too.

[Giantevilhead]

Most of the written stuff was in Japanese but they still spoke Chinese.

[RockinHobbit]

Also, Japanese writing is borrowed from Chinese, so there is a lot that is very similar. I haven't seen it yet either, but I'm guessing it could just be some kanji that are used in both languages.

[dosed150]

it could be a slight mistake or maybe a different dialect of chinese

[Easter Lily]

As far as I can tell, they only spoke Mandarin in the film.
As for Japanese, it is possible that that they did use some decorative kanji or katakana (like the Matrix)... but of the bits that I can remember they used Chinese. I think someone has already said that kanji is derived from the Chinese language.

[skritsys]

wish I could understand what they are saying when they are talking in Mandarin....I do not know any Chinese or Japanese.

[Quinn Mallory]

To answer my own question, after having watch/study the DVD is this. The spoken language in the movie is still mandarin (or attempt to be mandarin). As for the background words, there were definitely some Japanese in the background, such as the yellow door inside Serenity (and I don't think it was there in the TV show). However, stuff like that oaty bar commercial is completely in Chinese. As for River's computer screen, there were two columns with one in simplified Chinese while the other in Japanese.

[Easter Lily]

wish I could understand what they are saying when they are talking in Mandarin....I do not know any Chinese or Japanese.

So do I... and I speak Chinese... I think Alan Tudyk's accent is probably the best.
Try this website...
The translations are pretty good...
http://fireflychinese.home.att.net/index.html

[Giantevilhead]

The oaty bar commercial was not in Chinese, the song was taken from a real Japanese commercial.

[captainpash]

Guys the director really wasn't to big on the alternate languages all he wanted to get across was the fact that the U.S., and China merged to become a big power togheter. Watch the comentary if you don't believe me. So the whole point whether it was Chinese or Japanese or Mardniard doesn't matter. Its not curcial to the film.