Sorry that I'm just posting anonymously, but I don't have my on LJ, and I haven't really seen the need for one yet, as I'm a pretty withdrawn person, and I usually lurk in whatever fandoms I'm apart of.
The term "nakama" indeed does not have a precise translation, and context can be used to determine it. However, the One Piece fandom (which I'm also a lurker in) has been using it for years and almost always leaves it untranslated, almost to the point that it's an unanimous decision on the fandom's part. While it's true that most shounen stories focus on friendship, One Piece makes it the MAIN focus, the theme that pretty much takes precedence over all else. It can be argued, therefore, that the use of "nakama" is entirely justified in the One Piece fandom. So, what does this have to do with the Bleach fandom?
Well, the three most popular ongoing (read: currently still being written/aired) anime/manga series on the internet right now (that is, instead of the mass market/public, the three with the largest internet fandoms) is Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece. And, chances are good that if someone likes one of them, they like of the others as well, or maybe even all three. Someone who likes both Bleach and One Piece probably started this trend. Then, those who have a fascination with Japanese probably picked up on it and started using it and spreading it everywhere, to the point where it is almost fandom wide. I agree that Bleach doesn't have nearly as much focus on friendship as One Piece (Instead, it seems Kubo likes to drop increasingly-less-subtle clues for romance, fueling the shippers' fire), so the justification of using nakama and not a near-equivalent English word is less justifiable.
Anyway, I hope you found this helpful. BTW, I found your journal from your signature on BF, where I was lurking in the IchiRuki FC. I've been thinking about joining, especially since the girls seem to like having a guy there, given their reaction to Adam, and I know that guy shippers like myself aren't too common...
Here to offer my two cents...
The term "nakama" indeed does not have a precise translation, and context can be used to determine it. However, the One Piece fandom (which I'm also a lurker in) has been using it for years and almost always leaves it untranslated, almost to the point that it's an unanimous decision on the fandom's part. While it's true that most shounen stories focus on friendship, One Piece makes it the MAIN focus, the theme that pretty much takes precedence over all else. It can be argued, therefore, that the use of "nakama" is entirely justified in the One Piece fandom. So, what does this have to do with the Bleach fandom?
Well, the three most popular ongoing (read: currently still being written/aired) anime/manga series on the internet right now (that is, instead of the mass market/public, the three with the largest internet fandoms) is Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece. And, chances are good that if someone likes one of them, they like of the others as well, or maybe even all three. Someone who likes both Bleach and One Piece probably started this trend. Then, those who have a fascination with Japanese probably picked up on it and started using it and spreading it everywhere, to the point where it is almost fandom wide. I agree that Bleach doesn't have nearly as much focus on friendship as One Piece (Instead, it seems Kubo likes to drop increasingly-less-subtle clues for romance, fueling the shippers' fire), so the justification of using nakama and not a near-equivalent English word is less justifiable.
Anyway, I hope you found this helpful. BTW, I found your journal from your signature on BF, where I was lurking in the IchiRuki FC. I've been thinking about joining, especially since the girls seem to like having a guy there, given their reaction to Adam, and I know that guy shippers like myself aren't too common...