Japanese I have a question

I'll add to my own quote. Suffixes are there to be respectful. Calling someone by just their last name is usually seen as rude. At least, that's what I learned of it in class.

Unless, of course, they allow you to...and it's usually seen as a token of close friendship or affection. I don't know how up to date that thinking is. I do know that Yakitate!! Japan! breaks that rule alot. Azuma simply calls nearly everyone without any kind of suffix...and I think a lot of the cast actually follows that rule.

So take my explanations with some (not a lot, however) of trepidation. =]