Anyway, have some filler before the break.
If it isn't common knowledge by now, the original Japanese GBA version was released back in 2001, so the technological marvels in this game are limited to what they knew at the time. It wasn't until "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney" hit NA in 2005 (EU in 2006 and AUS in... 2009) that suddenly these characters were thrust 15 years into the future. Janet Hsu, who has consistently led the localization of these games to this day, figured at the time that they may alienate Americans who were not familiar with the Japanese legal system. But they couldn't replace it with the American system either (there's no jury for starters), so they pushed it into a weird dystopic near-future where a lot of changes were made to the legal system. Since the first Western release in NA was in 2005 (AU finally got it nearly a year late, sheesh), pushing ahead 10, 11 years would have been fair.
Even to this day, there are people who mistakenly believe the legal system in-game is accurate to the Japanese one. Right, um. It is technically more accurate, but aside from the physical layout of the courthouse and the lack of a jury*, and maybe the inspiration that goes into building some of these cases, the Japanese find the courts in Japanifornia to be as bonkers as the rest of us do. Did I mention how each incident only has three days of investigation and trial to solve a murder? I haven't even touched the wacky anime tropes and superpowers.
Little did anyone at the time know that this game would lead a major franchise of Capcom that is slowly dying (ok not really) as they keep spitting out ports of the first trilogy to various consoles. Just wait until it hits Steam.
* The current lay judge system in place in Japanese courts today is not the same as a jury in a Western court of law. These lay judges are not professional judges, but they are well-versed citizens who either volunteer or are summoned to be on duty for trials that require them. Not all cases that make it to trial require lay judges; many smaller district courts around Japan still stick with the inquisitory system with one primary judge and maybe one or two secondary judges who act as advisors during deliberations because the cases are usually so straightforward.
5/1/22 edit: It's been three years since I started this blog and it has aged well despite inactivity. Of course, bless Capcom for finally releasing TGAAC to the rest of the world. Never would I have imagined that Ace Attorney could reach even PS4. (When's Xbox getting it, lol?) Sooner or later, we're gonna get an AAI3, I just know it, and finally AAI2 will see an official localization. No better time than that.
I've updated this post with corrections and explanations, as well as English name origins to the best of my research capabilities. Feel free to comment and add anything if you have suggestions.
Important note: a lot of information I share is either derived through dictionary hopping, or in regards to the developers and mystery novel inspirations, sourced thanks to interview and news archives available at gyakutensaibanlibrary.blogspot.com. Thanks to my friend and mentor Ash for helping me here and there over the years, as well as this wealth of knowledge that has inspired me to build a blog of my own.
Case 1-1
Phoenix Wright - Naruhodou Ryuuichi (成歩堂 龍一)
Naruhodou -> naruhodo = I see/understand; is that so?
Ryuuichi is a reference to one of Takumi’s favorite electronic musicians, Ryuuichi Sakamoto of the Yellow Magic Orchestra. You can even hear a little inspiration from his music in the game itself. It also has the kanji for “dragon” in there, to match up against Tigre in the classic dragon vs tiger legend. Plus he’s blue, and among the four beasts of Japanese myth, the dragon is the blue.
Ryuuichi is a reference to one of Takumi’s favorite electronic musicians, Ryuuichi Sakamoto of the Yellow Magic Orchestra. You can even hear a little inspiration from his music in the game itself. It also has the kanji for “dragon” in there, to match up against Tigre in the classic dragon vs tiger legend. Plus he’s blue, and among the four beasts of Japanese myth, the dragon is the blue.
Phoenix was chosen to match Ryuuichi and covers his whole turnabout theme fairly well.
Wright sounds like "right", leading to all manners of puns with every definition of "right" under the sun.
Wright sounds like "right", leading to all manners of puns with every definition of "right" under the sun.
Mia Fey - Ayasato Chihiro (綾里 千尋)
Ayasato is a common family name, with a “small town” feel to it.
Chihiro, according to Takumi, is a pun on “1000 questions”, as in “If I have to ask him 1000 times, I will!” The latter kanji is the first one in “cross-examination” too. The phrase itself means “great depth/heights”, to symbolize how far she’s willing to go.
Chihiro, according to Takumi, is a pun on “1000 questions”, as in “If I have to ask him 1000 times, I will!” The latter kanji is the first one in “cross-examination” too. The phrase itself means “great depth/heights”, to symbolize how far she’s willing to go.
Mia was likely chosen to match Maya. She also shortly goes "MIA", or "missing in action".
Fey is in reference to the witch Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend. (More info coming in the next post when I get to character with similar name.)
Fey is in reference to the witch Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend. (More info coming in the next post when I get to character with similar name.)
Larry Butz - Yahari Masashi (矢張 政志)
Yahari / yappari = “I knew it” or “of course”, as in the school saying “Behind the incident, you know it’s Yahari” (“jiken no kage ni, yappari yahari”).
Masashi -> masashiku = “with certainty”
Masashi -> masashiku = “with certainty”
Larry may possibly be in reference to the classic 1987 video game character "Leisure Suit Larry", who is very much a stereotypical womanizer. But in my opinion, it was more likely chosen so Mia could "mistakenly" call him "Harry".
Butz was definitely chosen for the sake of the localized saying, "When something smells, it's usually the Butz."
Butz was definitely chosen for the sake of the localized saying, "When something smells, it's usually the Butz."
* To be fair, the "Harry" bit is just a means for the localization to substitute the much tamer nickname "Yappari-san" in Japanese, and they chose to make another butt joke. I don't blame them.
Winston Payne - Auchi Takefumi (亜内 武文)
Auchi is the Japanese romanization of the word “ouch”.
Takefumi is a common name. Its kanji also spell out “martial” and “words”.
Takefumi is a common name. Its kanji also spell out “martial” and “words”.
Winston Payne sounds like "wincing in pain".
Cindy Stone - Takabi Mika (高日 美佳)
This is a common name, but Takabi may come from takabisha = “on one’s high horse”. As for Phoenix’s answer: In place of “Cinder Block”, it’s Hitaka Tomoya or something to that effect. “Hitaka” is just “Takabi” backwards (ひたか vs たかび), but the kanji for “Tomoya” spells out “friend” and “add” - as if suggesting someone who may be desperate for company.
Mika is a common lady's name, and is often written like this too. It has the kanji for "beauty" and "excellent".
Mika is a common lady's name, and is often written like this too. It has the kanji for "beauty" and "excellent".
Cindy Stone is definitely a play on "cinder block". As for why the loc team chose "cinder block" as a basis for a name... I'm not actually sure. Is it some kind of cruel joke that she was bricked or a debatably crueler joke that Larry dated someone like a brick?
Frank Sahwit - Yamano Hoshio (山野 星雄)
His Japanese name may refer to a saying: “If there’s a mountain, someone will climb it”, as he barges into someone’s home unannounced. It’s also police slang for “perp of crime”.
Frank is like the English word, meaning "honest". Sahwit sounds like "saw it". I'm not sure, but I suspect they, the loc team, may have gone with an Indian-sounding name because he also features a red dot on his forehead, which is the bindi in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Its exact meaning can differ depending on the religion, but it's meant to represent one's hidden "third eye".
Case 1-2
Maya Fey - Ayasato Mayoi (綾里 真宵)
Ayasato is made up of the kanji for "twill" and "village". Twill is a type of textile weave that creates a tight diagonal shape through criss-crossing threads. In context, this is a very important village indeed.
The characters that make up Mayoi are “true” and “evening”. Furthermore, the term mayoi can also mean “hesitation, bewilderment”, as how she’s introduced. Interestingly, as a Buddhist term, it also refers to the state of being unable to reach enlightenment. Perhaps it’s to show how she’s not quite “ready” for her position. Just give her a couple years.
The characters that make up Mayoi are “true” and “evening”. Furthermore, the term mayoi can also mean “hesitation, bewilderment”, as how she’s introduced. Interestingly, as a Buddhist term, it also refers to the state of being unable to reach enlightenment. Perhaps it’s to show how she’s not quite “ready” for her position. Just give her a couple years.
Maya was chosen to be similar to her Japanese name.
Miles Edgeworth - Mitsurugi Reiji (御剣 怜侍)
Mitsurugi, or rather tsurugi = “sword”. It refers to the sharpness of his mind (and tongue), and on the original website, Takumi described it was meant to convey “stillness, which can cut you down if you show a moment’s weakness.”
Reiji is a normal first name. Here, it uses the kanji for “cleverness” and “samurai”.
Reiji is a normal first name. Here, it uses the kanji for “cleverness” and “samurai”.
The name Miles has unclear etymological origins, but it could be connected to the Slavic name part milu meaning "gracious", or with the Latin word miles meaning "soldier". Also, he would definitely "go for miles" in his search for the truth.
Edgeworth likely refers to his Japanese name, but with an English flair to it.
Edgeworth likely refers to his Japanese name, but with an English flair to it.
Dick Gumshoe - Itonokogiri Keisuke (糸鋸 圭介)
Itonokogiri -> ito = “thread”, nokogiri = “saw” (the jagged kind). The saw gives him a rough-exterior feel and is probably suggesting his hairstyle, but the thread shows he’s really a softie inside. It’s a recurring joke that most people (except Mitsurugi, of course) can’t remember his name because it’s long, so they just call him “Itonoko”.
Keisuke is supposedly a name in tribute to another favorite musician, whom I assume to be Keisuke Kuwata of Southern All-Stars fame.
Keisuke is supposedly a name in tribute to another favorite musician, whom I assume to be Keisuke Kuwata of Southern All-Stars fame.
Both "dick" and "gumshoe" are colloquialisms for police detectives, in particular those with a bad rap for being extremely stubborn.
April May - Shouchiku Umeyo (松竹 梅世)
The first three kanji in her name are sometimes used in a ranking that uses three tiers, going from “highest” to “lowest”. The last kanji can refer to a counter particle for generations. As one of the first ever witnesses created, she and Konaka set the standards for all future puntastic witness names. (This is because case 1-1 was written after case 1-2 was initially drafted.)
April and May are both months. I... I got nothing. Is it just because she's a secretary?
Redd White - Konaka Masaru (小中 大)
Like with Umeyo above, the kanji that make up his name go from “small” to “big”. The name of his company is thus Konaculture, a portmanteau of his name and the English word "culture". Specifically, company culture.
His English name is made of two of the colors of the American flag. The third color is in his company name, Bluecorp.
Marvin Grossberg - Hitokage Soranosuke (星影 宇宙ノ介)
His name refers to detectives in two famous detective novels; one from a work of Ayukawa Tetsuya, and the other from a reference made by the main character of Shimada Souji’s “The Astrology Murders”. Also, it was inspiration for his English name, as the first four kanji of his full name make the words “starlight” and “universe”, suggesting his larger-than-life character... supposedly.
Marvin is similar to the word "marvel", and the "gross" in Grossberg comes from an old German name Groz meaning "tall" or "big". The "berg" is also a German name part that means "mountain", and is why we call those big ice things "icebergs". This man certainly sank a great ship that Phoenix spontaneously came up with, that's for sure.
Case 1-3
Will Powers - Niboshi Saburou (荷星 三郎)
Niboshi is a kind of dried sardine - as an analogy to someone who doesn’t stand out. However, the kanji in his surname has that for “star”, following the proverb, “Even though something is small (like a sardine), it can still have the dream of being a star.”
Saburou is a common name to denote the third son of a family. He may be the youngest of his brothers.
Saburou is a common name to denote the third son of a family. He may be the youngest of his brothers.
In short, "willpower". Despite being a big, grizzly guy, he's actually quite the softie pushover, so this name seems rather ironic at first. But then you realize that even when his own lawyer was nearly ready to name him guilty, he never actually gave up on Phoenix. This man is a treasure.
Jack Hammer - Ibukuro Takeshi (衣袋 武志)
Ibukuro means “stomach”, indicating where he was stabbed. Takeshi is a common name, but the characters in his first name come to “martial” and “intention”, suggesting his intent to kill.
Again in short, "jack hammer". This type of hammer drives into the ground through the power of vibrations and is one of the only types of hammers that one could technically "stab" with. Also, it's a colloquialism referring to someone who is incredibly stubborn.
Cody Hackins - Ootaki Kyuuta (大滝 九太)
When pronounced differently, the first three kanji can be “otaku”, namely an avid fanboy. Kyuuta is a normal boy’s name.
His English name sounds like "code" and "hacking". It's actually referring to how he infiltrated the studios, and being a child, was immediately dismissed as a viable witness by almost everyone in court. It doesn't mean that he has any programming experience, but if he's already learning the ins and outs of trade economics at age 7, I wouldn't put it past him to pick up a few coding languages too.
Penny Nichols - Mamiya Yumiko (間宮 由美子)
All the kanji in her name don’t seem to have particular significance. I assume since her name is rarely ever mentioned (she’s only introduced as part of the staff in the source Japanese), it’s meant as AA trivia for hardcore fans to remember her name. According to one source, Mamiya comes from “mania”, but I’m not entirely sure about this.
Her name makes cents, particularly pennies and nickels. I don't know why the loc team went with loose change as her theme. Perhaps it's in reference to her temp employee status at this time. I sure hope it's not just because someone at Capcom USA was going around with loose change jangling everywhere, but now that thought cannot leave my mind.
Wendy Oldbag - Ooba Kaoru (大場 カオル)
Ooba sounds like “obaa” as in obaa-san, which can be “grandma” or just “elderly lady”. Combined with the first kana in her first name, it becomes oobaka, or “big idiot”.
I personally believe the reason Mitsurugi has such a hard time enunciating her name (at all) is because he doesn’t want to associate with her in any manner or form, and especially not calling her “grandma”.
I personally believe the reason Mitsurugi has such a hard time enunciating her name (at all) is because he doesn’t want to associate with her in any manner or form, and especially not calling her “grandma”.
Taken straight from "windy old bag", which is a not-very-polite way of referring to an old woman who nags a lot.
Sal Manella - Uzai Takuya (宇在 拓也)
Uzai means “annoying”, and Takuya comes from otaku. Oddly enough, the kanji in his last name include what can be translated as “eaves” and “resided in”. Otaku are often socially isolated, as it doesn't usually have good connotations in Japan. The larger culture has changed in more recent years, though, and "otaku" has seen a bit of a rise in our Internet-based culture. (But I wouldn't be surprised if this guy doesn't see much company at home.)
His English name is from "salmonella", a certain category of bacteria that make very gross diseases. The most commonly known variant is the kind responsible for food poisoning via contaminated food and drink. (I'm not getting into the worse kinds of salmonella. Google it if you must.)
Dee Vasquez - Himegami Sakura (姫神 サクラ)
Himegami translates to “princess” and “goddess”, and Sakura is, as expected, cherry blossom. It’s suited to a beautiful woman like herself. Her surname also suggests the way she’s treated by peers, like royalty - given her connections with the Yakuza. Though, her "boys" looked like a mix of stereotypical Yakuza suits with some The Godfather inspiration.
Name comes from "diva", as she is the star of the studios. Vasquez is a common Latinx name, but as it turns out, there is a mountain range near Los Angeles, CA, called the Vasquez Rocks, where a great number of TV shows and movies have been filmed there. Los Angeles has been named as the city of choice for the localization team on numerous occasions. I don't think this is a coincidence.
Case 1-4
Manfred von Karma - Karuma Gou (狩魔 豪)
As expected, karuma is the Japanese romanization of the word “karma”. 業 (“gou”) just means “karma” in general Buddhist terminology, so his name comes to “Karma Karma”.
The kanji in his name come to “demonic hunter” and “great, excelling, powerful”, respectively.
The kanji in his name come to “demonic hunter” and “great, excelling, powerful”, respectively.
It was changed to "von Karma" due to the relocalization of the character from "American"/"English" to German. Manfred comes from Germanic roots magan meaning "strength" and frid meaning "peace".
Lotta Hart - Oosawagi Natsumi (大沢木ナツミ)
'oosawagi’ = “a great commotion”; appropriate since she’s a freelance reporter who makes a commotion about anything. Natsumi is just an ordinary name, but since 'natsu’ = “summer” and 'mi’ can be 見 = “looking / view”, her name comes to “a view under summer heat”, referring to her passion about photography.
Literally, "lotta heart", complete with Southernism. It's a funny coincidence that her afro is also stereotypically Osakan, particularly associated with a certain type of very stingy and often bossy or naggy woman.
Interestingly, there's a joke about her in the second game, exclusively in the JP version, where Naruhodo almost calls her "Janet-san". I can only wager a guess, but I think it refers to an old Kansai phone commercial back in the 90s featuring Janet Jackson, and while she didn't have an afro at the time, the fact that Takumi or whoever wrote that joke thought of the connection is hilarious.
Old man - Oyaji
aka Yanni Yogi - Haine Kotarou (灰根 高太郎)
aka Yanni Yogi - Haine Kotarou (灰根 高太郎)
Both his surname and first name are references to famous poets: Takamura Kotarou, who who grew ill after losing his beloved wife Chieko, and Haine, a poet who appreciated love and youth.
Btw, 'oyaji’ is a general, casual way to refer to some old guy, like calling him “Pops” or a non-relative "Uncle". The names he calls Phoenix and Maya are Yukihiro and Megumi, respectively, both generic names.
Btw, 'oyaji’ is a general, casual way to refer to some old guy, like calling him “Pops” or a non-relative "Uncle". The names he calls Phoenix and Maya are Yukihiro and Megumi, respectively, both generic names.
Yogi is probably a reference to Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra of the New York Yankees, who was also famous for his odd "Yogi-isms", or quotes that seemed obvious or contradictory but held deeper meaning within them. (A "yogi" in Hindu or Buddhist discipline is one who practices yoga, so there may be a connection there.)
I'm... pretty lost when it comes to Yanni. The name itself is a diminuitive of the Greek name Yiannis, but aside from the connection of Greek to its ancient philosophers, and maybe the fact that it's an alliterative name, I'm coming up short.
I'm... pretty lost when it comes to Yanni. The name itself is a diminuitive of the Greek name Yiannis, but aside from the connection of Greek to its ancient philosophers, and maybe the fact that it's an alliterative name, I'm coming up short.
Robert Hammond - Namakura Yukio (生倉雪夫)
鈍ら = 'namakura’ means “dull” (vs. Mitsurugi’s sharpness). According to Takumi, “Yukio” was just a name that worked. The kanji is his first name translates literally to "snow man", lol. Cold, yet soft and a pushover.
I won't kid you. I have no idea where to even start with "Robert Hammond". There are a number of important Hammonds just in American history alone, and a number of them were politicians. Funnily enough, a few of them were also known to have died in office.
Missile (ミサイル)
Missile’s name is really just a pun on Gumshoe’s “secret weapons”. The actual Missile came into Mr. Takumi’s care some time after the first few games and he named his dog after Shiba Inu Missile.
RIP Missile the Pomeranian, 2008(?) - Nov 2018. He lives on in all our hearts.
Polly - Sayuri (サユリ)
To match with the name Polly Jenkins or Matsushita Sayuri (松下 サユリ).
No idea where the surnames come from. I previously suspected famous actresses or stars, but I have no idea where that would lead me, so scratch that.
Blue Badger - Taiho-kun (タイホくん)
‘Taihou’ means “arrest”. He’s a tribute to Tokyo’s signature mascot for their metropolitan police force, Piipo-kun.
He's blue and he got a badge, making him a "badger". I was and still am disappointed that he doesn't actually look like a badger, like, at all.
Gourdy - Hyosshi (ヒョッシー)
A portmanteau of ‘hyoutan’, meaning “gourd”, and Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.
English name comes from Japanese.
Case 1-5
Lana Skye - Houdzuki Tomoe (宝月 巴)
The kanji in Houdzuki mean “jeweled moon”. Read a bit differently and with different kanji, it becomes “法付き”, or something like “attending to law”, given her profession.
Tomoe is this such design. It’s a spiritual symbol seen often on family emblems and corporate logos for good luck and balance, as well as on taiko drums and at Shinto ceremonials.
Tomoe is this such design. It’s a spiritual symbol seen often on family emblems and corporate logos for good luck and balance, as well as on taiko drums and at Shinto ceremonials.
Skye, from "sky", is based on her Japanese name. Lana... I admit I've come up short on. (But the funniest thing I found was that Rana is a genus of frogs from all over the world, but the ones in Japan are mostly very brown. I'm not saying there's a connection there, but it sure is a funny coinkidink.)
Ema Skye - Houdzuki Akane (宝月 茜)
Akane is Japanese madder, as in the plant which produces the color in some red textile dyes. It’s a pretty name for a girl. In conjunction with her last name, meanwhile, it refers to the phrase ‘akane sasu sora’ = “glowing sky”, the kind when the sky turns a lush red around sunset.
I'm also not sure about where Ema came from. (But like I've done with Lana, an ema in Japanese is a wooden tablet where one writes one's prayers at a Shinto shrine.)
(...This doesn't have to do with her either, but the scientific name of the genus of madder plants is rubia. I swear it's just coincidence with my name, though.)
Damon Gant - Ganto Kaiji (巌徒 海慈)
Ganto, like his English name, may refer to the French word for glove: gant. It can also refer to 巌頭 (“gantou”), or “atop a mountain”, given his loft position. Kaiji, written as 快事, means “pleasure, delight”, and Gant sure laughs heartily.
Damon is rather close to "demon" and if you replace the "a" in Gant with an "e", it becomes "gent". This is not a scientific approach in the least, but "demon gent" is an apt description by a certain point in this case.
Jake Marshall - Zaimon Kyousuke (罪門 恭介)
The kanji in his surname come to “sin” and “door, gate”, as if to represent the gates of hell. The ‘kyou’ bit of his first name, when written differently, may refer to 凶徒 (kyouto), which means “outlaw, rebel”. I pick this phrase in particular, since there’s supposed to be a parallel of names between this guy and the previous one, as per staff comments on his design.
There's a 1958 American Western film by the name of The Law and Jake Wade, and tells the tale of a reformed-criminal-turned-marshal. I really hope someone takes that movie poster and edits it real nicely.
Angel Starr - Ichinotani Kyouka (市ノ谷 響華)
Ichinotani, written without the central ‘no’ here, is the name of a section of Shinjuku ward in Tokyo. It's formally known as Ichigaya, and according to my extensive research (Wikipedia), it's the base to Tokyo's Riot Squad Div. No. 5. I'm not sure if that's relevant or not, but something clicked and suddenly I'm kinda scared of Kyouka-san.
Kyouka, written as 狂歌, is a satirical tanka poem, and Ms. Kyouka here is supposedly famous for her sarcastic wit and biting remarks. It’s not as clearly referenced once localized, sadly.
Naruhodo and Akane refer to her as “Okyou-san”, after her title, “Gero-mamire no Okyou”, which was translated in the EN ver as “Cough-Up Queen”. I'll translate it as “Puke-covered Kyou”, with a starting honorific ‘o’. Interestingly, “okyou” as a Buddhist term is a “sutra”. She lived and fought by that creed to make criminals 'fess up.
Kyouka, written as 狂歌, is a satirical tanka poem, and Ms. Kyouka here is supposedly famous for her sarcastic wit and biting remarks. It’s not as clearly referenced once localized, sadly.
Naruhodo and Akane refer to her as “Okyou-san”, after her title, “Gero-mamire no Okyou”, which was translated in the EN ver as “Cough-Up Queen”. I'll translate it as “Puke-covered Kyou”, with a starting honorific ‘o’. Interestingly, “okyou” as a Buddhist term is a “sutra”. She lived and fought by that creed to make criminals 'fess up.
"Angel Starr" definitely sounds like a name for a "queen" of a different profession, but for the sake of the kids, I won't say any more. Let's just say it's a very celeb-type of name, considering how popular she is with men on the force... or the judiciary.
Mike Meekins - Harabai Susumu (原灰 ススム)
Harabai may come from the terms “harahara”, as “exciting, thrilling” and “haihai” (since this ‘bai’ may be pronounced ‘hai’), as in “creeping, crawling”. Susumu means “to move forward”. So he’s a guy who proceeds with excitement toward danger.
Zaimon confuses his name as “Haibara”, by switching the two kanji in his name around.
Zaimon confuses his name as “Haibara”, by switching the two kanji in his name around.
Meekins definitely comes from the word "meek", and on that thought, Mike is pretty close to it too. The irony is that he's one of the loudest characters ever, but I wouldn't say the name is too inappropriate when he's also a blabbering mess most of the time.
Bruce Goodman - Tadashiki Michio (多田敷 道夫)
Tadashiki = 正しい (tadashii) = “correct, righteous, truthful”. Michio = 道を = “road, path” + wo particle. Takumi suggested that he came up with the names for Harabai and Tadashiki together, so in conjunction with Harabai above, the complete phrase becomes “proceed with excitement on a righteous road”.
Goodman is clearly based on his Japanese name. I'm not so sure with Bruce, but it does remind me of a certain other famous character by the same name who goes around hunting criminals and is one of the best detectives ever known in the comic world. (It also comes to my attention that there is more than one infamous Bruce on Wikipedia who was some kind of serial killer. I'm not sure what to make of this.)
Neil Marshall - Zaimon Naoto (罪門 直斗)
In contrast with his brother, ‘nao’ comes to “straight, proper” and ‘to’ could be written as 人 for “person”. So, he’s the clean and honest one.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a famous Neil in a Western, so it's back to the ol' name dictionary. The name "Neil" has Irish origins, but they're unclear. It could be from the old Celtic root nitu- meaning "fury, passion", or the old Irish word nia, or "hero".
Joe Darke - Aokage Jou (青影 丈)
The kanji for his name come to “pale shadow” and 'jou’ may be an honorific suffix for “sir / mister”.
Joe was definitely taken straight from his Japanese name. Darke is just an edgier "dark", which is redundant now that I've typed it out.
That will be all for this week, but because I'm gathering stuff from my previous blog right now, I can manage updates weekly. Please look forward to more stuff in the coming weeks.
5/1/22 edit: I will be going through every post so far and revising or correcting anything I find necessary. Please look forward to new posts and eventually, I will be able to continue and finally finish AJAA vs GS4. From there, I'm not sure whether to jump into the AAI games or Dual Destinies + Spirit of Justice, but we shall see. Thank you, everyone, for your patience.
No comments:
Post a Comment