Hopes for Remake & Rebirth (story/content)

[Tashasaurous]

Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth are not exactly normal names even within the world of FFVII. Sephiroth doesn't have an assigned last name (would it be Sephiroth Hojo? No, that's not possible - Sephiroth doesn't know who his father is.) They're like celebrities who are so famous they just go by one name, like "Pele" or "Madonna".

Lazard's not a usual name in reality either.

And then there's the confusion on whether Veld or Vedort are the either right names for the former Director of the Turks(Tseng's mentor and the father-like figure of the entire Turk organization). Wonder if both names are like his actual name.

Veld Vedort or Vedort Veld.

Cissnei in CC tells Zack her Turk name isn't her "real" name.

Problem with that is that in BC, she uses the code name Shuriken as well as Cissnei.

I refuse to believe that Hojo, Palmer, Heidegger and Scarlet are their first names.

I'd rather call Hojo Evil-Mind, Palmer the Wuss, Heigegger Gah-Ha, Hah, and Scarlet Kya-Ha-Ha(since Reeve calls both of the latter two those names since he hates them as much as anyone else. The only time I was pleased with Rufus in the original game is when he told Heidegger to quit his, and I quote, "Stupid Horse Laugh".)

 

[Strangelove]

i have a cat called rufus

[/contribution to thread]

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I think the Veld/Verdot thing is just a transliteration issue. To japanese ears I think the two words sound more or less the same?

 

[Strangelove]

if you're pronouncing verdot with a silent t then it's the same, there's no different in japanese for either verd or verdot because they both end up 'verudo'

 

[hian]

You could add Beld, Beldot, Veld, Veldot, veldo, Veludo, Beludo, and Verudo to that list too.
Not that I'm saying it would make sense to do so.
Just pointing out what a nightmare it is to translate Japanese fantasy names when or if the writer didn't provide a western alphabet version in addition to the Japanese.

 

[Ite]

Bellydoroto!

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Mrs Veld's pet name for him. Before he killed her in an aerial bombardment that destroyed their entire town.

 

[Cjiadon]

With celebrities, I think you hear more about weird names for their kids than you do normal ones. Especially if you are like me and don't really pay attention to that stuff. So the only celebrity kids names news I get is through FB posts or whatever. No one is going to write about how Dwayne Johnson named his kid "Adam".

I have a friend who insists on naming her cats with human names, which is just fine. But my little furbabes are called Aang and Ty Lee.

As far as the name Hojo goes, it's already a pretty common Japanese name (although I don't think the kanji used are, I would have to check on that) so no need to think it's a weird name at all. But like others have said, made up names are pretty hard to translate unless given a Western spelling.

Even Zack's name is not really Zack. It's written like "Zakkusu", wherein the first"u" is whispered. "Zack" would probably just be "Zakku". But I am guessing whoever was in charge of localization went with "Zack" because that sounds better to English ears than "Zacks".

 

[Ite]

When I heard the Japanese "Zakuso" my first thought was "Oh! Was his name supposed to be Zax?"

 

[ForceStealer]

I'm glad they changed it, though.

 

[hian]

This is a "Zax" though :

and "Zax" wielded the Buster Sword, so maybe there was something in that choice of name?
Don't think so, but almost a nice theory.

 

[Roger]

Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth are not exactly normal names even within the world of FFVII. Sephiroth doesn't have an assigned last name (would it be Sephiroth Hojo? No, that's not possible - Sephiroth doesn't know who his father is.) They're like celebrities who are so famous they just go by one name, like "Pele" or "Madonna".

I admit Zack Fair seems to be his actual name, but how do we know that Kunsel and Luxiere aren't code names too? And it is somewhat canon that the Turks have code names, in the sense that all the BC Turks go by code names and not their "real" names, and Cissnei in CC tells Zack her Turk name isn't her "real" name.

I refuse to believe that Hojo, Palmer, Heidegger and Scarlet are their first names.

Genesis' last name was added in by translations, but Hewley is canon. Also, I dunno what is suppose to be normal in universe given that Cloud and Yuffie are real names. Sephiroth and Cissnei lack of a last name is easily explained as them both being orphans (as far as the records show) raised inside Shinra, rather then indicative of codename system.

 

[Strangelove]

genesis' last name was given in some pre-release materials, though it didn't make it into the game itself (lazard's surname on the other hand looks like an invention of the localisation)

the naming for the scientist characters ('professor gast', the japanese version of dc used 'professor lucrecia' iirc) would seem to suggest 'hojo' is a first name if you take that pattern into account, but idk 'hojo' just feels more like a surname to me

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Genesis's last name did come from Square, though they stopped using it on the Japan side at some point prior to CC's release. Lazard's surname seems to be one completely made up for the localization, though.

EDIT: Damn ninja hito

 

[ForceStealer]

It's funny just how little notice or attention I paid, when I played VII, to whether the Shinra executive's names were given or family names. I guess I assumed the Professors' were surnames, but I can't say I ever gave any thought to Heidegger, Reeve, Scarlet, or Palmer.

 

[hian]

I just assumed it was pretty much all over the place.

Heidegger probably comes from the German philosopher, and is a surname.
Scarlet is a first name, Palmer a surname, etc.

I think it's just another part of FFVII that grew pretty organically and wasn't well thought out.
The more I look at the original games writing and structure, I get the impression that the game is really utilitarian in its design - that things are the way they are purely for the sake of driving the story viscerally, not made to be parts of some sort of realistic and cohesive world.
It really is "logic/consistency out the window" in favor of what feels good aesthetically.

I just watched a livestream with Sakaguchi last week, when he was skyping with the main writer for Terra Battle, and they were working on the scenario for the next chapter. Both of them were drinking alcohol, and pretty randomly picking stuff based purely on "well that sounds kinda cool". At one point Sakaguchi was making sexual innuendos and petitioning the chat for the title of the new chapter.

If that's indicative of the kind of work-enviroment that Sakaguchi fosters in his productions, it's no wonder there is so much random crap in FF games.

Still love it though. In my experience some of the best art comes from a light-hearted and careless place, rather than from this more over-bearing perfectionist attitude.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

I can easily imagine the story of "Terra Battle" was born out of sitting down with a summary of FFIX's plot, an ink pen and copious amounts of alcohol.

 

[hian]

Well considering some of the more absurd moments in older games like FFVI, FFVII and FFIX in particular, I wouldn't be surprised if they had their share of "scenario-writing under the influence of alcohol" sit-downs too.

 

[Ite]

*swigs everclear* Yuh know whut I think? *hic* We need more PCs! Pass the tequila. Yahhh man we should have like a Yeti! But one they can't fuckin' control!

 

[Clement Rage]

Re: Names, I think it's fair that the entire world will have more than one naming convention. The only real thing that is consistent is that science experiments aren't named with any imagination, Sephiroth excepted
(Red XIII, Genesis, Angeal, Weiss, Rosso,) which makes total sense!

I'd thought the Execs names were all surnames, (apparently except for Reeve), wouldn't it be rather familiar in Japanese to call colleagues by their first names?

 

[Ite]

That's why I assumed Reeve was also a surname.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I think Reeve's first name should be Stuart. Stuart Reeve.
Or maybe Graham. Graham Reeve.
One or the other.

 

[Tetsujin]

You just know if they ever reveal Palmer's full name, Palmer will end up his first name. Palmer Laridum or some shit like that.

 

[Tashasaurous]

That's why I assumed Reeve was also a surname.

Only problem with that is that Reeve's surname is Tuesti since his mother's surname is Tuesti too. I can't remember her surname, though. Found out on the OTWTAS-Episode of Denzel(read the novelization, haven't seen the anime version.)

 

[Ite]

...........................Tashasaurus.