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Names in No. 6
AoYokai:
I don't know how much this really counts as analysis, but I noticed that the topic of names repeats itself a lot in No. 6. There are three type of characters as far as I'm concerned:
1. Characters with names: that's a pretty common thing that I have nothing to say about. Notice that the only characters that have actual names are either from No. 6 or originally from around No. 6 (such as Rikiga). Also, Shion's name being a flower is mentioned quite a lot. I wondered for a while about Yoming's name, because (I might have already said it somewhere) it sounds more Chinese than Japanese to me (than again I don't speak Japanese and I barely speak Chinese so...) If anyone knows how Yoming's name was spelled in Japanese or in Chinese that could shed some light on the subject.
2. Characters with no names: there are several characters that are only referred too by their title, such as the man in the lab coat, Nezumi's grandma, Shion's father, Inukashi's mother.... I tend to think that these characters don't have names only because they only took part in the story in other people's thoughts, or in the man in the lab coat's case, because Safu simply didn't know and couldn't ask for his name. Shion's father can also be related to the next category, because he called himself 'Shion' in beyond.
3. Characters that go by nicknames: yes, that's right. Nezumi's turn. Of course, he isn't the only one. I have to admit that I have very little to say about Nezumi's name, mostly because I think he doesn't care about this sort of things. Also, Eve? Such as, the person who ruined paradise by gaining knowledge? I wonder why that sounds famili--oh wait the beginning of No. 6. More in the 'I don't have a name 'cause I don't give a ****' category, Inukashi. Nothing more to add about that. But then we have other characters with pretty interesting concepts.
-Fennec: of all animals Atuko Asano could choose, fennec? And for a pretty important and cruel person, he's taking this sort of offensive nickname kinda easily, don't you think?
-Rou: as I said before only people from No. 6 have actual names. Did he change it in order to get rid of his past? Also, was he really an Elder when he arrived to that place?
-Elyurias: my personal favorite, Elyurias doesn't have a name and in reality, is by itself a being that can't be defined. Pretty cool, in my opinion :)
-No.6: I realize this is not a character *but* why name your cities after numbers? Don't you have more creative things than that? Also, they chose to keep the name after they started rebuilding it, which is pretty strange.
After writing this I realized that Sasori does have a name and he's not from No. 6 but nah you get my point. (Sasori is my favorite underrated character tbh)
Vox:
Oh, I'm pretty sure that listenforthelove did a kanji analysis of people's names. I think it's relevant to this topic, so I wanted to link it, but I can't bloody well find it. @listenforthelove, help ;A;
listenforthelove:
EDIT: I was just gonna post this when I saw @Vox's comment, haha. See below for the link!
Ahh, thanks for starting this topic, @Aoyokai! Names in No. 6 are very interesting~
I hope it's okay if I comment on some points you raised there, since I researched most names in No. 6 a while ago. (Here's the post in case you're interested; it's mostly about meanings.)
In Yoming's case: the spelling of his name is a translator's choice on 9th avenue's part. If you use the Hepburn system, you would spell his name as Yômin with a long O sound (this is also the writing the English manga adopts, though they shorten it to Yomin). His name uses kanji: 楊眠. Not entirely sure where that -ng choice came from, but there you go.
Sasori's name is most likely a nickname, since it means 'Scorpion' and that's definitely the air he gives off; his character model resembles a scorpion too (presumably Rou named him and he likes to name people after animals: case in point, Nezumi. Funnily enough, they left 'Sasori' in the English manga, though they translated Nezumi and Inukashi... hm, I wonder if they missed it or if they consciously tried to get away with it and succeeded. Apparently 'Rat' was demanded on Kodansha Japan's side).
Elyurias is, I'm pretty sure, just as nonsensical in Japanese as it is in English. Which makes sense since it's an invented name, but it's strange it doesn't seem to have a deeper meaning whatsoever. (Unless someone has an idea! It does sound very close to SOMEthing to me, but I can't figure out what.) But yeah, it's not her real name anyway - which is just as well. That which we call a rose, by any other name etc ;)
I think the idea of numbering the cities was to make them as equal as possible - though of course numbering already includes some kind of hierarchy, so there's that. I think it was stated they kept the name of No. 6 for now since that was easiest? But it's been a while since I reread Beyond, so please correct me if I'm wrong.
You're absolutely right, only the people in No. 6 have 'proper' names, or at least names with kanji (Karan and Riko in the West Block have their names spelled in katakana, which has no meaning other than pronunciation). And most names seem to relate to plants and nature somehow, it's very interesting.
I find it funny Asano picked a fennec fox of all animals with large ears, haha. They're so cute! Maybe it's a 'don't judge by appearance' kind of thing. I assume he has a long standing friendship with the man in the lab coat and that that's why he takes the nickname from him and no-one else. But it's still curious no-one seems to know the Mayor's name or that he doesn't have some kind of title other than Mayor.
Weisel:
I think no one could agree on a new name for the city in Beyond, so they just stuck with No.6 for the time being.
Vox:
This is somewhat off track, but I really liked The Sun In Jericho's renaming of No. 6 to Jericho. That was just a really good fic. And I think Asano Atsuko would appreciate the Biblical reference.
One time I tried to start a Nezumi/Inukashi naming contest, but no one was interested. What a tragedy.
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