Name changes in Shenmue 3

S

SMDzero

Joined
Sep 12, 2019
I hate that they again changed the names back to the S1 style.

Sunming Zhao became Zhao Sunming again.

I finally got used to the way S2 presented the names only to have it switched back to how it was in S1 in the first place!

I also didn't like how they pronounced Zhao as "Jao"
 
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Shenmue's English script had only the Chinese names with last name first, to seperate them from the rest.
For the translation in Shenmue II they changed it to a "normal" approach.
And for Shenmue III we get yet another different take on how to translate things into English, with even pronunciations being different.

I don't just dislike this for a lack of consistency but also because it is really getting confusing. Looking at a characters name you really have to think twice to figure out what the first name is. Even worse, some things are totally out of order in III. Ryo sticks with saying "Xiuying Hong" but other names in reverse order again. Then he refers to Delin's brother as "Mr. Dejing".

As for how names are pronounced I think they were going for more accurate Chinese but Zixiong calling Chen Tai Chi "Chun Tai Che" and Ryo refering to Shenhua's father as "Mr. Urine" at times make me chuckle and scratch my head.
 
Bang on, Machsi.

Read Three Kingdoms, see all the character names, then ask a Mandarin-speaker to tell you the REAL pronounciations.

You'll be floored lol
 
It's just weird that it changes from S1 to S2... and then changes BACK again in S3.

It would be like in the Dark Knight Trilogy if they went back to Katie Holmes as the Rachel Dawes character for part 3.

Also if they're using the Eastern convention of last name first... how come Ryo isn't called Hazuki Ryo?
 
Incognito_D said:
What's his full name again? I can't find it online. Also, I read that Shenhua is adopted. That would explain it.
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I forget. But you know, he has a brother in Aberdeen with a similar name so..

EDIT: Hong Dejing

Brother of Hong Delin.
(last name first)

shenmue.fandom.com

Delin Hong

Delin Hong (Hànzì: 洪德林, Pinyin: Hóng Délín, On'yomi: Kō Tokurin) is one of the harbor workers for Fortune's Office at Fortune's Pier, Aberdeen. He is Ryo Hazuki's co-worker at his part-time job carrying crates for Fortune's Office. Delin is good natured, works very hard and doesn't take things...
shenmue.fandom.com shenmue.fandom.com
 
Incognito_D said:
My only question is why is Shenhua's surname "Ling", but her dad is called Mr Yuan?
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It's never directly addressed as far as I can tell, but I guess that Yuan had Shenhua keep her biological father's name instead of changing it to his own. Recall that in Shenmue II, she says she was told that her real parents had died.
 
Where did it say Yuan's last name? Didn't catch that anywhere. And yeah it's really strange to say Mr and the first name.
Oh well, at least we didn't go back to "Sha Hua" and "Xiu Ying" or even "Cang Long" for Lan Di.
 
BlueMue said:
Where did it say Yuan's last name? Didn't catch that anywhere. And yeah it's really strange to say Mr and the first name.
Oh well, at least we didn't go back to "Sha Hua" and "Xiu Ying" or even "Cang Long" for Lan Di.
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Lol. Also on a side note, I guess he’s fine letting his 16 year old daughter off on a potentially life ending journey into the unknown with a complete stranger while he returns to Bailu village to continue... stonemasoning?
 
Machsi said:
Lol. Also on a side note, I guess he’s fine letting his 16 year old daughter off on a potentially life ending journey into the unknown with a complete stranger while he returns to Bailu village to continue... stonemasoning?
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Incredible that we didn't even get a conversation on the boat between the two. I mean, in the beginning of the game, Ryo and Shenhua have multiple conversations trying to figure out what Yuan's letter meant and why he carved the giant mirrors. That was part of Ryo's motive motive for finding him, for crying out loud. Oh, we have to wrap up the game? Oh, well, I guess that stuff doesn't matter anymore.
 
BlueMue said:
Where did it say Yuan's last name? Didn't catch that anywhere. And yeah it's really strange to say Mr and the first name.
Oh well, at least we didn't go back to "Sha Hua" and "Xiu Ying" or even "Cang Long" for Lan Di.
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I'm playing the game in Japanese this time around. They say Shenhua differently. Sounds more like what you just said.

They didnt mention Yuan's last name in this game.
 
They pronounce her "Shenfa". They say every Chinese name very different from what it seems as they just read Chinese as if it was Japanese. Also leads to Rantei, Togyu, Kisho, Shuei, Shimei, Tokurin... see if you can figure out who those are.
Also creates the whole Niaowu vs Chobu thing. And we might get another taste with the Bailu/Hakka-Chans.
 
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