Sui-Feng

So, Kubo has officially branded Soifon Sui-Feng in the second character book (among other now official romanization that the fans were doing all wrong, but fuck all if I care about them). How do we handle this? Do we switch the site over, banner and all? Or do we keep it the same?

Personally, I'm using Sui-Feng from now on in everything, and have cast my vote on the YoruSui side. I've always been partial to it, but I seemed to be the only one, so I just went with Soifon. But I can understand if others have become attached to the various permutations of Soifon.

For anyone else that is still skeptical/curious, a download link for the raw of the second character book Masked can be found here. There are several names that the fandom has romanization incorrectly. Off the top of my head, Izuru is actually Iduru, and Shunsui is Syunsui.

Screw it, I voted for Sui-Feng. As much as I am used to Soifon, I believe that it should be right.

I prefer Soifon.

Fatalicious wrote:

Screw it, I voted for Sui-Feng. As much as I am used to Soifon, I believe that it should be right.

I agree. Even though I kinda prefer Soifon.

I'm kinda surprised how it has become such a problem, and why it wasn't fixed at the towards the beginning. I get why it happened, but not why people hadn't come to a consensus or Kubo or someone else that represents didn't just say how it should be.


So does the make Sui her first name and Feng her last? or what?..

bellatrix28 wrote:

So does the make Sui her first name and Feng her last? or what?..

Actually, her full name is Feng Shaolin, with Feng being her sirname. Sui-Feng was her grandomther's codename, which she adopted...for some reason. "Sui" is just a nickname for a nickname.

Viz still translates it as Soi Fon in the manga. I don't know if that will change now after all this time.

Also, while the spelling is different, it is still pronounced like "soy," if I understand correctly.

On the other hand, Sui Feng is what Kubo has on his custom made desk, so that is more than likely the correct spelling.

But TBH I really don't care either way, so whatever the majority vote is probably what we'll go with.

SoldierG65434-2 wrote:

bellatrix28 wrote:

So does the make Sui her first name and Feng her last? or what?..

Actually, her full name is Feng Shaolin, with Feng being her sirname. Sui-Feng was her grandomther's codename, which she adopted...for some reason. "Sui" is just a nickname for a nickname.

I get that it's a codename - I guess I just find it weird that her surname is part of the codename, and that no one even knows her as Shaolin - except family, I suppose, though we never see her family life (that I know of beside in the first flashback).

"'Sui' is just a nickname for a nickname."

they shorten it to that in the manga? I've always seemed to hear the full name in the anime, but I'm not the most informed, now am I?

a sort of related question... does Yoruichi realize that "Sui-Feng" is just a code/nick name?

bellatrix28 wrote:

they shorten it to that in the manga? I've always seemed to hear the full name in the anime, but I'm not the most informed, now am I?

No, "Sui" and "Soi" and "Little Bee" are all creations of the fandom. She has never been called anything other than Sui-Feng in the manga, save for one instance of Shaolin.

bellatrix28 wrote:

a sort of related question... does Yoruichi realize that "Sui-Feng" is just a code/nick name?

That is a good question. I don't think it's possible to know. I think if she did, she would have called her Shaolin during their fight, just to get under her skin like she was in the beginning.

SoldierG65434-2 wrote:

bellatrix28 wrote:

they shorten it to that in the manga? I've always seemed to hear the full name in the anime, but I'm not the most informed, now am I?

No, "Sui" and "Soi" and "Little Bee" are all creations of the fandom. She has never been called anything other than Sui-Feng in the manga, save for one instance of Shaolin.

oh, I don't think I realized that "little bee" wasn't in the manga, seems how it's in the anime, and I believe I have read that manga chapter - just didn't notice that it wasn't said, I guess.

CaptainYoruichi wrote:

Viz still translates it as Soi Fon in the manga. I don't know if that will change now after all this time.

Also, while the spelling is different, it is still pronounced like "soy," if I understand correctly.

On the other hand, Sui Feng is what Kubo has on his custom made desk, so that is more than likely the correct spelling.

But TBH I really don't care either way, so whatever the majority vote is probably what we'll go with.

Yeah but Viz also has Halibel instead of Harribel, Stark instead of Starrk and many other incorrect Romanization. They were just as in the dark as the fan translations. I imagine that once they translate the 2nd character book they'll probably go with Sui Feng afterwards. Of course they probably won't release Mask in the US (or the UK for that matter) for a couple off years yet.

And yes, it's still pronounced Soi Fon. It's just spelt differently. I'm more inclined to go with what Kubo says is right, his character after all. And if he says it's Sui Feng, then I'm going with that.

I kinda have to go with Soifon, if solely for the reason that I tend to pronounce names how they look. Hence it took me a full year to correctly pronounce my best friends name. I see Sui-Feng, and I automatically think 'Sowee-Fang, Swee-Fang? Argh! WTF does it say!!!'.

So it's officially Sui Feng in the manga but they're still saying it as Soi Fon?

Plus even if it is right, changing it after years of her name being Soi Fon would be hard to get used to.

You mean like after years of using Schiffer the fans managed to get used to Cifer?

Or Jaggerjacks to Jaegerjacques?

And to a lesser extent Halibel to Harribel?

It's not as though this change came out of no where. All of the official Bleach merchandise has her name spelt as "Sui-Feng". It's not new. The fans have just been ignoring it for years now.

I quite like how we've gone through three different spellings for her name so far. Soi Fong -> Soi Fon -> Sui Feng

Gotta wonder what's next.

I'm usually a stickler for keeping things as true to the original language as possible as foreign language is one of my interests, but for some odd reason, I vote in favor of Soifon. Maybe it's a fan identity crisis, maybe I'm too used to it, but I think the chief reason is that I don't like the way Sui-Feng looks. It looks louder. Harsher. Not very assassin-y. I have no other way to describe it; I just don't like its appearance.

Although, I probably will end up referring to her given name as Shaolin Feng, and her codename as Soifon. Shaolin Feng looks like it fits.

Sui-Feng also comes close to bursting a theory-bubble/head-cannon I've made revolving around the Onmitsukido and naming/nobility. Alas, that is a different tale for a different time.

It's engraved into Kubo's fucking furniture, people!

Hey, relax. It's just personal preference. Call her what you will. It's all good.

Crimson Warrior wrote:

Hey, relax. It's just personal preference. Call her what you will. It's all good.

No, it's not a personal preference. Like Polaris has said, this is nothing new, this has been something the fans have willfully ignored. It's not like it hasn't been out there. When you buy a figurine of her, it's "Sui-Feng" and as I stated before, Kubo had the name engraved into of a leg of a table he had special built for him.

But it's more than that. Willfully ignoring what's correct based on your personal preference is dangerous. Where does it stop? I don't like the name "Ichigo," I'll call him Scott. I don't like how Scott went to rescue Charlotte (Rukia has too many "K" sounds in it) from the Skull Society (that sounds way more badass than Soul Society) motivated by ambiguously romantic reasons, I want her to owe him money, and he's just collecting what's due.

Where does personal preference end and reality begin? Other, more "hard core" fandoms have adapted, why can't we?

Soldier, you're completely right. It will take a while to get used to but I will start using Sui Feng.

And I think everyone else should too.

Fine, we'll do Sui-Feng.

Try to advertise more, though, since people using Google will probably still use Soi to find YoruSui stuff.

No, I put a poll on this thread for a reason, and more than double the people want it to stay the same than want it to change.

I'm going to continue to use Sui-Feng, but it seems more people would rather keep things the way they are.

Too late now, I already started.

CaptainYoruichi wrote:

Too late now, I already started.

haha.
although I voted for the change, I kinda think YoruSoi looks more aesthetically pleasing. But now that I see YoruSui, it doesn't look all that bad. It'll just take a little while to get used to.

I wonder if FF will change the name in their character list...

It's just because my brain sees Sui and does not read it as sounding like "soy," which is the correct pronunciation. I think it sounds like swee (think sweet without the t). So I have to think about it every time I look at it.

CaptainYoruichi wrote:

It's just because my brain sees Sui and does not read it as sounding like "soy," which is the correct pronunciation. I think it sounds like swee (think sweet without the t). So I have to think about it every time I look at it.

Same here. It's real confusing. But I will not submit to Soldier's over-exaggerated example.

Crimson Warrior wrote:

But I will not submit to Soldier's over-exaggerated example.

I exaggerate for effect. But my point remains the same; it doesn't matter how the name is romaized. He could have called her "Gargemelzak". It's his character, he can call her what he likes. And if your not going to respect something as fundamental as names, then why are you even reading it?