Oh what's in a name?

[fencer_x]

So I was advised by certain parties that this might be a topic best served on our lovely comm here!

Dat Nezumi's Real Name

Uh, anything and everything related to this topic? How attached is Nezumi to said real name? Why won't he give it up to anyone? Is there anyone alive who knows his real name? Under what circumstances will he ever tell Shion? Does he think of himself as 'Nezumi' in his own head at this point? He promised to tell Shion his name if he survived the larval eruption (beautiful stuff), so what happened to that?

Would it be something similar to the vaguely Asiatic flavors of the No.6 citizens' names, or something completely different?

Comments

[amielleon]

I think on a sentimental level, Nezumi's attached to his "real name", as a remnant of the life he once had in Happy Forest People Land. But, practically speaking, he hasn't been called by that name for over twelve years. His real name may be sacred to him, but he's probably most familiar with "Nezumi" by now, including, yeah, thinking of himself as Nezumi, IMO.

His real name probably isn't like the names we see in No. 6, but in conformity with Happy Forest People Culture. Of course, one can only speculate what that's like. Elves + Japanese aboriginals + Chinese 80's pop?

He promised to tell Shion his name if he survived the larval eruption (beautiful stuff), so what happened to that?

Personally I wonder in turn why Shion doesn't seem to remember that. Near-death-induced amnesia?

[stanza]

Personally I wonder in turn why Shion doesn't seem to remember that. Near-death-induced amnesia?

I think it gets subsumed into Shion's general MUST KNOW ALL THE THINGS ABOUT NEZUMI ambitions, haha.

[amielleon]

Knowing that boy, I'm sure he has a mental checklist.

Or a spreadsheet, even.

[elanra]

I have a feeling that the way Nezumi's NOT telling his real name to Shion, or delaying the revelation is his mousykid way of another, silent promise.

I'll tell him when I see him again.

I have no idea what it could be and I can hardly think it will be anything more impressive than "Nezumi" cus Nezumi is just Nezumi and that single word is everything that defines his beauty, intelligence, strength, weakness and skills (artistic/non-artistic)... Anything we might hear from now on will be new to us and thus won't leave the same impact behind. Because Oh, so *insert name here* was his name all along.. won't really replace every "Nezumi" in the respective media (anime/manga/novels)... It will just be Ohh, so Nezumi's real name was *insert name here*....

But that does not mean I'm not dying with relentless curiosity to just know what his name is!

In my head I'm thinking it's a silly name, something derpy and totally unimpressive and that's why Nezumi is hiding it (along with his 'keeping-his-distance' act) and when he finally does tell Shion, Shion will smile lovingly and tell him it's beautiful but Nezumi'll be all flustered so he'll probably resort to changing the subject by getting physical with him...

[stanza]

:3

I think, just by merit of how much power Nezumi gives language (see: policing Shion's vocab, his interest in literature, etc), his name probably does have significance to him. When you consider it's his last real tie to his dead culture/family/home...I'd be surprised if it were a 'yeah, whatever' topic for him.

He probably keeps it to himself as part of the 'don't let anyone get close/don't give anything of yourself away' doctrine. Names are power, besides! Nezumi has read enough stories to know that.

Is there anyone alive who knows his real name?

Maaaaaybe Rou? Given that he gave Nezumi that alias in the first place. I'm not sure about this, though. I think Rou recognized that it'd be a liability for Nezumi to be identified by No.6 under his Mao name (though Rashi seems to know he's a Mao kid anyways...) and wanted, explicitly, to give Nezumi a fresh start unconnected to his past. (Which -- I think is sort of terrible, honestly! I understand why and the pragmatism of it, but seriously, just because you feel guilty about your involvement in a culture's genocide...does not mean you should give a surviving member of that culture a tool in which to erase his own cultural ties/identity!)

Does he think of himself as 'Nezumi' in his own head at this point?

I think so. He's noted as thinking, in one of his Mao Forest flashbacks when his real name is called, that it's been a long time since he's heard the name. Which is interesting given that he was only 'renamed' at, what, age 10? What was the old woman calling him?

Shion-related things

He'll keep that heat-of-the-moment promise at some point, but I think it was more 'okay, fuck, whatever gets you clinging to life!' than it was a Nezumi Oath of Oathiness.

As to how/when exactly he'll spill the beans...I'm really not sure! I don't think it matters at this point: Shion isn't too broken up when Nezumi leaves and he realizes he still doesn't know his real name, and Nezumi doesn't seem to have any negative feelings about the alias, so. Shion also already knows about the Mao Tribe and Nezumi's whole past, so I think the ~reveal~ of Nezumi's name will be more incidental than pivotal. Shion'll still use 'Nezumi' 95% of the time, though. Force of habit, as well as it's the name Nezumi held when they first met. :3

Would it be something similar to the vaguely Asiatic flavors of the No.6 citizens' names, or something completely different?

Probably vaguely Asiatic, given 'Mao'? Who knows though.

[spiralmaiden]

I'm used to real/hidden/power names thanks to CLAMP, so it's not really a pressing thing to me that he tell anyone his name from his childhood (which also reminds me so much of the old samurai tradition of childhood names). Sometimes there are things even the person closest to you will never know. It's not that I think he won't tell Shion ever, I just don't think it's a burning "shit this HAS to happen or how will they totes be together 4ever" thing. It'll happen or it won't, whatevs. If he's comfortable keeping it to himself, he should.

That being said, I've equated the Mao with the Ainu in my head because it just works (there are populations of Ainu in Russia and if we're going with the No.6-must-be-near-China theory, yeah ...). The Ainu also have a tradition of giving their children temporary names (usually until the age of three at the latest) and ONE OF THESE TEMPORARY NAMES IS "SHION" and it means "excrement (HAAAA)" No seriously check out this section of the Wiki on the Ainu:

Their tentative names had a portion meaning "excrement" or "old things" to ward off the demon of ill-health. Some children were named based on their behavior or habits. Other children were named after impressive events or after parents' wishes for the future of the children. When children were named, they were never given the same names as others.

If the Mao do happen to be like the Ainu, Nezumi would have only received his real name a year before the massacre occurred.

I'm sorry I'm more thinking outloud here since I got distracted by the Wiki.

[stanza]

It's not that I think he won't tell Shion ever, I just don't think it's a burning "shit this HAS to happen or how will they totes be together 4ever" thing. It'll happen or it won't, whatevs. If he's comfortable keeping it to himself, he should.

Yep, this.

I've equated the Mao with the Ainu in my head

Honestly I find it hard NOT to do this, ha. I love the temporary names thing (apotropaic stuff is always super fascinating to me in general) and I spend uh. A lot of time thinking of what pre-orphan Nezumi would have been like and what his fambly would have been like and yeah it's a problem. :( I get sad about it. :(

[spiralmaiden]

His mother probably had a ton of awesome tattoos. Maybe he was named for something involving singing.

If he had a temp name until the age of three and then his real one for just a year after that, he might be kind of attached to Nezumi as the only semi-permanent name he ever had.

Now I'm sad too.

[stanza]

His mom was a MILF of the highest possible degree. You know it's true.

Singing-related name is very likely, I think. Oh forest princess Nezumi. :( :( Yr possible pasts. :( :(

gettin sad about nezumi itt

[amielleon]

Wiki'd the Ainu and am now convinced this is exactly what Asano had in mind. (Of course, whether her depiction is based off some cultural Pocahontas mishmash of "Oh yes this is what those funny Ainu do" or research is another thing, but...)

Also fancy seeing you here, you knew me when I was younger and dumber and this is kind of embarrassing.