(Untitled)

[herald_aros]

This isn't directed at any one specific person, but rather at a section of the Kingdom Hearts fandom, namely the section that writes about Repliku. There aren't many of us, and so we have a much larger ratio of good fic to bad. However, there's this one disturbing trend that's been bugging me for a while...

Comments

[ettezag]

I wasn't aware that people actually called him that, but just thinking about it makes me shudder :/

Considering that most characters simply call him "the replica," one should think that is the best way to refer to him...

[herald_aros]

I knooooow.

"The replica" is usually what I call him; "Riku's replica" also works, if I must be more specific. The first time I saw "Nisemono," I didn't know what it meant -- and I guess others don't as well, so they see others doing it and copy it? I mean, if it's done for a specific reason, I'll buy it, but that isn't usually the case. And it bugs me when the text is referring to him as Nisemono. I keep thinking that Riku's secretly writing the story or something.

[yui_hime]

I have been known to pun on it, though, the rare time I've actually attempted a "Replica lives and is redeemed lol" fic and turned to my Japanese dictionary for naming help. (not sure how accurate my translations are; it was an old dictionary and this was during my fanbrat days)

nisemono = the noun version of 'fake'
nise = the adjective version of 'fake'
-nisei = a suffix meaning 'Junior' or 'the second', pronounced roughly the same as nise but with the accent on the second syllable. (e.g., Riku-nisei would be "Riku the second" or "Riku Jr.")

So I wrote him calling himself "Nisei" or "Junior", simultaneously mocking his own existance and pretending that he's a real boy. *shot*

[herald_aros]

My dictionary agrees with yours, so I'd wager they're pretty accurate.

See, that goes under the "doing it for a specific reason link please" part. I'm ranting about the people who just call him "Nisemono" (or, now that I think about it, "Nise" for short, which really doesn't work...) and don't know what it means in the least.

[lazzchan]

=D

That's a fun pun, really and there is no saying that the pun wasn't meant there by the creators. Japan LOVES their puns.

as was proven to me today by two of my co workers.

[herald_aros]

I thought the same exact thing before I got my Japenese dictionary, so don't feel bad. XD It's just -- I get that we like to name people, but the fanon is strong with this one name, and it bugs me that people think it's canon. I guess it wouldn't irritate me as much if people weren't taking it for granted (I'd still think it's fangirl Japanese and OOC, but I probably wouldn't have ranted to anyone but my friends about it).

[kunenk]

*nods* It just kind of… rings wrong, for me. That could be because I read it as 'weird pronunciation of nice + mono', though.

[herald_aros]

XD I don't think it's just you. Why why why is my brain now thinking Repliku = Nice Mono?

[destructively]

I've seen an abundance of names;

Nise, Prydain, Repliku.

It's kind silly. If you're gonna do fic for him just make up a name for him to decide to call himself. ._.

[yui_hime]

MERCY STREET RP FOR THE WIN.

I so totally considered applying there.

[herald_aros]

I've seen those names too (though Repliku is rarely used in fic or dialogue, as far as I can tell). I've seen Ri. I don't like Nise/Nisemono (it sort of screams "fangirl Japanese" and "OOC" at the same time to me), but I wouldn't be as bothered by it if it wasn't seen as canon. He has no name in canon. I don't have a problem with people giving him one, either in an AU or post-game, but when people assume that he does, canonly, have a name? It removes part of the character development, part of the conflict, part of what I really liked in CoM.