Code Geass’s writer takes a trip down memory lane 6!!

Now that I’m back home from a certain convention I was prepping for, here’s Okouchi’s latest round on tweets on Code Geass. He hasn’t tweeted anything new since then, so I’m not sure if this will be the last time — perhaps he’ll be back when The Rebellion Path has reached Japanese screens… Though I should be back before then, doing something else Geass-related. Not entirely sure how it’ll go down, given that this will be the first time I’m discussing the show with other fans! But it should be ‘interesting’, at the very least, so do look forward to it!

【ギアスの思い出32】最初に脚本を書いた時、紅月カレンは、アキラという名前だった。少年らしさもあって、好きな名前だった。が、監督からボツをくらう。理由は、ブリタニア人の親が娘にアキラと名付けるのを許すはずがない。ごもっとも！

— 大河内 一楼 (@ichirou_o) October 27, 2017

(Geass Memory #32) Back when I had written the first screenplay, Kallen’s name was Akira. It being quite boyish and all, I rather liked that name. But Director Taniguchi shot it down, because a Britannian father would never allow his daughter to be named Akira. Quite right!

【ギアスの思い出33】結果、日本人でもブリタニア人でも有り得る名前をつけることになった（ギアスは登場人物が多いので、名前を二つ用意することはしなかった）。次に考えたのはカレン。だが、谷口監督が難色を示した。なぜか？

— 大河内 一楼 (@ichirou_o) October 27, 2017

(Geass Memory #33) Hence, we decided to give her a name that would have been fine whether she was Japanese or Britannian (since Geass had so many characters, I didn’t prepare two names). The next one that popped into my head was Kallen. But Director Taniguchi once again voiced his disapproval. What was it this time?

【ギアスの思い出34】理由は「以前の作品『リヴァイアス』にカレンというキャラクターがいて、自分の中で重なってしまうから」ということだった。名前決めは再び振り出しに戻った。

— 大河内 一楼 (@ichirou_o) October 27, 2017

(Geass Memory #34) Turns out that there was a character with the same name in one of his previous works, Ryvius,¹ and he was afraid that they’d get mixed up in his head. And so we went back to the drawing board again.

【ギアスの思い出35】みんなで色々な名前を出し合ったのだが、結局、カレンに落ち着いた。「やっぱり、カレンが似合ってるよね」という話になり、監督に意識を切り替えてもらうということになった。柔軟な監督に感謝。

— 大河内 一楼 (@ichirou_o) October 27, 2017

(Geass Memory #35) Everyone threw out a whole range of suggestions, but in the end, we settled on Kallen. Basically, we all ended up thinking “Kallen suits her, huh?” and so I got the director to change his mind. I’m thankful that he was so flexible.

【ギアスの思い出36】コーネリアとユーフェミアは、姉妹なので語感の印象が似るように。でも、姉は堅くて妹は柔らかい印象に……と考えたものでした。いま気づいたけど、ユーフェミアはジェレミアにも似てるな。しまった。

— 大河内 一楼 (@ichirou_o) October 27, 2017

(Geass Memory #36) As for Cornelia and Euphemia, because they’re sisters, I wanted their names to sound similar. But with the older giving off something of a harder impression and the younger a softer one. Must admit, now that I’m thinking about it, Euphemia also has something in common with Jeremiah. Darnit.

【ギアスの思い出37】名付けといえば、ロボットの名称もけっこう悩みました。最初は、ロボットの機能・特性が名称になっている方向性で考えていた。機動する服から、モビルスーツ……みたいな。

— 大河内 一楼 (@ichirou_o) October 27, 2017

(Geass Memory #37) Speaking of names, we also had a lot of trouble naming the mecha. At first, we figured we’d go with names based on their abilities and unique characteristics. Like how “mobile suits” comes from “clothes” that are “mobile”…

【ギアスの思い出38】ウォーカーマシン（二速歩行機械）、アーマードトルーパー（装甲化された騎兵）、オーラバトラー（オーラで動く戦闘機）……それっぽいのは既に使われてたり、既存のモノに似たりして、なかなか考えつけなかった。

— 大河内 一楼 (@ichirou_o) October 27, 2017

(Geass Memory #38) Walker Machine (from Combat Mecha Zabungle), Armored Troopers (from Armored Trooper Votoms), Aura Battler (from Aura Battler Dunbine)…a whole lot of other names already peppered the industry, and we found it incredibly difficult to come up with something that didn’t resemble one of those.

【ギアスの思い出39】そんなとき、読んでいた小説に、ナイトメアという単語が出てきた。ロボットとは全然関係ないけどものの名前だったけど、「これ、いいかも！」と思ったのだ。

— 大河内 一楼 (@ichirou_o) October 27, 2017

(Geass Memory #39) Right around that time, I happened to come across the word “nightmare” in a book I was reading. It was a word that had absolutely nothing to do with mecha, but I immediately thought “OMG, great idea!”

【ギアスの思い出40】今回のロボットは、貴族（騎士候以上）しか乗れないことにしよう。そうすることで、貴族社会であることと、イレヴンが差別されていることなどの世界観が表現できると思ったからだ。

— 大河内 一楼 (@ichirou_o) October 27, 2017

(Geass Memory #40) This time, the mecha are units that no one but those from the aristocracy (i.e. Knights and above) can pilot. I figured that this would kill two birds with one stone, in that it’d show that we were dealing with an aristocratic society, and that Elevens were being discriminated against.

【ギアスの思い出41】騎士といえばナイト。イメージは重なるけど、そのものズバリではない。ダークな作風にするつもりだったし、敵のメカだし！　似合うんじゃない？　結果、フレームという単語と組み合わされて、ナイトメアフレームになりました。

— 大河内 一楼 (@ichirou_o) October 27, 2017

(Geass Memory #41) As noted in my previous tweet, Knights and above can pilot them. But though the image overlaps, it’s not exactly the same. The aim was for a show with a bit of darkness, not to mention the mechs were enemies! So it fits, right? In the end, I added the word “frame” to get “Knightmare Frame.”

【ギアスの思い出42】こうして書いてると、ネーミングは全て僕がやってるみたいですが、これは僕の思い出なので、僕が名付けたやつだけが書いてあるのです。実際には監督が考えたものとか設定側から出てきたものとか色々です。

— 大河内 一楼 (@ichirou_o) October 27, 2017

(Geass Memory #42) Writing it all out like this probably gives off the impression that I did all the naming. But these are my memories, so I’m just writing about the names that came from me. There were also quite a number that the director himself decided on, or that came from those in charge of settings and what not.

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1. Infinite Ryvius, also directed by Taniguchi. The English spelling of that character’s name is actually “Cullen,” but in Japanese, it’s exactly the same. ↩