Summary
Crunchyroll doesn't update the name changes from Korean to Japanese in the subtitles, confusing English viewers of Tower of God. The main character Bam is named Yoru in Japanese, giving his personality a softer edge and maintaining the nocturnal theme. The name localization in Tower of God can be frustrating, but the changes ultimately help new fans appreciate the popular manhwa series.
Tower of God is a hugely successful manhwa series that also has an equally successful anime adaptation. As a South Korean manga series, The character names are in Korean but translated into Japanese for Japanese viewers.. Unfortunately for English speakers, Crunchyroll does not update this change on their subtitlesleft many fans confused when Yeon Yihwa was called “RIka”. I looked at the localization changes and the Korean and Japanese names of each character so you don’t have to.
The changes are pretty significant across the board, which can be quite frustrating. The biggest changes come from the main protagonist and main antagonist of the series. Other name changes are seen on both the protagonist's allies and enemies.
Some of the main character's friends have Korean names that are similar to their Japanese names, which makes things a lot easier.
The biggest and most confusing name changes
The main character and main antagonist have strange names
The main character of Tower of God is a lovely but very strict Irregular. His name is Baam in Korean and Yoru in Japanese. Both words translate to “night,” which is the name Rachel gave him when she found him in a cave in Tower of God season one. While Bam would have been a great name to keep in the Japanese version of the chapter, calling Bam “Yoru” would have given him a softer touch and maintained the nocturnal theme. Bam adopts a pen name after Rachel pushes him into the abyss of the Tower and it stays that way in both versions. Whether you’re reading the manhwa or watching the anime, FUG Slayer's candidate is named Jue Viole Grace.
The king of the tower, Jahad, has three different names depending on the spelling and locale. In the original manhwa, his name is Zahard, and is sometimes even pronounced Zahad without the 'r'. In the Japanese version, he is called Jahad with a 'J' so the change is not too drastic. His princesses, army, and empire were also renamed in the anime.
Supporting characters have significant name changes
Some name changes are more confusing than others
The supporting characters in Tower of God contribute greatly to the value of the series. Several of the characters closest to Bam have the same names in Korean as in the localized Japanese version. The three main characters who have the same names in both versions of the show are Rak Wraithraiser, Khun Aguero Agnis and Rachel, also known as Michelle Light in a short time.
Aside from the big three, all of Bam's friends have slightly different names. Ship Leesoo, a super-smart Scout who teams up with Bam and Khun, is called Shibisu in the Japanese version. It's a clever way to kept its name while adapting it for Japanese audiences.. Princess Jahad Androssi Zahard is known as Endorsi Jahad in the anime. Season two introduces a whole new cast of exciting characters with new names.
In the second part, when Bam disguises himself as Jyu Viole Grace, he meets some other climbers on the 20th floor trying to climb the tower. Ja Wangnan is one of the main characters of the second part of Tower of God and both his name and name change have meaning. When read backwards in Korean, Ja Wangna means “I am the Prince”, referring to the second part of Tower of God being titled “The Return of the Prince”. In Japanese, Ja’s name is Oji Naru, which can also be roughly translated as.
Jyu Viole Grace meets Yihwa Yeon of the famous Yeon clan, the right-hand man of the evil Kang Horyang, and members of the Miseng and Goseng families. In the Japanese localization, all of these characters have different names. Yihwa Yeon is Ren Rika, a quite different when reading it as Yihwa and listening to Ren. Kang Horyang's name is read as Torasuke. Miseng and Goseng's names are changed to Mana and Kana.
How the name change affects the series
They may be uncomfortable at first, but you will get used to them.
While the name changes in Tower of God may be annoying to those watching with English subtitles, Tower of God is so good that you get used to it after an episode or two. Plus, hearing Rachel affectionately call Bam “Yoru” is the most sickeningly sweet sound in the series. Bam’s main friends Rak Wraithraiser and Khun Aguero Agnis haven’t been renamed, and it would be great to see that extended to the rest of the cast.
Localizing character names in a show is a good way to remove the show's identity.. However, these changes are ultimately unnecessary because of how interconnected this world is. Hopefully, by localizing the names in Tower of GodMany new fans can check out one of the best manhwa of all time.
