possible inspiration of Togo and Shiro

Black Metal

Black Metal

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2009

N/

I was browsing through Wikipedia, specifically reading about Unit 731, an infamous Japanese group that developed biological weapons, and tested them on mainly Chinese, as well as performing horrible, non-anaesthitized surgical experiments, in the 1930's and 1940's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731

The group was founded by Shiro Ishii, and he also founded it's secret research group called the Togo Unit.

I checked guild wiki, and there was no lore section about where they might have been inspired from. Perhaps this is it?

ruk1a

ruk1a

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2008

UR MOM LOL

ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES

A/

crafty little japs..

roses are blue

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2009

No Guild No [Tag]

P/W

That seems unlikely. Factions has an Asian inspired setting and the name Shiro is a common Japanese first name. It would be like coming across the name John in an article on US involvement in WW2, a coincidence.
Togo, likewise, is a Japanese last name, not sure how common it is.

The game designers favor current pop culture references and internet memes, not references to war crimes that still cause strained relations between China and Japan.

Konig Des Todes

Konig Des Todes

Ooo, pretty flower

Join Date: Jan 2008

Citadel of the Decayed

The Archivists' Sanctum [Lore]

N/

There's no lore section cuz it's trivia (not technically belonging in the lore forum either).

That said: Shiro is a common term and has many meaning, and as roses are blue said, is a common first name as well.

Black Metal

Black Metal

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2009

N/

perhaps so, I'm not making any declarations, but to see Shiro and Togo in the same sentence outside of Guild Wars when not even looking for it was an odd coincidence

tacotown

tacotown

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Oct 2005

SLVR

E/

that's an interesting find, black metal. i'd like to believe that the devs subtly snuck that in there.

i wouldn't say shiro is even close to being as common a name as John (~meaning 4th son, the uncreative parents would have to have atleast 4 kids). try it out, watch some credits and see how long it takes to see a john. you will not see a shiro if you were to watch quadruple the amount (person for person) of japanese show credits, on average. It IS, however a common pet's name ^^. Any rangers want a dual-wielding crazed asian man for a pet? you wish your pet had impossible odds.

Ferminator

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2009

D/

Quote:
Originally Posted by roses are blue View Post
That seems unlikely. Factions has an Asian inspired setting and the name Shiro is a common Japanese first name. It would be like coming across the name John in an article on US involvement in WW2, a coincidence.
Togo, likewise, is a Japanese last name, not sure how common it is.

The game designers favor current pop culture references and internet memes, not references to war crimes that still cause strained relations between China and Japan.
It can't be a mere coincidence that Anet picked Shiro and Togo for their characters just because they were popular.

Konig Des Todes

Konig Des Todes

Ooo, pretty flower

Join Date: Jan 2008

Citadel of the Decayed

The Archivists' Sanctum [Lore]

N/

Point is, Shiro and Togo, along with a lot of names in GW (although not so much in the lines of the major NPCs) are actual names - common or not. There's thousands and Shiro's and probably just as many Togo's in all of history. The chance of two NPCs in Factions being related to a specific 2 people/groups in reality is... unlikely.

Shiro and Togo don't even have much relation in lore anyways.