According to Io_Housenka, the correct answer in Quiz Street Fighter Academy to the question “What was Blanka’s name during development?” is マハブランカ Mahaburanka. Maja blanca is… A Filipino dessert, LOL. Since Tagalog uses the Spanish alphabet, J is read as an aspirated H, thus “maha blanka”. So we finally know where Blanka’s name came from. They simply went south of Japan for Blanka: Rocky Joe’s Harimao was Malay, Blanka’s name is actually Spanish through Tagalog…
EDIT: Ryoredcyclone confirmed with a screenshot from Asahi Sonorama’s Complete File Street Fighter II that contained the information. So we even have an original source.
That’s why will be great build a page with all that stuff, it’s sad think that 90% of what we found with all that search and dig will just disappear… i even imagined the layout lol, think main page done like a gigantic SF selection grid, you click on the char you get to his personal page
But problem is nobody have all that time, it will really be a mammoth size work… maybe if we was still highschool kids without a job
Avoid that entire universe like a giant steaming pile of shit you don’t want crossover with
They’re doing good at that
And the “Jimmy” part?
Blanka (ブランカ Buranka ?), also known by his birth name Jimmy (ジミー Jimī ?), is a video game character from the Street Fighter series, first appearing in Street Fighter II . He is a feral man from the Brazilian jungle with green skin and the ability to generate electricity.
Never understood if count it as canon or not
Hang on, of course “Jimmy” is canonically Blanka’s birth name. His mom calls him Jimmy, not Blanka. As for where “Blanka” came from in universe, there are some explanations: one of them said that “blanka” was the… SOUND OF THE SNEEZE that did the beast who found him in the jungle, and Blanka thought it was his name.
If you’re asking me where Capcom took “Jimmy” from, I have a theory but honestly “Jimmy” is so common that it could come from anywhere.
an MKxSF is very unlikely since the buildup is different but…
Going as SFxMK, which has been discussed a lot had a chance yet there is something need to be considered and it won’t work good for MK side.
I believe there is a worked around for both franchise to be a crossover like Capcom managed to find for SF with Xmen before being MVC
but still my previous stance on this is that MK will need to lose it’s appeal which is more on gore and fatalities. That they would need to reject when they are going to have a SF crossover.
For seeing it in the other opposite side, Like I said before for SF cast guesting and joining MK as guest that if I remember was Necali, Mech Zangief, Twelve and Kage.
Even Phantom Bison can join in but the rest of the iconic character will never be for that game like Chun Li, Ryu and etc. So it’s overall it’s a lost to NRS not to Capcom.
Yet a SF vs MK would raise an eyebrows and controversy for just the title itself but the selling point is most for it being for the Capcom version not the NRS designed.
So we will likely end up with watered down version of MK characters that has no gore and blood which is it’s appeal just to square with Sf characters.
lately speaking of crossover WWE had a bizarre crossover too with KOF
Yet you don’t take crossover seriously or try to find rationale on it, but thats not the same case with fatalities and gore in MK to be applied to SF popular characters.
Yeah, we all know a crossover gme would never work. But… I was just wondering about a MK guest character in Street Fighter… not that Street Fighter has ever featured guest, third-party characters ._.
Only wondering, what would Capcom do if they had to ‘adapt’ MK characters to a Street Fighter style…?
If guesting I don’t think if Capcom would ever do that now since they had dozen of characters from other franchise. It’s kinda for the like of Jhonny Cage and Liu Kang to be in SF but them being in SF doesn’t feel MK they would end like bland characters. The iconic and exclusives characters likes of Goro and Scorpion guesting is very unlikely. It’s better for an SFXMK with watered down MK franchise than individual representation.
Wait, but the same book has an entry mentioning Blanka’s secret concept:
From the actual plot guide, bakfromon’s translation:
"Secret Character Concept:
ジャングル の 野生児 という の は 最初 から の 設定。ハデな 体色で目立たせようと 、 紫色など様ざまな色を経 て 、 緑に 落ち着いたとか。 初期設定 で の 名前 は 、 ハマブランカといった 。
The initial story had been a wild child from the jungle. Settling on flashy colors such as green and purple to make him stand out. His name was originally planned to be *Hamablanka
- Japanese mispronunciation of ‘Hombre blanco’"
The photo you provided also show this ハマブランカ but in your post it’s written マハブランカ. It was Capcom’s fault when they typed the quiz? Don’t know if there’s a english version of the question with the same typo.
I saw that in the old guide too, but I dunno where that came from. Eternal Challenge (UDON’s translated version)
says: “The first time Brazilian natives spotted him, his pale skin and strange movements earned him the nickname ‘Blanka’ (which means ‘white’ in Spanish).”
Don’t know if it’s the same thing in the japanese version:
Injustice and Injustice 2 don’t have fatalities. There are MK characters in those games. Also, an SF and MK crossover would be only for the epic story/lore as opposed to the gameplay (we all know that the gameplay will be shit) However, seeing Gill VS Shao Kahn or something or Raiden VS Vega (Japanese names) or Gouki would be epic story line wise!!!
You guys are forgetting Capcom VS Snk 2. That game wanted to make the SNK characters shit, but failed at it. Recent videos from Japan show SNK characters destroying the battlefield
I did not!
The difference in what you said now is that they just guest and I’m not saying it’s just the fatalities but the appeal of gore in MK itself. Plus Injustice Character are character that can take the beating of any iconic MK character that includes Gods like raiden compare to SF that would be for most of the earth realm.
KOF and SF are the best paired to each other there is no question on it, So there’s not forgetting it, but imagine if SF had gone crossover instead with just Samsho or SF had gone crossover with Soul Calibur instead of Tekken, that’s where SF with MK does feel.
D’OH! You’re right. See, what I said about “wild guesses and personal fan fictions” also applies to me. I was so excited by the finding that I didn’t pay attention to what Ryoredcyclone was saying AT ALL, thus ending up making a HUGE mistake. I’m sorry.
Yes, Ryoredcyclone was pointing out that Capcom typed ハマブランカ Hamaburanka wrong in the quiz. That’s why they were so amused, because even Maja blanca DOES exist (so even with a typo Capcom ended up referencing something real, LOL). Ryoredcyclone added the post to a previous one where he complained about another typo (they had spelt the name of the muay thai champ before Sagat wrong, “Anukan” instead of “Nuakan”).
Thus the original was HAMA BLANCA. My bad. The origin of “Hama Blanca” is even more depressing than a Filipino dessert: HAMA Blanca was a leisure facility in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, that closed in 2005.
(the photo was taken before 2015, as now there’s just an empty lot with only the plants left)
It had a large rainforest garden, a cactus garden, a flower garden and a rollercoaster. It was built to represent the epitome of a tropical paradise.
The origin of the building’s name was… you guessed it, CASABLANCA. Fused with the Japanese 浜 hama “beach”, because 白浜 SHIRAhama is “WHITE beach”. Therefore, “blanca”.
The fact that “Hamaburanka” comes from this leisure park ISN’T confirmed by Capcom, as Ryoredcyclone rightly points out; but come on, it’s so obvious to be almost in-your-face.
And that’s it as for Blanka’s name origin EXTRA universe. Then Capcom had to justify it IN universe…
…And that’s one of the two explanations I knew about, that even the Japanese Wikipedia page about Blanka does mention. The part you quoted, however, doesn’t have the note “* Japanese mispronunciation of ‘Hombre blanco’”". Wasn’t it there in the original? The Japanese Wiki doesn’t mention its source, so I don’t want it to be a translator guess.
It came from the SF2 Fanbook:
6: The secret of his name
7: The sound of a sneeze made by the beast who found him: “Blanka!”. Apparently, the young Jimmy (his real name) thought that it was his name.
8: B… BURANKA!
Yes, it’s ridiculous.
Eternal Challenge (UDON’s translated version)
says: “The first time Brazilian natives spotted him, his pale skin and strange movements earned him the nickname ‘Blanka’ (which means ‘white’ in Spanish).”
Don’t know if it’s the same thing in the japanese version:
Yes, it’s more or less the same but doesn’t say “Brazilian natives”; only “When he began his life in the jungle, he was named ‘Blanka’ (which means ‘white’ in Spanish) because he was so fair-skinned”.
TL;DR:
- Blanka was named Hamablanka during development (confirmed).
- The name came from a leisure park in Shirahama (UNconfirmed, mine and Ryoredcyclone’s guess, even if it’s obvious).
- Capcom mistakenly wrote “Mahaburanka” in the quiz, and I mistakenly thought it was Blanka’s original name coming from a dessert (my mistake, it’s HAMAburanka=Hamablanca);
- IN-universe, Blanka’s name origin has had various interpretations:
1- The sound of a sneeze of the beast who found the young Blanka in the jungle (SF2 movie memorial fanbook); yes, it’s ridiculous but it was official;
2- Blanka was so named by the locals because he was still pale before becoming green-skinned, so “blanka” in Spanish… It would be blanco in correct Spanish, and even then, Brazil’s official language is Portuguese, where it would be branco. Anyway, it’s official nonetheless (Eternal Challenge);
3- Blanka was named “Hama blanka” because it was a mispronunciation of “hombre blanco”. This justifies his original name, and it was included in Complete File Street Fighter II. This is still not completely verified: the scan I’ve seen doesn’t include the note explaining that it was a mispronunciation of “hombre blanco”.
Phew! Thanks @Lord_Vega for the correction.
Fun thing is if we consider portoguese with “homem branco” somehow sound closer to that hamaburanka than spanish “hombre blanco”
It came from the SF2 Fanbook:
Cool, ever thought he was raised by monkeys, instead it was a cougar lol
Dhalsim would also fit in the Mortal Kombat Universe as a guest. Dhalsim, Scorpion, Sub Zero, and Liu Kang.
Here is the remix of this song. It is straight fire. Pun intended!!!
The beginning and at about 1:51 timeframe
The Blanka name origin thing makes me wonder how old he was during the crash. I always thought he was like a kid 8 or so, though if younger I guess that’s how he could forget his name??? Though with Dan’s A3 retcon I’m confused even more.
Dhalsim would also fit in the Mortal Kombat Universe as a guest.
He’d also fit in the ARMS universe as a guest.
@Midgardsorm awesome as always.
The part you quoted, however, doesn’t have the note “* Japanese mispronunciation of ‘Hombre blanco’”". Wasn’t it there in the original? The Japanese Wiki doesn’t mention its source, so I don’t want it to be a translator guess.
Indeed that note was probably added by @bakfromon. Do you know where you got that?
Yes, it’s more or less the same but doesn’t say “Brazilian natives”; only “When he began his life in the jungle, he was named ‘Blanka’ (which means ‘white’ in Spanish) because he was so fair-skinned”.
It came from the SF2 Fanbook:
OUCH! That was right under my nose. LOL!
The Blanka name origin thing makes me wonder how old he was during the crash. I always thought he was like a kid 8 or so, though if younger I guess that’s how he could forget his name??? Though with Dan’s A3 retcon I’m confused even more.
That artwork might be half correct. According to Blanka’s account on Gamest 77 and his All About Capcom SF2CE account, when the plane crashed, he was 9, almost 10 years old (10 incomplete years). When the plane crashed (according with the old plot guide, Shadaloo planted a bomb aboard), Jimmy was the sole survivor, however, he got lost in the jungle. He might have lost his ability to speak the human language during his teenage years (Blanka is 23 - 25 during the Zero saga) and, much later, after coloring his skin with cholophyl for so long to camouflage himself (probably it pigmented his macrophages just like tattoo pigment in his dermis), got a permanent green skin. Probably after the crash, he was taken care by a cougar (puma concolor according with the artwork). The mistake on that artwork, is that he wasn’t a baby and wasn’t green when he got lost in the jungle.
How Dan fits in all this story is still a mystery. It’s said that Blanka saved Dan in the jungle when Dan was younger. I can’t find the original account anywhere. AAC mentions that came straight from Sakura Ganbaru! manga (which also doesn’t mentions what/how it happened).
Phew! Thanks @Lord_Vega for the correction.
You’re welcome. Now you understand why I pest you into revising some translations?
Speaking of revising, have you revised/completed Cammy’s account that I posted?
Thanks for all.
Dhalsim would also fit in the Mortal Kombat Universe as a guest. Dhalsim, Scorpion, Sub Zero, and Liu Kang.
No one wants to see Dhalsim’s head being ripped off.
Looks like SF6 is gonna happen next year. According to the news.
1.) I hope it’s either set back to alpha timeline or a remake/retold story of alpha with some SF3 and new characters from SF4 and SF5 on it.
2.) Or set within the timeline of SF3 'not" after because it’s an automatic fixed that explains every plot holes like the absence of both the alpha and every new character from (sf4 & sfv) modern games. Simply by putting them in another conflict or a different event which is happening simultaneously during the events of SF3.
They could make shadaloo recovering from behind the scenes.
No to another after move forward like to SF3 story until the past settings is fixed and okay.
The problem here is the characters that had a huge impact to the world in SF fictional universe that were gone in SF3 as if they never existed along with the new characters in SF4 and SF5. Characters were either disappear out of nowhere or they pop out out of nowhere for the characters and had strong relationships with the iconic cast or involve in bigger historical event that took place.
So we need as establish background that makes both the alpha and new characters to be “flexible and convenient” in and beyond SF3 timeline then easy move forward later.
3.) Or simply SF AllStars a dream matches that everyone is in.
The alpha characters, new characters and the iconic popculture characters along with SF3 should be flexible to be playable for future titles since this is a fighting game not a tv series or rpg that needs more attention with the story being either killing or ending someone.
People had been talking about new Darkstalkers? not a Capcom All Star?
All I need for SF6 is to use modern ArcSys techniques to make it look like the SF2 anime movie, to EITHER be a reboot, or be set after SF3. And for them to eventually get to “Everyone Is Here!”.
Where are all these rumors coming from btw?