Kurama has two names: Minamino Shuuichi (his human name) and Youko Kurama (his demon name). This essay was not written to explain the direct translation of his meaning. You can retrieve that information from any old Kurama shrine. I intend to be precise with my meaning. I am here to express my views on a subtle debate that has been going on for a long while.

     How to spell Kurama's name.

     Some spell it "Suuichi." Some spell it "Shuichi." Some spell it "Suiichi." And some others create a hybrid "Shuiichi." I spell it the way I think it should be spelled. "Shuuichi."

     The name Shuuichi is composed of two characters -- the first of which I do not remember and the second being "ichi" or "one." So we know that the end of his name consists of "ichi."

     Shuuichi is a fairly common name, so you hear it a lot in Japanese programs. I first heard it used in a Japanese soap opera with Chinese subtitles. The man's name was Shuuichi, and, as I heard it, it sounded like "Shee-you-ee-chee" with the "Shee" and "you" slurred together. I listened to it in YYH and heard the same thing.

     The sound is similar to the sound made when pronouncing "kyuu," but you sure as hell can't romanize by typing "shyu," so you replace the y with another u in the same fashion you romanize the syllable "chuu" -- producing "shuu."

     So it begins with "shuu" and ends with "ichi" and that is why I spell it the way I do-- "Shuuichi."

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