Can't wait to see the Japanese localisations of some of these names. What the heck is "Shorikai" supposed to mean or refer to? It sounds like one of those pseudo-Japanese names I made up for my Naruto OCs in high school.
I also thought moonfolk were supposed to have names that didn't sound quite like regular Japanese names (making them feel otherworldly), but apparently that has changed and they're just another tribe with stock character names now.
As to Shorikai, not sure. Google says "Processing Meeting" but that's seems meaningless. Curious if it means anything to a native speaker. As to Moonfolk names, are Erayo and Tamiyo weird and Kotori stock? I don't know enough about Japanese names to tell one way or the other.
Erayo and Tamiyo both use a more modern (80s-90s vs. earlier) Japanese naming convention where the more traditional name endings of -o for males and -ko for females are both replaced with -yo. I will also say, though, that the names don't sound quite normal, comparatively. Kotori does sound more normal to me, though I honestly couldn't tell you why without more thought.
I was actually seeing Tezzeret as more likely to be Grixis than mono-blue given his recurring inability to keep his emotions in check and his general lack of self-chastising about his emotions.
I agree that Tezzeret being red might be more likely given his motivations. OTOH, the set's themes seem to play up tension between tradition and progress (very fitting), and Tezzeret is clearly on the side of progress, while red is likely a more traditional color in the set.
It's also possible, given who his associates are now, that he's full Esper.
We currently have two sets in Standard with four planeswalkers on it, with the fourth one hidingbehind alegendarycreature. Assuming we have those three with Kaito in the set, and one of them is the back face of a double-faced card, who or what would that front face be?
Right now, what we know is that some (maybe all) of the DFC in Kamigawa are Sagas on the front end with legendary cards on the back. If that's true, all of them are possibilities, given the information we have.
Tamiyo being on the back side of a Saga makes a LOT of sense, given that her magic is about storytelling.
The Wanderer being on the back side of a Saga makes sense, because the entire story is about how she's finally returned.
Finally, Tezzeret's connection to Nashi and what happened in the past makes it make sense that he could be the end of a Saga card.
I agree that Tamiyo is looking less likely, but it's a bit confusing to me. She seems far more central to the story than some other PWs in recent sets. She's also, AFAIK, the Kamigawa card (in terms of plane, not set/block) with the highest popularity, so it seems very odd that she would not get a card.
I think Tamiyo as a 4th PW being UG is fairly possible, as the likelihood that the Wanderer has Green is, IMO, kind of a stretch. Beyond that, though, the major issue is that Kaito and Tezzeret completely overlap in colors. Without a color expansion on Tezzeret, we are looking at UB PWs, a White PW (maybe WR), but nothing Green, and perhaps nothing Red.
My wild theory is that Tezzeret's card may be a Legendary Creature, not a PW. He may have lost his Spark, though we know that that's not supposed to happen with Phyrexians. Maybe the Bridge is feeding off of it?
The last possibility is that Tamiyo may be a PW on the back of a Saga, which would be fitting considering her Magic.
We have to see the Japanese localization. From looking at online dictionaries, whether it's blue or green depends on the presence of a second kanji next to the "Ao" kanji.
I don't believe that's the case. Ao is one of the four classical Japanese "colors," which are more like groupings of color than actual specifics (those colors being White, Black, Red, and Blue). The noun version has one character, and the adjective version has the same character and a second different character, but they both refer to the same color grouping. They did introduce a character for specifically green, Midori, but Ao is still used for a variety of both green and blue objects. Aozora, or Blue Sky, and Aoyama, or Green Mountain, both utilize the exact same Ao Kanji. (This is why traffic lights and Granny Smiths in Japan can be technically translated as Blue Lights, and Blue Apples. They both use the same Ao character.)
Hilariously enough, the adjective version of Ao can also be translated as an adjective meaning "Fresh," which means that calling someone green has similar connotations in English and Japanese.
IIRC from my Japanese studies, 'ao' is best translated (as a single color, at least) as either 'the color of the ocean' or 'not red, white, or black'. The real issue is that Japanese is so homophonic that it may not even be the color. It might be a completely different word.
I'm a bit annoyed, though, that they didn't use Akatsuki as the dragon's name, as that would be rather on-the-nose.
I guess Tezzeret decided to renew his relationship with the Phyrexians.
Tezz is getting pettier and pettier as a villain since Kaladesh.
Enh. Tezzeret going to the Phyrexians just makes too much sense after War of the Spark.
1) He is well aware of them.
2) He needs protection after his (admittedly not-completely-voluntary) support of Nicol Bolas and a lynchpin of his plan every bit as much as Liliana. And unlike Liliana, he didn't even try to redeem himself.
3) He has something (the Bridge) that the Phyrexians desperately want.
Taken all in all, they are by far his best natural allies, for the moment at least.
I am surprised how ... repetitive and uninventive some of the names ssem to be.
Keimi (the toad) and Kaima (the kami)
Kura (the green dragon) and Kuro (Pitlord)
Kosei (the o-bakemono hermit) and Yosei.
Katsumasa and...well... Tatsumasa.
Something else to note about Fountain of Ichor is that it can turn into an artifact Dinosaur... and Phyrexian oil generally turns non-artifacts into artifacts and vice-versa. So... I certainly fall into the 'Ixalan's getting invaded' camp.
OK seriously, why does this have such a good body? That's ridiculous efficiency for GY based decks or even if you just wanna filter down.
Presumably because it's card disadvantage? If I have any other cards in hand when I play this, I'm down a card. If I don't, I'm a blue deck that just proclaimed to the world that I have no answers.
I mean, I'm not saying that the downside balances the upside of a very efficient body and dumping cards into the yard. I'm just pointing out that this costs you a card in addition to playing it. And creatures that cost you more than 1 card are historically given very good rates.
This looks quite good, and the fact that UR Limited Archetype is 'cares about card draws'... I mean, playing the Djinn and then this next turn allows the Djinn to Bolt anything. YIKES.
Well, it's the three modes from Umezawa's Jitte. The only mode that is even a bit weird for a black card is the +2/+2, and the only thing weird about that is Black normally gives more power than toughness.
I wonder if it's a cycle, and whether there are cards in each color that have three modes that are suitable..
Best I can do at the moment is say that the creature type line ends the same way, so 'Praetor'. So that's a bit of verisimilitude.
Erayo and Tamiyo both use a more modern (80s-90s vs. earlier) Japanese naming convention where the more traditional name endings of -o for males and -ko for females are both replaced with -yo. I will also say, though, that the names don't sound quite normal, comparatively. Kotori does sound more normal to me, though I honestly couldn't tell you why without more thought.
I agree that Tezzeret being red might be more likely given his motivations. OTOH, the set's themes seem to play up tension between tradition and progress (very fitting), and Tezzeret is clearly on the side of progress, while red is likely a more traditional color in the set.
It's also possible, given who his associates are now, that he's full Esper.
Right now, what we know is that some (maybe all) of the DFC in Kamigawa are Sagas on the front end with legendary cards on the back. If that's true, all of them are possibilities, given the information we have.
Tamiyo being on the back side of a Saga makes a LOT of sense, given that her magic is about storytelling.
The Wanderer being on the back side of a Saga makes sense, because the entire story is about how she's finally returned.
Finally, Tezzeret's connection to Nashi and what happened in the past makes it make sense that he could be the end of a Saga card.
I think Tamiyo as a 4th PW being UG is fairly possible, as the likelihood that the Wanderer has Green is, IMO, kind of a stretch. Beyond that, though, the major issue is that Kaito and Tezzeret completely overlap in colors. Without a color expansion on Tezzeret, we are looking at UB PWs, a White PW (maybe WR), but nothing Green, and perhaps nothing Red.
My wild theory is that Tezzeret's card may be a Legendary Creature, not a PW. He may have lost his Spark, though we know that that's not supposed to happen with Phyrexians. Maybe the Bridge is feeding off of it?
The last possibility is that Tamiyo may be a PW on the back of a Saga, which would be fitting considering her Magic.
IIRC from my Japanese studies, 'ao' is best translated (as a single color, at least) as either 'the color of the ocean' or 'not red, white, or black'. The real issue is that Japanese is so homophonic that it may not even be the color. It might be a completely different word.
I'm a bit annoyed, though, that they didn't use Akatsuki as the dragon's name, as that would be rather on-the-nose.
Enh. Tezzeret going to the Phyrexians just makes too much sense after War of the Spark.
1) He is well aware of them.
2) He needs protection after his (admittedly not-completely-voluntary) support of Nicol Bolas and a lynchpin of his plan every bit as much as Liliana. And unlike Liliana, he didn't even try to redeem himself.
3) He has something (the Bridge) that the Phyrexians desperately want.
Taken all in all, they are by far his best natural allies, for the moment at least.
Japanese has far fewer sounds in its language than English. (Roughly half.) This does lead to a more repetitive sound to particularly names.
And yes, Tiro, I saw the snow creature and immediately mourned (briefly) that it wasn't a Snow Creature.
Presumably because it's card disadvantage? If I have any other cards in hand when I play this, I'm down a card. If I don't, I'm a blue deck that just proclaimed to the world that I have no answers.
I mean, I'm not saying that the downside balances the upside of a very efficient body and dumping cards into the yard. I'm just pointing out that this costs you a card in addition to playing it. And creatures that cost you more than 1 card are historically given very good rates.
Well, it's the three modes from Umezawa's Jitte. The only mode that is even a bit weird for a black card is the +2/+2, and the only thing weird about that is Black normally gives more power than toughness.
I wonder if it's a cycle, and whether there are cards in each color that have three modes that are suitable..
Also, Generous Gift looks really nice. Instant speed is awesome.