Richter, Maria and Annette: family relations?

[A-Yty]

Ok, here's something that has been bugging me. Western sources (also known as " butchered by translation" or "the comically corny and inconsistent") claim that Maria is the sister of Annette, but also that Maria is of Belmont lineage. This would mean that Annette is, too. And that would certainly cast a weird shadow on Richter and Annette's relationship.

I consider the original Japanese sources the only canon there is. This means that what SotN says could (and probably is) be completely different from what NitM says, what VK and DX say is completely different from what RoB says etc. From the fanslation of RoB I remember reading that Maria refers to Annette and Richter as "big sister" and "big brother", respectively. However, this, I understand, is a common Japanese custom and that none of the three are actually blood-related to each other.

So, what is the truth? Is Maria Annette's sister and/or is she somehow related to the Belmonts? And plz, use sources to back up your claims.

[Bloodreign]

I can't go against you there, if anything Konami of America should really start using it's Japanese parent companies ideas and quit making crap up on their own, it just looks and sounds silly.

[Azmodan]

They're still making stuff up; Soma as a foreign exchange student and all.

[A-Yty]

They're still making stuff up; Soma as a foreign exchange student and all.

You mean he's not a foreign exchange student in Minuet of Dawn?

[Maria]

Japanese game says nothing about that as far as I've heard. The translation added that.

Then again, Soma + exchange student + childhood friend of Mina's = ??? ...So how does that work again when Mina's all Japanese.

[Azmodan]

http://castlevania.armster.org/scans_aos.php

Read the PS in the first paragraph.

[A-Yty]

Gotta say that Soma Cruz is a pretty peculiar name for a Japanese boy 

I'm willing to buy he's not an exchange student, but Japanese? Maybe just a kid who has visited Japan often / had to live there because of parent's job and later officially became a citizen of Japan. Or is adopted. [/Fanon explanations]

I have to admit that this time the Western version sounds better.

[Q]

Name has nothing to with characters' nationality in the Castlevania universe. Hell, what's the percentage of Eastern European names in the series as whole? Yet most of the games happen to be located there.

But I get your point, there's characters with an obvious Japanese name, Genya Arikado and Mina Hakuba at least. Soma's gotta have some cosmopolitan background behind him.

[Maria]

http://castlevania.armster.org/scans_aos.php

Read the PS in the first paragraph.

That's probably where I saw that before.

And yeah, I think the explanation of, say, his father being European or something would work. Thus, lived a lot in Japan due to parents' work/stuff like that and that's how he and Mina are childhood friends.

[Azmodan]

But I get your point, there's characters with an obvious Japanese name, Genya Arikado and Mina Hakuba at least. Soma's gotta have some cosmopolitan background behind him.

Then again, keep in mind Soma's Japanese name is Souma Kurusu, which definitely has a less Spanish feel to it. >_>

[Q]

Then again, keep in mind Soma's Japanese name is Souma Kurusu, which definitely has a less Spanish feel to it. >_>

Sure I'll keep that in mind. I didn't know that piece of information until you told it. Case closed.

[Lumienkeli]

Souma has a Japanese name and his name is written in kanji which basically means he's Japanese. I always kinda figured Maria Renard was somehow related to the Belnades family, but has nothing to do with Belmonts...

[Azmodan]

Hmm. Where was it said that Maria was related to the Belmonts? I haven't checked on what the Japanese versions of Drac X and SotN say, but the US manual of Symphony mentions that Maria's not related by blood to the Belmonts but posseses their fiery resolve or something.

[A-Yty]

But I get your point, there's characters with an obvious Japanese name, Genya Arikado and Mina Hakuba at least. Soma's gotta have some cosmopolitan background behind him.

Exactly. Mina actually looks Japanese. Arikado doesn't, but we all know why.

Besides, Hammer and J certainly aren't Japanese, so I don't think the CV team ever actually meant that Soma was born there.