Giovanni = Mafia or Yakuza, or both?

[Takoto]

Alright, we all know who the Mafia are, but if you don't know who the Yakuza are, they're like the Japanese Mafia in a way.

Now, Giovanni. Runs a criminal group. He's defiantly meant to represent ether a Mafia or Yakuza boss, although I can't figure out if in the original Japanese dub of the games and animé and manga, is he was meant to be a Yakuza rather than a Mafia Boss, it's pretty obvious he was meant to look like a Mafia Boss in the English version, as his name is Giovanni (and when most people think of Mafia, they think of the Italian Mafia, and Giovanni is a common Italian name).


I just wanna know what other people think~

 

[Hector]

I think he's more of the Italian mafia type.

 

[Falconwing]

I think in Japan he's Yakuza, and in the U.S. he's Mafia.

 

[Trainer Yusuf]

Mafia. After that trenchcoat, red handkerchief and fedora, mafia.

 

[Rellik]

I'm with Ryu. He's Mafia in the English dub, and Yakuza in the Japanese.

Mafia. After that trenchcoat, red handkerchief and fedora, mafia.

Yakuza don't go around all day wearing kimono and hakama. When they're going around town, they dress in Western clothes. In pop fiction, they're often seen dressed in the same fassion as Giovanni does in HG/SS.

 

[Trainer Yusuf]

I'm with Ryu. He's Mafia in the English dub, and Yakuza in the Japanese.

Yakuza don't go around all day wearing kimono and hakama. When they're going around town, they dress in Western clothes. In pop fiction, they're often seen dressed in the same fassion as Giovanni does in HG/SS.

Well, I know nothing about yakuza. Yeah, I don't think Sakaki is a really fitting name for a mafia boss. So I think I must agree with Ryu, as it is the most accurate answer.

 

[Nekusagi]

Giovanni is Team Rocket. Complaining TR to the Mob or Yakuza is pointless because Team Rocket is Team Rocket, just like unyuu is unyuu and there is there is there.

That said I'd say if I had to choose one TR is probably closer to the Yakuza because they seem to run off an almost feudal hierarchy what with the ranks. Or something.

 

[Satoshi]

What's his Jap name?

 

[Trainer Yusuf]

What's his Jap name?

Sakaki.

 

[Takoto]

I'm with Ryu. He's Mafia in the English dub, and Yakuza in the Japanese.



Yakuza don't go around all day wearing kimono and hakama. When they're going around town, they dress in Western clothes. In pop fiction, they're often seen dressed in the same fassion as Giovanni does in HG/SS.

I'm not sure if this is true, but according to Wikipedia, Yakuza wear bright clothing, although another site I read a while ago said the "higher-ups" of the Yakuza, including the Leader, wear suits and things like that. Not sure if it's true, only what I heard~

 

[Haruka_Rules!]

I think he's more of the Italian mafia.

 

[Paperhorse]

He is probably Yakuza in Japanese, and Mafia in Dub. I think that makes the most sense.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

I know the common depiction of Yakuza higher-ups usually has them with elaborate tattoos. Is that true to life?

 

[Takoto]

I know the common depiction of Yakuza higher-ups usually has them with elaborate tattoos. Is that true to life?

Well, it's true to most Yakuza. Over half of them have ether full-body tattoo's, or extremely elaborate ones over their arms or back. In Japan, a restaurant or bar which doesn't want Yakuza coming in will say "No persons will full-body tattoo's allowed on these premises", they don't say "Yakuza" so they don't offend them :B It's a dangerous thing to offend a Yakuza.

But, I'm not sure about the higher ups/boss of the Yakuza having tattoos, I know the underlings almost always do.

 

[GroundMaster]

I think in Japan he's Yakuza, and in the U.S. he's Mafia.

Probably the most logical answer.

Overall though, he seems a little more Yakuza until HGSS, where he seems a little more Mafia.

 

[Crysta Blade]

I'm just popping up with a little tidbit I found when hunting through FR/LG's Japanese dialogue: it seems like the TR Grunt in Mt. Moon who calls TR a gang in the English translation refers to it as a Mafia (written in katakana). Maybe that was a factor in making Giovanni more Mafia-esque.

 

[DarkDreams]

Yakuza cuts a bit of their fingers off.

Mafia is Italian.

I'm going with neither =|

 

[Rellik]

But, I'm not sure about the higher ups/boss of the Yakuza having tattoos, I know the underlings almost always do.

Most higher-ups/bosses had to work their way up the ranks from mere underlings, so I'm willing to bet most of them have ink. It's something of a status symbol, I think.

 

[Caspian]

Lol...

They're both the same thing.

Team Rocket which isn't really either and is more like, I dunno, McDonald's.

 

[Takoto]

Most higher-ups/bosses had to work their way up the ranks from mere underlings, so I'm willing to bet most of them have ink. It's something of a status symbol, I think.

Some Yakuza Bosses become bosses because their father was. It's a kind of "pass-on-through-generation" thing, but I'm not sure if that still happens in the modern world, as I remember reading it happened in the past.
*random info*