Kashim?

[Magsnus]

Most people seem to have the opinion that Sousuke?s previous name was "Kashim" since Gauron is calling him that despite the fact that he learns of Sousukes name later, and to be honest i thought so to up until now...
But I rewatched the serie yesterday and a thought came to my mind: Is that really Sousukes name?

In episode 5, when Gauron has shot Sousuke in the RK 92 and leans over to look at him before the final shot he is suprised and says: Well THIS is a surprice, you?re the one from Khasim.
The second before there is a scene of Sousuke as a child looking into the "camera" (wich i think really is Gaurons eyes) with the same scowl on his face and Gauron recognises him.

So is Khasim a name? or is it the place where something happened between Gauron and Sousuke?
It?s an quite interesting question since Gauron seems amused about the memory of Khasim, wether it is Khasim the person, or Khasim the place where he did something to Sousuke.

What do all of you other FMP fans out there belive? Am im on to something or am I just my usual paranoid self, who tries to read in things in everything?

Magsnus

[Perfect Soldier]

Yes...Yes, you are... No, just kidding. I've wondered that myself before but I don't know if it's really the case. Considering he does call him by that name again just before he dies at the end of the series. or whatever, it isn't relevant to whether or not he died, just what he said before you see him no longer.

[TheNarrator]

I've noticed that before, too. Still, it's not just Gauron. Sousuke's ex-friend Zaido also called him "Kashim" in episodes #15-17, so it seems that that's what he was called by the members of his guerilla unit when he was a kid.

I suppose it's possible that he was from a place called Kashim and that caused them to start calling him "Kashim" as some sort of nickname or off-hand insult, sort of like all the guys from Texas called "Tex". (Err, there's better examples I could point to, I'm sure, but none I can recall off the top of my head. Just trust me that there is some precedence for this.)

It seems like Sousuke has been called several things over the years. According to Mao's flashback in #19, before he was Sagara Sousuke he was Sousuke Isegar, and it's anyone's guess if he had other aliases between "Kashim" and "Isegar". If Kashim isn't the name he was born with, them it's quite possible that no one, not even Sousuke, knows what his real name was. (He seems to have settled on "Sagara" as his official real name, so he'll probably keep that unless he's forced to go into hiding and change it again.)

The whole "Kashim" thing is just another unanswered question in the mystery that is Sousuke's past. There's still a lot of things we don't know. (Maybe the third series will fill in some of the gaps?)

[Magsnus]

Apparantly this isnt the first time this question has ben asked and last night I managed, with my excellent skills, to find a clue to the mystery named Sousuke.

I was searching some forums throuout the web when I struck lucky, on one it was spoken about this very question and the last post it said that the whole "Khasim thing" is explained in the novel Full Metal Panic: The End of Day by Day wich can be read and downloaded at http://www.boku-tachi.net

There is one part of the last chapter left to be translated and it is in that very chapter that the mystery will be revealed, hopefully they will release that chapter today or tomorrow, myself I cant wait til I get to read it

That novel is a must if you havnt read it already!

So in a few days the answer should be within my grasp..."Peppar, peppar ta i tr?

Magsnus

PS the last comment withing the "" was a little something that we use in sweden, as a spell for not letting ones assumptions being jinxed, as in someone says "I know that I will win" and then he loses anyway...thats because he didnt use that spell DS

[Magsnus]

Wee, the last chapter has finally been released...it was great, the entire story was great you should all read it!

But anyway now I know the answer to this little question of mine anyway, I dont want to spoil anything for anyone so I wont reveal more than that Kashim is indeed Sousukes name.

If you want to know all about it go read the novel

Atleast Im satisfied now hehe

With regards
Magsnus

[TheNarrator]

Well, I guess that answered the question of where the name "Kashim" came from. Plenty of unanswered questions still, but that makes it interesting (and leaves lots of room for fanfic authors to play).

Thanks for posting that link, by the way. Ever since I found out that FMP was based on a series of novels, I've wished that somebody would translate them, but figured it would never happen. (It's undoubtedly a hell of a lot more work than translating a manga or anime: it's all words, after all.) I'm glad to see I was mistaken.