(06-09-2017, 10:18 AM)Caspar Wrote: The surname could be Ningyou (literally Doll, unlikely as a surname) or Hitogata (alternate reading that's uncommon). Maybe Hinazukuri? (Implies hina doll from hinamatsuri not automata) it's hard for me to tell what would sound natural. I'd make a name using the characters used in Karakuri, but that's not guaranteed to sound like a real name. Often these kinds of names are done by linking characters with an alternative reading that creates the pun, in Japanese media. Alternatively I look up historical figures associated with a theme I'm writing (I often use Liang in smart characters names, to be particularly unsubtle lol) and try to use a similar but not quite the same name. Like WcDonalds. Well maybe not that obvious...
Hitogata and Karakuri actually seem kinda neat name options too. But yeah, a good name that implies his profession of making toys would be great.
... Maybe I should just call him however you would phoneticize "Geppetto" in Japanese.