In between bouts of Sifu's ferocious brawling, there's a scene I can't help but keep thinking about: a particular graffiti that was hastily drawn on a wall, presumably by a local drug dealer. It's a Chinese phrase that says "一手交钱, 一手交货" which, when loosely translated, means "give me the money and I'll give you the goods". But next to it is an inexplicable decision to also include an English translation of that very phrase, "No money no goods", as if the drug peddler has the foresight to consider entertaining English-speaking or international junkies who may just be dropping by the local illegal pharmacy to pick up some good ol' fashioned drugs. I mean, good thinking, buddy.
Make no mistake; such emblems and other icons of Chinese culture are merely an aesthetic in Sifu, used to pepper in a little flair, and to sprinkle a little bit of exoticism in this kungfu brawler. I can name a few examples of the game's egregious use of Chinese signifiers: take for instance the game's icon, a replica of a red stamp that is imprinted with a Chinese seal, which is inscribed with the Chinese characters 'sifu' (if you have, till now, no idea what 'sifu' means, it means 'teacher' or 'master'. Fun fact: 'sifu' can also be used to address cab drivers, skilled tradespeople, monks and priests). It's a pretty frivolous use of the stamp, given that these seals are typically etched with personal names rather than titles, and used as signatures to sign off personal or official documents. Then there are the game's menus, with UI design choices that are wildly inconsistent; some buttons and words are accompanied by a sometimes incorrectly translated Chinese phrase, and some without (the word 'loading' by the Chinese equivalent, but the word 'start' is not). Then there's the option for you to return to what the game refers to as your 'wuguan'—the training hall where you return to in between levels—which is odd because you can simply just say 'training hall' rather than 'wuguan'.
