Comparison and analysis of Sylvain's unique lines when he fights Miklan (Tower of Black Winds) and the Thief Leader (The Forgotten)
Originally done as a request on Twitter/X. Both lines make it a point to call him "ojou-san/ojou-sama" which was left out of the English localization.
For starters, I've decided to translate "ojou-san/ojou-sama" as "little princess" because I think that gets the sting associated with it across a little better than the more literal "young lady" translation.
Sylvain vs Miklan Unique Dialogue (White Clouds Chapter 5 - Tower of Black Winds)
Over here with Miklan, "ojou-san" got translated into "fool", and it isn't the only line that got changed here. Sylvain's lines (in both text and delivery) are a lot more cool in Japanese... and dives right into subzero temperatures especially towards the last part.
A phrase of note here is 「尻を拭かされる」. It's an idiom along the lines of, to put it crassly, "having to wipe someone's ass after they take a shit." Hence, "clean up your mess."
It lends a condescending note to Sylvain's statement, not at all helped by the way he seems to be disassociating/effecting an air of emotional detachment with the way he delivers things.
On another note, Miklan using 「貴様」 "kisama" to refer to Sylvain isn't really out there considering how much he hates Sylvain, but Sylvain using 「兄上」 "ani-ue", a very respectful term to refer to one's older brother is an interesting contrast to it. And I think a subtle way of hinting at Sylvain still holding some respect for his brother despite all the bad blood between them. As implied by the monastery conversation before this fight, he has very complicated feelings towards Miklan.
Because despite knowing that Miklan is a shitty person, he's still his brother, and I suppose Sylvain feels some responsibility towards that. Of how Miklan turned out, even if that isn't his fault.
An example of blood running thicker than water, I feel, and perhaps Sylvain wonders if Miklan would have turned out differently if he was not born with a Crest and Miklan inherited as he would have in that case.
But I'd have to say, the way Sylvain delivers the 「……そろそろ黙ってもらおうか、兄上。」 line ("...About time I shut you up for good, Brother.") is really chilling. Like, arctic-level chill. Especially when combined with that portrait change. Because he could have just gone 「～もらう」 there, but no, he goes for 「～もらおう」. He's not only telling Miklan to shut up, but that he's gonna actually go there and zip his mouth for him. (read as: Sylvain totally snapped here and got sick of giving Miklan another chance)
Sylvain vs Thief Leader (Sylvain's Paralogue - The Forgotten)
And now, for the thief leader's lines. There's not much difference between EN and JP versions (except for "ojou-sama", which got translated into "fool" again), but the same can't be said for Sylvain.
Interestingly, he's using the same tone he did with Miklan over here. Like then, he's putting up some walls here, using a nonchalant tone that has none of his usual playfulness.
It's chilling in a different way, on the empty side, perhaps. Especially since Sylvain doesn't lose his "cool" in this portion (see how that portrait never changes).
The biggest change would be Sylvain's last lines. Tone-wise, he's very casual in both versions, but his tone rises and falls and the way he goes "Ahh, indeed..." has some ounce of sarcasm to it (and I would venture a "oh my, how stupid of me" vibe).
So why are people going nuts over these lines?
[cw: CSA discussion later on]
Okay, so for the thing people are likely wondering about. The use of 「お嬢さん」 "ojou-san" and 「お嬢様」 "ojou-sama", and their implications.
Expanding a bit on the original discussion that spurred this on, I remember a friend was wondering about why there was a fair amount of JP fanart that have Sylvain (usually a younger version of him) in dresses or the tagline "ojou-sama" somewhere. It was not an insignificant number, and it can all be traced to a couple of lines that were translated differently into English.
One possibility is that something along the lines of CSA might have happened, which some folks headcanon because of those lines and Sylvain's general behavior. Again, as I've mentioned in someone else's tweet about it, there is no confirmation that's the case for Sylvain, but it's not impossible to arrive at that conclusion based on what we see in canon.
I think there's two possible ways of seeing this insult. One (1) is seeing it as a jab at Sylvain's so-called privilege. Of essentially leading a pampered life like a young lady/princess due to the fact that he has a Crest, while Miklan had been neglected then later cast aside.
This is what the EN localization went with, and I think why they translated it as "fool." In this context, I'd say it's not an incorrect translation, but it does remove the ambiguity associated with "ojou-san/ojou-sama".
The second (2) one is... indeed, the possibility of CSA. And the use of double quotes right along with the terms seem to highlight that.
Because if it were just a garden variety insult (i.e. typical stuff that men of that time would throw at their enemies), there wouldn't have been some double quotes there. This is on top of what Miklan's gang does to women from villages that they pillage so...
In any case, the double quotes are for emphasis, and it's like whoever put it there wants us to think about the use of that term. As to whether it's because of (1) or (2)... I think it's up to the beholder, and both interpretations are valid.
As for why Miklan's gang uses this term too, it does seem likely that Miklan may have a habit of degrading Sylvain by calling him such names. I think it's likely his friends just picked up on it since Miklan probably complains about Sylvain 24/7.
It does sound like something that Sylvain might have been called a lot when he was young by Miklan and company. Not impossible for him to be sour towards that word. Or at least, that is one way to interpret it.
Overall, I think JP Sylvain comes off more as cool, trying to come across as unaffected, while EN Sylvain is more on the aggressive side. Interesting how Sylvain's delivery comes off differently in both languages, while Miklan and the Thief Leader's lines don't change as much.
honey I love you dearly but if you show me another sentence like that I'm gonna shove it into your mouth like an eggsalad sandwich and walk away, fuming xD
You ever think in the timelines where Manuela teaches the Golden Deer because Byleth picked one of the other two, Judith visits to check on Claude and a Category 10 Thirsting And Starved Saphhic Incident transpires?
See, in my mind, what makes this so funny is that I choose to believe Judith is still holding a doomed candle for Tiana. I want the punchline being that Manuela has no chance because Judith already has enough heartache to drown her over a woman she has not seen for at least seventeen years.
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