current state of this tumblr handle. dgsfucker -> dgsfufu
This blog is now used for my translation rambles. I will ramble about anything and everything I find interesting enough that my Japanese comprehension can touch, and I don’t expect people to look. It’ll probably be messy.
Seeing as now Dai Gyakuten Saiban is officially localized, there isn't much for me to talk about since I’m not a huge AA fan. I still like DGS/TGAA deep down, but i will not engage myself directly with the fandom. I find the constant ship wars and character preferences hinged on conservative morals incredibly reductive, pointless and honestly disgusting. I simply don’t have the patience to watch people stroke their egos all day over fictional tastes, so that’s where I stand on the shipping side.
dgsfucker -> dgsfufu. my twitter handle is nutnut_nagitos. My main tumblr handle is @imustbenuts (pretty much unused.) If you’ll have me, I’ll be here.
[Exclusive Coverage] Behind the scenes: Official announcement of Bridget's self identification - What do the creators of Guilty Gear think as they proceeded with the development of the game? (2/2)
Translation done by me, an actual person. Loose to make words flow but, posting this for posterity and to make a point against people who still somehow doubt machine TL despite not being able to read Japanese. Link to article here. Page 1 only bc no time for other 2. (EDIT: fixed a mistranslation)
Coverage by TBS TV, posted on 26th Oct 2022.
Conceptualized from the beginning with an ending in mind: the road to self-identification.
---What are your thoughts regarding the conclusion of the story, beginning from the drafting phase and especially surrounding the clear impact of transgenderism left in the plotline?
Mr. Ishiwatari: It has already been decided from the beginning itself that the story would see Bridget's story unfold in a direction with the theme of realizing her gender the moment she debuted, and this has not changed.
--This was decided the moment Bridget was born, then?
Mr. Ishiwatari: I don't know if the feelings towards Bridget's plotline has ever been as strong before, but while her concept was never meant to be this dramatic, the details have been gradually ironed out slowly over time.
Mr Katano: Thinking back even lightly, the story has really not changed at all. This isn't just a story about Bridget, but rather a message the character represents, and the drama which had already been set to be written from the get-go.
--Right now people are more understanding of transgender issues, and I really think society has finally caught up to what people think of Bridget and her story too.
Mr Ishiwatari: I guess putting it like that does make us sound kinda cool, but, it just so happens that the timing for this topic is perfect since it's landed just as the discussion is hot.
Mr Katano: Ishiwatari thinks of all of the characters' background and plot, and there are so many bits that can't just be published as is. However, this time we believe all of Bridget's storyline has been fully revealed and covered.
--So the timing for her to appear again was just perfect?
Mr Katano: Hm, yeah, it's the perfect timing for her reappearance. I think so.
--Did both of you expect any controversies to follow after Bridget's reappearance?
Mr Katano: Honestly, yes. As we expected, people are split on the topic. To summarize what we do: we draw up how the characters in the story live, what they are worried about, and how they thought as we made them.
But there are people who get caught up in the controversy without buying the game and playing it, people who blindly press the topic, and at the end of the day misinterpret our message and continuously spread a different portrayal contrary to what we intended.
Initially we thought, "we hope people will accept our message despite different interpretations", but we then realized we had to turn this official, and therefore published and announced the official information from our side.
Mr Ishiwatari: We had our internal discussion whether or not this action was necessary. Our primary concern is whether we leave it to the global audience to decide whatever, or if we dictate the narrative with official info. This was the most important point in our discussion.
There were many fans who saw the situation as us pouring fuel into a fire we started, and so there became a growing voice who didn't care what it was so long as we came out and clarified the matter.
--You decided to come out and calm things down as the game trended globally?
Mr Ishiwatari: I don't know if that's an apt way to put it, but we read the situation as us giving fans a semblance of assurance after coming out and clarifying the matter.
"Currently available Bridget merchandises on sale"
--Putting myself in the creator's shoes, coming out to explain in this unsure matter comes off as a little boorish, I would think.
Mr Katano: We are in part just people who simply create games and the world in it. While I could tell people to play and see for themselves, tell them to buy and see, there are many who do not and irresponsibly spread misinterpretation without care.
Therefore I wasn't opposed to us taking an official stance. But as a creator, my biggest concern is posting spoilers. I mulled over whether or not to post this information on the official site -- I worried about this greatly.
Guilty Gear Xrd Rev2/Revelator, lost in translation and one translation whoopsie
I’ve previously posted about minor fluff that was lost in translation in Xrd Sign. Now I’m writing Xrd Rev2′s minor intricacies lost during the translation process.
Once again, a disclaimer. No translation is perfect, and things always get lost in translation, which is perfectly ok! No 2 languages are the same, and my post does not inherently imply the localization is bad. It’s made by people far, FAR more experienced and professional than me, lol.
Note if I don’t spring up the JP, it means the EN is all in all alright and there’s nothing too major to be pointed out.
Before I head to the minor fluff, 2 major things I want to highlight.
1. General - Humans, redundancies.
In JP, St. Maximus/Universal Will calls humanity人形(ningyou, ie. dolls, puppets), and Redundancies in EN. Interesting word choice here, and I think redundancies is a really good substitute. Considering in EN, dolls or puppets have the implications of a toy, something you play with but not necessarily destroy. It would have been a lazy TL pick for them to use it for UW.
Ningyou has a more sinister implication of being an artificial, creepy imitation of a human. Just check out how close ningen 人間 and ningyou 人形 look and sound, side by side. I think it’s neat.
2. Lady Luck - she comes thrice.
Revelator A (Link to transcript)
In here there is a conversation between Vernon and Leo talking about Sol behind his back, and the exchange is as follows.
[EN] Vernon: He has Gear cells within him. And thanks to his strength, we were able to survive the calamity a few days earlier. Needless to say, I am in his debt... However! He's too strong! I've served. I know how terrifying Gears can be. But they were nothing like him.
[EN] Leo: Hmm... I'm in charge of the Australian region, so...I'm afraid I don't know much. But, in the Holy Order, I know he was something of an urban legend... They called him the God of War.
[EN] Vernon: God of War...?
[EN] Leo: I can confirm he's a whimsical and vulgar man. I've met him. I think it's that personality, and timing (he pops up everywhere) that led to his little nickname. Whatever happens, though... Never ask him directly.
[EN] Vernon: Ask him what?
[EN] Leo: His history... Something about his luck going down.
[JP] Leo: His history. Something about pushing Lady Luck.
I wonder if they ran out of time to QA or this just missed the loc team’s radar. The EN implies asking Sol about his past would jinx Sol, but JP implies the questioner being jinxed. Which then makes the following lines much more sensible.
[EN] Vernon: Luck...? Is that supposed to be some kind of jinx on the battlefield? And, do you trust him...? He's not human, after all.
[EN] Leo: I can't answer that. Not personally, anyway. But I do know the First King places him in extremely high regards. And if Ky believes in him...then for the time being, so shall I.
[EN] Vernon: I think we need to know. If he's the God of War or of Death... One of these gods is going to shape our world, after all...
After the events of Xrd Sign, someone like Leo of course would get better acquainted with Sol. Hell, even Ky of all people, arguably Sol’s strongest bond, went from “I don’t know your real name” to “I know but I won’t initiate the topic” and skirts around the issue, possibly knowing Sol would just deploy a social AT field. Sol is just that much of a recluse.
2.2 This in turn leads to this exchange where Sol questions Ky...
Sense A (Link to transcript)
[EN] Sol: [beat] Why don't you ask me already?
[EN] Ky: Ask you what?
[EN] Sol: About my past.
[EN] Ky: I can ask you?
[EN] Sol: I guarantee, it won't be interesting. [beat] Every other word that came out of your mouth was "Duel me," or "I challenge you!" You were so eager to fight and... ...Now it's like you're not even interested.
[EN] Ky: Back then, the only thing on my mind was defeating you in a fair duel. Nothing else really mattered.
[EN] Ky: Besides, I didn’t wanna risk my chances with Lady Luck.
[EN] Sol: Really? You?
[EN] Ky : You didn't know? I'm actually quite a religious man.
It seems Ky has gotten familiar with the method to befriend Sol, and questioning the recluse directly had never been the correct approach to take... His has now defaulted to basically let Sol approach him, rather than pursue Sol in their relationship. Hell, it’s worked multiple times in the novels, and more in his time in IPF. In his time in the order, chasing the older man down for answers has never worked.
Sol on the other hand has went from viewing Ky as a familiar stranger to a trustworthy friend after Xrd Sign, and it shows. He’s ok if Ky pries.
And thus, knowing all these, our man Ky FUCKING Kiske gives the most amazing shit eating grin.
Or perhaps Ky Kiske read the situation and sensed Sol’s death-flag-up-your-ass trap. /s
2.22 Universal Will can(not) avoid advancing bum first into Sol’s death-flag-up-your-ass trap.
Fireworks (Link to transcript)
Did I say Sol’s death-flag-up-your-ass trap? There is a Sol’s death-flag-up-your-ass trap.
In the climax, shit hits the fan. Sol & his merry friends now face the final boss, and in a last ditch attempt to save herself, the Universal Will attempts to tap into Sol’s Godhood status to sway him over to her side.
The Universal Will knocks on Sol’s door and pries it open.
[EN] St. Maximus: Remember...the past. You fall in love? You overcome your troubles to achieve something? You ever get excited about what the future holds?
[EN/JP] St. Maximus: Tell me everything... ...about your past!
...Oh hey!
[EN/JP] Sol: C'mon now...
[EN/JP] Ky: You can't mention that...
[EN] Sol: Don't push your luck.
[JP] Sol: You’re just pushing Lady Luck.
And St. Maximus/Universal Will gets absolutely destroyed.
I got incredibly loose with the line, ツキが落ちる, but it essentially means to tempt fate, try your luck, etc. In these 2 separate scenes, I’ve left it as “pushing Lady Luck.”
This was an absolute loss that it didn’t get handled well, because these 3 points had me laughing at Ky’s superstitious nature to cackling at his dodge. It’s so well done...! What a pity.
And... more missed fluff under read more.
3. 意思 (ishi). Purpose and will
Identity A (Link to transcript)
In this part, Leo summons Sol to his office and subjects him to a verbal interrogation. He wants to know more about Sol as an individual, and not an Army God as previously discussed with Vernon.
[EN] Leo: You've saved the world time and time again. And yet you show no vested interest in people or interest in settling down for that matter... And people call you the God of War or whatever, but that's all wrong. We've come to depend on you. Way too much, without even a simple thanks... I was one of them. But I refuse to be an onlooker praying for salvation... I don't care what you're doing here, or why you help us. If my voice can reach you, then I must do my duty... Save the world.
[EN] Sol: Who the hell crosses their heart and uses command form...? Well, whatever. It was always my plan to seal Justice away on my own. Satisfied?
Sol is annoyed, but Leo presses.
[EN] Leo: I'm not asking about one goal... I'm asking about your purpose.
[JP] Leo: I’m not asking about your objective. I’m asking about what you WANT to achieve.
In EN the ‘purpose’ part leaves a bit of ambiguity. Is it purpose born out of obligation, or by others’ will? Sin and everyone wants Elphet back, so Sol’s too nice and gets swayed by their opinion, perhaps? It’s actually none of that. In JP, Leo is simply pressing directly for Sol’s desired outcome of this crisis in Rev2. “お前の意思を聞いている。” 意思 ishi means one’s will/desire in context.
In any case, the localization and JP both resulted in Leo gaining an understanding of Sol as an individual acting on his free will rather than some Hero God with obligations.
Also funnily enough, Leo finds a 3rd option to dig for Sol’s past. In this scene it’s implied he got information from Vernon. By not asking Sol directly about his past, Leo avoids pushing Lady Luck down a ravine.
4. Saint Foreshadowing
Thesis A (Link to Transcript)
Some bit of lost nuance in here. The team gathers around the strategy table to discuss how to neutralize Universal Will. It’s dire, and they need a Super Duper Trump Card. That Man joins the party, and suggests,
[EN] That Man: We use Saint Oratorio.
[EN] Sin: Ora...what now?
[EN] Sol: Saint Oratorio... A type of energy I've been researching. It basically has no limits.
[JP] Sol: Saint Oratorio, an energy with no limits. A research I once specialized in.
EN makes Saint Oratorio sound just like any other random magitek research that happened to exist, and Sol had a hand in it. In JP, Saint Oratorio sounds like THE energy source that THE Sol Badguy once went neck deep into.
[EN] Sol: Can it handle practical uses?
[EN] That Man: I loathe to admit, I've setback your dream. Right now, I've got it stable at Balmung class.
This is also interesting to note, because in Guilty Gear Begin, Sol wasn’t researching Saint Oratorio when he got turned into a Gear. He refers to himself as a subcontractor for the Gear Project, plus for some reason he was in Laboratory Beta of the research institute, alone in his lab, separated from Asuka/That Man and Aria. IIRC, the duo were assigned to Gamma, and the three of them would meet together during breaks. This seems to imply that Asuka/That Man pulled some strings to set the stage for Frederick/Sol to turn into a prototype gear, highly possible he foresaw the Gear project getting hijacked by military for malicious use.
Frederick has always been a loner, even when deep into researching. Saint Oratorio may have been developed mostly by just 1 guy.
(Feel free to correct me on this section if it’s wrong!)
These all also makes the ending of Strive where Frederick blasts God I-No with a Saint Orotario beam all the more delicious.
5. Square Ass.
Sense A (Link to transcript)
[EN] Ky: Please hold on for just a moment... I'd like to finish these. I'll hear your report once I'm done.
[EN] Sol: Well, hurry up. Before your foo-foo soft cushion turns my ass soft, too.
[EN] Ky: If you need something to do, please feel free to invite Sin here, as well. What do you say to a meal together?
[EN] Sol: Gonna give me all the dirty work?
[EN] Ky: I would be happy to switch seats anytime.
[EN] Sol: ...Well, your chair's gonna turn me square.
How can gorillaman be square? He’s a researcher once and still seems to be at heart, so he’s used to paperwork even if he hates it, right? Well, here’s the line in JP that didn’t cross well.
[JP] Sol: ...Your chair’s going to turn my ass square.
Guilty Gear Xrd Sign, minor fluff lost in translation
I've fallen into a Guilty Gear rabbit hole lately and I can't help but notice some minor things lost in translation. Being bugged by how no one seems to be pointing it out, I've decided to make a post about it.
3 tidbits about Sol, Ky, and their relationship conversation bits that didn't clear the translation barrier in one piece.
PS. Things get lost in translation all the time since no two languages are completely the same, which is perfectly ok! I will also try not to nitpick too much, no point in it.
Come one come all it's canonical SolKy or KySol food.
1. Overall tone. This portion has a good sprinkling of my opinion so keep it in mind as you read through.
Overall there's a difference in JP Sol and EN Sol in Xrd Sign and to some extent Xrd Rev2. Sol doesn't snark in JP as much, EN plays this up slightly. JP Sol is largely sarcastic and dismissive (lesser extent towards Ky and Sin), mostly similar to EN. I suspect the extra snark is to play up his assholish American traits since he's clearly written to be that way originally, lol.
Ky is well handled in comparison in EN. I don't have much to say about his character. His speech is very much in keigo and overall not too much was added nor taken away.
2. Example of extra snark and... Sol having high blood pressure.
Chapter 2, Struggle A (Link to transcript)
[EN] Sol: Ky, you know what high blood pressure is, right? If this conversation doesn't end, oh, I don't know, RIGHT NOW, mine's gonna give me an aneurysm.
[JP] Sol: Ky, you know I DO have high blood pressure? If this conversation doesn't end in 5 minutes I'm going to drop dead from being pissed off.
In JP, this line is phrased as カイ、テメェは俺が高血圧だと知っているな？, where it implies more that Ky should know Sol actually has hypertension... And while the English has retained it somewhat, the way it's worded makes it sound more like something a person would lie about just to be extra mean.
So I guess Sol has hypertension in canon.
3. Ky cares a great deal about Sol. +Sol doesn't call Ky a kid and does not treat him like one, but rather a familiar stranger in the start of Xrd Sign.
In Chapter 4 Part B (Link to transcript)
[EN] Ky: It is not! Yes, he took away some of what makes you human, but that doesn't mean he altered your mind or your soul.
[EN] Sol: So what?
[EN] Ky: I want to believe that you'll fight for the people of this world.
[EN] Sol: Are we seriously having this conversation?
[EN] Sol: Look, kid. I'm a monster. I'm here to do two things: Destroy That Man, and kill all the other Gears.
This is a slight nitpick because in context Sol isn't talking down to Ky, but putting his view into place juxtaposed to his. The EN isn't wrong to use “kid”, but messes up a potentially important bit -- that Sol does not see Ky as a naive boy anymore.
At no point in JP does he call Ky "boy" 坊や or "kid" 小僧, it seems like Ky has officially graduated from that nickname as of Overture. I've ran through a disgusting amount of lines (not all! so busy and idk how to find the short stories from the artbooks. T_T) and could not find any trace of that nickname in JP anywhere from Xrd onwards. Plus, Sol doesn't talk down to Ky in JP - in fact he seems to regard Ky as a familiar stranger more than anything else.
Sol: Not too different from the Valentines in that sense. Now if you've got it in your head that we're gonna be best pals, rethink that. I've got my own shit to take care of.
The conversation goes on a little, until this part which would make anyone's heart melt a bit.
[EN] Ky: If tomorrow promises to be cold and dark, I cannot stand idly by...even if I know my efforts will come to nothing.
[JP] Ky: If your tomorrow promises to be cold and dark, then I cannot remain a bystander and watch.
In JP Ky explicitly says "your tomorrow". Not everyone's, not humanity's, but Sol's tomorrow. Humanity's tomorrow is important, yes, but right now in this scene, Ky cares a great deal about Sol.
Sol, shocked for a moment, returns this.
[EN] Sol: ...The self-righteous apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
[JP] Sol: .... Jeez. Both the father and his son...
I think the localized result is more viable, since you can't really chuck a line like mine into a localized game. It's awkward English. But I do think it's kind of a missed opportunity when Sol says it softly and doesn't rag on their sense of justice, but rather their attachment towards him that he can't shake off.
This softness appears later in the convo as well however.
[EN] Ky: I don't expect the world to change tomorrow, but I do hope that, today, perhaps my words will reach you.
Sol... I'll be waiting for you. We'll all be waiting for you. Sin, Dizzy... Once all this is over...come home.
[JP] Ky: I'm not so foolish to think I can change anything overnight. So for now... I hope at least my words will reach you.
Listen, Sol. I'll be waiting for you. Sin and Dizzy too... We will all wait together. Once this is all over, come back to us.
Note again the lack of the world or humanity's tomorrow in the undertone. The meaning is largely retained, and the slight stretch to change "come back to us", to "come home" is valid with the sentiment of a home established back in Overture. I like it. (Also see the OST, Coming Home for the extra emphasis.)
Sol reacts to this with a surprisingly soft laugh.
[EN/JP] Sol: ... You're making me sick. Sure you didn't hit your head or something?
That's the end for now.
I’ve done another Lost In Translation for Revelator/Rev2! Takes a good time to gather materials and put them together lol. There's a sloppily translated bookstart and bookend plot point in that one, and a semi lost foreshadowing for Strive. There’s not much SolKy/KySol on this.
...piracy used to be sexy because as a consumer we had no legal channels to get a decent number of media out there in our own countries.
now its getting less sexier and more beggarish to think this way. if you like a media, if you can, buy it. if you pirate, its not sexy, its like whipping out your schlong in public, so hide it bc its ugly.
valid reasons for piracy: goods is not available or obtainable. or goods costs way too much for you to feasibly purchase. purchase of goods does not support the original creators. goods come bundled with a bear trap to bite your hand off if you so much as touch it (DRMs).
Anyway, won't be surprised if DGS/TGAA ends up being the last of the franchise. The sales aren't good. It could be covid, it could be people just not buying it for their own reasons.
The motion capture actress responsible for half the casts' motion data, the composers, the writer, the artist, the 3d asset creators, the UI designers, everyone could literally be placed elsewhere on other projects to make bigger games that justify the efforts.
But, you know, weirdos saying it's ok to pirate and shut down a studio part of a bigger company, literally what? Potentially putting them out of a job and killing a franchise. Real classy to punch down and at the same thing you like. Just because we're in a capitalism hellscape doesn't mean you blindly lash out and put actual people and the things you actually like in jeopardy. I know some of us online are young and have never worked a day in their lives, but Christ.
You may disgaree with translation/localization choices, that's ok. But you may not actively come out and dismiss people's efforts to bring the game out of Japan and then spit on them in the same breath.
In the past it was impossible to experience DGS for most folks who didn't understand Japanese, which is exactly why I started out my (shitty) YouTube translation. I didn't insert too much extra things and sought to keep things as pure as possible. Why? Because I don't have the blessings or permission of the original dev team. So inserting anything extra is akin to me putting my own words into the script.
But guess what?
Any and all translations are 90% the translator's voice coming through. Because translation is art and Japanese and English are not the same language. Thesis can be brought through the language barrier but not line to line texts.
Things have changed. You want a pure script, I suggest learning Japanese and experience the game in its original Japanese form. That's the purest unadultered way you can enjoy it with no influence from any translator.
Scarlet Study has a website up to explain their translation choices. You know who else did the same? Janet Hsu. The official localization team. Both teams hold the same respect for the original script. You don't get to say they don't.
Buy the game. Not having enough at the moment is understandable, but you want more art to thrive, you want more narrative, pay up eventually. Or simply turn around, keep quiet and leave with your whole asshole. I didn't start the YouTube translation for shitty assholes, I started only to give everyone a chance in a time where it didn't seem like there was any.
