Pretty Horrible English Localization

[Pixelica]

It's horrible, if you understand even a bit of Japanese, you will easily get confused because the localizer really like to tell their own story with their own wording instead of just translate it as it is. Often what you heard and what you read will be so different in meaning. It's not just the complex sentences, even the basic one got butchered.

They also like to use impression and western cringe jokes, which really ruin your immersion and made characters out of place.
Even when some characters speak proper formal Japanese, but they changed it to awkward cringe English and add out of place impression.

Top super translation:
(JP): Hmm
(EN): A wishful thinking
They somehow managed to translate "Hmm" into a complete sentence, even tho the character clearly didn't spoke a single word.

(JP): Are you two a couple?
(JP): What!? No, we are just working together
(EN): Are you two an item?
(EN): An item!? Gross, no we are not...
wtf even....

2nd example:
(JP): The ship is still being repaired
(EN): The ship is in the shop
You... sell the ship bro?

3rd example:
Character A: We can't ignore people in trouble
Character B: Exactamundo!
what??

4th example:
(JP): Still talking about that?
(EN): You guys are such a dork
Why?

5th example:
(JP): (dodged thrown spear) That is absurd!!
(EN): (dodged thrown spear) Well that is just happened...

Localization should be below translation. Localization should be suggested not enforced.

If you understand Japanese even a bit, you will know the localization is out of proportion in this game. Not on Crunchyroll level, but still disturbing.

It's cringe, it frequently changed the context, some doesn't even fit the situation, it's even changed some of the character personality. Most localization staff lack the ability to respect the original author, it's really unethical.

When I play Japanese game, I want to experience the Japanese experience from Japanese perspective. I don't buy Japanese game so I can experience sick Western ideology.

[Катюша]

American market is unfortunately the target audience, as such mostly everything caters to them. The localisation is atrocious, this much is definitely true.

[Hikelos]

I guess it's a skip until fans fix the dialogue on this one too.
It's getting really tiresome.

[The Living Darkness]

the 2nd example I will agree is a poor translation. However the first one without any context is actually fine. In english people dont say something like "it will be done in seconds." They could say "It will be done in a second", or "it will be done in a moment" but both of these sound devoid of character. So if the person is supposed to be serious or mature then these would be good translations. "It will be done in a jiffy" is perfectly fine english but would denote spunk in the character, so if the character is young or cocky or animated this would better denote that personality.

[Sola]

Glad I don't use english subs. They are almost never good

[Pixelica]

Originally posted by The Living Darkness:

the 2nd example I will agree is a poor translation. However the first one without any context is actually fine. In english people dont say something like "it will be done in seconds." They could say "It will be done in a second", or "it will be done in a moment" but both of these sound devoid of character. So if the person is supposed to be serious or mature then these would be good translations. "It will be done in a jiffy" is perfectly fine english but would denote spunk in the character, so if the character is young or cocky or animated this would better denote that personality.

Problem with this is, non Westerner like myself won't actually know what "jiffy" is, and had to look up internet for the definition. Also the character is indeed mature, calm, and collective. That is why I found it weird... It's really out of place.

[ℜitz]

Originally posted by Pixelica:

Originally posted by The Living Darkness:

the 2nd example I will agree is a poor translation. However the first one without any context is actually fine. In english people dont say something like "it will be done in seconds." They could say "It will be done in a second", or "it will be done in a moment" but both of these sound devoid of character. So if the person is supposed to be serious or mature then these would be good translations. "It will be done in a jiffy" is perfectly fine english but would denote spunk in the character, so if the character is young or cocky or animated this would better denote that personality.

Problem with this is, non Westerner like myself won't actually know what "jiffy" is, and had to look up internet for the definition. Also the character is indeed mature, calm, and collective. That is why I found it weird... It's really out of place.

Not even Americans speak like that. While we might understand the meaning, it's cheesy and bad lol.

Localizing is often more than just translations but sometimes they go a bit heavy handed in infusing their own personality rather than sticking closer to source.

[donjapster]

whatever it is, still playing it :D

[Dr. Oetker]

The expression in a jiffy was in use as early as 1780. It is a colloquial English expression for “in a short amount of time.” The origins of jiffy are unknown, though there are theories. One suggestion is that it comes from British thieves’ slang for “lightning,” hence very fast. An early instance appears in 1780 edition of Town and Country Magazine: “Most of the limbs of the law do every thing in a jiffy…”

so we can safely say that the translator speaks and reads english, but not the murica english.

[Pixelica]

Originally posted by Mina:

They probably hired an agency full of woke and LGBTQ employees with "self tought" japanese. Maybe a mod can be made to properly translate the game.

Translation mod is rare and pretty hard to do for RPG, there is just too many lines to fix and edit.

[ingosupercute]

Originally posted by Mina:

They probably hired an agency full of woke and LGBTQ employees with "self tought" japanese. Maybe a mod can be made to properly translate the game.

And they will get super mad if someone suggests their work being done by AI faster, cheaper and better in the future.

[W!nk]

Well its even worse in French, english voice say something and the French subtitle say something else like sentence being changed from "i almost died"(english) to "i died"(french) and this is just one of many in the 1h of playing the game.

[Gavodir]

Translators need to respect the source material. You have no business inserting your own quirky nonsense you're there to do a job.

[redkelba]

Most translators doesn't understand that their work is to translate. Not to be co-author, not to adapt text to what they think is right, just to translate.

To that translator that delete their post - "jiffy" isn't right under any circumstances in this case. Japanese language not so rough to not be able to use some japanese "jiffy" analog. If they decided that it is ok for that character to use "seconds" then it is not your right to decide if that character is laid back enough or not, you need to use "seconds".

Probably translators think that if they will add something personal to their translations then they will be able to present their work in a more profitable way, because they are dont want to loose their job, or want to looks better than others translators in eyes of the employer who know only one language, or don't wanna to be replaced by AI, or something like that. I know 3 languages and I have no respect to most translators

[D. Seitaro]

So we've got Kobayashi's Dragon Maid level of "translators" in action again?

Well, if Japanese industry ever decides to replace them with AI to do the translation, they've only got themselves to blame for not doing their job.

[Anya]

You guys realize that the localization team is in Japan and works on the actual granblue game lol, you people really just wanna stomp your feet and cry about HECKING pronouns