Translation differences and preferences.

[Aori]

Cartoon characters do not have to be one thing, though. That gets boring after awhile- at least that's my opinion. I understand cultural appropriation but what I meant to say bothers me is the fact that they are so cruel to eachother and that's all they feel like in the american version. I'm just tired of them being nothing but arguments. I hope that's understandable. I don't really feel like continuing to argue about this solely because it just boils back down to the fact I'm personally unhappy with all the fighting and it wavered my opinion to feel worse for callie, whom was going to choose marie's team and nothing can really change that. This is why I chose Callie's team instead of Marie's team.

 

[birdiebee]

okay fine i get it, you like it when siblings are total pricks to eachother

I didn't say that. Why are you getting so defensive?

"youre nasty and i dislike you and everything you stand for"

I read NA's Marie dialogue as incredibly sarcastic--as she is known to be. It sounds blunt, but I honestly do not believe Marie harbors any ill will toward Callie.

Tropes arent that entertaing to me anymore as a lot of people i run into overglorify them and exagerrate them, then act like its the ONLY way a person or character is supposed to act

You're right. That annoys me as well, so I hope you didn't misconstrue my stance as defending the way people overglorify them. I was just stating that their personalities are trope-heavy.

i get the whole thing of making it "fit our region" though not all games and even translated shows have to do that, at least not to the extreme. (looking at you 4kids)

That's true too. Games that are more story-heavy with characters who are more nuanced I believe should definitely be cautious in taking liberties to adjust their characters. It can lead to plot-holes and inconsistencies between various character interactions. I believe Fire Emblem Fates caught some heat for this although I haven't played it myself. In the case of Splatoon, though, specifically Callie and Marie, they are two characters who only interact with each other, only very occasionally, and mostly for comedic effect. So they have wiggle room for spicing up or toning down the dialogue between regions in my opinion.

EDIT: @Aori I'm sorry to press it but I'm genuinely curious to know so I'll ask again: if you believe that the JP versions of the characters are their true versions, why are you switching sides based on their NA dialogue? Why not make your decision based on their JP dialogue?

 

[Aori]

EDIT: @Aori I'm sorry to press it but I'm genuinely curious to know so I'll ask again: if you believe that the JP versions of the characters are their true versions, why are you switching sides based on their NA dialogue? Why not make your decision based on their JP dialogue?

Sadly it's because that's the only version I have, so I feel strange going off of dialogue that's not even in my version of the game. Of course, it was a bit silly of me to think that the Japanese version was superior when things are different for a reason. I apologize about that. I guess from what I saw of their dialogue translations I just preferred it? Then again, I don't know what the JP splatfest announcement was for this splatfest.

I don't know how else to honestly explain it. I'm just tired of seeing Callie and Marie fight in the end.

EDIT: Also if Marie is being sarcastic and is known for that, why doesn't Callie realize? Unless they're acting this way just to help define the teams and both are ok with this outside of the news reports?

 

[Meta Knightmare]

sorry for coming off as defensive, I guess the wording brushed me off as that-- though I'll admit, I was exagerrating a bit on them "bring pricks at eachother" with when it was stated how "they are spunky/sassy with eachother" when sometimes (how I see it) theyre just downright rude/mean
and its true that Marie was sarcastic and whatnot, but I guess i still saw it as she just shot down any kind of kind words Callie had to say towards her as "your words are dust to me" after Callie mentioning she was being the "bigger squid" though both of them are just childish in the US how I see it in general. Marie was set up for failure imo
Perhaps Callie shouldnt've offered to be with Marie's team in general haha

 

[Aori]

Personally, I think I'm starting to realize I shouldn't have trusted my impulse on which squid sister to choose. Looking over the announcement again, i'm realizing that it came off a lot like joking around albeit in a slightly demoralizing way for those who wanted them to choose eachother's team, and honestly I was too caught up in the fact I wanted Callie to be on Marie's team and Marie to be on Callie's team that I got upset when Marie said "nah!"

In the end I still wish I chose Marie despite that, because honestly she's my favorite squid sister despite me loving them both equally. Sure, I don't like how they act in the NA version, but I'm going to be honest and say that it's implied they're reading off a teleprompter so all of this could be shown to them to influence votes and entertain the audience. Outside of news reports, they're causally talking and interacting implying they really have nothing against eachother. I wish I realized this before I voted, or I really would have chosen team Marie still not only because she's my favorite, but also because I prefer her color.

Gosh, i'm so ridiculous. I apologize for acting so silly with my opinions on the translations. I was so caught up in not wanting them to fight that I forgot the teleprompter and the fact that it could have been rigged for this to happen in the NA version.

 

[Cuttleshock]

A general point: I want to find Splatoon believable within its silly constraints; I have similar feelings towards most games or other series I really like (Pokémon, Layton, Ghost Trick, Advance Wars, to name a few). So yes, the world doesn't make any sense (I mean, the whole 'squids swimming in ink' thing and more), but it's consistent with itself. But once I accept what is and isn't realistic within the universe of Splatoon, I'm subsequently okay with anything that it does as long as it makes sense in-universe.

Splatoon has done two major things that break that, I find. One is sponsored Splatfests - there's no canonical explanation for them (... I guess Cats vs. Dogs also doesn't make sense, since they should both be extinct). The second is dialogue in the NA version. Plausibility also means plausible characters and dialogue which takes itself seriously. Advance Wars is a ridiculous series, colourful tanks exploding each other in PEGI 3 scenes and the most shallow stories and characters (until Dark Conflict) - but it really believes in itself, which allows me to believe in it.

Callie calling Marie out on her grey hair (in NA) constitutes, for me, some degree of self-parody from the game, which I don't like. Spyke and Octavio speaking in memes (in NA) means the game isn't taking itself seriously. Marie making shocking remarks, like that about burning her old work uniform (in NA), isn't something that I'd believe a newscaster/idol would say or do - so I find that it disturbs my sense of immersion in the game.

And that's why I don't like the NA text! In part.

 

[WeirdChillFever]

A general point: I want to find Splatoon believable within its silly constraints; I have similar feelings towards most games or other series I really like (Pokémon, Layton, Ghost Trick, Advance Wars, to name a few). So yes, the world doesn't make any sense (I mean, the whole 'squids swimming in ink' thing and more), but it's consistent with itself. But once I accept what is and isn't realistic within the universe of Splatoon, I'm subsequently okay with anything that it does as long as it makes sense in-universe.

Splatoon has done two major things that break that, I find. One is sponsored Splatfests - there's no canonical explanation for them (... I guess Cats vs. Dogs also doesn't make sense, since they should both be extinct). The second is dialogue in the NA version. Plausibility also means plausible characters and dialogue which takes itself seriously. Advance Wars is a ridiculous series, colourful tanks exploding each other in PEGI 3 scenes and the most shallow stories and characters (until Dark Conflict) - but it really believes in itself, which allows me to believe in it.

Callie calling Marie out on her grey hair (in NA) constitutes, for me, some degree of self-parody from the game, which I don't like. Spyke and Octavio speaking in memes (in NA) means the game isn't taking itself seriously. Marie making shocking remarks, like that about burning her old work uniform (in NA), isn't something that I'd believe a newscaster/idol would say or do - so I find that it disturbs my sense of immersion in the game.

And that's why I don't like the NA text! In part.

First of all, sponsored Splafests do make sense since the "words from high" are debates that we recorded through fax (I can't find a link rn but the developers said so IIRC)

I think the immersion works better in the NA version, because it uses the 80/90's theme and uses it in everything.
This way, it really feels like you're a teenager, you're part of the gang.
The slang (It's not memey! It's slang!) gives the world of Inkopolis a vibe, a theme, a culture of its own and I believe that makes the immersion bigger.
In Europe, the text distances itself from the theme and keeps it at a basic level which feels a bit too formal to me for what's essentially a game about a sub-culture of inky teenagers playing sports.

Spyke in NA has a personality through the slang you'd expect a random guy on the streets to have.
Spyke in Europe is just another person.

Octavio is just another "threathening villain guy" in Europe.
Although NoA went way too overboard with the "slang" (to the point where it does get memey) I still prefer "IMMA REMIX YOUR FACE" over anything EUctavio says.

Europe makes correct translation that do their jobs but lack personality and NA makes translations with an artistic liberty but that sometimes go too far and I prefer the latter.

 

[Cuttleshock]

Europe makes correct translation that do their jobs but lack personality and NA makes translations with an artistic liberty but that sometimes go too far and I prefer the latter.

And I prefer the former. Okay, thanks for presenting those points! Oh, and thanks for the point about sponsored 'fests - that changes my perspective on them very positively.

 

[Ansible]

<sassy sarcastic Ansible>Dear lord what is wrong with you people and this board? Congenial argumentation and reasoned debate with the occasional harsh sentence as if it was a spice and not the main course? Opinions being tolerated and *gasp* even changed through dialogue. And apologising for mistakes or attitudes? What's become of my interwebs?!

*packs bags*

Squidboards, you have failed me! I'm going to find a proper flame war, like in the good old days of internetting. I'm going to chill at a different forum for a bit where none of this sappy Saturday morning nonsense prevails!</sassy sarcastic Ansible>

But really this thread makes me nostalgic on the conversations I once had regarding translation of poetry as well as TV shows & movies to and from other languages. And then there are the ancient anime sub/dub flame wars of yore I barely recall like a mythical Viking tale.

Good times, good times...

 

[WeirdChillFever]

<sassy sarcastic Ansible>Dear lord what is wrong with you people and this board? Congenial argumentation and reasoned debate with the occasional harsh sentence as if it was a spice and not the main course? Opinions being tolerated and *gasp* even changed through dialogue. And apologising for mistakes or attitudes? What's become of my interwebs?!

*packs bags*

Squidboards, you have failed me! I'm going to find a proper flame war, like in the good old days of internetting. I'm going to chill at a different forum for a bit where none of this sappy Saturday morning nonsense prevails!</sassy sarcastic Ansible>

But really this thread makes me nostalgic on the conversations I once had regarding translation of poetry as well as TV shows & movies to and from other languages. And then there are the ancient anime sub/dub flame wars of yore I barely recall like a mythical Viking tale.

Good times, good times...

Reasonable debate with a professional tone?

WALUIGI HATES THIS.

 

[Award]

A general point: I want to find Splatoon believable within its silly constraints; I have similar feelings towards most games or other series I really like (Pokémon, Layton, Ghost Trick, Advance Wars, to name a few). So yes, the world doesn't make any sense (I mean, the whole 'squids swimming in ink' thing and more), but it's consistent with itself. But once I accept what is and isn't realistic within the universe of Splatoon, I'm subsequently okay with anything that it does as long as it makes sense in-universe.

Splatoon has done two major things that break that, I find. One is sponsored Splatfests - there's no canonical explanation for them (... I guess Cats vs. Dogs also doesn't make sense, since they should both be extinct). The second is dialogue in the NA version. Plausibility also means plausible characters and dialogue which takes itself seriously. Advance Wars is a ridiculous series, colourful tanks exploding each other in PEGI 3 scenes and the most shallow stories and characters (until Dark Conflict) - but it really believes in itself, which allows me to believe in it.

Callie calling Marie out on her grey hair (in NA) constitutes, for me, some degree of self-parody from the game, which I don't like. Spyke and Octavio speaking in memes (in NA) means the game isn't taking itself seriously. Marie making shocking remarks, like that about burning her old work uniform (in NA), isn't something that I'd believe a newscaster/idol would say or do - so I find that it disturbs my sense of immersion in the game.

And that's why I don't like the NA text! In part.

One thing to keep in mind is the whole point of the regional localization units is to tailor the game's script and assets to suit the cultural expectations of the region the represent to achieve the same mental effect as the original achieves upon its Japanese audience. The aim is to maintain the same effect or impression of the character upon people accustomed to certain cultural traits as the Japanese players would receive from that character/event/costume relative to theirs.

You prefer the NoE translation and find the NoA one to be over the top. And you're in the NoE region. But does that mean the NoE one is better, or simply that the NoE localization unit did an excellent job tailoring the characters for what most people in your region would respond to, and that the version adapted to American tastes, appropriately, doesn't suit your local expectations?

Of course they won't always get it right. Their job is not to translate but to localize. If it was pure translation Bill Trinnen could be the whole Treehouse just by himself. He'd have had Xenoblade Chronicles X translated in a few weeks if not less. Localizing means making leaps of logic to adapt the meaning and impression of events and models and dialogues to have a RELATIVE equivalence to the Japanese original on its intended audience. They might get it wrong or not, but they're job is specifically to attempt to make it more fitting by making it different.

The same goes for all the internet wars on "censoring" of things like the Fire Emblem Fates and costumes/characters in XBCX and Tokyo Mirage. Raging about the "censoring" misses the point that their so called culturally aware selves miss. They're not censoring the half nude 16 year old girl because the "prudes" don't think we can handle such cultural sophistication of Japanese content - it's because the connotations and implications of such attire on such a character would have a very different meaning and change our impression of that character to be something other than the way the Japanese audience sees her. The "censored" version is designed to give people adapted to cultural norms here the same impression of the charater as the "uncensored" Japanese version does based on norms there. Though I'm sure meeting the ESRB requirements plays into that more than they admit as well.

 

[Lyn]

I prefer the NA translation out of all of them. Most specifically for DJ Octavio's dialogue.

 

[blu]

I actually like the NA version too; I have no problem with it. Personally, I never really took the way they talk to each other as constant arguing, but simply as casual conversations with some snide remarks thrown in by Marie, who's supposed to be the level-headed cousin anyway. She's gonna call out Callie's silliness, and she's not gonna be as cheery which is her personality. I'm ok with that. Another thing is that the original Japanese version, from what I understand is based on the slapstick routines commonly done in japan in which one sets up the joke, gag, whatever, while the other calls them out on it, hits them on the head, whatever.

The way the dialog is localized here in the states makes sense from that standpoint; Callie is, at heart, a carefree naive squid with some immaturity she's not ashamed of. Marie on the other hand is more level-headed, down to earth, and is not afraid to say it how she sees it. I don't think its done in a mean way at all, but mostly in good fun. Most of the comments Marie makes when you turn on the game are usually in correction of Callie's supposed inconsistencies, while at other times points out certain aspects of here personality we probably wouldn't know otherwise (like her clumsiness, her kiddyside, and other small things that aren't fleshed out in this universe.)

A little long winded, but tl;dr Marie's remarks are usually done in good fun; not because she doesn't like Callie, but because its simply part of her personality, and a reflection of the original japanese dialog done in a more american context that's relatable.

 

[Cuttleshock]

A little long winded, but tl;dr Marie's remarks are usually done in good fun; not because she doesn't like Callie, but because its simply part of her personality, and a reflection of the original japanese dialog done in a more american context that's relatable.

Have to say, yours is the post that's been most convincing to me (as a US translation detractor) thus far. Similar points to those that others have made but your version somehow worked well for me. Although I still can't be convinced regarding Spyke and Octavio...

 

[birdiebee]

Another thing is that the original Japanese version, from what I understand is based on the slapstick routines commonly done in japan in which one sets up the joke, gag, whatever, while the other calls them out on it, hits them on the head, whatever.

Wow, I never really made this connection before. You're totally right. Callie is boke and Marie is tsukkomi in the sense of a manzai skit. Nice catch!

 

[Hero of Lime]

Definitely would side with the NA translations. I remember seeing the direct translations in the other regions, and the dialogue, as others have said, was pretty dull in comparison. A lot of the characters had less personality, the dialogue was much less memorable.

 

[Airi]

Normally, I would choose the original Japanese translations with almost anything but when it comes to Splatoon... I think North America wins this one. I've seen the Japanese translations from my friends' streams and I've seen a bit of the European ones too. I think North America has the most personality in the dialogue - especially for the Squid Sisters. I just wish they'd cool it with Marie's attitude. o.o She's becoming a little too nasty for my tastes and I'm starting to prefer any other region Marie over NA's Marie. xP

But overall, I think NA has the most personality in the game and some of the better translations for once.

 

[blu]

Have to say, yours is the post that's been most convincing to me (as a US translation detractor) thus far. Similar points to those that others have made but your version somehow worked well for me. Although I still can't be convinced regarding Spyke and Octavio...

Spyke was kind of a throwaway for me. Have no idea what he's like in the other versions, but I guess he's British in our version. *shrug* Octavio is awesome though so I respectfully disagree! He was quite hammy and I enjoyed the fresh (no pun intended ) approach to a boss that's not too serious like Most game bosses are. It was refreshing for me.

I actually wouldn't mind checking out the other translations to see what they're like. I've only gotten glimpses here and there, and via splatoonwiki for various map names and such.

 

[Award]

Spyke was kind of a throwaway for me. Have no idea what he's like in the other versions, but I guess he's British in our version. *shrug* Octavio is awesome though so I respectfully disagree! He was quite hammy and I enjoyed the fresh (no pun intended ) approach to a boss that's not too serious like Most game bosses are. It was refreshing for me.

I actually wouldn't mind checking out the other translations to see what they're like. I've only gotten glimpses here and there, and via splatoonwiki for various map names and such.

@Cuttleshock, like most Brits, has a knee-jerk reaction to the cokney (can't spell right due to censoring, lol) stereotyping, so NoA Spyke is an immediate turn-off to most of the UK. What Brits miss is that Americans generally find cokneys awesome, stereotype or no :P I suppose it would be like the UK version having a redneck Spyke. Except nobody here really would get bothered by it :)

I'm not sure why it's so generally disliked as a concept there versus other stereotypings. You'd think that the worst would be Russians who are always characterized as the villains. But most Russian gamers I've talked to find it cool to be cast as the villains in games and movies...so *shrug*

 

[Cuttleshock]

On a somewhat sour note, I have to say that I found Marie's exclamation at the start of the US Splatfest results announcement pretty off-putting. I have quite strong feelings about harsh language in certain media, and it's definitely jarring in Splatoon. I realise she used a pun and everything but it wasn't necessary - did they really have to put that in? Other than that, though, the US announcement did seem nicer than the UK version, the latter not feeling particularly special given that it was the final event.