Fire Emblem Fates Localization: Beruka x Saizou C Support Change (Major)

This is part of Fire Emblem Fates localization comparison posts! I discuss anything from major to minor changes here as I play through the game. Today, we look at a .support conversation between Beruka (Belka) and Saizo (Saizou).

This is a rather interesting change.

Please note that this post is purely informative and may share some opinion, but this does not mean the change is necessarily good or bad. A change is just a change that is being looked into, and you can be the judge of whether you like it or not!

It is all just for fun and curiosity for me. : )

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Thanks to a video on youtube, (or see below) this conversation came to light:

Saizo : ….

Beruka : ….

Saizo : …..

Beruka : ….

This does not seem to be a joke video, as it appears that way in the text dump, even, as seen here.

The Japanese version meanwhile, had this conversation (translation not mine, taken from above link. I did not cross-check it with the script, as it is not the translation that is of issue here, mostly).

C SUPPORT
Saizou: You’re…. The assassin from Nohr, Belka aren’t you.
Belka:  …..did you want something? Hoshido’s shinobi…..Saizou.
S: Oh….? It seems that we already know one another’s names.
B: Yes…. The name Saizou of Hoshido is widely known in Nohr. The next king’s faithful retainer…. As well as an assassin of high ability.
S: Same here, from a young age to kill without hesitation, rumours of a little girl that was a ruthless murder weapon.
B: …I see. How many…. Have you killed?
S: What’s with that question….. you remember such things?
B: As an assassin counting is a daily routine in my job. But after I was taken in by Camilla…. I stopped counting. I don’t know if that’s good or bad for me… only that that had changed.
S: Is that so.
B:  ….I’ve answered. So how about you?
S: I…. can never forget. Even if I don’t want to remember…. Even if I want to forget….. The faces and numbers of people that I’ve killed…. It’s been engraved clearly into my heart.
B: ……I see.
S: To have to join hands with an assassin from an enemy country like this must be fate. We both have Lords that we must protect….. Belka. Please take good care of me from here on out.
B: Yes.

The fact there is originally some content in general in there is already quite the change. The biggest difference this makes to the western player is missing out on such exposition between the two.

The stranger part is that the B, A, and S conversations are true to the Japanese content. In fact, they go on talking as if the above (in Japanese) actually happened, which may cause a bit of a disconnect.

This is how the B support begins (in the localization):

Saizo: When you were still taking contracts, did you do most of your jobs alone?

Beruka: Of course. I didn’t need help. But after Lady Camilla took me in and enlisted me in the army… As head of a special strike force, I worked with partners more often.

So why the silent treatment for the C support? Did they feel it may show how quiet/unwilling to speak the two are? Or was it a glitch or forgotten translation with “…” placeholders that they forgot about to be addressed later? Fans aren’t really sure. The B starts with as if they had spoken before.

Or, is it perhaps a reference to a relatively obscure joke support between Jaffar and Rath from Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken (FE7)? See below!

Either way, this is one of the stranger localization changes in the game so far…

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I will continue to note these little differences (and major ones apparently in the supports!) as I go through the games. Feel free to point out anything that stands out and that need looking into! I have played all three games already in Japanese, so do not worry about spoilers.

What do you think? Do you prefer what they did versus the original exposition they could’ve done?