FE7 Localization: Ursula’s “my lady Limstella” [JPN vs ENG]

Happy new year to all! Really sorry about the lack of posts lately… life has just been so busy.

A short and very trivial post today, mostly for posterity! A thread on reddit regarding gender pronouns got me curious to check a line in Ch 26 of FE7, where Ursula refers to Limstella as “my lady Limstella.”

Fans of FE7 are aware that Limstella isn’t really clearly referred to as male or female throughout the game, so this line sticks out a bit with that in mind.

The question that arises is: does the JP script also clearly define Limstella in this line to point at any intended gender?

Short answer: No, the JP uses a gender neutral title (“-sama” 様), so the gender-specific title is unique to the ENG/Localization.

You can see more details below. (Please be wary of spoilers for FE7).

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Pokemon Sword/Shield: Are Poke Kids Mia and Rhys’s names a nod to Fire Emblem?

While playing Pokemon Shield, I encountered two Poke Kids, a girl and a boy, on Route 4. They are in the same area in close proximity to each other in the northeast section of the route.

Their names? Mia and Rhys.

As an FE fan, that really stuck out, as we know these names as the pair of mercenaries from Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. Fun!

So naturally I wondered if this was an intentional reference, or total coincidence?

Short answer: If not a coincidence, then it may be a very light localization-side reference out of opportunity. There is no JP reference however.

If interested in taking a closer look, then see below!

E3 2019 Nintendo Direct: How did they present the Bowser Gag in Japanese? JPN vs ENG

A very brief post!

During the E3 2019 Nintendo Direct, there was a scene with a gag involving Nintendo of America’s President Doug Bowser and the character Bowser.

Immediately I (and some others) thought: “How did that joke work in Japanese?” After all, his name in Japanese is not Bowser, but “Koopa.”

It’s pretty straightforward actually. Looking at the Japanese version of the presentation, they just added a note in the overlay that is not present in the English version:

The overlay says: “Bowser (Koopa’s English name)” and “Doug Bowser (NoA President).

So, the joke is actually presented exactly the same/with the same script, just with these added notes for context.

While explaining the joke with these subtitles may lessen the impact to those already “in” on it, it was probably necessary for this specific context.

That being said, if you could think of an alternative way to present Doug Bowser and Koopa in a case of English to Japanese localization, that may be a fun exercise!

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The steps beyond simply “translating” a song (“Mimikyu’s Song” – Pokémon)

Today I wanted to make a quick post talking about song translation and the difficulties/challenges people face when actually localizing it (officially or not). For reference, what I mean is beyond the simple translation, a way that works in the spirit of the original while still applying to the target audience/medium.

I felt it was a perfect opportunity to talk about after posting several different versions of the Mimikyu Song

I post every version in order below with some brief comments describing the step by step. A big thanks to aria and Alisha Lyn for doing the rhyming & rhythm fitting respectively. : )

Check out aria’s twitter here!

Check out Alisha Lyn’s twitter here!

Here is the song for reference:

Legend of Zelda: Tri-Force Heroes NoA VS NoE Localization (1)

There has been a lot of buzz about Tri-Force Hereos’ localization in North America versus that in Europe. A notable example was a meme included in the NoA version that was non existent in the Japanese and NoE versions. This split people down whether it is wise to include a meme into a game and risk losing the “timeless” factor. You can read a great article on Legends of Localization about that.

For me, I’m just looking at other smaller things that still stand out in odd ways. One of my friends is playing through the NoE localized version, and did me a favor and found the same part of the game in NoA. Look at the differences:

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya – “Lost My Music” (EN/JP) Lyrics Comparison

Today’s post compares the original “Lost my music” to the officially localized version.

The first translation is my own that I translated a few posts ago. It is a literal translation from the Japanese lyrics. The localized lyrics follow. I add some notes at the bottom.

Enjoy!

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya – “God knows…” (EN/JP) Lyrics Comparison

Today’s post compares the original “God knows…” to the officially localized version.

The first translation is my own that I translated a few posts ago. It is a literal translation from the Japanese lyrics. The localized lyrics follow. I add some notes at the bottom.

Enjoy!

Valkyria Chronicles: “A Love Passed On”/”Succeeded Wish” (EN/JP) Lyrics Comparison

Today’s post compares the original “Succeeded Wish” (受け継がれる想い Uketsugareru Omoi) to the officially localized version, “A Love Passed On.”

The first translation is my own that I translated a few posts ago. It is a literal translation from the Japanese lyrics. The localized lyrics follow. I add some notes at the bottom.

Aladdin: “A Whole New World” Japanese/English Lyrics Comparison

Yesterday’s post translated the song A Whole New World  from Japanese to literal English. Today I wanted to post my translated Japanese version next to the official English lyrics. We can then compare how the Japanese translated a song that was originally written in English!

Enjoy!

Pokémon: X/Y “Kiseki” Lyrics Comparisons (English/Japanese)

Yesterday’s post translated the song Kiseki  from Japanese to literal English. Today I wanted to post the translated Japanese version next to the officially localized English version. This is mostly trivia for people (and myself) who were wondering what the differences are.

Enjoy!