Over-localization
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Just a simple question, why do all translations end in a hell of over-localization? Is there really a reason to wipe clean cultural references and the likes?
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Well, I would say it's related to the fact people like myself occasionally make posts that could be summarized as "why are the translations under-localized?" Which is to say that different people have different preferences for the degree of localization, and most translations end up somewhere in the middle.
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How much localisation is optimal would be very subjective from the individual consumer's POV and wildly different to the optimal level from the people trying to sell the translation's POV where they want the barrier to entry for n00bs to be as low as possible.
Edit: @hatguy12 you're a ninja
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@daerovius said in Over-localization:
all translations
That's kind of the issue: every translation has its own degree of localization, even within the same publisher (eg JNC). So my own complaint, with the acknowledgement that there's not really a lot that can be done to solve it, is that there is a very inconsistent standard of localization across translations, especially when it comes to the more niche terms.
The usual culprits are "tsundere", "lolicon", and "siscon", at least for the stories I read, which probably says something about the genres I prefer.
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@daerovius "Localization" can mean something different for everyone, so if you want to have a productive discussion on the topic, it's really necessary that you include some specific examples for people to debate.
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Please replace all "senpais" and "senseis". Arigato Gozaimasu! =P
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@terrence Sempai and Semsei it is! Douzo!
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@sam-pinansky Dōzo. Macrons are cute.
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@_08 You might be onto something. Antromorphized punctuation/ortographic symbols might be the next fad!
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Translator note: Keikaku means plan.
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for the localization, I would rather have a consistent translation, like Manga is always Manga or Manga will always be translated as Comic. I would also want to understand what I am reading so generally speaking if something is not a name then I feel it should be translated into English, I think of the dere types as names.
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@drone205 well, the deres being left as is is understandable. Imagine the outrage there'd be if we got "violent bipolar bitch" or "horny possessive psycho" instead of tsundere and yandere. 'Cause, you know, that's pretty much an accurate translation xD.
PS: I like me some tsunderes, like Rin from FSN. The part where they get embarrassed and can't be honest with themselves so they pretend to dislike their love interesting is cute AF. But I hate the overly violent kind. I just can't find them likeable.
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@paulnamida Tsunderes are fine as long as they arent hyper violent.
Yanderes are never fine in my book. I've been in a relationship with a violently obsesive partner who fit the term. I now get super nervous and squick when I see that trope, having experienced it myself. -
Not all translators work for 4Kids. Especially hard given they haven’t existed for years.
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I'd prefer something over-localized to something under-translated.
Case in point...
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I'd prefer something under-localized to something over-translated.
Case in point... IN LIGHT NOVELSTate no Yuusha (The Rising of the Shield Hero)
The official translation is over-translated and it is very bad, the webnovel fan-translation is better.Bookwalker:
Mr. Naofumi
Ms. Rapthalia / Rapthalia
Raph-chan ( LOL )Many parts of the story are broken because this translation.
Fan-translation:
Iwatani-sama / Naofumi-san / Naofumi-chan
Rapthalia-san / Rapthalia-chan / Rapthalia
Raph-chan -
Honorifics are a general ongoing debate. Some people prefer to keep them, some people prefer not to keep them. It's hard to argue that the story is broken because of the presence or lack of honorifics.
IIRC the normal JNC approach is to remove them unless the setting is Japan? I know that for Smartphone, Steiner decided to remove honorifics except for people from Eashen, since that's pseudo-Japan, which helps to lend Eashen a nice flavour.
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@guspaz Agree it's an ongoing debate. Heck, I'll occasionally toss on the honorific when I post in the forum. (Most common example: Minori-san from Outbreak Company) I like the way that Steiner localizes in Smartphone. I guess if it's unobtrusive, I like it.
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I tend to think that you should only keep language in if there's an actual need for it and it conveys information. So as an example, "X-san" can, and should usually be dropped. It's just a polite marker, you can just translate how they speak as polite.
Just don't give me Little Washu or Mr. Welf and I'm happy. ;)
Then again, I think some fans get weirdly obsessive about how underlocalizing is good, somehow. :)
