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K' 26 Jan, 2020 @ 11:42am
2
Ridiculous Questionable Translations
The one notable changes to the steam version compare to previous version of Hakuoki besides the extra content and characters is the English translations. The steam translation went up on the crudeness and edge (i.e. a$$, Di**, Bi***, Pus**, SOB, sh**, Bas****) and took many liberties to make some of the language more modern despite slang were not used often during that era. Thankfully I understand Japanese voices relatively well enough to pick up of some ridiculousness translation decisions which baffled me to no end. Some were ridiculous enough to ruin any romantic tension between the main character and the love interest.

Within one route (Kyoto WInds + Edo Blossoms), here are some examples I remembered!
  1. Hijikata voice says " We are not cowards"
    => In game translation : " We are not Bit****"
    (Me: Why? Last time I check you were not female nor dogs so I suppose the statement is true but why was the profanity necessary?)

  2. Kaoru voice says " Isn't that just a howl of a losing dog"
    => In game translation: " Oh, Somebody's just sour grapes"
    (Me: Do people even used this phrase anymore? It was popular with grandparents.)

  3. Okita voice says "You look like you are about to collapse."
    => In game translation:"You look like sh**"
    (Me: And cue the disappointment and role in the turn off)

  4. Okita voice says " Let's hurry"
    => In game translation " Let's haul a$$."
    (Me: hill billy much? not mentioned in these examples but I excluded a lot of examples which used a$$ or Dickh*** often... so for a simple phrase which the context main character was sneaking around town... LET'S HAUL A$$ like some war cry busting down doors doesn't fit the picture)

  5. I don't quite remember the exact wording but no where in the sentence was Okita calls the main character "kid". But translator-san decide to put that, something like "Good job kid."
    Actual example is
    Okita voices says "I don't know why but I have this overwhelming need to hug/embrace/hold you"
    => In game translations: "I don't know what's gotten over me, but...I've never needed you more than I do now, kid."
    (Me: O_o This was when it was late game and he has developed romantic interest in the main character,,,,,, Do people call their lover or crush "kid" these days????

  6. Okita voice says " You are making a big deal. I'm just grabbing my sword over there."
    => In game translation: "Jeez, just give it a rest. Stop throwing a bit**-fit every five seconds. I'm just grabbing my sword"
    (Me: ... WHY? This translation pretty much conveys misogyny right here when in actuality the Japanese never mention anything even remotely close to that.....Translator-san please chill.)

  7. Okita voice refers to his family at one point using "父上 Chichiue" "母上 Hahaue""姉上 Aneue" is a very polite way of saying father, mother and older sister (right underneath very formal esteemed father/mother/sister/etc.) relatively hold them in high regards thus the usage of language.
    => In game translation: "Both my pa and my ma passed away, and my sister ...."
    (Me: not only did translator-san make him talk like some country side hick but the translator didn't even stay consistent by following up after pa and ma with sis, instead of sister. That's the opposite of formal or polite...what are you doing editor-san, i know this is probably the nth time hakuoki has been translated but come on.)

  8. Kaoru voice says " Eradicate anyone who gets in our way, in this country, let's make a place where we truly belong"
    => In game translation: "We are going to massacre the evil forces conspiring within this country for the good of our people."
    (Me: How did this even make it pass the editor?! One convey's a more selfish personal reason the other convey being noble for good cause.....I know Kaoru isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things but man, it's giving people the wrong message.)

  9. Okita voice says " You're welcome, ah, that sounds so reserved/stiff/formal/distant ( 水臭い)"
    =>In game translation: "You're welcome. Heh, you're such a prude."
    (Me: How?! I can see how prude was use but he wasn't even referring to you so much as more of himself or the interaction between them......)

  10. Okita voice says " I guess in the end, up until now, I haven't been thinking about the future at all""
    =>In game translation: "I guess I just didn't give a sh**, ya know? Like, it never occurred to me that living really mattered."
    (Me: Again with the sh**. In the former case, What he actually said was hinting that he is thinking about the future living with the main character, how to protect her or make her happy. Which is super sweet sentiment. The latter, is just making a statement of how yolo swag lol i'm so badass tough guy talk.... like he doesn't think?... sigh*)

  11. This is the major turning point in terms of character development for Okita.Okita says " If you mention to me in the past that I would be fighting for the future, I would've never considered it. The things I've haven't been thinking about before and all rushing in one by one."
    =>In game translation: "Man, If you told me in the past that I'd have to fight for my life, and that I'd care about it...It'd tell you to shut up. All of a sudden, I'm faced with all these questions I'd never asked myself before."
    (Me: I understand why it was translated this way but at the same time. Was the "I'd tell you to shut up" part even necessary?? you can easily just put dismissed. But this sentence wasn't about the main character it was more about questioning about himself and his newly reveal direction in life....)

  12. Okita ask "Time and place??? When would be okay?" (in japanese)
    =>In game translation: " Time and place? Jeez, okay, princess. When's that?"
    (Me: For sake of all that is good, can the translator just stop putting in their own spin which is super misleading?! The former indicates that Okita, never actually considered it before thus he was actually puzzled by the response then asks what would be right for the main character.
    The later, just conveys how Okita finds the main character too fussy over small things, pampered and wants too many demands, thus burden or annoying. Right after, his character development and romantic moment..... it makes no sense to put that in. This is just aggravating to read. Anyone who was first timer with Hakuouki playing this version as an english speaker could've been put off by a character like this when it's really not intentional. It's just the translator own spin of the character and not being faithful to the actual material.)

There were more but I'll leave it for now. That's just one route. I felt I need to bring this to English speakers attention. Also I hope to bring the attention to whoever was responsible for the translation team making these questionable decision for an otome game.

If any of you guys find out there translation in the game, please feel free to post it here.
Last edited by K'; 26 Jan, 2020 @ 5:49pm
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Showing 1-7 of 7 comments
Xilena 11 Jul, 2020 @ 11:09am 
Thank you so much for this! I don't speak Japanese, but I was 100% sure the translations were poorly done in each and every one of the example you mentioned. The characters present themselves as very dignified so this juxtaposition with the poorly translated sentences broke my immersion so many times. This I felt was especially true when it came to Hijikata's character.
#1
K' 14 Jul, 2020 @ 9:01am 
Originally posted by XilenaT:
Thank you so much for this! I don't speak Japanese, but I was 100% sure the translations were poorly done in each and every one of the example you mentioned. The characters present themselves as very dignified so this juxtaposition with the poorly translated sentences broke my immersion so many times. This I felt was especially true when it came to Hijikata's character.

No problem. Even though Hakuoki 3DS version, in which I've played previously, it was beautifully translated by the same team Otomate - Idea Factory. They must have had a different translator to look after certain characters. After playing 7/12 routes, Hijikata in almost every route I've played had some immersion breaking crude language that left bad taste in my mouth (I'm not even on his route yet). I understand that Hijikata and the Shinsengumi are suppose to be consider as farmers in rural areas which doesn't have the most sophisticated language usage and almost all don't come from samurai background.BUT, YOU DON'T NEED TO REPRESENT LANGUAGE IN SUCH A CRUDE FASHION.:mbshaaa: Light swearing is fine like, you bast*** when translated but the translation found on steam is on a WHOLE new level that border intolerable and sometimes completely missed the nuances the game is trying to portray in history.

Examples I still remember from Hijikata are:

1) Actual Japanese voice is saying "I mean, why else would you have come all the way out here in Ezo"
Translated version :"....I mean, why else would you have come to bumf**k-Ezo, right"

Reaction: Where is the prose and anachronism to indicate the end of feudal period of Japan?! You could've use "out there in the boonies" or "out in the middle of nowhere" why swear???

2) Translated steam version: "Well isn't that just a cold sh** on hot rice....."
Me: I don't remember to actual line but it's on the lines of "Well this day is just getting better.... *sarcastically*"
BUT I'm pretty sure he didn't say anything on the lines of excrement and rice. I literally gagged out of reflex of reading this sentence. At this point, I'm questioning who in world translated Hijikata in that translation team?!

Anyways long story short, it was immersion breaking and I'm sorry you had to go through that as your first experience of Hakuoki. You really need to ignore all the crude languages that was in English and just go by the tone of voice to make the judgement of how angry they are. Don't take the translation at face value. I hope you can still parse through what is actually being convey.

If anyone have any questions on translation, and would like to be clarified. Please specify whether it's found in kyoto winds or edo blossom, the route, around what progress of the story it is in with spoiler tags and screenshot. I'll see if I can find the exact place and try my best to re-translate with the Japanese intention of what they are trying to convey.
Last edited by K'; 14 Jul, 2020 @ 10:55am
#2
Loreley 16 Jul, 2020 @ 4:34am 
Thank you very much for pointing out this! Honestly the way some scenes were translated turned me off so much! I hope there's a way to make them change it / fix it.
#3
Xilena 20 Jul, 2020 @ 8:18pm 
Originally posted by K':
Originally posted by XilenaT:
Thank you so much for this! I don't speak Japanese, but I was 100% sure the translations were poorly done in each and every one of the example you mentioned. The characters present themselves as very dignified so this juxtaposition with the poorly translated sentences broke my immersion so many times. This I felt was especially true when it came to Hijikata's character.

No problem. Even though Hakuoki 3DS version, in which I've played previously, it was beautifully translated by the same team Otomate - Idea Factory. They must have had a different translator to look after certain characters. After playing 7/12 routes, Hijikata in almost every route I've played had some immersion breaking crude language that left bad taste in my mouth (I'm not even on his route yet). I understand that Hijikata and the Shinsengumi are suppose to be consider as farmers in rural areas which doesn't have the most sophisticated language usage and almost all don't come from samurai background.BUT, YOU DON'T NEED TO REPRESENT LANGUAGE IN SUCH A CRUDE FASHION.:mbshaaa: Light swearing is fine like, you bast*** when translated but the translation found on steam is on a WHOLE new level that border intolerable and sometimes completely missed the nuances the game is trying to portray in history.

Examples I still remember from Hijikata are:

1) Actual Japanese voice is saying "I mean, why else would you have come all the way out here in Ezo"
Translated version :"....I mean, why else would you have come to bumf**k-Ezo, right"

Reaction: Where is the prose and anachronism to indicate the end of feudal period of Japan?! You could've use "out there in the boonies" or "out in the middle of nowhere" why swear???

2) Translated steam version: "Well isn't that just a cold sh** on hot rice....."
Me: I don't remember to actual line but it's on the lines of "Well this day is just getting better.... *sarcastically*"
BUT I'm pretty sure he didn't say anything on the lines of excrement and rice. I literally gagged out of reflex of reading this sentence. At this point, I'm questioning who in world translated Hijikata in that translation team?!

Anyways long story short, it was immersion breaking and I'm sorry you had to go through that as your first experience of Hakuoki. You really need to ignore all the crude languages that was in English and just go by the tone of voice to make the judgement of how angry they are. Don't take the translation at face value. I hope you can still parse through what is actually being convey.

If anyone have any questions on translation, and would like to be clarified. Please specify whether it's found in kyoto winds or edo blossom, the route, around what progress of the story it is in with spoiler tags and screenshot. I'll see if I can find the exact place and try my best to re-translate with the Japanese intention of what they are trying to convey.


I really appreciate you taking the time to point this out. It doesn't put me off the game and as a general rule I can make out what the sentiment behind the original sentence is but it's just disappointing that the game has to suffer as a consequence, even though a lot of work has been put into it and the voice actors did such a tremendous job.

Also do not apologise,as it is not your fault. If anything, your observations on these issues make me confident that the fault lies with the translator/s and not the game developers and writers.
I do not hold onto hope that these translations will be fixed however, I am happy that people are pointing out the flaws.

Many thanks for taking the time to reply to your old post and offering your valuable input. :)
#4
Jazz 23 Jul, 2020 @ 8:07pm 
Yeah it really bugs me how many artistic liberties the translators took... I'm glad I'm not the only one bothered by it ^^
#5
Ary 7 Oct, 2020 @ 2:48am 
Originally posted by XilenaT:
Thank you so much for this! I don't speak Japanese, but I was 100% sure the translations were poorly done in each and every one of the example you mentioned. The characters present themselves as very dignified so this juxtaposition with the poorly translated sentences broke my immersion so many times. This I felt was especially true when it came to Hijikata's character.
same!
Watched enough anime in my lifetime to know that some of the words spoken DEFINITELY did NOT mean what was translated here. Shame, really. Both of them are such good games otherwise....

Originally posted by K':
No problem. Even though Hakuoki 3DS version, in which I've played previously, it was beautifully translated by the same team Otomate - Idea Factory. They must have had a different translator to look after certain characters.
Gotta ask tho - can you tell me more about that 3DS version? I do have an old 3DS lieing around somewhere... >:3
Last edited by Ary; 7 Oct, 2020 @ 2:53am
#6
K' 8 Oct, 2020 @ 5:18pm 
Originally posted by Ary:
Originally posted by K':
No problem. Even though Hakuoki 3DS version, in which I've played previously, it was beautifully translated by the same team Otomate - Idea Factory. They must have had a different translator to look after certain characters.
Gotta ask tho - can you tell me more about that 3DS version? I do have an old 3DS lieing around somewhere... >:3

Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi, is available as a digital copy on the nintendo eshop. It only has the main 6 characters (Hijikata, Okita, Saito, Harada, Heisuke and Kazama), and does not as many CGs or extra scenes. However it does have a narrative bonus story written in his perspective, sadly no CG, it's more like a novel but it does contain some cute moments would you like to imagine. The 3DS version definitely has the draw back less extra intimate scenes with these characters. However, the 3D effect are quite atmospheric and the translation is great! ALSO, buy the game and you get all the parts starting from kyoto wind to edo blossom so it one continuous storyline.
Last edited by K'; 8 Oct, 2020 @ 5:19pm
#7
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Date Posted: 26 Jan, 2020 @ 11:42am
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