Fansub Review: [gg] Thermae Romae (Episode 02)

WhyNot vs. gg. What a battle.

Release format: MKV (197 MB, 10-bit)

Japanesiness: No honorifics.

Note: The release is only 9 minutes long.

Group website: http://www.ggkthx.org/

8thsin’s translation critique: http://8ths.in/winter-2011-anime-subtitle-comparison/#Romae

Ji-hi’s screenshot comparisons: N/A

 

Karaoke.

Ending. Not subbed. Great choice here. I mean, it’s only 1/6th of the entire episode, so why would you want this subbed, right?

 

Typesetting.

Wow, it’s not purple. So groups can typeset this show without going full retard…

… but not without the inability to fuck up their text placement.

I recall someone once said something along these lines, “IMO, good typesetting blends into the original video. Ideally, it should be impossible to tell if the signs were added by producers or subbers.”

That is not the case here.

 

Script.

No, this doesn’t make sense. There is a difference between these two lines: “A few people are stupid.” “Few people are stupid.” (And we all know which one of these is more true.)

A similar problem lies with this line — “A few” needs to be used instead of just “Few”. The fix is stupid simple, though.

“A few months ago, when I could still walk…”

Either you mean “If we can use it as a bath…” or “If we can use it as bath water…”

This shit ain’t right as it stands.

If I could, I would. That’s how this shit is formed. Fucking tense fail, always. Fansubs, why you do this?

“If only I could figure out what heats the water…”

He says “Dame, dame” like fifty fucking times here, without any subs by gg. Then when he starts talking regularly, the line “Hey, stop!” comes in, followed immediately by what he’s actually saying at this point. Superior timing, gg. Top of the tiers.

“in this the” is acceptable in certain circumstances when properly formatted as such: “in this, the”

But I’d be giving gg a lot of credit to say they intended such a phrasing, especially since it doesn’t add any value to the line. No, we’re looking at a stupid fucking typo instead. But calling it a typo might be too kind — this is more like brain deficiency incarnated as text.

 

Watchability: Watchable.

Overall grade: C

Both WhyNot and gg sucked it on this show. WhyNot had more problems, but gg’s were far more severe. And by “severe” I mean this is the kinda stupid shit that makes my brain hurt and wonder how these dipshits manage regular conversations in English. Between the two, I’m gonna recommend going with the group whose translator can actually handle the ending song — WhyNot.

… Actually, that was an unfair dig at 8th, who translated this show. He’s not incompetent; just whipped into only doing what he’s told to do. But hey, that’s what you gotta accept when you work for groups as self-absorbed and insular as gg. Blindly follow the matriarch or leave, right? Sounds like such fun I can hardly wait to turn in my application to them right now.