Translation Party: [Commie vs. pem vs. UTW-Mazui] Nekomonogatari (Episode 02)

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This post was written by Dark_Sage. He is Dark_Sage.

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I think translation parties work best when there’s no “clear” victor in the ordinary reviews. And in that sense, I think this’ll be an enjoyable party.

Translation Party House Rules:

1. Translation Parties are intended to help you make the best subtitle choice for a given anime. Choose which line(s) you liked best by selecting them with the checkbox.

2. If you didn’t like any of the lines, choose the “N/A” option. The results for “N/A” won’t be automatically tabulated, so you’ll have to do the math in your head. Have my gomens and nasais.

3. A “>” indicates that another character has begun speaking. If there are three characters in a line comparison, I will indicate the third with a “>>” and so on for more characters.

4. Group order is randomized for each screenshot, every time you refresh the page. However, the “N/A” option will always appear at the bottom of the screen.

5. Your results will be summed up when you click the “Get your results” button. Feel free to vote in the poll at the end/post in the comments to let others know how you did and to compare your results with them.

6. Party hard.

 

Nekomonogatari – Episode 02

Comparisons: 19

Comparison Methodology (tl;dr and spoilers for the TL Party):

Spoiler for
I started off by watching episode 2 with UTW-Mazui’s subs (no particular reason why I chose UTW-Mazui; coulda been anyone). I then went to the scripts and copied down sequences where clear differences arose between the groups, ending up with 32. I selected for longer phrases more often than shorter ones because it gives a better sense of lines’ flow.

I then decided which phrases to include in the party based on a number of criteria, some of which you’ll see down below. In the end, I chose 19 comparisons for this party because that’s how many it needed. I’m well aware this’ll make some people skip the party, but I can’t compromise on a -monogatari.

After deciding on which phrases to include, I took screenshots from UTW-Mazui’s release (with subtitles off) for the encode quality. Here are the factors that led to me choosing each line.

1. Deciding factor was the last line — the dog part.

2. How enjoyable could they make Vamp-chan’s dialogue?

3. Naming decision (for Shinobu), and a “difficult” line (the mental age part).

4. Ability to explain show-specific concepts.

5. General phrasing. Test of flow and sentence structure.

6. How well the group handles a basic, uncomplicated conversation.

7. Handling “unspecific” conversation.

8. Describing Hanekawa. Honestly, I’m rather certain “dangerous” isn’t the word choice to be using, maybe “difficult” would work better. But oh well, this is showing how they describe her character as well as the events surrounding her.

9. Cat puns.

10. Cat puns and describing Hanekawa’s character.

11. Cat puns and general phrase translation.

12. Cat puns and general phrase translation.

13. Event description//naming decisions.

14. Event description//naming decisions.

15. Basic phrase translation.

16. Decision based on quantity of speeeeerrrrg.

17. “Difficult” phrase translation — the last line.

18. General phrase translation.

19. Summing up the episode properly/giving it a good end. -monogataris like to put pretentious shit at the end of scenes to “sum up” what happened. These are very important when it comes to the release.

A lot of that was probably bullshit reasoning, though. Gist is, I found significant differences between the releases and narrowed it down to which ones I thought were most interesting to choose from.

 

Another note:

TL Parties are not foolproof. They help you choose between similar lines, true. But there are a number of disadvantages.

Minor differences are not represented, despite making up large portions of each release. Grammar, syntax, spelling, presence of translation, and accurate timing are all unrepresented as well. The same goes for any visual effects, such as karaoke, encoding, typesetting, and font. They also miss out on a true sense of context (though I attempt to minimize that), as you don’t have full access to the visuals/audio unless you’re playing a video alongside the party (which I doubt very many of you will do). I’m sure there are other issues too that I can’t think about right now.

tl;dr: Just like my fansub reviews, take from them what you will and don’t let the results guide your life. It’s your decision. I’m just here to help you make the best one.

Participants:

Commie

pem

UTW-Mazui

Codes:

{\i1} indicates the start of italics

{\i0} indicates the close of italics

I changed most “effects” into italics for the purposes of this party. If you don’t know what that means, don’t worry about it.

 

 

1.

All Araragi.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_29.25_[2013.01.04_17.02.16]

UTW-Mazui :: Considering all that she’s done, all that she had been doing…
I know I shouldn’t pity her like any {\i1}human{\i0} would.
Fine, you can have them all.
Spin around three times and say woof!

pem :: Think of who she is, what she’s done, I know such instinctive–for a human–pity is misguided, but…
Fine, fine. You can have them all.
But first, you have to chase your tail and bark like a dog.

Commie :: {\i1}I’m fully aware that I shouldn’t feel any compassion for her, not even the bare minimum,
{\i1}considering what she did and what she’s done all her life, but…
All right, fine.
I’ll let you have them all.
You’ll have to do a 1080 and bark like a dog, though.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

2.

All Shinobu. (True, she’s not named at this point, but fuck canon.)

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_29.55_[2013.01.04_17.03.13]

UTW-Mazui :: They’re off the hook!
These ring-shaped things are seriously delish.
They’re treasure rings packed full of sweetness!

pem :: Incredible! These sweets are amazing! They’re like a treasure chest of tasty!

Commie :: Wonderful. These circular snacks are seriously scrumptious!
This is truly a jewelry box of sweet, sweet rings.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

3.

Oshino talking to Araragi.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_30.05_[2013.01.04_17.05.07]

UTW-Mazui :: Araragi-kun, don’t bully the vampire too much.
It’ll come back to bite you later.
>I wasn’t bullying her.
>It’s been bothering me since spring break, but has her mental age also reverted to that of a child?

pem :: Quick picking on the vamp.
You’re being a bad influence on her.
>I’m not picking on her.
>Actually, I’ve been wondering since spring break. Did she regress in mental age too?

Commie :: You shouldn’t bully Ms. Vampire too much.
You might come to regret it.
I’m not bullying her.
>More importantly, this has been bothering me ever since spring break.
>Hasn’t she become a lot more childish mentally as well?

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

4.

Oshino talking to Araragi.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_30.43_[2013.01.04_17.14.27]

UTW-Mazui :: This isn’t limited to vampires.
All aberrations spawn from human beliefs.
>Human beliefs?
That’s right.
Aberrations exist because humans think they exist.
They look like how people around them perceive them.
They act like what people around them expect.

pem :: Vampires–all oddities–are made of humans’ faith.
>Human faith?
Yeah. They’re there because people think they are. That’s how oddities work.
Oddities appear as the humans around them expect. Act as the humans around them expect.

Commie :: Oddities are creatures built from the ground up by human beliefs.
>Human beliefs?
Right. They exist because humans believe they do.
That’s what an Oddity is.
They’re shaped by their environment’s awareness of them,
and their behavior matches its expectations.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

5.

Oshino talking to Araragi.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_31.49_[2013.01.04_18.00.41]

UTW-Mazui :: I’m not gonna lecture you about being a good citizen,
but you risk being a bad influence on her if you keep messing around like that.
>It’s already…
>It’s already…
>It’s already bad enough that a proud vampire like her had to fall to the level of an innocent child.
>How can being a bad influence on top of that help?
>That’s what he meant.

pem :: I’m not gonna tell you you need to be a model of propriety around her, but you can at least try not to be a bad influence.
>She’s already…
>She’s already.
>That proud vampire is already humiliated, trapped as a child. I shouldn’t make it even harder on her.

Commie :: I’m not gonna preach to you about how you should become a better human being,
but screw around too much and your influence could end up becoming negative.
>Considering…
>{\i1}Considering…
>{\i1}Considering I’ve already brought that proud vampire down to this innocent child-like state,
>{\i1}the least I could do is not make things worse for her.
>{\i1}That’s what it boils down to.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

6.

Oshino talking to Araragi.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_31.59_[2013.01.04_18.01.28]

UTW-Mazui :: A change of subject, Araragi-kun.
We only briefly mentioned her earlier, but how’s the Class Rep doing?
>Huh? Like how?
>She’s doing fine.

pem :: Anyway, Araragi. I know I keep asking about her, but how’s the Prez doing?
>Huh? Oh, yeah, she’s fine.

Commie :: I brought her up earlier, so I guess I might as well ask. How’s Ms. Class Rep doing?
>What do you mean? She’s fine.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

7.

Araragi talking to Oshino.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_34.04_[2013.01.04_18.02.49]

UTW-Mazui :: Wait a second, Oshino.
The cat Hanekawa and I buried isn’t an aberration.
It’s just a typical…
>Yes. I’d agree.
>I would think so too.
>Normally.

pem :: Hold on a minute.
That cat we buried wasn’t an oddity.
It was real.
>I thought you’d say that.
>I’d agree.
>Normally.

Commie :: Hold on a second, Oshino.
The cat Hanekawa and I buried wasn’t an Oddity.
It actually existed.
>Yeah, there’s no way.
>That’s what I’d think too…
>Under normal circumstances.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

8.

All Oshino.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_34.17_[2013.01.04_18.03.40]

UTW-Mazui :: But the Class Rep isn’t a normal person.
She’s pretty dangerous.
Something as unremarkable as burying a cat run over by a car…
You might call it an everyday heartwarming episode.
But it could mean a major event of enormous importance given her involvement.

pem :: But Prez isn’t normal.
She’s trouble.
For you, it may have just seemed like burying a cat that was hit by a car.
A non-event. Maybe even a heartwarming story to remember. But if she’s involved, it’s sure to be earthshaking.

Commie :: However, Araragi. Ms. Class Rep is anything but normal.
She’s seriously dangerous.
Burying a cat that was run over is a trivial, commonplace occurrence.
You could even call it heartwarming.
Even something that simple could become an earth-shattering incident just because she’s involved.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

9.

All Black Hanekawa.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_36.49_[2013.01.04_18.05.00]

UTW-Mazui :: Who are you, meow?
A friend of my myaster’s, perhaps?
Come to think of it, your face does look familiar.
You were with her when she buried me.
Perfect timing.
I don’t get it at all, but aren’t friends supposed to help each other, meow?
I’ll leave these two with you, then.

pem :: Who’re mew? One of Mistress’s frrrriends?
Now that I think of it, you {\i1}mew{/i0} look familiar.
Are you the guy who helped bury me?
Great timing.
Friends are supposed to help friends, right?
Well, good friends help friends move bodies.

Commie :: Who’re you? A friend of my master’s, purrhaps?
Come to think of it, I do get the impurrsion I’ve seen you before.
You’re the guy who was with her when she purried me, aren’t you?
This is a pawsitive sign.
I’m not sure I furry understand it, but friends are supposed to help each other out, right?
So clean this mess up fur her, yeah?

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

10.

All Black Hanekawa.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_37.37_[2013.01.04_18.05.42]

UTW-Mazui :: “Wait”, you say?
Don’t you just thrust every kind of expectation onto my myaster, damn it.
You lot are the reason she’s become like this!

pem :: Wait?
That’s not what Mistress wants out of you, you silly boy.
Acting like that is what made her like this to begin with!

Commie :: Wait for what?
Don’t think my master will listen to every pussible request of yours, fool!
She’s in this state beclaws you’re all like that!

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

11.

All Black Hanekawa.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_38.11_[2013.01.04_18.08.14]

UTW-Mazui :: Don’t myake such a fuss over one arm.
Compared to the pain my myaster has tolerated her entire life,
this is like getting bitten by a mosquito.

pem :: There’s no need to make such a fuss.
That pain is like a mosquito bite compared to what Mistress has endured.

Commie :: Don’t cry over spilled milk.
Compared to the agony my master’s endured fur such a long time,
the amount of pain you’re in now is nothing!

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

12.

All Black Hanekawa.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_38.59_[2013.01.04_18.09.12]

UTW-Mazui :: The lot of you just tie her down, robbing her of her freedom.
I’ll start by releasing the stress within her that could myatch the Earth in scale.

pem :: You just hold Mistress back, tie her down.
Now, let’s start by freeing her from a stress great enough to eclipse Earth.

Commie :: Furst things furst,
I’ll release her from the enormous stress she’s under.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

13.

Oshino talking to Araragi.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_42.04_[2013.01.04_18.09.50]

UTW-Mazui :: You should be able to recover from nonfatal injuries instantly.
But in this case…
…your opponent was bad.
I should say compatibility instead of opponent.
Her compatibility was bad.
That meddlecat is no good.
>N-No good?
You were meddled with by the meddlecat.
{Note: the last two lines included here weren’t included in the other two groups’. You’ll see why in the next section.}

pem :: Anything but fatal wounds should heal in an instant. But…
You’re outclassed.
Well, less outclassed and more just at a natural disadvantage.
You’re at a natural disadvantage.
You can’t handle the blocat.

Commie :: Everything but a fatal wound should heal in an instant.
In this case, though,
you just picked the wrong opponent.
Well, it has less to do with your opponent and more with the match up.
It was a bad matchup.
The Curse Cat is bad news.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

14.

Araragi talking to Oshino.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_42.48_[2013.01.04_18.10.55]

UTW-Mazui :: So she basically took away some of my resistance to death along with my left arm when she ripped it off.
>You’re done for if you let the meddlecat touch you.
So that’s the meddlecat.

pem :: So my immortality got ripped off along with my arm.
>If the blocat touches you, it blocks your powers.
And that’s why it’s called a blocat.

Commie :: So what you’re trying to say, basically, is that my immortality got torn off along with my left arm?
>You’re done for if you let the Curse Cat touch you.
That’s why it’s named the Curse Cat, huh?

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

15.

All Oshino.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_43.18_[2013.01.04_18.11.26]

UTW-Mazui :: Vampires are the kings of aberrations, after all.
The king. The big shot.
Meddlecats are small fry to vampires.

pem :: After all, vampires are the kings of all oddities.
The boss. The big guy.
Compared to a vampire, a blocat’s just a mook.

Commie :: Vampires are the Kings of Oddities.
Emperors. Monarchs.
To a vampire, the Curse Cat is just a weakling.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

16.

Araragi talking to Oshino.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_44.28_[2013.01.04_18.12.28]

UTW-Mazui :: The fact that she recognizes that she needs me for nutrients means she at least has the will to live on.
>That’s not what I meant.
>Dumbass.

pem :: If she’s that concerned about her feedstock, then maybe she hasn’t given up on living yet.
>Yeah, sure, kid.
>Speeeeerrrrg.

Commie :: That she needs me as a source of nutrition proves that she is,
at the very least, trying to stay alive.
>That’s not really what I meant, though.
>You thickheaded idiot.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

17.

Araragi talking to Oshino.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_45.11_[2013.01.04_18.13.45]

UTW-Mazui :: How can I possibly plod home with Hanekawa in that state?
>It has already begun.
>What remains is work for professionals.
>There is no place for an amateur here, much less a schoolkid.

pem :: I can’t just go home and rest and ignore Hanekawa.
>The shit’s already hit the fan. Leave it to a pro.
>This is no situation for any amateur, much less a little boy.

Commie :: I can’t just run home knowing Hanekawa’s going through such a thing.
>It’s far too late for that.
>Time to leave it to the pros.
>Not to an amateur, and definitely not to a minor.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

 

18.

All Oshino.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_45.41_[2013.01.04_18.14.39]

UTW-Mazui :: I’ve failed as a balancer.
I ignored theory and went against policy.
The wounds you received this time are largely my responsibility.
I should apologize to your parents.

pem :: I’m a failure of a balancer.
I ignored the theories, and I went against best practices.
Your injuries are my mistake. I should apologize to your parents.

Commie :: I’m a failure as a Balancer.
I disregarded the textbook course of action and did something that went against my policy.
My lapse in judgment was the main reason you got put in harm’s way.
I can’t apologize enough to your family.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

 

19.

All Oshino. Final line of the sequence. Probably important to get right.

[UTW-Mazui]_Nekomonogatari_Black_-_01-02_[720p][D7A96760].mkv_snapshot_46.06_[2013.01.04_18.15.05]

UTW-Mazui :: Even if you want to, you can’t.
It’s not a question of your feelings.
It’s a matter of your technique—your strength.
If anything, I’d say that staying out of my way is your most important task.

pem :: Even if you want to do more, there’s nothing left.
It’s not a matter of trying.
It’s a matter of doing. Of skill.
To be honest, the most important thing you can do is stay out of my way.

Commie :: It’s not a matter of how you feel about it,
{\i1}but one of skill and ability.
Let me make it absolutely clear.
It’s your responsibility, and your job,
to make sure you don’t get in my way.

to watch the show RAW because the sub choices suck :: N/A. They all sucked.

 

 

THIS IS A MARKER FOR WHERE THE IMAGES END

 

So, what were your results? (Comments welcome as well.)

Your best choice(s) for Neko?

View Results

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88 thoughts on “Translation Party: [Commie vs. pem vs. UTW-Mazui] Nekomonogatari (Episode 02)”

  1. UTW-Mazui: 10 times
    pem: 3 times
    Commie: 3 times
    None: 4 times

    I really wasn’t expecting UTW-Mazui to take it away like they did.

    Reply

    • Hmm, but in the previous article you recommended Commie, so does that still stand even though your choices say otherwise?

      I just want to make sure.

      Reply

      • Personally, I’m more inclined toward what my reviews say. But in a situation like this, I’m fine with either option. My answer for “best choice” is whichever you chose in the TL Party, unless it was pem. If it was pem, go for your second best choice. If you were deadlocked, then I’d suggest going with what I picked for the Party — UTW-Mazui.

        Reply

  2. 14 kind of needs this part from earlier in the episode to make sense, but yeah

    The Curse Cat is bad news.
    Ba-Bad news?
    There’s more to the wounds inflicted by its curse,
    its “caress”, than the damage it causes you.
    Let sleeping cats lie, as they say. Don’t touch them.

    Reply

    • Seconded… when watching through the show, it’s
      and well-written (props on the wordplay)… but in the snapshot the lines don’t make sense without Xythar’s additional clarification.

      Reply

  3. Third question. In the options, is that typo ‘quick’ really the fault of the fansubber?

    Btw I chose Commie 6 times and UTW 5 times.

    Reply

    • Yes. I tried to avoid lines with obvious typos since it’s supposed to be more of phrasing comparisons, but that was completely their fault.

      That group (pem) was tough to work with considering they had lines that weren’t translated and numerous typos. I had to ditch a few comparisons because of them.

      Reply

  4. UTW-Mazui: 5 times
    pem: 6 times
    Commie: 7 times
    Looks like your best bet is Commie

    I’m torn between Meddlecat, Curse Cat, and Blocat. The lines referring to the Blocat sound better than the alternatives, but I don’t think the name is quite right.

    Reply

    • She doesn’t block his powers by touching him, she drains him (to varying degrees) of his life force or energy, which he has in greater abundance than your average human due to his vampiric baggage. So those lines might sound good, but they’re not really correct per se. I found myself surprised by the number of pem lines I liked when I did this BEFORE reviewing all 3 releases side-by-side, and when I came back and redid the survey after, suddenly UTW’s score increased substantially and pem’s declined. Commie lost some points because of excessive non-germane cat puns, so somehow UTW-Mazui wound up my favorite if forced to choose. But I’m stripping the sub tracks & remuxing an edited script.

      Reply

  5. Overall scores…
    UTW-Mazui: 14 times
    pem: 1 time
    Commie: 6 times
    Looks like your best bet is UTW-Mazui

    Completely expected. I watched UTW-Mazui’s release, too.

    Reply

  6. UTW-Mazui: 3 times
    pem: 6 times
    Commie: 9 times

    I am honestly surprised by this. I was thinking UTW-Mazui would get way higher.

    Reply

    • I expect a few more people to be surprised like you were. If you were to class the groups into liberal or literal camps, you’d probably find that UTW-Mazui erred on the more liberal side than Commie did in the comparisons.

      So if you took what you’d normally expect from each group, and (pretending you didn’t know which group did which lines in the Party) chose based on your expectations, you may find yourself with results vastly different than what you expected.

      It was a bit weird for me because I thought Commie’s episode 1 and episode 2 scripts were different in tone, and that set up different expectations for what I was going into.

      Reply

  8. UTW-Mazui: 4 times
    pem: 8 times
    Commie: 5 times

    I wonder how this happened…

    I downloaded Commie for the first two episodes, then downloaded the 4-episode file with UTW. I think I’m going to archive Commie, but all of them are shit. I would take wit over direct desu desu translations withMonogatari, and there was no wit to be found. I’ll be looking for new versions and new groups.

    Reply

  9. UTW-Mazui: 11 times
    pem: 2 times
    Commie: 6 times

    Meh, I expected UTW to take the crown. Still, all of them are fucking shit.

    Reply

  10. UTW-Mazui: 6 times
    pem: 3 times
    Commie: 10 times
    Looks like your best bet is Commie

    I prefer Curse Cat over the others since it’s the only capitalized one, though it will be better as Cursed Cat. Commie did a good job using term such as Mistress, Emperor and Monarch but the way they emphasize how Black Hanekawa speaks kinda dissuade me.

    Still leaning towards Commie since I chose their’s for most of the conversation not involving Black Hanekawa.

    Reply

  11. UTW-Mazui: 7 times
    pem: 8 times
    Commie: 11 times

    Well, I’m downright shocked. I think watching so much Commie lately has started to turn me into a Commie man. Next thing you know, I’m gonna stop wanting honorifics in my subs.

    Reply

  12. Overall scores…
    UTW-Mazui: 7 times
    pem: 5 times
    Commie: 7 times

    Funny how evenly matched the options were for me. Oh well, it’s not like I was planning to watch this show in the first place.

    Reply

  15. Those votes are super close. I must admit I was expecting one group or another to take it away in a 2:1 fashion. But a tie? That’s interesting.

    Reply

  17. Overall scores…
    UTW-Mazui: 5 times
    pem: 3 times
    Commie: 2 times

    In all honesty. The cat talk with “Myaster” and “Purr” made me instantly put “N/A. They’re all fucking shit.”

    Fuck this shit, holy. I want Aniplex subs.

    Reply

  18. Overall scores…
    UTW-Mazui: 3 times
    pem: 2 times
    Commie: 14 times
    Looks like your best bet is Commie

    Well that was more lopsided than I expected.

    Reply

  19. UTW-Mazui: 6 times
    pem: 7 times
    Commie: 5 times

    Obviously, all three teams should do one mega-joint.

    I think “meddle cat” sounds better than “blocat”, but the blocat lines were better overall. I did think the cat puns from Commie were pretty clever (except for #12, which seemed too forced).

    Reply

  21. Overall scores…
    UTW-Mazui: 4 times
    pem: 5 times
    Commie: 12 times
    Looks like your best bet is Commie

    Watched 1-2 Commie 3-4 UTW, UTW didn’t seem bad either, though.

    Reply

          • Yeah this was a revision recently from old TL parties, and I heartily endorse it… sometimes one line could really go either way, and it fucking kills OCD people like me (and many users) to be forced into a choice like that. Don’t fuck with my statistics, bro.

            But I think there might be something wrong with me… I got more pems than I expected (Commie won), but based on the comments I’m going to go back and reevaluate each line.

            Reply

            • It’s best not to take the comments/results of others too seriously. I also wouldn’t take it too badly that you chose pem a lot, because while they definitely were the worst group overall, I’d be more interested in working with their TL to get out a proper release than the TLs of UTW-Mazui or Commie.

              Reply

              • That’s exactly the same impression I got; I felt like they really just needed a good encoder and a good editor, but there were moments of brilliance like the blood pun you highlighted.

                Note: I watched all 3 releases simultaneously, because I’m a -monogatari fag and OCD about my TL’s.

                Reply

                • *to clarify* I was referring to the kindred/blood pun in Commie, but implying pem’s release had similar bits of inspiration. Reread what I wrote and it was horribly unclear.

                  Reply

  22. Overall scores…
    UTW-Mazui: 12 times
    pem: 4 times
    Commie: 8 times
    Looks like your best bet is UTW-Mazui

    Guess its UTW-Mazui afterall.

    Reply

  23. UTW-Mazui: 8 times
    pem: 1 time
    Commie: 9 times
    Looks like your best bet is Commie

    Heh. Although UTW had the better jargon (meddlecat, aberration), Commie seemed to have the better phrasing. Well, most of the time – 8 to 9 really isn’t decisive.

    I wonder why I disliked all of pem’s lines,

    Reply

  25. UTW-Mazui: 13 times
    Commie: 13 times
    It’s a tie between UTW-Mazui and Commie
    I’m going with UTW-Mazui for the series because their version of Black Hanekawa’s speech doesn’t make me pause every single time she speaks to try to understand what she’s saying.

    Reply

  26. Overall scores…
    UTW-Mazui: 9 times
    pem: 3 times
    Commie: 3 times
    Looks like your best bet is UTW-Mazui

    Probably because my brain tells me to start doing anything else whenever I see them using Oddities

    Reply

  27. UTW-Mazui’s subs for native speakers, more adapted
    Commie’s subs for foreign speakers, more simple to read and understand
    pem for people like read as a book (too litteral)

    Reply

      • UTW has an advanced vocab, many figurative sentences that foreign people had to open his dictionnary each time, but not too either.
        Unlike Commie its less than UTW, they take the time to explain so as to make sure to be understood. They use many conjunction that we’d learn in class. (yes i’m a non-native too)
        And, pam is a mixing of both, comprise too literal

        Reply

        • >that foreign people had to open his dictionnar
          whahuh? so we are speaking of people that simply don’t know English? It’s a bad practice to rely on a dictionary: if you don’t know a word, just infer its meaning, and continue on. This way you will manage to learn more than if you fill a page with each new word in your notebook.

          Reply

        • In what universe do pem lines like “Speeerrrgg” & “…goddamn marathon!” qualify as ‘too literal’? Also, to me your post says ‘UTW was edited by someone relatively versed in the use of the english language. Commie’s was textbook.’ I’m not even sure I agree with that…

          Reply

  30. UTW-Mazui: 7 times
    pem: 0 times
    Commie: 8 times
    Looks like your best bet is Commie

    I can live without cat puns, so I’m going with UTW-Mazui.

    Reply

  31. Overall scores…
    UTW-Mazui: 0 times
    pem: 0 times
    Commie: 0 times
    It’s a tie between UTW-Mazui, pem, and Commie

    Seems about right.

    Reply

  32. UTW-Mazui: 2 times
    pem: 4 times
    Commie: 7 times

    I suppose the result should be expected after watching their subs before voting. The only real problem I have with Commie is that some cat puns are really distracting. I had to rewind episode 3 after doing a double-take to figure out “purrovides” thrown in the middle of a line.

    Reply

      • I really appreciated the majority of them, but the way they’re randomly peppered in results in a few ill advised puns each episode. In the end, “blocat” and “meddlecat” are cringeworthy enough to cement Commie as the go to group.

        Reply

        • If it’s due to going over the top to make the point when she drops that type of speech, then that’s great. Assuming not, If you guys only made the puns when Hanekawa did I could understand; but it was totally random as far as I could tell.

          Like I said, most of them were appreciated, but there’re several times it’s distracting. I think it’s mostly on words that are 2> syllables, but it might have more to do with the annunciation of the particular word(s); didn’t dig into it. I might be in the minority here, but I think a ‘prrr’ instead of ‘pur’ would have worked better in a few cases.

          Reply

          • Considering my taste in humor (crappy) and my access to live performances in English (none), a lot of the wordplay I see is in written form. Thus, I have a habit of voicing the words in my head simultaneously as reading. It’s useful, I had to pause only for several lines, when they were too long to get the meaning and appreciate the pun in the same time. But… that’s something I am used to doing for a nisioisin show.

            P.S. I am kind of surprised, UTW actually has the best choice for 19. On my rewatch(es), I was only thinking how much better Commie are.

            Reply

  33. UTW-Mazui: 7 times
    pem: 5 times
    Commie: 7 times
    It’s a tie between UTW-Mazui and Commie

    Utw-mazui and commie will be okay for me. But i will take d_s advice, so i choose commie

    Reply

  34. Overall scores…
    UTW-Mazui: 13 times
    pem: 0 times
    Commie: 6 times
    Looks like your best bet is UTW-Mazui

    Lol. I thought I’d get Utw, but I didn’t think they’d win by this much.

    Reply

  35. UTW-Mazui: 14 times
    pem: 0 times
    Commie: 5 times
    Looks like your best bet is UTW-Mazui

    Now that’s a very clear decision :D

    Reply

  36. I watched the full movie subbed by UTW after I watched the first three parts by Commie. I think they are both very accurate but I understood the explanation of Oshino better when watching UTWs version. On the other hand I simply prefer the way Commie structured their sentences, they seem more fitting to the flow of the japanese conversations and also they had purrfect cat puns.
    In the end it’s a matter of taste and not so much of wrong or right, since they are both of very high quality.

    Reply

  37. Overall scores…
    UTW-Mazui: 12 times
    pem: 3 times
    Commie: 3 times
    Looks like your best bet is UTW-Mazui
    Next time I won’t watch the actual release before the party.

    Reply

  39. UTW-Mazui: 6 times
    pem: 10 times
    Commie: 2 times

    I haven’t seen show yet and I’m not a native speaker. Mostly I choose lines which got point across with less words.

    Reply

  40. Overall scores…
    UTW-Mazui: 4 times
    pem: 3 times
    Commie: 11 times
    Looks like your best bet is Commie

    Wasn’t expecting that at all. I normally dislike Commie localization, but their choice of phrasing was just better than UTW-Mazui this time.

    Reply

    • … however, I will say it was a lot closer than it looks – I checked back and for all the Commie points won, UTW were a close second.

      Reply

  42. UTW-Mazui: 3 times
    pem: 3 times
    Commie: 13 times

    pem had some nice phrasing, but struggled with proper characterization. A lot of lines didn’t seem appropriate for the characters that were speaking.

    UTW-Mazui had great TL, but really needed a better editor. A lot of their exchanges felt excessively stiff and unnatural or had no flavor to them at all.

    Commie tended to play it safer than pem, but their script had some personality, generally had good flow, and charmed me with the cat puns.

    Reply

  43. UTW-Mazui: 1 time
    pem: 7 times
    Commie: 7 times
    Raw: 4 times

    Huh! UTW & Mazui got a RAW deal.

    Taking “They all sucked” literally, there would be a RAW landslide spewing over pem & Commie as well, so I only vacuumed when “They’re equally bad”.

    pem is lame, so I’ll bleed Red. The tie-breaker is Commie’s relative consistency and near normal style. Plus they claim to have script fixes in their unified “batch”. I watched Ep 1 from all three groups (was surprised DS does OADs) so I hope the 4th time’s the charm.

    I liked pem’s concision and vocabulary (e.g. Speeeeerrrrg), and some of UTW-Mazui’s wordplay was witty, but Commie’s impurrfect clarity wins the day for this native speaker.

    Reply

    • I do certain non-TV shows/movies depending on demand/my own interest. Couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take a peek at the Neko releases.

      Reply

  44. How am I supposed to choose if I don’t have the original line or audio in japanese? Phrasing isn’t all there is to translation. A certain line might be intended to sound awkward, which would make a correct translation look weird not in context. (Just to put an example where mistranslation is not exactly the issue).

    Reply

  45. Overall scores…
    UTW-Mazui: 10 times
    pem: 4 times
    Commie: 5 times
    Looks like your best bet is UTW-Mazui

    Turns out I chose Pem for Hanekawa’s lines…
    Good to know I can safely continue trusting Mazui and UTW and avoiding Commie.

    Reply

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