Translation Review: [HorribleSubs] Watamote – 01

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This post was written by kokujin-kun. He is not Dark_Sage.


How will Crunchy handle the most awesomely awesome show of the season?

Table of Contents

Release Information

Translation

Other Observations

Final Grade

Release Information

Episode details.

Release format: MKV (325MB, 8-bit)

Wap Level: 3/4 wap (“Sensei” and honorics but “Sis” and “little brother”)

English style: American English.

Speed: One day latecast

 

External links.

Group website: http://www.crunchyroll.com/   http://horriblesubs.info/

IRC channel: #[email protected]

Fansub.co screenshot comparisons:

Subbusu screenshot comparisons:

 

Translation

Karaoke.

No kara/lyrics for obvious reasons.

Main Script.

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_00.29_[2013.07.09_14.33.30]

First, dat positioning, and second, they decided not to invent a stupid new word, but instead they went with an all-too-bland TL for mojo. As of now, I can’t think of anything better (Onebaggers? Butters? Wallflowers? Grenades?) but there has to be a better word out there.

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_01.31_[2013.07.09_14.36.16]

What is this line doing in my subs?

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_03.55_[2013.07.09_14.37.42]

I like the way Crunchy titled the episode numbers better than FTW (which had “Un-1”). But once again, they decided to adapt the waseigo imechen (“image change”) into the dang English title. What’s next, are we going to be calling transvestites “new-halves”?

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_04.11_[2013.07.09_14.38.22]

“There’s plenty of time to make friends and find a guy.”

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_04.48_[2013.07.09_14.40.20]

Yeah, um, no. When Japaneseses say “bitches” they mean “sluts.” Fortunately, that difference didn’t really manifest itself in this line, so “bitch” is still passable, but it WILL be an issue come next episode ( ¬‿¬)

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_05.43_[2013.07.09_14.43.28]

Lazy dictionary scriptwriting is lazy.

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_09.43_[2013.07.09_15.00.25]

More like, “I should get a fucking plaque saying I’m hot.”

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_11.34_[2013.07.09_15.11.35]

Mmmm, yeaaaah, who the fuck actually calls their younger brother “little brother” to his face? Who? I’ve now been made aware in the comments that people do sometimes call their siblings “Brother” or “Sister,” though it’s still uncommon and more of a peculiar character trait. Now that I think about it, Tomoko is weird enough to use this term for her younger brother, possibly as an attempt to regain whatever self respect (as the older sister) she otherwise never gets in the outside world. Indeed, back when Tomoko was younger and wasn’t such a social retard, she’d call her brother “Tomo-kun”.

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_11.53_[2013.07.09_15.12.12]

They actually went with the Japanese name of “Pro Evolution Soccer”? XD

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_14.05_[2013.07.09_15.19.08]

Nope, no prison, just a life sentence of dealing with the creepy reject and her ramblings.

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_15.01_[2013.07.09_15.24.50]

What the fuck do the people at Crunchy think chara-o actually means? In any case, it means guys who constantly hit on girls. It does NOT mean “pansies.”

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_15.15_[2013.07.09_15.30.10]

One place where Crunchy gets it right (“feedback”) and FTW just copies and pastes whatever is said in the original Japanese (“howling”).

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_16.06_[2013.07.09_15.33.36]

See? Was it that hard to typeset this screen?

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_17.28_[2013.07.09_15.46.08]

She says jitakukeibi (自宅警備) meaning “home security” which is a joke since the only thing NEETs are useful for is supposedly house sitting 24/7. Guess they felt the joke was too Japanese or something.

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_19.54_[2013.07.09_15.53.50]

Seriously. it says “Mo” (モ) and this anime’s Shujinkou-chan’s name is Tomoko, so where do they get Tomoko’s name from that character? Am I missing something?

 

Other Observations

[HorribleSubs] Watamote - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_00.37_[2013.07.09_14.34.54]

Timing, encode, etc. sucks, as always.

 

Final Grade: B

I wasn’t impressed with this phoned-in script, and they had a few too many more mistakes than FTW, so there’s no reason to get these subs unless that new joint starts to delay their releases or something.

 

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17 thoughts on “Translation Review: [HorribleSubs] Watamote – 01”

  1. >Seriously. it says “Mo” (モ) and this anime’s Shujinkou-chan’s name is Tomoko, so where do they get Tomoko’s name from that character? Am I missing something?

    Isn’t she called Mokocchi at parts of the thing? That starts with “Mo”.

    Reply

  2. >But once again, they decided to adapt the waseigo imechen (“image change”) into the dang English title.
    I don’t see what’s so bad about this. It’s not like it’s incorrect or anything. They were more literal. So what? I actually prefer “image change” to “makeover”, as you proposed. I think it conveys the message better. But, hey, it’s just my opinion.

    Reply

    • Precisely. In my opinion, as long as it’s not obtrusive, grammatically incorrect or un-understandable, I see no need to go out of one’s way to ensure that not a single (loan)word of the Japanese script makes it into the subs.

      It’s just change for change’s sake.

      Reply

  3. “Who the fuck actually calls their younger brother ‘little brother’ to his face?”

    I don’t speak Japanese; is that a mistranslation, or are you just making fun of that line? I thought that it was supposed to be an intentionally awkward bit of dialogue since she’s portrayed as being conversation-retarded. “Let us talk” is also awkward as hell.

    Reply

    • Nah, it’s not a mistranslation, but even social retards would call a sibling by their name instead of calling them “brother” or “sister”. Although I admit, having an older sibling use “otouto” is not that common.

      Reply

      • I often call my sister “sister” as a joke. And honestly, I can imagine all sorts of outlandish characters who might speak in unconventional ways. There are real kids who call their parents by their first names; it doesn’t seem that much of a stretch for a fictional eccentric to call her siblings by relation.

        Reply

      • Dan in Scrubs says it all the time. I don’t think it’s necessarily bad as long as it fits the character, rather than just not being thought through well enough.

        Reply

  4. ”little brother” isn’t that bad. It sounds too formal, but Ftw’s ”lil’ bro” felt out of place since it seemed like the two weren’t that close. Simply ”brother” would have been the best. I mean, no one translated ”Onee-chan” as ”elder-sister”.

    Reply

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