Fansub Review: [Commie] Nisekoi (Episode 02)

January 20, 2014January 20, 2014 by Dark_Sage

This post was written by Dark_Sage. He is Dark_Sage.

Futsuu, renowned Commie and UTW translator, said that Commie had the objectively best script for this show. Well, let’s see if he’s right. (Spoilers: Of course he’s right. Such top-tier translators always are.)

Release Information

Visual Quality

Script Quality

Results

Release Information

Episode details.

Release format: MKV (279 MB, 10-bit)

Japanesiness: No honorifics. Classmates call one another Mr. and Ms. as is proper Japanese custom.

English style: American English.

Encoding details: http://pastebin.com/DFeuwZ2P

Speed: Quick (<48 hours)

Translation style: Aniplex rip.

Since some of you are going to be a bit confused by this review, here’s a bit of background:

Some people yesterday called Nyaa mods (Xythar/Daiz/Futsuu/etc) out on giving “blue” (Nyaa’s way of saying “this is the objectively best release out there, bar none”) to Commie’s release of Nisekoi. But considering the quality of Commie’s Nisekoi 01 release…

…people were a bit confused by how they could have come to that conclusion. But when they asked what was up, Nyaa mods started deleting their comments, since anything that damages fansubbers’ fragile little egos can’t be allowed.

After a round or two of comment deletions, Futsuu got mad and posted why he thought Commie’s release was the best, in an attempt to shut people up. Here’s his translation report: http://pastebin.com/CpUs7CZK. The gist is “Commie has the best translation accuracy for Nisekoi and you suck if you disagree”.

Now, I thought this was a bit funny, since Futsuu himself is one of the worst translators around, and brainchild (the person who edited Commie’s Nisekoi) doesn’t know Japanese and hardly even changed the Aniplex script in the Commie release.

So I thought what I’d do was, I’d write a review and find out just how good these subs are.

External links.

Group website: http://www.nyaa.se/

IRC channel: #[email protected]

Visual Review

Karaoke.

Opening. The colors change, but not in a readable fashion. The few effects they added were entertaining, but not quite good enough to make up for Commie’s inability to understand what a border is.

Rating: Okay-.

Ending. Same as the OP. The color choices were cool, but not cool enough to make up for shitty font decisions.

Rating: Okay-.

Typesetting.

Typeset

There are about 40 signs I took screenshots of, but I’m just including the unique typesets here.

Spoiler for

The typesetting is pretty damn good.

Not Typeset

Spoiler for

They didn’t miss anything particularly important.

Broken

Try QC next time.

Not sure what the hell happened here.

Other.

Commie has silly effects for the script. Hee hee, fansubbers are almost as funny as animes!

Oh, and you can’t play the release in VLC, or even most media players other than MPC. The video and audio desync whenever typesets hit the screen, and shit gets screwy. Hope you don’t try to close the program while typesets are up either, since the audio will keep playing, and you’ll have to force it all to shut down in the task bar.

Commie_Creates_Superior_Encodes — It’s beautiful.

Guess that’s just to be expected with such a superior release.

Script Review

Main Script.

Exactly. He’s the heir to the entire yakuza. Brilliant edit, brainchild. What did Aniplex have again?

“The heir apparent to a yakuza clan…?”

A yakuza clan? Silly Aniplex, are you doubting Futsuu’s translation skills? There is clearly but one yakuza outfit in Japan. Just ask Commie.

Not nearly as absurd…ly awesome as this dialogue! Yeah, Commie!

It sure would suck if her first line and the next one matched up like Aniplex had it.

Not happening, not happening, not happening, not happening!
Me dating this guy is absolutely not happening!

I mean, can you even imagine?

What’s a “Shuei-gumi”? Nike meets Haribo?

Oh wait, wait. I know this one thanks to Commie’s earlier translation. It’s an alternate name for the entirety of the yakuza, not the name of a yakuza family. Silly me, thinking I know more than fansubbing’s finest.

Capitalization standards are so 2013.

Most people would think the use of terms like “bocchan” (here, “Young Master”) and “ojou” (here, “Young Miss”) in the Japanese script would aid in differentiating between who’s talking and provide clear status delineations.

But Commie knows that avoiding such terms whenever possible makes for a better script. After all, if Aniplex wanted those terms in the script to be understood by dirty foreigners like us, they would have hired a translator and given us the show subbed on their own streaming site or something. I bet they would even have called it Daisuki to indicate how much they love us.

One day…

Just another human line in a human release.

Overlimit mode: overactivated.

I know I wouldn’t be able to stand it if the line had read “She said, ‘Let’s meet again,’ and gave this to me as a sign of that promise.” After all, that’s a symbol of reunion, not of a promise.

Sure, episode one may have been titled “Yakusoku”, but if not even Commie knows what that means, how could we?

Commie: masters of the zing. These are definitely things humans would say.

Is this a “For great justice!” reference? Haha, am I right? Is that how the meme goes? Oh man, Commie, you guys are too funny.

Such hilariously comedic phrasing. These guys are truly gods in human form. They are not Commie, but kami!

What a flow of dialogue. Most people can only come out with something this Commie-tier after a night of drinking and Taco Bell. But Commie manages on a line-by-line basis. Impressive!

You can tell what a dastardly villain he is through the use of Commie’s quality writing, after all.

Using three intensifiers on a hyperbolic idiom? Sasuga best group.

It’s funny because you didn’t translate the joke. But that just means there wasn’t a joke to translate. Futsuu would never be wrong. He knows Japanese. After all, he says he does. Facts is facts, ya know.

Results

Well, Futsuu didn’t lie. These subs are the greatest. They’re literally the best I’ve reviewed for Nisekoi.

I doubt any of the other groups on the show will even be able to come close to such heights, especially when they’re faced with the quality editing and translation checking that Commie put in.

Commie broke their backs on this release!

Fansubbing is truly saved.

Watchability: Watchable.

Visual grade: B+ (F- if you don’t use CCCP)

Script grade: C-

Overall grade: C (F- if you don’t use CCCP)

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87 thoughts on “Fansub Review: [Commie] Nisekoi (Episode 02)”

dutchah

January 20, 2014 at 4:06 pm

Thank you based commie
Reply
Hdr

January 20, 2014 at 4:27 pm

It’s funny you said “Try QC next time.”
the ‘qc’ actually contributed some of these errors.

I’m not letting rhe touch this script again.
Reply
- Dark_Sage
  
  January 20, 2014 at 5:28 pm
  
  Sasuga rhe.
  
  Nice typesetting, though. There were quite a few signs that I wouldn’t have expected to be typeset.
  Reply
Nevreen

January 20, 2014 at 4:27 pm

To be fair, “bean sprout” is Chitoge’s signature insult for Ichijou.
Reply
- Dark_Sage
  
  January 20, 2014 at 5:26 pm
  
  I may be missing some context behind it then, since it isn’t really something I’d expect to hear in English.
  Reply
  - Nevreen
    
    January 20, 2014 at 5:38 pm
    
    As I recall, she calls him that due to his being physically small. It’s an oft-recurring insult of hers as the series goes on, and I’d probably be hesitant to change it (especially since this is a Shaft show, and there’s likely to be some sort of visual cue for it one day).
    Reply
    - Dark_Sage
      
      January 20, 2014 at 5:47 pm
      
      Fair enough. I’ll just chalk it up to Japan being Japan. Updated.
      Reply
    - FalseDawn
      
      January 20, 2014 at 8:48 pm
      
      That’s weird because there is an idiom using bean sprout in English (maybe Brit) but it refers to someone being tall and thin, which sounds like it’s exactly the opposite of what you’re describing. So a certain amount of localisation would be needed, even if it does reoccur throughout the series.
      Reply
      - Dark_Sage
        
        January 20, 2014 at 8:52 pm
        
        Ah yeah, “beanpole” is probably the word they were looking for.
        Reply
        
        FalseDawn
        
        January 20, 2014 at 8:58 pm
        
        Duh, yeah, you’re right. Though bean sprout would work too because they’re also long and thin. Don’t understand why they’d signify smallness like Nevreen suggests, though. Japan being weird I guess.
        Reply
        
        Alto
        
        January 21, 2014 at 8:49 am
        
        I thought “beansprout” is used to describe someone as weak.
        Raku admits it in the manga (http://www.batoto.net/read/_/46904/nisekoi_ch1_by_imperial-scans/8) sry I have no idea how to link this better
        
        Had I not known about this from the manga, I would’ve assumed that she calls him that because her kick knocked him out
        Reply
        
        Nevreen
        
        January 21, 2014 at 10:44 am
        
        That’s certainly possible. It’s been a while since I read the early chapters of the manga. I just know it’s something she calls him repeatedly, which is why I probably wouldn’t change it.
        Reply
        
        Nevaritius
        
        January 30, 2014 at 9:23 pm
        
        It’s because he’s very thin and weak, just like a beansprout. Chitoge calls him this all the time in the Manga.
        Reply
Minachi

January 20, 2014 at 4:29 pm

GG. Everyone can gtfo and go home.
Reply
Qrius

January 20, 2014 at 4:49 pm

Am I gonna live to see the day when people stop complaining about stuff not working outside of MPC/CCCP? Go grab a hardsub, ffs…
Reply
- Nevreen
  
  January 20, 2014 at 5:02 pm
  
  Of course not. It doesn’t matter if fansubbers recommend using CCCP, it’s their fault if you use something else and the subs don’t work. Especially if you’re trying to make them look bad.
  Reply
  - Dark_Sage
    
    January 20, 2014 at 5:21 pm
    
    I’d point out if any group’s release was unplayable with anything but CCCP. Though CCCP is what I personally use and expect most people to use, there are those who use other options and ought to know if a release won’t work for them (Mac users, for example).
    Reply
    - Nevreen
      
      January 20, 2014 at 5:33 pm
      
      Plenty of releases (especially those with KFX) break outside of CCCP; I can’t say I recall you ever pointing it out before. Mac and Linux users should be using mplayer2. While it uses libass rather than vsfilter and thus won’t render everything properly, it does a much better job at it than VLC.
      Reply
      - Dark_Sage
        
        January 20, 2014 at 5:52 pm
        
        I don’t usually point it out, you’re right. Mostly because it’s not something I test for. But when people are pissing and moaning about how VLC/KCP/etc. won’t work (and I mean to a degree of literal unplayability), I don’t think I should just sit on that information and play dumb.
        Reply
        
        Nevreen
        
        January 20, 2014 at 6:02 pm
        
        It’s one thing to mention it; it’s another to blame the fansubbers for it, especially when you’re trying to point out why they don’t deserve A+ (I actually agree with you, although I can’t say I really care about A+ status). It just hurts your credibility when you nitpick and make mountains out of molehills. There’s plenty to criticize without resorting to this kind of thing.
        Reply
        
        Dark_Sage
        
        January 20, 2014 at 6:54 pm
        
        The A+ itself is irrelevant. Making nyaa’s sycophants eat their own words is not.
        
        Now, whatever I say about things not working on VLC/Macs/what-have-you isn’t going to affect the canon score. I watch everything with CCCP, and it’s that watch-through I’m basing reviews off of (hell, I’ve held the torch for CCCP since I started subbing in 2008). That being said, I think there’s value in letting people know when a release will break if they don’t watch it in CCCP. And when it breaks this badly, I think they deserve to be called out for it.
        Reply
      - begna112
        
        January 20, 2014 at 6:24 pm
        
        I would say i’ve never seen a release break that badly in VLC, mpc or even live streaming software like Plex or airvideo or xbmc. Usually the kfx will just kind of disappear because libass is too slow but the audio and video will keep going. If the screenshot and description D_S gave there is true of the entire release, then something is seriously wrong with it that “It’s libass!” alone can’t explain.
        Reply
        
        Dark_Sage
        
        January 20, 2014 at 6:44 pm
        
        I think if you skip past the first minute it’s fine (I did a bit of spotchecking after that), but yes, it completely breaks down when you try to watch that sequence.
        Reply
        
        hunta
        
        January 20, 2014 at 10:38 pm
        
        That’s all sorts of special. ITW’s NouCome didn’t break in either mplayer2 OR vlc here. (Hi, I’m a linuxfag). What the everfucking fuck is Commie doing here to break things this badly?
        Reply
      - NakkiNyan
        
        January 21, 2014 at 1:03 am
        
        Mac and Linux users should be using mpv, Mplayer2 is a mess due to the forking and half-assing git pulls to make much needed fixes.
        Reply
        
        Nevreen
        
        January 21, 2014 at 3:20 am
        
        I defer to your superior knowledge on the issue. My point was mostly that VLC sucks, and you shouldn’t be using it.
        Reply
    - NakkiNyan
      
      January 21, 2014 at 12:57 am
      
      I am on a Mac and use mpv to watch my anime. I bet it would still break if it is that bad but sitting there to see anything by commie would make me want to vomit.
      Reply
Nyangoro

January 20, 2014 at 4:57 pm

I will withhold my shock indefinitely until such a time as my mind is adequately blown.
Reply
Solaristics

January 20, 2014 at 5:00 pm

I expected a disqualification with minimal edits.
Reply
- Dark_Sage
  
  January 20, 2014 at 5:23 pm
  
  I have pretty low standards when it comes to edit qualifications.
  Reply
Anonymous

January 20, 2014 at 5:34 pm

All of your objections are legit, but I wonder about this:

>Commie: masters of the zing. These are definitely things humans would say.

Talkin’ funny is a common thing in cartoons, yeah? Could they not have just been talkin’ funny?
Reply
- Dark_Sage
  
  January 20, 2014 at 6:06 pm
  
  You mean saying random things just to be random? I wouldn’t let your knowledge of Looney Tunes affect your perception of anime.
  Reply
  - begna112
    
    January 20, 2014 at 7:20 pm
    
    http://d.pr/i/UccY
    Reply
Mitsukai

January 20, 2014 at 7:00 pm

I would say I’m surprised (with both Commie and Nyaa), but at this point, it’s kind of just what you’ve come to expect from them.
Reply
Ogawa

January 20, 2014 at 8:54 pm

> Group website: http://www.nyaa.se/

heh
Reply
Anon

January 20, 2014 at 10:09 pm

Commie staff being egotistical and claiming they put out good subs when everyone and their mother know it’s meme-spouting trash and le epic meams?

Surely not.
Reply
Anonymous

January 20, 2014 at 11:02 pm

Bitter_Sage
Reply
- Dark_Sage
  
  January 20, 2014 at 11:03 pm
  
  Got that right. It’s bullshit Whine-Subs got snubbed again.
  Reply
  - Anonymous
    
    January 20, 2014 at 11:59 pm
    
    Cry More
    Reply
anon

January 20, 2014 at 11:20 pm

I thought Nisekoi might be one of the occasions where they don’t have an A+ just because there are four notable groups on it. Oh well. Here’s hoping for an eventual BD release with Commie typesetting and EveTaku script.
Reply
- NakkiNyan
  
  January 21, 2014 at 1:09 am
  
  I think the major issue is how late FFF is getting with releases and m33w, peeps, and EveTaku are not much faster. It is worth the wait but when they go for scoring their A+ they will almost always kiss ass to the earlier releases.
  Reply
  - Hairy
    
    January 21, 2014 at 1:34 am
    
    Good idea. Just give it to the group that does the least amount of editing. Yep, that’s bound to the best version available, especially when it’s been edited by Commie.
    Reply
    - NakkiNyan
      
      January 21, 2014 at 3:34 am
      
      I am always willing to wait just to not get commie’s failsubs.
      Reply
Dark_Sage

January 20, 2014 at 11:58 pm

I think I made Xythar mad. :(

Edit: Brainchild too.

Wonder if they’re afraid of the comments section or something. Hey guys, you’re scaring away the Commie devs. Put some smiles on or something!
Reply
- Solaristics
  
  January 21, 2014 at 12:10 am
  
  Lmao.
  Reply
- NakkiNyan
  
  January 21, 2014 at 1:07 am
  
  Everything makes Xythar mad.
  Reply
- Nyangoro
  
  January 21, 2014 at 1:16 am
  
  Why should the hallowed gods of Nyaa be concerned with meager grievances of the plebeian mortals?
  Reply
- Mitsukai
  
  January 21, 2014 at 1:29 am
  
  So, they get called out (like usual), and they’re so upset about it that rather than coming back with words and having an internet discussion™ to try to defend themselves, they instead try to find something you’ve worked on in the past to use against you. Not only that, but they have to go digging back three -years- to find it.
  
  How petty can you possibly be?
  Reply
  - Nevreen
    
    January 21, 2014 at 3:18 am
    
    To be fair, D_S hasn’t really worked on anything in the past 3 years.
    Reply
    - Dark_Sage
      
      January 21, 2014 at 3:23 am
      
      Last season was the only one in which I didn’t sub anything. What, you think I’m gonna make a post on Crymore every time I edit something for one of my friends?
      Reply
      - Nevreen
        
        January 21, 2014 at 3:28 am
        
        Shrug, I remember seeing your name in the credits for gg’s Eotens for a few episodes, and you subbed like half of that shitty show people are always pestering you about, but I can’t say I’ve seen you around the scene much.
        
        If you say you’ve been subbing, I’ll have to take you at your word.
        Reply
  - Dark_Sage
    
    January 21, 2014 at 3:22 am
    
    The most entertaining bit to me is that these are full-grown adults, and the best they can do is passive-aggressive tweets. Xythar’s like 27.
    Reply
    - anon
      
      January 21, 2014 at 3:14 pm
      
      >27
      >http://i.imgur.com/4nKos2o.png
      Reply
      - Solaristics
        
        January 21, 2014 at 3:31 pm
        
        LOL.
        Reply
      - Dark_Sage
        
        January 21, 2014 at 3:39 pm
        
        Someone needs to stage an intervention for him.
        Reply
        
        Nevreen
        
        January 21, 2014 at 4:06 pm
        
        Shrug, if his job is anything like mine, you can show up late pretty much every day, and nobody will give a shit as long as you get your work done and aren’t late for meetings. I’m rarely in the office before 10AM.
        Reply
        
        Solaristics
        
        January 21, 2014 at 4:14 pm
        
        Sounds like a job I’d love to do.
        Reply
        
        Dark_Sage
        
        January 21, 2014 at 4:35 pm
        
        It’s an office gig. Just get a college degree.
        Reply
        
        Dark_Sage
        
        January 21, 2014 at 4:34 pm
        
        Last we talked, he was working at a call center.
        Reply
- Ryuk
  
  January 21, 2014 at 2:27 pm
  
  I think it’s just Xythar trying to follow his rule to never ever come to Crymore…
  How’d he see the post then? ._.
  Reply
  - Dark_Sage
    
    January 21, 2014 at 3:42 pm
    
    He must have been deceived into visiting. Damn internet goblins, always up to their mischievous tricks!
    Reply
Ryuk

January 21, 2014 at 1:30 am

Some of their effects were reallllllllly creative.
http://i.imgur.com/e4tMORb.jpg
But I actually liked it.
Reply
- XiaYixuan
  
  January 21, 2014 at 3:25 am
  
  I don’t usually watch Commie but when I watched Commie’s Nisekoi release it reminded me of the effects in Chinese releases.
  Reply
- Anon
  
  January 21, 2014 at 8:34 am
  
  I really like a few well done effects…emphasis on a few. Haven’t watched Commie’s release but just from the screens I’ve already seen three, which is probably enough for an entire season. As an occasional joke, something that gives a little extra impact to a line by how well it meshes with it, it can work, but if you pepper your script with them then it just becomes normal and you get tired of the distraction of it real quick.
  Reply
- Scrat
  
  January 21, 2014 at 9:53 pm
  
  would like it even more if they finally figured out how to mirror stuff using the correct axis…
  (“finally” if the same person did ITW’s NouCome’s Ep9’s 180° “mirror” job)
  Reply
  - anon
    
    January 21, 2014 at 11:24 pm
    
    Yeah, I even thoroughly enjoy most silly typesetting effects, but this bugged me. It shouldn’t have even been mirrored at all. Words (on a shirt for example) are reversed in a mirror because they’re FACING the mirror, but the subtitles are facing the viewer. Any reasonable way you imagine the subtitles as an actual object in the room, they’d appear with the same orientation in the reflection.
    Reply
    - Tehshower
      
      January 24, 2014 at 4:01 pm
      
      >The color choices were cool, but not cool enough to make up for shitty font decisions.
      I learned from the best of the best. http://i.imgur.com/m08E4Pl.png
      Reply
      - Tehshower
        
        January 24, 2014 at 4:07 pm
        
        >I really like a few well done effects…emphasis on a few.
        No one really stops me from doing it and I don’t know when I’m going to far
        >(“finally” if the same person did ITW’s NouCome’s Ep9′s 180° “mirror” job)
        Sounds suspiciously like Haidaraaaaa
        I was trying to mimic what I did a few months ago with neptunia
        http://imgur.com/G9ZOoJL,ICNptGm#0
        http://imgur.com/5yjLALn,PFZS8S0
        Of course, there wasn’t a frame where it’s at the right perspective in Nisekoi though.
        Reply
aers

January 21, 2014 at 1:02 pm

xD
Reply
- Dark_Sage
  
  January 21, 2014 at 1:15 pm
  
  Hey aers, you were really dodging me in the Nyaa post. What was up with that? You kinda hurt my feelings there, buddy.
  Reply
  - aers
    
    January 21, 2014 at 1:42 pm
    
    Answer’s still no bud.
    Reply
    - Dark_Sage
      
      January 21, 2014 at 3:37 pm
      
      Supremely unfair. :(
      Reply
AnimeNOW

January 21, 2014 at 3:16 pm

The main problem here is how badly SHAFT fucked this show up
Reply
- Solaristics
  
  January 21, 2014 at 3:30 pm
  
  Fucked it up? If anything I’d say it looks better.
  Reply
  - XiaYixuan
    
    January 21, 2014 at 4:03 pm
    
    Better than?
    Reply
    - Anon
      
      January 21, 2014 at 4:50 pm
      
      The manga, I assume.
      Reply
- Bneundh
  
  January 21, 2014 at 5:42 pm
  
  SHAFT is anime god. They deliver all the time, especially with them animating kagepro anime next season. Bless.
  Reply
Doom44

January 22, 2014 at 7:55 am

So does it mean in really short way that Commie are the best release at the moment from FFF and EveTaku ? or you going to review them next? I’m confuse D:
Reply
- Dark_Sage
  
  January 22, 2014 at 9:58 am
  
  It means that of every release that I’ve reviewed thus far (a group which currently consists solely of Commie), Commie’s subs are the best.
  Reply
kokujin-kun

January 22, 2014 at 1:01 pm

Dialogue: 20,0:14:06.57,0:14:08.20,Default,,0,0,0,,Why would you ask that… -> Where did that come from?

Dialogue: 20,0:14:15.58,0:14:19.29,Default,,0,0,0,,Wh-Why do you want to know so much about me? -> Why do I have to give you my life story?

Dialogue: 20,0:18:29.21,0:18:32.71,Default,,0,0,0,,{Raku }I can’t read it, but it’s pretty clear that she’s calling me stupid.{Insults transcend language.} -> she’s mocking/insulting me

Dialogue: 20,0:21:07.78,0:21:10.91,Default,,0,0,0,,{Raku }Wait, you’re serious about this?{This isn’t a joke, you know!} -> You’ve gotta be kidding me!

Don’t tell me these are the “TL errors” that got Evetaku the shaft. Personally, I thought these lines were fine. So are they telling me that these are a no-no while “monkey AIDS” gets a pass?
Reply
- Solaristics
  
  January 22, 2014 at 2:46 pm
  
  Everything in the land of Commie gets passed if it has any trolling.
  Reply
herpderp

January 26, 2014 at 11:19 pm

“Hope you don’t try to close the program while typesets are up either, since the audio will keep playing, and you’ll have to force it all to shut down in the task bar”

…..Maybe try using an OS that doesn’t suck monkey cock like, uh, I dunno, anything Linux based?

Commie’s a genius for sucking up the release so bad, but it’s your own darn fault for using a crap OS.
Reply
- Anon
  
  January 26, 2014 at 11:58 pm
  
  Umm, that’s horrible advice. If I remember correctly xy-vsfilter isn’t available on Linux, which is what most groups will target. If anything it would be more likely to break and would be prone to rendering incorrectly if the group doesn’t want to bother making it work in libass.
  Reply
- Hunta
  
  January 27, 2014 at 12:22 am
  
  Oh look an OS holywar attempt.
  Reply
- imouto
  
  January 27, 2014 at 12:40 am
  
  linux is shit in a ton of ways and libass is broken as hell so recommending it for the specific purpose of watching fansubs is like recommending the wii u for gaming
  Reply
  - Hunta
    
    January 27, 2014 at 9:42 am
    
    >having something just to specifically watch fansubs on.
    
    Wat.
    Reply
asterisk

January 27, 2014 at 7:01 am

Linux: beta forever.
Reply