This post was written by Dark_Sage. He is Dark_Sage.

A-tier vs. A-tier. Whoever wins, something something.

Visual Quality

Script Quality

Results

Release Information

Episode details.

Release format: 720p MKV (330 MB, 10-bit)

Japanesiness: No honorifics. Western name order.

English style: American English.

Encoding details: http://pastebin.com/iPi0f5Vj

Speed: Slow (<48 hours)

Translation style: Original TL.

External links.

Group website: http://www.watashi.biz/

IRC channel: #[email protected]

Visual Review

Karaoke.

Opening.

Webm link

Rating: Great. I love thematic karaoke, and it’s hard to get more thematic here than lilies fancifully blowing all over the goddamn screen.

Ending.

Webm link

Rating: Great. It would’ve been good without k-timing, but putting in the extra effort to go syllable by syllable? Hot damnlicious.

Typesetting.

Except for the memory signs, I was impressed with Watashi’s effort.

[Watashi]_Yurikuma_Arashi_-_02_[720p][310370C3].mkv_snapshot_15.04_[2015.01.15_23.27.33] — ~Garish~

Like Asenshi’s release, having properly typeset signs adds an important layer of enjoyment to the show.

Spoiler for

This, in particular, was impressive.

The background is pure black normally, but Watashi threw in the above signs that look like they were part of the show originally. Pro-tier shit right here.

Taking this into account with all the “Homo” signs in the spoiler should give you an idea of what’s gonna be the determining factor behind which fansub to go with for Yurikuma. But we’ll get into that a bit later.

Script Review

Main Script.

Spellcheck before you release. Yes, I’m sure your editors are smart, and I’m sure your QCs are careful, but obviously they weren’t smart or careful enough. It takes 30 seconds. Invest that time.

For a release that tries so hard to read like a dub script, having Lulu introduce herself like this feels way off.

I didn’t have any issues with these like I did in the other two examples. Just wanted a nice segue into the translation style, because this release is as liberal as the above images imply.

Translation Style.

This is gonna be the deal-breaker or the deal-maker for most people, so I wanna address it sufficiently.

Watashi had a lot of fun with this release. This means you get extra (in a good way!) visuals, much like the following…

but you also get insta-no’s for some people with translations like this:

It’s a legitimate translation, it should be noted. They’re trading the yuri/lily euphemism for in-your-face “these girls are lesbians” phrasing with the added benefit of it having the “homo = human” association.

But with the additional baggage behind the term, you don’t have to be SJW scum to want something a little less loaded.

Ursa over bear is a solid choice as far as puns go.

And it also gives a clear “these are bears yet not actually bears” sense that suits the show. I wouldn’t have minded if they switched off between “bear” and “ursa” though, because they had to stretch for a few lines (“bearfendants” vs. “defendursants” for example).

When it comes to the more difficult terminology, I was pretty happy with Watashi’s choices. It’s hard to see this, for example, as anything but fantastic.

Severance Barrier works, sure. But “Species Divide” is too natural to avoid being impressed by.

When we come to “Invisible Storm”, Watashi also switches things up.

I haven’t read Wuthering Heights, nor do I intend to, but I’m going to assume it fits. Sure sounds smart, at least.

The release can get a bit tryhard, but that’s sorta the fun of it.

And unlike most groups who are like “haha we lulz now”, there is more thought put behind this than regurgitating old tumblr and reddit memes in the hopes that mere references can cause enjoyment.

So, sorry 4chan, but this release is too smart for you.

…Also, Watashi has good references.

Results

Watchability: Can I get rid of this metric yet? :<

Visual grade: A

Script grade: A-

Overall grade: A-

Like I said before, Asenshi is my blanket recommendation for Yurikuma — most people will want to watch that version. But if you’re in the market for a bit more “fun” in your subs, I imagine Watashi will be your ideal choice. It’s certainly mine.

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24 thoughts on “Fansub Review: [Watashi] Yurikuma Arashi (Episode 02)”

atikabubu

January 16, 2015 at 4:55 pm

>Winter 2015
>the season fansubbing was supposed to die

Well look here, streamfags! A legit fansub that you want to watch, not just bitch about it in MAL fansub ratings!
- Googol
  
  January 16, 2015 at 5:55 pm
  
  On MAL even A-tier releases are shit and meme-ridden. It’s a running gag over there, and not only there.
HeavenlyArmed

January 16, 2015 at 5:01 pm

‘When we come to “Invisible Barrier”, Watashi also switches things up.’

I think you meant Invisible Storm. You know, the translation that worked well in Asenshi’s release but not so well in Funi’s?
- Dark_Sage
  
  January 16, 2015 at 5:22 pm
  
  Just because a line works well in one release doesn’t mean it’ll have the same effect in another. And I didn’t factor that into their grades at all.
Dium

January 16, 2015 at 5:10 pm

this review is simply memetastic
Qrius

January 16, 2015 at 5:23 pm

>A-tier vs. A-tier.
Is this a first in Crymore’s long and noble history…? Is this a legend being born before our very eyes?
- Kristen
  
  January 16, 2015 at 5:43 pm
  
  Monokage vs. Chihiro in Kamisama no Memo-chou were both A-tier. That was the last time I recall it happening.
- Dark_Sage
  
  January 16, 2015 at 5:43 pm
  
  There have been a few A-tier face-offs in koku’s TL reviews. If we’re looking at my posts alone, there were a few back in 2012, but 2013 is where I really started to solidify the review process, so it would be fair to say that this is a first of sorts.
- HeavenlyArmed
  
  January 16, 2015 at 5:43 pm
  
  Not quite. It’s been seen before in a number of shows, though this is the first since Tasogare Otome x Amnesia, which was over 2 years ago.
- Izuchi
  
  January 16, 2015 at 5:48 pm
  
  This isn’t the first time it happened. Check out the reviews for “Another”.
- Qrius
  
  January 16, 2015 at 6:57 pm
  
  Huh, my bad. Not like any of these examples qualify as recent history though. We’re talking like the Whiners Ages (Whinetiquity?).
  
  Oh, and koku’s TL reviews are obviously not canon, duh.
  - Dark_Sage
    
    January 16, 2015 at 10:28 pm
    
    Whinetiquity? I like it!
Abunja

January 16, 2015 at 6:53 pm

Wow, D_S is really in to this. I hope you would continue doing these every week, so I don’t have to watch the whole show.
Etoce

January 16, 2015 at 7:32 pm

The Japanese title of Wuthering Heights is 嵐が丘 (arashi ga oka), same as the name of the school in this show.
Anonymous

January 17, 2015 at 12:33 am

The OP kfx would be amazing if it had a better font. Take Asenshi’s font and put in Watashi’s kfx and you’d have an absolute God-tier OP.
Xavier

January 17, 2015 at 1:23 am

I hate “Homo” and “Ursa”, and “phantom wuthering” sounds dumb to me. Generally I’m a big fan of funsubs but I’ll have to go with Asenshi on this one.
- Anonymous
  
  January 17, 2015 at 5:00 am
  
  Yeah, “Ursa” and “Homo” are especially bad.
- Kiraly
  
  January 17, 2015 at 11:00 am
  
  Same here.
  
  I don’t mind homo that much, but “phantom wuthering”? What were they smoking?
vipirius

January 17, 2015 at 3:34 am

“Homo Certified” sealed the deal for me.
Fits the show perfectly lol.
Fan

January 20, 2015 at 6:57 pm

Dark_Sage, my man, could you make your site black so we don’t strain our eyes? Cheers
- Dark_Sage
  
  January 20, 2015 at 7:11 pm
  
  I could install a theme changer plugin, no problem. But that would require me to build out a completely new theme. And that requires a skill set that I do not have, and do not have the time to build up.
- Anonymous
  
  January 20, 2015 at 8:08 pm
  
  your screen is set too bright
James

April 3, 2015 at 9:46 am

Watashi’s posts with each new episode concern me. In once post they refer to their work as joke subs, it looks like they skipped an episode, and swapped the audio track of the last episode.

So…Were they joking in the post, or did they stop subbing seriously, start trolling, and I should choose a different group?
Nae

May 30, 2015 at 3:20 pm

I’m going with another group mainly because of the “homo” usage. I’m not gonna whine or complain about it… it just bothers me.

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