This post was written by Dark_Sage. He is Dark_Sage.
This show’s actually pretty funny.
Release format: MKV (10-bit, 238 MB), LQ MKV (8-bit, 130 MB)
Japanesiness: No honorifics.
Group website: http://sage.gundam.eu/
8thsin’s translation critique: http://8ths.in/winter-2011-anime-subtitle-comparison/#Danshi
Ji-hi’s screenshot comparisons: N/A
Karaoke.
Opening. The Japanese in white is hardsubbed by the animation company.
Ending. Again, the Japanese in white is hardsubbed. Note that the ending will change for episode 2.
Gotta say the karaoke did not impress me.
Typesetting.
Kinda cramped up there. The only alternative is probably to just white over the sign and paste the English over it all.
This should really be phrased “Both gargling and washing your hands are important!” otherwise you could read the line as “Gargling while washing your hands is important” which doesn’t make any sense.
Overall, I thought it was pretty decent typesetting. Colors and fonts matched sufficiently.
Script.
a>normal, everyday life!
“Spring” is not something that needs to be capitalized. You don’t capitalize the seasons (fall, winter, spring, summer) unless they’re part of a title, i.e. The Nashima High Spring Festival.
Watchability: Quite watchable.
Overall grade: B+
What you have here is a damn good script with mediocre karaoke. I can say that overall Sage is a fine choice for this show, even if the kara is kinda meh.
Now, I was asked to not give Sage too hard of a rating based on the karaoke because it was “unfinished”. Do I trust the people in Sage to improve the karaoke shown here? Sure. The leader’s a friend of mine and I know karaoke is one of the things she values most. But promises won’t affect the scores here, otherwise everyone would get an A+ “because next time it’ll be perfect!” The score is based on each individual episode, for better or worse, and that’s how it’s gonna remain.
Good thing I don’t care about karaoke.
Me neither. I only care about script and that the font would be readable.
This show is actually way better that I though it would be.
Wow, anyone still gives a shit about karaoke aside from the translation actually being there and being readable?
>2012
ISHYGDDT, etc, etc
Weaboos gonna weaboo.
People do, and unfortunately I haven’t dedicated my reviews solely to your interests. Luckily, you’re not a drone. You can read what I said, think to yourself “Hey, this script is super fucking great, the typesetting’s good too… Wow. I want to get this version of the show.” without my thoughts on karaoke getting in the way at all.
The score is a compilation of all three categories, so if it doesn’t matter to you, disregard it. I’m grading under the assumption that people care about all three categories to some degree, but that certainly doesn’t stop you from assigning your own mental score.
It’s worth noting that they kind of messed up a funny FMA reference by not translating “touka koukan” as “equivalent exchange” or similar. Other than that subs seemed good
It may also be worth noting that FMA was not the first series to use that term, nor was it the last. That’s kinda what happens when you use a common phrase from real life (then some people who don’t understand Japanese get a hold of it, and think it’s suddenly something catchy and special somehow, and…).
It’s also worth noting that neither I nor any of my staff noticed this very subtle FMA reference even though we’ve all seen FMA.
Any weeaboo who has can immediately pick up on the phrase “touka koukan”, but like XerBlade said, I didn’t immediately connect it to FMA. It simply is a Japanese phrase that has existed long before the FMA anime.
I didn’t really recognize that Yoshitake was doing transmutation with his little clap & panties – I just thought he was being weird because, well, he’s pretty weird. Or just showing off, anyways.
In any case, after viewing the scene x number of times now, I conclude that it was indeed a pretty subtle FMA reference that none of us caught. And for that, I’m sorry.
However it is not a translation mistake in of itself. “Equivalent exchange” and “tit for tat” have the same meaning. It’s just that FMA fans were expecting to see “touka koukan” translated using that phrase, as it always has been by whoever subbed FMA. It’s become ingrained in the fandom. I apologize for not translating it that way. Not seeing the FMA reference, I thought the words “equivalent exchange” were rather too sophisticated for a boy of Yoshitake’s intellect to use, which is why I substituted in a simpler phrase.
Great show, great subs.
This show was WAY funnier than I thought it was going to be. I admit all the preview write ups I’ve seen turned me off at first but I’m glad I gave it a fair shake. The last sketch with the girl was just too damned funny.
They handled it really well. The first two bits had me fearing what the show was going to be like, but as time went on I kept warming up to it. Sleeper hit, definitely.
Just wanted to point out that at 7:33, they used the term ‘Jap’. While it may seem like a harmless abbreviation, the term ‘Jap’ is actually a racist term on the level of ‘n****r’. The negative connotations stem way back to WWII.
Pity about the lack of honorifics, you’d think that honorifics would compliment a show about life in Japan with Mobile Suits and Dragon Quest references.
I agree and have come up with what the subs would look like with honorifics: “Oh shit! It’s a Mobile Gundam Suit-kun! Senpai-sensei, ready the Hero-sama sword-san! We must defeat it-chan!”
You’re right that in some circles it’s offensive… the same circles that censor out everything from their speech because they’re politically correct, useless cunts.
Thanks for the history lesson, though.
Edit: I suppose I should be more straightforward with you, since you’re a regular poster here and I like having you around. See, I really love free speech. It’s an idea that’s deeply ingrained in how I handle this site. It’s why you’ll see all manner of comments here — even those extremely critical, rude, and downright offensive. If you want to make a point here, you can do it without looking like a simpering wimp, afraid that the internet police will get you for saying a “naughty word”. Your point that “Modern Jap” is probably a line that should have been mentioned in my review is valid in a sense, but card deftly handled her response to you below, so I see no reason to hammer on the point.
Thanks for the response! (^.^)
I myself am a proposer of free speech. However, for my comment, I specifically censored the word so it wouldn’t look like I was being a hypocrite.
While I didn’t mind your “mean spirited” comment, it’s definitely a comeback that many fans of literal translations get – a reply that emphasizes and exaggerates the ‘Japaneseness’ to a point that it gets ridiculous. (See Otaking on Youtube)
What many of us want is not everything to remain in Japanese, but just to keep in the honorifics attached to a character’s name (and culturally specific nuances). Honestly, I don’t see how their inclusion would impede anyone’s enjoyment of the series at all.
Perhaps it is precisely because I champion freedom of speech that I despise things like censorship and localization, which only serve to distort and destroy the original. I still get nightmares from the US’s attempts to localize childhood favorites like Sailormoon, Cardcaptor Sakura and Digimon.
Speaking of localization and rewrites, what about a joke that plays on Japanese words? A Japanese cultural reference? What about when a pivotal scene or piece of dialogue hinges on the honorifics? Localizing these would usually entail rewriting them and in effect, not be doing the show justice by destroying the original meaning or intent. Not really in the true spirit of translation, if you ask me.
Also, for me, little things like reversed name order and lack of honorifics (or worse, silly substitutions for honorifics) get very, very distracting and disconcerting. It’s like hearing one thing and reading another. But, to be fair, that could also be because I am in the process of learning the Japanese language.
Last but not least, regarding the ‘Jap’ thing, it stood out to me immediately as I am taking a number of Japanese Studies courses in my University. At the start of the term, that was the first thing that every lecturer mentioned.
You made the same exact comment on my site, so I guess I’ll address it finally.
Listen, what Yoshitake said was not “Modern Japanese” but a conglomeration of the two words to make it shorter as the Japanese are wont to do, so it was more like “ModJap”.
That’s why I shortened up the name of the subject. I don’t know about you, but in college/high school EVERYBODY did this. From Calculus -> Calc, Modern Literature -> Modern Lit, etc. It was from this last example that I took inspiration from and just ended up using “Modern Jap” which I think is perfectly acceptable and in-line with the translation.
It’s hyper-sensitive crazies like you who would even think to point this out. No one else would think that Jap is a derogatory term when applied as A SHORTENING OF THE NAME OF THE LANGUAGE. Not as a term for a Japanese person, of course. And if you’re the type to be easily offended, I suggest you get off the internet now. Quick, be gone, before some faggot offends your delicate sensibilities.
I won’t even address the crap about honorifics because I don’t think I could even make a coherent reply without raging.
Every single Japanese Studies course I have ever taken at my University always says not to use that term, even as an abbreviation. As, believe me, we Singaporeans are famous for abbreviating everything. I am dead fucking serious. I’m just relaying what I was taught. It’s up to you how you want to take this piece of information. Considering that you guys are subbing Anime, I thought that you’d be a bit more culturally sensitive.
But, whatever the case, just to set things straight, it’s nothing more than a friendly piece of advice. Heed it or not, I don’t give a damn. Just try not to get beat up if you ever go to Japan.
I agree with Actar on his/her points. I am surprised at the response of cardslash who seem to come off as culturally insensitive. Not such a great quality to have in fansubbing. Actar made valid points, why would you need to be offensive in your reply?
I myself cringe whenever i hear/read the abbreviation Jap. Maybe it is because we both come from the Asian region and have different cultural upbringing than the Westerners.
I believe you were right in subbing it as “ModJap” because that is what he says, but in fairness to Actar even using Jap as a shortened version for the Japanese language is actually quite offensive over here…I’ve been living in Japan now for about 6/7 years, and you do have to (and should) be careful about it.
“This show’s actually pretty funny.”
No, it’s not.
IT’S HILARIOUS!!!
Thanks for the effort on reviewing (almost) all the show.
“Kinda cramped up there. The only alternative is probably to just white over the sign and paste the English over it all.”
Another alternative is not to try to cram it into the sign at all. You could just as well place the translation at the bottom of the screen.
Or you could even (shock!) refrain from “translating” the obvious.
Awesome show. I’m not even sure why I find it so funny.