Not really sure why pem decided to label their release CatStory. Did they do it out of deference to Commie, knowing that everyone would be looking for Nekomonogatari instead? Or did they just refuse to think at all? Well whatever, I’ll leave the distro reviewing to fgg.

Special Note: pem released their v2, claiming they simply misplaced the original script. “Things go so much smoother when you use the right script.”//”hurr right .ass”

Yeah, they must have misplaced the original encode, the original fonts, and the original chapters too because those are all different. Normally I’d scrap my v1 review in favor of the v2, but I’m not keen on adding another two hours to my Neko review count. As far as I can tell, the only difference is that pem added kara to their v2, added in chapters (which are wrong), and spliced in a Pokemon commercial instead of the content they cut out of the ep.

 

Table of Contents

Release Information

Visual Quality

Script Quality

Results

Release Information

Episode details.

Release format: MKV (265 MB, 8-bit)

Japanesiness: No honorifics.

English style: American English.

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

Speed: Slow (>48 hours)

Note: This release didn’t have any chapters.

Note 2: They also completely cut out a minute of the show. That’s kind of… not good. I guess they saved that minute for episode 2. Stupid cutting choice, but whatever.

 

External links.

Group website: http://www.onezerotwo.net/

IRC channel: #(X’_____’)@irc.rizon.net

SubCompare screenshot comparisons: N/A

Commie’s fansub reviews: N/A

Distro reviews: http://sunnystinx.wordpress.com/2013/01/05/distro-review-pem-nekomonogatari-kuro-4/

 

Visual Review

Karaoke.

The opening was untranslated.

 

 

Typesetting.

If you really love typesetting, go ahead and click the spoiler button. Otherwise, I have included a selection of the typeset images that should suffice in terms of giving you a good picture of what pem did. Also note that their timing on typesets (and on the main script too) was off, generally by a frame but sometimes by more, so a lot of signs bled into the next lines and/or came in late.

Just one of the numerous bleeds in this release.

lol

Not sure whether the typesetting or the encode is worse.

Decent enough.

More signs.

 

There were quite a few signs that weren’t typeset in this release. This is a sampling.

Typesetters like to say it’s too difficult to do their jobs, but frankly I don’t give a shit about their incessant bitching.

You typeset one sign really well and then had five others that were left untouched? Great fucking job. What, you think I’m going to pause at that one scene, examine your sign carefully and reach enlightenment? No. I’m gonna pause the video, read what the sign says, and then move the fuck on. Yes, quantity > quality when it comes to typesetting. That’s reality.

 

 

Other.

pem has issues understanding the concept of line placement.

Sponsor screen.

 

 

Script Review

Karaoke.

The opening was untranslated.

 

 

Main Script.

Errors and Stupidities

Across many lines, the typesets don’t match up with the script.

This line is untranslated.

The majority of this line is untranslated. Also, it would be “Big Bro Koyomi…”

Oh pem, I’m afraid that’s not how English works.

Except there was no “part about her”. This reaction would make sense if Araragi were telling her about Hanakawa’s supple breasts, luscious hips, and captivating eyes, but he really only briefly mentioned her. The shock comes from Araragi’s stalking, if there even is shock beyond her reaction to the porn.

Ignoring the non-specific phrasing, there should be proper emphasis placed on the “is” since she’s countering his “right” with her “right”.

“But it is right.”

Oh you.

Maybe I are not prefer that, pem.

am

If you really don’t understand why these words should be accented after I point them out, I doubt you ever will.

You keep going on and on with your, “I can’t buy porn! I can’t buy porn! I can’t buy porn!”

That’s how it would be phrased in English. Not sure which language you were attempting to channel here.

The majority of this line was untranslated.

Ratta-at-at.

Close, I’ll give you that.

 

 

Other Phrasing, Wordplay, and Language

Profanity in a release is fine, but it should never feel out of place. The first two lines hit that standard, but the third felt like it came out of nowhere. And while that can be played for effect, it needs to happen for a reason, and I didn’t feel like there was a reason to phrase the third line that way.

Well that was a poor attempt at wordplay. You can’t play “shock” off “shock”; that’s not clever. It’s just repeating the word.

I was quite happy to see this line. Most groups would easy mode it with a “It’s not like we’re going out yet.” line. And that wouldn’t be wrong, it just wouldn’t be smart. pem chose well.

This is perfect. You can just feel the icicles as you come upon the air-quoted “Bro”. It reflects her “kono Onii-chan” phrasing extremely well.

“chill” was another example of good word choice in the release. “cool” would have sufficed (and indeed, they used it later), but “chill” has a much stronger sense of meaning behind it.

“fap”? Really? Internet lingo is fine when it matches the character, but Araragi isn’t some net tard.

Phrasing like this is cute in small doses, but a serious pain when the group thinks they can shove in a lot of it at once. Luckily, pem plays it safe.

I don’t see the value in stylizing the repetition this way.

As opposed to “Maybe” (May-be). Far, far better than Commie’s shitty ‘Might have -> You have’ attempt at a translation. UTW-Mazui’s “Might have -> Say it out straight” was even worse.

This actually conveys the joke and wordplay the -gatari series is known for.

This line is just one example of a recurring problem in the release — length matching. Generally, scripts make an attempt to match the translations to the original Japanese in terms of length and where the pauses occur. This allows the viewer to enjoy a smooth watch of the release, following along with the script and Japanese at the same time.

pem often fucks with this cadence with sentences that seem too short, too long, or that don’t match the Japanese phrasing (causing people to miss the line).

 

 

Results

Watchability: Watchable.

Visual grade: C-

Script grade: D

Overall grade: D+

I felt what I was reading was very stiff compared to the clever translations I saw in Crunchyroll’s Nisemonogatari. And that’s very unfortunate when it comes to a show like Nekomonogatari. Half of the fun is supposed to come from the script, so when a script is merely adequate for a regular show, it’s obvious it hasn’t lived up to -gatari standards.

Imprecise typesetting, missing translations, no karaoke… all these things are put together along with an unfortunately dull script with only occasional sparks of brilliance. Add in the episode’s epilogue being cut and I have a hard time recommending pem’s release for this show. It’s unfortunate, because a little polish would have gone a long way here (when you tear each script down to its foundations, I preferred pem’s to Commie’s, but Commie had the superior release of the two).
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