Topic: What is your stance on rewritten localizations

More often than not, a localization of foreign media (perticularly japanese media) will tweak the script in order to change jokes that don't translate well, match the lip flaps better, or just to spice up the script for western audiences. Some do this more than others, and alterations to the script often upset fans of the original and it's easy to see why. In the case of anime, sometimes the producers will toss out nearly the entire script cough*4kids*cough and put a poorly written, incoherent mess in it's place to pander to a specific demographic. If the source material is crap to begin with, giving it a trollish dub can be amusing (see ADV's dub of Ghost Stories). But otherwise, there's usually no need to throw away perfectly good story or dialogue just because you feel like it.

However, sticking too close to the source material is dangerous too. It not only limits your audience to only the most hardcore fans, but in cases like Conception II, you'd get jokes that don't translate well or are too foreign to be funny to an American audience, as well as generic, cliche, and often times cringe worthy lines filled with cardboard one-notes who aren't interesting in the slightest. I personaly prefer a happy medium. I'd like a retooled, well-written localization that interprets the work in a unique way, while also keeping the plot, tone, and spirit faithful to the original. Examples include Fire Emblem: Awakening, the Pheonix Wright games, and hell, anything Atlus has done. So what are your thoughts on script and dialogue changes in localizations?

I don't really care.

It's not like I frequently watch or use products in languages I don't understand, so I probably won't notice anything was changed.

I've heard some companies used to make drastic and silly changes to animes they acquired the rights to back in the 80's and 90's. I don't know if they still do that, though.

They should keep it as close to the original material as possible. There was no reason to change the country Phoenix Wright is set in from Japan to America.

Yes, some are good, some are bad.

The more I hear about the localisation of Fire Emblem (more the arbitrary changing of characters' personalities than anything), the less willing I am to buy the game.

I'm hoping against hope that the European localisation doesn't take as many liberties with the source.

But as for my stance on "rewritten localisations", it isn''t their job. They are paid to take the Japanese script, pick out any bits that Westerners may not be able to appreciate or understand, or anything that is OBJECTIVELY offensive to a Western audience. Not play scriptwriter.

@Morpheel: Rewritten dialogue in anime still happens though not nearly to the extent that the 80s and 90s had. Most of the time when an anime is dubbed, the changes are superficial like rewritten jokes, lines, phrases and references that make more sense in to an American audience, but are unintrusive to the overall tone. It's part of the reason why English dubs are hated among weeaboos, since even if the voice acting is decent, the script changes will be very noticeable to those who have seen the subs. Yeah, people really care about that stuff.

I like changes when they're jelly filled.

@Ichi: That's a fair argument, and I'm not trying to say everyone who prefers subs over dubs is a closed-minded weeaboo. I'm simply saying localizations are done for a reason, not because they can. Plus, any changes made to a localization are approved by the Japanese producers, so it's not like the localization team is given free reign over everything.

Basically feel the same

Well he is obviously from Los Angeles. Can't you tell from the obviously American buildings?

And the obviously American villages in the mountains with the classic American pagodas and Shinto shrines.

Yeah! Those are all over America...right?

Mostly in California.

@Morpheel: LOL The funny part is I just flashed on a bunch of places where there are Japanese populations now or in olden days, where there are shrines or other buildings, or even a few gardens... hmm. Pokemon Los Angeles + SoCal. It's the next anime gen!

They dubbed it for an LA audience that's why I understand Pokemon so well.

But anyway, about the original subject. I don't care, but really try and keep it as original as possible. Why swap a joke out that everyone will already understand for a moronic joke? It's weird how they'll still under estimate the west with what they think we'll understand or like.

I suppose you're both right, I mean the text says that it's set in America, it would be weird for it to say that it's set in Japan when the backgrounds and some character's outfits scream American. Thank you for educating me on American architecture.

@Link-Hero haha, I was just thinking of doing that

Same here, and yet the likes of Tri Force Heroes and the Phoenix Wright games being set in America (how daft is this?!) had some weird meme 'in-jokes' and strange changes that doesn't fit the tone of the game in any shape or form.

The whole Doge meme thing in Tri Force Heroes is embarrassing, and there were actual human beings at the time that were arguing FOR (not against) its case for being included in the game!

I say keep the localisation as close to the source material as possible.

Well eventually the location of Ace Attorney became important when they did the whole 'British car import to America' thing in case 2-2. Can't think off of the top of my head anymore examples but that's one of them. Though it does crack me up whenever I play the game and they talk about 'hamburgers' after seeing that comic.

Blah they should change into living in Britain, have them eat jellied eels, reference Eastenders, spell colour correctly and have red double deckers in the background!

Usually the EU localizations are closer to the Japan original, the only main things that are changed are sexual related stuff and that's more about suggestive dialogue rather than the visual type.

If they're done well, it's fine. If they're like Fire Emblem Fates... then not so much.

Remember, rewriting the script also got us this guy:

The localisation work in the Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario series is one of the reasons the games have so many fans and tend to actually be funny. It's also why they're more popular in the US and Europe than they are in Japan.

I'd also mention that it's why we got some of the neat songs in the Wario series, and most of the descriptions and stuff. Like this:

to this:

Or from the Japanese version of Ashley's theme to the English one (in WarioWare and Smash Bros):

The original Japanese version of Ashley's song does not sound particularly good when it's translated directly.

Where it goes wrong however is where memes are randomly tossed into serious games. Oh sure, if your game is basically meant to be a comedy, then hey, a few memes aren't the end of the world (few people complained about the 1337 hammer bros in Partners in Time). But more serious franchises like Zelda and Fire Emblem are bad places to add pop culture references and internet jokes. Yet Nintendo sometimes adds them, because they seem to have this misconception that all their games are aimed at 12 year olds or meant to be 'funny'.

It's also not so good when things are censored out ala 4Kids, or the characters get wildly derailed because they thought the original personalities were 'offensive'.

But yeah, rewritten localisations can work in some cases. They just have to be ones where the game is deliberately meant to be a comedy even in the original version, or where translating the original would make for a lacklustre or boring product.