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About this mod
"BETTER ENGLISH SUBTITLES" (Japanese to English) is a fully rewritten "what you hear is what you read" translation of the Japanese script and audio into English subtitles and dialogue options.
- Permissions and credits
"BETTER ENGLISH SUBTITLES" (Japanese to English) is a fully rewritten "what you hear is what you read" translation of the Japanese script and audio into English subtitles and dialogue.
In being a full "from scratch" rewrite, this translation corrects (via replacement) some unusual grammar that you would sometimes see, various inconsistencies in the narrative flow, provides better interpretations of certain phrases and idioms that generally don't have translations in English, and adds context to lines that previously seemed to come out of left-field.
HOW TO INSTALL
1. Unzip the file
2. Drag and drop the "English (JP to EN)" folder into MiSide\Data\Languages
3. Launch the game
4. In the MAIN MENU, click on LANGUAGE
5. Select "English (JP to EN)"
6. Play the game
Nothing is replaced, so you can always switch back to the original "English" translation if you decide you don't like this translated version at any time.
Also, please make sure you're using the Japanese voice audio, otherwise there isn't much point in using this translation.
WHY DOES THIS EXIST?
I've lived in Japan for over a decade, and Japanese is my second language, so I often found myself reading the subtitles and thinking:
"Wait, that's not what she just said..."
That's not to say that the English subtitles are bad (in fact, they're quite good! No shade here!), but there are various instances where it seems that the subtitles might have been translated from a different language into English (but share the same context as what's being said), have been interpreted in such a way that's not presented or determined by the voice acting, or just lack the same cultural understanding that someone who lives in the country where the language is spoken has.
For example, in the Japanese script, one line of dialogue is: "Ichi kara hyaku made kyōmi nai!"
In the English translation, this appears as "Not the first, not the hundredth!", which isn't something people really say in English, and doesn't really go with what was said before this, or the context of the conversation in general.
The direct translation of this line would be "I'm not interested in (teaching someone how to count from) one to one hundred!", which also sounds strange given the context of the conversation.
However, this is an actual idiom in Japanese which means: "I'm not interested in people who don't have common sense!"
In my translation, I've written it as "I'm not interested in stupid people!".
WHAT HAS BEEN REWRITTEN?
Location Dialogue, Location Hints, Character Biographies, Mini-Game Text and Labels, Achievements, and some other minor things.
In all, about 90% to 95% of the written text has been rewritten.
WHY IS IT CALLED "BETTER ENGLISH SUBTITLES"?
Mostly so people know what they're getting at a glance when they see the name on the MiSide Nexus.
"Better" is subjective, but calling it just "Japanese Script to English Subtitles" doesn't really convey what this is in the same way that "Better English Subtitles" does.
SHOULD I USE THESE SUBTITLES ON A FIRST PLAY-THROUGH?
YES if you understand Japanese, want the subtitles to be accurate to what is being said in the audio, or want the (Japanese) voice acting to give personality to the characters instead of the subtitles adding their own interpretation.
NO if you want to experience the game as it was shipped with all the charm of the quirks and interpretations that the person who originally wrote the English translations added, don't understand Japanese enough to care about the nuances, or aren't using the Japanese audio.
CAN YOU GIVE A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL ENGLISH AND THIS ONE?
ORIGINAL: Not at all. But not everything's perfect in this world... We're being loaded along with the world's core. The world's core? Typical, don't you think?
JAPANESE: No. The world just isn't perfect yet... We're being loaded by the Core of this world. The Core? Typical, right?
Here, the dialogue is mostly the same except that my subtitles are accurate to the Japanese script, whereas the original subtitles are a looser translation.
However, there's a slight difference in context between the two:
In the original, Mita says that the world isn't perfect and that they're both being loaded along with the world's Core.
In the Japanese audio, Mita is saying that the world isn't perfect yet, and that they're being loaded by the world's Core.
ORIGINAL: It's love sauce! Chock-full of love! And... a contrasting view of the world. Unusual, don't you think?
JAPANESE: It's love sauce! It's got the taste of love in it. And the appearance of this world...You think it's changed, right?
In the original subtitles, Mita says, "And... a contrasting view of the world. Unusual, don't you think?"
This is the first line of dialogue that really confused me because I wasn't sure what worldview she was talking about so suddenly.
However, in Japanese, she says "sekaikan no kontorasuto".
"sekaikan" can mean your view of the world in a philosophical sense, but it can also mean the actual appearance of the world.
The context here is that the "love sauce" (along with commenting that her house is "cozy" and "classy") has changed the appearance of her world from "just a game" to "a place to call home".
ORIGINAL: Just a sec... Errr! Well... You do know... That this is an adult game, no?
JAPANESE: Oops! Well... I'm sure you know... Because this isn't an adult game...
In the original subtitles, this Mita says that she has the "tool" because this IS an "adult" game (meaning adult" as in "mature themes").
In the Japanese audio, she hesitates because she isn't allowed to say what it actually is due to the game NOT being an adult game.
Specifically, she says it's not an R18+ game, meaning an "erotic" game.
So, here's she's like: well, I can't say what that was because this isn't an that kind of game, but... you know, right? I don't have to tell you...?
Also, I should note that the euphemism here is that the tool is a "thing that lures moles out of their holes".
(The mole in this case is a part of the female body that rhymes with "Dolores" in English.)
One more:
ORIGINAL: Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk!
JAPANESE: zun-zun zun-zun!
If you know Japanese, you know the language loves onomatopoeic phrases. This is one of them (along with Pikon! and Hyuu-!).
After a certain mini-game, the original English subtitles display "tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk!", which confused me the first time I played because Mita isn't scolding you for anything, and the "tsk" didn't match the tone of her voice.
I thought about it for a while and then realized that it's probably supposed to be a Jojo reference - but the reference is so obscure that people playing the game probably missed it even if they're fans of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
The spoken and scripted Japanese is literally "zun-zun zun-zun!" which is an onomatopoeic phrase that roughly means "striding forward with confidence" in both a literal sense and a figurative one. For example, someone making quick progress in something, or learning a skill faster than expected.
Because "zun-zun zun-zun!" doesn't really translate into anything in English, I've left it as "zun-zun zun-zun!" in the subtitles - in no small part because it's cute when she says it.
As mentioned. "Hyuu-!" is also used at one point, which is an onomatopoeic word for something whizzing by your head (like a bullet). In that case, I've used "Zing!", which I think is close enough.
There's also "Pikon!", which is the sound that a smartphone makes when it receives a new message notification, but is something you can also say when you suddenly get an idea.
HOW MUCH HAVE YOUR PLAY-TESTED THESE SUBTITLES?
I've played through the game once with the original subtitles, and then twice with my own subtitles, in addition to replaying several scenes to try and catch the intonation or nuance of the voice acting in the subtitles better.
This isn't to say that one or two mistakes might not exist... but I've checked as much as I could, and I think I've caught everything.
CAN I USE THESE SUBTITLES AS THE BASIS FOR MY OWN TRANSLATION INTO A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE?
By all means, if you trust these subtitles enough to want to translate them once again, go right ahead.
A NOTE ABOUT THE SUBTITLE FONT(S)
There seems to be a bug(?) or a UNICODE issue in the game in which languages other than the default ENGLISH option lose the cute dialogue font that the game uses.
Unfortunately, this also applies to this translation. It's not game breaking, but the font that the default ENGLISH uses is really bold and round, and the replacement is a little boring in comparison.
I can't see a way to fix this, so hopefully this is a problem that AIHASTO will fix in the future.
In being a full "from scratch" rewrite, this translation corrects (via replacement) some unusual grammar that you would sometimes see, various inconsistencies in the narrative flow, provides better interpretations of certain phrases and idioms that generally don't have translations in English, and adds context to lines that previously seemed to come out of left-field.
HOW TO INSTALL
1. Unzip the file
2. Drag and drop the "English (JP to EN)" folder into MiSide\Data\Languages
3. Launch the game
4. In the MAIN MENU, click on LANGUAGE
5. Select "English (JP to EN)"
6. Play the game
Nothing is replaced, so you can always switch back to the original "English" translation if you decide you don't like this translated version at any time.
Also, please make sure you're using the Japanese voice audio, otherwise there isn't much point in using this translation.
WHY DOES THIS EXIST?
I've lived in Japan for over a decade, and Japanese is my second language, so I often found myself reading the subtitles and thinking:
"Wait, that's not what she just said..."
That's not to say that the English subtitles are bad (in fact, they're quite good! No shade here!), but there are various instances where it seems that the subtitles might have been translated from a different language into English (but share the same context as what's being said), have been interpreted in such a way that's not presented or determined by the voice acting, or just lack the same cultural understanding that someone who lives in the country where the language is spoken has.
For example, in the Japanese script, one line of dialogue is: "Ichi kara hyaku made kyōmi nai!"
In the English translation, this appears as "Not the first, not the hundredth!", which isn't something people really say in English, and doesn't really go with what was said before this, or the context of the conversation in general.
The direct translation of this line would be "I'm not interested in (teaching someone how to count from) one to one hundred!", which also sounds strange given the context of the conversation.
However, this is an actual idiom in Japanese which means: "I'm not interested in people who don't have common sense!"
In my translation, I've written it as "I'm not interested in stupid people!".
WHAT HAS BEEN REWRITTEN?
Location Dialogue, Location Hints, Character Biographies, Mini-Game Text and Labels, Achievements, and some other minor things.
In all, about 90% to 95% of the written text has been rewritten.
WHY IS IT CALLED "BETTER ENGLISH SUBTITLES"?
Mostly so people know what they're getting at a glance when they see the name on the MiSide Nexus.
"Better" is subjective, but calling it just "Japanese Script to English Subtitles" doesn't really convey what this is in the same way that "Better English Subtitles" does.
SHOULD I USE THESE SUBTITLES ON A FIRST PLAY-THROUGH?
YES if you understand Japanese, want the subtitles to be accurate to what is being said in the audio, or want the (Japanese) voice acting to give personality to the characters instead of the subtitles adding their own interpretation.
NO if you want to experience the game as it was shipped with all the charm of the quirks and interpretations that the person who originally wrote the English translations added, don't understand Japanese enough to care about the nuances, or aren't using the Japanese audio.
CAN YOU GIVE A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL ENGLISH AND THIS ONE?
ORIGINAL: Not at all. But not everything's perfect in this world... We're being loaded along with the world's core. The world's core? Typical, don't you think?
JAPANESE: No. The world just isn't perfect yet... We're being loaded by the Core of this world. The Core? Typical, right?
Here, the dialogue is mostly the same except that my subtitles are accurate to the Japanese script, whereas the original subtitles are a looser translation.
However, there's a slight difference in context between the two:
In the original, Mita says that the world isn't perfect and that they're both being loaded along with the world's Core.
In the Japanese audio, Mita is saying that the world isn't perfect yet, and that they're being loaded by the world's Core.
ORIGINAL: It's love sauce! Chock-full of love! And... a contrasting view of the world. Unusual, don't you think?
JAPANESE: It's love sauce! It's got the taste of love in it. And the appearance of this world...You think it's changed, right?
In the original subtitles, Mita says, "And... a contrasting view of the world. Unusual, don't you think?"
This is the first line of dialogue that really confused me because I wasn't sure what worldview she was talking about so suddenly.
However, in Japanese, she says "sekaikan no kontorasuto".
"sekaikan" can mean your view of the world in a philosophical sense, but it can also mean the actual appearance of the world.
The context here is that the "love sauce" (along with commenting that her house is "cozy" and "classy") has changed the appearance of her world from "just a game" to "a place to call home".
ORIGINAL: Just a sec... Errr! Well... You do know... That this is an adult game, no?
JAPANESE: Oops! Well... I'm sure you know... Because this isn't an adult game...
In the original subtitles, this Mita says that she has the "tool" because this IS an "adult" game (meaning adult" as in "mature themes").
In the Japanese audio, she hesitates because she isn't allowed to say what it actually is due to the game NOT being an adult game.
Specifically, she says it's not an R18+ game, meaning an "erotic" game.
So, here's she's like: well, I can't say what that was because this isn't an that kind of game, but... you know, right? I don't have to tell you...?
Also, I should note that the euphemism here is that the tool is a "thing that lures moles out of their holes".
(The mole in this case is a part of the female body that rhymes with "Dolores" in English.)
One more:
ORIGINAL: Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk!
JAPANESE: zun-zun zun-zun!
If you know Japanese, you know the language loves onomatopoeic phrases. This is one of them (along with Pikon! and Hyuu-!).
After a certain mini-game, the original English subtitles display "tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk!", which confused me the first time I played because Mita isn't scolding you for anything, and the "tsk" didn't match the tone of her voice.
I thought about it for a while and then realized that it's probably supposed to be a Jojo reference - but the reference is so obscure that people playing the game probably missed it even if they're fans of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
The spoken and scripted Japanese is literally "zun-zun zun-zun!" which is an onomatopoeic phrase that roughly means "striding forward with confidence" in both a literal sense and a figurative one. For example, someone making quick progress in something, or learning a skill faster than expected.
Because "zun-zun zun-zun!" doesn't really translate into anything in English, I've left it as "zun-zun zun-zun!" in the subtitles - in no small part because it's cute when she says it.
As mentioned. "Hyuu-!" is also used at one point, which is an onomatopoeic word for something whizzing by your head (like a bullet). In that case, I've used "Zing!", which I think is close enough.
There's also "Pikon!", which is the sound that a smartphone makes when it receives a new message notification, but is something you can also say when you suddenly get an idea.
HOW MUCH HAVE YOUR PLAY-TESTED THESE SUBTITLES?
I've played through the game once with the original subtitles, and then twice with my own subtitles, in addition to replaying several scenes to try and catch the intonation or nuance of the voice acting in the subtitles better.
This isn't to say that one or two mistakes might not exist... but I've checked as much as I could, and I think I've caught everything.
CAN I USE THESE SUBTITLES AS THE BASIS FOR MY OWN TRANSLATION INTO A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE?
By all means, if you trust these subtitles enough to want to translate them once again, go right ahead.
A NOTE ABOUT THE SUBTITLE FONT(S)
There seems to be a bug(?) or a UNICODE issue in the game in which languages other than the default ENGLISH option lose the cute dialogue font that the game uses.
Unfortunately, this also applies to this translation. It's not game breaking, but the font that the default ENGLISH uses is really bold and round, and the replacement is a little boring in comparison.
I can't see a way to fix this, so hopefully this is a problem that AIHASTO will fix in the future.