Gundam 00 — Nyoro~n Translation Errors
I was quite alarmed by a comment posted by tsuki_Yomi in my previous entry. His understanding of the relationship between Ptolemaios and Gundams in Gundam 00 appears to be the complete opposite of what episode 3 revealed. I decided that some fansub group must have done everyone a huge disfavour and since Nyoro~n is the only group that has released so far (as of this posting)…
So yeah, here’s a comparison of all the major translation errors in episode 3 released by Nyoro~n Fansubs. Of course since I do translation checking for Mendoi-Conclave, you can say that I have a vested interest in doing this comparison. But keep in mind that I didn’t make anything up and all the errors are really there when you watch their release. Enjoy.
Original: よもや君に出会えようとは
Nyoro~n: Oh come now, this is just like when I first saw you.
Menclave: Who would’ve thought… facing you like this…
Original: おとめ座のわたしには、センチメンタリズムな運命を感じずにはいられない
Nyoro~n: You’re not going to end this fated battle without returning my sentimentalities.
Menclave: Being a Virgo, I can’t help but feel this is a sentimental destiny.
Comment: Completely missing out the first half of the sentence (Virgo part). I agree that “sentimental destiny” sounds really stupid, but at least it doesn’t alter the meaning.
Original: それとも、光の粒子を出していなかったから見つけられたのか……
Nyoro~n: Or perhaps you thought I hadn’t noticed that light that’s streaming out of you?
Menclave: Or was I able to find you because you forgot to send out those glowing particles?
Comment: An honest mistake, I’m sure.
Original: 手土産に…破片の1つもいただいていく！
Nyoro~n: I admire your strength… So I’m going to take you back in one piece!
Menclave: As a souvenir… I’ll take a piece of you with me!
Comment: WTF?
Original: いやはや、本当に予測不能な人だよ君は
Nyoro~n: Goodness gracious, you’re certainly someone who grasps your shortcomings far too late, aren’t you?
Menclave: My, my, you’re such an unpredictable character.
Comment: Nice…
Original: 今回の戦闘で得られたガンダムのデータは、フラッグ1機を失ったとしてもおつりがくる
Nyoro~n: We got some battle data on the Gundam, and your Flag was unharmed.
Menclave: Considering the data we obtained on the Gundam during this fight, even losing the Flag would have been a good trade.
Comment: Hey, at least all the important keywords are there!…This time~nyoro~
Original: それにしても若かったな…ソレスタルビーイングのパイロットは
Nyoro~n: I just did this to better understand… that Celestial Being pilot.
Menclave: Besides all that, he sure was young… Celestial Being’s pilot.
Comment: LOL~!! wakai (young) != wakaru (understand)
Original: モビルスーツの動きに感情がのっていたのさ
Nyoro~n: When you’re moving a mobile suit, you tend to lose yourself.
Menclave: I could read his feelings from the way he moved his mobile suit.
Original: 10分以内に速報配信！次のニュースは現地からの中継だ！3時間以内に人革主席の公式声明が出るぞ！
Nyoro~n: There’s got to be something that’s been leaked. Just run a recap for the next newscast; this time tomorrow you all better have something to give me!
Menclave: Send out this news flash within the next 10 minutes! Do a live on-site broadcast for the next news segment! The head of the Human Reform League is making an official statement in less than 3 hours!
Comment: Okay, Nyoro~n, now you are just making shit up.
Original: 枠を空けとけ！
Nyoro~n: Get your asses in gear!
Menclave: Keep that time slot open!
Comment: Mmmm…ass…
Orignial: 21世紀のセキュリティはあってないようなものだからな
Nyoro~n: Besides, there’s no way a man from the 21st century could be around today.
Menclave: Security in the 21st century was almost non-existent, after all.
Comment: Not even close.
Major WTF Errors
Actually I am sick of this. It’s only 5 minutes into the episode and a quick glance through the rest of Nyoro~n’s script reveals that the entire thing is full of nonsense. But I’ll just highlight a few more MAJOR MISTAKES, some of them which totally changed the entire plot. I have doubts that the translator speaks any Japanese at all.
Original: 僕たちに弱点があるとすれば、ガンダムがないとプトレマイオスの活動時間が極端に限定されてしまうと
Nyoro~n: If there was one weak point for us… It would be that our Gundams are severely limited by the need to periodically return to the Ptolemaios.
Menclave: If we have a weak point, it’s that, without the Gundams, the operational time of the Ptolemaios would be extremely limited.
Comment: This may sound counter-intuitive, but yes, the Gundams really are Ptolemy’s power source. The original Japanese dialogue made it very clear.
Original: アイルランドのアルスター地方では、散発的ではありますが、テロ行為が4世紀近くにわたって続いています
Nyoro~n: Ireland’s Ulster Volunteer Forces are scattered across the country, though those factions who engage in terrorist activities remain hidden.
Menclave: In Ireland’s Ulster region, though sporadic, terrorist acts have been occurring for approximately four centuries.
Original: 材質はEカーボン。最新素材ではありますが、構造上、目新しい技術は確認されていません
Nyoro~n: It’s well-reinforced with carbon, the technology on the inside is cutting edge, some of it’s unheard of.
Menclave: It’s made out of E-carbon. It’s made out of the most up-to-date material, but, in terms of design, we cannot find any new technology being used.
Comment: The whole point of this dialogue is to show that CB are really careful not to divulge their technological secrets. Great job missing the whole point, Nyoro~n.
Original: あの特殊粒子は、ステルス性のほかに機体制御にも使われている
Nyoro~n: If we obtain a sample of that special particle, we can achieve the same results.
Menclave: Those special particles, besides their stealth features, are also used for controlling the suit.
Original: おそらくは、火器にも転用されているじゃろうて
Nyoro~n: So you’re going to give a Flag the firepower to match him?
Menclave: They’re likely to be applied as weapons too.
Original: 恐ろしい男じゃ、わしらより何十年も先の技術を持っておる
Nyoro~n: He’s a wicked man. 70 years ago I learned of his deceit.
Menclave: A dreadful man… having technology that’s several decades ahead of us.
Comment: STOP MAKING THINGS UP!!!
Original: わしは麻薬などというものが心底嫌いでな！焼き払ってくれるというなら、ガンダムを支持したい
Nyoro~n: That’s not the role you’re meant to fill, you need to be remade before then. I want to teach you what you need to blow the Gundam away.
Menclave: I hate narcotics from the bottom of my heart. If they intend to burn that down, I’ll support the Gundams.
Comment: Uh… How the fuck did you even get that?
Original: エネルギー、ヴァーチェからトレミーへの転送準備完了、転送開始します
Nyoro~n: Virtue now drawing energy from the solar furnace.
Menclave: Energy, transfer preparations from Virtue to Ptolemy complete.
Comment: Once again, Nyoro~n totally fucks up the relationship between Ptolemy and Gundams. Oh well, at least they are being consistent about it. :)
Original: ソレスタルビーイングを利用する国。その国すら利用する国
Nyoro~n: Celestial Being begins to be received by countries. These countries become host nations.
Menclave: The nations who make use of Celestial Being. The nations who use those nations.
Comment: Once again, I admit the shortcomings of Menclave’s version. It sounds a little weird in English, but at least that’s what the original dialogue is saying. We didn’t make things up! Yay!
Conclusion
Keep in mind that beyond the first 5 minutes of the episode, I only chose to highlight selective mistakes because it would probably take me a few hours more to document the whole thing. There’s something wrong with at least 70% of the lines. The translator goes to great length to make it sound like he knows what he is doing, such that his so-called “translations” sound reasonable to someone who doesn’t speak Japanese. That is, in my humblest opinion, dishonest and disturbing.
If you don’t understand a single word of Japanese at all, it’s better for you to watch the raws than to watch Nyoro~n. I hesitate to call their release a “translation” because in reality it is closer to being a parody sub. It’s as if the “translator” decided to write his own story because he didn’t like Sunrise’s scriptwriters. If you are a Gundam fan, please, for the love of Haruhi and all that is good, wait for some other group to release. It doesn’t even have to be Mendoi-Conclave…
If my experiences are anything to go by, some commentators will start accusing me of being “elitist” and “not helping the situation” just about now. But this time I learnt my lesson. Rest assured that Nyoro~n’s translator has had his mistakes pointed out to him many, many times before I typed this blog entry. He continues to insist that he knows what he is doing. Fine, here’s my proof otherwise.
That said, Nyoro~n’s release does offer hours of quality entertainment for someone who speaks Japanese. It’s hilarious. :)
This has been a public service announcement from a guy with too much free time on his hands.
October 25th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
@ Serenade
I wasn’t targeting that directly at him as much as toward people that complain about fansubs in general. I will probably watch his fansubs from now on as they should be much better. You see, thats the think I can do here instead of complaining, just get fansubs from another group.
@ DarkMirage
You are still biting Sunrise’s hand by making fansubs for their anime though, considering how protective they are of their work and all. But you are in deed correct that I cant complain about your blog. I can give you constructive criticism on the other hand, something that is completely different from from one another. I still have the option to not read it (and I have in fact only read this one entry) but why complain about something when its free and done for the (supposed anyway) user or in this case the reader. This is especially true with something like fansubs, that are not only free, but also illegal. I’m just sick and tired of the mentality among anime fans that “Anime should be free and I should not have to pay” and “I want my anime here, now, in the highest quality and with the best translation” without really thinking about supporting the oficial release that has this, only that it isn’t here as soon as the show aired in japan and they have to pay for it. For another stupid analogy, you cant eat the cake and also save it for later. Unless of course you steal another cake to eat before you buy a better one later.
October 25th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Just because something is free doesn’t mean you shouldn’t complain if it’s decietful. Tricking people into downloading something which you claim is a translation but is in fact more like fan-fiction is decietful and wrong. DM is pointing out to everyone who would download Nyoro that you are infact ingesting poison when there is plenty of cake out there like Medoi-conclave and Anonymous.
October 25th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Lance McCloud:
In that case, our views on fansubbing coincides.
I don’t know from which part of the above post did you extrapolate that I think I have a right to download fansubs for free. I know that I don’t and I have expressed that many times before in words.
You don’t think that my criticisms are constructive? It’s not like I typed “Nyoro~n sucks zomg LOL” and left it as that. I pointed out specific errors and show you why they are wrong.
And you missed a very important point.
You can choose to stop reading my blog because you can understand what I am saying and if you think I am an idiot, then there’s no reason why you should continue to waste your time on this blog.
But most people who watch Nyoro~n never knew how bad the “translation” was. Is it really fair for them? Can you really say that they are making a choice based on their free will when they don’t even know what is it that they have chosen?
No one has any right to complain because Nyoro~n is doing it for free? Nonsense.
October 25th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
I agree DarkMirage, fansubbers still have to do a good job even if they’re doing it for free, otherwise it will deal more harm to the people they’re trying to serve.
Anyway thanks for posting this, now that I know there’re people subbing anime who’ve just completed 4 weeks of Japanese class and know nuts about the language.
I didn’t know that people who are guessing half of the story in their subs are even releasing it on the internet for people to watch. I pity crunchyroll and veoh hoggers.
October 25th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
People need to start reading the whole post before they comment and prove themselves stupid.
October 25th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Concur.
October 25th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
U know,it been almost a week but the correct version aint out on crunchyroll or veoh…… someone do us hoggers a favour by uploading the correct version………..
October 25th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
I must thank DarkMirage for this hilarious PSA. Nyoro~n I commend you guys for putting effort into getting subbed eps out to ppl but just stop. Even the part of you that is well-intentioned and not an attention whore fails the public miserably. I can’t believe they’d even try to defend this shit, fucking idiots. I pray for lolfang’s success in finishing his Japanese course, but he really need to stop doing this, it’s counterproductive and a waste of time.
Typical dialog:
lolfang: Hey google hey google, what does this line mean?
google: *gibberish*
lolfang: nyoro~n
October 26th, 2007 at 1:11 am
Not a fan of G*nd*m but thanks for this post @_@ I will definitely be more careful of Nyron subs.
Nyron translation of the above:
Nyron thanks Gunamz for this fantasic turkey!@!@
October 26th, 2007 at 6:14 am
lol, I won’t trust Nyoro~n anymore, that’s for sure.
No one uploaded the correct version on Crunchy and Veoh? oo..
October 26th, 2007 at 6:26 am
Lance McCloud: That´s one way of seeing the whole thing.
But I do not agree with you.
Free doesn´t mean that I should accept whatever quality it brings.
Fansubers do a great job, mostly and bring me and many more subs so we can understand japanese. But then comes the question, how much fault can the fansubber make? Even if it a speedy translation I know I wouldn´t be pleased with just making stuff up or leaving words out. Even if it´s free it doesn´t go well since they aren´t doing any good for the show by making stuff up. Or translating stuff wrong.
It´s like getting a 4(where 5 is the lowest) since you finished last on a test, you have every question right but everything that counted for the grade on the test was speed, the faster you finish, the higher grade you get…
That doesn´t sound right to me and it never will.
The best solution? Everyone learns japanese and buys the DVDs directly from Japan.
CactusAvenue: There are stuff called “Parody Subs” you know :p Where nothing is correct and they just put down random stuff.
And here I would like for Lance McCloud to read as well since it brings my opinion up to date.
Like Ayako did with Minami-ke 02 in the beginning with the “this is just a plain depication of….
Don´t expect to much”
section and they translated it to: “This is a story about hot yuri sex between three completely unrelated sisters… you wish
get your fapping material elsewhere”
One thing they did do was to tell the viewer: “This is the translators comment. The “correct” translation is the text onscreen”.
But still, not a single word is correct translated, even if it´s free it shouldn´t be this way.
And I´m off once again.
October 26th, 2007 at 7:31 am
Your opinion is correct.
Machine translations are more correct than unskilled free
translations.
By the way, these sentences are due to the machine translation.
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October 26th, 2007 at 10:05 am
A lot of criticism of this post misses the essential point that DM is vouching for accuracy, not simply demeaning people for laughs.
When DM points out the fallacies that are often passed off as translations, he does many fans a favor. Subs are, for some, essential to the understanding of their beloved anime. For those like myself who know Japanese but are not perfect, they make it possible to simply watch an episode without having to replay certain lines for meaning. Every fan appreciates the work subbing groups do for us. No one is going to knock on one or two slip ups over the course of a series by people who have no real benefit from what they do.
However, when the inaccuracies are so frequent and blatant that no sense can be made from the subs, the sub groups are doing us a great disservice. As an undergrad student of the language, I often find it amusing that some groups seem to understand less Japanese than I do. The silly differences in how we translate colloquialisms are fine. But when you manage to be incapable of telling when wakatta is an adjective versus the past plain of wakaru, or somehow can’t manage to convey a single word of what is stated, you both throw a different dialog and alternate story at the viewer. It is no longer a different nuance, but a completely different story.
And perhaps more than the viewer, sub communities should consider the creators. These people have striven to make an anime for otaku and casual fans everywhere to enjoy. By giving incorrect translations, fan subs are mauling the story that another person has worked hard on. When I do work translating literature, I make it my utmost priority to convey a piece as its author had intended. It is their art and their story. I think the attitude toward anime subs should be no different. It’s not right to treat a work with so little respect.
Seeing as I leech off others’ subs rather than attempt to contribute my own, maybe I am not the most authoritative person to post here. However, I think my points are valid enough. This will probably just be flamebait though…
October 26th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
DarkMirage:
Thank you for pointing out the facts, for backing them up, and for encouraging third party verification of your evidence. You sir, have hit the three golden rules for honesty, and I applaud you.
I only write this in the hope that my support of your blog will help drown out the few of those who denounce the evidence that you have provided. It’s an unfortunate fact that people tend to listen more to the negative than to the positive. Please don’t fall into that trap, there were many people who were glad enough to post on your blog to support you.
I will continue to watch Conclave and Mendoi’s translation of Gundam 00. Good luck, and remember to have fun.