Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

How do you feel when Western localizers don't keep Japanese honorifics (like -sama, -chan, -kun)?

Depends on the honorific tbh, I don't think that kun and chan makes that much of a diference most of the time so I don't mind them being removed ( there are exceptions ofc), but formal honorifcs like san, sama, senpai, etc., need to at least be switched with an english counterpart, so many scenes can become nonsensical by removing them
 
This is a different flavor of the localization vs translation debate. I usually lean heavily on the side of localization -- preserving intent and focusing on native-quality text even if individual details are lost.

But man, dropping honorifics in particular leads to some deeply awkward text sometimes lol. I'm playing through 9 R.I.P. right now and absolutely cackled when they tried to localize the usual "hey, you don't have to use honorifics with me" conversation to "I insist you not be so formal with me" "Uh... okay buddy!"

Buddy? Buddy? pfft....

I think it would lead to fewer silly moments like that if western audiences were more willing to embrace a few preserved linguistic quirks like honorifics. But maybe they only seem silly if you know what they're going for; I wonder how much of the western otome audience doesn't? It'd seem like the majority in a place like this, but what about all the people who aren't into this genre heavily enough to congregate on forums and the like?
 
  • Like
Reactions: geddanof
Hmm, I feel like some of the context is getting lost. Personally, I hate it when they translate any variation of "nii" or 'nee' as "big sis" or "big bro" because it confuses a lot of people. In various fandoms, I've seen people assume that two characters are siblings or related because of that—help!
 
it's jarring to see japanese honorifics used in english sentences sometimes, like seeing weeaboos roleplay. (Even though the source material is actually japanese and all)

I don't really care what's used as what to be honest... as long as they don't change the original names itself anything should be cool.
 
It doesn't matter to me too much! It's a little awkward kind of like watching a dub of an anime but it's easy to get desensitized to it lmao. I think it's funny to imagine a game like Code Realize which is set in London to be using honorifics in a British accent
 
in most cases i think honorifics should be left as they are if the story is set in japan (as it was previously mentioned, most vns are pretty niche so people reading are familiar with japanese culture at least a little), ooorrrr they can be replaced with something fitting🤔 maybe that's because growing up i used to read a lot of japanese novels that were translated in 20th century and they had all those mrs and lords and not onigiri but rice balls (in my language it was not balls but a very specific traditional word).
i really don't like it when obviously japanese names in an obviously japanese setting get turned into something american-sounding, like ren-kun -> renny. please, no need to do that much... it's still another culture, not everything has to be that adapted, everyone has access to google nowadays...
 
  • Like
Reactions: geddanof
it feels silly when you read these honorifics in english, but honestly i don't want it to be omitted in some scenes either. it's important for me to know how a character is referring to another sometimes.
 
I don't really mind , as me listening to voices and understanding them even if they didn't keep them , it doesn't affected me as reader
What matters to me is a good translation for the game
 
I prefer they not be used unless the game has a historical Japanese setting. I can hear them say it anyways and I feel like removing the honorifics makes it more accessible for a foreign audience.
 
as for me, I don't mind much. It's westernized for a reason. As long as they don't change crucial wordings or titles like shogun to something that's similar to western kind of title(rank type?), then it's fine.
 
depends! i much prefer that they don't remove it if it's in a jp setting especially if it's something historical.
 
It's not something I notice, and I haven't really thought about it! I guess I don't really care any way they go about it. If it's there, cool, but if it's not, cool, too.
 
If it's in the original voice and/or text-only, I don't mind that much. But if the game has English voice actors (unlikely), it would be really awkward to hear them say it lol
 
It doesn't bother me much since I can hear what honorifics they use in the audio.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back