[Discussion] What do you wish localized otome games/content kept from the original?

Hello everyone! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

I've recently gone back to immersing myself in Japanese properly, and so I've been thinking:
if you are able to understand Japanese fully (or to an extent), or if you just consume the localized content, what is something (or some things) that you wish was done better or kept from the original Japanese version?

I have recently started playing 9 R.I.P. on the Switch. It was about a few lines in where I noticed that something felt very off. Allow me to provide you with an example (this is from the very beginning of the game, first lines):

ーーーーねえ知ってる?
Hey... You've heard the stories, right...?

からん からん と音色を立てて
落として 失くした 自分を求めて
Kara... Kara... The sound of metal dragging on the floor... Lost... Forgotten?

血の色に満ちた 校舎の中を
いつ果てるともなく 彷徨い歩く
They say that when the walls of the school are stained the color of blood, he lurks...

刀を携えた 殺人鬼
ーー【からからさん】の話をーー
The sword-wielding, bloodthirsty killer...
"Kara Kara..."

ーーからからさん？ [Karakarasan?]
"Kara Kara..."

[Red lines are the original Japanese, the text directly underneath is the English localization.]

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Now, I don't believe you need to know a lot of Japanese at all to understand that this last part can be confusing. It was to me and I've been immersed in Japanese for longer than a decade now. It's actually what spurred me to ask this question, because I'm fairly certain I'm not alone in the confusion.
The nuance here specifically is that からから (kara kara) is a Japanese onomatopoeia/sound that conveys the clang/dragging of metal. That part is explained at the start, yes, but then the first choice we are provided with (the 'Kara Kara...' line) is... very confusing in comparison to the original.
What is 'Kara Kara'? Is it a sound? A person? A snack?! Honestly, couldn't tell you. The -san honorific is by itself indicative of it being a person, but it's almost as if the English localization forgot to include that, very crucial in my opinion, detail. Even 'Mr. Kara Kara' would have made it so much clearer. (╥ ᴗ ╥) (Omitting, of course, the additional context that the localization seems to include, such as 'have you heard + the stories' and such...)

Alright. That was my rant. (ᵕ—ᴗ—) Do any of you have similar experiences?

Here are some questions that might help if you're not sure where to begin:
✦ If you can compare JP and EN: is there a specific word, phrase, or name that lost something important in translation?
✦ If you only play localized: has a character ever felt flatter or different than you expected, or did a moment not feel quite right/the weight didn't quite land as much as it should have?
✦ Has there ever been a cultural reference or concept that wasn't explained and left you confused or curious?
✦ Is there something you had to look up yourself that you wish the localization had just... told you?

I'm curious about everyone's takes on this. Please let me know! (ㅅ´ ˘ `)

よろしくお願いします!

icterine said:

I remember finding it weird that Taiga from Variable Barricade called Hibari "Babe" in the English localisation when I replayed the game (I first played in Japanese). Iirc, in the original, he addressed her as お嬢, which has such a different flavour from "Babe" in my opinion
From that game onwards, I've stuck with the Chinese localisation where possible, since the localisation is usually closer to the original in nuance.

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I haven't actually played Variable Barricade yet, but that is such useful insight, actually! I have to agree with you: if I heard the characters say the word お嬢 and then the text on the screen is 'babe', I would be a bit flabbergasted, ngl. (ᵕ ó ᴗ ò) The emotional register here is COMPLETELY off. Like... Young lady/ma'am/maiden, ANYTHING but this.
I actually don't know Chinese almost at all except for being able to say 'I am/my name is...', so I'll have to take you for your word here, but you are probably right. Both languages are East Asian, and it's particularly relevant given that kanji is quite literally borrowed from Chinese (漢語; sino-japanese, the Chinese-derived layer of Japanese vocabulary). The similarity between vocabulary roots, cultural frameworks around honorifics and social hierarchy has to lend itself to better localization overall. The cultural differences between the East and the West really don't help here. It's almost an entirely different world. (・–・;)ゞ

jokerblackjack said:

Your post actually made me stop and think more carefully about translations and localization. If they're translating Japanese games into English, I really want them to fully understand the original Japanese content first, so players can properly understand the story and characters too.

Some of the examples you brought up were honestly really helpful. I feel like if players noticed the same things you did, they'd probably also think "wait, this sentence feels kinda weird…" or notice that something feels slightly off.

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That's exactly what I hoped my post would encourage others to do, so I'm glad it got you to think about the topic more. (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) ‹𝟹
Has there been a moment where you felt like something felt off, or is the translation usually good enough so that there isn't much friction for you?