(07-17-2017, 03:33 AM)Edda Wrote: Yeah the English localization team definitely doesn't go for a very literal translation of the text. They sometimes take a lot of liberties, and we generally get much more flavorful and uh... interesting text as a result. Sometimes it works really well for them, other times not so much - but such instances are all a matter of opinion. See: Keeper of the Lake Shenanigans, Haurchefant 2.0, The Cuckold Weed Puller, and many others that I'm forgetting because I'm useless.
I typically don't prefer super-literal translations though so I'm not complaining. They have their place but more often than not too much literal comes with a lot of boring. Sometimes English localization teams just know how to spice things up yeah? I mean why would you play Final Fantasy XII with Japanese audio when the superior English dub exists? So long as they're telling the same story I'll take the SPICIER version any day of the week.
Personally I'm mixed. I don't mind more flowery language (although sometimes I have no idea what Baderon is saying, much less Jacke), but when the English translation takes certain liberties, I am hesitant to call it acceptable.
(Weirdly, based on the Japanese dialogue, I think the character who is the most closely translated into English is Urianger.)
The problem comes when the localization inserts nuances and implications that are simply not there in the original, and to no apparent purpose. Going back to the Matoya example, there's no reason for her to either be unobservant enough to mistake Alphinaud for his sister, nor immediately snarky enough to pretend to do so. If there really is a need to emphasize how Alphinaud looks like his sister, the Warriors of Darkness do precisely that later on, so inserting this particular instance just feels redundant.
And then there's the creepy and insensitive text of the Wind-Up Moenbryda minion, that is far more tasteful in the original.
When the translation is not exact, but still remains in the general vicinity of the original, I don't mind. When it does its own thing completely unrelated, though, then I have to judge it on how the changes contribute to the story. And in many cases, the judgment is lacking. It's not offensive, but merely pointless; changing the text just for the sake of changing it.
EDIT: A minor example, from early in Stormblood, involving Zenos:
So that's an example of how the English translation causes misunderstandings to happen about a character's intent and motivations.
EDIT TO PREVENT DOUBLE-POSTING: Just arrived in Kugane.
![[Image: hGpAxWQ.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/hGpAxWQ.jpg)
Please tell me this man has the Echo.
