Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

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How should the main characters be named in Generation:2 ?

Poll ended at Fri Oct 19, 2012 1:51 am

Use the full Japanese names
28
38%
Use the English Sega Genesis names
40
55%
It doesn't matter
5
7%
 
Total votes : 73

Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby Blaw- » Sun Dec 29, 2013 10:41 pm

It's because they are not pronounced the same. Japanese write words depending of their prononciation.

For example, they write "Heather" as "ヘザー" (Hezaa).

Most of the time, japanese often choose video game characters names without really thinking if it mean something, if it's awkward or not (same for animes, they often put english sentences in it, and most of the time, it become some engrish without a proper meaning).

Not to mention they sometimes do errors when they write english words with katakanas.

I don't know what is is, but what I'm sure is that's definitively not "Lisa/Lysa".

Could be "Isa" : http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/イーサ・タウン (Isa Town)

By the way, the japanese wikipedia says, when you type "イーサ" : エーテル(Ether)の英語読み (which means "English reading of Ether")

Which would mean "イーサ" is "Ether" but with another pronounciation (another language) ?

It's not french for sure, we also pronounce it "エーテル".

Maybe "Mizéris Lutz Isa Lanai" looks better.
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby Blaw- » Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:38 am

So, I finished the translation of the last file and so of the whole script of the game, and I found that in the last file : この箱の中には, 君たちがダークファルスと呼ぶ災いの全てが封じ込められているのだ!

That sentence seems to confirm that "Dark Force" is the legit name (so it would be an error in the retranscription?)

It can be translated to something like that : Inside that box was confined all the calamities, that you can call "Dark Force(s)". (engrish mode )

If you put "Dark Falz" or whatever other name, the end of the sentence sound different.
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby xrick » Mon Dec 30, 2013 2:52 pm

In the Compendium's PS4 section, there was a design of a Dark Falz with the romanized name "Dark Phallus".
I guess a more close translation (and which I usually prefer) could end up being "Dark Falz". I think "Dark Force" was a renaming SoA did on the time as it might have seemed better for the audience, specially with the first trilogy of Star Wars roaming around at the time, I guess...
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby Blaw- » Mon Dec 30, 2013 9:38 pm

But it fit the sentence very well. What is inside the Pandora's box (wich is quoted in the same dialog) in the game is some "dark forces".

I dunno what Kyence will choose for the english version anyway, but it was just to show it make sense with the dialog.

But in theory, "ファルス" is either "Phallus" (XD), Farce or Falz (Force is "フォース").

I think Tryphon wanted to keep Dark Force in the french version so I suppose we'll keep that.
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby BenoitRen » Wed Jan 01, 2014 12:23 pm

The text when you open Pandora's Box isn't necessarily using the name of the entity. Rather, it talks about a (collection of?) "dark force".
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby Blaw- » Wed Jan 01, 2014 2:17 pm

That's precisely what I said (and why I said it fit the english name of the boss).
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby skymandr » Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:55 pm

There was an interview with Rieko Kodama in a Swedish gaming magazine a couple of years back, where (as I recall it) she said that it was supposed to be Dark Force in all the games.

EDIT: In case anyone is interested, here is a rough translation of the relevant passage of the interview/article:
No Phantasy Star game is complete without Dark Force. But what is it really, and which is the correct way to spell it? Rieko Kodama brings clarity to the matter.
-- I say Dark Force, and I would describe it as a concentrate of evil. No single human or demon can singlehandedly hurt humanity, the real threat is that we all carry a certain amount of evil within us. Dark Force is what arises if we cannot keep that evil at bay. And since Dark Force is a congregate of the feelings and thoughts of loads of people, it always takes a new shape, depending on who sees it.

(The magazine in question was Level Retro, #2 (2010).)

It is an interesting quote, not only because it settles (for me at least) the question of Dark Force's name, but also because it implies that, though she was director on PSIV, Kodama emphasises the human (Palman) element in Dark Force's origins more than the mythology in PSIV implies. Wheras in the first games the evil you meet at the end is (or could be interpreted as) the evil of (Pal)mankind, this is downplayed in PSIV. Maybe that philosophical difference is one of the reasons why, at the end of the article, she says she prefers the first game to the final installation?
Last edited by skymandr on Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby skymandr » Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:49 pm

Blaw- wrote:I don't know what is is, but what I'm sure is that's definitively not "Lisa/Lysa".


Definitely agree there, but Rebecka Capowski suggested Iysa (with iy) not Lysa. They do look confusingly alike in the default font though.

Anyway, I was merely suggesting that Ether, though it would be a good choice from a pronounciation perspective, would probably not reflect the intent of the original name. In the end, however, I'm not the one doing the translation, and please be assured that you (and everyone else involved in the undertaking) have me earnest support and gratitude, whether or not I agree on every small detail!

(Sorry about the double post...)
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby Blaw- » Thu Jan 02, 2014 7:09 am

Oh, I see. Yeah, it look like a L.

iysa then, but most people will read it as "Lysa" so might not be a good choice.

Thanks for the quote about Dark Force, it's really interesting (but even without it, the sentence I quoted before was enough clear to be sure of it, but a double confirmation never hurt ^^).
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby skymandr » Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:20 pm

Blaw- wrote:Oh, I see. Yeah, it look like a L.

iysa then, but most people will read it as "Lysa" so might not be a good choice.


I know! >__< Even though I KNOW that it is an "i", everytime I read Iysa my mind goes "Lysa, no, hold on: that's iysa!"... The l vs I issue is one of the main reasons why I prefer fonts with serifs, but that is certainly off topic...

To get back on topic, perhaps "Ysa" is an alternative? The old Ys RPG series is called イース (iisu) in Japan.

Blaw- wrote:Thanks for the quote about Dark Force, it's really interesting (but even without it, the sentence I quoted before was enough clear to be sure of it, but a double confirmation never hurt ^^).


Yes, good find!
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby BenoitRen » Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:47 pm

Kodama only speaks Japanese, so who knows the translation that the Swedish magazine made isn't accurate. :P
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby skymandr » Thu Jan 02, 2014 3:48 pm

Hehe... Since the quote convinently confirms my position, I will ignore any objections and treat it as the truth! =)
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby darkwraith007 » Fri Jan 03, 2014 2:45 am

Well happy new year and all that!
Still waiting for an early New Years January surprise gift, perhaps? =D
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby Blaw- » Fri Jan 03, 2014 9:31 am

BenoitRen wrote:Kodama only speaks Japanese, so who knows the translation that the Swedish magazine made isn't accurate.


I don't think so. If they asked her how to write it, I assume she wrote it with our characters (if you know "Death Note", it has been asked long ago how to write the character's name, because they were a debate between "Raito" and "Light" versions. And the mangaka, though probably not fluent in english, said it has to be written "Light". I know japanese are known to not be able to talk at all in english but that's not really the case anymore).

And even without writing it, "Falz" (Farusu) and "Force" (Foosu) are not prounced the same.

Not to mention the line I quoted earlier and the details in the interview confirm that it came from a form of evilness.

But hey, I think even if we would ask her to write it on a paper, some people wouldn't still trust it, implying she can be wrong or something or not knowing english.

I have nothing against the other names personally, but I'm still waiting for people to explain me the meaning.

All (or near all) enemies' names are in english, "Mother Brain" for example.

If it's "Dark Falz", what does "Falz" mean in english? (the dictionnary I checked don't seem to have it, only found it in a german one)

darkwraith007 wrote:Well happy new year and all that!
Still waiting for an early New Years January surprise gift, perhaps? =D


Unfortunately, don't expect anything as a New Year Gift. Even the french version, which the text is fully translated now, won't be released before a few months (need to read the translation again, make some corrections, beta-test the game) I think, and the english translation is still at an early stage, though I suppose it'll be also released this year.
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Re: Phantasy Star Generation 2: English Translation

Postby BenoitRen » Fri Jan 03, 2014 3:47 pm

Blaw- wrote:And even without writing it, "Falz" (Farusu) and "Force" (Foosu) are not prounced the same.

Yes, that's the point. It was always "Farusu" in Japanese. It was changed in the English versions (except in the first game) to "Force".
Not to mention the line I quoted earlier and the details in the interview confirm that it came from a form of evilness.

I don't think anyone was discussing that, as that's where the "Dark" part of the name comes from.

I'd have to see the full interview for the context. Heck, I'll ask the reporter I know personally that regularly interviews her.
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