Translation quality

[WellFooled]

Why should I be able to ''get'' a joke just because I can read the language its written in? Or likewise, be unable to understand it because its origin is a different language.

Why do Hawaiians never need a dentist?

They have good teeth.

That's a Japanese joke translated :P It works as an anti-joke in English, but that's not the original idea. The words for Hawaiians and Good Teeth are very similar in Japanese, its a pun that doesn't work in English.

[Takfloyd]

While I enjoy the localization for the most part and particularly the quality of the writing, some changes in the English translation are really contentious and make absolutely no sense.

For example, one pivotal character was changed from female to male in English, without changing the model, leading to a bunch of nonsensical mumbo jumbo being inserted to explain this obvious discrepancy. This was probably due to a misconception ny the translation team because Japanese doesn't always use gender pronouns, but they should have solved it in a better way. Even something as simple as "she was hiding her gender".

[Illya]

While I enjoy the localization for the most part and particularly the quality of the writing, some changes in the English translation are really contentious and make absolutely no sense.

For example, one pivotal character was changed from female to male in English, without changing the model, leading to a bunch of nonsensical mumbo jumbo being inserted to explain this obvious discrepancy. This was probably due to a misconception ny the translation team because Japanese doesn't always use gender pronouns, but they should have solved it in a better way. Even something as simple as "she was hiding her gender".

Regarding this specific case, the character was never referred to with a specific gender in the JP script. The EN team assumed the character was male, the JP team never apparently clarified since the character in question always wore a helmet that covered their face. So when the face was suddenly shown, they had to scramble to cover their new problem. I guess the decision was made not to retcon her gender but instead try to explain it away. Too bad the explanation was mostly nonsensical, they might as well have just retconned it and saved themselves a lot of trouble.

[Spellbinder]

Regarding this specific case, the character was never referred to with a specific gender in the JP script. The EN team assumed the character was male, the JP team never apparently clarified since the character in question always wore a helmet that covered their face.

At least one reference has been noted from Version 1.0.
ネールはやっぱり男だった (Nael Was a Man After All)
http://jp.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest.../blog/1441865/

Nael Van Darnus (not Nael Deus Darnus) being referred to as a man in the dialogue. Apparently the Japanese description for him on the lodestone referred to him as a man as well.

[Illya]

At least one reference has been noted from Version 1.0.
ネールはやっぱり男だった (Nael Was a Man After All)
http://jp.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest.../blog/1441865/

Nael Van Darnus (not Nael Deus Darnus) being referred to as a man in the dialogue. Apparently the Japanese description for him on the lodestone referred to him as a man as well.

Interesting if true. I wonder why they decided to change Nael from male to female, at least the Deus version. Seems like a pointless change to make and it made a mess of the English version of Nael's dialogue in a certain cutscene.

Remember a localization is not a translation..

When localization changes the meaning of the original script or leaves out details entirely, it's no longer a localization. It's a butchery. The point of localization is to modify translated scripts to match local culture and language. It's not to completely change the meaning of statements or events, or even leave things entirely out.

[Aldora]

Interesting if true. I wonder why they decided to change Nael from male to female, at least the Deus version. Seems like a pointless change to make and it made a mess of the English version of Nael's dialogue in a certain cutscene.

Since the explanation contains spoilers, i’ve enclosed in the spoiler tags below.

After defeating The White Raven (Nael van Darnus) on the Rivenroad (back in 1.x), his essence was absorbed by Bahamut, creating a new being.

This new being took the form of Nael deus Darnus, which consisted of the essence of both Nael van Darnus as well as Bahamut. Nael van Darnus is Male, however Bahamut is portrayed as a female. Since the essence of those two merged into 1 being, Nael deus Darnus looks female, but still talks like the male version Nael van Darnus.

[kyuven]

When localization changes the meaning of the original script or leaves out details entirely, it's no longer a localization. It's a butchery. The point of localization is to modify translated scripts to match local culture and language. It's not to completely change the meaning of statements or events, or even leave things entirely out.

This...isn't always true.
Since localization often happens after a work is finished, those in charge of the process often have the whole work to work with rather than numerous in-progress scripts and the like.
Thus, often plotholes can actually be FIXED by a localization rather than broken.
An interesting example is in GoLion/Voltron. In an early episode, the character Sven is killed off, only to have his identical twin brother show up later and save the day.
This was, obviously, quite a groaner plot twist.
In the American localization? He didn't die, and rather than his inexplicable twin brother showing up, his injuries just healed.
And that's before you get into issues where the original plot is just plain wrong about something, such a character who grew up in New York City inexplicably being a cowboy with a ranch.
In New York city.
It happens!

[Felis]

At least one reference has been noted from Version 1.0.
ネールはやっぱり男だった (Nael Was a Man After All)
http://jp.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest.../blog/1441865/

Nael Van Darnus (not Nael Deus Darnus) being referred to as a man in the dialogue. Apparently the Japanese description for him on the lodestone referred to him as a man as well.

Yes, Nael was a male in 1.0
And while Bahamut recreated Naels body after the calamity, Bahamut had a joke moment. Or Bahamut didn't know the difference between male and female.

[Illya]

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...mportant-story.

Just leaving this here.

[Intaki]

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...mportant-story.

Just leaving this here.

If you couldn't reason out what Middy's deal was from the English dialogue that's more of a PEBKAC issue than a localization one.