Feature Request/Suggestion - English (JP) Language option in Launcher

[Telkira]

I agree that Haurchefant shouldn't have been censored, but that had nothing to do with any fans "shrieking". It was translators observing that certain media tropes come across differently in different cultures.

I'm glad that you agree that it shouldn't have been censored, but if you pay attention to the discourse that happened regarding that, many people argued that his character was 'creepy' and needed to be censored, while completely ignoring that doing so would be logically incompatible with respecting foreign culture, which the game objectively is a product of since his character is not seen as problematic in Japan. Literally just a comedic trope that has existed for decades.

I blame most of the outcry on a lack of critical thinking and media literacy, but there were too many people who did have these skills, but didn't care because it offended them, so they celebrated the change.

And the example with Wind-up Moenbryda is, like, the exact opposite of "socially progressive people shrieking"; it was a dumb masturbation joke that never should have been made.

I could play devil's advocate and argue that the perception of it being perceived as a sex joke was just a lousy interpretation of the Japanese text's reference to 'unresolved feelings', but it clearly was just an example of liberties being taken too far.
Had they simply just translated it the original content, then no issue could have been able to arise.

The pendulum of cultural revisionism swings both ways, but I argue that it shouldn't swing at all, at least without a faithful alternative.

[PorxiesRCute]

I'm glad that you agree that it shouldn't have been censored, but if you pay attention to the discourse that happened regarding that, many people argued that his character was 'creepy' and needed to be censored, while completely ignoring that doing so would be logically incompatible with respecting foreign culture, which the game objectively is a product of since his character is not seen as problematic in Japan. Literally just a comedic trope that has existed for decades.

I blame most of the outcry on a lack of critical thinking and media literacy, but there were too many people who did have these skills, but didn't care because it offended them, so they celebrated the change.

You have maybe half a point here; people did say "he was creepy in Japanese so it's good he was changed". But it's really interesting that you immediately leap to thinking it's because those people were offended. Is it not equally possible that, if he came across as a creep in English, people would simply find his heroic sacrifice less moving, and thus they think it's a better storytelling decision?

[Telkira]

You have maybe half a point here; people did say "he was creepy in Japanese so it's good he was changed". But it's really interesting that you immediately leap to thinking it's because those people were offended.

I suppose it's not impossible for some Japanese audiences to feel uncomfortable with him, but based on how popular he is in the JP fanbase (see the FFXIV stickers for the messaging app LINE, which depicts him as a debauchee), it's safe to assume that he was popular as he was.

Is it not equally possible that, if he came across as a creep in English, people would simply find his heroic sacrifice less moving, and thus they think it's a better storytelling decision?

I don't think so, honestly. Most of the people who went so far as to call him a creep or a sexpest were an outspoken minority that many other players called out as overdramatic or emotional.
His sexual advances and comments were never intended to be, nor were they received by the majority of the playerbase (who saw the YT vids comparing him) as anything but comedic.
Many people (myself included) found it welcoming, since this made it feel more like a comedy bit from an anime and I thought it was a nice change of pace, considering the drollness of the setting.

None of that detracted from his characterization or his actions, and I would argue that the storytelling component of his rewrite was unfulfilled. It might've worked for some people, but not for me.

Keep in mind, even though I played with JP cutscenes/audio, I could tell that there was a discrepancy because some of his spoken Japanese was not aligning at all with what was appearing in the textbox, and it even went further because I could tell that something was missing.

I personally found his re-write to be uncomfortable. Not because I was put off by his revised dialog, but because it felt like there should have been more to his function as a character at that point in the story and within that droll and dreary setting. Even with the localized English text, it felt like something was missing, and when I inevitably found those aforementioned comparison vids on YT (with the text translated), it suddenly made sense.

[PorxiesRCute]

I don't think so, honestly. Most of the people who went so far as to call him a creep or a sexpest were an outspoken minority that many other players called out as overdramatic or emotional.

To be clear (since I see now that my wording was awkward) I was specifically referring to the people who thought he was a creep or a sexpest in Japanese. I'm saying that there's an option besides them being "offended" by his behavior. Because I prefer not to automatically jump to the worst possible interpretation of people.

[Ghost_of_Ebina]

As one who is fluent in Japanese and English, and have passing knowledge of German, I agree with the OP.
The German version for example is quite literal in its translation and interpretation of the original Japanese (although in some places they take from the English version).
The English version takes a lot of liberties and adds things including character quirks and interpretation that did not exist in the Japanese version.
Examples:　　Achievement titles have way too many puns, and don’t resemble anything like the original... The achievement for reaching Samurai Level 50 is simply "Samurai Level 50" in Japanese but in English it's "Bushido Blade I".　 The achievement for the FF11 collaboration event back in 2015 was "Substitute Instructor for Iroha" but it was changed to "Heaven Eleven" in the English version. Similarly, things like "A Tankless Job" or "Tank you Paladin" is way to pun-intense. It seems like a bunch of sweaty fans got together smelling like doritos and went full-blown with their inside jokes... which really adds a cheap feeling to the overall product (This is why I mainly play the Japanese version).
Why do these "translators" need to add their own flavor?

[Kuroka]

Examples:　　Achievement titles have way too many puns, and don’t resemble anything like the original... The achievement for reaching Samurai Level 50 is simply "Samurai Level 50" in Japanese but in English it's "Bushido Blade I".　

Well we got tons of wacky stuff on german as well, that achievement is called "Samurai statt nur dabei" which..... i really dont know how to properly translate without loss xD

something like "Samurai and not just there" or whatever. Basically they did a pun on playing the new job lol

[Telkira]

Bumping this back up