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KH Novel Translations - Official Thread



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ajmrowland

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

I mean I don't always like what's in the book, but it is hilarious!
 

Theta

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

Yay! New translations! Thank you goldplanner!

Without so much as a "Huh?!" there, Sora's at best stifled reaction doesn't seem very in-character. I mean he reacts to the idea of having to start over, but not to the idea that Xehanort was a Master Keyblade wielder that's going to return. For something so huge that line just seems like a throw away. Sora is the same guy that when he found out Ansem was a "fake," it was earth shattering. Even with Yen Sid as the knowledge dispenser, it's not like we're to expect Sora to just take it in passively--he was asking Yen Sid questions the last time they met.

In truth, the real reason why I think none of them are really reacting there is because those scenes are ridiculously exposition heavy as is, and that would lead into a more in-depth explanation (eg how Xehanort is coming back--but we already got that in re:coded).

About that being out of Sora's character, I never felt like Sora has had a 'set' character, or even one that is continuously developing. His development through the first two games was ok but then in kh2 he spits out lines like "who is this cook," before reverting past his old self into the dimwitted happy-go-lucky character we see in kh3d. Soo... I'm think its ok to ignore any apparent inconsistency in the novel. That aside, they did practically confirm that that was the reason they chose to break up the scene right? I couldn't agree more on that point.
 

Sephiroth0812

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

Yeah I agree :D I think that's part of the charm of the novels, getting to see a character's POV for scenes is like seeing the same scene with a new slant to it, sometimes.

Oh man, you're right... translating Yen Sid is hard because of his complicated grandiose old man language, but I can look forward to Sora's thoughts haha

Thank you for this lovely comment!! <3

Luckily for you, that is definitely in this novel! I'm really looking forward to that part the most, I think ;A;/


Definitely, peeking into the character's heads also makes it easier to understand some of their reactions in-game better. I remember in the Final Fantasy VIII-game Squall's thoughts were often displayed in a small thought bubble, with the novels it's almost as if when you then play the KH game in question again you imagine that thought bubble appearing in the corresponding scenes.

On that note I'm also curious of Riku's thoughts when he meets Joshua, Shiki and Beat, lol.

Yep, Yen Sid can give MX a slack when it comes to longwinded speeches, although instead of sweeping arm gestures he likes it more to stroke his beard. :p
Due to Yen Sid explaining just soo much (hence why it was divided in-game into mementos) I can just imagine Sora thinking at some point: "Ggh, too much information, does not compute.", considering how he reacted in KH 2 when Mickey gave that exposition speech of how "Ansem" isn't Ansem, *ggg*.

All deserved. ^___^

It's probably gonna be a harsh contrast, but surely interesting to see if he does realize YMX is a threat and actually thinks about his agenda and the danger instead of being totally oblivious as it is shown sometimes in the game.
Then there are of course the parts when he meets Roxas or sees Terra and Aqua, those are also bound to be interesting, or when he learns what Xemnas and Xigbar cooked up all through Days and KH 2 with their lies.
 

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

I mean I don't always like what's in the book, but it is hilarious!

Ah I see! Haha yeah definitely

Yay! New translations! Thank you goldplanner!

About that being out of Sora's character, I never felt like Sora has had a 'set' character, or even one that is continuously developing. His development through the first two games was ok but then in kh2 he spits out lines like "who is this cook," before reverting past his old self into the dimwitted happy-go-lucky character we see in kh3d. Soo... I'm think its ok to ignore any apparent inconsistency in the novel. That aside, they did practically confirm that that was the reason they chose to break up the scene right? I couldn't agree more on that point.

Aw no worries!

I dunno, I think Sora has a pretty solid character. I agree that he was a little bit more cocky and rude in KH2, but it made sense - this kid had just saved the universe, and here he is, saving the universe again, with his best friends missing and unsafe all over again. Plus, he has the shadowy Organisation targeting him personally far more than the Disney villains really did. And he has been hanging out with Donald Duck :p JOKING but still, I do think it made sense for where he was at in his life then.

I think him being more bubbly in KH3D makes perfect sense because he finally has Riku and Kairi and his home safe and together for the first time since the series began - he has good reason be cheerful! I think perhaps when the Keyblade War starts he will get more serious.

with the novels it's almost as if when you then play the KH game in question again you imagine that thought bubble appearing in the corresponding scenes.

Yeah :D I really like it. I do like being able to make up my own interpretations when I play, too, but I like the perspective given by the novels for sure!

On that note I'm also curious of Riku's thoughts when he meets Joshua, Shiki and Beat, lol.

The KH3D novels are actually split into volume 1 as 'Side Sora' and volume 2 as 'Side Riku', so you will have to wait for Side Riku to find out, unfortunately D;

Yep, Yen Sid can give MX a slack when it comes to longwinded speeches, although instead of sweeping arm gestures he likes it more to stroke his beard. :p
Due to Yen Sid explaining just soo much (hence why it was divided in-game into mementos) I can just imagine Sora thinking at some point: "Ggh, too much information, does not compute.", considering how he reacted in KH 2 when Mickey gave that exposition speech of how "Ansem" isn't Ansem, *ggg*.

Oh god all these old men... hahaha

I bet you're right! And I bet he was thinking 'eh, Riku will be with me, he can explain it later'.... hmmm now that I think about it, this might explain why Sora failed the exam.......

It's probably gonna be a harsh contrast, but surely interesting to see if he does realize YMX is a threat and actually thinks about his agenda and the danger instead of being totally oblivious as it is shown sometimes in the game.
Then there are of course the parts when he meets Roxas or sees Terra and Aqua, those are also bound to be interesting, or when he learns what Xemnas and Xigbar cooked up all through Days and KH 2 with their lies.

Hmmm! You will have to wait ;D
 
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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

About that being out of Sora's character, I never felt like Sora has had a 'set' character, or even one that is continuously developing. His development through the first two games was ok but then in kh2 he spits out lines like "who is this cook," before reverting past his old self into the dimwitted happy-go-lucky character we see in kh3d. Soo... I'm think its ok to ignore any apparent inconsistency in the novel. That aside, they did practically confirm that that was the reason they chose to break up the scene right? I couldn't agree more on that point.

Sora has a set character that's even been commented on by other characters. The whole idea is that he's unchanging, a kid at heart. Goes right back to Kairi saying "don't ever change," straight through to AtW in DDD commenting on the nature of his heart and how Sora need only be himself.

Supposed variations in his disposition are often brought on not by actual changes in his character but in the changes in his circumstances. People often note how he's more... "angsty/angry" in CoM/KH2, but I would argue that this is because of the frustrating scenarios he found himself in (eg being stuck and forced to destroy Heartless which would help the Organization). And then we see with DDD (and it was foreshadowed with re:coded) that Sora really has been the same all along.

With that said, Sora is a really easy character to jump into the mind of. Note before anyone jumps on this that I'm not saying this makes him a bad character. But what should be taken away from this is that we should see consistency in his behavior (with fluctuations having reasonable explanations).
Now, again, I don't think it's a big deal that Sora didn't react there because that's not what the writers intended to have for that scene. It was to provide context and information relevant to the gamer and nothing else. And because there's so much exposition, there's not much room for having other characters contribute dialogue in those scenes.

I just think it's too bad, is all. Because the knowledge that Xehanort is coming back always seemed like it was meant to be something monumental, and I would have enjoyed seeing Sora's whole reaction. To Xehanort actually being a keyblade wielder, to Ansem and Xemnas having recombined, etc. The man he's been fighting this whole time is back again in full form, wielding a keyblade just like Sora. There's just a lot of gravity there. And as I said, it's really not hard to predict how he would have reacted. Sora's loud, he wears his emotions on his sleeve, he's excitable. You know, like a kid. But we get him staring in silence as Yen Sid zips on by that information in one to two sentences and on to the next pertinent topic.

It's kind of funny because I guess it was as flat a reaction as actual gamers would give to that knowledge. We've known Xehanort was returning in full-form since 2007 in Another Report and it was also confirmed in the games prior to DDD (re:coded). So not particularly shocking but I still would have liked to have seen Sora's reaction! Instead of trying to infer it from a blank stare.

Kanemaki did the best with what she had, I mean there's really no other way to interpret those scenes if you're strictly following the DDD cutscenes (though as I said, they could have been expanded on). So it's the DDD cutscenes to begin with and not Kanemaki's writing that I find at fault. That's all.
 

ajmrowland

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

I'm starting to wonder if they really should've had this stuff in the actual game. It really did use to be that a characters thoughts could be communicated to the player without the novels. Even BBS did that. But I'm talking about ff.

Edit: I combed through the BBS translations and found one new scene(the opening) I might adapt. keyword being "adapt". I dont wanna change too much from the game, and it has Vanitas in it so I might just shorten it to MS looking at the shooting star and saying something like "the world is changing". Still, it's a matter of how it plays out whether I'll include it in my LP.

If anything, I'd like to know how to upload video files to the net without youtube. Youtube is for the public.
 
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Sephiroth0812

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

Yeah :D I really like it. I do like being able to make up my own interpretations when I play, too, but I like the perspective given by the novels for sure!
Heh, oh yup, I almost forgot that you like to give everything a different spin and try out various interpretations. ^__^
I have to keep that finally in my mind.

I like to take novel parts that aren't outright contradicted by the games or interviews as supplementary material for some issues.


The KH3D novels are actually split into volume 1 as 'Side Sora' and volume 2 as 'Side Riku', so you will have to wait for Side Riku to find out, unfortunately D;
It's all ok, lol, sometimes I wonder how you even keep track of what you have translated yet since you don't go book-by-book but jump around between them.


Oh god all these old men... hahaha

I bet you're right! And I bet he was thinking 'eh, Riku will be with me, he can explain it later'.... hmmm now that I think about it, this might explain why Sora failed the exam.......
Yep, I once imagined it would be a funny scene for the end credits of KH III seeing Yen Sid, Merlin, Scrooge McDuck, Ansem the Wise and Eraqus holding a tea party indulging in old men's speak and maybe play Bingo. ;P

That would be so Sora-like to think that. If they hadn't been split up I could imagine the first scene in Traverse going with Sora nagging Riku about just what Yen Sid meant with all his babbling and demand to have it explained in easier terms to understand.
Riku's first reaction? *facepalm* of course.
Reminds me also of Joshua's snark against Beat in the second Traverse visit: "You and Sora would break your heads on this one", sums up Sora nicely, lol.


Hmmm! You will have to wait ;D

I never had a problem with waiting, lol, I'm actually used to waiting. ;)
 

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

The whole idea is that he's unchanging, a kid at heart.

Oh yeah I meant to say that too. Plus everything else you said. You always put it better that I can 8D;

I just think it's too bad, is all. Because the knowledge that Xehanort is coming back always seemed like it was meant to be something monumental, and I would have enjoyed seeing Sora's whole reaction.

YEP and that's one reason why I really dislike Yen Sid Exposition Dump Time. I like information to be more integrated into action and more focused on character interactions. Yen Sid is just such a lazy boring way to skip doing that imo.

I'm starting to wonder if they really should've had this stuff in the actual game. It really did use to be that a characters thoughts could be communicated to the player without the novels. Even BBS did that. But I'm talking about ff.

I think it depends on the genre, really! The more RPG-like, the more likely there will be lots of text boxes and stuff. The more action-like, the more that stuff will be saved for cutscene dialogue. I feel like KH hovers between the two, it seems to have a more RPG-like plot but it is executed more like an action game.

Edit: I combed through the BBS translations and found one new scene(the opening) I might adapt. keyword being "adapt". I dont wanna change too much from the game, and it has Vanitas in it so I might just shorten it to MS looking at the shooting star and saying something like "the world is changing". Still, it's a matter of how it plays out whether I'll include it in my LP.

Ah yeah, that is a bit spoilery lol. I dunno though, knowing he has black hair doesn't give away who he looks like!

If anything, I'd like to know how to upload video files to the net without youtube. Youtube is for the public.

Hmm! You could use youtube but make the video so that only people with the link can see it. I'm pretty sure photobucket does video hosting, too. And then there's vimeo?

Heh, oh yup, I almost forgot that you like to give everything a different spin and try out various interpretations. ^__^
I have to keep that finally in my mind.

Well, people can even have different interpretations of what the novel scenes mean...! I believe that everybody who plays the game will have a slightly different version of the game inside their heart. It's unavoidable. But it's also really amazing, I love that about fandom :)

I like to take novel parts that aren't outright contradicted by the games or interviews as supplementary material for some issues.

Me too! Like the snarl of memories stuff lol

It's all ok, lol, sometimes I wonder how you even keep track of what you have translated yet since you don't go book-by-book but jump around between them.

Well, since I put so much effort into it, it's usually memorable for me :p But on the chance I do lose track, I have this!

Yep, I once imagined it would be a funny scene for the end credits of KH III seeing Yen Sid, Merlin, Scrooge McDuck, Ansem the Wise and Eraqus holding a tea party indulging in old men's speak and maybe play Bingo. ;P

OH GOD
 

ajmrowland

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

Yeah, I'm saying that they should've done more maybe to incorporate thoughts into the cutscenes the way they have been.

as for Vanitas, I like the introduction he has in the game so it's no biggie if I leave him out of the reworking there.

also decided not to have him at the end of vens run in dwarf woodlands cuz that was a little revealing of the info. I think I might not even have any of the new stuff before RG.
 

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

~

Chapter 1 of KH3D: Side Sora now up!

read on livejournal | read on wordpress

~


This was a lot of fun to translate, I hope it's fun to read :D I am really enjoying how Kanemaki has decided to write the party Dream Eaters, and once more, Sora's thought processes are hilarious...
 
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Sephiroth0812

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

Well, people can even have different interpretations of what the novel scenes mean...! I believe that everybody who plays the game will have a slightly different version of the game inside their heart. It's unavoidable. But it's also really amazing, I love that about fandom :)



Me too! Like the snarl of memories stuff lol



Well, since I put so much effort into it, it's usually memorable for me :p But on the chance I do lose track, I have this!



OH GOD

I guess it's the same with both the novel and game scenes then. Yeah, people tend to already view things with a different starting angle, which automatically leads to different perspectives, which I admit I forgot for a while last year.
As long as the fandom itself remains civil about that and can disagree with different interpretations without bashing them it stays amazing. ;)

Reminds me I still haven't read the Days-novels, lol.

Gotta bookmark that masterpost for reference as well. ^__^

Lol, good idea, isn't it? Probably should mention that in the "Wild hopes for KH3"-thread.

~

Chapter 1 of KH3D: Side Sora now up!

read on livejournal | read on wordpress

~


This was a lot of fun to translate, I hope it's fun to read :D I am really enjoying how Kanemaki has decided to write the party Dream Eaters, and once more, Sora's thought processes are hilarious...

I see Kanemaki still hasn't learned to write good fighting scenes, roflmao.

I'm also curious if the way Kanemaki wrote this means that Riku will go to the Post Office as apparently Sora traversed through the Back Streets with his Meow Wow.
In the Game, Sora cannot reach that part of the world.

Sora said:
Well, if someone’s in trouble you help them, that’s how it is.

Hmm...somehow, that reminds me of this guy:
Dissidia_Zidane.png


Makes me somewhat wish even more that Zidane would make an appearance in KH.

(And then Sora cannot help but yank at his tail like Laguna does in Dissidia 012, lol)

“To defeat Xehanort, as stated in the King’s message, we must bring ‘those who sleep in sorrow’ back to this realm.”

I wonder who ‘those who sleep in sorrow’ are, anyway.

For some reason, Sora could feel a hopeless pain unfolding in his chest.
Really? You kidding me, Sora? Three of those are directly inside you...0_o
Or should I rather say, you kidding me, Yen Sid and Mickey? Especially Mickey! Goddamn Mouse, you have learnt something about those people in the ending of Coded and even have an idea where one of those suffering hearts is according to the secret ending, so y u no informing Sora???

“Sora… you still trust me?” Neku said, not turning to face Sora.

“Of course I do.”

I can’t see Neku being a bad guy.

Sora trusted his own intuition when it came to this sort of thing.

“Even though I tried to trick you?! I was told by that guy in the black coat to bring you to him… and if I did, he’d send me and my partner back to our original world together.”

Neku broke off into a short silence. Sora waited for his next words.

“…Sorry.”

See, not a bad guy at all.

Hilarious thought processes indeed, rofl, "see, not a bad guy at all."
Sometimes Sora comes over as such a ditz.

Just has he had trusted his own intuition that Neku was a good guy, Sora trusted his own intuition when he felt that someone was suspicious.

Not that a bad person and a suspicious person are the same thing. But I'm not trusting this Joshua just yet.
Now that's something interesting right there, Sora being suspicious of Joshua, now it will become very interesting as to how he will react when meeting Young Xehanort in person.

"I was surprised to find that in the realm of sleep, fragments of dreams were corporeal. And then, I thought that connecting the bonds between my dream-fragment friends might strengthen their respective beings, and help them be reborn."

Riku seemed to ask Joshua something from where he stood beside Sora. Sora's voice couldn't reach Riku, and Riku's couldn't reach Sora. It seemed to reach Joshua, though.

"You saw the results for yourself. People can't exist alone. You are first able to exist as a person the moment that someone else becomes aware of your being. The strength of their connected awareness of each other allowed them to be reborn. Your efforts with them were of course a great help, too."

A connection... your feelings of thinking of each one of your friends makes each of their feelings, and hearts, stronger. Sora too had come to understand this on his journeys. Connected hearts give power to everyone.

Needless to say I find Joshua (and the themes behind this series) absolutely awesome, no? ^__^

---

Great chapter, thanks for all the effort, goldpanner. :D
 

iLeen

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

Makes me somewhat wish even more that Zidane would make an appearance in KH.

(And then Sora cannot help but yank at his tail like Laguna does in Dissidia 012, lol)
I would LOVE to see them interacting *_* Ha! I can imagine Sora doing something like that.

Hilarious thought processes indeed, rofl, "see, not a bad guy at all."
Sometimes Sora comes over as such a ditz.

But that's why we love him^_^ Such a simpleton...and apparently, some people dislike him cause of that XD

Needless to say I find Joshua (and the themes behind this series) absolutely awesome, no? ^__^

Yes :3

But I'm probably biased cause I liked Joshua to begin with. Just his presence makes me excited. Ehe.

The Dream Eater that had been born was a catlike… doglike… weird fat creature with a horn on its head
LOL. Kanemaki nailed the description of Meow Wow.

Sora stroked the soft fluffy belly, and the Meow Wow snuffled happily. After Sora and the Meow Wow exchanged such greetings for a while, Neku finally spoke.

Made me wanna pet my Meow Wow plush. His belly IS soft.
For a while? Neku was just standing awkwardly in the background? Hmm...sounds like him^_^

And thanks again goldpanner! Another fun read. Can't wait to see Sora's thought processes in the later chapters.
 

ajmrowland

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

That bit with sora wasn't really so hilarious for me. He just likes giving people the benefit of the doubt!
 

kh_001

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

Thank you; I´m from Spain and don't know very much English but I think I'll can traduct this to spanish, thanks again :)
 

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

Bump, so I (and others) can find it...
The thread is stickied, which means it will always stay at the top of the section for ease of access. There is no need to bump it.
 

Terra 713

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

Hi
I just wanted to ask to Goldpanner when new chapters of Kingdom Hearts novels translated in English will be published (whatever kind: Birth by Sleep or KH3D for example).
Thanks.
 

Goldpanner

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

Hello :)

I'm sorry I haven't updated for a long time. I did most of my translating when I was in my senior year of high school and my first two years of university, and since then I haven't had as much time as I worked hard to graduate, and moved overseas and started a new job. For some reason I thought I'd have more time after I'd graduated, but the responsibilities of Adult Life have thoroughly dispelled that idea ^^;

I'm living in Japan now and have more motivation than ever to be reading and using the language. On top of that, I think my language skills are the best they've ever been, and I'd be able to put work out pretty quickly once I started.

The issue is just energy. I am so wiped after 12 hours a day of work/commute that I get home and scrape together a meal and mindlessly scroll through websites before I crash. And wake up early to plan for work again.

I really do want to start translating regularly soon, I just need to push myself to make a routine. I'm partway through chapters of KH2 vol 4, BBS vol 1 and DDD vol 1 at the moment, so whichever one I feel people want to see first, I'd get that one out first :) It seems, from comments on my website, that people are most eager for BBS.

I can't give a concrete time to expect anything. But, I am going to try and step up my game as soon as I can.



IF YOU WANT TO MOTIVATE ME

tell me which novel you're most looking forward to seeing!!

edit: man i forgot this thread was originally about KH2, and forgot which section it was stickied in. everything is confusing
 
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Oracle Spockanort

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Re: KH2 Novel Translations - Official Thread

Ah! GP! You're alive ;~; We've missed you around here!

The issue is just energy. I am so wiped after 12 hours a day of work/commute that I get home and scrape together a meal and mindlessly scroll through websites before I crash. And wake up early to plan for work again.

;~; GP! Do you get the weekends off?

IF YOU WANT TO MOTIVATE ME

tell me which novel you're most looking forward to seeing!!

UH...UH. I'm excited for the rest of KH2 and KH3D Side Riku!

edit: man i forgot this thread was originally about KH2, and forgot which section it was stickied in. everything is confusing

Would you like for me to move it to another section where it can get a bit more attention (and you can find it easier? xD)
 
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