Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE - Where Creativity Meets Censorship

[Shadow Fenix]

I'm not even surprised, that's such an insult to our intelligence even. At least the gameplay looks like it's fun across the board, I'll probably pick up a used copy when I get back from Japan, it'll be kinda cool to see the real thing first then experience it virtually (even if it's not fully realized due to hardware limitations, Persona 5 should make up for that). The uncensored patch being worked on right now should be done by the time I get back, thank God for modders, cause they'll do what Nintendon't.

Hello darkness, my old friend

 

[Audo]

yes, thank god.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Can we at least stop pretending to blame Nintendo when the localization was done by Atlus and stop ignoring the fact that this game has a Metacritic score of 82 and is getting a ton of praise not just for the gameplay but for the story as well?

Every game has pretty shitty disconnected-from-reality dialogue. Even Atlus games. This is no exception to the issue that plagues many JRPGs.

And I'm not a fan of censorship or even what they did to a perfectly nice dress, but it's not the worst thing that has ever happened during a localization and won't be the last.

 

[Shadow Fenix]

Can we at least stop pretending to blame Nintendo when the localization was done by Atlus and stop ignoring the fact that this game has a Metacritic score of 82 and is getting a ton of praise not just for the gameplay but for the story as well?

Every game has pretty shitty disconnected-from-reality dialogue. Even Atlus games. This is no exception to the issue that plagues many JRPGs.

And I'm not a fan of censorship or even what they did to a perfectly nice dress, but it's not the worst thing that has ever happened during a localization and won't be the last.

There's nothing to pretend about it though, they're doing it because the Treehouse has a gun pointed to their head since they're the ones publishing it, and using that excuse as a scapegoat. I don't know too much about Atlus USA, but at least based on Persona of recent years, I don't think they'd pander to such puritanical nonsense. They've surely move passed the Revelations: Persona localization mishap. And based on comments I've seen from longtime Atlus fans on a number of sites, this most certainly is not the way they do things. Even their silence on the matter doesn't seem like the way they do things.

True, but only NoA games have these insulting 'meme' like dialog in their games. A game about Japan and their culture, and idol culture, I very highly doubt they say 'what's groovin, bruh' over there to each other or the like. The whole reason they chose not to make a dub was to make it authentic, what's less authentic than that? If they spent less money on all these needless changes, they probably could have afforded a pretty solid dub which Atlus tends to excel at I've noticed. The people who would buy this game would know what they're getting into, there's no need for any insulting localized dialog the Treehouse has become infamous for in recent years. I get it's supposed to be goofy at times, and the story honestly does sound interesting to me, I wasn't blasting that, but gimme a break here.

It just makes me sad that Bayonetta was the exception to all this nonsense.

 

[Audo]

they're doing it because the Treehouse has a gun pointed to their head since they're the ones publishing it, and using that excuse as a scapegoat. I don't know too much about Atlus USA, but at least based on Persona of recent years, I don't think they'd pander to such puritanical nonsense.

You never disappoint.


I would not at all be surprised if the "hip" dialogue is meant to capture a certain Japanese dialect/slang that naturally wouldn't translate 1:1 though. Localization is more than just verbatim translation after all.

True, but only NoA games have these insulting 'meme' like dialog in their games.

You act like there aren't tons of Japanese games that have plenty of puns, wordplay, references and memes in them originally (and a lighthearted game like this almost certainly would).

 

[Zen]

That's probably because you can't censor Bayonetta without removing a huge aspect of its identity.

Not condoning some of the changes being made (although some are hardly worth making a fuss about, including that dress), but this really highlights some of the problems with localizations. These changes are noteworthy but a lot gets lost in translation in a lot of games that most people aren't probably aware of; some matter, others probably don't, but that's not even opening a can of worms at the intricacies and nuances that have to be taken into account when localizing a game.

There's been games that take liberties with translations and have only been better for it i.e. MGS1 (I'm sure this wouldn't have been as popular as it was if not for the excellent localization) and probably RE4 (I guess this might depend on your feelings towards the stories and lore of the franchise)

I kind of get the why of some of those changes in Tokyo Mirage, as silly as they are, but short of removing vital information, important characterization, etc., without some direct comparisons to the original language then it's just people making a fuss without context and that's not really worth paying attention to.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

There's nothing to pretend about it though, they're doing it because the Treehouse has a gun pointed to their head since they're the ones publishing it, and using that excuse as a scapegoat.

Whatever keeps you sleeping at night lol

I don't know too much about Atlus USA, but at least based on Persona of recent years, I don't think they'd pander to such puritanical nonsense. They've surely move passed the Revelations: Persona localization mishap. And based on comments I've seen from longtime Atlus fans on a number of sites, this most certainly is not the way they do things. Even their silence on the matter doesn't seem like the way they do things.

Code of Princess, Conception II, every Etrian Odyssey game, Stella Glow, Lost Dimension, and a lot of their PSP localizations were pretty hammy. They can do phenomenal work, but they will also do "okay" jobs as well. Tokyo Mirage Sessions happens to be an okay job, mainly because they probably didn't have high hopes for this game appealing to the west. Ironically, this game seems posed to be more of a commercial hit in the west than it was in Japan.

They definitely don't censor often, but they do if they need to. I'm not convinced at all that Nintendo was forcing them to do anything that the developers probably didn't agree with (bar the dress which is the one thing I can agree is pretty dumb but I'm betting it was an ESRB thing and not a Nintendo thing).

The localization on its own, though? All on Atlus. TMS#FE is a cheesy, hammy game. They went with a cheesy, hammy translation. Not to mention issues with certain phrases that have to be changed to make sense. As many translators say, localization is not just about directly translating but making decisions for a script that will make sense to the audience to convey a certain concept.

True, but only NoA games have these insulting 'meme' like dialog in their games.

Not really. Aksys, NIS America, and other publishers also use memes in their games.

A game about Japan and their culture, and idol culture, I very highly doubt they say 'what's groovin, bruh' over there to each other or the like. The whole reason they chose not to make a dub was to make it authentic, what's less authentic than that?

They don't, but I'm imagining it was a dialect or style of speech that probably conveyed a lax attitude that is close to being "dudebro"-like which led to that dialogue choice.

If they spent less money on all these needless changes, they probably could have afforded a pretty solid dub which Atlus tends to excel at I've noticed. The people who would buy this game would know what they're getting into, there's no need for any insulting localized dialog the Treehouse has become infamous for in recent years. I get it's supposed to be goofy at times, and the story honestly does sound interesting to me, I wasn't blasting that, but gimme a break here.

It doesn't cost that much to retexture a character model. A day of work, at best and devs in Japan don't get paid much at all. It costs significantly more to hire actors, though. And dialogue changes don't cost anything at all since that is work that would have already been done. It is very obvious this localization was all about keeping to a tight budget.

It just makes me sad that Bayonetta was the exception to all this nonsense.

Well, Bayonetta was rated M and this is rated T...I'd also like to mention ESRB is pretty strict about stuff too.

 

[Audo]

It's also pretty silly to claim that Atlus doing the localization is being used for a "scapegoat excuse" by Nintendo when the only reason anyone even knows that they are doing the localization is because someone explicitly asked them. Nintendo didn't announce it (making it ineffective for purposes of publicly scapegoating). If no one had asked, no one would have even known until the game released and looked at the credits.

 

[Shadow Fenix]

That's probably because you can't censor Bayonetta without removing a huge aspect of its identity.

That and Platinum would raise all hell if they did.

Not condoning some of the changes being made (although some are hardly worth making a fuss about, including that dress), but this really highlights some of the problems with localizations. These changes are noteworthy but a lot gets lost in translation in a lot of games that most people aren't probably aware of; some matter, others probably don't, but that's not even opening a can of worms at the intricacies and nuances that have to be taken into account when localizing a game.

Then why do these changes in the first place even? If this is supposed to feel familiar to longtime Atlus fans, all the hundreds and hundreds of comments I've seen feel the opposite of that.

Whatever keeps you sleeping at night lol

You honestly believe Atlus would make these changes otherwise? I've seen nothing but comments that would disagree with you.

Ironically, this game seems posed to be more of a commercial hit in the west than it was in Japan.

Well it's certainly gotten plenty of coverage amidst all the censorship articles popping up. Even Japan is laughing at us for all the changes happening, it's sad really.

They definitely don't censor often, but they do if they need to. I'm not convinced at all that Nintendo was forcing them to do anything that the developers probably didn't agree with (bar the dress which is the one thing I can agree is pretty dumb but I'm betting it was an ESRB thing and not a Nintendo thing).

One dev of Atlus slipped his tongue and said Nintendo was forcing them to make those changes. I doubt it's some conspiracy level shit, but something certainly had to have happened behind the curtain, otherwise we shouldn't be seeing anything like this. And especially strange coming from the devs that made a penis shaped demon. I kinda think it partly could be ESRB, since NA ratings jump from 13+ to 17+ whereas the other territories are a bit different. But there's no way they'd be behind the wedding dress, it's uncensored in the anime cutscenes.

The localization on its own, though? All on Atlus. TMS#FE is a cheesy, hammy game. They went with a cheesy, hammy translation. Not to mention issues with certain phrases that have to be changed to make sense. As many translators say, localization is not just about directly translating but making decisions for a script that will make sense to the audience to convey a certain concept.

You're right on this one, I was gonna edit my post to say this but I couldn't find the words.

Not really. Aksys, NIS America, and other publishers also use memes in their games.

Just cause others do it, doesn't make it right.

They don't, but I'm imagining it was a dialect or style of speech that probably conveyed a lax attitude that is close to being "dudebro"-like which led to that dialogue choice.

I'll just repeat: You're right on this one, I was gonna edit my post to say this but I couldn't find the words. Doesn't make its meme like aspect any less cringe though, especially when they were going for an authentic feel? Please.

It doesn't cost that much to retexture a character model. A day of work, at best and devs in Japan don't get paid much at all. It costs significantly more to hire actors, though. And dialogue changes don't cost anything at all since that is work that would have already been done. It is very obvious this localization was all about keeping to a tight budget.

Then they could've saved even more on a title Nintendo seemingly does not care about and done nothing more than add in English text. That'd make it even more authentic.

Well, Bayonetta was rated M and this is rated T...I'd also like to mention ESRB is pretty strict about stuff too.

That, and Platinum would've raised hell I'm sure if they pulled any shit like this. But the ESRB thing is a discussion for another time, surely. But if ESRB had anything to do with this, or any other censorship debacle, I'd love to see a statement from them that explains X would've been rated Y because of Z. That would clear a lot up. Also, if anything, the ESRB has gotten less strict over the years not the other way around.

 

[Audo]

That and Platinum would raise all hell if they did.

That, and Platinum would've raised hell I'm sure if they pulled any shit like this.

The game (and their paychecks) wouldn't even exist without Nintendo, it is unlikely they'd raise as much hell as you think lol

They were more than ready to tone down certain costumes and outfits, but were surprised that Nintendo actually encouraged them to be even more revealing. Worked out in the end for everyone though.

 

[Zen]

That and Platinum would raise all hell if they did.

Nah, Audo is 100% on point that Platinum was willing to tone down Bayo 2 but Nintendo refused. You also have to take into account that Hideki Kamiya is a huge Nintendo fan and even applied to work there in the 90s iirc before he eventually joined Capcom.

Then why do these changes in the first place even? If this is supposed to feel familiar to longtime Atlus fans, all the hundreds and hundreds of comments I've seen feel the opposite of that.

Tokyo Mirage is a game about Japanese popstars. Now, unless you're completely unfamiliar with culture in Japan that surrounds popstars and idols, it's probably safe to assume that the game is inherently very silly with exaggerated mannerisms, language and whatnot; at least if anime is anything to go by. Localization-wise, the easiest way to translate that to a culturally relevant manner for the West, is probably the changes they made.

Now, I haven't been following the game (due to lack of interest) but I have seen some of the changes through the last few months posted around forums I go to so correct me if I'm wrong.

As for your second sentence, I have no idea what that is supposed to entail. Familiar to Atlus fans in what way? Was this ever mentioned or promised somewhere??

 

[Shadow Fenix]

Nah, Audo is 100% on point that Platinum was willing to tone down Bayo 2 but Nintendo refused. You also have to take into account that Hideki Kamiya is a huge Nintendo fan and even applied to work there in the 90s iirc before he eventually joined Capcom.

Huh, yeah that's right. I totally forgot about that. But this may be wrong too, but was that not Nintendo of Japan rather than NoA egging on for more lewd content? So even still, if that's the case, then it's still not that surprising for NoA taking a puritanical stance here but I feel Platinum would've been upset at NoA if they censored/toned down the North American version of the game while Nintendo Japan was egging them on and went full blast for the JPN copy. Does that make sense? That's what I was getting at; not sure which branch they were talking about (I'm assuming the Japan branch given the fact they're Japanese devs), but in any case, this is what I meant by what I said.

Tokyo Mirage is a game about Japanese popstars. Now, unless you're completely unfamiliar with culture in Japan that surrounds popstars and idols, it's probably safe to assume that the game is inherently very silly with exaggerated mannerisms, language and whatnot; at least if anime is anything to go by. Localization-wise, the easiest way to translate that to a culturally relevant manner for the West, is probably the changes they made.

The dialog, sure, as out of touch as those instances I posted in that image were, it's not surprising at all. But what is surprising is the fact they are opting for being as authentic as possible for the Japanese setting, hence the fact that opted out of doing an English dub. And at the same time, Atlus has done authentic localization as easily seen in Persona, the Japanese pronouns (-kun, -chan, etc) included and used quite often and all. Why stress authenticity if you're not going to utilize it in every aspect? Especially when they really nailed it in Persona.

Now, I haven't been following the game (due to lack of interest) but I have seen some of the changes through the last few months posted around forums I go to so correct me if I'm wrong.

As for your second sentence, I have no idea what that is supposed to entail. Familiar to Atlus fans in what way? Was this ever mentioned or promised somewhere??

It was mentioned in Nintendo's response to these censorship woes in a statement to Game Informer. To me, it seems they reached out to NoA for the fans based on 'Their Take' at the bottom there.

“Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was localized by Atlus in a way that is consistent with the localization work they do on games they publish,” reads a statement from Nintendo of America. “It was a priority to ensure the game feels familiar and appeals to longtime Atlus fans. Any changes made to the in-game content were due to varying requirements and regulations in the many different territories Nintendo distributes its products.”

The part I bolded is what I've seen many many Atlus fans comment in disagreement to such a statement.

 

[Zen]

Huh, yeah that's right. I totally forgot about that. But this may be wrong too, but was that not Nintendo of Japan rather than NoA egging on for more lewd content? So even still, if that's the case, then it's still not that surprising for NoA taking a puritanical stance here but I feel Platinum would've been upset at NoA if they censored/toned down the North American version of the game while Nintendo Japan was egging them on and went full blast for the JPN copy. Does that make sense? That's what I was getting at; not sure which branch they were talking about (I'm assuming the Japan branch given the fact they're Japanese devs), but in any case, this is what I meant by what I said.

Wouldn't have happened like I said, can't really censor that game without butchering it to pieces. Even if they had, I don't know how much Platinum would've cared considering Kamiya has gone on twitter saying he doesn't even care how little his games sell in response to the numbers of Wonderful 101.

The dialog, sure, as out of touch as those instances I posted in that image were, it's not surprising at all. But what is surprising is the fact they are opting for being as authentic as possible for the Japanese setting, hence the fact that opted out of doing an English dub. And at the same time, Atlus has done authentic localization as easily seen in Persona, the Japanese pronouns (-kun, -chan, etc) included and used quite often and all. Why stress authenticity if you're not going to utilize it in every aspect? Especially when they really nailed it in Persona.

It's not a zero-sum game.

You also can't really compare a high school dating sim like Persona to something like Tokyo Mirage which is about popstars, you're obviously bound to run into differences already. But I guess it all comes down to what parameters you have for what is "authentic" and honorifics isn't really something I include within those parameters.

If they're sticking with a Japanese setting and a Japanese dub then that is pretty authentic in my book, regardless of "westernized" dialogue and lack of honorifics. The latter which you'll already get rid of by doing the former. So why do the former? Because not everything has a good equivalent in different languages, especially in cultural specific aspects of it, regardless of whether they retain the original dub or not.

So technically, there is no way to do a 100% "authentic" localization. Atlus made some choices (as is required in any localization) and a lot of people didn't like those choices, simple as that. But because this is the internet, it can't stop there despite the fact that changes like these are done all the time in anime and video games.

“Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was localized by Atlus in a way that is consistent with the localization work they do on games they publish,” reads a statement from Nintendo of America. “It was a priority to ensure the game feels familiar and appeals to longtime Atlus fans. Any changes made to the in-game content were due to varying requirements and regulations in the many different territories Nintendo distributes its products.”

The part I bolded is what I've seen many many Atlus fans comment in disagreement to such a statement.

Feels familiar =/= exactly the same

I don't have to point out that they aren't always consistent.

 

[Shadow Fenix]

Wouldn't have happened like I said, can't really censor that game without butchering it to pieces. Even if they had, I don't know how much Platinum would've cared considering Kamiya has gone on twitter saying he doesn't even care how little his games sell in response to the numbers of Wonderful 101.

Didn't see that, I honestly don't know too much about the guy aside from his time at Capcom with Resident Evil and DmC. But for some reason, and I dunno why, I thought I saw something where he was really against something like that. But oh well, that's that.

It's not a zero-sum game.

You also can't really compare a high school dating sim like Persona to something like Tokyo Mirage which is about popstars, you're obviously bound to run into differences already. But I guess it all comes down to what parameters you have for what is "authentic" and honorifics isn't really something I include within those parameters.

I mean, this is kinda grasping at straws but Rise in P4 was an idol, and they just had the Dancing All Night game all about idols and there weren't any issues there. I could agree though with the honorifics though (couldn't think of the word earlier haha).

If they're sticking with a Japanese setting and a Japanese dub then that is pretty authentic in my book, regardless of "westernized" dialogue and lack of honorifics. The latter which you'll already get rid of by doing the former. So why do the former? Because not everything has a good equivalent in different languages, especially in cultural specific aspects of it, regardless of whether they retain the original dub or not.

Well as I said, minus the honorifics, Atlus didn't put any 'westernized' dialog in Persona, but I guess I can accept the tone of the games are quite different. Persona being pretty serious at times while TMS is probably seen as just a goofball game. Now I haven't looked into it obviously since it's not released yet (well in two hours I guess) or seen any accounts of whether the game nailed the authenticity of the culture or not, but it just makes me worry based on that snippet with the 'bruh' dialog. Cause if I see anything close to the doge meme appearing in dialog of NA localizations, I might puke.

So technically, there is no way to do a 100% "authentic" localization. Atlus made some choices (as is required in any localization) and a lot of people didn't like those choices, simple as that. But because this is the internet, it can't stop there despite the fact that changes like these are done all the time in anime and video games.

Well, there certainly is a difference between a localization done by 4Kids or one done by funimation or Aniplex. If this was a thread for another topic I was upset with, you bet I'd voice my disdain for it.

Feels familiar =/= exactly the same

I don't have to point out that they aren't always consistent.

Be that as it may, this certainly doesn't appeal to any of those fans who've voiced this opinion either. And not to mention that final portion of their statement is a complete and utter fallacy, with many more lewd games being given lower ratings than what is being shown (or lack thereof in this case) in this game.

 

[Zen]

Didn't see that, I honestly don't know too much about the guy aside from his time at Capcom with Resident Evil and DmC. But for some reason, and I dunno why, I thought I saw something where he was really against something like that. But oh well, that's that.

Doesn't matter anyway. The censorship for Bayo 2 you're talking about is night and day in comparison to the changes made to Tokyo Mirage.

I mean, this is kinda grasping at straws but Rise in P4 was an idol, and they just had the Dancing All Night game all about idols and there weren't any issues there. I could agree though with the honorifics though (couldn't think of the word earlier haha).

It's not about there being issues, it's simply a choice. Way I see it, honorifics make more sense to keep in a high school setting than outside of it.

Well as I said, minus the honorifics, Atlus didn't put any 'westernized' dialog in Persona, but I guess I can accept the tone of the games are quite different. Persona being pretty serious at times while TMS is probably seen as just a goofball game. Now I haven't looked into it obviously since it's not released yet (well in two hours I guess) or seen any accounts of whether the game nailed the authenticity of the culture or not, but it just makes me worry based on that snippet with the 'bruh' dialog. Cause if I see anything close to the doge meme appearing in dialog of NA localizations, I might puke.

Some of it is, "bruh" is kinda western (and not outdated at all based on personal experience, although that can't be said for everything) but not everything is hence the quotation marks. But really, short of showing some direct comparisons to the original Japanese script and how these changes affect the characters, story and tone, all the complaining is dead air to me.

Well, there certainly is a difference between a localization done by 4Kids or one done by funimation or Aniplex. If this was a thread for another topic I was upset with, you bet I'd voice my disdain for it.

You can. Anyone can. But most people aren't aware of what localizations entail and how complex and arduous it can be, and unless you grew up speaking a 2nd language and exposed to a different culture, you might not understand parts of that.

Be that as it may, this certainly doesn't appeal to any of those fans who've voiced this opinion either. And not to mention that final portion of their statement is a complete and utter fallacy, with many more lewd games being given lower ratings than what is being shown (or lack thereof in this case) in this game.

Can't say anything about those fans other than sometimes things don't appeal to you, it's not the end of the world.

Not saying that modern day localizations don't have problems, but I doubt most would be aware of them and how those issues affect the story. It's fine if it doesn't appeal to people, but you know what you can do? The one thing that people forget? Vote with your wallet.

I also don't care about the last portion of that statement. The few visual changes I've seen are hardly worth making a fuss about imo. This ain't DoAX3 or Senran Kagura or w/e that game is called.

 

[Silh]

Playing this now… begrudgingly. Like, I wasn't expecting Shakespearean levels of writing going into this, but it's not good. I've just gotten through the prologue and I've already groaned so much.

Otherwise, it's a fun classic JRPG romp. I imagine that chaining together sessions will become even more fun with more party members, and the aesthetics are nice.



I also have to admit, Reincarnation is an earworm.

In response to the pissing and moaning about the lack of a dub and anime tiddies — again, it's a video game about up-and-coming Japanese pop idols. While Atlus USA probably could've handled it like they did with Laura Bailey doing True Story for P4G, no English VA could replicate the magnitude of star power the seiyuus bring to the table. Lyrics probably wouldn't have been as good, either. This is in no way a lazy localization. It just wouldn't have been as effective.

 

[Shadow Fenix]

The mighty Silh hath spoken.

Playing this now… begrudgingly. Like, I wasn't expecting Shakespearean levels of writing going into this, but it's not good. I've just gotten through the prologue and I've already groaned so much.

Otherwise, it's a fun classic JRPG romp. I imagine that chaining together sessions will become even more fun with more party members, and the aesthetics are nice.

Well I was prepared for pretty eh dialog by now but oh well. Kinda odd considering they are high school age (just not in high school), just like the Persona cast and they had a much better, more authentic script with those games.

Glad you're enjoying it though, the gameplay does look mighty fun in places.

I also have to admit, Reincarnation is an earworm.

I'll agree as well, it's definitely my favorite of the voiced songs.

In response to the pissing and moaning about the lack of a dub and anime tiddies — again, it's a video game about up-and-coming Japanese pop idols. While Atlus USA probably could've handled it like they did with Laura Bailey doing True Story for P4G, no English VA could replicate the magnitude of star power the seiyuus bring to the table. Lyrics probably wouldn't have been as good, either. This is in no way a lazy localization. It just wouldn't have been as effective.

Har har. I would love a dub honestly, even patched in with DLC which will never happen, I wouldn't piss and moan about not having one though. I am upset they didn't sub the battle dialog though, I don't care how inconsequential most of them are, I'm sure during bosses they'd say some important things here and there. (I only wish they had put something heavy into it like Baby Metal lmao, I'm not even joking). I was glad they did that with True Story though, the Japanese version doesn't hold a candle to Laura Bailey but that's just me. What they could've done here if they did threw in a dub would be to not dub the songs either, I don't think the kids anime fans this is aimed at would've minded. They do that sort of thing with anime all the time. But please, don't get the impression I was just moaning for the sake of 'anime tiddies' this whole time, that's absolutely not how I want to be viewed. If it was about that, I could open another tab if I so desired. Besides, a lot of fan service is still left in which is why I'm calling out the inconsistencies, cause you have to admit, it is rather odd.

I must say, I'm curious as to what makes you say this isn't a lazy localization?

-

Anyway, surprised it was done so fast (though it'll probably be updated in the near future), a restoration patch has been released here for those that want it.

To those that have the game and playing through, honestly, hope you enjoy it. It's meant to be fun, and if it is to you then go nuts. I, however, will be in Japan in the meantime starting next weekend so I'll be enjoying the real thing. >=D

 

[Dr_Mario64]

The mighty Silh hath spoken.



Well I was prepared for pretty eh dialog by now but oh well. Kinda odd considering they are high school age (just not in high school), just like the Persona cast and they had a much better, more authentic script with those games.

Glad you're enjoying it though, the gameplay does look mighty fun in places.



I'll agree as well, it's definitely my favorite of the voiced songs.



Har har. I would love a dub honestly, even patched in with DLC which will never happen, I wouldn't piss and moan about not having one though. I am upset they didn't sub the battle dialog though, I don't care how inconsequential most of them are, I'm sure during bosses they'd say some important things here and there. (I only wish they had put something heavy into it like Baby Metal lmao, I'm not even joking). I was glad they did that with True Story though, the Japanese version doesn't hold a candle to Laura Bailey but that's just me. What they could've done here if they did threw in a dub would be to not dub the songs either, I don't think the kids anime fans this is aimed at would've minded. They do that sort of thing with anime all the time. But please, don't get the impression I was just moaning for the sake of 'anime tiddies' this whole time, that's absolutely not how I want to be viewed. If it was about that, I could open another tab if I so desired. Besides, a lot of fan service is still left in which is why I'm calling out the inconsistencies, cause you have to admit, it is rather odd.

I must say, I'm curious as to what makes you say this isn't a lazy localization?

-

Anyway, surprised it was done so fast (though it'll probably be updated in the near future), a restoration patch has been released here for those that want it.

To those that have the game and playing through, honestly, hope you enjoy it. It's meant to be fun, and if it is to you then go nuts. I, however, will be in Japan in the meantime starting next weekend so I'll be enjoying the real thing. >=D

Cool! I'll give this a shot if I ever decide to go back to this game in the future. The way I see it, Wii U is on the chopping block and my warranty's already expired, so I can get away with hacking then. For now, I'll just enjoy a pretty decent JRPG while occasionally groaning about Nintendo's overprotectiveness of their brand.

 

[Silh]

I must say, I'm curious as to what makes you say this isn't a lazy localization?

Lines were actually re-recorded to accommodate the changes they made. I've also played the first iteration of Muramasa on the Wii, another game in which the original voices were kept to preserve the feel of the given setting. That was a bare bones translation, with very little done to make its censorship feel at least a little bit natural.

About 15 hours in now. A lot of that has been grinding to get stage ranks up. Every character is not much else besides a typical anime trope… egh. But it's nice being able to do "social links" (lol) without having to meticulously plan around an in-game calendar. Don't get me wrong – P4 is still far and away a better game, but TMS is still fun even if the writing isn't stellar. Rather than a rhythm game, I would've loved for Dancing All Night to be something like this. I probably would've been on board with it.