Lightning Returns Retranslation Project - Fixing the Erroneous Localization of the XIII Series
Note: It should go without saying that the contents of this post will be riddled with spoilers in regards to Lightning Returns. So, tread through only if you either A) have already played Lightning Returns, or B) don't care about spoilers at all.
#What is the Lightning Returns Retranslation Project?
- Lemme give the floor to the guy who started the project, u/thegrudgeytonberry:
"What this is, is our attempt to retranslate Lightning Returns from the original Japanese back into English, which many of us (myself included) feel got a bit shortchanged in the English localization. Ideally you could avoid the problem by playing in Japanese with English subtitles. The problem is that the English subtitles are actually the localized subtitles for the English audio, so even though the correct story is being told in the Japanese audio, the subtitles are still giving the localized plot - which differs markedly from what's being said in key areas. To solve this, we're developing a mod that simply replaces the English subtitles with translated versions of the Japanese ones." - Original LR Retranslation Post
That's just the basic overview. Check out the forum link below for more information and details about the project:
And here's a highly recommended tumblr post by Hikamitz that showcases the exact nature of the error we're attempting to fix:
-
Correcting the biggest translation error in the Final Fantasy XIII series
-
tl;dr The localization team translated both "heart" and "soul" in Japanese to just "soul", leaving us with lots of plot holes and contradictions and confusion in the English version of the game.
#Got Some Retranslated Videos to Share?
Yes, we do! Now that you've got all that info in your grasp, here are some of the cutscenes we have available for your viewing pleasure:
-
Pre-Grendel/Parandus Fight Cutscene
- Here, we showcase the renaming of the "Holy Clavis" to the "Sacred Treasure". It's been decided to use "Sacred Treasure" since this's the direct translation of the term used in the original Japanese. In addition, not only does "Holy Clavis" not really convey what this relic is or what it does, but the word "clavis" itself is also rather inaccurate.
-
- Probably the worst of the localized cutscenes. Check out the differences by comparing the RT with the LC:
- Something to note here is the decision to capitalize Bhunivelze's pronouns. This was done to reflect religious traditions where not only "God" is capitalized, but also any pronouns referring to Him (He, His, etc). However, you'll notice in this video that not all pronouns referring to Bhuni are capitalized. Inconsistency? Nah. Try and see if you can figure out why some are capitalized and some aren't. ;)
-
Talking with fake!Serah in the Chaos/Reuniting with Lumina
- Another one of those badly localized cutscenes. Compare the changes made between the RT and LC here:
- At no point does fake!Serah ever say "I'm Claire Farron". It's a really misleading statement too, don't you think? It would've sounded better if she'd said "She's (Lumina) Claire Farron." but hey, what can you do? (How about retranslate the whole game, eh?)
- Also, another change made (for better accuracy with the JP version too, of course) is Lightning's plea for help while she's falling into the Chaos. In the LC she says "help me", whereas in the RT she says "save me". This small change pretty much impacts the message being conveyed: The Savior doesn't just need help...but the Savior, herself, needs to be saved. Oh semantics...
#Any Way to Lend a Hand?
Well, we're looking for willing humans who would toss their lives away to be branded l'Cie. Downside is, you don't get the perks that come with becoming a l'Cie (no Eidolons to ride to school/work/wherever, sorry). Bright side, it's fine if you don't complete your Focus. Really, no pressure.
In all seriousness though, we welcome anyone who's willing to lend a hand in any capacity they can. There's basically two types of roles to play:
- Translator: As the role suggests, will handle translation of JP dialogue and convert them to English subs. They'll also review translations done by other translators on the team when need be.
- If you can't help out with this particular branch but do know someone who can and might be interested, we'd really appreciate if you'd pass the message on to them.
- Non-Translator: Will handle all the rest to help smoothen the process. Some of those duties being file management (prepping and polishing for reinsertion) and video capturing. No need to be computer savvy to help out with this branch. All you need are:
- Lightning Returns installed on your PC. If you need save files so you don't start from scratch, we've got you covered.
- Video capturing software to record segments of the game and upload them for final review. These things you can download for free. OBS in particular is a favored software, but anything else is of course fine.
Interested in helping out? If so, feel free to send me or u/thegrudgeytonberry a PM here on Reddit, or sign up on the LR Retranslation Forum and contact us there, or simply leave a comment below. Any help with spreading the word would also be very much appreciated. :)
Words of wisdom from Mog...just 'cuz:
"Sometimes, words can hurt more than enormous boss monsters..."
Posted Sep 25, 2018, 7:29 PM UTC · edited