Translation Party: [AsukaSubs vs Commie vs HorribleSubs vs Kantai] Kantai Collection – KanColle (Episode 01)

This post was written by Dark_Sage. He is Dark_Sage.

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Special thanks to Darais for fixing my fuck-ups on this party, and to puddi, ofc, for having made the parties possible in the first place. Have some KanColle.

Translation Party House Rules:

Spoiler for
1. Translation Parties are intended to help you make the best subtitle choice for a given anime. Choose which line(s) you liked best by selecting them with the checkbox.

2. I split the Party into two parts — Essential and Extended. Assuming you want to get this shit over with quickly, just go with the Essential choices. I picked these to be the most representative lines in the releases. But if you’re one of those people who want more comparisons to help you come to a decision, go with the Essential choices and the Extended ones.

3. If you didn’t like any of the lines, choose the “N/A” option. The results for “N/A” won’t be automatically tabulated, so you’ll have to do the math in your head. Have my gomens and nasais.

4. A “>” indicates that another character has begun speaking. If there are three characters in a line comparison, I will indicate the third with a “>>” and so on for more characters.

5. Group order is randomized for each screenshot, every time you refresh the page. However, the “N/A” option will always appear at the bottom of the screen.

6. Your results will be summed up when you click the “Get your results” button. Feel free to vote in the poll at the end/post in the comments to let others know how you did and to compare your results with them.

7. Party hard.

 

 

KanColle – Episode 01

Comparisons: 10

As all the releases are Crunchyroll-based, there weren’t enough differences to justify using the Extended options.

Participants:

AsukaSubs

Commie

HorribleSubs

Kantai

 

 

 

Essential 1.

Third-person, on the attack!

Audio:

Kantai Collection - Essential 01

AsukaSubs :: Haruna won’t let you get away with this!
>All gunturrents, open fire!

Commie :: You won’t get away with this!
>All guns, open fire!

HorribleSubs :: Haruna won’t let you get away with this!
>All gunports, open fire!

Kantai :: Haruna won’t allow this selfish behavior!
>All gunports, open fire!

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 2.

I wanna see alt universe KanColle where they team up with the Abyssals instead.

Audio:

Kantai Collection - Essential 02

AsukaSubs :: Using weapons known as “outfits,”
they were born with the power to fight the Abyssals.

Commie :: With their weaponized outfits,
they were born with the power to oppose the Abyssal Fleet.

HorribleSubs :: Using weapons known as “outfits,”
they were born with the power to fight the Abyssals.

Kantai :: Equipped with weapons known as “rigging,”
they alone were born with the power to fight the Abyssals.

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 3.

We need more anime girls with crazy eyes.

Audio:

Kantai Collection - Essential 03

AsukaSubs :: So you’re the name ship of the Special Type destroyers?
You seem kinda plain.
>Jeez, you’re being rude.

Commie :: So you’re like the lead ship of the Special Type destroyers?
You seem like kinda plain.
>Hey, don’t be mean.

HorribleSubs :: So you’re the name ship of the Special Type destroyers?
You seem kinda plain.
>Jeez, that’s mean.

Kantai :: So you’re the flagship of the Special Type Destroyers?
You look kinda plain-poi.
>Jeez, that’s a bit mean.

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 4.

Who keeps their daki in a drawer?

Audio:

Kantai Collection - Essential 04

AsukaSubs :: I told you to move this thing before Fubuki-chan got here!
>But, it won’t fit in my drawers!

Commie :: I told you to get your stuff out of here before Fubuki arrived!
>But it won’t, like, fit in my drawer.

HorribleSubs :: I told you to clean this up before Fubuki-chan got here!
>But, it won’t fit in my drawers!

Kantai :: I told you to clean this up before Fubuki-chan got here!
>But all my drawers are full-poi!

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 5.

The gloves make it so much better, hngh.

Audio:

Kantai Collection - Essential 05

AsukaSubs :: So, this is the name ship of the Special Destroyers, huh?
She’s doesn’t seem special, but she is cute!

Commie :: So this is the lead ship of the Special Destroyers, ‘ey?
A little unrefined, but positively cute!

HorribleSubs :: So, this is the name ship of the Special Destroyers, huh?
She’s a little unrefined, but cute!

Kantai :: So, this is the flagship of the Special Type Destroyers, huh?
A little unrefined, but cute!

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 6.

Each line in this show makes me re-evaluate whether I like or hate Japan more.

Audio:

Kantai Collection - Essential 06

AsukaSubs :: Still being stupid about nighttime battles?

Commie :: You’re, like, still as crazy about night battles as ever, huh?

HorribleSubs :: Still idiotically into night battles, huh?

Kantai :: You really are a night-battle idiot-poi.

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 7.

Humility, one of the seven cardinal sins.

Audio:

Kantai Collection - Essential 07

AsukaSubs :: On target as always, Akagi-san.
>No, it still needs some adjustments.
>I can’t be arrogant.

Commie :: Well done as always, Akagi.
>No, some fine-tuning still needs to be done.
>I mustn’t be arrogant.

HorribleSubs :: Skilled as always, Akagi-san.
>No, it still needs some fine-tuning.
>I can’t be arrogant.

Kantai :: Skillful as always, Akagi-san.
>No, my technique still needs fine-tuning.
>I can’t get arrogant.

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 8.

Pudding-eaters’ quarrel.

Audio:

Kantai Collection - Essential 08

AsukaSubs :: You worry too much, Oicchi.
I just got out of my seat for a second!
>You promised that when you were going away, you’d say something!

Commie :: Stop worrying so much, Ooi.
I only left my seat for a second.
>You promised that you’d tell me if you ever had to leave my side!

HorribleSubs :: You worry too much, Oicchi.
I just got out of my seat for a second!
>You promised that when you were going away, you’d say something!

Kantai :: You worry too much, Oicchi.
I only left my seat for a second.
>You promised that you’d say something when you left!

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 9.

A tsundere with nipple rings? Japan~ Christmas was last month!

Audio:

Kantai Collection - Essential 09

AsukaSubs :: I’m feeling elubracated!
>Onee-sama, that doesn’t make any sense.

Commie :: I’m so exfighted!
>I don’t think you said that right…

HorribleSubs :: I’m getting expatriated!
>Sister, that doesn’t make any sense.

Kantai :: I’m getting haughty!
>Sister, that doesn’t make any sense.

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 10.

I bet her mouth tastes great.

Audio:

Kantai Collection - Essential 10

AsukaSubs :: Gain victory in the dawn horizon!

Commie :: Carve our victory in the light of dawn!

HorribleSubs :: Gain victory in the dawn horizon!

Kantai :: Etch our victory into the sunrise!

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

 

Best subs for worst show?

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Which group had which line (unformatted, lazy-mode Sage):

Spoiler for

Essential 1.

Third-person, on the attack!

Audio:

Kantai Collection – Essential 01

AsukaSubs :: Haruna won’t let you get away with this!
>All gunturrents, open fire!

Commie :: You won’t get away with this!
>All guns, open fire!

HorribleSubs :: Haruna won’t let you get away with this!
>All gunports, open fire!

Kantai :: Haruna won’t allow this selfish behavior!
>All gunports, open fire!

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 2.

I wanna see alt universe KanColle where they team up with the Abyssals instead.

Audio:

Kantai Collection – Essential 02

AsukaSubs :: Using weapons known as “outfits,”
they were born with the power to fight the Abyssals.

Commie :: With their weaponized outfits,
they were born with the power to oppose the Abyssal Fleet.

HorribleSubs :: Using weapons known as “outfits,”
they were born with the power to fight the Abyssals.

Kantai :: Equipped with weapons known as “rigging,”
they alone were born with the power to fight the Abyssals.

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 3.

We need more anime girls with crazy eyes.

Audio:

Kantai Collection – Essential 03

AsukaSubs :: So you’re the name ship of the Special Type destroyers?
You seem kinda plain.
>Jeez, you’re being rude.

Commie :: So you’re like the lead ship of the Special Type destroyers?
You seem like kinda plain.
>Hey, don’t be mean.

HorribleSubs :: So you’re the name ship of the Special Type destroyers?
You seem kinda plain.
>Jeez, that’s mean.

Kantai :: So you’re the flagship of the Special Type Destroyers?
You look kinda plain-poi.
>Jeez, that’s a bit mean.

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 4.

Who keeps their daki in a drawer?

Audio:

Kantai Collection – Essential 04

AsukaSubs :: I told you to move this thing before Fubuki-chan got here!
>But, it won’t fit in my drawers!

Commie :: I told you to get your stuff out of here before Fubuki arrived!
>But it won’t, like, fit in my drawer.

HorribleSubs :: I told you to clean this up before Fubuki-chan got here!
>But, it won’t fit in my drawers!

Kantai :: I told you to clean this up before Fubuki-chan got here!
>But all my drawers are full-poi!

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 5.

The gloves make it so much better, hngh.

Audio:

Kantai Collection – Essential 05

AsukaSubs :: So, this is the name ship of the Special Destroyers, huh?
She’s doesn’t seem special, but she is cute!

Commie :: So this is the lead ship of the Special Destroyers, ‘ey?
A little unrefined, but positively cute!

HorribleSubs :: So, this is the name ship of the Special Destroyers, huh?
She’s a little unrefined, but cute!

Kantai :: So, this is the flagship of the Special Type Destroyers, huh?
A little unrefined, but cute!

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 6.

Each line in this show makes me re-evaluate whether I like or hate Japan more.

Audio:

Kantai Collection – Essential 06

AsukaSubs :: Still being stupid about nighttime battles?

Commie :: You’re, like, still as crazy about night battles as ever, huh?

HorribleSubs :: Still idiotically into night battles, huh?

Kantai :: You really are a night-battle idiot-poi.

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 7.

Humility, one of the seven cardinal sins.

Audio:

Kantai Collection – Essential 07

AsukaSubs :: On target as always, Akagi-san.
>No, it still needs some adjustments.
>I can’t be arrogant.

Commie :: Well done as always, Akagi.
>No, some fine-tuning still needs to be done.
>I mustn’t be arrogant.

HorribleSubs :: Skilled as always, Akagi-san.
>No, it still needs some fine-tuning.
>I can’t be arrogant.

Kantai :: Skillful as always, Akagi-san.
>No, my technique still needs fine-tuning.
>I can’t get arrogant.

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 8.

Pudding-eaters’ quarrel.

Audio:

Kantai Collection – Essential 08

AsukaSubs :: You worry too much, Oicchi.
I just got out of my seat for a second!
>You promised that when you were going away, you’d say something!

Commie :: Stop worrying so much, Ooi.
I only left my seat for a second.
>You promised that you’d tell me if you ever had to leave my side!

HorribleSubs :: You worry too much, Oicchi.
I just got out of my seat for a second!
>You promised that when you were going away, you’d say something!

Kantai :: You worry too much, Oicchi.
I only left my seat for a second.
>You promised that you’d say something when you left!

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 9.

A tsundere with nipple rings? Japan~ Christmas was last month!

Audio:

Kantai Collection – Essential 09

AsukaSubs :: I’m feeling elubracated!
>Onee-sama, that doesn’t make any sense.

Commie :: I’m so exfighted!
>I don’t think you said that right…

HorribleSubs :: I’m getting expatriated!
>Sister, that doesn’t make any sense.

Kantai :: I’m getting haughty!
>Sister, that doesn’t make any sense.

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

 

 

Essential 10.

I bet her mouth tastes great.

Audio:

Kantai Collection – Essential 10

AsukaSubs :: Gain victory in the dawn horizon!

Commie :: Carve our victory in the light of dawn!

HorribleSubs :: Gain victory in the dawn horizon!

Kantai :: Etch our victory into the sunrise!

to just play the mobage instead :: N/A. They all suck.

80 thoughts on “Translation Party: [AsukaSubs vs Commie vs HorribleSubs vs Kantai] Kantai Collection – KanColle (Episode 01)”

  1. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 0 times
    Commie: 3 times
    HorribleSubs: 1 time
    Kantai: 7 times
    Looks like your best bet is Kantai

    Sasuga. Watched it with Kantai first, and I’m all about that wap speak.

    Reply
    • >AsukaSubs: 1 time
      >Commie: 3 times
      >HorribleSubs: 2 times
      >Kantai: 4 times
      >Looks like your best bet is Kantai

      The lack of context made me pick a Commie and HorribleSubs one that I’m still kinda doubtful. Still, I think it’s no contest, pro-wap = pick Kantai, anti-wap = pick Commie, neutral to wap = pick Kantai.

      (Oh, replied you by accident, sorry).

      Reply
  2. >AsukaSubs: 5 times
    >Commie: 5 times
    >HorribleSubs: 6 times
    >Kantai: 5 times
    >Looks like your best bet is HorribleSubs

    Looks like they’re all equally shitty.

    I watched Commie but I guess I’ll switch to Kantai because they have honorifics and karaoke and for some reason I care about those things.

    Reply
  3. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 5 times
    Commie: 3 times
    HorribleSubs: 4 times
    Kantai: 4 times
    Looks like your best bet is AsukaSubs

    Well then.
    I would have gone with Kantai, but the -poi thing is annoying as hell. I mean I like my honorifics and onee-sama etc, but not that much.

    Reply
  4. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 2 times
    Commie: 2 times
    HorribleSubs: 0 times
    Kantai: 5 times
    Looks like your best bet is Kantai

    Reply
  5. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 0 times
    Commie: 4 times
    HorribleSubs: 1 time
    Kantai: 5 times
    Looks like your best bet is Kantai

    As if I’d watch this anyway.

    Reply
  6. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 0 times
    Commie: 6 times
    HorribleSubs: 1 time
    Kantai: 3 times
    Looks like your best bet is Commie

    Shots fired-poi…

    Reply
  7. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 0 times
    Commie: 6 times
    HorribleSubs: 0 times
    Kantai: 5 times
    Looks like your best bet is Commie

    Yeah, that told me a whole lot. I watched CR btw, so it looks like I’ll be picking up Commie.

    Reply
  8. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 2 times
    Commie: 3 times
    HorribleSubs: 3 times
    Kantai: 4 times
    Looks like your best bet is Kantai

    Ugh, but that -poi is kinda annoying.

    Reply
      • Yeah, friend on irc told me few minutes after I posted that. I’ve never played the game or seen the anime. Why not make up a verbal tic in English?

        Reply
        • We could’ve made up a verbal tick however when talking to some kancolle players, there was a general consensus that we should leave it as poi. Also making up a verbal tic for that would be risky.

          Reply
            • Believe it or not there are a bunch of people that love how we incorporated “poi.” Considering the other options that we had, I personally liked poi as well.

              Reply
              • Please, for the love of God, get the naval terminology right. I know what Kancolle fans are like and if they want -pois then so be it. You can cater to them. But please don’t call 砲門 a gun port. Gun ports died with the age of sail, and this is a TL mistake by CR. The most literal translation, if you’re so inclined, would be ‘muzzle’, but for the sake of readability I would recommend ‘gun’.

                And no, 砲門 is not a casemate either.

                Reply
  9. AsukaSubs: 9 times
    Commie: 0 times
    HorribleSubs: 1 time
    Kantai: 0 times
    Looks like your best bet is AsukaSubs

    Really? Am I the only one who liked Asuka Sub’s Subs for this? I actually went to their site and found out the font they’re using is called “Naval.”

    Reply
  10. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 4 times
    Commie: 5 times
    HorribleSubs: 3 times
    Kantai: 6 times
    Looks like your best bet is Kantai

    That damn-poi.
    That damn AsukaSubs.

    Spoiler for
    Guess I will stick with Underwater’s Ars Nova-poi.
    As if I’m gonna watch this show-poi.
    Reply
  11. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 3 times
    Commie: 2 times
    HorribleSubs: 5 times
    Kantai: 0 times
    It’s a tie between Commie and HorribleSubs
    (Didn’t pick the last one because it’s just random, also had a tie so it’s still 10 times)

    Spoiler for
    I watched HS and I could tell pretty well which was Commie and which was Kantai which might have made me a bit bias in the grand scheme of things but whatever.
    I don’t mind the -poi but can do without it, Commie had a line that was actually better (fit the character more, that mustn’t one, also picked the Ooi one, could barely notice the -chi here and I’m used to calling her Ooi but yeah, not really great if it was more clear) but I still dislike the release overall (honestly if it depended on that line sure, everything else? Nah).
    For the Asuka ones, the 2nd line was the same as HS so I picked both and the other was actually a better edit (actually, they only changed a word in that bear line from up to thing, but still better).
    I guess if “rigging” is official or whatever its more correct but whatever.

    Comparing Kantai and HS in the lines that I picked HS though, going with Kantai would have worked just as well, no real offense that I see, didn’t really want to pick too many doubles though so I guess they were just unlucky and the -poi turned me away a bit, I’ll try Kantai next week though, if they are fast enough anyway, if I like it I’ll stick to them otherwise HS it is.
    Kinda weird how I might end up going with the group that got 0 but I like to live my life on the edge… yeah!

    Reply
  12. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 0 times
    Commie: 5 times
    HorribleSubs: 0 times
    Kantai: 6 times
    Looks like your best bet is Kantai

    Commie’s lines sounds nice, but Kantai’s are more solid.

    Watched HS. Guess I’ll switch to Kantai.

    Reply
  13. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 1 time
    Commie: 6 times
    HorribleSubs: 1 time
    Kantai: 4 times
    Looks like your best bet is Commie

    I downloaded Commie anyway since it was the only group out of all of them I recognized (except Asuka, but that’s a different story).

    Reply
  14. AsukaSubs: 3 times
    Commie: 2 times
    HorribleSubs: 2 times
    Kantai: 2 times
    Looks like your best bet is AsukaSubs

    Uhm, its either Asuka or HS. 2 of the options for Essential 2 had the same phrase.

    Reply
  15. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 0 times
    Commie: 5 times
    HorribleSubs: 0 times
    Kantai: 4 times
    Looks like your best bet is Commie

    Well, I’ll be. Hats off to RHE, though I honestly haven’t watched this show.

    Reply
  16. What I can be proud of is that all groups got Essential 5 wrong except Kantai Subs.

    There is no such thing as “special destroyers.” There is only “special type destroyers.”

    This is what my military friend told me. Good thing I tipped Kantai about it.

    Reply
    • No, this isn’t true. The term special whatever comes from the Japanese term 特型駆逐艦, which literally translates as Special Type Destroyer. It was the blanket term for the Fubuki class and derivative designs in Japanese, culminating ultimately in the Kagerous, since the Fubukis were something of a ground-breaking design when commissioned.

      That said, this term has no direct equivalent in English naval architecture. Most naval literature translates the Japanese literally and calls them Special Type Destroyer, but since this is a purely Japanese term, you’re not forced to adhere to what others have elected to do before you. There is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to use a different translation.

      The same goes for 起動部隊. CR translated this as ‘task force’ even though the somewhat literal translation of ‘mobile fleet’ had considerable traction for decades. That doesn’t mean the translation is wrong, because it is, essentially, just a task force.

      Reply
  17. Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 1 time
    Commie: 8 times
    HorribleSubs: 1 time
    Kantai: 2 times
    Looks like your best bet is Commie

    Still don’t plan on watching the show, but good to know there’s, like, someone I’d be able to stand if I did watch it.

    Reply
  18. AsukaSubs: 0 times
    Commie: 5 times
    HorribleSubs: 0 times
    Kantai: 6 times
    Looks like your best bet is Kantai

    Seems like Kantai’s divergences are generally stronger, but their insistence on “poi” being some sort of magical, untranslatable nihonogo word that had to be left in the script is a drawback over Commie’s efforts to actually incorporate that verbal tic in English, which is what I expect from an English translation. Guess it’s ultimately worth putting up with a bit of weeb nonsense and watching Kantai’s releases, though, even if I do appreciate some of Commie’s editing here.

    Reply
  19. Score based on all the lines I disliked the most:
    Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 3 times
    Commie: 3 times
    HorribleSubs: 2 times
    Kantai: 3 times
    It’s a tie between AsukaSubs, Commie, and Kantai

    Score based on all the lines I found acceptable:
    Overall scores…
    AsukaSubs: 1 time
    Commie: 1 time
    HorribleSubs: 4 times
    Kantai: 1 time
    Looks like your best bet is HorribleSubs

    Welp, I guess it’s HS if I ever watch KanColle’s anime. FWIW, I ticked multiple checkboxes on a few of them.

    I honestly didn’t like most of the lines and it seemed pretty obvious that three of the groups are just edits. It also seemed like a lot of the lines were shortened so they would fit on a single line.

    Reply
    • They just did….

      so with three episodes poi-nting to an japanese ip only browser game about 2nd WW japanese (and german) war ships:
      which group to go?
      Kantai for poi-nting out the obvious (now with 2nd track without poi)
      Commie – power poi-nting blue stays true to the cartel

      Reply
      • No suprise there, herkz even posted that thing about there being a second track with no -poi in the nyaa_comments.txt twitter account, they never really had a chance.

        Reply
          • Can you honestly say that there is not even the slightest form of bias when a member of Commie reviews a Commie script for A+? Even if that particular person didn’t work on the actual episode itself.

            I’m not specifically talking about Kantai Collection, just in general.

            Reply
            • No, I can’t. That would be preposterous.

              Humans are always biased through the priorities they set for themselves. That’s just a result of basic empathy. What I consider a mistake is directly influenced by my own translation style, and a different translator would prioritize different things. Being from Commie, there is a good chance that Commie prioritizes what I do, and it follows that I would tend to think more highly of a Commie script than one where very different priorities were set.

              I’m not talking about honorifics or verbal tics or bento vs lunch box when I say that, though. That has no influence on my opinion of a script.

              We’re always open to having more reviewers. Make a name for yourself as someone who puts out good work and you can review releases for A+ as well.

              Reply
              • What I think I’ve learned recently is there is no massive Nyaa conspiracy. They are not intentionally selecting their own releases all the time just to try to promote them. It definitely changed from that some time ago – I just don’t know when.

                However, the bias in A+ selection doesn’t lie in common preferences. The bias lies in the fact that the reviewers quite often are friends of people who are getting reviewed, and don’t want to upset them.
                For instance, let’s say Hatsuyuki did a really good job on Akame no Kill (They didn’t, but just pretend). If herkz was doing the A+ review, he’d have 2 options:
                1. Give Vivid the A+ and have to potentially defend it against 1 or 2 people who’d come into the chatroom (which he can always hide behind the curtain of translation as is often done). These people he’d never see again.
                2. Give Hatsuyuki the A+ and have to defend it again Xythar who he sees and talks to every day.

                It’s just human nature to want to favor your friends over strangers or enemies. But it’s also human nature to try to pretend that you’re looking at everything objectively all the time.

                Reply
  20. AsukaSubs: 1 time
    Commie: 0 times
    HorribleSubs: 3 times
    Kantai: 6 times

    Well,I was gonna pick Kantai for this anime. Seems like I made the right choice?

    Reply

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