Fansub Review: [Taka] Another (Episode 02)

This post was written by Dark_Sage. He is Dark_Sage.

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More reviews super soon. At least four total tonight.

Release format: MKV (8-bit, 343 MB), LQ MKV (8-bit, 216 MB)

Japanesiness: Honorifics.

Note: Karaoke/typesetting are hardsubbed.

Group website: http://www.takafansubs.com/

8thsin’s translation critique: http://8ths.in/winter-2011-anime-subtitle-comparison/#Another

Ji-hi’s screenshot comparisons: http://www.ji-hi.net/wi11/another/

 

Karaoke

Opening. S’all right. S’not great, but s’all right.

Ending. The best way to inspire a visit from the Skullfucking Fairy is to screw up your karaoke like this. Seriously, who does this shit?

This is how it looks when it hasn’t been irradiated with stupidity.

 

Typesetting.

This is typesetting. Herkz goes in deeper on it.

 

Script.

Oh boy, this is awkward. I seem to have not found anything worth bitching about. Well, actually, that’s not quite true. I didn’t find anything that would be fair to mark them down for, considering this is the first time I’ll be tackling this specific issue.

We all know that when a line in Japanese is, say, 3 syllables and the fansubbed line is 10 syllables, that something’s wrong. I’d mark that down as an error and probably bitch about how it should be edited down to something shorter. But what happens when the opposite is true? What if the Japanese is 10 syllables long and the English is 3 syllables?

Obviously, this is not as big an issue — it just means the viewer has to awkwardly sit there while they wait for the Japanese voice actor to finish. But at least they’ve read everything, right? The thing is, it’s still something that needs to be fixed. The immersion is broken as the viewer reads the line and waits for it to be over with. Suddenly they’re not watching an anime — they’re watching an anime and subtitles. Groups stray from TL Notes these days for the same reason — because they break up the flow of the show.

This is a problem that’s really been getting on my nerves lately with various sub groups. Just as shortening a line to match the Japanese is important, so too is lengthening lines. And yes, Taka had problems with this. Take this line for example:

Japanese: 8 syllables

English: 3 syllables

So while I’m not going to ding them on their script for this (because other groups I’ve reviewed have the same problem), it’s definitely something that groups should address.

 

Watchability: Quite watchable.

Overall grade: A-

The karaoke wasn’t very good at all (the ED fuck-ups made me want to play cut-the-throat), but the script was great. However, I’d still recommend Underwater, simply because their karaoke is superior. But if you don’t give a shit about karaoke AT ALL, then feel free to go ahead and get Taka’s version.

0 thoughts on “Fansub Review: [Taka] Another (Episode 02)”

  1. “This is a problem that’s really been getting on my nerves lately with various sub groups. Just as shortening a line to match the Japanese is important, so too is lengthening lines.”

    I definitely agree with this – it’s something that CR and most fansub groups (as well as editors) tend to ignore, though it’s also something I’ve been trying to take into account lately while editing. I usually try to write lines out so that they can be broken up in natural-sounding places to match the pauses in the audio, even if the words don’t always match up precisely to what’s being said.

    Reply
  2. My problem is usually that I’m too wordy, which is why I actively try to cut down on word count and leave short lines alone, even if they’re a bit -too- short. You’re right though that this can go too far. I’ve gotten into the habit of editing brutally for conciseness to correct my usual long-windedness, but I should probably keep that in balance and add filler where needed.

    Reply
    • I’d rather be wordy than sound unnatural, personally, but it depends on the length of the line. A lot of this stuff tends to only get uncovered during timing which is why it’s pretty useful if your timer knows how to edit and/or your editor knows how to time.

      On the other hand I take like 4-5 hours to time anything due to obsessively splitting any line I get my hands on so vOv

      Reply
      • Oh, of course. Flow, TL accuracy, line length… there’s a lot to balance in a script, it’s just that line length is usually my weakness.

        Reply
  3. [17:47] Sup, bros
    [17:47] Are you guys translating Another from scratch?
    [17:48] Pilot: yes, we are tling it ourselves
    [17:49] cool
    [17:49] just wonderin’
    Go figure~

    Reply
    • I don’t really see the point of translating Another from scratch unless you feel it’s absolutely necessary to preserve your fansubber’s honour or something. The original CR script is fine in terms of translation quality, just a bit awkwardly phrased at times (though it’s still pretty good for a CR script, overall). Seems like a waste of effort to go to the trouble of translating the whole thing from scratch just to end up with basically the same result.

      Reply
      • Just want to make it clear that I’m not in Taka(Although I do have a sort of group crush on them. It’s almost like a bromance.)I removed the name(s) to keep it anon, yo.

        Reply
  4. “Note: Karaoke/typesetting are hardsubbed.” — DS

    Not sure where you’re getting that information, but it’s certainly not reality. The karaoke is hardsubbed, but the typesetting is softsubbed.

    Reply
  5. >length of subbed sentence needs to match the length of japanese sentence

    What the bloody shit? Are you really that stupid? That’s a weakness inherent in dubwork that the subs are mercifully free of. Japanese and english languages don’t and can’t convey the same thought within the same space. To demand such is asinine.

    You’re not supposed to mouth the words as you read you Neanderthal.

    Reply

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