Head-to-Head: [Underwater vs. Watashi] Kill la Kill (Episode 04)

This post was written by Dark_Sage. He is Dark_Sage.

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Because I’m sleepy and normal reviews won’t help with that.

Okay, here’s the actual reason I’m changing things up for this review: This episode was quite enjoyable and I thought an easier way for people to determine which subs were best was to do a head-to-head than my standard faire. Kinda like a comedy battle royale.

Yeah, it’s basically a TL Party with analysis. And… it got a lot longer than I was expecting it to be. Maybe I shoulda stuck to the regular reviews.

Note: Watashi asked me to include visual comparisons in this post but goddamn it’s way too long for that. Whine at me and I might give you another post for those.

 

 

Conversation

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_00.59_[2013.10.30_00.25.41]

Underwater: Ma’am, I can take it from here, so don’t—
Underwater: Nothing doing!
Underwater: It’s a student’s duty to go to school and study!
Underwater: And it’s a housewife’s duty to stay home and do the laundry!

Watashi: Really, I can do that later.
Watashi: No!
Watashi: What is a student’s job? To go to school!
Watashi: What’s a housewife’s job? To do the laundry!

Yes, both had editing mistakes, but Watashi’s phrasing was more clever.

 

[Underwater] KILL la KILL - 04 (720p) [7282A90A].mkv_snapshot_01.20_[2013.10.30_00.12.02]

Underwater: Oops, I forgot to panic! Today’s the big day, Ryuuko!
Underwater: Big day?
Underwater: What?! Ryuuko, you’re on “that day”?!

Watashi: I was freaking out so much, I forgot!
Watashi: Today’s the day, Ryuko!
Watashi: “The day?”
Watashi: Hello? The day!

.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_01.49_[2013.10.30_00.27.08]

Underwater: All the more reason to go to school! There’s lots of friends there!
Underwater: There’s nothing but enemies, and you know it!

Watashi: We’ve really got to get you to school. That’s where your real friends are!
Watashi: They’re all enemies!

I really don’t like either groups’ lines here, but I suppose Watashi’s “That’s where your real friends are!” line overrode their shitty “They’re all enemies!” comeback.

 

 

 

Characterization

There’s a lot of characters so I just spoilered each. I tried to pick out the most representative lines from each person.

Ryuko.

Spoiler:

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_00.27_[2013.10.29_23.55.41]

Underwater: Calm down, Mako!
Underwater: It’s 4AM.

Watashi: Take it down a notch, Mako. It’s four in the morning!

Watashi’s phrasing was just far more complete.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_07.06_[2013.10.29_22.44.29]

Underwater: He’s screwing with us. Come on, Mako!

Watashi: He thinks he’s so bad.
Watashi: Let’s go, Mako!

If you don’t smile at Watashi’s line, I don’t think you’ll smile at anything.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_12.02_[2013.10.29_23.24.58]

Underwater: Maiko, you can be pretty bad-ass, you know that?

Watashi: Well look at you, Maiko.

What, you thought I’d go with Underwater’s just cuz it has “ass” in it? Not so! You can actually read Watashi’s line in your head as what she’s saying. The flow of the phrase is immaculate.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_16.39_[2013.10.29_23.25.49]

Underwater: As if a deceitful bitch like you could transform so easily!

Watashi: Please. You can’t transform with that black heart of yours!

Jesus, Underwater. She’s smug, not a cunt.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_16.54_[2013.10.29_23.28.10]

Underwater: I had so much trouble mastering the Life Fiber Synchronization, but she just pulled it off!

Watashi: She did in a few seconds what took me days to achieve!

Underwater, try a bit harder. {TL Note: Underwater actually tried pretty hard here. They had a comment in their script bragging about how lulzy their “pun” was.} {TL Note 2: The “pun” didn’t even work since she only “pulled off” her old clothes, not Senketsu.}

 

 

Mako.

Spoiler:

[Underwater] KILL la KILL - 04 (720p) [7282A90A].mkv_snapshot_01.44_[2013.10.30_00.02.39]

Underwater: You gave your uniform a name?
Underwater: Wow, you must really be lonely!

Watashi: Do you name your clothes, Ryuko?
Watashi: Aw, that’s so sad!

Underwater.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_06.00_[2013.10.30_00.43.54]

Underwater: Shocker!

Watashi: Holy crackers!

That’s just good, clean scriptwriting fun.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_13.04_[2013.10.29_23.40.52]

Underwater: Ryuuko, this is way fun!
Underwater: Feels so good…

Watashi: Ryuko, this is such a rush!
Watashi: The highest of highs.

I would’ve liked a masturbation joke here, but I suppose Watashi’s’ll do.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_14.16_[2013.10.29_23.06.37]

Underwater: Yay, we’re all friends!

Watashi: Friendsies!

Mako’s a ditz. Watashi gave us language that reflected that. Underwater didn’t.

 

[Underwater] KILL la KILL - 04 (720p) [7282A90A].mkv_snapshot_20.33_[2013.10.30_00.03.02]

Underwater: O! M! G!

Watashi: Holy cow!

It’s not like Watashi had a bad line here; Underwater just played it off better.

 

 

Senketsu.

Spoiler:

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_02.07_[2013.10.30_00.00.30]

Underwater: Actually, this is surprisingly pleasant.
Underwater: The wrinkles… The wrinkles are melting away…
Underwater: Melting away… Ahh.

Watashi: Ooh, that actually feels good.
Watashi: I can feel the wrinkles smoothing out.
Watashi: Oh baby.

You… don’t… need… to… repeat… everything…

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_16.58_[2013.10.29_23.36.35]

Underwater: Forgive me, Ryuuko. This woman has no shame.

Watashi: I’m sorry, Ryuko. She just doesn’t have an ounce of shame.

Watashi’s is just a tad more descriptively enjoyable.

 

 

Gamadori.

Spoiler:

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_04.29_[2013.10.29_22.38.39]

Underwater: Allow me to explain!
Underwater: No-Late Day is a school event that comes once a semester
Underwater: in which the Disciplinary Bureau whips unsuspecting No-Star slackers into shape!

Watashi: No Tardies Day comes randomly once a year. The Disciplinary Squad’s goal with this school event…
Watashi: …is to light a fire under the asses of those worms known as the Starless!

Watashi.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_04.53_[2013.10.30_00.23.31]

Underwater: What the hell?!
Underwater: What manner of slacker outfit is that?!

Watashi: Oh my God!
Watashi: How dare you come to school in that!

Yuck to both. If we’re going by worsties, though, Underwater’s gotta take it with that slacker line.

 

[Underwater] KILL la KILL - 04 (720p) [7282A90A].mkv_snapshot_05.01_[2013.10.30_00.04.31]

Underwater: Spare me your excuses.
Underwater: Leaving for school in a slovenly outfit like that
Underwater: is a mortal insult to not only the academy, but also Lady Satsuki herself!

Watashi: Stop with the excuses.
Watashi: Showing up in such indecency is…
Watashi: …to your school—
Watashi: and to your Lady Satsuki—
Watashi: a slap in the face!

Watashi, what the fuck? You… can’t… just… drag… lines… out… like… that… Fuck.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_07.00_[2013.10.30_00.24.12]

Underwater: Obey the rules and stick to the prescribed route!
Underwater: And now, gentlemen, until we meet again at school!

Watashi: And no straying from the path or cheating!
Watashi: I will see you people at school!

Another nothx. But Underwater’s “gentlemen” bit turned me off more considering this ain’t a goddamn boys’ academy.

 

 

Maiko.

Spoiler:

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_07.12_[2013.10.29_22.46.40]

Underwater: Ow, that hurts so much!

Watashi: Oh God, the pain!

Watashi’s hammier, which is what this line needs to be.

 

[Underwater] KILL la KILL - 04 (720p) [7282A90A].mkv_snapshot_07.39_[2013.10.30_00.06.07]

Underwater: No, I can’t let you! I’d only slow you down!

Watashi: Perish the thought!
Watashi: I could never live with myself if I became a burden!

Underwater got to the point quicker. Viewers shouldn’t have to read around the subs to get what’s going on. Be succinct if the line doesn’t call for length.

 

[Underwater] KILL la KILL - 04 (720p) [7282A90A].mkv_snapshot_16.01_[2013.10.30_00.07.08]

Underwater: Yes! I’ll become the empress of Honnouji Academy
Underwater: and indulge in every luxury this school has to offer!
Underwater: I can scarcely wait!

Watashi: Yes! Become queen of the school and delight in all its joys!
Watashi: Oh, it’s going to be fabulous!

That speech… Underwater nailed it like a Jew to a cross.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_17.05_[2013.10.29_23.32.06]

Underwater: If it means power—if it means standing on top of the world—
Underwater: I’ll gladly get as naked as the day I was born!

Watashi: Hell, for ultimate power or status, I’d let it all hang out in a second!

Like… her vulva? I can dig it, I guess.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_17.58_[2013.10.29_23.42.16]

Underwater: Grr! What’s wrong with this stupid outfit?!
Underwater: So uppity! So impertinent!

Watashi: God, what’s wrong with this thing?
Watashi: Bad clothes, bad clothes!

“Uppity” is a no-no.

 

 

Barazou.

Spoiler:

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_08.22_[2013.10.29_23.44.21]

Dialogue: 9,0:08:19.13,0:08:21.60,Default,,0,0,0,,Barazou the back-alley doctor is coming through!
Dialogue: 9,0:08:21.60,0:08:24.52,Default,,0,0,0,,Anybody who doesn’t get out of the way gets a Caesarian, men included!

Dialogue: 0,0:08:18.56,0:08:21.68,Default,,0,0,0,,Back Alley Doc Barazo, coming through!
Dialogue: 0,0:08:21.68,0:08:24.86,Default,,0,0,0,,Anyone who doesn’t move is in for a C-section! Even the guys!

This coulda gone either way, but “C-section” is more common to hear than “Caesarian”, so I gave the nod to Watashi.

 

[Underwater] KILL la KILL - 04 (720p) [7282A90A].mkv_snapshot_08.55_[2013.10.30_00.14.02]

Underwater: Your dad is done for…
Underwater: Matarou, I have a favor to ask of you, man-to-man…
Underwater: Take this uniform and—

Watashi: Daddy’s done for.
Watashi: Mataro, promise me as a man…
Watashi: Deliver this uniform…

Yeah, the English term for these kinda things is man-to-man promise, not “promise me as a man”.

 

 

Kid.

Spoiler:

[Underwater] KILL la KILL - 04 (720p) [7282A90A].mkv_snapshot_09.03_[2013.10.30_00.14.24]

Underwater: I’ll make sure Ryuuko gets her clothes, safe and sound!
Underwater: Rest in peace, Dad! I’ll take it from here!

Watashi: I swear, I’ll get the boss her uniform!
Watashi: You rest in peace, Dad!

That “boss” shit really got to me. Blegh.

 

[Underwater] KILL la KILL - 04 (720p) [7282A90A].mkv_snapshot_10.31_[2013.10.30_00.16.39]

Underwater: Guts? Is that you, boy? I’m done for…
Underwater: Guts, I have a favor to ask of you, man-to-dog…

Watashi: Is that you, Guts? I’m done for.
Watashi: Guts, promise me as a manly dog…

Man-to-dog is pretty smart, especially having it play off the previous line. Watashi also tries to link it back, but “manly dog” doesn’t work quite as well either on its own or as a callback.

 

 

 

Terminology

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_04.40_[2013.10.30_00.22.21]

Underwater: No-Late Day

Watashi: No Tardies Day

I shouldn’t even have to explain this one.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_02.11_[2013.10.30_00.21.22]

Underwater: What’s with this mass migration?

Watashi: What’s with the migrating herd?

No contest.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_05.56_[2013.10.29_22.34.01]

Underwater: Behold the Disciplinary Bureau’s mighty barrier!

Watashi: Behold! The Disciplinary Squad’s great gate path!

If you watch the episode, you’ll see they actually walk on that thing. Not much of a barrier if it’s a fucking paved road, now is it?

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_10.58_[2013.10.30_00.20.17]

Underwater: Pseudo-homeroom.

Watashi: An artificial homeroom.

Can I have neither? Why not “mock homeroom”? We’ll go with Watashi’s, though. I don’t like how Underwater connected “pseudo” into “homeroom”.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_17.17_[2013.10.29_23.34.11]

Underwater: The strength! The power! The strepower!

Watashi: The superness!
Watashi: The power!
Watashi: The superpower!

Underwater, that’s not acceptable.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_21.38_[2013.10.29_23.50.59]

Underwater: Master Gamagoori!

Watashi: Gamagori, sir?

If I were dropping the honorifics like most super-great-we’re-the-best-ever groups seem to think is the way to go these days, I’d have this as “Mr. Gamagori”. As-is, Watashi’s line sounds more like what a native speaker would say. Underwater, if you’re gonna be weird about the language, why not keep the honorifics in?

 

 

 

Logic.

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_05.38_[2013.10.30_00.38.15]

Audio: [mp3t track="http://www.crymore.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Class-What.mp3" play="Start audio" stop="Pause this shit" volslider="y"]

Underwater: Mankanshoku Mako, Class 2-A!

Watashi: Junior, Class K, Mako Mankanshoku!

The two groups that only edited this (Commie and Underwater) went with 2-A while the two original translations (Crunchyroll and Watashi) went with 2-K.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_20.35_[2013.10.30_00.56.23]

Underwater: This station’s for the nonstop rope expresso-way to school!
Underwater: It’s for the super rich! We No-Stars couldn’t hope to ride it in a million years!

Watashi: It’s a Rope Expressway That Us Starless Would Never Get a Chance to Ride: The Station!

The reason I’m giving the nod to Watashi here is that status is the only currency in this town. Wealth is dependent on status, and you seem to be missing that point here. Not that I’m all about Watashi’s phrasing, though.

Also, an “expresso-way” isn’t a thing.

 

[Watashi]_Kill_la_Kill_-_04_[720p][8C1022B9].mkv_snapshot_20.59_[2013.10.29_23.48.54]

Underwater: I’ll just have to leave my precious, precious croquette lunch instead!

Watashi: I guess I’ll just have to leave some of my precious croquettes I packed for lunch.

She clearly sets them out one at a time. If she was going to leave her entire lunch, she’d just drop the lunch box down.

 

 

 

tl;dr:

Watashi pretty much took this one away. It wasn’t a complete sweep, but if you wanna really get all you can outta this show, the choice is rather obvious.

Underwater, your editing is pretty good as my earlier review pointed off, but if you’re working off a mediocre script it’s gonna show when alternate translations like this come out. Watashi just delivers a better product.

30 thoughts on “Head-to-Head: [Underwater vs. Watashi] Kill la Kill (Episode 04)”

  1. >confound it
    >having Ryuko use that term, ever

    I thought serafuku-chan said that, not Ryuko.

    >You… don’t… need… to… repeat… everything…

    Not even when you’re in so much pleasure? I don’t think I would be able to speak properly if I was having a good professional bj, I can sympathyze with UW’s line here.

    >Watashi: No Tardies Day comes randomly once a year. The Disciplinary Squad’s goal with this school event…
    Watashi: …is to light a fire under the asses of those worms known as the Starless!

    Well, I don’t think Disciplanary-monkey-guy would use that vocabulary, not even in an episode like this one but uhhhhh yeah.

    >Underwater nailed it like a Jew to a cross.

    Oh you…

    Underwater: No-Late Day

    UW, y no glorious typesetting :(

    I haven’t watched Watashi’s KlK release yet. Does it have typesetting as fabulous as UW’s?

    Reply
    • Oh he did, whoops.

      And no, the… constant… pausing… was… annoying… I wasn’t fond of when Watashi did it either.

      Also, what’s wrong with head guy’s vocab? I took him as a manly drill instructor manly type.

      Reply
      • Gamagori strikes me as the guy who’s way too disciplined to utter vulgar words like ‘ass’, I think that’s a copout from the translators. IMO if he said those words he’d be going against the discipline he wants to establish in the school, *that* would be an insult to his Lady Satsuki-sama.
        I really enjoy the lines UW gives him, because they’re usually so so so so full of dramatized vocabulary that really fits his hardass personality, if that makes any sense.

        Then again, it’s a matter of personal taste bla bla what you think of those characters bla bla

        Reply
  2. To be fair, I originally had the class as 2-A as well but it hit me last week that with Mako being in the worst class, K was the obvious choice. The kanji can mean both, unfortunately.

    I’ll admit that I’m not really good at having an idea and then trying to implement it (like Maiko’s ham) at 5am. I’ve already changed dozens of lines for the batch after sleeping on it :/

    Reply
  3. While Watashi certainly seems to be having fun with the script, I’d say it’s worth pointing out the following:

    http://8ths.in/fall-2013-fansub-comparison-reviews/#Kill

    Watashi: Errors – 4 majors, 8 minors, Script Quality – Good, Grade – DA number of lines in this release were excellent, but more often than not, they had too much fun with the script and changed, added, or omitted information provided in the show.

    Make of that what you will.

    Reply
    • As it has been pointed out, that was the first episode which did contain several errors. Wasn’t the best planned first episode, it was done with basically no staff. The errors have been fixed for v2’s with proper encodes for the batch.

      Reply
    • The only scenes which had notable differences that had any sort of conclusion to be drawn from were the ones I put up here. I can’t say I got a significantly different understanding of the plot when watching Watashi’s 04 than I did when watching yours. And I’m sure 8th’s review was a fair interpretation but there are certainly many reasons why I don’t review 01s from groups, especially not new ones.

      Again, this review isn’t so much a slam on your group so much as it is me saying that I liked how Watashi handled this episode more often. Your group did what I’d expect from a standard, no-TLC Crunchyedit and my 03 review was not an unjustified A-tier.

      Reply
    • I liked Watashi’s episode 4. It was a revelation after the fail that was their first three. Alas, superior style can only take you so far, as these gems from their episode 5, will attest:

      14:42 It’s a chance them you to see a real fighter at work.
      15:02 Why don’t you go take some data to analyze instead of me, Four Eyes?

      Hopefully, a decent group will release a good BD edit, as none of the current contenders prove worthy of this spectacular.

      Reply
  4. I would have preferred “tardiness”, since “chikoku” translates to that well in both cases you highlighted. Watashi put some effort in, but they still messed it up. “No Tardies Day” would be a day where either no tardiness happened or no tardiness was tracked. “No-Late Day” is so outside the norm of native English that it doesn’t bring any particular meaning to mind, which makes it stronger than Watashi’s line (if we ignore that hyphen). The only really acceptable answers to me would be: “No-Being-Late Day” (C), “No Being Late Day” (B), or “No Tardiness Day” (A).

    I actually liked CrunchyRoll/Underwater’s “strepower” since she made a weird portmanteau in the audio.

    “Master Gamagoori”: I’m surprised you didn’t point this out in your review, but in English, using “master” before someone’s name is anywhere between “-bocchan” and “-kun”. She dropped a “-sama”, which is so far removed from those diminutives, Underwater may as well have used “miss”.

    “Man-to-man” and “man-to-dog” was just so deliciously perfect.

    Reply
    • Your interpretation of what “No Tardies day” means is pretty bizarre. Perhaps you’re unaware that in a number of school systems tardies/tardys are a type of demerit that students receive for being late. As such its clear that “No tardies day” means a day on which you’re not allowed to earn such a demerit.

      Reply
      • I am and was well aware of the use of “tardies” in this context, as such was the case in the schools I attended. It was in reference to this context that I made my comment. The word “tardies” refers to the demerit rather than the action of being late, so the most logical grammatically correct interpretation of “No Tardies Day” is that it’s a day where no demerits will be earned for lateness. I apologize for assuming that anyone reading would know that using “tardies” in that context implied that I was aware of that meaning. I’ll be sure to include parenthetical remarks in future comments after each word over three letters explaining the meaning and stating that I do, in fact, understand the context in which the word is used.

        I never said that Watashi’s line couldn’t be puzzled out from context, I said it was grammatically incorrect. As tardies are the demerit received, a “No Tardies Day” would be a day in which no such demerits were given. I guess I was under the mistaken impression that the rules of grammar were still in effect. Now that I know they aren’t, I wishing have nice you day.

        Reply
  5. Watashi: It’s a Rope Expressway That Us Starless Would Never Get a Chance to Ride: The Station!

    All that capitalization burns my eyes.

    Reply
  6. I tend to agree with most of these. I wonder if the same sentiment would hold up on an episode that was more Gurren Lagann, and less Luney Tunes. Then again, GL pulled this same crap in ep 6…

    Reply
  7. For the strepower line, I’d have gone with
    “The strength, the might, the stright

    Or something that remotely sounds like it could be an English word. Combinations with brawn and force would also be eligible, as long as we don’t end up with bright or fight at the end.

    Reply
  8. “Note: Watashi asked me to include visual comparisons in this post but goddamn it’s way too long for that.”

    If encode comparison is what is meant by visual comparison then here’s one.

    check2pic.ru/compare/32198/

    Reply

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