Terra or Tina?

According to the original Japanese version of FFVI, the green-haired sorceress was to be named 'Tina.' However, when the game was imported to the US, her name was translated to 'Terra.' Which do you think is better?

Personally, I prefer Terra. Tina sounds to normal, and too mundane. Of course, in Japan, Tina isn't a normal name at all, so it's understandable why they would name her that.

Also, the name 'Terra' makes an interesting dichotomy with the other main female character, Celes. 'Terra' can mean "earthly." 'Celes' can be seen as being short for "celestial." The names 'Terra' and 'Celes' are therefore opposites. I'm not sure how this fits in with the characters, though.

yep DocFrance that theory sounds very plausible and i,d pick terra anyday.

i dont know about characters. maybe its ironic, cause terra decided upon a celestial non sexual love 4 those children, while celes chose an earthly lust for locke???? meh, maybe we should stop reading between the lines when theres nothing there lol.

I say Terra just cause it's what it got translated to and sounds better in my opinion. Besides if it really was Tina, then I guess Sabin really is Mash. And I really don't see why Square would name anyone Mash.

Yes, Tina is too normal plus Terra is a cooler name and has a cooler meaning.

Mash? Oh dear.

Tina is a much prettier name, which is all that really really matters.

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Originally posted by Bahamut2000X
I say Terra just cause it's what it got translated to and sounds better in my opinion. Besides if it really was Tina, then I guess Sabin really is Mash. And I really don't see why Square would name anyone Mash.

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I've got the feeling that 'Mash' is a horrible mistranslation (from English to Japanese) of Matt.

on a side note, i hope butz from ff5 was also awful translation! i mean BUTZ? what kind of name is that.

It's supposed to be Batz.

I liek Terra better because it sounds more...Fantasyish. Yes, I realize that is a real half-assed reason.

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Originally posted by Kawaii Ryûkishi
It's supposed to be Batz.

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I prefer Butz, if only for the fact that it's comically tragic.

I think Tina ---> Terra is the only positive "mistranslation" Woolsey's ever done. Oh, and Mash ----> Sabin, as mentioned.

Did you know that he got the name from the company across the street from his office, Terra Corporations? Apparently he was just looking out of the window, and... xD

I like the name Terra better, too. It's unique, and it suits her personality better. Tina is a very common name, and it sounds more like an upbeat girl; rather than a mysterious, lonely girl.

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Originally posted by Marble
Did you know that he got the name from the company across the street from his office, Terra Corporations? Apparently he was just looking out of the window, and... xD

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That's just an assumption. Pretty sure he had the whole earth-heavens juxtaposition in mind.

You just said you didn't think he was poetic enough to use the word "hope" in the Romantic languages for "esper."

There's a big difference between knowing what the sky and the earth are and being poetic with foreign words. Everyone knows what celestial and terra firma mean, at least. And there's really no other good reason for him to have changed Tina's name.

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Originally Posted by DocFrance

I've got the feeling that 'Mash' is a horrible mistranslation (from English to Japanese) of Matt.

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I'm 99.995% certain that this is the truth.

I'm relatively indecisive on this issue; at some points I've said I liked Terra better, and at some points I've said I preferred Tina. This is really one of the few Woolsey name-changes that I don't look at as a case of rape, however.

I prefer Terra also, but in terms of the Celestial and Earth references, I think that probably has a lot to do with the ideas of magic and the essesences of magic. Spirit energy and such is drawn in traditional beliefs from two sources, the Celestial plane, namely the heavens and stars and such, and the whole "Life Stream" Planet Life energy. Since these two women are more emobodiments of magic, instead of just esper users, you could say they are more directly connected to the sources of their powers.

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I've got the feeling that 'Mash' is a horrible mistranslation (from English to Japanese) of Matt.

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So when I go to Japan I have to change my name to Mash?

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Originally Posted by Kawaii Ryûkishi

That's just an assumption. Pretty sure he had the whole earth-heavens juxtaposition in mind.

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No, it's not an assumption. It's been stated by Woolsey himself.

Terra > Tina
Sabin > Mash

That's all there is to it. :moggie: