Translation Facination

[MJN SEIFER]

I am a long term fan of Final Fantasy, and as such I've seen various different versions of the games. I really love it how very often there will be at least two names for each character depending on which version you've got - hell sometimes it's more than character, it can be monster names, spell names, you name it. Sometimes the mistranslation can actually sound better, sometimes it ironically creates a meaning when there isn't one there, and other times it just looks completely wrong...

This thread will be a discussion on how we all see different, translations of stuff in FF games, and whether we use the correct names or prefer the bad translation for them.

I shall start

These are for FFV characters, but this still belongs in the general forum because this will hopefully cover all games eventually.

(Note: The bold parts are what I think are the correct translations)

Butz/Batz/Bartz: I longer do Butz = Butts jokes (it's probably not pronounced that way anyway), Batz came up too late for me for it to register, Bartz to me, sounds better, and it is the first on I saw. I just got used to it - I know it's wrong.

Lenna/Reina: Without second thought, Reina all the way. Again I realize it's wrong, but think about this even in an FF game, why should the second child of a king be Queen Queen? (for those who don't get that, "Lenna" actually means "Queen") it just doesn't seam right to do it like that. Add that her surname has a "rich" theme to it, and it feels like someone is playing a joke on you. Besides Lenna sounds a bit silly to say in my opinion, "Reina" actually sounds like a genuine RPG type name in my book, it has a sort of "Fantasy" type ring to it.

Krille/Cara/Kulutlu(?): Well for a start, how the hell do you pronounce "Krille" (Krill-eee?) and "Kulutlu" (Not even trying it, it's probably spelt wrong anyway...)? Cara is wrong, but it's the easiest for me to use and it always kind of stuck with me for some reason.

X-Death/Exdeath: Both sound the same, but "X-Death" looks like a comic-book character's name Go with Exdeath.

Sarisa/Salsa: Salsa? That's a type of food isn't it? I prefer Sarisa, it is the correct one, and provides a clue to how she got the name (SPOILER)"Faris".

Hope it's a good discussion for you all to do, looking forward to it.

(Note: You don't have to write it like I did - that was just to get the ball rolling.)

[Darkswordofchaos]

In most of the erley final fantasy title up to 7 i think they changed the name of the holy majics to white or somthing like that but that was cause they was afraid it would offend christan players in america

[The Turk]

I try to use 'Aeris' all the time as that's what her name is in the game I own. But I sometimes call her 'Aerith' by mistake. If they ever do a remake and call her Aerith, which they would do, they better leave in the ability to rename her so I can call her Aeris again.

Also from VII the main Turk is called Tseng! I've seen it spelt so many ways such as Zeng.

As for VI I am sooooo glad they changed the names. Tina may sound exotic to the Japanese but not to a Western audience. Imagine a playable party consisting of Tina, Bill, Gary, Kate and Dan...doesn't sound nearly as cool. 'Mash' just sounds stupid and Cayenne (or whatever it is) sounds like a girl's name. I have a pet peeve when people use the 'real translation' names like Tina and Mash and as for Cefka....pfft.

[hhr1dluv]

Lenna/Reina: Without second thought, Reina all the way. Again I realize it's wrong, but think about this even in an FF game, why should the second child of a king be Queen Queen? (for those who don't get that, "Lenna" actually means "Queen") it just doesn't seam right to do it like that.

Actually, "Reina" also means queen...in Spanish. They must've intended for her to be Queen Queen, or they just wanted to be quirky and give her a name that had to do with royalty.

EDIT: Although, did you mean Reina initially? In what language does lenna mean queen? Japanese?

As for other mistranslated names or whatever, the only controversy that I'm familiar with is the whole Aeris vs. Aerith debate. For the longest time, I called her Aeris because it sounded better...but since she's been Aerith in KH I and II, and FFVII CC, I've just submitted. Aeris + lisp it is.

[Jessweeee♪]

Krille is pronounced "krill" I think.


As for Aeris/Aerith, I don't like how "Aeris" looks, but "Aerith" sounds better. So either way.

[hhr1dluv]

^ According to your logic, it should always be Aerith. It both looks and sounds better!

As for me, I think Aeris looks and sounds better. Well...maybe Aerith does look a bit better than Aeris.

[Jessweeee♪]

...whoops. I mean Aeris sounds better.

[Darkswordofchaos]

How bout tactics on the PS. It has so many mistransations it almost changes the story

[Marshall Banana]

I wish that Zell wouldn't say "Frickin' Hell!"

[blackmage_nuke]

I prefer Bolt to Thunder.

And Ice over Blizzard.

[The Man]

Cara's name was intended to be romanised as Cara-ru, if memory serves correctly. A verbatim romanisation would be Klulu or Kruru; you're apparently thinking of Cthulhu.

And I believe Leina was the intended name, not Reina or Lenna, although Kishi can tell you more about this.

[MJN SEIFER]

In most of the erley final fantasy title up to 7 i think they changed the name of the holy majics to white or somthing like that but that was cause they was afraid it would offend christan players in america

I think the "Hell" related stuff was changed for the same reason, Nintendo (who had most of the FF stuff) where very sensitive back then - maybe they still are?

As for Aeris/Aerith, I don't like how "Aeris" looks, but "Aerith" sounds better. So either way. ...whoops. I mean Aeris sounds better.

I personally thin Aeris sounds better aswell, although it's wrong, but that's partly because I am unable to pronounce "th" sounds in real life. Here's a thing for you all though, In one of my old magazines I This is the order of the deaths according to the premonition which is backwards; saw an article on FFVII that was produced as the game was being made and they called Aeris "Ealis" anyone else know about that name?

Cara's name was intended to be romanised as Cara-ru, if memory serves correctly. A verbatim romanisation would be Klulu or Kruru; you're apparently thinking of Cthulhu.

And I believe Leina was the intended name, not Reina or Lenna, although Kishi can tell you more about this.

"Cthulhu"? - That's even harder to pronounce than what I put! Also "Leina" sounds familier, like it's been mentioned here before. Have to do some research. I guess.

Keep 'em coming guys.

[Jessweeee♪]

I think Ealis sounds too much like Elvis. Which is something I named her on one playthrough xD

[BG-57]

What gets me wondering is in FFVII Bagrisks drop Vagyrisk Claws. Were there two different translators working on Basilisks?

[The Man]

"Cthulhu"? - That's even harder to pronounce than what I put!

Not by accident, I assure you. Actually Lovecraft said he intended it to be pronunced something along the lines of "K'lulu" which makes me wonder whether it was an unconscious homage. It definitely wouldn't be a conscious one.