The Character of Reno

[Forsaken Lover]

So as anyone who's played FFVII knows, Reno is a Turk for Shinra. He displays cold efficiency at some times but this is just his job. Other times he's pretty chill and just one of the guys almost.

Then comes Advent Children. Reno becomes bumbling comedic relief and if you've seen a picture of him iN AC you know he has the look of someone with mild mental retardation.

Naturally i complained about this on some forums. However I've been told and read multiple times that the character of Reno in FFVIi was very different thanks to the translation.

Now I'm used to myths and rumors but this seems like a possibility so I'm just wondering if anyone can confirm or deny if his personality is different in the original Japanese version of FFVII and in what way(s)?

[silentenigma]

I'm not a japanese expert but would like to give my two cents:

It sounds like someone was grasping for an excuse for Reno's change of character in the movie. Look at his body language in the original and how he plays off of Rude's personality. If you ignore his dialogue, it doesn't even make sense that his lines would be "bumbling comedic relief." He's obviously down-to-business, if slightly eccentric and egotistical. Some call this "bad ass." Elena was the comic relief of the Turks in the game - why would they make two in an organization that's supposed to be considered intimidating?

Besides, the translators were obviously competent - they caught so much of the humor in all the other characters throughout the game. It doesn't make sense to me that they'd just arbitrarily change Reno's character.

Anyway here's an alternate translation to a scene with Reno in it (Midgar Underground scene). He doesn't seem to be any more of a humorous character here than he is the official translation.

Yrena: (to Leno and Rude) Oh they're here! What do we do now, I think
it's about time that we can disobey the orders.

Leno: ...Yrena. Take the job seriously.

Rude: Your job as a Tarx.

Yrena: ...yes sir. You're right.

Rude: It's time for... work.

Leno: I'm not TOO enthusiastic... but...

Yrena: A job is a job. (To Claude) We were ordered to kill you. The
company is a wreck now, but it's still our assignment!

Claude: .... (just stares at the 3 Tarx)

Yrena: What!!

Claude: 1. All right... we'll settle it once and for all (battle)
2. No, let's stop this.

(If you take 2...)

Yrena: Don't you dare give me sympathy!

Leno: Wait Yrena.

Yrena: But sir! Don't tell me we're going to go against...!

Leno: Shinra is dead now. That's the situation.

Rude: ......

Yrena: Sir...

Leno: (To Yrena) You were a good Tarx member.

Yrena: .......

Leno: (To Claude) See ya. If we both survive... then fine, we
survived and we'll leave it at that. (Leaves)

Yrena: Don't you ever forget us. (Leaves)

Rude: My job is finished. (Leaves)

[Forsaken Lover]

Apart from the name change that seems to be the exact same as the official translation.

[silentenigma]

Actually here's the official translation of that scene:

"Oh no! They're here!"

(Elena comes running up to them.)

Elena
"What are we going to do!? I think it's okay for you to ignore
your orders now."

(Reno walks up behind her from offscreen.)

Reno
"...Elena, don't act so weak."

(Rude enters.)

Rude
"We're Turks, Elena."

(She shakes her head.)

Elena
"...Yes, sir. You're right."

Rude
"Come on, we've got work to do."

Reno
"I'm not really up for it, but..."

Elena
"Our orders were to seek you out and..."
"...Kill."
"Our company may be in turmoil, but an order's an order."
"That's the will and spirit of the Turks! Believe it!"

(Reno and Rude scratch their heads.)

Cloud
"......"

Elena
"What are you doing! Let's go!"

<CHOICE>
Okay, let's end this
No, let's not go

***Cloud
Okay, let's end this

(The party assumes a fighting stance.)

Reno
"I know we've got a weird relationship, but..."
"We have to end this... like Turks!"

(Battle sequence with Reno, Rude, and Elena.)

***Cloud
No, let's not go

(Elena jumps)

Elena
"You're showing pity!? Don't take the Turks for fools!"

Reno
"Wait, Elena."

(She spins to face him.)

Elena
"Reno! You're not violating the order... are you!?"

Reno
"Shinra's finished. It's come down to this."

Rude
"......"

(She looks at Rude, then back to Reno)

Elena
"Rude..."

(She turns her head away from both of them.)

Reno
"Elena, you were a great Turk!"

(A pause.)

Elena
"......"

(Reno waves to the party.)

Reno
"Farewell. If we both survive..."
"If we can save our lives..."

(He turns and walks away. Elena turns to the party.)

Elena
"Remember the spirit of the Turks...!"

(She waves and runs off.)

Rude
"Our mission's finished..."

Of course the two are similar, but I'm pretty sure the other translation (Cathy Okada's) was done prior to the Western release of FFVII

[Jiro]

I feel they were just able to portray his eccentricity better in Advent Children, he is no less insane in the game. He also seems slightly... absent minded when he isn't entirely focused on his task. See: Sector 5 Church scene (walks over flowers, tells the guards not to).

[Jaffer]

Down to business? Badass? How about the part where he and Rude talk about which of girls they like, Elena then saying that "they are always doing this." or the part here they go on a vacation and refuse to either try to capture the people they are after or assist the Shinra soldiers in arresting Don? They were comic relief, they were just more of threat. But considering the whole premise of Advent Children is showing what it's like to watch a level 99 Cloud & Co, what were they gonna do?

[PeneloRatsbane]

they also make him a lot more attractive in AC. In FFVII he had a skeezy back alley rat like look, in AC he's just cute and scruffy.

[Crop]

Down to business? Badass? How about the part where he and Rude talk about which of girls they like, Elena then saying that "they are always doing this." or the part here they go on a vacation and refuse to either try to capture the people they are after or assist the Shinra soldiers in arresting Don? They were comic relief, they were just more of threat. But considering the whole premise of Advent Children is showing what it's like to watch a level 99 Cloud & Co, what were they gonna do?

I beg to differ. In AC he was just downright goofy.
Refusing to assist the soldiers in arresting Don wasn't done in a 'comic relief' way, he just brushed them off because he was on vacation.
His mannerisms and attitute in FFVII were far better, and made him one of my favourite characters.

Sadly enough, him and Rude were probably the best parts of AC too, but mainly because the rest of it was absolute e.

[Wolf Kanno]

I do think they changed Reno too much in AC, he's kinda hopped up on sugar in AC whereas he's just really lazy and eccentric in VII. The major thing I know that was lost between the Japanese and English translations was that Reno had a particular speech pattern that is pretty difficult to translate over so it was dropped in the game all together but was used as a joke in the early parts of the AC movie.

[Headsnap]

I found the difference from the game to AC a little odd, yes but still enjoyed his comic relief. hell he still had a bad ass side too him. i mean going after a guy that has magic and powers , when you have none? pretty ballsy. But get rid of that damn electro pod. get a real weapon

[Heath]

I was quite disappointed with how Reno was portrayed in Advent Children. I always rather liked his slightly badass attitude in FFVII, how he wouldn't work if he wasn't on the clock and how he's slightly lazy and cool. Seemed a shame to change that.

[Roogle]

I felt that Reno was a victim of Adaptation Decay moving from a video game script to a movie script. The movie needed someone to be a comic relief character without detracting from the action too much.

[kotora]

AC never happened. That movie was nothing but fanservice for Sephiroth fanboys and is best left ignored.

[Big D]

[QUOTE=Crop;2891026]

His mannerisms and attitute in FFVII were far better, and made him one of my favourite characters.

He was personally responsible for setting the Sector 7 pillar bomb, so he's got a large measure of personal responsibility for the senseless murder of hundreds of innocent people, both in the slums and atop the plate. For that reason alone I've found the fan-worship of Reno a little unsettling, though he does somewhat redeem himself by fighting 'the good fight' in Advent Children.

[Hollycat]

I like the advent children version
in 7 where elena is the comic relief it feels so forced, especially in the mountains