Watching "Sakura To Satsuki" for possible fansubbing project.

Currently watching "Sakura To Satsuki" for possible fansubbing project.
Even though it is more interesting than Necchu Jidai, not much going on in this drama except a lot of talking. Basically about the friendship between two women who likes the same guy. If I write anything more then I'll be spoiling it for everyone.

I can't see myself watching it again so it's not likely to be subbed by me.

Sayonara Bokutachi No Youchien new vocab entered into Anki

Finished entering the new vocab from "Sayonara Bokutachi No Youchien" to study into anki.
Anki is a Space Repetition System (SRS) program for remembering things and is especially useful for learning Japanese. Basically it's a flash card program.

Possible Fansub Project

Currently watching Necchu Jidai with Japanese Subs to see if I will take it on as a fansubbing project. I don't like the chances though as it seems boring.

I might sub it but it looks like a cliched and formulaic school drama and it seems to be a pilot for an upcoming series. Apart from exposing myself to more Japanese language, as a story I don't think I will get anything out of it.

"The Queen's Classroom" 教室の女王 [ Jyo Ou noKyoushitsu ] is the benchmark for school dramas and this is just like an elementary school version of "GTO" except that it is quite tame and doesn't seem to know where it's going.

I can't really see myself watching this again so it's not likely to be subbed by me.

Second Fansubbing Project "Young Black Jack" Completed

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 3:15 am    Post subject: Young Black Jack SP [Eng Subs] (Complete)
This is the complete English Subtitles for: Young Black Jack (704x396 x264) Raw Provider: Furransu Based on the JP subs provided by Furransu. English Translation: Kong of the Apes. Comments, trivia and notes: 1. I love the sound track on this. Listen to the leit motif for the characters. The contrast for Black Jack's theme and Nagisa's theme really stood out. 2. Black Jack writes in his note book in German. 3. Originally I had translated Ten Mei as destiny, but I'd changed it to Karma. The difference being that Karma involves connections between living things, even past and future lives whereas destiny does not have such a connection. 4. I had no idea of what Tatsumi was talking about when he was harassing Yuna, Yuna had no idea either so it was a direct translation from the script. 5. I also did a direct translation when Black Jack was feeling guilty about his mother's death because it contained an inter-textual reference to Jesus bearing the cross which I thought had a much more powerful imagery than if I was to translated to: "Am I going to feel guilty all my life." 6. Takashi said that the skin was from his bum but I translated it to heart when Dr Honma said it. The actual word that Dr Honma used was Omou which means feelings but it sounded weird in English. On a physical level the skin was from Takashi's bum but metaphorically from his heart. 7. When Black Jack was talking to Takashi he said "I will never forget this feeling" the actual word he used was kimochi. Again it sounded weird in English so it became "I will never forget our friendship and your generosity". I've thought about using: loyalty, devotion and fidelity, but I don't think it was that kind of relationship between the two. 8. Yuna calls Black Jack, Mr Hazama, whereas Dr Honma called him by his first name of Tokio and her parents called him Dr. Hazama. This shows the status and distance in relationship between them and Black Jack. While it is more apparent in Japanese than in English, such things do exist in English. They all recognised him as a doctor even though he is unlicenced but Yuna calling him Mr Hazama suggests that she feels that their distance in relationship is closer than if she calls him doctor but not close enough to call him by his first name as she did with Naoki. 9. Michi means path or road. There is a physical meaning and a metaphorical meaning. Metaphorically it means a deep devotion to a career, sports, hobby, etc. but there is always an underlying philosophy involved in the activity. If you have read, "The Road Less Travel," by Robert Frost you might understand what I'm talking about. 10. Rogue is a good word to describe Black Jack. Originally, I translated "Yami Isha" (Yami meaning from the darkness, shady, illegal, etc) as unlicenced doctor then I remembered the word "rogue" but I used Rogue Doctor and unlicenced doctor depending on the situation otherwise it looses it's effect. 11. When Dr Honma speaks, sometimes I thought he was talking in French. 12. I like watching people in the background during group shots or a wide shots. At the party, during Naoki's proposal watch the extras, the parents' excitement and Black Jack's dis-interest. I should write a fansubbing blog. Again the same conditions apply for the use of these subs. That is: These subs comes with the condition that it is for private use only: These subs are not to be uploaded onto streaming sites, and not be contained as part of a package for sale, rental or ebay. Thank-you and Enjoy, Kong of the Apes

Second Fansubbing Project "Young Black Jack"

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:50 am    Post subject:    Post Rating: 0

Update on the English Subs: I still have about 30 minutes of the video to go. There is a section where the timing is a bit out of sync and then comes back on sync again. I've decided not to fix the timing, because I don't really want to spend time learning how to use the software and I think there are a lot of timers out in fansub world who could do the job better. With some research, the medical terminology is not a problem. Since this is my second subbing project and I'm still studying Japanese on my own, here are some observations I've made if anybody else decides to follow the same path. 1. Choose a project that you're most likely to be interested in because you'll be watching the video at least six times. This explains why some series get oversubbed while others don't get subbed. 2. You have to be competent in the second language in this case Japanese but proficiency in your first language is more important because your audience is English speaking. 3. It helps to be familiar with Japanese culture, geography and history. (I've been to Japan four times already, practised Shorinji Kempo for eight years, read a lot of books and watch jdrama, movies and anime). Good books to read to learn about history and culture are "Musashi" and "Taiko" both written by Eiji Yoshikawa and "Japanese Death Poems Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death" by Yoel Hoffman. 4. With sentence structure and grammar, you will only use about 10% of what you've learn in Japanese class and textbooks. The rest of what you've learnt is used as a guide only because real Japanese spoken under real situations aren't like those in class and textbooks. That is why machine translation doesn't work. ( A good vocabulary range also helps ). 5. Some things just don't translate well from one language to the other, so you have to think what would sound natural for a person in the targeted language would say in that situation because your audience would be the one in the targeted language. Another reason why machine translation doesn't work. 6. It's good to have a native Japanese speaker check your translation but your work doesn't end there because you will have to rewrite the corrections to make it natural for the targeted audience and that the translation fits in with the story as a whole. If you are intending to have a native speaker check your translation then it is another reason to be competent in Japanese because they shouldn't have to do too much work. 7. Fansubbing supplements my study of the Japanese language and because I'm studying through a real world task that has a real audience it becomes more purposeful. It also makes you reflect deeply about your first language.

Comments, Notes and Trivia for Sayonara Bokutachi No Youchien

1. It seems that most translation for "Sayonara Bokutachi No Youchien" is "Goodbye to our kindergarten", however I used "Farewell instead of "Goodbye" as "Farewell" has more permanency about it. Secondly I've left out the preposition "to" because without it, it sounded more like the kids were talking directly to the kindergarten itself as kids tend to do. So my translation became: "Farewell our kindergarten" instead of "Goodbye to our kindergarten" the difference in effect is similar to the difference between direct speech and reported or indirect speech. Furthermore "Goodbye to our kindergarten is a simple clause" whereas "Farewell our kindergarten" is more like a sentence or complex clause.

2. The children's rhyme that Kan'na was singing when she was getting picked up:

♪～　き　き　きのこ　き　き　きのこ
♪～　のこのこのこのこ　あるいて
I've originally translated to: 
mu mu mushroom mu mu mushroom
calmly, calmly, calmly, calmly walking

Because it's a children's rhyme I made used of alliteration and consonance in the second line. 
To translate it without poetic devices just doesn't have the same effect.
When samshikmomo checked my translation and changed "calmly" to "slowly" I'd changed "walking 

to "strolling" so the second line became: "slowly slowly slowly slowly strolling" which sounded even 

better with the "s", "l" and "o" sounds.

3. It was quite difficult to translate the missing part by ear where Takumi was talking about pancakes 

because he was crying. I did as best as I could there then put emoticons like (T_T) where I couldn't pick 

out the words. Samshikmomo was able translate the missing part by ear.

4. I wondered why the kids repeat "we" and "our" when they were doing the graduation speech. 
I thought it might relate to gender as "Bokutachi" to my knowledge is masculine but I'm sure 

"Watashitachi" is gender neutral. If that's the case to have the title "Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien" 

is not very inclusive of the girls. I may have to ask samshimomo.    

First Fansub: Sayonara Bokutachi No Youchien

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 9:28 am    Post subject: Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien (Re-air Ver) [Eng subs] (Complete)
This is the complete English Subtitles for: Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien (704x396 x264) (Re-air Ver) Raw Provider: Furransu Based on the JP subs provided by Furransu. QC: Samshikmomo Timing: Samshikmomo Spot translation: Samshikmomo. Initial English Translation: Kong of the Apes. English Editing: Kong of the Apes. Initially I have only intended to translate the Japanese sub to English and released it as it is, but I got offers of assistance from Samshikmomo, who did a great job in providing a quality sub that we can be proud of. I also had offers for assistance from isabelh202 but was not required. For all these people including Furransu, I thank-you. The subs were translated to Australian English so if you are used to American English it is only a slight difference in spelling for some words. The romanisation of place names was kept as one word but with the start of each Kanji capitalised so that it is easier to read, especially where there are a series of vowels. E.g. Takao = TakaO This is a great drama that is funny, dark and deep with superb acting from the kids. With any good stories every small detail is connected to the whole such as the picture => the lollies => the weather report By bringing you these subs I hope that the viewer can appreciate the depth of this story as I have done by translating it. These subs comes with the condition that it is for private use only: These subs are not to be uploaded onto streaming sites, and not be contained as part of a package for sale, rental or ebay. Thank-you and Enjoy, Kong of the Apes.

The work was pretty tedious but in the end addictive and satisfying. Can't seem to get the song out of my head my afterwards