That's right boys and girls, in an attempt to liven up the board, improve my Japanese and perhaps even encourage some new members to sign up and laugh at me (Hit the register button and join our small family! Yes YOU!), I will be detailing my journey through the Japanese version of Final Fantasy IV for the SNES. I've always heard it was the most abused in the series when it came to it's original SNES localization and after two years of living in Japan I plan to see for myself first hand.

I plan to fill this thread with screen caps, commentary, and reflections on how my old cynical heart feels about this classic now that I'm not 12. Seeing as how this will also be a guide for studying Japanese I plan to list the Japanese words and grammar I learned as I go (along with some I didn't).

Come along for the ride, won't you?

See a better way to translate something from Japanese to English?

Comment!

Have an amusing anecdote about the game or it's characters?

Comment!

Want to tell me that I'm 10 years too late for this to be remotely relevant?

Comment!
 
I will also be cross posting this in my blog if you are interested in simply seeing my progress without having to wade through the forums.

Let's embark!
 



Oh the title screen. Oh that classic music. As jaded as I am these title screens always get me. Even the low resolution ones.

Cut to the airships flying around and the crew of them complaining about the orders they've been given. Cut to the flashback where Cecil and his troops take the Water crystal from Mysidia.





I wonder why they felt the need to add dialogue here in the English version? It seems like a pretty condescending way to rip all of the subtlety right out of the scene.

Flash back to the present and Cecil tells the crew to stop their jive talkin. He lectures them all about doing whatever is necessary for the good of Baron (HEIL!) and that those wussies in Mｙsidia probably didn't fight back only because of how bad-ass his armor makes him look.

But oh no! A monster attack!
 



And with that I'm going to call it a night. I plan on updating this fairly regularly, so check back often! I wish I could have gotten further than the first FORTY SECONDS of the game, but I started this kind of late tonight and I have an 8 o'clock class.

Closing thoughts: I would already label Cecil as emo, but man- that armor earns him some points.

Japanese Words I learned from this chapter:

Hokori: (誇り)- Proud/Noble

"われわれ　赤い翼は　誇り高き ひくていだん”

(We are the Redwings of this noble airship!)

Hikuteidan: (ひくていだん)- Airship

 "われわれ　赤い翼は　誇り高き ひくていだん” 

(We are the Redwings of this noble airship!)

Kayowai: (か弱い)-  Feeble/Frail

”か弱い者から　略奪など！”

(Doing such things as robbing from the weak!)

Ryakudatsu (略奪)-To plunder/loot/rob

 ”か弱い者から　略奪など！” 

(Doing such things as robbing from the weak!)

Muteikouna (無抵抗な)-Non resistant/passive

"無抵抗な　まどうしたちから　略奪するなんて！"

(To do such a thing as steal from those peaceful mages!)

Madoushi (まどうし)-Majician/sorcerer (or in the Final Fantasy universe "Mages")

 " 無抵抗な　まどうしたちから　略奪するなんて！" 

(To do such a thing as steal from those peaceful mages!)

Hanei (繁栄)- Prosperity

”クリスタルは　わが　バロン国の　繁栄のため　どうしても　必要だ。”

(The Crystal is for the prosperity of Baron. That means we must have it at any cost.)

Mamono (魔物)-Monster

”たいちょう 　魔物が！"

(Captain, Monsters!)

Words or phrases I still don't know.

ごはんだん (Gohandan)

へいか (Heika)

Although I think I saw Heika as "Majesty" somewhere but I can't find it again. It would make sense contextually, as in: "Your Majesty".
 
Comments? If you are also studying Japanese and happen to have questions or comments please leave them! I've spent 2 years living in Japan so I consider myself to be pretty fluent but some of this Japanese is pretty archaic. 

Browsing Kotaku today when I stumbled upon this article.

http://kotaku.com/5251146/game-rights-snagged-for-george-r-r-martins-song-of-ice-and-fire

....

What?

I'm perhaps once of the largest George R. R. Martin fans in the world and my brain just broke.

How is that going to work? Classic JRPG style? Will Caitlyn and Sansa be casting spells?

A choose your own adventure where no matter what all of your characters die in the end?

Perhaps it could be a dating sim where you play as Tyrion who's trying to find just the right whore?

I guess... I mean... it could make a decent game in the same vein of games as the Total War series.

Right?

Aww screw it. We all know it's just going to be a Dynasty Warriors clone.