I feel as though this one should have been uploaded first for the punchline.
BugDevil
Mar 24, 2020 9:10AM
Imagine you could fight these two like that, the same way you fight Red in Pokemon Gold.
Just these two standing on top of a mountain on a romantic date and the player feels like a third wheel lol
Lilliwyt
Mar 24, 2020 9:11AM
I found a bit hilarious that their japanese names are Touko and Mei
Throbelisk
Mar 24, 2020 9:29AM
The Pokemon localization team's insistence on changing the names has always perplexed me. It seems like keeping them the same as the Japanese version would be a great way for kids in other countries to learn and normalize other cultures, but what do I know?
last edited at Mar 24, 2020 9:30AM
Kawasa
Mar 24, 2020 10:26AM
If Pokemon had never been localized before the 2010s, we probably would see them keep the Japanese names. But back in the 1990s when they were first coming out in the West, there wasn't a track record of successful animes, mangas, and games that kept the Japanese cultural elements intact.
[deleted]
Mar 24, 2020 1:02PM
Keep in mind that it was Americans doing the English localisation, not a Japanese team. "A great way for kids in other countries to learn about Japanese culture" isn't their job, or anywhere on their list of concerns. A translator's goal is more like "make something people in my country will enjoy so as many people as possible will buy it and I keep getting my paycheck", and part of that is usually making it more familiar to the target audience, suited for their tastes.
ckretaznmayden
Mar 24, 2020 4:27PM
Jelly-filled doughnuts was a thing. That being said, the names of the Digimon Adventure cast stayed mostly the same when localized at around the same time.
Also, Goku from Dragonball was named Zero in one of the first localizations of the show.
Polycell
Mar 24, 2020 5:30PM
The Pokemon localization team's insistence on changing the names has always perplexed me.
Pokemon's been aggressively localized since the beginning(the team for the original games even wanted to go so far as to redesign some of the Pokemon before getting that shot down); not changing things is the exception for them, rather than the rule - which would probably still be the case even if we got a generation of preemptively internationalized names.
AnnaMaki219
Mar 24, 2020 9:42PM
Touko got a growth spurt
Kasin
Mar 24, 2020 10:46PM
I still don't know how this pairing started, but I'm glad since the look really good together! Also, screw the localization garbage on Pokemon, thanks for keeping the original names.
Megumiaki
Mar 25, 2020 12:23AM
Well, at least with these two characters, Western names are probably more appropriate, considering Unova is based on a region of the United States. I do wonder if more Japanese names would have been better for the first four generations, with their regions all being based on regions of Japan.
BugDevil
Mar 25, 2020 3:51AM
^I think you nailed the matter on the head. I want the names to reflect the regions more. The games taking place in the US, France and Scotland should have names that reflect those countries. It's kind of weird how Japan insists on giving everyone Japanese names despite clearly taking every other design inspiration straight from foreign countries. In that way they are no better than overzealous Western localisation.
Heck, the first edition straight up admitted that America exists (because the army Gym Leader was said to be American).
last edited at Mar 25, 2020 3:52AM
Lilliwyt
Mar 25, 2020 7:25AM
^ I mean even the french name for Kalos don't sound french at all. MC names are Kalem for the boy (yeah Kalem with a K) and Serena for the girl.
juanelric
Mar 25, 2020 12:36PM
^It's actually Calem with a C
But yeah, the Japanese are constantly giving Japanese names to non-Japanese characters, or rather, they have no consistency what region/language characters' names come from. Just look at any Isekai without "made-up" names.
I still don't know how this pairing started, but I'm glad since the look really good together!
They're the protagonists of Black/White and Black 2/White 2. Shipping them together is fairly natural.
Heck, the first edition straight up admitted that America exists (because the army Gym Leader was said to be American).
More than that: the region Kanto is based on a region of Japan actually called Kantou and Mew's Pokedex entry in Pokemon Stadium stated it was a South American myth. It wasn't until generation II that they divorced it meaningfully from the real world.
Swag Wagon Mar 23, 2020 11:16PM
I feel as though this one should have been uploaded first for the punchline.
BugDevil Mar 24, 2020 9:10AM
Imagine you could fight these two like that, the same way you fight Red in Pokemon Gold.
Just these two standing on top of a mountain on a romantic date and the player feels like a third wheel lol
Lilliwyt Mar 24, 2020 9:11AM
I found a bit hilarious that their japanese names are Touko and Mei
Throbelisk Mar 24, 2020 9:29AM
The Pokemon localization team's insistence on changing the names has always perplexed me. It seems like keeping them the same as the Japanese version would be a great way for kids in other countries to learn and normalize other cultures, but what do I know?
last edited at Mar 24, 2020 9:30AM
Kawasa Mar 24, 2020 10:26AM
If Pokemon had never been localized before the 2010s, we probably would see them keep the Japanese names. But back in the 1990s when they were first coming out in the West, there wasn't a track record of successful animes, mangas, and games that kept the Japanese cultural elements intact.
[deleted] Mar 24, 2020 1:02PM
Keep in mind that it was Americans doing the English localisation, not a Japanese team. "A great way for kids in other countries to learn about Japanese culture" isn't their job, or anywhere on their list of concerns. A translator's goal is more like "make something people in my country will enjoy so as many people as possible will buy it and I keep getting my paycheck", and part of that is usually making it more familiar to the target audience, suited for their tastes.
ckretaznmayden Mar 24, 2020 4:27PM
Jelly-filled doughnuts was a thing. That being said, the names of the Digimon Adventure cast stayed mostly the same when localized at around the same time.
Also, Goku from Dragonball was named Zero in one of the first localizations of the show.
Polycell Mar 24, 2020 5:30PM
Pokemon's been aggressively localized since the beginning(the team for the original games even wanted to go so far as to redesign some of the Pokemon before getting that shot down); not changing things is the exception for them, rather than the rule - which would probably still be the case even if we got a generation of preemptively internationalized names.
AnnaMaki219 Mar 24, 2020 9:42PM
Touko got a growth spurt
Kasin Mar 24, 2020 10:46PM
I still don't know how this pairing started, but I'm glad since the look really good together! Also, screw the localization garbage on Pokemon, thanks for keeping the original names.
Megumiaki Mar 25, 2020 12:23AM
Well, at least with these two characters, Western names are probably more appropriate, considering Unova is based on a region of the United States. I do wonder if more Japanese names would have been better for the first four generations, with their regions all being based on regions of Japan.
BugDevil Mar 25, 2020 3:51AM
^I think you nailed the matter on the head. I want the names to reflect the regions more. The games taking place in the US, France and Scotland should have names that reflect those countries. It's kind of weird how Japan insists on giving everyone Japanese names despite clearly taking every other design inspiration straight from foreign countries. In that way they are no better than overzealous Western localisation.
Heck, the first edition straight up admitted that America exists (because the army Gym Leader was said to be American).
last edited at Mar 25, 2020 3:52AM
Lilliwyt Mar 25, 2020 7:25AM
^ I mean even the french name for Kalos don't sound french at all. MC names are Kalem for the boy (yeah Kalem with a K) and Serena for the girl.
juanelric Mar 25, 2020 12:36PM
^It's actually Calem with a C
But yeah, the Japanese are constantly giving Japanese names to non-Japanese characters, or rather, they have no consistency what region/language characters' names come from. Just look at any Isekai without "made-up" names.
Lilliwyt Mar 25, 2020 1:27PM
^ No no, it's really Kalem with a K in the french version of X/Y
Polycell Mar 26, 2020 9:38AM
They're the protagonists of Black/White and Black 2/White 2. Shipping them together is fairly natural.
More than that: the region Kanto is based on a region of Japan actually called Kantou and Mew's Pokedex entry in Pokemon Stadium stated it was a South American myth. It wasn't until generation II that they divorced it meaningfully from the real world.