Translated credits

[Takeshi357]

I have to say that I don't really like the modern tradition of removing the original credits and replacing them with english ones.

This is particularily grievous on 80's and other oldschool anime; back when I was a kid, the little anime I saw was dubbed but always had the original intro music. The original language credits combined with the dated animation arouses certain sense of nostalgy in me, even if it's a series I've never seen before.

When the credits are replaced with english ones, it just ruins the mood, y'know? It wouldn't be such a problem if it was only done with the closing credits.

Does anyone else feel the same way?

[Fencedude]

I like to be able to read who made my anime. Thank you very much.

[something]

I can't read Japanese. Therefore kanji credits are useless to me.

On the other hand, there are better places to get information about staff and cast than to sit through the OP and ED and pause constantly, or go through a printed insert and hope (in vain probably) that they provided an exhaustive list. I'd much rather alt+tab over to firefox and use my keyword shortcut to the ANN encyclopedia and have an answer in under 15 seconds from the moment of wondering who that familiar voice is...

I think the main objection to redoing credits into English tends not to be because it ruins nostalgia, but because R1 companies are often said to screw it up and mess with the video quality or whatever. ::thinks of ep 1 of Rahxephon::

But one example of where translated credits was very useful has been in the Lucky Star 'amateur translations', because they really, really were useful for telling us what song is what and who is who in all the strange, strange ED sequences. :sd:

If I were forced to choose between translated and not, however, I'd go with translated. But most of the time I just don't care.

[quenelf]

I always prefer the original-language credits - not for nostalgia really, simply because I prefer an authentic experience. I want the audio track and the video track to be completely identical to the 'original', with only the subtitle track being changed.

My preferred solution is original-language credits, or original-language with each episode but an extra credit roll at the end of the disc with the credits. If I really want to know who did something I can look it up online easily enough.

I don't object heavily to translated credits except where they make a complete mess of it. For example, except where the original credits scrolled, scrolling credits are not acceptable (and make it hard to see any picture in the background); also sometimes credits are replaced without paying attention to the obvious space left in the artwork for credits; credits that were quite small or thin-lined and probably fairly hard to read but left plenty of room for the picture are replaced with gigantic ones because somehow hard-to-read credits were good enough for the Japanese but not us; etc.

So to recap, it is normal to butcher the credits, but there have been a few occasions where replaced credits are done sensitively and I don't object to the process then.

Incidentally there are some cases where i don't really like the original credits :) For example I assume the (English-script) credits to GitS:SAC are created by the Japanese staff - the font's awful (fixed-space) and half of it is spelled wrong. Still better than most replaced credits though...

--quen

[Orihara_Kaoru]

I'm a fan of original kanji credits, but the only time translated credits really bug me is when (agreeing with quen here) the ED credits scroll in the middle of the screen, completely ignoring the obvious blank spaces meant for them.

That being said, I have to give huge props for Geneon's treatment of Saiunkoku's ED credits. They did a perfect job of matching their translated credits to the appropriate blank spaces on the screen. Very well done.

[Shsway]

I like everything translated for me. If doing so really does ruin the look of the video all that much, a separately translated screen is fine.

But, for the love of God, TRANSLATE EVERYTHING!! Not to attack them, especially these days, but I've always found CPM's mini-credits scroll to be pretty frustrating because I'm absolutely anal about getting every detail I can. Same with those FUNimation releases that fail to give me the names of the Japanese cast, on the English angle option.

[Rhodes]

do they translate the credits? i always thought they just use the info the company gives em.

[Shsway]

do they translate the credits? i always thought they just use the info the company gives em.

Who, FUNimation? All I know is that the Japanese video angle (which I think is always the second), keeps everything as it appears on the Japanese release, while the English angle has the credits in English...but not always ALL of the pertinent credits. There are times when the Japanese cast does not get credited in the English scroll, for whatever reason, though they'll have the usual "Reversioned" credit for the American company/producers added.

Am I making any sense? :sd:

Edit: Or do you mean, "Does FUNi always translate the credits themselves?" This I do not know in the slightest.

[Takeshi357]

I can't read Japanese either, but I'm a purist.

I hated how the original Ghost in the Shell movie doesn't provide the original Japanese cast at all, just the english dub one.

If you need translated credits, they could as well stick them in the ED credits instead (the OP is important to me) or even the DVD insert.

an extra credit roll at the end of the disc with the credits
Or like that, yeah.

And if all else fails, I'd rather have the original kanji intro at least as an extra instead of the useless textless openings they always stick on the discs.

[EmperorBrandon]

Ideally, I would want both the original credits AND translated credits available. Translated credits are good because I can't read most Japanese names right away and it's good to know if there are any familiar names. However, sometimes translated credits have incorrect readings of names (e.g. Emi Ogata, Taketo Koyasu, etc.) and it helps to confirm names if I have access to the original credits.

I don't care whether it's accomplished by alternate angles or with an extra credits scroll, but I would like the translated credits to be complete in any case (not like Bandai Ent. does on titles where they will only list some of the cast and staff)

[Kouji Tamino]

I'm more likely to skip the OP and ED if there's nothing for me to read. I'd rather they not even use credits than stare at useless text that covers the screen for no reason.

[The Great Bear]

Like Fencedude mentioned, I like credits I can read.

If the original credits are kept, it's not a big deal for me. If I don't like the OP song, I just skip to the next chapter. In such cases, they have to have complete English credit somewhere (or they suck, like Bandai and their treatment of Galaxy Angel AA).

As an on disk extra, to have the original opening with credits is fine. Geneon used to do that at times.

Of course, it's best when they make some attempt to make the English credits fit in the screen the way the originals did. Not always entirely possible, but not impossible either.

[Suwako Moriya]

I personally feel both the Japanese and English credits get in the way of the Opening/Ending. Hence why they should just show the clean versions from now on. Besides it's better to have things mysterious. :) Seriously speaking I don't have strong feelings either way. I think it's nice to be able to see the original credits, but I can live with them being in the form of an extra. Either way it's not the type of issue I concern myself with much.

[Njr Scrawl]

I like how Bandai does it, leaves the original as is, & has the credits for both languages at the end of each discs final episode.

Funimation's angle choices, when they bother to translate the Japanese credits for the English option, are OK.

I like the original Japanese kanji because in quite a few places, the original design has a particular font style, colour & size chosen to "slot into" the ending art or animation, to look more artistic &/or complimentary.

If a R1 company ignores that & just slaps their own stuff across from edge to edge, it seems ignorant & uncaring of the original creation's aesthetics.

Superimposing translated credits on or around the Japanese looks worse, & also very amateur.

[Buckeye]

Here are the ways about having credits in both languages that I have come across. So which way do you like the best?

*In Japanese during the episodes and then translated credits at the end of the disc (Several Bandai titles like Scryed and Planetes)
*Alternative angles (most Funimation titles)
*Japanese credits as extra (Several Geneon releases like Ai Yori Aoshi and Girls Bravo)
*In Japanese during the episodes and translated credits are available as an extra (When They Cry)

[Lovely]

Oh COME ON. Most of the time there isn't even anything artistic about the kana credits. It's JUST TEXT.

That's like saying what I'm posting now is something artistic and special. It's not. It's text. A way for me to communicate my thoughts to the forum.

If someone decided to translate it for someone else so that they could read it, I wouldn't for one second think that it was less authentic :roll: .

I actually enjoy being able to read the credits to see who was involved with the show.