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Took me a while to get this one done due to pickiness with Rinoa and choosing who the third character would be. Ultimately, I decided on her pet dog Angelo to alleviate some of my stress with the unfamiliarity of drawing humans.
I'm not 100% super proud of this one, to be honest. I feel I messed up Rinoa still, but I had to get it done, and at least the pose is ambitious for me.Â
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About to go to a Halloween party and still couldnât think of a costume? Just wear a dog on your head!
Another Halloween themed thing. I do intend to colour it but I wanted to at least get the lineart version out on Halloween day (well, from US readersâ POV anyway). Iâm very happy with how Squall and Linoa turned out in this more simple style, especially Linoa. I think Iâm especially proud of her design because I started drawing her using her usual duster outfit, but then I decided I wanted something a bit more creative, so I quickly drew up this bat-themed dress which I think looks really nice.
And Angelo is just happy to be included.
I had more planned but unfortunately, I started too late and bit off more than I could chew as a result. Oh well. I still really want to do them, it just wonât me timely any more. :P
Anyway, hope you enjoy it and look forward to the coloured version soonish, hopefully.
It is the spookiest, scariest, sexiest time of year! And Linoa is going as Elvira, Iâve decided. After all, theyâre botch witches and I think Elviraâs slit dress kinda looks like Linoaâs duster. I really wanted to do something based on that classic Elvira pic, though I obviously took a couple liberties, especially since I (mostly) did it from memory. And much like the Shiva drawing, this was an opportunity to work on shading. Still learning the ropes regarding that, and figuring out how much I can do with Sai, so if anybodyâs got any tip or constructive criticism, feel free to share.
Hope you all like it, I have other ideas for Halloween-themed FF8 fanart so hopefully Iâll be able to do at least one more before the end of the month. You can also view an HD version of the drawing in my gallery of art what is deviant, if youâre catching my drift. search for âNeijeâ there and youâll find it immediately. I very much recommend doing it as there is quite a lot of detail that gets lost in the low res version Iâm uploading here.
Alright so, first things first, Iâve got @aurenareâs answer and itâs... weird. See, I was sure that in both the English and French versions of the game, it stated that people can apply between ages 15-20 and if they havenât graduated by the time theyâre 20, they are expelled, but checking it again, it says students shall leave BGU at age 20, regardless of whether they graduated or not.
That... doesnât seem right. And to make things worse, when I looked at the English text again...
Yup, it says the same thing here. So what happened? Did everyone suffer from mass hysteria or something and we all made up that only those who fail to graduate have to leave? Or maybe we just blocked it off because... that makes no sense!
As Iâve mentioned before when Aurenare asked about this, why would Balamb Garden intentionally weaken its forces? Theyâre trying to build an army to fight Ultimecia and therefore save all of reality! And itâs not like many cadets graduate each time to begin with. And thatâs without even taking into accounts those who die or get too injured to continue.
And I know NORG is the one financing the operation and doesnât particularly care about heroics but even from that point of view, wouldnât he want to have as many SeeDs to pimp out as possible?
On top of that, one thing people tend to forget is that SeeD is NOT a military group. They are mercenaries, with different methods and skills, especially since SeeD tends to go for more low-key, secret missions rather than all-out battles.
Even the one in Dollet seems to be an exception rather than the rule, and even then they were only assisting the Dollet army for a single battle, not allying themselves with them on the long term.
So with that in mind, while B-Garden has programs with various armies for graduates to join and I have no doubt many of them would be able to adapt to military life, would most of them even be interested in that? And do they expect to keep GF junctioning a secret when they keep handing out their elite forces to foreign armies?
Now, both versions do also state that instructors are allowed to stay, so maybe the idea is that all official SeeDs are expected to become instructors as well? Maybe when theyâre not on missions? I guess that works, and Squallâs lack of pedagogy would be doubtlessly hilarious if he had remained a regular SeeD.
Another possibility is that itâs very awkwardly worded, as both the English and French versions specify that all students are released regardless of graduation, so maybe the idea is that graduates can stay, they just canât be students any more.
Or maybe Balamb Garden has outposts around the world and SeeDs over 20 are dispatched around them since their training is considered to be complete and they therefore have no reason to stay at what is essentially the SeeD academy. But then again, thatâs not something thatâs mentioned in the game. And if training isnât supposed to end at graduation and theyâre still learning, then why are freshly graduated SeeDs sent to assassinate a sorceress?!
Right, with that massive detour into the things that baffle me about my favourite game (seriously, why did they go out of their way to include something that makes their game make less sense?), letâs go back to the actual comparison.
âWatch out! Here comes the queen of the night!â
Actually, thereâs isnât much different. The only sort of interesting bits come from Selphie asking Squall âLooks pretty good on me, huh?â instead of telling Squall that heâs âlookinâ goodâ in his SeeD uniform, and later, when asking Squall to join the festival committee, she tells him "youâd be helpfulâ rather than âyou can help out whenever you have timeâ, continuing the trend of Selphie being one of the few things that are more forward in the French version than the English one.
By the way, I get the feeling most people would say itâs out of character, but I always have Squall accept that request, as I get the feeling that heâs the type to support people who work hard to achieve what they want, even if itâs not something he personally likes.
Speaking of that, when you get to choose, the negative option for Squall is just ellipses whereas the French one at least ha shim say âHum, I donât feel like itâ. Again, French Squall is being ever so slightly more polite (and verbose) than his English counterpart.
Of course, Squall is still a teenage boy, meaning that the major reason he goes to parties at all is to pick up chicks.
Again, the dialogue isnât very different but there are a few subtleties. For starters, instead of âYouâre the best looking guy hereâ, she tells him âYou really are the cutest one here tonightâ. I donât know if it comes across the same to people who arenât native French speakers but once again, I find the French dialogue to be slightly more courteous. It just sounds more like a compliment whereas the English text kind makes it sound like sheâs going âI guess Iâll settle for youâ. is that just me?
Next is something a bit weird. In the English version, she says âlet me guess... youâll only dance with someone you likeâ and in the French one, she says âlet me guess... you only dance with your friendsâ, with the word âfriendsâ being spelled in the feminine.
I find the line a bit odd in both versions, but at least in the English one, I get that she means he only dances with girls heâs attracted to and is playing hard to get. In the French version, though, since dancing with someone is a fairly intimate act, especially for people their age, and since the French text makes it sound like she may talking about girlfriends... is she just assuming heâs got a whole harem of girlfriends, and is okay with that? I know us French people have a reputation for being softer on unfaithfulness than other cultures, but still.
Oh and one last bit about their conversation, when she does her little âyouâre going to like meâ thing, in the French version, she goes âdid it work? Are you bewitched?â which is a cute bit of extra foreshadowing.
The conversation between Quistis and Squall goes almost exactly the same way in both versions, except for one detail, and it is once again a very subtle difference that changes a lot in the tone of the scene. Instead of saying âSo youâll dance with someone you donât even know, but you canât stand being around me?â, she says âYou refuse to talk to me yet you dance with a stranger.â
Notice how in the French version, she seems a lot more calm, helped by the the way she states it in a way that makes it sound more like an observation than reproach. Even the punctuation contributes to that.
On top of that, I also like that the French version has her specifically mention that her problem is that he wonât talk to her, making it sound more like what hurts her is that he doesnât trust her with his feelings and opinions, whereas the English version makes her sound upset that he doesnât want to hang out. She sounds more like a clingy girlfriend. And of course, this difference also shows how the French text very much understates the romantic subtext.
And speaking of more subtle text, whereas English Squall replies with another brilliant âwhateverâ line, French Squall instead argues that the dance was an accident, which isnât groundbreaking or anything but is at least displays human behaviour.
Another small change is that when she remembers the reason she actually went to find Squall, instead of saying âI wonder whatâs to become of me?â, Quistis says something along the lines of âyou really make me lose my composure, Squall!â
Again, not a huge difference, but it did make me realize one of the main reasons why i like the French translation better, I think, other than familiarity. Itâs that in the French one, it feels more like thereâs a link between the characters. They tend to refer to each-other by name or talk about the other person in the conversation more, it feels like thereâs more of an exchange between them, making their relationships feel more real. Maybe itâs just a coincidence and itâs not something that carries on through the game, but thatâs a pattern Iâm beginning to notice in this playthrough.
And finally, the last change of note in this scene is that in the English version, Quistis tells Squall âthis will be my last orderâ, but she doesnât in the French version. However, you can then have Squall ask âwhat do you mean, last order?â and Quistis answers that she has a lot on her mind. But that wouldnât make sense in the French version, would it? So instead, the option is to ask âis that an order?â and Quistis replies that as a soldier, it is Squallâs duty to obey.
I honestly donât know which version I prefer. On the one hand, I kind of like that she doesnât explicitly say it in the French version as it suggests that itâs hard for her to admit, or that she wants to wait for the right time to say it, but at the same time, the English take on it does give it more gravitas and I I like that Squall sounds genuinely concerned in the English version. Like for as much as he acts like he doesnât care, he doesnât want his friend to lose status.
Just another example of Square going the extra mile with translations by even editing the pre-rendered backgrounds as âTraining Centerâ becomes âSerre de Combatâ.(Combat Greenhouse)
The dialogue between the two is similar to an almost uncanny degree until this. In the French version, Quistis explains she was told she isnât made to lead, but she says nothing about being told she failed as an instructor (and considering half of todayâs graduates were her students, youâd think they wouldnât say that). Even off-screen people are being more tactful in the French version!
Then, later, in the English version, Squall says âwhat am I supposed to say about other peopleâs problems?â and in the French one, he says âWhat could I possibly say about your disappointments and worries?â
Now, in both versions, I feel like Squall is being a bit of a dick to straight-up ignore and dismiss her like that, even if it is true that Quistis isnât being much better by forcing him into this discussion and expecting instant sympathy from Mr Sunshine. But yet again, I find the French version to be slightly better as the English one makes it sound like heâs annoyed at the very concept of having to show even a slight bit of empathy, whereas in the French one, it seems more like heâs pointing out itâs futile to ask him about something he canât do anything about.
And notice how my above theory does seem to pan out as he is directly addressing Quistisâ issues rather than complaining about âother peopleâ in general. I donât know, Squall comes across a bit whiny in this scene in the English version, in my opinion, which probably didnât help his image in the States.
But I know what youâre probably all chomping at the bits to find out, right about now...
THIS infamous line! Possibly the douchiest thing Squall says all game. does it come out better in French?
Yeah, just a bit! basically, instead of rudely brushing her off in a time of need, he at least rationalizes it by saying thereâs no point in him listening to her issues since he has no advice to give her. Heâs not criticising her for daring to seek support in another person, he tells her her time would be better spent with someone more social. Which... yeah, fair enough.
Quistis has a good follow-up line too as she says itâs not a problem and that listening can already help a lot. And the last couple lines by Squall, while not being great in either language (again, itâs kind of uncharacteristically whiny in my opinion. Remember, Squall is angsty, sure, but heâs not whiny), are once again better in French.
English: âEveryone has to take care of themselves. I donât want to carry anyoneâs burden.â
French: âTalking, listening, all that is useless. We are all alone in this world. I donât want to carry any other burden than mine.â
I feel like the French text does a better job of articulating the fact that Squall doesnât think things are harder for him than other people, he just doesnât want them to expect him to help them deal with their issues when he has to deal with his own.
I will however give the English version credit for âeveryone has to take care of themselvesâ as I feel it sums up Squallâs belief that in order to be strong, one should only ever have to rely on themselves quite nicely. If they ever do remake this game, Iâd like to see a version of that line that kind of mixes the two.
Nothing to say about the part where Ellone gets attacked, unfortunately. As they lreturn to the main hall, Quistis and Squall leave us with one last slight difference in texts.
In the English one, Quistis says âSquall. Itâs not like anyone can get by on their own, you know?â, to which Squall replies âsays who?â
In the French one, she says âYou know, Squall. Having friends is nothing to be ashamed ofâ and he answers with âItâs not all that great either.â
This is one of the few cases where I have mixed feelings on it. I like the English version of Quistisâ line better as it seems a bit more meaningful than the generic âfriendship is magicâ moral, but while Squallâs line in French is pretty lame to begin with, the English one is downright cringe-worthy to me. Like, really, Squall? You just have to find the most childishly contrarian thing you could say? Urgh.
But enough about that! Itâs time for our first mission briefing and the most important change in the whole game!
Thatâs right, T-boards are now F-boards! Why did they change that, you may ask? I donât know, but I guess F-board makes a bit more sense the F could stand for âFlyingâ and the word is in English anyway. Is there a word that begins with T Iâm not familiar with that could work here?
For a more relevant comparison, the French name of the Magic Lamp is the Aladore and this is where things get a bit weird. You see, I looked up the word âaladoreâ to see if it was a reference I didnât catch and at first, i couldnât find anything. I figured it was just a variation on âAladinâ, which would tie it to the Magic lamp stuff, but then I found out that Aladore is the name of a novel by Henry Newbolt.
According to Wikipedia, it is about a knight who goes on a quest to find his heartâs desire and falls in love with an enchantress. I see no connection to Final Fantasy VIII whatsoever.
Inside the train, Zell decides to give us the perfect illustration of how subtly each version of the game handles characterisation:
Speaking of that, even dialogue options tend to be slightly more tactful in the French version as when Zell asks Squall if he knows Timber, the negative option reads âThat doesnât really interest meâ instead of âI donât careâ in English.
And now, itâs time for our first look at the differences between the English and French versions of the Laguna dreams!
So whereas the English Kiros is in disbelief that Laguna would bring them back to Deling City just for the booze, French Kiros has no such qualms as he straight-up says âYou know, we never say no to a lil drink of plum alcohol.â
By the way, does anyone know why there are two variations of this scene and what determines which one you get? Iâm getting this one here, with Laguna saying itâs just supposed to be a friendly collation in both the English and French version, but thereâs also an alternate version of the scene where Kiros says Laguna doesnât drink and itâs just an excuse to go see his pianist, and Laguna gets all embarrassed.
Iâd like to say more about the dream but honestly, there arenât any notable differences, with the exception of a line when Laguna tells himself itâs time to use his âmanly charmâ...
For some reason, in the French version, the word âcharmâ is greyed out like when itâs one of the present-day guys talking. This doesnât happen in the English version. Donât know if itâs an error or if itâs supposed to have any significance.
Aaaand thatâs pretty much it for the dream sequence. Oh! I almost forgot, one thing thatâs interesting is that French Laguna doesnât have the English versionâs speech patterns where he uses a lot of shortenered words and generally has a very streetwise way of talking. I actually think thatâs one tic the French version could have kept as I feel it gives Laguna more personality (then again, maybe itâs just something the English translator added).
Back in the present day, our heroes wake up, and Squall didnât dream he was a moron...
He dreamt he was a clown! Just a small difference I find funny for some reason. Also, itâs a bit nicer to call Laguna clown than a moron, isnât it? By the way, Squall isnât the only one whose feelings on Laguna are different, as Selphie doesnât think heâs âsooooo cooooool!â
YUP. She thinks heâs âfunny and sexy.â Oh you, French Selphie! You and your wanting to bang the entire Loire lineage.
Letâs move swiftly on as we arrive to Timber. You may remember one of the few NPCs you can talk to for the moment:
Well, for some reason, the French version decided to include a really stupid joke in her line, as she says âI sell souvenirs but... myself, I am an amnesiac.â
...
Because âsouvenirsâ means âmemoriesâ in French, you see.
Bloody hell, even I have higher standards for puns.
Anyway, letsâ move even more swiftly on! To inside the train , when Zone asks Squall to go wake their princess up.
There are some oddities there. First, instead of asking â... were we hired to run errands? Well?â, Squall asks âWake up an old princess?! Some mission...â which, er... Iâm not sure whatâs going on with the French translation here. First of all, I have no idea why Squall calls her old when there is no indication that she is (and indeed, sheâs not), and the English version just... seems more appropriate for the situation.
But next, as shown in the screenshot above, instead of saying to himself âWeâre not gophers... Weâre SeeD... special forcesâ, he says, I shit you not âThis is a video game, not a fairytale, Mr Owl!).
Guys, I... I think the French translator may be drunk.
Not gonna lie, though, I do find the fourth wall-breaking joke to be pretty funny, as nonsensical as it is. And itâs not the only time something like that happens, but weâll get to it in due time.
Another telling difference in the way the characters are portrayed. When Squall does wake the girl up (and I bet heâs not so angry to have to do so once he finds out who it is) and she glomps him in joy, in the English version, he tells her to take it easy, but in the French one, he seems to be going along with it, saying âWoah! Itâs getting you fired up!â
In general, I like the attitude of French Squall here. He seems, if not flirtatious, at least a bit playful with her, jokingly telling her stuff like âso itâs to go talk to him that you shamelessly abandoned me...â when she mentions talking to Cid. He just seems more relaxed when heâs around her. I donât really get the impression from the English text. At least not as much. Also, we finally get her name:
Thatâs right, not Rinoa, but Linoa! If youâve been following my blog, youâre probably aware I keep referring to her as Linoa, and now you know why. Now, I usually do use the English names when discussing the game with English-speaking people, but as petty as that may be, I really donât like how âRinoaâ sounds. It gives me the image of a rhino in the blue wool duster, which is amusing, but kind of spoils the mood of the game.
And speaking of Squall being more relaxed...
Heâs accepting Linoaâs handshake!! Seriously, I canât be the only one who didnât notice that for years and whose mind was blown when they did! Up to that point, thereâs a running gag where Squall ignores handshakes offered to him, yet here he instinctively accepts it. And yeah, we may not have noticed it at first, but our brains did.
Man, I love the subtle ways this game manages to tell a story without calling attention to it! Shit like this is why this is my favourite video game. Even to this day, with more modern technology, the stuff FF8 does with body language surpasses all other titles.
back to something that actually has to do with the translations, after Squall fails to fool anyone by claiming that he was totally the one sneakily approaching Linoa, in the English version, she says âOhhh... so itâs work related. Thatâs too bad...â and Squall just stands there in silence. But in the French version, she says âOh! So it was just a military manoeuvre, then? I thought it was more serious... between us.â to which Squall thinks to himself âMore serious!!â
Iâm guessing that in both versions, sheâs teasing him about how transparent it is that he was nowhere near as much in control as he says he was, but I feel like itâs more clear in the French version. Could just be because itâs my native language so I pick up on this kind of clues more easily, though.
Anyway, if you thought Rinoa/Linoaâs name change was mind-blowing, try to stay conscious after THIS:
OH.
MY.
GOD.
There is no O at the end of her name. Meaning the female dog isnât saddled with a masculine name for no reason.
Now, I understand that you may need to take a moment to recover (and that I need to find earlier cut-off points because my God, that took entirely too long to write) so Iâll end it here for today.