#tamamo

Back to index:

https://www.tumblr.com/sunlitwateryheavens/821244041388867584/index-exploring-tamamos-jp-lines-in-extra

Legend: JP: Original Japanese text. EN: Official English localization. RE: My attempt at a (usually more literal) translation.

This week: Old soldier metaphors, astrology, and a possible inspiration for Tamamo from a obscure Japanese 2005 game.

W2D1 Tamamo pep talk

Hakuno is feeling down:

I feel ripped apart to the core. There's Shinji's death. There's what Rin said (about having to kill to survive). Rin's right. I know it's logical. But emotionally, I can't deal with it. Unable to let it pass unnoticed, my Servant talks to me.

JP: えー。そんなの、あんまり考えなくていいと思いますよー？ EN: Huhhh? Who cares about stuff like that? RE: Hm. I don't think you need to dwell on that so much, right?

Goodness freaking gracious. The localization makes her sound far too dismissive. This is more of a soft suggestion, in a "it's ok not to let it weigh you down" kind of way.

JP: 言うなれば本能です。魂です。イデアです。ご主人様は、あの時、逃げるのではなく、立ち向かう道を選んでくださいました。 EN: You can just go on instinct, even with the big stuff like ideals. That's what you've done so far! RE: You could call it instinct. Soul. Idea. Master, in that moment, instead of running away, you chose to face it.

That's "idea" as in Plato's philosophical concept of ideas, says the dictionary. Here she's again mentioning Hakuno's soul, which is missing in the official localization.

JP: 強い決意とか重い責任とか、そんなものとは無関係なまま立ち上がった、誰でもいい人たちの代表なんです。 EN: You're the kind of person who is never crushed under the weight of responsibility. RE: You are a representative of all the ordinary people that stand up, regardless of strong determination or heavy responsibilities.

I know she makes a big point in FoxTail about Hakuno being a "representative of the ordinary people". She was apparently saying this kind of stuff even back in Extra, but it was lost in translation.

JP: だから、そんなこと言わないでください。第一、負けちゃったら死んじゃいます！わたし、ご主人様に消えてほしくありません！ EN: So, please don't say things like that. You'll die if you lose! You can't disappear, Master! RE: So, please don't say things like that. Besides, you'll die if you lose! I don't want you to disappear, Master!

Slight difference, but she's saying that she specifically doesn't want her Master to disappear.

W2D1 Old soldiers

We meet Dan Blackmore. Caster says:

JP: まったく。 老兵は馬に蹴られてただ去るのみ、 という言葉を知らないんですかね？ ……あれ？ ちょっと違いましたっけ？ EN: Jeez! Doesn't he know that old soldiers ought to get kicked off the horse and left behind? …Wait, is that the saying?

There's a Japanese idiom "old soldiers never die, they simply fade away" (老兵は死なず、単に消え去るのみ). In fact, I think that same idiom exists in English.

There's another Japanese idiom "to be kicked by a horse" (馬に蹴られる), which means "to meddle in another person's love life". (Apparently it comes from an old poem or something?)

Here, Caster is… mangling up the two badly, saying something like "old soldiers simply fade away after being kicked by a horse". I can't even tell what she's trying to say here. I get that she's basically calling Blackmore a third wheel that should just disappear.

W2D1 Careless about the NP

After Rin explains what a Noble Phantasm is, Caster chimes in upon reaching the first floor:

JP: 宝具を使うと、敵にも私の正体がバレちゃいますから、ちょっと慎重になったほうがいいと思います。 EN: Using my Noble Phantasm will expose my identity, so you better be not be (sic) careless with it. RE: Using my Noble Phantasm would expose my true identity to the enemy, so I think it would be best to be a little cautious.

There's a small typo in the localization, but if they mean "you better not be careless with it", that wouldn't be quite right either. The Japanese phrasing is much softer.

W2D1 Caution is hot

When you try to enter the Arena, Caster will ask if your shopping is in order. If you say you need a little more time:

JP: じゃあ一度戻りましょう。慎重なご主人様もステキです❤ EN: Then let's hang back. You know, I find that those who show a little caution are kind of hot! ❤ RE: Well then, let's head back for now. Your cautious nature is lovely too! ❤

She's again using suteki (ステキ), that adjective meaning lovely/charming.

W2D1 Old man

Caster primarily refers to Dan Blackmore as ojiichan (お爺ちゃん), localized most of the time as "Gramps". It does literally mean "Grandpa" or "Old man". Normally it's endearing, but the fact that she is using -chan instead of -san suggests just a bit of disrespect, since he's a senior. So "Gramps" is a pretty good choice.

She also rarely calls him oibore (老いぼれ), which is more like "senile old fool", outright derogatory.

W2D2 Rani's intro

In the scene that introduces Rani, she reveals she's being investigating Hakuno (and other folks). One of the dialogue choices has Caster prompt:

JP: この戦いは情報戦なんですから、 敵が情報収集をしていても、 何も驚くことではありませんよ。ま、どんな情報をとられたのか 知りませんけど、 私がいればドンと来いですよ！ EN: Information is everything in this war. Of course our enemies are trying to learn about us! I don't know what they've learned so far, but while I'm here they could attack at any time! RE: Since this battle is a war of information, we shouldn't be surprised that the enemy is gathering intel. Well, I don't know exactly what kind of information they've got so far, but as long as I'm here, you can leave it to me!

The localization makes her sound a bit more dismissive, instead of peppy. She finishes the line with a dontokoi (ドンと来い), which is a confident sort of "leave it to me!" or "bring it on!".

W2D2 Fox's nose

Context: Rani previously suggested looking for clues. Then, when entering the Arena:

JP: ご主人様[マスター]、 あの女の言うことはどうでもいいんですけど 相手の手がかりを探すのは賛成です。 EN: I don't like that she's the one who suggested it, but searching for clues IS a good idea, Master. RE: Master, I couldn't care less about what that woman had to say, but I agree with searching for clues about our opponent.

JP: ふふ、こういうのは得意ですからね。 狐の鼻と尻尾をなめんなって感じです。 バッチリ見つけてやりましょう！ EN: *Giggle* Foxes have good noses for this sort of thing. I'll be sure to sniff out a clue! RE: *Giggle* This kind of thing is my specialty. They shouldn't underestimate a fox's nose and tail. Let's find everything there is to find!

I've no clue why she's speaking of her tail here.

W2D3 True nature

This is the day where Archer ambushes you on the academy and forces you to flee into the Arena. When entering the Arena, Caster says:

JP: ふふふ、本性…… じゃなかった、本気を出すとしましょうか！ EN: *Smirk* Let's show him our true nature— I mean, true power!

This is a hard-to-translate Freudian slip. I mean, the localization would be fine if only it said "my true nature".

I have to explain two terms: honshou (本性) and honki (本気). You can see that both start with hon (本), so she starts saying honshou and then corrects to honki.

The honshou is something like "true nature" or "true colors". It's what lies beneath the mask. So she's initially talking about unleashing her darker side.

And honki is a more innocent term simply meaning "seriousness" or "earnestness", and it's used here in a expression meaning "to give a serious effort".

Basically, she starts saying something kind of sinister ("reveal my true nature"), before pivoting towards something more innocent ("give it my all!"). By this point in the game she's said some odd things here and there, and she's definitely hostile towards opponents, but I think this is the first time she slips so overtly (that term honshou "true nature" is one she will use a lot in Extella).

W2D3 Big idiot

When Robin tries to hit you with a sudden arrow, and Caster blocks it:

JP: こんな遅い矢でご主人様を射抜こうなんて、笑止千万、満員御礼です！ EN: What a big idiot you are to try hitting my Master with such a slow arrow!

This is a really odd sentence. It's a joke with man-in-onrei (満員御礼), an expression used for sold-out crowds in theater, sumo, etc. This line cannot be translated literally, you have to get inventive no matter what, but the official localization doesn't quite capture the intensity of the burn. If I tried to keep the joke, it might be something like:

RE: Trying to hit my Master with such a slow arrow? You've put up such an hilarious comedy show that all seats are sold, thank you!

W2D4 Actual lore mistranslation 2

It's a nameless Master again! Oh my god, who's translating these guys. It's the girl that's in 1F, in the corridor leading to the infirmary.

For context, Archer ambushed you on the previous day, and the system gave him a penalty.

JP: あなたを襲ったサーヴァント、仕留め損なったって事は、ペナルティが発生してるのよね。 EN: If you don't take care of the Servant that attacked you, you'll be slapped with a penalty. RE: Since a Servant attacked you and failed to finish you off, it means a penalty has been triggered, right?

The localization strangely makes it sound like YOU, the one on the receiving end of the ambush, will be the one to receive the penalty. What this is actually saying is that "a penalty has been triggered". The sentence doesn't specify WHO received the penalty, which might be the cause behind this mistranslation, but this is the only reading that makes sense given the events in the game.

W2D4 Seriously unreliable

Random exploration line in the Arena:

JP: んー、まだ所作にぎこちなさが残るっていうか、ぜんぜん頼りないっていうか……、あ、いえ、ダメだしではなく、そういうのも好きですから私！ EN: Hmm… You still seem really awkward… you're seriously unreliable— Ah, no, I'm not trying to insult you. I actually find it all endearing!

Sometimes, a sentence has multiple readings due to usage of ambiguous terms. Word for word, the above translation is valid. I cannot in good faith say that it is wrong.

But this would also be a valid translation:

RE: Hmm… Your movements are still a bit clumsy, or should I say, you're so helpless… Ah, no, I'm not criticizing you. I also like this side of you!

The issue is with the adjective tayorinai (頼りない), which has three broad meanings: someone that cannot be relied on (unreliable), someone that has no one to rely on (forlorn), or someone that needs to rely on others (helpless). Those are all dictionary entries.

In fact, I wonder if this ambiguity is what the sentence plays with. So tayorinai can mean both "helpless" and "unreliable". So perhaps, in her mind, she wants to say that Hakuno is still helpless and fragile, that her Master still needs her guidance and care. So she calls Hakuno tayorinai. But then she realizes, hold up, that adjective can also mean "unreliable", no, no, I wasn't trying to criticize you, I'm saying that I like how you depend on me.

W2D5 Astrology

This is the day of Rani's astrology reading. First, I will mention that what Rani practices is Sukuyoudou (宿曜道), a traditional form of Buddhist astrology. Caster says, about Rani:

JP: 宿曜道ですかね。多少なら私も出来ますけど、あのマスター、結構できる人ですね。 EN: Astrology? I'm pretty good at it, but she seems to be an astrologer of the highest order. RE: So Sukuyoudou? I can do a bit of it myself, but that Master is quite skilled.

Caster doesn't say that she is "good" at it, only that she's capable at all.

But looking into this for a bit, this is far more interesting than I was initially giving it credit for. Here's some interesting tidbits about Sukuyoudou that I've found on the internet:

It originated in India. Which explains why Rani is an expert on it.

It arrived to Japan during the Heian period, which is when Tamamo-no-Mae was active. It was likely influential in the imperial court.

It has strong ties to Shingon Buddhism, which is the branch of Buddhism that Kiara's sect practiced in CCC. This is interesting, because Shingon syncretizes Amaterasu - Dakiniten - Inari, and since Inari is in turn syncretized with Tamamo-no-Mae, it is due to this branch of Buddhism that the Tamamo-Amaterasu link exists at all.

This is potentially foreshadowing like three or four separate plot threads of Extra and CCC. Let me remind you we're still on week 2.

Completely changing the topic, in this same scene, Rani divines that Archer is a tormented soul desiring to live an honest life out in the warmth of the sun. Which has Caster chime in:

JP: ふーん。私は英雄とは正反対の、たいへん可愛らしい良妻ですけど…… そっか。あの緑、わりと苦労人ですねぇ。 EN: Well, I'm definitely not a hero. Hatefully cute, awesome wife; definitely! I feel bad for him… RE: Hmm. Myself, I'm exactly the opposite of a hero, although an incredibly adorable good wife… I see. That Greenie had it rough, uh.

I think this is the second time she uses the term ryousai (良妻) "good wife", ever since her intro during the prologue.

W2D5 More penalty mistranslations

Literally the same nameless Master from the previous day:

JP: いっそあなたもやり返しちゃえば？そのほうが、 どっちが勝ってもペナルティかかるしね～。 EN: You're planning on getting back at them, aren't you? If that's the case, even if you win, you lose. You'll get hit with a penalty either way. RE: Why not just fire back? That way, no matter who wins, there'll be a penalty~.

W2D6 Your ears are cute

(This is a bizarre section, and I'm not 100% sure about it, but this is the only reading that makes sense to me.)

This conversation happens at the beginning of the day. Hakuno seems anxious about the upcoming battle, and Caster cheers them on. Then, this peculiar exchange takes place:

Hakuno: But, there's still something I need to ask her— Will she use her Noble Phantasm? Caster: Hmmm… If you'd like to see it… But, I don't need it to deal with this guy. Do you believe in me, Master? Choices: I believe you'll win. ||| Your ears are cute.

Choice: I believe you'll win.

Caster: Yeah! I'll put in 200%, just watch me!

Choice: Your ears are cute.

Caster: …Huh? O-Okay? …Er… that's not what I mean. But, I'll do my absolute best if you'll believe in me, Master!

That option of "Your ears are cute" is an absolute non-sequitur. It's one thing for Hakuno to be quirky, but if the question is "Do you believe in me?", that answer choice doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's almost rude, even.

Before I explain, the JP reference for whoever might care:

Hakuno: だが、一つ聞きたい事があった。――宝具は使わないのか？ Caster: うーん… ご主人様が見たいなら…。けど、あの程度なら、 私一人でもバッチリ料理しちゃいますよ。ご主人様は、 私にただ一言くれればいいんです。

Choice: キャスターがいれば勝てるよ。

Caster: はい！ご主人様が信じてくれるなら、私は２００％頑張れます。

Choice: その耳、かわいいよね。

Caster: ……う？ は、はい、 ……あうぅ……そういうことじゃなくて。でも、 ご主人様が信じてくれるなら、 最高に頑張っちゃいますから！

Let me explain what (I think) is happening in Japanese. Hakuno is asking Caster if she won't use her NP. Caster hesitantly responds that, well, okay, if her Master is so curious to see it… But, um, really, for an enemy as weak as Archer she wouldn't really need it… But still, she'll do whatever her Master desires. So if they want her to use her NP, all Hakuno has to do is say a hitokoto (一言)!

Now, hitokoto literally means "single word". So she's saying "You just have to give me the word!". She's basically prompting Hakuno to tell her to use her NP if that's what they wish. But hitokoto can also mean a "brief remark". So now Hakuno has two dialogue choices.

First, the goody two-shoes answer, is for Hakuno to say that they believe in Caster. So no need for the NP! Second, the chaos agent answer, is… well, hitokoto can also mean "brief remark", remember? And "Your ears are cute" is indeed a brief remark. Which has Caster react like, okay, that's not what I meant by hitokoto, but you're not telling me to use my NP so I'll take it.

Let me retranslate this entire sequence. I'm taking a few liberties here to make it sound more natural, while trying to keep the meaning:

Hakuno: But, there's still something I wanted to ask— Are you not going to use your Noble Phantasm? Caster: Hmmm… If you'd like to see it… Mind you, I can handle an opponent of this level perfectly well on my own. But still, Master, all you have to do is tell me whatever you wish (about whether to use the NP or not)!

Choice: If Caster is by my side, we'll win. (Implication: So we won't need the NP.)

Caster: Yeah! If my Master believes in me, I'll put in 200%!

Choice: Those ears are cute, right? (Implication: I'm telling you whatever I wish, like you asked!)

Caster: …Huh? Y-Yes… Er… that's not what I meant. But, if my Master believes in me, I'll give it my absolute best!

What's intriguing about this sequence, if I'm understanding it correctly, is that Caster is (reluctantly) giving Hakuno the go-ahead to command her to use her NP. If Hakuno said "yes, please use your NP", Caster likely would have compelled. But Hakuno seems to realize that Caster is uncomfortable about it, so the dialogue choices are basically "I trust you, so we don't need it" and "You're asking me to say something, so I'll say something, but not about the NP because we don't need it".

The funniest part to me is that Casko's response is nearly identical in both, but the "serious" answer has her say that she will put in 200%, while the "joke" answer has her say she will give it her maximum/supreme (最高). There's no gameplay difference, but it's like she's more motivated by having her Master tell her that her ears cute.

W2D6 Yellow chat: The Grateful Crane

(In general, this chat takes A LOT of creative liberties in the localization, but I don't want to go line by line.)

She starts saying you should take this chance to rest in your private room.

JP: 色々イヤなコトは忘れて。おもに半端に二枚目のコトなんて忘れて。てゆーか、誰でしたっけ今回の敵って！ EN: Let all your cares drift away, especially the ones about that bad, bad man! JP: Forget about all unpleasant things. Especially forget about that half-baked pretty-boy. In fa~ct, who even was our enemy this time again?

She calls Robin a nimaime (二枚目), which is the handsome leading actor in a romance, or more generally just a handsome guy. Except she's also using hanpa (半端) for "half-baked" or "wannabe". So she's mocking him as a "wannabe heartthrob", like saying that the only half-good thing about him are his looks. She uses this same nickname for Robin in other games.

Hakuno is glad that Casko is no longer moody because of the poisoning, but worries she's "too ADD sometimes". In JP Hakuno just thinks she's too forgetful (忘れっぽすぎる).

After a bit more back and forth, Caster asks if Hakuno is adapting well to the second week in the Holy Grail War.

JP: 少しは馴れました？ いえ、戦いもそうですけど…… EN: Do you need more support? Do you need anything more at all, not just in the Arena... RE: Have you gotten a bit used it it? I mean, to the fighting and all, but also…

JP: ほら、私の扱いもより親密に、 濃密にしてほしいなあ、とか――― EN: Oh! Maybe you would prefer more intimate time with me—

This is, by far, her most provocative line up to this point, and neither the official localization nor any of my attempts at translation are going to do it justice. I'll try to explain.

First we have atsukai (扱い), which can mean "handle" as in a tool or subordinate, but also "treat" as in a partner. So in this sentence she's telling Hakuno how she'd like to be treated.

She uses two adjectives in a row, for how she wants to be treated: shinmitsu (親密) and noumitsu (濃密). First, note how they rhyme, so she's being playful and silly about it. The first, shinmitsu, is a relatively innocent term for an extremely close relationship. If she stopped here, she'd just look like a very affectionate if slightly exuberant friend. Ok.

But then she drops the noumitsu. It literally means thick as in liquids or rich as in flavor. For a relationship, it implies something intense and passionate, very intimate, emotionally or otherwise. It doesn't have to be sexual or anything, but it's a very strong implication. By going from shinmitsu to noumitsu, she's effectively saying "I want us to be close… but like really close".

She then ends the sentence with a bit of plausible deniability (なあ、とか), like she's just airing the idea. Like a "or something like that~".

It would be hard to translate this properly, but the overall vibe is: "You know, I'd like it if the way you treat/handle me became more intimate, more passionate, or something like that~"

After this line, Caster acts(?) embarrassed. Hakuno:

JP: ……キャスターは明らかにブッている。もしや、この手のボケをしないと話せない病気に侵されているのではないだろうか。 EN: Why Caster puts on this innocent persona, I have no clue. It's more faux than her fur. RE: …Caster is clearly putting on an act. Perhaps she's afflicted with a disease where she can't talk unless she's doing a comedy bit?

In Japanese manzai comedy, you have the tsukkomi (straight man) and the boke (funny man). A running gag is that Hakuno is the tsukkomi to Tamamo's boke. Here, Hakuno is explicitly thinking of her as a boke (ボケ).

Three choices:

Choice 1: I'm getting used to fighting.

Tamamo:

JP: まあ、まだ二回戦で何を言っているのか、というのがホンネですが、自信を持たれるのはいい事です。 EN: It's nice to see a former combat virgin speaking so confidently. But there's more to learn! RE: Though I'm thinking, this is only the second round, so what in the world is he/she talking about? But it's good to have confidence.

What Casko is saying here is basically "You say you're used to fighting, but this is round two, you've been fighting for like five minutes, so what do you mean you're used to it? Still, I'm glad you've found your confidence."

Choice 2: I'm getting used to you. (This is closer to "I'm getting used to the way Caster acts")

Hakuno thanks her for being weird. She's kind of glad, but also confused that someone would thank her for being weird. Then Hakuno:

JP: うん、ヘンだ。 ヘンだけど、不快なところはまったくないので良いと思う。本音を隠されたり嘘でごまかされたりするよりは、 ああやってポロッとボロをだしてくれた方が嬉しい。 EN: She's right. I guess that makes me the weird one for taking such pleasure in her idiosyncrasies. I'd rather she speak what's really on her mind than obscure the truth. RE: Yeah, weird. She's weird, but not unpleasant at all, so I think it's good. Instead of having her hide her true feelings or cover them up with lies, I'd much rather have her accidentally let things slip.

Choice 3: You're a tricksy one.

Let's first check the choice itself, because we have reached an historical moment:

JP: そろそろ本性をだせ、駄狐 EN: You're a tricksy one. RE: It's about time you showed your true nature, you no-good fox.

Yes, this choice is surprisingly derogatory from Hakuno, which would explain why Caster acts so hostile in the dialogue that follows. I must bring special attention to that dagitsune (駄狐), not an actual term, but it would mean something like stupid/useless/crappy fox. A couple of characters have called her that, but specially Suzuka in FoxTail seems to have made this insult her own, and dagistune is how she calls Tamamo most of the time. It's like a nickname she uses for her. But it was Hakuno themselves that coined the term, in an optional dialogue choice.

(I searched around a bit, and that is also the nickname for Xiaomu, the female protagonist from the Japan-exclusive crossover game Namco x Capcom. I know nothing about it, but perusing their wiki, Xiaomu is a fox-woman sorceress that is described as cheerful, cheeky, perverted, but genuinely caring deep inside. She has otaku hobbies, often acts as comic relief, and is very meta. And given that Namco x Capcom released in 2005, and Extra in 2010… well, now I'm wondering if Xiaomu might have partially inspired Casko.)

Now, since she was just low-key insulted, Caster talking about the story "Crane's Return of a Favor" in the next few lines makes a lot more sense. It's a well-known Japanese story. A man saves a crane from hunters. Then that night, a woman appears by his door proclaiming to be his wife. Although he's poor, she begins to weave cloths that sell for a lot, but warns him to never peek inside the room while she's weaving cloth. One day he does, discovers that this woman was the crane, and she leaves.

Caster then talks about a similar story about the Yuki-Onna (Snow Woman), and wonders why is it that men always step on landmines. She specifically refers to men (男の人), as in males, even if playing as Hakunon. (Really, except for like three scenes, 99% of the script is the same for both genders with Caster). Then, when about to complete a curse: "By the way, Master, what were you saying…? I missed it earlier."

The above reaction would seem extremely hostile and out of place if Hakuno had just said "You're a tricksy one". But Hakuno is actually asking her to show her true nature (and insulting her). So Caster is like "There's all these stories about mysterious benefactors that help so long as you don't ask questions. I'm a mysterious benefactor that helps so long as you don't ask questions. And many of these stories end badly because the protagonist asks questions… What did you ask again?"

JP: ……呪紋は刻一刻と仕上がっていく。よく見れば、いや、よく見るまでもなくキャスターの目は笑っていない。 EN: …The curse patterns are a finger's breadth from being finished. I look at Caster and she's NOT smiling.

Actually, the expression used here is "her eyes are not smiling". As in, there is a smile on her face, but her eyes remain menacing. Like a facade of cheerfulness.

JP: それは、実にようございました。 敬愛すべきご主人様になら、何を 言われても巫女的に嬉しいのですけど…… 今回にかぎり、禁句というものがありまして。 あの緑ぃのと同じ単語を口にされたら、 私もキレざるをえないのです。狐的に。 EN: Oh, good. I protect my Master as if I are a shrine maiden, and my Master's body is a temple, but… When my Master compares me to that green-clad trickster, I am reminded that I, too, am a devious fox. RE: That is wonderful. For my Master, which I love and respect, I would normally be happy no matter what you said to me, like a miko… But just this time, some words are taboo. If you speak the same words as Greenie, then I cannot help but snap. Like a fox.

Later, all choices converge, and she lets you ask one question you want. Three choices again:

Choice 1: Tell me about your abilities.

Hakuno doesn't merely call her weak, but also peaky (ピーキー), which is that term Caster herself used during her introduction, to describe a character that's high-risk high-reward.

Her rant about how bad Casters are is absolutely priceless:

JP: 天下御免、最弱最小、美人薄命、 いいとこなしのキャスターなんですよ！？言うなれば、聖杯戦争における二軍！ 出れば真っ先にやられる出オチクラス！ それがキャスターなんです！ EN: I'm an alluring, mystical, weak and good-for-nothing Caster! Casters are the Holy Grail War's second-string Servants. They're the first to be eliminated! RE: Universally acknowledged as the weakest and smallest, a beauty that dies young and possesses absolutely nothing going for her: the Caster! In a way, the second-string players of the Holy Grail War! The joke character that gets taken out first, the moment they step on screen! That's what a Caster is!

Then Hakuno, being cheeky:

JP: あまりにも負け犬、いや負け狐な主張だった。 EN: Sounds like the whining of a beat dog— or in this case, a beat fox.

A makeinu (負け犬), literally "defeated dog", is a Japanese idiom for an underdog. Here Hakuno says makegitsune (負け狐), literally "defeated fox". That's not an idiom, but you get it. It would be like talking of an "underfox".

JP: 私、もともと白兵戦には向いてないんです。陣地を取り合う戦いなら、三強の一人になるとは思いますけど。 EN: I'm not made for close-range combat anyway. Military campaigns are more my style! RE: I'm not made for close-range combat to begin with. But if it's a battle of territorial control, I believe I could stand as one of the Top Three.

I have no idea what she means by Top Three (三強). It is NOT a reference to The Big Three Youkai of Japan (日本三大悪妖怪) because that's written differently. I think she just means it as a generic "world-class strategist"?

JP: なにしろ和風の使い魔は のきなみ私の分身ですから。 EN: But, you know, all the Japanese spirits are my clones. RE: After all, every single Japanese familiar is my bunshin.

First, she's specifically talking about familiars (使い魔), not spirits. Then there's bunshin (分身), an horribly complicated word, but basically "alter ego" or "other self" or "manifestation". (I think this has to do with the Killing Stone, so I'll come back to this once her Matrix ranks up a bit more.)

Choice 2: Tell me about things you like.

She talks about stuff she likes. Then, Hakuno:

JP: よし。ピンクはＩＮ－ＲＡＮという学説が、にわかに真実みを帯びてきた瞬間だった。 EN: Okay, is it just me or in anime is it always the pink-haired girls who are the frisky ones? RE: Alright. It was at that exact moment that the theory that pink is L E W D began to take a sudden sense of truth.

IN JP, that "IN-RAN" is the pronunciation for inran (淫乱), a strong word meaning lewd or lustful. I don't know if there's some other joke I'm missing here.

Finally, Caster acts cute, and Hakuno again:

JP: 穏やかな笑顔に、思わず喉をつまらせてしまった。 ……不意打ちにも程がある。 どこまで本気なのか分からないが、 今のキャスターの笑顔は、心の底から嬉しそうな笑顔だった。 EN: Caster's sweet smile steals my breath away. …I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea how serious she is, but she sure has a brilliant smile. RE: Her gentle smile caught me so off guard that I nearly choked. …That was a total ambush. I can't tell how much of this she actually means, but right now, Caster's smile looked happy from the bottom of her heart.

Choice 3: …Tell me your true name.

She says you'll hate her if she reveals her name, which prompts two more choices:

Choice 3A: How can I say before I know?

JP:うう、その信頼に満ちた眼差しに、 ついクラっとしちゃう私…… ででで、でもやっぱりダメなのです！ EN: Nnngh… Don't look at me like that, Master. Your gaze is making me melt… No! I can't! RE: Nnngh… That look of absolute trust in your eyes… it's making me feel all lightheaded… B-But still, it's no good!

JP: だって、私まっとうな英霊じゃないですし！ 真名とか知ったら、 ご主人様きっとドンビキだし！ EN: I'm not a legitimate Heroic Spiritl! See, aren't you disgusted already? RE: After all, I'm not a proper Heroic Spirit! If you find out my True Name, Master, you'll be totally repulsed!

JP: ナシナシ、その質問はナシでーす！ 急に持病の癪が痛みだしましたので、 サービスはここで終了させていただきます！ EN: I won't tell you! I won't! My chest is all squeezy now, so this Q & A session is over! RE: Nope, the Q & A is canceled! My chronic condition is suddenly acting up, so the special service ends here!

The other choice doesn't have anything in particular to mention.

Skill review: Curses and Spirit Theft

By this point she's learned her core skills, so let's talk about them.

First, the curses:

JP: 呪相・炎天 呪相・氷天 呪相・密天 EN: Curse: Fiery Heaven Curse: Frigid Heaven Curse: Chaos Heaven

In Japanese fantasy works, it's very common to create skill names by combining kanji in a way that doesn't correspond to any actual existing compounds. All of Caster's skills follow this rule. As such, there isn't a single way proper to translate any of this.

For the curse series of spells, they combine two kanji. The first one (呪) means spell or curse. The second one (相) can mean nature, aspect, phase (as in solid/liquid). I think keeping this as "Curse" is straightforward enough.

Each spell then consists of another two kanji. The second (天) is always the same, meaning heaven or sky. The first kanji is the only thing that varies between the three: blaze (炎), ice (氷), secret/hidden (密).

Then:

JP: 呪法・吸精 EN: Charm - Spirit Theft

First, for some reason this is the only spell which uses a dash (-) in English, while all others use a semicolon (:). In Japanese, they all use a dot (・).

The first kanji is the same one, the one meaning spell/curse (almost all her skills start with this kanji). The second kanji (法) means law or method, including specifically Buddhist law. "Charm" maybe is a little too imaginative here, but ok. And then the rest (吸精) would mean something like "absorb spirit/energy". Straightforward.

W2D7 Elevator descent: Blackmore-Robin

Everyone starts silent. Then, Caster:

JP: ……ご主人様、あっちのマスターは、 なんていうかアレですね、 枯れ尾花というか、ロートルというか。 EN: …Our opponent Master is, um, how should I put this? Withered like dead, dry grass. RE: …Master, that other Master is, how should I put it? Like withered silver grass, or rather a senile old fool.

In English, saying "Master, that other Master is…" would sound wonky. But in Japanese she's saying "Goshujinsama, that Master is…" which is less confusing. This is one of the issues with localizing goshujinsama as Master, which is already a lore term in Fate.

JP: なんで黙ってるのはいいんですけどー。 この空気、耐えられません。 そこの三下サーヴァント、何か喋[しゃべ]れです。 EN: It must be too much effort for the grizzled old thing to talk! But I'm bored. Hey Servant, say something. RE: It's all fine and well that he's keeping silent, but I can't stand this atmosphere. You, Servant underling, be a dear and speak up.

At the end, she uses both the imperative form of "talk" (shabere) and the polite copula (desu). I think that's ungrammatical? You can't use both together. The imperative form is considered very strong and rude, so the mix is like condescendingly polite? This isn't a rude "Speak up!" or a polite "Please speak", but something like "Do be so kind as to speak up".

There's some more chatting, then Robin trading barbs with everyone, including his own Master. Which has Caster say:

JP: ふん、偉ぶってれば偉いと思ってる 典型ですね。 人間の徳は顔で決まります。 EN: Bleh, this guy! He's so typical! He's in love with himself, but nothing's likeable about him! RE: Hmph. You're the type that thinks that acting high and mighty actually makes you important. But you can tell if someone's a good person just by looking at their face.

JP: その点、うちのご主人様は最強っていうか。 ご老人は……まあ、いい線いってますけど、 その手下が最悪です。 EN: He's got nothing on my Master! The old guy is… well, he's decent, but his Servant is plain rotten! RE: In that regard, my Master is the greatest. The old guy… well, he's on the right track, but his henchman is the worst.

JP: もーチンピラ。すごく三下。 ハンパな二枚目とか願い下げ！ EN: He's just a mean-spirited little underling who totally does not deserve to look so hot! RE: Ugh, just a punk. Totally an underling. I'll pass on the half-baked pretty-boy!

W2D7 Before Blackmore-Robin fight

JP: 格好いい主役のご主人様[マスター]は、最後まで残るって決まってるんです。あ、私もいますよ。ヒロインですから！ EN: It's already been decided that my gorgeous Master will win the war. And I'll be the heroine! RE: It's already been decided that the attractive/cool protagonist, my Master, will be the one remaining until the very end. Oh, and I'll be there too. After all, I'm the heroine!

Yes, she calls Hakuno a shuyaku (主役), the "main character" or "protagonist".

W2D7 After Blackmore-Robin fight

For context, after you win the fight, Blackmore tells Hakuno that it's important that they find a reason to fight. Once you return to the Academy, Caster says:

JP: 色々脅かすような事言ってましたけど、結局はこれでご主人様[マスター]の圧勝でしたね。さすが、ご主人様[マスター]？ EN: I hope that nothing I said threw you off. Victory was yours in the end, though, Master! RE: [Dan Blackmore] said all sorts of intimidating things, but in the end it was a crushing victory for you, Master. As expected of my Master?

This sentence has no subject, so it's not made explicit who said the intimidating things she refers to. In Japanese, when there's no explicit subject, it's assumed that the speaker is the subject, unless context suggests otherwise. So, if this line was translated out of context, I cannot really blame the localizers for assuming that Caster is talking about herself.

But given that the previous scene was about Blackmore, and that in the very next line Caster complains about old people lecturing you and about how you don't really need a motive, it seems clear from context that the subject for this sentence is meant to be Blackmore.

Back to index:

https://www.tumblr.com/sunlitwateryheavens/821244041388867584/index-exploring-tamamos-jp-lines-in-extra

Legend: JP: Original Japanese text. EN: Official English localization. RE: My attempt at a (usually more literal) translation.

This week: Wakame, Z-Regulations, weird ship metaphors, and far too many hints about Caster's identity.

(Btw, yes, of course I'm running two parallel playthroughs with both Hakus and for the later Rin/Rani split. Wow, imagine suffering through getting to enjoy this enthralling gameplay twice. Thank goodness I have cheats on I'm a master strategist.)

W1D1 Waking up in the infirmary

Talking about the Holy Grail, Hakuno shows us that they're a history/mythology nerd for the first time by randomly knowing stuff about the Arthurian cycle. To which Caster responds:

JP: さすがはご主人様です。で、その聖杯を取り合うために魔術師[ウィザード]たちが戦うのが聖杯戦争なんです。 EN: Exactly! And the battle where Wizards fight for the Holy Grail is called the Holy Grail War.

That "Exactly!" is sasuga (さすが), an expression of praise and admiration meaning something like "as expected". It's very slightly sycophantic. I mention this because Casko uses this A LOT towards her Master, using variations of "sasuga goshujinsama!", meaning something like "As expected of my Master!" or "That's my Master for you!".

As a side note, there's a lore distinction between a Magus and a Wizard. A Magus is someone that practices magecraft, using mana (the world's magical energy). But in the Extraverse, the world's mana dried up because of reasons, so humans instead turned towards the Moon Cell, which requires them to digitalize their souls and whatnot. Someone capable of digitalizing their soul like this is a Wizard (or Spiritron Hacker).

In Japanese, Magus is the translation for majutsushi (魔術師), which is a general term for a magician or conjurer. But Wizard is literally Wizard (ウィザード) as an English loan word. And the wordplay here is that, specially in Japan, the term "Wizard" evokes computer wizards, as in the setup assistant software. So it's a term that relates both to magic and technology. I think this association of Wizard with computer wizard software is less obvious in English.

Moving on. I don't want to copy every single line here, but for example when she's asking if you know about Servants, she uses dewa dewa (ではでは), which is a casual and playful "well then" or "so", used to change the topic.

Later, Hakuno has this thought:

JP: キャスター……性格は妙にフレンドリー、だが、サーヴァントとしての実力は間違いない。 EN: Caster… She seems unusually outgoing, but there's no denying her abilities as a Servant.

Specifically, Hakuno calls her myouni friendly (妙にフレンドリー), "oddly friendly".

Mikon

Most scenes in this game are unvoiced. Instead, characters used canned voicelines for most dialogue. One of Caster's canned lines, that she first uses in the infirmary scene above, is "Mikon!". Surprisingly, Caster never actually explicitly says "mikon" in text at any point in the game, even though this would become something like a catchphrase in later entries.

Matrix: Territory Creation

I'll be mentioning stuff about Caster's Matrix as it unlocks, if I find anything worth commenting on.

An infamous one is that her skill description for Territory Creation casually spoils her True Name in the official English localization. And this entry is unlocked from the moment she joins!

This doesn't happen in the original Japanese. If you're curious why the translators screwed up this badly… Well, in Japanese, it's very common to omit subjects if they can be inferred from context, as they are not grammatically necessary. But subjects ARE necessary in English.

The issue is that this line has no subject in Japanese, but the translators HAD TO add a subject to the sentence, to make it grammatical. And since this is a Matrix entry, it probably appears somewhere random in the script, along with other Matrix entries, and it's not clear which ones unlock in which order. Other entries do spell out her name even in Japanese (because they're unlocked after she reveals her name), so someone only checking the script might not know what entries are unlocked before or after her name is revealed.

W1D1 Caster threatens Rin

On the rooftop, Rin roasts Hakuno for looking like a bland NPC and not being a threat. Which has Caster say:

JP: ご主人様[マスター]を前にして、何とも身の程知らずな女ですねー。シメちゃいます？ EN: This woman doesn't understand that she's nothing compared to you. Are you letting her say that? RE: To speak like that in my Master's presence… this woman doesn't know her place, does she? Shall I beat her up?

In particular, that shimechaimasu (シメちゃいます) at the end… The verb she uses is a colloquial, almost yakuza-style way to say "teach a lesson" or "discipline" or straight out "beat up". This is the first time in the game she gives us a peek at her darker side, and the English version sort of misses on this.

W1D1 Big hint about her identity in My Room

There's this seemingly innocuous line:

JP: 如何です？女御殿とまではいきませんが、それなりに雰囲気は出てますよね？ EN: So, what do you think? It's not exactly the Imperial Palace, but it does have a regal air, does it not?

What they translated as "Imperial Palace" is nyogoten (女御殿), which would be the court where the nyogo (女御) reside. A nyogo, usually translated as "court lady", was a high-ranking female official who would attend the Emperor directly. That's what Tamamo-no-Mae was in life! She's elsewhere referred to as a nyogo or the similar term nyokan. This is a massive hint to her identity, and we're just on day 1.

W1D1 Hakken

I want to talk about an expression Caster uses a lot. When spotting the first enemy, she says:

JP: 雑魚です、雑魚はっけんでーん！ EN: Heads up! There's a weak little enemy coming at us! RE: Small fry! Small fry disco~vered!

She uses hakken (はっけん), which means "discovery" or "finding". She will say this a lot when spotting an item or enemy. I think this is common gaming language. Like, the equivalent of opening a chest in an RPG and getting a text box with "Found X!". It sounds very gamey.

This could be translated as anything like:

X, discovered! X, located! Found X! Discovery: X!

She says this a lot. For example, she will say this when first spotting Shinji in the Arena ("wakame hakken!"), and later when finding a treasure box. She proceeds to use it many times through the game, specially in the Arena.

Arena: Good work today

I'll mention any significant Arena dialogue roughly as it's unlocked (or as I find it).

JP: お疲れさまでした。 EN: Good work today.

She can say this when leaving the Arena. It does mean "good job", but as in "thank you for your hard work".

Arena: Level up

JP: レベルアップなんて…もう、ご主人様のイケメン！ EN: Another level up…?! Master, you're just so damn cool!

Level up dialogue. She doesn't say "cool" but rather "ikemen" (イケメン). So it's kind of like "Oh, honestly, Master, you're such a hunk!". It's the same ikemen as in ikemen-tamashi or ike-tama ("handsome soul"). So, yeah, I guess "so damn cool" could work just fine here. She's gushing, basically.

Arena: Obtaining item

JP: ちゃりーん☆ EN: *Treasure… GET!* RE: Cha-ching☆

In JP, she says an onomatopoeia for the sound of coins, like a "cha-ching!".

W1D1 End of first day

JP: ご主人様がいれば私は無敵ですから、何も心配しないで大丈夫。立ちふさがる奴はブッチギリで全殺しです！ EN: I'm invincible when my Master is threatened, so don't worry! Anyone in our way will get cut down! RE: I'm invincible if my Master is by my side, so don't worry about a thing! Anyone that stands in our way will be absolutely obliterated!

This is one of those lines that's difficult to get right, because she combines colloquial slang, polite speech, affectionate speech, and nearly yakuza-style threats (that 全殺し "absolute murder" is very heavy).

W1D2 On the topic of wisdom

In the boring English version, when you unlock new Matrix info you see a flashing "NEW INFO". But in the cultured Japanese version, you get…

☆ ☆ ☆ wiseup ☆ ☆ ☆

Now we're talking.

W1D2 Little guppy

Context: Shinji insults us, as a Shinji is wont to do, which has Caster say:

JP: マスター！　早く追いかけましょう！あんな海産物、私が懲らしめてやりますから！！ EN: Master, hurry up and go after him! I'll pound that little guppy into chum!

She calls him a kaisanbutsu (海産物), which is marine products. The joke here is that many people call Shinji "wakame", a species of edible seaweed, because his hair kinda looks like one.

W1D2 Cheap cologne and desperation

When you enter the Arena:

JP: ――くんくん。あれ？ 何だか海産物っぽい匂いがしますね…… これは、あのワカメ男に違いありません！ EN: *Sniff* Hmm? It smells like cheap cologne and desperation… It must be that smarmy little punk!

I sometimes love the English localization. In Japanese, she just calls him kaisanbutsu again, as well as outright calling him wakame (ワカメ) for the first time. But those jokes wouldn't make sense if translated, so we got this.

She proceeds to call him wakame and kaisanbutsu for the rest of the game, which gets translated to English as anything from jerk to punk to sea slug.

W1D2 Outta here

If you decide to immediately leave the Arena right after entering, Caster warns you:

JP: ご主人様[マスター]！ いま帰るのは危険です。 帰還の時に生じる隙を突かれるとヤバイです。 とにかく、敵を何とかしましょう。 EN: My Lord! Do not put yourself in peril! If they choose to attack us, our fate will be sealed. For now, let's leave them be. RE: Master! It's dangerous to head back right now. If they exploit the opening created when we return, we're screwed. For now, let's deal with the enemy first.

The localization makes her sound unusually formal ("My Lord"?), and has her suggest to "leave them be", which is the opposite of what she's advising.

Arena: Rare item

JP: レアアイテム、ゲットです ❤ EN: Rare item… GET! ❤

That's a literal translation. She uses beautiful Engrish for Rare Item (rea aitemu) and GET (getto). That GET is obviously JP gaming lingo. She uses it a lot too.

W1D3 Actual lore mistranslation

Our first one! I'm not paying much attention to random NPC dialogue, but this one said something that stood out to me. It's a girl in the corridor, just outside of class 2-A.

JP: 対戦者とちょっと話をしたんだけど、サーヴァントはマスターに縁のある英霊が選ばれるみたいね。 EN: I talked with another competitor, and it seems like Masters choose Servants they feel something for.

If I'm painfully literal, she's actually saying: "As for Servants, Heroic Spirits who have a connection to the Master are the ones chosen." She uses en (縁), which means connection or bond, but as in fated or destined. So she's saying something closer to:

RE: I talked with another competitor, and it seems like Servants are chosen from Heroic Spirits who share some kind of bond with their Masters.

The original makes it sound like the Master is the one choosing, or like it's unilateral, and that "feel something for" doesn't capture the "fated bond" vibe.

W1D3 Little witch

After Shinji accidentally reveals info about his Servant in front of Rin, she says something under her breath, which has Caster react on our side:

Rin: ……やれやれ、緊張感に欠けるマスターが多いわね。 Caster: 「多い」と言うのが他に誰を指しているのか、是非とも問いただしたい所ですが……確かにワカメは情報の価値を理解してないですね。 Rin: *Sigh* It seems that there are a great many Masters who don't understand the stakes involved. [EN] Caster: I hate that little witch. But she's right about that punk not knowing how vital information is. [RE] Caster: I would very much like to ask her who else she's referring to when she says "a great many", but she's right that Wakame doesn't understand the value of information.

In the JP version, Caster is reacting with offense to Rin's words about there being "a great many Masters who don't understand the stakes involved". The EN version makes it seem like she's being hostile out of the blue.

Caster then says that you can count on her nose and ears to point you in the right direction. After you (are forced to) agree, she says:

JP: キャー！　私、感激です！ではでは、二人の愛の勝利のために、敵の情報、ガンガン調べましょう。 EN: *Squeal* I'm so happy! For love and great justice, let's get a ton of information on our foe!

Rather than "for love and great justice", which sounds like a meme, she's saying "for our love's victory". She's emphasizing the two-people aspect (二人). This is hard to translate into English without making it sound forced, but this line has a bit of an "us vs the world" vibe.

W1D3 My Room: Fashion victim

JP: 初陣は誰しも実力を発揮できぬもの。 何回ポカをしてもご愛敬というヤツです。 EN: Don't worry about your mistakes; it was your first time after all. You still have my love and respect! RE: In one's first campaign, no one is able to demonstrate their full ability. No matter how many blunders you make, let's just say they're part of your charm.

It's surprisingly NOT innuendo, since uijin (初陣) refers to one's first battle or first campaign, usually in a military context.

JP: んー、ビギナーズアンラック、みたいな？ ま、相手はあのエセイケメンですし？ まずは私に任せちゃってください。 EN: It was just beginner's…un-luck…? Our next foe is that fashion victim, right? Don't worry, I can take him!

This one's mostly fine, but she doesn't call him fashion victim, but rather "ikemen wannabe" (エセイケメン). Recall, an ikemen is a man that is handsome both on the outside (pretty-boy looks) and in the inside (gentle and understanding personality). Shinji's got the pretty-boy looks, maybe, but he's only a half-ikemen at best. (Contrast with Casko calling Hakuno an "ikemen soul", as in, an ikemen on the inside).

W1D4 Tortoise and the hare

This is a somewhat obscure line. To see it, you have to avoid going to the library and head straight for the Arena. Caster will stop you, recommending that you go check the library to learn more about your enemy. Then, if you try to enter the Arena AGAIN a second time, she says:

JP: ご主人様…たまには急がばリターン、書物で知識を深めるのも大切ですよ。ふふふ、わたしもいい事言いますね～。 EN: Master, remember the story about the tortoise and the hare? It's better to be smart than fast. RE: Master… Once in a while, {untranslatable pun about "haste makes waste"}. It's also important to deepen your knowledge with books. *giggle* I said something pretty neat, didn't I~?

There's a Japanese idiom "if you're in a hurry, take a detour" (急がば回れ), meaning something similar to "haste make waste" or "slow and steady wins the race". But here she says "if you're in a hurry, return". Mind you, she says "return" in English. And then at the end of the sentence she basically goes "hehe, that was pretty cool of me, uh?". She's just being an absolute goof in this line.

W1D4 Yellow chat: T Regulations and Caribbean cruise

Hakuno ruminates:

JP: 聖杯戦争という名の殺し合い。曖昧な記憶のまま、魔術師[ウィザード]として扱われる自分。加えて、いまいち性格の掴めないサーヴァント。 EN: This bloodbath known as the Holy Grail War. Me being recognized as a Wizard despite my amnesia. And being given a Servant who is capricious at best.

Rather, what Hakuno thinks about Caster is "a Servant whose personality I can't quite pin down".

Then, since Hakuno is brooding, Caster says "Okay, moping time is over!". In Japanese she says "That's enough seek time!", using the English loan term seek time (シークタイム). It's a term from computing, referring to the delay taken to access data. She likes using computing terms from time to time.

Then, the very next line, oh my god…

JP: 弱り目にたたり目、泣きっ面にハチ、 年上の女房は質に入れても即ゲット、 と申します！ EN: The silver lining of an evil curse; An elder courtesan bought at auction; There is always hope in despair!

Here's our first encounter with another of Caster's running gags. She will start citing actual, real Japanese idioms… before throwing an absolute non-sequitur. In JP she says, in order:

"A curse hitting someone that's already weak": A real Japanese idiom for one problem following another. Like "to add insult to injury" in English.

"A bee on a crying face": Another real idiom with the same meaning.

"A mature wife is an instant GET, even if you have to pawn everything you own": Not… an actual idiom. Absolute fabrication. But it has the same cadence as the two previous proverbs. This means something like: no matter the sacrifice, a mature wife is always worth the trade-off. Essentially, she's saying: "Life sucks right now, so just focus on me!"

It's also worth noting that the term she uses for wife is nyoubou (女房), which in addition to meaning "wife" can also mean "court lady". So that's another subtle hint, as she's referring to herself both as a "mature wife" and as a "mature court lady". Let me insist that we're still on week 1.

Hakuno cheers up a little, but:

JP: それは素直に嬉しいのだが…… 最後のことわざは、ちょっと違うんじゃないだろうか？ EN: While I truly appreciate her attempts at cheering me up, her metaphors definitely need some work.

In JP, Hakuno's saying something like: "Isn't that last proverb a bit off?"

JP: はい。それでは私の方からご挨拶をば。私の真名は諸事情、Ｚ的な規制等によって明かせませんが、 EN: Okay, I'll go first. Of course, due to various rules and T Regulations, I can't tell you my true name,

In Japanese, that's "Z-class Regulations" (Ｚ的な規制). In Japan, the CERO Z rating is a 18+ rating, equivalent to ESRB M or PEGI 18. So translating this as "T Regulations" is actually underselling it!

JP: それはもう由緒正しい、自分でもどうかと思うぐらい霊験あらたかな、狐耳のお手伝いさんです！ EN: but it resembles that of a fox-eared maiden with an ancient and honorable origin, which surprises even me!

Minor mistranslation: she doesn't say "maiden" but rather "maid" (お手伝いさん), as in someone hired to assist with household chores.

JP: どうぞ気兼ねなく、キャスター、とお呼び捨てくださいね。 EN: But please do not hesitate to address me as Caster, okay?

Specifically, she asks you to use yobisute (呼び捨て), which means addressing her without using honorific suffixes (so "Caster" instead of "Caster-san" or the like). This would normally be considered rude, but it's common among very close, intimate partners. Note that Hakuno will indeed refer to her as plain "Caster" with no suffix.

JP: あ、でもぉ……お・ま・え、とか、 気安く呼んでくださった方が嬉しいんですけど！ きゃっ、アタシったら言っちゃったー☆ EN: Ah, but "honey" would be so much nicer, don't you think? Eek! Did I just say that out loud?!

In JP, instead of "honey", she say's she'd be happy if you called her omae (おまえ). This is a pronoun that's normally rude, but in this context it's used for extremely close partners. So she's not asking for a pet name, but to be treated more intimately. Also, she doesn't just say omae but rather o・ma・e, with small cutesy pauses. She does this a lot too, and it can never be translated cleanly.

On that note, to refer to herself, Caster normally uses polite and humble personal pronouns like watakushi or watashi. But I think this the first line where she instead uses atashi (アタシ), a much more cutesy and girly personal pronoun that she will rarely use.

If you ask what T Regulations are, she says that they allow for naughty acts (ero ero), but:

JP: でも私は空気が読めるので、 そういうのは自粛中ってコトで一つ。 EN: I see what you're trying to do, but I have more self-control than that! RE: But since I know how to read the room, let's just say I'm currently practicing self-restraint regarding that sort of thing.

JP: ご主人様も、あまり女の子の過去とか、 詮索しちゃダメですよ？ EN: And anyway, haven't you ever heard the saying "A gentleman never asks and a lady never tells?" RE: You too, Master, you mustn't go prying into a girl's past, okay?

For the next line, recall she was originally talking about the ZERO Z rating:

JP: ……まあ、エロエロなのはＲで、 Ｚまでいくと人体をこう、流血させたり爆発させたり、 コロコロしちゃうコトなんですけどねぇ…… EN: …Well, if you follow T Regulations, certain lascivious imagery and language is allowed, even encouraged, but once you go beyond them, things get very violent, gory, and there are a lot of boobs and such… RE: …Well, erotic stuff is actually rated R, if you go up to Z then that involves things like making the human body go, well, bleed and explode and just go pop!

Now, if playing specifically as Hakunon, there's a second dialogue choice:

Hakunon: あ・な・たって……わたし、女なんだけど。 Hakunon: Oh, "honey," you do remember that I am but an innocent girl.

Recall, in English, Caster asked you to call her "honey", and now Hakunon does, if semi-sarcastically. But in Japanese, she asked you to call her "omae", which is far too intimate, so Hakunon instead calls her "anata", which is affectionate but doesn't quite go that far.

JP: 不肖この私、 一度ご主人様と決めた方には誠心誠意、 全力全霊でお仕えいたします！そこに男女の差などありません！ EN: Though unworthy I may be, I will serve you with all my heart and soul in any way you choose! In that… and in many other things… gender has no influence on my dedication to my duty! RE: Though I am unworthy, once I have decided upon a Master, I serve them with all my heart, power, and soul! There is no distinction between man and woman in that regard!

Then, one of her most infamous lines:

JP: ま、殿方の方が お仕えしやすいのは事実ですが。でもでも、ホントに困ったら私の呪術で いくらでもなんとかなりますから！どうぞ、大船に乗った気でいてください！ EN: To be honest, it is somewhat easier to have a male as a Master. But! If the idea of doing certain… things…bothers you, I'll make everything better with my magic! So just relax a little. You know, like you're taking a nice cruise through the Caribbean or something!

It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that a more literal translation would be:

RE: Well, it's true that a man would be somewhat easier to serve. But, but! If you're truly bothered by it, my sorcery can handle just about anything! So please rest easy, you're in safe hands!

She's using a Japanese idiom which literally translates to something like "to feel like you're boarding a large ship" (大船に乗った気で), meaning something like "you're in good hands" or "you can feel secure". As in, if you're riding on a large ship, you don't worry about storms. It's an expression of reassurance.

Hakunon responds:

JP: ……大船どころか、 とんでもない暴走特急に乗った気がしないでもない。今の発言は深く考えないようにしておこう。 その、精神衛生上的に。 EN: …Cruise through the Caribbean? Try clinging to the aft railing of the Titanic… For the sake of my fragile sanity, I should stop thinking too hard on what she just said. RE: …Far from being on a large ship, I can't help but feel like I've boarded some sort of runaway express train. I'd better try not to think too deeply about what she just said. For the sake of my mental health.

So in JP, "riding a big ship" is an idiom for feeling safe, which has Hakunon respond with a counter-idiom of feeling like she's on a "runaway express train" instead. But that wouldn't translate well to English, so the localization… gets just a little bit creative. They went for "Caribbean cruise" to evoke luxury and relaxation, and then "clinging to the aft railing of the Titanic" to evoke a sinking disaster, to try to keep the joke.

The, er, implication is still there in Japanese, kind of, but it's far, far subtler. More elegant. More of a wink and a nod.

Regardless of dialogue choice, eventually Caster asks Hakuno for their memories, but of course they have none. So Caster apologizes.

JP: 記憶なんてなくても困らないし、何かの拍子でサクッと戻ってくるものです！他ならぬ私が断言しちゃいます！ EN: I'm not worried that you don't have any memories now! I know that you'll get them back eventually! RE: It's not a problem if you don't have your memories. They just pop back into place when you least expect it! I can absolutely guarantee it!

It's a very cute line, because she uses hokanaranu watakushi (他ならぬ私), which can just be a general energetic "I guarantee it", but also a "I of all people would know".

JP: っていうか、 戻ってもいい記憶だって保証もないし、むしろ戻らない方がいいコトだって あるような、ないような――― EN: But there's no guarantee that when your memories come back that they'll be good memories. Actually, I have the feeling that it'd be better if you never get them back― RE: Or rather, there's no guarantee that the memories you get back will be good ones. In fact, maybe sometimes it's best not to remember… ah, or maybe not?

The localization makes her sound almost hostile. The line's tricky, because she's trailing off towards the end, in a "maybe, maybe not" kind of way. Kind of like "but don't pay much attention to what I'm saying, haha."

If it's not clear by now, this is foreshadowing for her backstory. Caster was born with no memories about being a Divine Spirit, about being a nonhuman living among humans. And when she got her memories (and ears and tail) back, that threw her into a panic. That's why she's saying that perhaps sometimes it's best if you don't get your memories back… But she's mostly talking about herself here, not about Hakuno.

This is made more obvious by Hakuno's own thoughts right after:

JP: ……気のせいだろうか。 いま、キャスター声が微妙に落ちこんでいた気がする。こちらを励まそうとした言葉に、 知らず、自分が傷ついてしまったような。 EN: …I'm probably imagining it, but Caster sounded slightly dejected just now. It's almost as if I somehow unintentionally blew off her attempts at encouragement… RE: …Was it my imagination? Just now, I felt as if Caster's voice had grown slightly dejected. It's as if, without realizing it, she had hurt herself with the very words meant to encourage me.

W1D4 Alteration of the Soul: Pouring love

This is the first day where we can do Alteration of the Soul. If you boost Caster's stats, but not enough to learn a skill, she says:

JP: こうやってチビチビと私に 愛を注ぎ込んでくれるなんて… そんなご主人様もステキです！ EN: It's so cute the way you pour your love into me just a little bit at a time, Master!

First, yes, the Japanese version uses the same exact innuendo. In fact, it's arguably worse. She literally talks about pouring love (愛を注ぎ込む). But specially, she uses chibichibi (チビチビ), which does mean "little by little", and usually in the context of sipping a drink. You know, savoring it, letting it coat your tongue.

The other thing to note is that this is the first time she calls her Master suteki (ステキ), another favorite word of hers she uses a lot for Hakuno. I'll just copypaste its dictionary entry: "lovely; wonderful; charming; enchanting; nice; great; splendid; marvellous (marvelous); fantastic; superb​".

W1D5 Alteration of the Soul: Level-up in love

Another one:

JP: ふふ……ご主人様からの魔力を感じます。この言葉には表せないＥＸＰ[けいけんち]的なもの……ズバリ！愛のランクアップとみました！ EN: *Giggle* Oh dear Master, you've given me the best gift of all… A level-up in your love! RE: *Giggle* I can feel the Magical Energy coming from my Master. It's kind of like EXP, though words can't quite describe it… I know! I'd say this is a love RANK UP!

That "Magical Energy" is maryoku (魔力), as in mana and od.

W1D5 Diegetic fast travel

This is the dialogue that unlocks fast travel:

JP: ところで、ご主人様[マスター]。端末の□ボタンを押したことありますか？ EN: Oh, Master—! Have you ever given any thought to pressing □ at all? RE: By the way, Master. Have you ever pressed the □ button on your terminal?"

Apparently fast travel is supposed to be diegetic, like it's a function of the terminal?

W1D5 Second sigil

When removing the second of Shinji's sigils, Caster says:

JP: やったぁ！これで、お子さま魔法陣を ２つとも壊しましたよ。 ご主人様、素敵です！ EN: All right, we finally got rid of those pesky magic sigils! Master, you really are the greatest!

Another instance of Caster calling her Master suteki (素敵), lovely/wonderful, this time with kanji.

But most interestingly, she calls the sigil a "child's" (お子さま) sigil. As in, child's play, but also as in made by a child. Knowing what we learn about Shinji after his fight…

W1D6 Caster's midday warning

This is what Caster has to say about Shinji and Rider:

JP: 相手のマスターはカスですけど サーヴァントはそこそこ手ごわいですよ。 まあ私とご主人様が組めば楽勝ですけどね！ EN: The enemy Master is just a bully, but his Servant's a tough woman. Still, I know we'll win! RE: The enemy Master is trash, but his Servant is reasonably tough. Well, Master, as long as you and I are working as a team, this will be a walk in the park!

W1D6 Treasure hunt begins

Shinji challenges us to a treasure hunt. Caster's reaction:

JP: ふっふっふ…財宝は全て私の…ご主人様のものです！ EN: *Chuckle* …The treasure is all MI— I mean, my dear Master's!

This joke sounds a bit more natural in Japanese. You see, Caster will refer to herself as watakushi, and to her Master as goshujinsama. And in Japanese, the particle no can be used as a possessive marker. So, watakushi no goshujinsama just naturally means "my Master".

So here she starts saying "the treasure belongs to watakushi", then there's a small pause, and then she hurriedly adds "no goshujinsama".

W1D7 Rider Matrix: Character background

If you unlock the full matrix for the opponent Rider (Drake), her Character Background entry includes this interesting tidbit:

JP: 「アタシが金貨を集めるのは嵐のように使い切るためさね！」とは本人の談。そういった理由で、いかに黄金好きでも“使い切れぬ財宝”を象徴する英雄王とは相容れない。同じ理由で永遠を定義する狐耳のキャスターとも相容れない。 EN: As she so often declares, "I chase after gold so that I can scatter it like a storm!" It is for this reason that she is wholly incompatible with the King of Heroes that symbolizes "an inexhaustible treasury." She would also be at odds with the fox-eared Caster, as Caster is the epitome of eternity.

Translation's good. The "King of Heroes" bit obviously refers to Gilgamesh. As for Caster, I think this is the first time the game drops an explicit hint about her hailing from divinity (disregarding her occasional threats of "divine punishment", which could just be overlooked as a character quirk).

For Caster, it specifically says that she "defines eternity" (永遠を定義する). "Define" as in defining a variable or defining a word in a dictionary. And that "eternity" is eien (永遠), meaning eternity, perpetuity, immortality. In Extella, Hakuno explicitly says (before the final boss in Caster's route) that Caster has an Origin of Eternity, using the same eien. An Origin in Fate is… a difficult concept to explain, but you could say that this random note in Rider's entry in Extra was the first subtle allusion towards Caster's Origin.

W1D7 No Cipher Keys (DEAD END)

If you somehow reach the end of the week and haven't gotten both keys, the game gives you a non-standard game over. I've checked the script out of curiosity, and all three Servants react with the same line:

JP: ……。 EN: …It must've been my imagination.

Back to index:

https://www.tumblr.com/sunlitwateryheavens/821244041388867584/index-exploring-tamamos-jp-lines-in-extra

I've been playing through the original Fate/Extra in Japanese with Tamamo, simply because I was curious to check all of her lines and how they compare with the official English localization. The game's script is massive, so I'll focus mainly on Tamamo dialogue to keep the scope under control.

I already did something similar for Extella. But while Extella had many deep translation issues, the localization for Extra is perfectly fine most of the time. But I still want to contrast it against the original anyway, out of curiosity, and because many jokes and details are necessarily lost in translation. And there ARE actual mistranslations here and there.

My retranslations will not be "better" than the official localization (and many times will be more stiff). Instead, my goal here is to try to explain the intent behind the original text, even if that means providing a more literal translation. Expect a mini wall of text after each line.

Related posts

In the past, I've written more in-depth posts for some of the terminology Tamamo often uses, like ikemen tamashii, ryousai, or goshujinsama. I'll explain these terms very briefly as they come up here, but if you're curious to know more about any of them, here's some links:

Ikemen tamashii ("handsome soul"):

https://www.tumblr.com/sunlitwateryheavens/806662240829849600/aaaa

Ryousai ("good wife"):

https://www.tumblr.com/sunlitwateryheavens/808469716245102592/tamamos-good-wife-shtick-has-to-do-with

Goshujinsama ("Master" / "Husband"):

https://www.tumblr.com/sunlitwateryheavens/813636020150091777/what-does-tamamos-goshujinsama-mean

Servant choices

Okay. So we haven't even begun the game proper and I'm already complaining. Here's the Servant choice options:

剣を携えた男装の少女 赤い外装に身を包んだ武人 妖艶な半獣の女性

Official localization:

A woman who wields a sword boldly. A stoic warrior clothed in red robes. A magical fox girl.

But more literally:

A girl dressed as a man that carries a sword. A warrior clad in red armor. A bewitching demi-beast woman.

For Saber, they use 男装 (dansou), which refers to a girl dressing like a boy or using male attire.

Archer is mostly fine.

Caster is described as 妖艶な (youenna), which means bewitching/alluring/seductive, with a vibe of mysterious or even dangerous beauty. She's also described as 半獣 (hanjuu), which is the standard fantasy term for a half-human half-beast.

The funniest thing to me is that in JP, Saber gets called a 少女 (shoujo), a term for a young girl usually 7-17, while Caster gets called a 女性 (josei), a term for an adult woman. And somehow, in the localization they mix those up, and call Saber a woman and Caster a girl.

Hakuno Kishinami

The protagonist had no official name when the game released, but "Hakuno Kishinami" was picked later on for the manga and Drama CD. By the time of CCC, it would be the default name for both genders.

In Japanese, "kimi no na hakushi" (君の名白紙) would mean "Your name (is) a blank paper" or "Your name (is) a blank slate". Although it's kind of broken Japanese. Anyway, an anagram of that would be kishinami hakuno, which is why it was picked.

Both Kishinami and Hakuno are real Japanese names, but looking through Wikipedia, they seem very rare. Kishinami (岸波) is written with the kanji for shore (岸) and wave (波), so "shore wave". Given all the sea imagery in the Moon Cell, that's quite appropriate. And Hakuno (白野) uses the kanji for white/pure/blank (白) and field (野), so "white field" or "blank field". This one's self-explanatory too, given Hakuno's apparent amnesia in the game.

Their full name is normally written in Japanese either in hiragana or using kanji. The default nickname for male Hakuno is kishinami written in katakana (キシナミ), which gives it a bit of a "cool" and "sci-fi" vibe compared to the usual hiragana writing. And the default nickname for female Hakuno is hakunon in hiragana (はくのん), where -n is a common Japanese suffix to soften a name and make it sound cuter.

So, the male nickname is based on the family name and uses katakana, which makes it seem more formal, serious, and even a bit sci-fi. While the female nickname is based on the given name and uses hiragana, which seems a bit warmer, and more carefree.

Have you ever thought it weird that in English the female Hakuno has a nickname (Hakunon) but the male apparently doesn't? It turns out he does have a nickname, but it's just his surname written with a different syllabary, so that's lost in translation.

(They also have an even older nickname "Zabi/Xavier", which predates all that, but I'll talk about this one when we get to it in week 3.)

Caster's first appearance

The first line she says, Tamamo's literal first words in any media, are:

"その魂、ちょお～～～っと待った！暫く、暫くぅ！" "Hey, you soul-type person over there, wait juuuuuuust a second! Really, just one second!"

She doesn't really say "soul-type person". She literally refers to "that soul" (その魂). She often talks about souls. For instance, just four lines later:

"だってこのイケメン魂、きっと素敵な人ですから！ちょっと私に下さいな♪" "I mean, I'm sure this absolutely charming soul is a wonderful person! Please, can I have it?"

This is her first time talking about an ikemen soul, which usually gets localized as "handsome soul" or similar. This is a very casual expression she uses a lot, either said in full as ikemen tamashii (イケメン魂) or shortened to a cute ike-tama (イケ魂). I think this is actually the only time in Extra where she uses this term, but starting in CCC, this becomes a Tamamo-ism she uses a lot. In fact, this is arguably THE Tamamo-ism.

This is actually a surprisingly deep and complex expression that I think reveals a lot about the character. I already analyzed this in far more depth (across multiple games) in one of the links above, but the short of it: It refers to a person that is good-natured and considerate.

謂われはなくとも即参上、 軒轅陵墓から、 良妻狐のデリバリーにやってきました！あ、なんかドン引きしてません？ えーと、貴方が私のご主人様…… でいいんですよね？ Even if you weren't exactly clear why you need one, I've brought you a vulpine wife from the imperial tomb! Ah, you seem a little… apprehensive. Um… you are my Master… Right?

I'm going to spend a little more time than usual on these two lines, because they're a great example of how she talks for most of the game. First, a retranslation:

Reason or not, I humbly arrived at once! Coming straight from the Tomb of the Yellow Emperor, your delivery for one good-wife fox has arrived! Ah, are you like totally put off right now? Um, you're my Master (Husband)… right?

So, so much to unpack.

A running joke with Caster is that she will intermix extremely formal language with the most casual slang, in the same sentence, at random. That first line is an absolute roller-coaster. It starts off relatively normal, and then she drops a sanjou (参上), an extremely humble expression meaning something like "humbly visiting". She then mentions the Tomb of the Yellow Emperor, which changes the register towards the esoteric and mystical. She then talks about a "good-wife fox", which immediately shatters the mystical vibe, making her sound flirty if still formal. And then she slams the door shut on all that dignity by calling herself a "delivery" in Engrish, as if she were a parcel just arriving at your doorstep.

That's ONE sentence. This kind of absolute linguistic whiplash is extremely common with her, and is one of the core reasons that make her so hard to translate. Neither the official localization nor my own retranslations can possibly make her justice. I will not bother to point out every single time this is lost in translation (unless it's particularly funny or something), but this is just how she speaks broadly. Overall, she often sounds dramatic, slightly ridiculous, and all-around fun.

Also, in the next line she uses the very casual donbiki (ドン引き) for asking Hakuno if they're "weirded out" or "put off". The "apprehensive" in the localization makes her sound a little too serious.

This is the first time she calls herself a ryousai (良妻), a "good wife". She uses this term all the time. The main thing to point out is that this isn't merely "adjective good + noun wife", but rather refers to a specific Confucian archetype. In English, this is actually closer to "virtuous wife" or "exemplary wife". I also explored this in one of the links above.

This is also the first time she refers to Hakuno as goshujinsama (ご主人様), a play on words that can mean both Master and Husband. She uses this regardless of Haku's gender. Basically, from her perspective she's asking "Um, you're my Husband… right?", but Hakuno is interpreting it as "Master" instead. Hence the shenanigans that follow when Hakuno says yes, unaware of what they're agreeing to.

Lastly, she mentions the "Tomb of Ken'en" (軒轅陵墓), which would be the Yellow Emperor. This might honestly deserve its own post, but the short of it is: this is neither standard Japanese nor Chinese. Instead of calling it "Tomb/Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor", she uses the Emperor's given name. But not his given name in standard Chinese or Japanese. She calls him "Ken'en", which would be the Japanese on-yomi (Sino-Japanese) reading. It just feels extremely bizarre and I don’t know what to make of this.

In any case, the Yellow Emperor was a wise and virtuous Emperor of China who was later seen as a god. (To be clear, this guy has no relation to Daji or other foxes.) I'm pretty sure this Tomb is mentioned too in CCC and/or Extella? This is the first hint she drops about her pan-Asiatic roots.

Anyway. If you're cruel enough to say you're not her Master:

ちょっ、ひど！ っていうか空気読んでください！ Hey, that's just horrible and mean! You really need to get a clue!

That "You really need to get a clue!" is closer to "Please read the room!". You've done something terribly wrong if Caster of all people asks you to read the room.

ここで私と契約しないと デッドエンドですよ？ 人生負け組みで終わっていいんですかぁ！？ If you don't make a contract with me right now, you're as good as dead. Are you okay with going out a loser?!

The first part is actually: "If you don't make a contract with me right now, isn't this a DEAD END?". That's the video game term. She uses lots of gamey and internet terms.

And that "loser" is jinsei makegumi (人生負け組み), which is harsh slang for people that have "lost at the game of life". Kind of like calling someone a "failure at life".

If you instead say that, yes, you're her Master, she responds more positively.

She has two common ways to refer to Hakuno. One is to just call them goshujinsama (ご主人様). But another is what she does above, where the text shows that same kanji "ご主人様", but she reads it as Master (マスター), using furigana (the small blue text). Very, very rarely, she will just plainly call Hakuno "Master" (マスター). And all three of these scenarios get localized to English the same way: as "Master" (or very occasionally "my Lord").

As far as I can tell, there's no significant difference between her using one or another. Which one she uses in any scene seems perfectly random.

何を隠そうこのタ―――いえ、このワタクシ、ご主人様みたいな人のサーヴァントになりたいってずっと思っていたのです！ To be honest, I, the mighty Ta- I mean, I hoped that I could be a Servant to someone like you!

It's not too uncommon in Japanese media to have a character talk about themselves in third person (Jojo's "Kono Dio Da" comes to mind). Here, Caster almost says kono Tamamo ("this Tamamo"), but stops after the "Ta". The localization rewrites it a little to keep the joke.

……まあ、ちょっと性能はピーキーなんで、ご主人様[マスター]的には不満かもしれませんけど…… せいいっぱい、頑張りますから！ …Oh, my abilities might be a tad limited so you might not be happy with me, Master, but… I'll try my best!

This is a series of posts where I play through the original Fate/Extra in Japanese, with Tamamo, and point out any localization details that I find interesting. For more details, please check the "Prologue" post.

Most of these will be very long. This is a lot of text to go through.

(I will be adding more links as I progress.)

Prologue:

https://www.tumblr.com/sunlitwateryheavens/821244051066126336/exploring-tamamos-jp-lines-in-extra-prologue

Week 1: https://www.tumblr.com/sunlitwateryheavens/821244070856900608/exploring-tamamos-jp-lines-in-extra-week-1

Week 2: https://www.tumblr.com/sunlitwateryheavens/821878765425721344/exploring-tamamos-jp-lines-in-extra-week-2

Week 3: {Pending}

Week 4: {Pending}

Week 5: {Pending}

Week 6: {Pending}