#treehouse localization

To start off, there's two things to set the stage. The first is that Niles is one of Fates' characters that got a completely new name in localization. His Japanese name is Zero, so if I use that name at all in this post, that's why. I might flip-flop between other characters' names too, like from Corrin to Kamui, for example.

The second thing is that, overall, Niles' Japanese lines tend to be coated in innuendo and double entendres. Many times, these only really make sense if you speak Japanese, which I don't, hence why I tried to defer to translations before running things through a machine. For example, I've learned from some translators that when JP!Niles says that he'll "send his enemies to heaven/make them ascend to heaven", it's a statement in Japanese that also works as a euphemism for making someone orgasm. I'm not gonna spend too much time pointing out every instance of JP!Niles saying raunchy stuff, but will if it's particularly funny, striking or outlandish.

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Classic Mode Retreat Quote

Japanese: Sometimes pain feels good, but I'm about to reach my limit here... I don't want to upset Lord Leon, so I'm going to retreat now...

English: This doesn't feel good anymore... I must retreat while I still can. I'll live to suffer another day...

-If you know Niles, you know his connection to Leo is extremely important to his character. Not just because he's Leo's retainer, but because Niles meeting Leo changed his life forever. So, while removing that one line doesn't sound too outrageous at first, it gets kind of silly when you think about it.

Most of the first gen men in Fates retreat instead of die in Classic mode due to avoid consistency issues if you've unlocked their child's paralogue. However, though they retreat, they still aren't deployable anymore in Classic mode, with the explanation being that they took such grave injuries that they can't fight anymore even though they survive.

Niles/Zero, in his Japanese quote, is pulling himself back from the brink of death because he doesn't want to upset Leo, even if he can't fight anymore. This is a twist on how initially, he begged Leo to kill him after being abandoned by his criminal gang, before Leo hired him as a retainer based on fascination/curiosity with how Niles was acting. All retainers in Fates are close to their masters, but some are closer than others, such as Niles.

Critical/Skill Activation

Japanese: I won't let you get away!/Let's go.../Take it all in!*/This is gonna hurt!

English: You can't hide from me!/Here's a taste.../Ohhh, yes!/Time to suffer!

-Both sets are delightfully fucked up and lewd, but I wanted to draw special attention to the one I marked with an asterisk.

Again, I don't speak Japanese, so I may be way of the mark, but the quote "Take it all in!" in Japanese is 受けてみろよ！or transliterated as "Ukete miro yo!"

Running that through machine translator reads it as "Give it a try!", but I've also watched a Japanese Fates crit quote video where it was translated as "Out of my face..."

But I think I cracked the code: it's a top/bottom joke. It's basically a "Take this!" quote in context of battle, but "Ukete miro yo!", phonetically, is also used in the Seme (top) and Uke (bottom) tropes in BL. So I think he's telling his enemy to 'take his dick', if you wanna be coarse about it.

What solidified this for me, is Nina's Japanese crit/skill quotes. In the Japanese version of Fates, the children share crit/skill quotes (or put some spin on them) with their direct parents. Nina shares "Let's go.../Take it all in!/This is gonna hurt!" but not "I won't let you get away!" because that's what Niles shares with Leo as his retainer (yeah they doubled up on crit quotes a lot in this one lol)

So Nina's fourth crit quote is unique to her, and she says 攻めるわよ！, transliterated as Semeru wa yo! (I'll attack you!) Again, it's a Seme (Semeru wa yo!) and Uke (Ukete miro yo!) euphemism joke. Cuz she's the Fujo. ...I spent a lot of time on this section lmaooo.

The other battle lines for Niles are pretty faithful or otherwise appropriate localizations.

Level Up

0-1 stats: Well... sometimes bad things happen. (JP) How unfortunate. (Eng)

2-3 stats: It's still not enough for me... (JP) I deserve better. (Eng)

4-5 stats: I feel good... (JP) My power is growing. (Eng)

6 or more stats: I can't go easy on you anymore. (JP) My gain will be another's pain. (Eng)

0-1 stats with most stats maxed: It was you who made me this way. (JP) Alas, I am at the height of my powers. (Eng)

-Overall, kind of a mix-and-match between versions, with the JP version being more suggestive and the English version being more powerhungry/sadistic. Neither is out of character.

I do lament the loss of sincerity from his maxed stats quote from Japanese to English (I could be misreading this though, I just think Niles is talking to the player)

Class Change

Japanese: What do you want me to do by dressing me like this...?

English: How quaint.

-Japanese is suggestive, English is weirdly boring? Quaint is not a word that's easily applicable to all situations when it comes to class changes, so meeeeh.

Mess Hall

-Not much to say here, but in Japanese when he eats a bad meal, he asks if there's an aphrodisiac in it, which is pretty funny.

My Castle

-Besides some suggestive flirting being removed or toned down, a couple lines were changed at the gathering spots. In the English version, at a rice paddy he says "Think rice is boring? Think again. I eat it at every meal." while in Japanese he says "Cooked rice is so beaitiful... It's like it's seducing me with its shiny white body..."

In English, at the dairy farm he says "Here, take this. It's good for your bones." while in Japanese he says "Look, milk. When I miled the cow, she mooed with joy..."

Birthday

Giving him a present: To think that my birth would be celebrated... I'm grateful. (JP) The world changed the day I was born. Thank you for acknowledging that. (English)

Saying happy birthday to Corrin: It's your birthday... You should be thankful for all the days since you were born. (JP) Birthdays always make me think of death. Oh, by the way... happy birthday! (English)

-The English ones are funny, but Niles is already funny just through his euphemism schtick. The genuine sincerity being removed makes me sad.

Conquest Chapter 8

-Niles introduction in this chapter is pretty much the same, it's actually mostly Odin who has more line differences. Though this is where the "I'll send them to heaven/make them cum" line pops up for Niles, so I thought I'd mention it.

-Like the rest of the script in Conquest, it is pretty faithful, if a little more bland. But it can't be helped sometimes, given how English and Japanese work so differently as languages. Now Birthright on the other hand...

Birthright Chapter 18 Standard Boss Quote

Japanese: What a nice face you have. I find that look of desperation irresistable. With Lord Leo's permission... I'll do something good for you...

English: Say that's a nice face you've got there. Would be a shame if someone were to slash it. Let's have some fun, shall we?

-Love when Treehouse inserts memes into things that date the game immediately, loooooove it /s "Would be a shame if something happened to it" was an old meme even by 2016, jesus.

Vs. Corrin/Kamui (Japanese)

Zero: So... You're Kamui... The traitorous brother that Lord Leon hates enough to kill...

Kamui: He wants to kill me? Leon...?

Zero: Haha, what a splendid face you're making. The pain in another's face is sublime. Twist it up more for me, I want to see you cry.

Kamui: Huh...

Zero: ...Come on now, you're here to fight me, aren't you? I want to pierce you soon, too... with this thick arrow of mine.

Kamui: !!!

Zero: Hmmm? Are you scared? ...It's okay, I'll be gentle. The pain will be gone before you know it... Once I send you to heaven...

Vs. Corrin English

Niles: So, you're the little thorn in my master's side, are you? Very well. If he wants you dead, who am I to argue?

Corrin: I still can't believe it. We lived as brothers...

Niles: Oh, yes. The suffering on your face is simply delicious. Now, let's see what happens when you have a few more holes...

Corrin: You're sick!

Niles: Oh, please. This is war. This is my job. I'm good at what I do. I'll try to make this painless so you can die in peace. Deal?

-This one is confusing more than anything. Niles sort of has the same lines/message here, but Corrin in Localized Birthright is generally so fucking insufferable that it bleeds into here as well. He talks as if Niles isn't even there, and then calls him sick, which, yes it's true Niles is fucked up, but Corrin is SUPPOSED TO BE EXCEEDINGLY SWEET AND FORGIVING. This extends to his enemies as well, he's very polite with the retainers of the opposing side. Niles isn't any worse than Zola, yet Corrin has worse words for him??? It's weird.

-The other story moments Niles has aren't signifcantly changed to where I feel the need to mention them, even Birthright. Again, it's actually Odin and Leo who are more altered, but that's neither here nor there.

Ghostly Gold

Japanese: You're so naughty. Even like this, you still want more? This place *is* pretty fascinating, but... These are also sacred ruins not to be disturbed. Were a thief like the former me to find out about this place, it'd be quite troublesome. To honor my orders and silence you... I'll make you come by my own hands.

English: Last night was a cinch for me. I always sleep with one eye open. You never know whose grabby little hands might end up in your pockets.

-Some lines in Ghostly Gold, regardless of language, either discuss the gold/treasure, the enemies, or how the army stayed up all night to catch the thieves. Niles' got changed from one to another.

The Japanese one is pretty standard when considering how Niles has moments of sincerity in the Japanese script as it is, but again, losing it in the English version for something completely different? It's not only disappointing, it's confusing. Did some of the people on the job when localizing just not have the original script? Or did they decide just to change it because they felt like it? It's truly dumbfounding to me, how this particular scenario happens in Fates so much.

Boo Camp

Japanese: Please be gentle with me...? I'm not used to things like this... What do you all expect, putting yourselves in danger in a dark place like this. At least if I were a monster like you, I'd take everyone who comes here to the cruel edge of ecstasy. (I'd make everyone who comes here cum cruelly? idk)

English: Be gentle, boys... or whatever you are. I don't know what we expected, making ourselves so vulnerable in the dark. But you'll find out like all the others that I give as good as I get.

-Omg, Vers King Niles in the English version... That's all I have to say about this, it's faithful, and a really great example of how to keep suggestive euphemism while not being a literal translation.

-The other DLC maps with character dialogue don't have too big of changes, or at least ones that give insight into Niles to mention.

Niles' Father Support with M!Kana

-A rank: Pretty much the same until the very end, where in the JP version, after promising to have a night in with Kana and Corrin, Niles says “Haha… I never thought the day would come when I would be sleeping peacefully with my whole family. I have always wanted to destroy other people's happiness, but now that I have it for myself, I want to protect it at all costs. Perhaps I'm the most selfish one…” Calling himself selfish is in reference to earlier in A rank, where Niles says parents can act selfish since they sometimes want their children to stay reliant on them so as to not feel lonely, even if they understand that they must fly the nest someday. Because this is a variant-parent conversation, the meaning is the same if Kana has a different father, though instances of unique characterization come through at times. In Niles’ case, it’s his referencing how he’s usually sadistic in dealing with others, especially those who grew up privileged. However, now that he has a family and is surrounded by love, he understands the feeling of wanting to protect happiness instead of ruining it.

In the English version, the line is instead “Heh. Never thought I'd be spending a night in with a family of my very own. So this must be happiness, huh? Maybe it's something worth protecting after all. Looks like Kana's not the only one who's changing…” The general gist *is* there, but the different wording can make it seem like Niles doesn’t know what happiness is, which would be kind of odd for his character; to be a sadist who delights taking happiness away from others, you have to know what it means. Niles knows what it means, and is resentful because he never got it before. I’m also very nitpicky, though, so I could be overcomplicating things.

Niles’ Father Support with Shigure

C Rank: JP version, Niles says that Shigure’s talents for art can captivate people regardless of gender, another example of a unique line variant depending on the father (for example Hinata relates Shigure’s interest in art to his interest in swords, Saizo tells Shigure that he shouldn’t focus on art during a war despite appreciating is talent, etc.)

For Niles it’s interesting here, since it’s in reference to how Niles is also attracted to multiple genders.

In the English version, Niles instead says “I think your work might turn a few heads.” The same message, but it lost a bit of spice.

There’s nothing else really important to mention, but in the JP version during the A rank, when Shigure’s running late and out of breath to the art exhibit, Niles asks if he’s out of breath because he got laid, which is really fucking funny.

Niles with Subaki

-In the JP script, there's more of an amicable attempt at building friendship from Niles. During B rank, he says "it'd be great if two warped people like us could get along." referring to how Subaki's perfectionist mindset is obsessive and destructive. The English version has him say "The mighty Mr. Perfect reveals a crack in the facade! Strangely, that just makes me hate you less." which is more impersonal.

During A rank, while Subaki is venting about how tired it is keeping up appearances, Niles offers different things between languages. In the Japanese version, he offers a massage (he's good at massages, also revealed in his father support with M!Kana) to take Subaki's mind off things, and Subaki accepts and is genuinely grateful towards Niles.

In the English version... he asks Subaki to 'give him some of his burden' by taking his worries and placing them in his hands. Not in a suggestive way, he's being for real in how Subaki should do this weird mime act of putting his worries in Niles' hands. And replacing the line of Subaki thanking Niles, he instead asks Niles what he plans to do with his worries, to which Niles says "Don't worry about that. I'll put them to good use. Heh heh..."

This was just confounding? Like, okay, I get it, Niles is perverted, so by association offering a massage is lewd itself. But if you're gonna change it, write something with the same energy, not this mime act that ends on a very awkward and clunky note. The JP version reads as if they're finally friends or amiable, the English version is still distant sounding.

Niles/Zero with Mozu/Mozume

-For context, Mozu has been visiting her run down village looking for a special jewel, and Niles has been following her. They discuss her losing her family. During B rank, in the Japanese version, these lines are said:

Mozume: Have you ever lost someone and felt sad? Don't you know what it's like to lose something?

Zero: Oh, I don't know. I just wanted to see your face twisted in pain.

Mozume: What... what did you say!?

Zero: I love seeing the pain on other people's faces. It makes me want to torment them more and make them cry... The reason I became interested in you is because I knew about your village's past.

Mozume: You're a terrible person...

Zero: But... it's been very boring. You're already suffering and griveing enough without me having to do anything.... So I've lost interest in doing anything to you. Don't worry.

Mozume: What a selfish person...

In the English version, this is said instead:

Mozu: Haven't you ever been upset when someone passed? Don't you know that knot in your gut when you lose someone?

Niles: ...That's neither here nor there. I prefer not to dwell on those things. Better to live for the pleasures of the now. I could give you a demonstration, if it would take your mind off things.

Mozu: Th-this is hardly the time!

Niles: If you want to wallow in pain and misery in the ruins of your home, suit yourself. But my offer still stands if you'd rather have some fun instead.

Mozu: You... you're horrible...

Niles: And you're boring, which is worse. It wouldn't take much for me to make you feel better. Believe me, I know lots of ways. But I can see you'd rather be miserable, so carry on without me.

Mozu: Wh-what a self-centered jerk...

-So, the English version has Niles offer to hook up with Mozu in the ruins of her home. Furthermore, Niles in the English version keeps pressing the issue in "making her feel better" and fucks off when she rightfully rejects his advances. But in the JP version, there's something else here.

Niles' code is poking at people who haven't suffered *or* people who pry into others feelings for no good reason. Saying outlandish stuff is a defense mechanism for him, he does that to actively push people away. This is discussed in his Japanese support with Azura, which I'll get to later.

Niles took an interest in Mozu's situation because he knows something fucked up happened to her (Niles is actually quite compassionate to others who have suffered greatly once he finds out about it), but when Mozu asked him about if he ever felt loss, she *unknowingly set off his defense mechanisms* and he responsed like an asshole. A rank concludes with Niles having recovered the jewel that Mozu was looking for, which is what he was intending to do ever since Mozu first told him about it during C rank. Mozu isn't at fault whatsoever, it's just Niles couldn't help responding cruelly.

BUT, this only really works in the JP version, because instead of offering to hook up with Mozu to make her feel better, he instead says that "I don't know [if I ever felt the pain of loss], but I do like seeing other people's faces in pain" which flows better as a conversation. Couple that with how Niles says he won't bother her because she's suffering enough, it displays that Mozu isn't the type of person he would target, it just came out because of Niles' trauma response. This doesn't work in the English version because Niles implies that Mozu is actively making herself sad, which is not only incorrect, it dulls Mozu's situation and screws up Niles' secretly compassionate side. Just... :///

Niles/Zero with Arthur/Harold

So there's stuff concerning the entire chain, but I'll focus on B rank and A rank for now.

In the Japanese B rank, there's this exchange:

Zero: If you don't trust me, then maybe I'll go bust into that mansion for real.

Harold: In that case, I'd have to deliver judgment onto you. I've received a request to stop these robbers.

Zero: Hmph. Whatever, just try not to make it too easy for them.

Harold: ...That's suspicious.

Zero: What is?

Harold: People like you who try to unnerve others often have something to hide. They keep their distance from others so nobody can discover their secrets.

Zero: You think that nonsense passes for actual theory?

Harold: I did come up with that one on the spot, so...

Zero: Right, I thought so.

Harold: I don't care what sort of life you lead, but there's something you're hiding, speak now.

In the English B rank, it's changed to this:

Niles: You've given me an idea. Perhaps, I will join up with this band of merry thieves...

Arthur: Oh, come on! You can't be serious!

Niles: Maybe I am! What are you going to do about it?

Arthur: This is suspicious...

Niles: Wait. You're actually ACTUALLY serious.

Arthur: Well, joking about a crime is a well-known defense technique. Because, if you joke about it, surely you wouldn't actually DO it, right? Oh ho! Thought you could outthink Arthur, did you, evildoer?

Niles: Your logic is breathtakingly stupid.

Arthur: Is it? Darn. I did just kind of make that up.

Niles: Yep. It was obvious.

Arthur: Well, you can make fun of me all you want. But if you're hiding something, you better tell me now.

-The English version kind of has Arthur go "Dumb Cop" mode by doing a pretty vapid investigative trick, but in the Japanese version, he doesn't exclusively reference the crime. His theory is that Zero talks outlandishly to others in order to keep distance from them... which is EXACTLY correct, that's what he does and why he does it. Zero rebuffs him and tells him it's stupid because of that very same idea, that he doesn't want Harold prying into his business. Harold only connects this to the crime at the moment because he believes that "well people who talk like that to others must be hiding something, therefore he must be hiding something regarding this band of thieves he used to work with." The end point is wrong, but the reasoning is correct, even if Harold admits he made it up on the spot. (But that's also supposed to tie into how he's the grounded/emotionally in-touch Axe Fighter for Fates, he was written intentionally to be very good at reading people)

This was kind of scrubbed from the English version, with how Niles eggs him on by dancing around the subject of the thieves and how he might work with them, and Arthur/Harold only centering his reasoning around *criminal activity* instead of the thought process/psychology of Niles/Zero himself. This dumbs Arthur down while making Niles more childish.

Now for rank A. For context, Arthur subdued the thieves but saw Niles sneak into the jailhouse and assumed again that he was working with them. However, he then saw how Niles was lecturing the group and trying to get them to reform, and Niles explains by going into his past. Afterwards, in the Japanese version, there's this exchange:

Harold: I never imagined you had such a past... Thank you for telling me. I see you had nothing to hide today.

Zero: What's that supposed to mean?

Harold: You didn't use your usual, unpleasant manner of speech while you were talking. That's proof that you weren't hiding anything.

Zero: ...The hell are you talking about? Is that another one of your stupid, spur-of-the-moment theories?

Harold: And if it is? Just because it's spur-of-the-moment doesn't mean it's wrong. I felt moved knowing that even you can speak candidly. Alright, now let's go tell everyone what we just discussed. If we do that, they'll all understand that even you can speak properly in the right situation.

Zero: No way. Now get outta here unless you want me to plunge a thick arrow-shaft into you.

Harold: ...Whoa there. I see you're still hiding something after all. But you're cute, so I'll let it slide.

Zero: Huh? Cute?

Harold: What you're trying to hide is your own embarrassment. Feeling embarrassed from hearing my praise, you switched back to your unpleasant way of speaking. But it's no use hiding from me now, I know everything.

Zero: Why you...

Harold: Let's get along from now on. If there's anything you need to talk about, don't hesitate to ask me. As someone who understands you now, I'll listen to my heart's content.

Zero: Tch...

The English version replaces that with this:

Arthur: Thank you for sharing that, Niles. I should have relied on Lord Leo's judgment and trusted you from the start. Now then! I'm off to tell everyone about what a great guy you are!

Niles: Um, that's reall now necessary.

Arthur: Of course it is! It's not fair that you have a bad reputation. People need to know the truth about you! Justice must prevail! I will shout it from the rooftops. "Niles is A-OK in my book"! Ha ha! This is going to be great!

Niles: Can we go back to being enemies?

--Not only is the exchange a lot shorter in English, it's less intimate/emotionally charged. It dials up the humor by writing Arthur to be a bit of a dingbat and Niles being dragged along against his wishes.

Arthur/Harold in the Japanese script, is written to be very good at interpersonal communication and sympathy, hence why he fights for justice and moral causes (saving Azura from being punished, helping any and all citizens instead of just being completely dedicated to Elise like Effie is, taking on dangerous jobs despite his bad luck, etc.). He's an incredibly splendid guy who has a knack for reading people.

And the Japanese A rank proves that he was right in thinking Zero was keeping a part of himself hidden, because Harold noticed that he wasn't talking outlandishly anymore when revealing his past, therefore, he was being genuine and speaking from the heart. Further proving that, is that when Harold genuinely praises him, Zero shrinks into himself and goes on defense again, trying to push him away by threatening to "fuck him with an arrow." Harold clocks this IMMEDIATELY as him trying to hide his embarrassment over being praised, before calling him cute and letting him know that if Zero has anything to vent about, that he'll always be willing to listen, to which the latter again gets embarrassed by.

This massive layer of intimacy and vulnerability between them-especially from Arthur-being removed is devastating! Getting to see Niles be vulnerable and sincere is a very rare treat, and the fact that Arthur is able to pull that side out of him (when the only other people really able to do that are Leo and his spouse) showcases how close Arthur and Niles can be, even if the latter doesn't admit it. The JP version of this conversation is one of the major reasons why Arthur has potential to be read as queer himself, not just because he calls Niles cute, but also because he's able to do something for Niles that's reserved for his closer relationships.

Having this all be replaced/cut out makes me sad, especially since it dumbs down Arthur and dulls Niles' personality. Hell, this also kind of extends to the C rank, where in the Japanese version it's implied that they knew/heard of each other before their current jobs since they were both from the slums, but had never spoken until now due to contrasting personalities and ideals. The English version scrubs that implication away, only having Arthur say "Your reputation precedes you" and Niles say "I don't like smug goody-goodies", as if they only became aware of each other when they got employed and immediately got bad vibes from the other. No! Niles was a known outlaw and Arthur was a known town hero! Of course they heard of each other, and just didn't know how to speak with one another in the palace until the current day!

Ughhh, it's SUCH a good support, yet the English version's changes and alterations just do it no justice whatsoever.

Niles with Azura

-In B rank, Niles explains why he thinks him and Azura are similar, delving into his past and personality in the process. In the JP version he says:

"There are two types of people I like to direct my colorful words to. The first are people who don't seem to know anything about hardship. [...] I was abandoned by my parents when I was a child, and was living in the slums soon after. Maybe that's why, when I see people who've never experienced hardship, I want to see their faces twitch. [...] I followed a hopeless path until Lord Leo took me in. [...] Moving on, perhaps due to my upbringing, I also don't like people who invade other people's hearts with bad intentions. I use my words to put people at a distance from me. [...] However, you aren't anything like either group. You had a turbulent upbringing and you try to keep your distance from others. So I thought to myself that you and I were alike."

In the English version, he says:

"You and I have both experienced real suffering unlike most of the idiots we know. [...] As a child, I was abandoned by my parents and had to fend for myself in the slums. Before Lord Leo accepted me as his retainer, I was literally living in the gutter... [...] It's left me with a low tolerance for people who lack compassion. I cannot stand shallow people! I try to avoid them at all costs. [...] I can tell that you are different from the others, milady. In fact, I get the impression that your childhood was no picnic either. You keep your distance by being aloof, while I actively drive people away. The more people I offend, the fewer I have to put up with. See? We're quite the same."

--Again, the general gist is there in the English version, but it's missing good details while muddying up others. The JP version reads like Zero pushing people away as a defense mechanism, and his envy towards others living privileged lives warping into resentment and antagonism. The English version weirdly makes things more vague, having Niles say he hates "shallow people who lack compassion" which can apply to anyone! A layer to Niles' character is the resentment towards the privileged, hence why his backstory involves breaking into the royal castle and he's not afraid of being scathing towards Corrin, Camilla (royalty), Felicia (royal maid), and Setsuna (noblewoman). It's why his support with Azura is a bit of an oddball, that was intentional. Niles can deduce that Azura is carrying heavy stuff with her like he is, since you have to be a little fucked up to end up distant and detached like Azura is. Her being royalty doesn't matter, because the vibe he gets from her overrules that. But for that overrule to make sense, you have to keep Niles' antagonism towards the privileged, and Treehouse gets fairly iffy with that.

Also in the JP version Niles says he and Azura are like hedgehogs, and the English version changed it to porcupines. As a huge Sonic fan, I'm obligated to be upset by this.

Niles with Elise

--Okay, this one is kind of difficult to talk about, because given Elise's age (at the very least 15, I believe, but possibly older), Niles can come off as a creep.

In Japanese C rank, Elise says she's still too young/too immature to go to the strategy meetings, thinking she'd just be a nuisance to everybody. Niles disagrees and says she "has a great body" which yeah, isn't great sounding. I think the intent was she "has a mature body" which also isn't great sounding, but the point was that Elise is, going by age, is mature enough. Further on, he asks if it'd be better if she stopped thinking of herself as too young, and join in the meetings for the benefit of Nohr.

In the English version, the comments on Elise's body are scrubbed out, but it also ups the childish factor on Elise a LOT for some reason. Instead of seeing herself as a child and lamenting her not understanding the discussions at the war council, she complains that everyone else treats her like a kid instead, hence why she doesn't go to the meetings. That holds very different implications no matter the language, since recognizing your own immaturity is ironically a very mature thing to do, and Elise is characterized as having extremely keen sensibilities. Complaining that others keep treating you like a kid, on the other hand, is extremely immature (hence the constant trope usage by characters like Ricken, Hayato, Lysithea, etc.)

In the Japanese B rank, after being told she didn't need to go to the meeting because it still might be too hard to understand, Elise is very upset. She says:

"You know, Zero... I went to the meeting. And then they told me that I didn't need to go again. It was still too difficult for me to understand [...] Yes. even though everyone was at the meeting... in the end I was the only one left out... [...] No, it's okay. It wasn't unnecessary advice. The problem is me. I act like too much of a child... how do I become an adult..."

Once again, a lot of the emphasis is put on how Elise sees herself as childish, not necessarily others. Zero gives her advice again, saying that her heart might be the problem. He says:

"You say that you want to become an adult, but in your heart you just want to be a child, don't you? The heart shows what you truly are. Heading to meetings with a spoiled heart, of course you'd be seen as unnecessary. Unless you do something about your heart, you won't be needed no matter how old you get."

He then says it's wonderful to see her cry, which again, yes it's fucked up but Zero is fucked up.

In the English version, it removes the line about him liking to see her cry, but also changes the exchange again. Elise now says:

"I w-went to the war meeting like you said, but they told me I didn't need to be there! They said i-i-it was too complicated for me! J-j-jerks! [...] Yeah! Everyone else was there, and I'm th-the only one they said should leave! It's so dumb! Dumb dumb dumb! They're all just a bunch of dumbheads! Why won't they take me seriously?! I even showed up and everything! I'm and adult, right? They should treat me like ooooonnee! *sob* [...] No, you were right. I need to study more. I'm no better than a child. My siblings are so mature... Why can't I be like them?"

Again, I don't speak Japanese, so maybe Elise is crashing out just as hard in the JP script and I just don't know it, but holy fuck, they really ramped up her outburtst here! It's not too far from Peri level, which is unfitting for Elise. While childish in some aspects, she's keen and introspective in others, always desiring to improve. The English version did this part of her personality no favors.

And keep in mind, it was also Treehouse that was responsible for Leo's infamous line where he says "Elise, when do you intend to behave like the adult that you technically are?" That line and its implications were not the same in the JP version, where he instead complains that Elise still acts like such a brat. So, what's the deal here, Treehouse? Is Elise an adult or not?

Anyway, Niles' reply to Elise is kind of the same, but instead of saying "heart" he says "attitude" which gets the same meaning across, and because Elise references her siblings in the English version, he does as well.

-Now, for A rank, there's not as much changed here, but in the Japanese version, Zero is clearly disappointed that his advice inadvertently cost him a chance to see Elise cry/suffer again, given that Elise used the advice on changing her heart and it worked. The English version... only half scrubbed this away, for some reason? They changed a line to have Niles say "I'm proud of you, Elise. That's wonderful. Though... perhaps also something of a shame." It's awkward because Niles isn't written to be that disappointed anymore, you can't have both!

-S rank is a bit of a trip. So, in both versions, Elise says that she wants to marry someone like Niles in the future, because she wants a husband like him that'll tell her things directly and not shy away from harsh truths. But then the versions diverge.

In the Japanese version, it's Niles who brings out a ring and proposes, saying something along the lines of "I had a boyish/immature mindset, where I teased you so much and wanted to see you cry because I was in love with you" and "From now on, you'll face harsh realities. But you don't have to hold back tears. Please cry as much as you want around me. I'll help stop them for you. [...] I'll do my best to be even more wonderful for you, and help you grow into a fine adult."

In the English version, however, it's Elise who brings out a ring and proposes. In response, Niles says "Well I supposed I must accept. [...] I never expected it. But I have grown to love you. You have an innocence about you that I have rarely seen in my life. I lost hope, once, because I bore witness to the worst evils the world has to offer. But you have rekindled that hope in my heart. I could not live without you. [...] And I vow I will do everything in my power to help you in all your endeavors. Though I supposed we'll start with making you a responsible, regal princess, eh?"

-Again, I don't know what the intent is here by Treehouse. You make Elise more childish, outbursts and all, but then have her be the one to propose? And then have Niles comment on her innocence? What? Is she a child or not? Is it appropriate for her to marry or not? Now I could be misreading things, since the "innocence" bit could be translated from Niles saying he had an "innocent schoolboy love" for Elise, or it could've been Treehouse's mistake. Still, that doesn't change the fact that Treehouse had Elise be the one to propose, which is contradictory within this support chain, said support chain being contradictory to what was established earlier in the game. Make up your minds!

Niles with Leo

-A rank sets the scene a bit differently between versions. In the English version, Niles is contemplating the future. This leads him to say he’s confident about his future rather than worried, because he found a purpose in serving as Leo’s retainer. JP version, on the other hand, has Niles thinking about how he is in the present. This leads him to consider his past and come to terms with how lucky he believes himself to be at the moment, and wishing to convey his gratitude to Leo for his part in his life. The same case in B rank happens here as well, where the JP version has Niles express gratitude over finally having a place to stay (which I think is very intimate and vulnerable, because I read it as a "place of belonging"), while the English version has him say his life now has a purpose. That could carry the same weight, but on an interpersonal level, idk, it doesn't feel as deep.

Niles with Camilla

This support is pretty juicy, but key things from Japanese to English get lost. When Zero asks why Camilla relentlessly showers Kamui with love, this exchange happens in the Japanese version:

Camilla: My love for Kamui? I don't quite understand it either. I do think dearly of him, but I don't have a reason for it. Howver, Kamui did have a bad childhood... perhaps that's why I treat him kindly.

Zero: Would it be fair to say that Lady Camilla's love is... selfless (unconditional)?

Camilla: I wonder.

Zero: I see... Heh. Heheheheheheheh...

Camilla: ...What is it?

Zero: I do not agree with that.

Camilla: then, what do you really think?

Zero: Am I allowed to say it?

Camilla: Of course.

Zero: The reason is simple. Because you're a pitiful human being.

Camilla: ! What do you mean by pitiful?

Zero: I'll save it for next time, I'll tell you a story that'll blow your mind.

In the English version, Camilla instead says this first:

"What do you mean? I love Corrin! He's such a sweetie! Plus, he had a terrible childhood. I think he deserves a little kindness now!"

Because of this change to Camilla not really fully knowing the reason why she dotes on Corrin, Niles subsequently doesn't ask her if her love is selfless/unconditional. Instead this exchange happens:

Niles: As I suspected! Your so-called love is nothing more than pity. You're probably one of those people who brings home lost puppy dogs too.

Camilla: Of course I would! Who would leave a cute, little puppy out in the cold?

Niles: Heh heh...

Camilla: *gasp* You would, wouldn't you?! Niles, you're terrible!

Niles: There's a reason you fixate on helping poor pathetic creatures!

Camilla: Is that so? And what's that?

Niles: You live a pathetic existence. You're trying to make yourself feel better!

--In Japanese, the clear cause of her own obsessive devotion to Corrin is unknown even to her, and Corrin's bad childhood is just the best reason she can put forward. In English, she says that's the definitive reason, with no hesitation or deliberation. So not only is there this weird gag inserted in the English version where Niles would leave puppies to suffer, Camilla's own problems are dulled.

Now for B rank, the context here is that, before explaining why he called her pitiful, Niles asks Camilla a hypothetical question on why humans love animals. This is how it plays out in Japanese:

Zero: They (people) want to be loved. But that reality doesn't exist for them. That's why they turn to animals to fill the hole in their heartst. That's exactly what your relationship with Lord Kamui is like. You pitied your own existence and thought that you never received enough love. And so you sougt to devote your love to someone more pitiful than yourself... in other words, Lord Kamui. For your own, disgusting form of comfort.

Camilla: ...If that's the case, so what? What's the point of you saying this.

In English, this exchange is written like this instead:

Niles: It's because people want to be loved. They want companionship-a person to come home to, and if they can't get it... They'll settle for a furry creature who'll greet them and slobber on their shoes. This is the same relationship you have with that lost, little puppy-Lord Corrin. You're miserable, so you shower him with affection, and that puppy slobbers back!

Camilla: Are you calling Corrin a dog? That's disgusting!

--The difference in Camilla's response is important. In Japanese, she doesn't deny that this is the kind of relationship she's cultivated with Corrin. In English, she pivots to offense at Corrin being called a dog. Niles' words about her kind of love is disgusting are also dulled a bit, and the indirect antagonism towards Corrin is also ramped up.

The lack of denial on Camilla's part in JP is important to understand how fucked up she is as well. It connects back to C rank where she wonders if her love is actually selfless/unconditional, and the truth is, it's not. She goes of the deep end in Birthright becasue of her warped love towards Corrin, blending love and cruelty together, because that's how she was raised as well. She's mature enough to reflect on it a bit, but nowhere near close to getting it under control. Removing this tidbit removes the juicy implications that Camilla's character brings.

Niles/Zero then goes on to explain his background to Camilla, how he likes to give hell to people who he believes have never known hardship. This leads us into A rank. In Japanese, Camilla says this:

"You said I never knew hardship and must have been happy because I'm royalty. I summoned you here to tell you that you're wrong. [...] Did you know? Marx (Xander) is the only one among Nohrian royalty was mothered by the queen. Leon, Elise and I are children of concubines. All of us had different mothers. [...] Concubines are in fragile positions. In order to raise their status, even just a bit, they would quarrel and insult each other during their free time. And that's not all. Their spats affected their children as well. All sorts of conflicts arised using the children as an excuse. [...] Your claim that I'm pitiful is not entirely wrong. I exist only to bind my mother to Father. Mother may have loved me, but perhaps that itself was just love towards Father.

In English, however, she says this:

"I know what you thought! She's royalty! She must be happy! Her life is perfect! You're wrong! I wasn't born in the slums, but my childhood wasn't all roses either. [...] O. Didn't you know? Xander is the only one of my siblings born to the queen. The rest of us-Leo, Elise, and I-we're all children of King Garon's mistresses. Different mistresses, I might add. He loved to pit our mothers against each other. [...] Our mothers were the lowest of the low, trying to claw their way to a better status. Naturally, they used us as bait in all of their conflicts. [...] You said I was pathetic, and you were right! My mother loved me, but only as a pawn. Do I dote on Corrin? Yes, I do! I remember what it feels like to be alone!

---There are several things to note here.

1) The English version says Garon loved to pit the concubines against each other, while the Japanese version says the concubines did it on their volition. The English change doesn't make sense, of course, because the whole reason why Garon went off the deep end was because of the stress borne as result of the concubines feuding. He wasn't cruel when they were alive, he became disillusioned and went mad after the fact, including after Azura's mother came and went.

2) Camilla in the Japanese version presents a more detached scenario, including how she felt towards her mother. The experience no doubt fucked her up, but she truly is reflective on whether her mother loved her, or if that was just an extension of her love for Garon. This contrasts with Leo, who explicitly says he never loved his mom, and Elise who (in the Japanese version at least) says she loved her mom, but her mom didn't love her back. In the English version, Camilla is more sure that her mother didn't love her for real, and calls her and the other concubines the lowest of the low. It's quite different, and I don't know if I dislike the approach compared to the detached one in Japanese.

3) Camilla brings up Corrin in English, saying she dotes on him because she knows what it's like to not be loved. JP version, she doesn't bring him up, and instead further contemplates if her mother actually cared for her.

I know this is about Niles, but what the partner says in a conversation with him can change his response. Case in point, this is the exchange that follows Camilla's background in the Japanese version:

Zero: That's enough, Lady Camilla. I was mistaken. You are not pitiful, you are a woman who's stood strong and never resigned yourself... someone far too dazzling for me.

Camilla: Zero...

In English, this is what the exchange is instead:

Niles: I'm so sorry. I was wrong about you! You disguise your pain well. I didn't realize.

Camilla: I didn't tell you all this so you could apologize. I want you to think twice before you judge someon else unfairly!

---The English version made Niles more impersonal (and kind of a wimp) in his apology, and Camilla more reactive in response. In Japanese, the words he uses are more... genuine? I'd like to say? And Camilla is genuinely stunned that he'd retract his words like that. Again, Niles' can be very compassionate and sincere, he's just a hard nut to crack. And Camilla, well... her violent tendencies was meant to be more of a "tranquil fury" kind of anger, the kind that unnerves and terrifies you, rather than is abrupt and shocking, but the English version sort of altered that as well.

Oh, and in the JP version, as recompense Niles offers to apologize in the nude and be dragged around, but in the English version he asks her to beat him instead. Not to important, because Camilla refuses either way, but in English she does say "Seriously, Niles. I'll pass. If you want to be flogged, you'll have to do it yourself." Which is really fucking funny so kudos to Treehouse, you got a laught out of me.

--S Rank has less important changes, but in Japanese Camilla does get very forward and flirtatious with him, saying that "even though you're not a thief anymore, you've stolen my heart" and is more open to his sexual advances at the end of the conversation. In the English version, though, she gets a bit more scandalized, which is :/

Niles with Corrin

-In C rank, there's a bit of a change. In Japanese Zero says that trust is born from violent clashes but that maybe there was a difference in how him and Kamui were raised. Still, he says it's nice of Kamui to say he trusts him. Kamui's interest is piqued he wants to talk to Zero more, to which the latter says that he has weird hobbies but to do whatever he liked.

In English, Niles instead says "trust is borne ouf of a violent confrontation or traumatic experience. I supposed you must have had some kind of blessed childhood, free from worry." Corrin rebukes this and Niles apologizes. When Corrin tries to probe, Niles says "Oh ho! You offer nothing and expect juicy gossip in return. Sorry, child, but you'll have to do better than that."

--Not only is Niles more antagonistic towards Corrin in English, he also just assumes that Corrin's childhood was good, which he doesn't do in Japanese. He's actually quite objective and calm in Japanese. The change remains odd, because then the B rank flips Niles to be nicer all of a sudden.

Anyway, in B, there's details that are different. In Japanese, Niles says this, when asked to relay his background to Corrin.

Zero: I'm fine with it. It's not really a big deal, anyway. Ever since I've been a child, I've done anything I had to to get by. Stealing, begging, assaulting people, killing them... It would be pretty difficult to think of an evil deed I haven't done. [...] What? Surprised, ar you? I haven't even gotten to the best part! Anything I had that was of any value, I'd sell. Everything you could think of. The most intense one was that one time... who would've thought such a great man would-

But in English, he says this:

Niles: Very well. But you should know up front that it's not all lollipops and puppy dogs. Since I was a chold, I've had to do a lot of unsavory things just to survive. Steal, beg, kill-just another Tuesday for li'l Niles, sadly. [...] Surprised? I haven't even gotten to the good stuff.

--Basically, the Japanese version implies a lot more, including prostitution. The English version cuts it off. After that, it kind of continues the same way, though Niles in the JP version does more openly admit he was exaggerating a bit.

A rank doesn't have anything major regarding Niles, but the "low-friction tactical grappling and strategy" that he mentions in the English version? In Japanese is instead referred to as "sumo wrestling, famous sport in Hoshido." I'm a sucker for a developed world, so someone besides Rinkah talking about sumo was a neat surprise.

The S rank for Female Corrin was pretty faithfully adapted, but was also notoriously used for the Male Corrin as well. Here are the lines that were in the Japanese S support, exclusively for Male Corrin and Niles.

After asking Corrin to marry him, this exchange happens:

Kamui: B-but... I'm a man, you know.

Zero: I'm aware of that. We're both men, and our social positions differ greatly, but I'm saying this with both of those things in mind. I... love you, Lord Kamui. No matter what anyone says. I couldn't keep myself from conveying these feelings any longer.

Kamui: You're serious...

Zero: Yeah. It's the first time I've felt like this. This is different from my loyalyt to Lord Leo- I've been feeling something warm in my body all this time. It's strange... normally, I like watching others be troubled, but when you look sad, I feel a pain in my chest. I want to protect you with my own two hands, keep you precious to me, and spoil you rotten. And... if possible, I wish to make you happier than anybody else.

Kamui: ...Zero...

Zero: Lord Kamui... would you be willing to marry me?

Kamui: ...

Zero: ...I guess that's a no. I'm sure you'd preferred it to have com from a woman, but hearing this from a man must be...

Kamui: … even if you won’t tell me about your past…

Zero: Huh?

Kamui: If it’s about the future, then we should be able to talk about it, right? From bygone days to the future – why don’t we talk about it together? If yes, then… I accept your proposal.

Zero: Is it really all right? Are you certain? You… won’t regret this?

Kamui: I won’t regret it. If I told you I wasn’t surprised, I’d be lying, but… what you said earlier made me so happy. I want to accept your feelings. I want us to be happy together. … from now on and forever, I always want to be with you.

Zero: … Thank you. … I wasn’t wrong about you after all.

Kamui: Haha. It’s an honor to measure up to your expectations.

--You're free to draw your own conclusions on this. I feel that gay relationships are inherently different in our society compared to straight ones, so writing them should be different. Given that, I prefer the original JP lines over the English version making the S rank the same between genders. It feels more real, and the extra lovey-dovey stuff from Niles to M!Corrin exclusively is just, ughhh, chef's kiss.

Endings

The only major different one is the gay one with Niles and M!Corrin in Conquest. In Japanese it's this:

"Kamui, after helping the reconstruction of both Nohr and Hoshido countries, traveled the world. By his side was the constant presence of Zero. It is said that the two of them left stories in every land. In their later years, they opened a small orphanage for children who were not blessed and lived their lives quietly."

In English, it's this:

"After helping restore Hoshido and Nohr, Corrin and Niles traveled the world together. The two were celebrated for their humanitarian work, inspiring songs, folktales, and poems worldwide."

---The English endings in general are a lot shorter, since you're able to convey a lot more information with Japanese letters/characters in the same amount of space compared to the English alphabet. Still, if I had to pick, I wish they brought over the orphanage tidbit instead, it's so fucking sweet.

Private Quarters Lines (These are the big changes that I have issues with)

Japanese (Friendship)

"You're an unguarded person, huh... If I became "interested" and did you right here... What would you do?"

"You're still using your hands purely... Shall I teach that body of yours something good?"

"Not bad. Next time I'll be the one servicing you."

"To have been noticed by a royal like you... wasn't so bad I guess. As thanks, I'll teach you about a lot of various things... Painful things... And pleasurable things, okay?"

English (Friendship)

"You seem nervous. Was this meant to be a date?"

"It's so revealing to see your room like this. I feel like I know you better than ever."

"I know, I know, it's my turn to invite you over. There's just... things... I don't want you to see. Yet."

"To think... an urchin like me... best friends with a royal like you. Life is so strange sometimes..."

Japanese (Lovers)

"For all that I had to endure... you better prepare yourself tonight. Even if you cry or scream... I won't stop."

"Close your eyes. Don't worry... Right now, I won't go any farther than a touch."

"I love you. My heart, which had been broken a long time ago... You picked it up and fixed it."

"Even now, I see this dream... A painful and agonizing dream... From when I was a child. But... If I were to wake up and see you beside me... I'll be okay. Please stay by my side. And when I sleep... Please hold my hand and never let go."

English (Lovers)

"I've waited so long for this. I'm never going to let you go!"

"Close those beautiful eyes for a second. ...Well?"

"I never thought I'd feel this way about anyone. It's a weakness, I suppose..."

"You've taught me to embrace love... and showed me that it can just as exquisite as pain. Let's share plenty of both."

---Yes, Niles in Japanese is more sexually charged, whether you're friends or lovers. But he's also SO MUCH MORE VULNERABLE, what the hell! He talks about how the world has broken his heart and how he has nightmares, and wants Corrin to stay by his side at night, just holding his hand!!! He's being sensitive and sincere and so ooey-gooey, ughhhh! In comparison, I feel the English version turned him into a personified ;) face, which has its own charm, but thinking about what it replaced? Yeah, it's no contest for me, I think the Japanese lines are better. Similarly...

Confession

Japanese: "So warm... Is this love? I can feel you deep inside me. When did I... become like this... and fall in love with you."

English: "Do you have any idea what you're getting into? I sure hope not."

---The confession is also a lot sweeter and heartfelt in Japanese, while impersonal and trying to be funny in English. I dearly love Niles when he's open and sincere, and it's a shame that many just haven't seen it.

-------

Corrin (BR/CQ) - Crux of Fate (Eng)/The One Who Chooses the Future (JP)

Eng: While no official records remain, tales of a hero spread across generations in songs and folktales. And while the stories varied, they all spoke of the hero's critical decision that led to peace.

JP:  After the war, many legends were left behind in every land about the Hero of Salvation. But strangely enough there are no official records that remain. The only certainty is that he chose one path and connected it to peace.

-No issues with this other than “Hero of Salvation” is a banger folk name and I wish it was kept.

Corrin (Revelation) - King of Valla/The New Touma King (***???)  (新たなる透魔王)

Eng: After the war, the portal to the bottomless canyon was sealed forever-as was Anankos's body. Corrin was crowned King of Valla, and the three rulers forged a new era of peace.

JP: After the war, he governed the country as the King of Touma. Closed at the bottom of the Infinite Chasm, the former land of Touma and the corpse of Hydra became sealed together for eternity. Touma, Nohr, and Hoshido were bound by a solid bond and an age of peaceful dawn continued for a long time.

-I knew of the implication that Valla/Touma was given land by Hoshido and Nohr in Rev’s ending but I never found like, concrete lines about it? Is this what this is? Cuz I never knew about this, holy shit. Specifically saying ‘the former land of Touma’ means that Corrin isn’t governing empty floating islands, but is taking the few remaining Vallites to the surface to establish a new kingdom. Cuz how the fuck would anyone get to old Valla if the Bottomless Canyon was shut and only Azura and Corrin can travel through water to get there? This makes more sense than what I always thought of Rev. I highlighted Corrin’s title change as well cuz I don’t speak or read Japanese, and I was wondering if the original sentence means like “The New King of Touma” or “The King of New Touma” since those sentences imply different things, with the latter further supporting how old Touma was left behind.

Silas - Loyal Knight/Knight of Friendship (*)

Eng: Silas returned to Nohr to serve in the castle guard. His honest and dedicated nature earned him the title of lead knight. Records show Corrin and Silas remained friends for all their days.

JP: He returned to being a royal knight and served the Nohr Kingdom. That earnest personality changed the minds of his companions and, in his last years, he was entrusted to be the leader of the knights. Many younger knights adored him. It is said that he continued his close friendship with Kamui for his entire life.

-JP ending mentions younger knights adoring Silas. This was removed in English.

Kaze - Easygoing Ninja/Ninja of the Cool Breeze (*)

Eng: Few records of Kaze exist. Numerous poems of the time say he worked for his homeland and for Corrin from the shadows. His gentle yet mysterious nature made him a legend among ladies.

JP: Not many records are left of him after the war. There are many stories on the streets of his appearances, but he assisted Kamui and his country as a shadow. It is said that his unassuming kindness seduced the hearts of many women in his lifetime.

-No problem with his ending, but Kaze’s title has the wind attribute removed; I mention this now because it’s applicable to other ending titles having a little color or flair replaced or removed. If you see a * next to the titles, it means I think the change is, IMO, interesting to note. This one is inoffensive objectively, but I like element theming, it’s cool.

Mozu - Rural Power/The Country Girl

Eng: Mozu returned to her village and began rebuilding all by herself. Inspired by her efforts, nearby villages began their own rebuilding efforts. Mozu was eventually hailed as a local hero and humanitarian.

JP: She returned to her home town and started rebuilding her destroyed village alone. Soon, people from neighboring villages could be seen helping her, and her home town slowly and steadily regained its former appearance.

-Eng ending has Mozu’s work inspire other to rebuild their own villages. JP ending has people help rebuild her village. Odd change, don’t know why it was done.

Shura - Righteous Rebel/The Bandit Who Discarded His Name (*)

Eng: With the help of the Hoshidan royal family, Shura began the difficult task of rebuilding the kingdom of Kohga. Putting his outlaw past behind him, he eventually ran for office and was elected governor.

JP: He stepped into rebuilding the Principality of Kouga with the assistance of the new King of Hoshido. The people, who had scattered to every land, also returned and the country returned to its former appearance. He refused any condolences for his past as a thief but he became the ruler with the support of the people.

-JP ending mentions other Kohga remnants coming back during Shura’s rebuilding efforts, Eng ending removes this. It can kind of be considered obvious that they came back through implication, but it’s still worth mentioning. Shura’s ending title also is an odd change, because Righeteous Rebel doesn’t really... make sense. Maybe the term ‘rebel’ is more abstract than I think, but he isn’t really rebelling against anything, he’s trying to line his purse to rebuild his kingdom. His JP title is much more fitting, IMO.

Izana - Lord of Leisure/Official Ruler of Izumo (*)

Eng: Izana certainly suffered the ravages of war—he was never able to win another "Best Hair" contest. He tried to make up for it with lavish dinner parties and vacations, but he felt hollow inside.

JP: He went back to the Principality of Izumo and returned to his previous life. By his great efforts in the war, his popularity among his citizens became steadfast. But it is said that there was no difference in his lifelong divine appearance and teasing personality, and those who came to visit him were surprised.

-Endings are pretty much completely different. The trope of ‘ruler/boss being overly casual and friendly to the point of hilarity’ in Japanese is a tough thing to translate to an English equivalent, so Izana being kooky and using funny words in English I think was a good way to do it. That said, I think the ending being drastically changed was a bridge too far, cuz why would the side comment of the Best Hair Contest take priority over him being beloved by his citizens in despite his zany personality?

Ryoma - Peerless Samurai/The Samurai of Hoshido

Eng: Upon ascending the throne, Ryoma ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity throughout the world. Generations later, scholars would praise him for surpassing even King Sumeragi's great legacy.

JP: He was crowned as King of the Hoshido Kingdom. His preciseness in forming a fair and impartial government gave the people, who suffered from the ravages of war, courage, and the kingdom soon finished a dramatic revival. In the future, scholars would so comment on him: “He is someone who will exceed even the greatness of his father King Sumeragi”.

-JP ending mentions Ryoma implementing a fair and impartial government and giving people courage after the war. This is cut in the Eng version.

Hinoka - Warrior Princess/The Warrior Princess of Crimson

Eng: Hinoka became general of the Hoshidan army. While her official portraits depict a gentle princess, she was known to personally go on solo missions to destroy the remaining Faceless.

JP: For the sake of the country’s reconstruction she created an army for self-defense and controlled the Hoshido Kingdom’s forces. Although she became somewhat more princess-like during the war, occasionally she would aimlessly leave to defeat the remnants of the Nosferatu; her characteristic excitement had not changed.

-JP version mentions that Hinoka personally created a self defense army for Hoshido’s reconstruction. Eng version cuts this.

Takumi - Wild Card/Master of the God Bow (*)

Eng: After celebrating Ryoma's coronation, Takumi struck out on his own—volunteering to help rebuild war-torn villages. Over the years, he grew into a wise and patient leader.

JP: He assisted in the restoration of the Hoshido Kingdom, which had been desolated due to the ravages of war. All the human kindness he had seen suppressed the shadow, he was recognized throughout the country as a skilled leader, and he became someone who could be relied on.

-JP version details Takumi’s dark side being suppressed due to the human kindness he witnesses. Eng version cuts this.

Sakura - Loving Priestess/Priestess of Love

Eng: After Ryoma ascended the throne, Sakura led recovery efforts to heal the bodies and hearts of war-torn Hoshidans. She was known far and wide for her compassion and the strength of her resolve.

JP: Even after Ryouma was enthroned, she remained in the royal palace and supported the government of the king as a royal. Sakura, who matured, became a woman who gave off the impression of the former Queen Mikoto, and it is said that she captured the hearts of her subjects wounded by the war and was someone for those hearts to rely on.

-JP version mentions Sakura supporting Ryoma’s government plans and becoming a woman just like Mikoto. Eng version cuts this.

Saizo - Angry Ninja/Explosive Flame User (*)

Eng: While no official records of Saizo the Fifth exist from after the war, later scholars agreed that he most likely stayed in Hoshido, working covertly for the Hoshidan royal family. What else would he do?

JP: His figure disappeared from the official records. But in the future, the opinion of scholars all agree that he did not leave to another country but once again dove into the darkness to work for the sake of the Hoshido royal family.

-Nothing was cut here, but why was “What else would he do?” added in the English version, that’s mean :/

Azama - Calm Philosopher/The Aloof Priest (*)

Eng: After the war, Hinoka assigned Azama to a remote post on the very fringe of the kingdom. Despite initially clashing with the locals, he gained a cult following--and ultimately founded a new religion.

JP: He went around on a trip to every land of the Hoshido Kingdom. Without leaving his post as Hinoka’s subordinate, he contributed to the reconstruction of the country by skillfully guiding the areas that were difficult for the royal family to oversee. It is said that he was surprisingly loved by many with the success of his personality that was unattached to anything.

-WOW, okay this one is fucking weird. JP version has Azama willingly go around to help people and that his personality actually won people over and helped them out. And he’s still in Hinoka’s employ. Eng version has Hinoka kick Azama to the curb, he acts like a dick to the locals, he gets a few troll followers and starts a new religion despite not really liking religion himself. Nuts.

Hana - Focused Samurai/Tomboy Samurai (*)

Eng: After the war, Hana was entrusted with her own division, where she enforced her own training regimen. She remained close friends with Sakura, and trained every day to protect her and Hoshido.

JP: She entered the forces of the kingdom, and was entrusted with the whole army. It appears that after that she involved her subordinates into her own training without reserve. She continued her friendship with her master, Sakura, through her whole life and it is said that she improved her swordsmanship for Sakura and for Hoshido.

-Nothing to mention here other than the ending title. Fates was released back in the era of gaming and Internet where feminism was in its loud 'Not Like Other Girls’ stage, as opposed to now where nuanced and leftist feminist points are seen more. So any mention of gender roles/dynamics and descriptors in this era were changed or altered in Fates and it really shows its age. In this case, Tomboy was replaced with Focused, even though Hana is a Tomboy and the term itself is very inoffensive nowadays. This also applies to her personal skill, where the name was changed from Tomboy to Fearsome Blow. This is the first of several instances.

Camilla - Bewitching Beauty/The Bewitching Flower (or Beauty? *)

Eng: After her brother ascended the throne, Camilla largely withdrew from royal affairs. She focused instead on humanitarian efforts, eventually adopting as many as 11 children by some accounts.

JP: After ensuring Marx’s enthronement, she removed her status as a royal of the Nohr Kingdom. Thereafter she left behind legends in every land and, guessing from her tracks, she walked on as someone who somehow watched over Kamui secretly.

-JP version has Camilla continue to watch over Corrin, Eng version has her adopt lots of kids. Again, in 2015/2016 this was probably seen as an “aww she’s grown and changed and is helpful now” moment, but in 2023, all I think of is “wow the woman with an abusive childhood was written to just become a mom to solve her problems.” Not a fan of this change.

Laslow - Dancing Duelist/Blooming Smile (*)

Eng: Laslow disappeared shortly after the war, but his unique dance style grew in popularity and paved the way for future generations of dancers. They say his dance has the strange ability to rally spirits...

JP: His figure disappeared after the war for a short while. But the dances that he danced remained in the hearts of the girls he met, and were inherited as the foundation of later dancers. It is said that those dances had the strange ability to make their watchers smile and feel energized.

-JP version mentions girls Laslow courted remembered his dances, English version replaces it by saying his dances grew in popularity. Technically the same meaning, but not as much specificity. And idk, I like the idea of a guy indirectly teaching women dances in a usually women oriented field, it’s cute. 

Selena - Cutting Wit/Concealed Aspirations (*)

Eng: Not much is known of Selena's postwar activities, Depending on who you believe, she became one of the world's best seamstresses, metalsmiths, actors, and/or mercenaries.

JP: After the war, her whereabouts immediately became unknown. There is nothing certain that is known about what became of her, but appreciation was high towards the woman who make any effort to achieve her goal, and she was praised in the future by people as a “true genius”.

-JP ending remarks Selena as a genius, Eng version replaces it with a list of things she might have been the best at. I don’t think the latter is worse per se, but I really like how she’s called a genius like her mother was. Same deal with her ending title, which is the same/a similar ending title to her Awakening one, which was neat.

Niles - Cruel to be Kind/The Habitual Sadist (*)

Eng: Niles continued to support Lord Leo throughout his royal career, handling some of the unsavory tasks a royal must assign. As a result, he wasn't popular- except among Leo's staff.

JP: After the war he devoted his abilities to expanding the Nohr Kingdom as Leon’s subordinate. At times he supported the kingdom as part of the shadow and stained his hands in dirty jobs. There were many people who detested him but it is said that he continued to be a priceless treasure in his lifetime for Leon.

-They’re pretty much the same, but the JP version has Niles being called a priceless treasure to Leo and that’s 🥺🥺🥺. Also big L for removing any mention of Niles being a sadist, I shake my fist at thee.

Effie - Army of One/Knight of Superhuman Strength

Eng: Without the need for as much brute strength after the war, Effie reluctantly turned her attention to teaching. Traveling far and wide, she helped promote fitness throughout Nohr.

JP: She helped the revival of every land after the war for a while. Her physical strength was a great blessing to the reconstruction of the Nohr Kingdom. After returning to the castle, she continued to work as Elise’s subordinate, and it is said that the friendship between the two continued for life.

-LMAOOOOO. I don’t remember if it was @ezralahm​ or @agoddamn​ who said Effie invented Jazzercise in the English version, but it’s really fucking funny. Effie remaning by Elise’s side like, y’know, a retainer would was apparently not interesting enough to keep, so they scrapped all of it and made a gag ending. Like, it was written right there that her strength was a great boon to reconstruction, and then it was changed to being useless??? What!?

Charlotte - Wily Warrior/Women’s True Nature (*)

Eng: Charlotte returned to the castle guard and took her duty quite seriously. She never married, but she never stopped appearing at royal balls, bewitching the hearts of eligible young men.

JP: She returned to being a royal soldier, as per her desire. After that, she learned from her past failure, and worked seriously on her duties as a soldier. But her passion for marrying rich did not disappear and it is said that she lead astray many male hearts as a beauty of high society.

-Lol, okay Charlotte’s title is one I can more understand why it was changed. The implication that all women are two faced, while kinda funny in satire, is still pretty yikes. Wily Warrior was a good alternative, it keeps a similar meaning without the negative connotation, and alliteration makes my brain feel good.

Benny - Gentle Giant/Heavy Knight of the Scary Face

Eng: Benny returned to his hometown village and was assigned to train new soldiers in combat. He never reported for duty. Instead, he lived out his days in the forest, frolicking with his animal friends.

JP: He returned to his home village at the borders of the country. He taught the next generation for a little while but soon took his leave of that as well and disappeared. After that there are no official records which talk about him but, according to stories, it is said that he happily spent his remaining years in the forest together with animals.

-JP version has him train recruits for a bit before taking leave, Eng version has him never bother in the first place.

Sophie - Clumsy Knight/Scatterbrain

Eng: Sophie became a knight of Nohr so talented that many of her records are yet to be beaten. In particular, young squires study her life to learn how to become better masters of their horses.

JP: She entered the knight forces of the Nohr Kingdom. Thereafter she bloomed the talent handed down by her father and was remembered as an excellent knight. Her particular ability on horseback surpassed the rest and her model of “one horse one rider” became something to be handed down.

-JP version mentions “one horse one rider” which I believe is a Japanese phrase of a technique relevant to horseback archery? This same phrase is used by the Japanese car company, Mazda, so one could assume non-Japanese people might know it, but meh. 

Midori - Reliable Chemist/Of the Reliable

Eng: Midori developed a number of new medicines after the war, healing wounds and curing illnesses. It is widely accepted by scholars that she saved more lives through her work than anyone in history.

JP: She worked hard at developing new medicines for the people who were injured from the war. Her medicines saved many lives and cured their injuries and illnesses. Due to inheriting her father’s blood, it appears that when she grew up she captured the hearts of many men.

-JP version mentions that due to Kaze’s genetics of being irresistable to women, Midori after growing up, became loved by many men. This was cut in the Eng version.

Mitama - Starry-Eyed Poet/Tanka Composing Priestess (*) (Tanka is 31 syllable poetry)

Eng: After resting at home for a time, Mitama was inspired to travel the world. She wrote a number of poems while visiting famous sites and ruins. Generations of poets would later retrace her steps.

JP: After returning to her residence and sleeping for a little while, she went to travel around the world to take it in. She visited every famous and historic place in each land and composed verses, but soon it appeared that her trip focused on visiting famous locations and set aside the creation of verses.

-JP version has Mitama become less focused on her poetry and more keen on experiencing the world around her, Eng version changes this.

Hisame - Pickle Pro/The Calm and Collected Samurai (*)

Eng: After the war, Hisame retired from combat and turned to research and teaching. Hinata was disappointed, but Hisame went on to become one of the most respected professors of his era.

JP: He placed his sword aside and devoted his strength to the reconstruction of the Hoshido Kingdom as a civil official. His father Hinata was disappointed but, in the end, respected the decision of the son he doted on. His calm and prudent nature was a blessed ability to him as a government official.

-JP version mentions that Hinata respected Hisame’s decision despite initial disappointment, Eng version cuts the respect part. Also lol at Pickle Pro.

Forrest - Fashion Forward/Adorable Prince (*)

Eng: Forrest began a career in clerical work alongside his father and uncle in Nohr. Soon, however, his fashion designs and artwork led to worldwide acclaim - and a second career in the art world.

JP: He remained by his uncle and father, and contributed to the development of the Nohr Kingdom. Although he exhibited capability in government affairs, he surpassed everyone inside and outside the country in fashion sense and fascinated many, and he contributed greatly to developing the culture of the royal palace.

-JP version mentions Forrest’s capability in government and contributing to palace culture, Eng version loses a bit of specificity. 

Soleil - Adorable Adorer/Girl Lover (*)

Eng: Soleil left one day never to return. There is no record of her travels, but numerous bards sing of a traveling heroine whose skill with a blade was surpassed only by her skill at seducing young women.

JP: One day she went on an aimless journey. It is said that her goal was the formation of a mercenary group and that she became a dancer who trained very hard, but the official records are uncertain. This resulting gossip can be considered to have come from the many women she mingled with.

-JP version mentions Soleil might have become a dancer, Eng version cuts this.

Nina - Eye Spy/Perverse Fantasies (*)

Eng: Nina put her snooping skills to good use after the war, forming an undercover vigilante group focused on keeping the streets safe at night. She also continued snooping as a personal hobby.

JP: She stopped being a chivalrous thief and formed a vigilante group. She protected the weak and punished her enemies as well as the rich who stole from the poor. According to legends, her vigilante group consisted of many handsome men. It appears that her tastes never changed throughout her life.

-JP version had Nina create a Yaoi Squad LMAOOO.

Percy - Luck’s Sidekick/Lucky Hero

Eng: Percy joined Nohr's army and led a squad of wyvern knights. His luck never failed him, and he didn't lose a single battle over a long and distinguished career. Ace went on to lead a squad of wyverns.

JP: He entered the national forces of the Nohr Kingdom and commanded the Wyvern Riders. His good luck never changed and no matter what adversities he faced he never lost somehow. On the other hand, he didn’t exactly win either and, as their strange commander, he earned the name “Not Invincible but Unbeatable”.

-JP version treats Percy’s luck as something that doesn’t really help him win, just he can’t lose. Kind of confusing, so I guess that’s why the Eng version changed it.

M!Corrin/Niles (CQ)

Eng: After helping restore Hoshido and Nohr, Corrin and Niles traveled the world together. The two were celebrated for their humanitarian work, inspiring songs, folktales, and poems worldwide.

JP: Kamui, after helping the reconstruction of both Nohr and Hoshido countries, traveled the world. By his side was the constant presence of Zero. It is said that the two of them left stories in every land. In their later years, they opened a small orphanage for children who were not blessed and lived their lives quietly

-JP version mentioned that Niles and Corrin opened up an orphanage 🥺🥺🥺 Eng version cuts this sadly.

M!Corrin/Niles (Rev)

Eng: Corrin and Niles ruled over the Kingdom of Valla together, ushering in a new era of peace. Some years later, they adopted two orphaned children and raised them as successors to the throne.

JP:  Kamui governed the country as the King of Touma and, while being supported by his spouse Zero, created an era of a long and peaceful dawn. In their later years, the two adopted a child. One bright and innocent child and one other child, who was said to have a unique sense.

-JP version has the adopted children noted to resemble F!Kana (bright and innocent) and Nina (unique sense), respectively. Eng version cuts this.

F!Corrin/Rhajat (Rev)

Eng: Corrin and Rhajat ruled over the Kingdom of Valla together, ushering in a new era of peace. Some years later, they adopted two orphaned children and raised them as successors to the throne.

JP: Kamui governed the country as the Queen of Touma and, while being supported by her spouse Shara, created an era of a long and peaceful dawn. In their later years, the two of them welcomed an adopted child. It is said that the child was as pure as Kamui and was as devoted as Syalla.

-For some reason, the Eng version basically copy pasted the Eng version of M!Corrin/Niles (Rev) where they adopt two children instead of adopting one. (JP version alludes to this being a pseudo M!Kana)

Felicia Paired Ending

Eng: Felicia gave up her career in the service industry for the military, ultimately becoming a commander.

JP: Felicia, who became a wife, endeavored valiantly to be of help to her husband, and matured from breaking three sets of tableware to one.

-JP version has Felicia continue to be a maid and become better at it over time, Eng version has her give up maid work and become a commander. This is despite the fact that Felicia repeatedly states that she loves her job and prefers housework to fighting. But again, in 2015/2016, it didn’t matter it the woman in question liked her work, she had to be written into the “more useful” field anyway. :/ Times have changed, thankfully, where nuance around this is more common.

Hinoka Paired Ending

Eng: His wife, Hinoka, became general of the Hoshidan royal army, and the two remained together always.

JP: Hinoka, who became a wife, retired from her post of supervising the armies of the Hoshido Kingdom, and chose to walk the path of life together with her husband.

-JP version has Hinoka retire, Eng version has her become a general. A bit of a different discussion here compared to Felicia, cuz Hinoka retiring to life with her husband makes sense in the greater scheme of following Hoshido’s more patriarchal setting. But, since said patriarchal aspects of Hoshido were cut or underplayed in the English version and again, this was a weird era for feminist politics in western gaming, the ending was changed. 

Azama Paired Ending with Corrin (Rev)

Eng: Azama decided to use his talents to inspire and heal people—rather than taunt them.

JP: Husband Asama was often absent but he traveled to every land of the Touma Kingdom and guided the people as a royal.

-JP version has Azama do his duties as befitting royalty, Eng version meanwhile is more or less a copy paste of his basic married endings.

Peri Standard Paired Ending

Eng: Peri eventually learned the difference between right and wrong. It took a while.

JP: Pieri became a loving and devoted wife but her emotional and crybaby side was unchanged and it appears that her husband was often at a loss.

-JP version details how difficult Peri’s husband found it to keep track of her emotional side, Eng version has her develop better morals.

Peri Paired Ending with Odin or Laslow

Eng: Records of his wife end around the same time, as does a curious string of missing-persons cases.

JP: Wife Pieri’s records, at the same time, also came to an end at the borders but, according to rumors, it appears that she became a good wife beyond recognition and lovingly supported her husband.

-JP version details Peri as becoming a wife beyond recognition, Eng version implies she became a serial killer.

Beruka Paired Ending

Eng: Beruka was torn about leaving Camilla but enjoyed having enough emotions for them to conflict.

JP: Belka, who became a wife, was lost after leaving Camilla’s side but, after being persuaded by Camilla, moved together with her husband.

-JP version has Camilla encourage Beruka to follow her new life, Eng version instead makes comments on her developing emotions, which should already have been implied to have happened since she is getting married.

Charlotte Paired Ending with Odin or Laslow

Eng: His wife, Charlotte, went with him, but scholars note they sent their daughter an allowance every year.

JP: Wife Charlotte, lived happily together wherever her husband was, and it appears that no matter where she was she would always send money to her family.

-JP version says Charlotte is sending money to her family (most likely her poor parents), Eng version has her sending money to her daughter, which... doesn’t make as much sense since unless Ophelia/Soleil is also married, why wouldn’t they all just go together? Especially since the daughters’ solo endings imply they disappear in a similar way as it is. 

F!Kana Paired Ending

Eng: Scholars believe Kana traveled the world doing good. Most stories of dragons were based on her deeds.

JP: Wife Kanna was always together with her husband. It is said that when they occasionally got separated she would feel very lonely.

-Eng version copy pasted M!Kana’s paired ending onto F!Kana. JP version is different and deals more with her semi-unique tendency to cry/get upset over loneliness often.

Soleil Paired Ending

Eng: Historians disagree about Soleil's final fate but agree she was an inspiration to everyone she met.

JP: Wife Soleil acted cheerfully and firmly, without shrinking from any adversity, and from the beginning encouraged her husband and the people around him.

-Eng version is basically an entirely new ending, most likely part of Treehouse’s attempt to sell Soleil as a lesbian instead of bisexual, even though Laslow implies she’s bisexual in the English version of her paralogue. Soleil in the English version is a mess of contradictions and poor fixes in general, so this isn’t surprising.

----

Prologue

JP Version

Hinoka: What!? The river dried up...!? Did they use the power of the Dragon Vein...?

Takumi: ...It looks that way. The enemy is drawing near...

[...]

Takumi: Pull yourself together, Kamui. The enemy... The Nohrian royal family-they’re strong. If we don’t stick together, we’ll... ...No. Right now, we have to work together. You let me know if you have any ideas.

[...]

Hinoka: Good, you’ve defeated the enemy! Kamui, Takumi, great work! This is the power of the bond between siblings.

Sakura: A-amazing, Big Brother...

Takumi: It went well thanks to someone’s well-planned instructions. If we join our powers together, we may actually win this war...

Hinoka: Well then, let’s hurry back to Ryoma!

Treehouse

Hinoka: The Nohrian army used a Dragon Vein to dry up the river! But I thought only royals held that power...

Takumi: Yeah, which means there must be some real big shots over there. Suit me just fine. I've always wanted to use a Nohrian royal for target practice!

[...]

Takumi: Hang in there, Corrin. The Nohrian royals are not pushovers... We'll have to work together to beat them. As the eldest, I guess you're in charge. Tell me what to do and I'll do it.

[...]

Hinoka: Corrin, Takumi, good work fighting off that ambush.

Sakura: You were amazing, Corrin.

Takumi: That went well. Probably because SOMEONE gave you good advice. ...And you're welcome, by the way.

Hinoka: No time to talk! Let's see how Ryoma's doing.

I’m glad that memes surrounding how characters sound in Marvel movies and Disney channel shows exist, because now I have something to describe how Treehouse makes Fates’ cast sound: right out of a sitcom. The whole “he’s right behind me, isn’t he”, tryhard ironic vibe is everywhere in the localized script, and it can suck the tension out of certain scenes. Takumi’s “I’ve always wanted to use a Nohrian royal for target practice” line is an example of this. I think it’s funny, tbh, but it evokes a different feel of his character, especially since this is the first thing the player sees of him. What I find more egregious though, is that Treehouse replaced his more sincere words of worry and doubt with cockiness across the board. While this can be charming in its own right, again, it changes the first impression. It gives you the idea that he’s genuinely overconfident, rather than finding out later that he’s compensating hard. 

I didn’t include some context, but in the ‘well SOMEONE gave you good instructions’ line, the JP version of the archer tutorial just has him tell you how he fights rather than it being him telling you exactly what to do. Small changes, but it causes a ripple effect that extends to the line being changed, because what was intended in the original was him complimenting Hinoka (or maybe Corrin?) on her planning and how working as a team of siblings will get them through the war, but Treehouse changed it to him saying that it was him that saved the day.

Chapter 5, in the plaza.

JP version

Kamui: It’s just like you and Sakura said, the Hoshidans are all good people. Everyone seems to enjoy themselves here.

Aqua: I’m glad you like it. I love it here, too.

Takumi: Aqua. And Kamui…I mean, Brother. Mother wants me to start calling you that, now.

Kamui: ...

Takumi: Don’t get carried away, though. I don’t trust either of you.

Aqua: Takumi…

Takumi: Don’t speak my name so casually. You’re a Princess of Nohr, the kingdom that killed Father. There’s no way I can trust you. Kamui, you’re the same. You’ve been a Nohrian Prince for so long, after all...

Kamui: No…You’re contradicting yourself, Takumi.

Takumi: What?

Kamui: Aqua has been in Hoshido for as long as I’ve been in Nohr. By that logic she should already be one of your comrades, right?

Takumi: ...Hmph. Either way, I don’t trust you two. I just wanted to let you both know that.

Sakura: Big Brother, if it suits your taste... These dango are very good. Here!

Treehouse

Corrin: Everyone really is friendly here. And it’s so…bright…and open. It’s quite a contrast from the fortress I grew up in.

Azura: I’m glad you like it. Like I said, I’ve always been happy here.

Takumi: Just don’t get too comfortable…BROTHER.

Corrin: Pardon me?

Takumi: I don’t trust you. Shouldn’t you be heading back to Nohr soon?

Azura: Takumi…

Takumi: Hey, who said you could call me by name? You haven’t earned that privilege either.

Corrin: That doesn’t even make sense.

Takumi: Excuse me?

Corrin: Azura has been in Hoshido for as long as I’ve been gone. Shouldn’t that be enough to consider her part of the family?

Takumi: I don’t care. I don’t trust either of you. I just wanted to tell you that to your face.

Sakura: I apologize for Takumi’s rudeness. He’s a bit of a hothead. Anyway, how’d you like to try a sweet rice dumpling? It’s a Hoshidan specialty!

He’s giving his feelings towards the situation of Azura and Corrin both being Nohrian, but the way it’s written between versions conveys differences. Now from what I know of the logistics of the Japanese language, lots of context can be missed or hidden. The JP version can probably be seen as him being just as rude as he is in the Treehouse script, but from what’s here he does come off more... immature? Plus some context as to why he doesn’t trust Azura or Corrin gets cut, and Sakura calling him a hothead gets added in.

I considered putting the after battle conversation from Chapter 5, too, but there’s not enough significant difference between the JP and Treehouse’s version of Takumi’s lashing out to really warrant it. Though one difference is that when Corrin gets the Yato, Treehouse has him just say “Impossible.” whereas the JP version has him say nothing. The drama CDs do go more in depth into what he’s thinking, and given how Takumi’s written later in the game, it makes sense why he would stay silent rather than continue talking shit. But again, I don’t wanna cite the CDs too much, cuz I don’t know how much they can be considered canon even though I think the same writers (sans Kibayashi I’m guessing) wrote them. 

Chapter 6 Birthright (After the Nohrian siblings react to Corrin’s choice)

JP version

Takumi: I will do it... For my fallen kinsmen, and for Mother’s sake as well...

Treehouse

Takumi: Stupid Nohrian jerks! I'll kill all of you!

Once again, a more thoughtful reaction was changed into a more juvenile anger. Not completely surprising coming from Takumi, but makes him a bit more one dimensional, imo.

Chapter 10 Birthright (Takumi shows up possessed)

JP Version

Hinoka: Ugh!? Why did you do that, Takumi!?

Kamui: Takumi, stop! You could’ve shot Hinoka...!

Takumi: Kill...

Kamui: Huh...?

Takumi: Me... everyone should only... appreciate me...

Hinoka: It’s as if he’s a completely different person...!

Sakura: B-brother... What’s happened to you!?

Takumi: I’m strong... I... have a divine weapon... But even then... all everyone talks about is my siblings... all everyone talks about is Kamui...

Kamui: What are you saying!? Takumi, please come back to us!

Takumi: There’s no need for people who don’t look at me... there’s no need for people who stand in my way... why don’t you all just... DISAPPEAR!!

Kamui: Takumi!?

Treehouse

Hinoka: Gah! What's wrong with you? That arrow almost hit me!

Corrin: Takumi, what are you doing?!

Takumi: Kill...

Corrin: Um...

Takumi: I should have been the chosen one...

Hinoka: This is creepy...

Sakura: *sob* Takumi... What h-happened to you?

Takumi: I am ignored...alone...forgotten. But I am more powerful than they can imagine!

Corrin: What are you saying? Snap out of it, Takumi!

Takumi: Ughhhh... I will not stand in the shadows any longer... They will all see me for the first time! I will make them pay for what they've done. I will make them...I will make them... DIE!

Corrin: Takumi?!

The JP version of this exchange centers around Takumi’s own inheritance of a divine weapon as well as his inferiority complex in regards to not only Corrin, but his other siblings as well. This is important, because it was never only Corrin coming back that caused Takumi to feel left out and ignored, but also Ryoma’s natural talents making Takumi feel inferior and Hinoka’s unintentional aloofness towards her siblings as a result of purely focusing on her training (these are things that are touched on in his supports with both of them btw). Sakura is exempt from this sentiment though.

Chapter 10 (Azura cures Takumi’s possession)

JP version

Takumi: ......

Aqua: Takumi... your eyes, and that gaze... Maybe, just maybe... If my hunch is correct, my song can do something about this. I can only hope it’ll be enough...

Takumi: No one...no one... looks at me... No one at all...

Aqua: Wait, Takumi.

Takumi: You are...

Aqua: Listen. You're being controlled by an unseen force. How awful... This isn’t you. Which is why... Please listen to my song...  (Sings Lost in Thoughts)

Takumi: Ugh...! Gaaaaaaaah!!

Aqua: ......

Takumi: Ungh... ! Aqua...?

Aqua: Thank goodness. You’ve come back to us.

Takumi: Come back...? What do you mean? W-where are we...?

Aqua: I’m sorry, but we don’t have time to discuss that right now. The people of Fuuma have ambushed us. Can we count on your assistance?

Takumi: Oh... okay. I understand.

Aqua: ...Hey, Takumi. 

Takumi: What is it?

Aqua: I can always count on you. You are very strong and intelligent. You have a charm that your other siblings don’t have. That’s what I think.

Takumi: H-huh!? What does-

Aqua: Hmhm, well let’s be off. Standing idle won’t do us any good.

Takumi: Hey, wait up! ...Hey, Aqua! ...... (smiling portrait) ...Well it can’t be helped. All right, time to show them what Prince Takumi can do!

Treehouse

Takumi: Unnnhhh...

Azura: Look at the color of his eyes... Could it be? There's only one way to find out. I'll have to sing to him...

Takumi: No one...notices me. No one...cares. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die.

Azura: Takumi...listen to me.

Takumi: You... You are...

Azura: It doesn't matter. I'm someone who can help. You're being controlled by a dark force. This is not who you are! You don't have to give in. You can survive this! Listen carefully... (Sings Lost in Thoughts)

Takumi: Ugh... Gyaaaaah!

Azura: Takumi, can you hear me now?

Takumi: Ohhhh... Azura? Is that you?

Azura: Yes, it's me! Oh, thank goodness.

Takumi: Uh...where am I?

Azura: Unfortunately, we're right in the middle of a battle. I don't really have time to explain. Are you in any condition to defend yourself?

Takumi: I...I think so. I feel OK.

Azura: Very well. Just remember.. You're strong and intelligent. There's a certain something about you. I believe in you, Takumi.

Takumi: Um, OK...

Azura: That's the Takumi I remember. Now, come on! You'll need to focus to make it through this battle.

Takumi: Wait! Azura! Ugh, I'm still a bit woozy. So many questions... (angry/cocky portrait) I guess I'll just have to stay alive to get them answered.

I touched on this in my general Birthright script changes post, but I thought I’d bring up the overall tone shift here. Takumi’s genuine happiness in the JP version was replaced with an awkward reaction and a cocky response in the Treehouse version, hence why I also noted the portrait change. Not out of character per se, but I think Takumi having his first real establishing moment of joy being replaced does a disservice to both his character and the player getting to see it.

Chapter 10 (after battle)

JP version

Sakura: Takumi!!! You... you’re back to normal...!

Hinoka: (voice clip of her crying) Moron...! We were... so worried about you...!

Takumi: H-hey, quit crying. Aren’t you both too old to be doing that?

Sakura: I don't care about that! You’ve come back to us, so I’m fine with crying!!!

Hinoka: Me too! I love you too much to care about things like that now!

Takumi: Sakura, Hinoka... Thank you. I’m sorry that I worried you this much.

Kamui: I’m curious to know what’s been going on. What happened at the border battle, Takumi?

Takumi: That battle... it was a struggle. We fought by Izumo’s border at first... But before long the battle extended all the way to the Infinite Chasm. During the march there, I got separated from Ryoma.

Kamui: I see, so you don’t know where he is either...

Takumi: During the battle, the enemy’s attack triggered a massive rockslide. I got caught up in it... and fell into the Infinite Chasm.

Kamui: The Infinite Chasm!?

Hinoka: But... you’re alive. How did you manage to come back?

Takumi: That I still don’t know... Everything after that is a blur... I can’t remember anything before I woke up here.

Hinoka: I see... Well, at any rate, I’m relieved that you’re back alive. It’s a miracle you were able to survive that bottomless pit.

Takumi: Hey... what have I been doing all this time?

Aqua: It's best not to worry about it, Takumi. Some horrible magic took hold of you and brought you here against your will. That’s all it is.

Takumi: No... that can’t be it. Hinoka’s arm has been grazed by an arrow. It looks like it was cause by the Fujin Yumi... I attacked her, didn’t I?

Hinoka: Well, that’s... 

Takumi: Tell me... what did I do in front of all of you?

Kamui: ...... ...Takumi. When you met us here, you immediately started attacking us. Until your sanity came back, you were fighting Hoshidan troops.

Takumi: !! That’s...! Attacking my own countrymen... Unforgiveable. I don’t think I’m qualified to be a part of Hoshido’s army after doing that...

Kamui: No, being qualified doesn’t matter. I was in a similar situation, being raised as a prince of the enemy country... but even so, you all accepted me without hesitation.

Takumi: No... I wasn’t like that... 

Kamui: Er, well, be that as it may... What matters now is you’re here with us. If you feel you’ve made a mistake, you can make up for it from now on. I’d really like to fight alongside you, Takumi. Do you feel likewise?

Takumi: ...... I will, if you can forgive me for the harsh words from earlier.

Kamui: Of course. Those are things of the past. 

Takumi: ...Thank you, brother. And thank you too... Sister.

Aqua: ...No, it’s quite all right. ......

Kamui: ...Aqua, are you okay? You look kind of pale...

Aqua: ...I’m fine, just a little tired. Don’t worry, I’ll get better soon. 

Kamui: Um, okay...

Treehouse

Sakura: Brother! I'm so glad you're back to normal. We were all so w-worried about you.

Hinoka: (voice clip of her saying “I won’t allow it!”) Yeah. Don't ever do that again, OK?

Takumi: Whoa, guys! Stop crying. You're making me all embarrassed.

Sakura: I don't care. We didn't know if we'd ever see you again. And then when you showed up all weird like that...

Hinoka: Yeah. We didn't know if you'd ever be the same Takumi we know and love again.

Takumi: Well, it's definitely me guys. Thank you for your concern. And I'm sorry I made you all worried.

Corrin: It's good to have you back, Takumi. But as much as I would like to savor this moment. Ryoma is still missing. Can you tell us anything about what happened to you two?

Takumi: Yeah. It was insane. We ran into Nohrian troops just outside Izumo and began fighting. Ryoma and I were separated in the early stages of combat, before we had to retreat. We were outnumbered...and pushed to the brink of the Bottomless Canyon.

Corrin: So we still have no idea where he is...

Takumi: No, I'm afraid not. Something triggered a massive landslide, and I was caught up in it. That's how I fell into the canyon.

Corrin: You actually fell into the Bottomless Canyon? How are you still alive?

Hinoka: I've never heard of anyone returning from there before.

Takumi: I...I have no idea. All I remember is falling. There was a period of darkness, and then I woke up here.

Hinoka: Well, I'm just glad to have you back. It's a miracle you survived a fall like that!

Takumi: So, um, can anyone tell me how I ended up here? Or what, exactly, I was doing before I woke up just no?

Azura: It's best you don't worry about it for now. Just get some rest.

Takumi: No, I need to know. My Fujin Yumi was in my hand when I came to. And some of you have wounds in your backs...

Hinoka: Well...

Takumi: Tell me! What did I do?

Corrin: Takumi...you must have been under some sort of spell. You stumbled out of the woods and started attacking our party. Please, try not to worry about it. We know it wasn't really you.

Takumi: Oh, what have I done? A prince attacking his own men? How can I show my face in Hoshido again?

Corrin: Please! Someone... or something...was controlling you. We know you were not in your right mind.

Takumi: That's small comfort right now, I'm afraid.

Corrin: Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but all that matters now is that we're all here. Will you join us in the search for Ryoma? Perhaps something along the way will jog your memory. Can we count on you?

Takumi: Yes. If you can forgive me for all the hurtful things I’ve said and done.

Corrin: Of course. We must move forward—not dwell on the past.

Takumi: Thank you, Corrin. I also need to thank you...Sister.

Azura: Oh! You called me— I mean...you're quite welcome, Takumi. Ahem... *cough* *cough*

Corrin: Is everything OK, Azura? You don't look well.

Azura: I'm fine. I think I'm just a bit tired. Please, don't worry about me. I'll be better in no time.

Corrin: If you say so.

Hinoka was made kind of... less concerned over Takumi in the localization. Or at the very least, less worried like how an older sibling would be, where her crying is replaced with more of a reprimand. 

In the JP version, Takumi specifically mentioned attacking Hinoka and her having an arrow wound to signify it, the localization changed it to a general “some of you have wounds in your backs.” 

The instance of Corrin comparing his own situation to what just happened with Takumi was cut and replaced by talking about the possession (even thought it’s been talked about already), meaning a nice moment of character bonding and calling back to previous scenes was cut. 

And lastly, there’s another instance of Treehouse Corrin in Birthright acting like an douchebag that I actually missed in my general Birthright post. In the JP version, when Takumi says he wasn’t as accepting of Corrin at first, Corrin tries to just shift the conversation to something Takumi can be more positive about. Treehouse replaced it with Corrin basically saying “well, I’m sorry that you feel that way, but can you help us now” which is such an asshole thing to say to someone who’s just now realizing he hurt his sister and has lost his memory up until this point.

Chapter 11 (before battle)

JP Version

Kamui: ...Phew. We made it to a ship just before it set sail. I never thought there’d be Nohrian soldiers at the port. We haven’t been attacked since Fuuma (Mokushu), so my guard was down.

Sakura: Yes. But somehow we managed it. Big Brother... you should probably rest a little bit, at least.

Aqua: I don’t understand... how did those soldiers track us down in the first place? No one should know that our party is crossing into Nohr.

Takumi: Don’t tell me... there’s a spy in our mix, isn’t there?

Aqua: Spy?

Takumi: Yeah. Haven’t you considered it? There could be a spy among us working for the Nohrians, reporting our movements. That mage... he’s especially suspicious.

Zola: H-huuuuh!? I am!?

Hinoka: ...Well, you are suspicious. Very much so.

Takumi: Big Brother Kamui said... before joining you guys, he tried trapping all of you. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried something again.

Zola: W-what!?

Hinoka: ...Right, then. As promised, I’ll strike to kill.

Zola: Eeeek!

Kamui: ...No. Please stop, everyone. It’s not good to doubt your comrades.

Hinoka: Kamui...

Kamui: All right? There’s no proof that he’s a spy. Once we decide to believe someone, let’s keep believing them.

Takumi: Brother... Even so, I can’t trust this man.

Kamui: Yes... Well, it’s not something I can explain right now, Takumi. I’m sorry. Let’s talk about it later. For now, I’d like for you to trust in him a bit.

Takumi: ...... ...Very well. If you’re insisting that much, I’ll make an effort to believe him, too. 

Zola: Lord Takumi...!

Takumi: What is it now? I never said I’d trust you right away. I’ll start considering it after hearing what my brother has to say. And stop saying my name so casually.

Zola: Gah! No, sir. I'm sorry, sir.

Treehouse

Corrin: Well, this should be interesting. I've never sailed before. And we made it just in time to catch the last boat leaving the harbor. How lucky!

Sakura: I know. It's been such a long march—I'm really looking forward to r-resting a bit.

Azura: I wouldn't get too comfortable. Remember, we are on our way to Nohr. Some of the passengers on this ship could be our enemies.

Takumi: Yes, and there could be a spy among us.

Azura: What are you talking about, Takumi?

Takumi: You know exactly what I'm talking about. That whiny little mage from Nohr! Whose idea was it to let him tag along?

Zola: Gah! I'm no threat, guys! I promise! Haven't I been helpful so far?

Hinoka: Don't worry, Takumi. I've been keeping a very close eye on him.

Takumi: I don't know. Didn't he set everyone up back in Izumo? I wouldn't be surprised if he were plotting something.

Zola: But...but...

Hinoka: OK, I'll get my knife ready...

Zola: Eeeek!

Corrin: Calm down, everyone. I trust Zola, and I believe you should as well. He stood with us through one battle without stabbing anyone in the back. Besides, how could he even really information to Nohr? It's a preposterous notion.

Takumi: Sorry. I can't just take your word for it. I don't trust him.

Corrin: That's fine. A little healthy skepticism won't hurt. Just try to be civil, OK?

Takumi: I'll do my best.

Zola: Lord Takumi...

Takumi: What's wrong with you? Did I say that you could speak my name?

Zola: Gah! No, sir. I'm sorry, sir.

Never caught this before. In the JP version the party apparently got ambushed by Nohrian troops at the port, and that’s why the topic of there being spies is brought up, since Azura wonders how the soldiers even knew of the party’s whereabouts. Treehouse cut out this information.

Takumi in general is more abrasive, which is consistent to how Treehouse has been so far. I’d also like to note that Corrin’s insistence on believing in people is diluted a bit in Treehouse’s version, where he says civil skepticism is fine instead of trying to get Takumi to trust in people more. While this can make Corrin seem more palatable and smart, this doesn’t line up with his established character. He’s supposed to have a backbone when it comes to trusting in people and peaceful, diplomatic solutions. It’s why he almost got killed by Xander for not wanting to kill prisoners of war. If Corrin actually believed in “healthy skepticism” he wouldn’t let Zola in the party, especially after almost hurting Sakura. 

Also, Takumi’s supposed to be softening up to Corrin as a brother at this point and be more willing to listen to him, and Treehouse’s version of the exchange-while not bad in the logisitic sense-does a poor job in showing a family bond growing between them. A family bond which, if you recall, was mentioned in the JP version all the way back in the prologue. So... points for being consistent in cutting out themes, I guess.

Chapter 11 (after battle)

JP Version

Kamui: All right, we took care of them.

Takumi: No problem. Even invisible, there’s no way they could beat us.

Kamui: Haha, you’re very reliable, Takumi.

Takumi: (Smiling portrait) Well, yeah. I have to make up for my mistakes. A certain someone told me as much, anyway.

Kamui: (Smiling portrait) Takumi...

Treehouse

Corrin: That's the last of them.

Takumi: Ha! Those stupid things didn't know who they were messing with.

Corrin: Well, I'm glad to see that you're feeling like yourself again. Takumi.

Takumi: Me too. (Frowning portrait) After all, I have a long way to go to redeem myself...

Corrin: (Neutral portrait) Takumi, that's simply not true.

Corrin in the JP version: Takumi and I are starting to get along and he’s happy, that makes me happy too :)

Corrin according to Treehouse: Takumi, you’re really fuckin up the vibe :/

Jokes aside, it really does baffle me what Treehouse’s obession is with a) making Corrin kind of a dick and b) not letting Takumi smile/be happy more often, like wtf. I know that Corrin saying Takumi doesn’t have to redeem himself could be taken positively, but since a specific tone has already been set by Treehouse, it unfortunately comes off as patronizing instead.

Chapter 11 (after Zola protects Takumi)

JP version

Kamui: Are you okay, Zola? Thank you for helping Takumi earlier.

Zola: No need for thanks... That was something I wanted to do. When I saw Lord Takumi in danger, my body moved on its own.

Kamui: Even so... thank you.

Takumi: Hey... Zola.

Zola: ! L-lord Takumi! Ah, forgive me. I said your name again...

Takumi: No, it’s fine. You can call me whatever you like. I’m sorry for doubting you earlier, Zola.

Zola: What...?

Takumi: Yeah. You just saved my life at the risk of your own. If you hadn’t done that, that guy could’ve killed me. So I’m sorry I didn’t have faith in you.

Zola: That’s...! Please raise your head, Lord Takumi! There’s no need to thank me for this. I merely did what Lord Kamui did for me back in Izumo, when Lord Leo was about to execute me.

Takumi: What!? Kamui, you did something that reckless?

Kamui: Ah... haha... well, something like that... 

Zola: Yes. Since then, I’ve changed. Thanks to Lord Kamui.

Takumi: ...I see. Well, with a story like that, I have no choice but to believe it. I’ll be counting on you as a friend from now on, Zola.

Zola: Likewise... thank you very much.

Kamui: (Smiling portrait) ......

Treehouse

Corrin: That was extremely courageous, Zola. Are you all right?

Zola: It was nothing. I'm just glad that Lady Sakura was able to heal me.

Corrin: I beg to differ. It was not nothing. It was a remarkably selfless act.

Takumi: Zola...I have something to say to you.

Zola: Yes, Lord Tak—I mean yes, milord?

Takumi: Please. You've more than earned the right to speak my name. I'm sorry for doubting you.

Zola: Really? You mean that?

Takumi: Yes. Talk is cheap, and I still think I was smart not to trust you at first. But you may have just saved my life. It was a heroic act.

Zola: Thank you, Lord Takumi! I'm just following Lord Corrin's lead. If it weren't for him, I may have died at the hands of Lord Leo in Izumo. Now maybe you'll have the chance to perform a similar gesture.

Takumi: Wait, Corrin jumped in front of an attack meant for you? Right after you tried to kill him?

Corrin: Ha! No, Takumi. It wasn't exactly like that. I merely asked Leo to spare Zola's life. He was helpless and defeated.

Zola: Yes. And that kindness was enough to sway Lord Leo. He merely exiled me instead of taking my life.

Takumi: I see. Well, I just hope we can put all of this behind us.

Zola: Of course, milord!

Corrin: (Neutral portrait) Yes. It's time to focus on what's next. Who knows what's waiting for us in Nohr...

Takumi in the JP version is more willing to admit a mistake without a kind of “but I was still right” line, Treehouse adds one in anyway.

Also Treehouse made Corrin into a buzzkill, in other news, the sky is blue.

In further chapters, it’s mostly the same routine. Takumi is more abrasive and certain tender family moments involving him are diluted. I mentioned back in my general Birthright post that Takumi in his sickness, bed ridden delirium in chapter 16 talks in bigger detail about the “truth behind this war” and while this doesn’t have much to do with Takumi in particular, I thought I’d bring it up again.

Chapter 24 (pre battle, Takumi talks to Iago about possession)

JP version

Takumi: How dare you manipulate and mock me? What you said earlier about my feeling inferior is true... but I've learned something in this fight. There’s things only I can do! That's why... I would never betray my beloved siblings or my precious friends! As a proud prince of Hoshido!

Treehouse

Takumi: I just woke up for good. That's what happened. You were able to exploit some of my deepest fears and flaws, but that's over. My brothers and sisters need me, and I won't let them down. I'm a proud prince of Hoshido, and from now on I will live up to the title!

Both are fine, but the JP version is a bit more self actualizing, whereas the Treehouse version is more dependent on Takumi feeling like his siblings need him.

Chapter 24 (Takumi vs. Iago boss conversation)

JP version

Takumi: I’ll never forgive you...How dare you...how dare you take advantage of me. Macbeth...

Macbeth: You just regained your senses, and already such cheek...! You should’ve stayed as a good little pawn right until the end.

Takumi: When I was freed from your control, I remembered everything... How I’d send an owl with information of my whereabouts every night. How I’d lose all memory of it every morning. How I suspected my allies without knowing I was the traitor all along... What an absolute disgrace...

Macbeth: Then repent for your sins and quickly die. Isn’t that better than living a life of shame?

Takmui: Shut up! I'll live to pay for this crime! First, I’ll start making up for what I’ve done by defeating you here, Macbeth!

Treehouse

Takumi: Yes! I was hoping I'd get a chance to kill you myself. This is for everything you've put me through!

Iago: *yawn* You know I chose you because you were the weakest, right? You should never have come out of that spell—now you're going to suffer!

Takumi: Wrong! Now that my head is clear, my aim is truer than ever. I'm going to turn your face into my own personal bull's-eye.

Also touched on this in the Birthright post. The fact that Treehouse cut out the entire explanation for how exactly Takumi relayed information to Iago is freaking weird. Like... why?

Overall, though that’s about it for major changes to Takumi in Birthright’s story. Now for Conquest.

Chapter 10 (pre battle conversation) 

JP version

Hinata: Lord Takumi, it seems the Nohrian army is stationed at the port.

Takumi:  …An ambush, is it? Well, I expected no less of them. We won’t run away with our tails between our legs. It’s what they want.

Treehouse

Hinata: Lord Takumi! It seems the Nohrians aren't going to back down.

Takumi: So they plan to fight us, do they? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Nohrians aren't like normal, decent people. They live for the thrill of battle. All the better. I shall delight in putting those cowards in their place.

While I’ve said before that Conquest’s localization changes aren’t as egregious as Birthright’s (at least when not concerning Xander), I do find it funny that Takumi is consistent for the most part, aside from taking little jabs like he does in Treehouse’s version. Here’s another example: 

Chapter 10 (Corrin vs. Takumi)

JP version

Takumi: ! Kamui...

Kamui: Takumi... 

Takumi: Never expected to see you here, Prince Traitor. For the person who left Hoshido in such a wreck, you’re sure doing well for yourself.

Kamui: I’m sorry... I’m afraid I have nothing to say to that.

Takumi: Hm... guess you’re still man enough to feel guilt, after all. Then you can start regretting your mistake as I kill you right here!

Treehouse

Takumi: Any last words, Corrin?

Corrin: Takumi... In your heart you must know this is the last thing I ever wanted.

Takumi: Ah, how quaint. More pretty words from the Prince of Betrayal. How can you stand to live after the horrors you caused in Hoshido? My suspicions must be accurate. Nohrians don't have souls.

Corrin: Words could never express my sorrow for what took place...

Takumi: Oh? Are you still human enough to feel remorse? Fascinating. It's a fitting last emotion. I hope you feel its sting as I strike you down!

Takumi being a little shit towards his enemies is always hilarious, that’s one thing that Treehouse did that I think is fun. Another one I like is in chapter 13, where when Camilla calls Scarlet a traitor, Takumi responds with “Nohrian logic never ceases to amuse me.” And again in chapter 23 where, while not funny but more dramatic, he tells Corrin he “...shall cherish the sound of life leaving your body for all eternity.” Lines like these weren’t in the JP version, but since they are harmless additions and not replacing anything, they’re all fine. It only becomes an issue to me when said moments start replacing genuine tender scenes or cutting out details, like in Birthright.

Endgame (Corrin talks to Takumi in purgatory)

JP version

Takumi: Thank you. It would have been if we had fought alongside each other. Kamui. The truth is... I always wanted us to get along as siblings. I wanted to call you ‘brother.’ I wish I could have said that when I was still me... but I'm so stubborn that I just couldn't be honest with you. ...... I'm sorry.

Kamui: I’m sorry, too... Your resentment is my doing. ...I have always wanted you to call me ‘brother’, as well. Once the war was over, we could have been close as siblings should be. And yet...I am so sorry that things turned out this way.

Takumi: No, it’s all right. You accepted my resentment and came all this way. That's enough. Thank you, brother...

Treehouse

Takumi: Thank you, Corrin. I wonder…what it would have been like to fight on the same side as you. I always wished we could have been close, as you are with your Nohrian siblings. Right up until my last moments, I wanted so badly to call you my brother. To look up to you and love you…and never allow anything to come between us. I wish I had told you that before I died. While there was still a chance… I was just so stubborn, so hurt. I couldn’t admit those feelings even to myself. For that, I am truly sorry. I’m so sorry for letting you slip away, dear brother.

Corrin: Takumi…I’m sorry too. I caused you so much pain. The truth is, I longed to have you accept me as your brother too. I never let go of the dream that after the war we could all be together again… I’m so sorry things turned out the way they did.

Takumi: It’s all right, Corrin. We finally got to say all the things we needed to say. You have done more than enough. My heart… It’s finally at peace. Thank you, Brother…

I mentioned in my Conquest post that, while the Treehouse version is perfectly fine, it could potentially be read as putting more of the onus of Takumi and Corrin’s falling out on Takumi rather than Corrin. The JP version makes it more clear where each party is responsible.

Anyway, since Conquest’s localization has a fraction of the issues that Birthright’s has and Takumi showed up less frequently since he was an enemy, time to move on to Revelation... or at least, I would, but like Conquest, Revelation doesn’t have nearly as many localization issues as Birthright. Plus, Takumi has to share the spotlight with 7 other siblings and Azura, soooo... not many lines to screw up, anyhow.

So instead, time for supports and other general dialogue!

Corrin Support

In the JP version, when Corrin notes that it’s harder to draw a bowstrong than he imagined, Takumi notes that it takes a lot of physical and mental strength to do so. Localization just has him say “Well of course, did you think it’d be easy?” Similar message, but fewer details. Corrin then notes that because of that, he realized once again how talented Takumi is. In the JP version, Takumi gets flustered and nervous, in the localized version, he asks if Corrin is being sarcastic. Again, same message, but comes across a bit differently.

Other than those things and few lines being rearranged, the support chain is pretty faithful for the most part.

Felicia Support

In the JP version at the end of the A support, Felicia says that, while satisfied with Takumi’s apology for being rude, she still wants to share stories of her hometown, so he should be prepared. In response, Takumi laughs and says something like “Is that so?”. Treehouse changed this to have Takumi say outright “No more Ice Tribe stories anymore.” The reason why this was changed is most likely to fit in with how the S support is framed, where Takumi says he was frustrated with Felicia only talking about her hometown all the time instead of about herself. The JP version kept it intentionally ambiguous because there’s no guarantee that Takumi and Felicia will S support one another, so meh. Not a huge mistake, but thought I’d mention it. Other than that, the support was done well.

Azura Support

Again, not many major differences. Just in the JP version of the A support, Takumi says “from now on, let’s get along like brother and sister” whereas Treehouse has him say “we’ll both make more of an effort.” Less familial, so it can be seen as lacking a bit.

Sakura Support

JP version of the C support has Takumi mention that prominent aristocrats of Hoshido will attend the party/banquet attending, so that’s why he and Sakura can’t skip it. Treehouse cut out this small detail. Also, in the JP version Takumi says the atmosphere of these kinds of parties are stuffy, whereas Treehouse has him say “I wish we could leave all this highfalutin stuff to someone else”, which honestly got a chuckle out of me. Love words like that.

Treehouse version of the B support adds the line where he suggests lighting the guests hair on fire and running for cover, alongside the pre-existing line of faking being sick. Again, pretty funny to me tbh. Takumi saying crazy shit is a-ok to me, so long as it’s not at the expense of other lines being removed or moments being ruined.

Hinata Support

C support in the Treehouse version has Takumi pull rank by saying “Is that any way to address your superiors? “Show yourself”? Seriously!?” JP version just has him say “If you need anything, just tell me.” The idea of Takumi pulling rank isn’t exactly surprising per se, but he’s more the type to lash out at unfamiliar people speaking too casually with him. Hinata is a close friend and retainer, so it’s a bit out of place.

Oboro Support

In the Treehouse B support, Takumi says the fabrics that Oboro chose get the “Takumi seal of approval.” Not a negative addition at all, it’s cute.

Kagero Support

In the Treehouse C support, Takumi says “It seems like stealth comes naturally to you. After all, just a moment ago you popped up and scared me so bad I peed a little.” The peeing line wasn’t in the JP version. They made my son a pissbaby.

Kana Child Support

I felt obligated to mention how Takumi says “Well mold my onions, aren't you clever?” in response to how Kana has been helping Corrin out during the little father-son contest. Not in the JP support, obviously. But y’know. Onions, lol.

Camilla Support

Bit of a change here.

JP version

Takumi: I may seem unreliable as I am now, but if it's for you...I will definitely become even stronger, no matter what it takes!

Camilla: ......

Takumi: That's why...please marry me!

Camilla: Prince Takumi...You were...very dashing just now. I...didn't know you could be so bold.

Takumi: Princess Camilla...

Camilla: I...happily accept your proposal. Please let me watch over your growth by your side, okay?

Takumi: Yes. Of course.

Treehouse

Takumi: I know you still see me as cute, or childish, or as a fun plaything. But I have more to offer than that! Give me the chance to prove it to you!

Camilla: Hmmmmmmm... That was shockingly mature, for you. I've never known you to be so solemn and direct.

Takumi: Princess Camilla, I...

Camilla: I accept your proposal. Perhaps I flatter myself, but I suspect it's my care which has helped you along. In which case, staying by your side for years to come will only improve you further.

Takumi: N-not exactly the response I was hoping for...but I'll take it. Here's to our life together!

Like Camilla says herself in the Treehouse version, she flatters herself more. She also says him being mature is a shock, which is kinda mean, and that feeling only gets cemented when Takumi says it wasn’t exactly the response he was hoping for. JP version more or less has Camilla be more genuinely surprised at how bold he is.

Leo Support

More significant differences. First is a part of the C rank.

JP version

Leon: I'm telling you in advance that we probably won't be getting along well.

Takumi: Hm, What a coincidence. To tell you the truth, I thought so too.

Leon: What...?

Takumi: That haughty attitude, and that condescending way you look at other people... I knew you were a disgusting sort of person from the beginning.

Leon: ………… …Okay then, your childish way of thinking makes me want to vomit. I won't ever approach you, so you also must never approach me.

Treehouse

Leo: We might as well get this out of the way. You and I are not going to be friends.

Takumi: What a coincidence! I was just thinking the same thing.

Leo: Of course you were. You have such an arrogant attitude and—

Takumi: Me?! I'm not the one going around patronizing everybody! You're the jerk!

Leo: Is that the best you can do? You sound like a whiny, little brat. Just as expected. Let's make a deal. You stay away from me, and I'll stay away from you. Think you can manage?

Consistent with certain other instances of Treehouse, the same message is getting across, but the tone is a bit different. Both are definitely hostile, but the Treehouse one could come across more... immature, I guess. I personally don’t take issue with it, but I thought it was relevant to bring up. Now on to a part of B rank:

JP version

Leon: Prince Takumi... What's your favorite food?

Takumi: I like miso soup...

Leon: Miso soup?

Takumi: Ah, you mix miso and dried bonito in hot water, season it, and add other ingredients such as vegetables or tofu to boil and then eat.

Leon: Wha...?

Takumi: Hm, what's wrong?

Leon: I... like food such as soup and stew. To put it simply… Food where you mix meat and vegetables in boiling water which you then season …In other words, it's something like miso soup.

Takumi: Wh-what?

Leon: W-well then, what's your favorite kind of book to read? Novels or essays, or poetry anthologies? What's your favorite genre?

Takumi: Books, huh… I read all kinds, though I mainly like philosophy books. Philosophers from the past who expresses a different way of thinking compared to the people who are living now. That's what's interesting to me...

Leon: H-how is this possible!? How can this be the same too!?

Takumi: Then, what about your favorite pastime... What's your hobby!?

Leon: I-I like chess. Chess is a strategic game where you use pieces to battle on on a board.

Takumi: Th-that's... In Hoshido, that's something called Shogi!

Leon: ...And do you like this Shogi game, Prince Takumi?

Takumi: Like is an understatement, I'm the best in our family. How... how do we have so much in common?

Leon:  …………

Takumi:  ………… Hey, Prince Leon. Maybe getting to know one another isn’t such a bad idea after all.

Leon: What a coincidence… I was thinking the same. Do you want to continue talking about each other's tastes?

Takumi: Y-yeah. Who knows, we might find out about other things we have in common.

Leon: In the unlikely event we do hit it off, I’m sure we’ll get along well, h-hahaha...

Takumi: Hahaha...

Treehouse

Leo: They say that people with similar personalities like the same things.

Takumi: I like miso soup.

Leo: Mee-so soup?

Takumi: Yeah. It's a Hoshidan dish. You got a problem with that?

Leo: No. My favorite food is beef stew. It's kind of like a soup. Hmm...

Takumi: What kind of books do you read?

Leo: I read all kinds of things, but I have a passion for history.

Takumi: Is it...because you love to study the strategy behind past battles?

Leo: Gods, don't tell me... Do you like to read history books too?

Takumi: Yes, but I'm sure our hobbies are different.

Leo: My favorite game is chess. It's a tactical board game where—

Takumi: In Hoshido, our version is called shogi.

Leo: And do you like to play this "show-gee" thing?

Takumi: I'm the best shogi player in my whole family.

Leo: I can't believe it. Who would have guessed we have so much in common?

Takumi: I don't know, but I'll tell you—it's hard to hate someone with such excellent taste!

Leo: No kidding. I was about to say the exact same thing. Hmm... Maybe we should do this again sometime.

Takumi: Ahaha! Oh? So now you want to be best friends?

Leo: Ha! Of course not. That will never happen.

Takumi: Never!

Once again, similar message gets across, but lines are rearranged. However, this time, some details are cut, such as discussion of how both Takumi and Leo take their miso soup and stew respectively. One significant change is how originally Takumi and Leo loved philosophy books, but Treehouse changed this to battle strategy and history. Don’t know why this was changed, I thought it was neat. Also near the end, while both versions of the support have a kind of “in-denial” aspect about becoming friends, it can come across a bit differently. Though this is just linguistics in general, tbh. Japanese itself is a more... indirect language when it comes to speaking. There’s also Leo saying “mee-so” and “show-gee”, which some can probably think is cringe, but meh. It fuels my “Hoshido and Nohr speak different language” headcanon, so I’m fine with it.

Anyway, in the JP A support there’s another description by Leo of the miso soup recipe and him detailing a bit why he enjoyed it, but other than that, that’s it for their support. And for supports as a whole, too. 

Private Quarters 

When inviting:

JP version

"Brother, what did you want?"

"Brother, what should we talk about?"

"Brother, I’m here. What’s going on?" 

"What’s wrong? ...Am I in the way of something?" (When Married to someone else)

Treehouse

"What is it? Did you want to tell me little secrets or something?"

"What's with all the racket in here? Are you playing the drums or something?"

"What do you want? There's no point in sparring. You couldn't keep up!"

"Huh! If this is how it is, I'll get my slippers. We can all cuddle." (When Married to someone else)

The JP version of these lines are a bit generic, so I appreciate the changes Treehouse made here.

Last, but not least, while there are other changes to his lovers lines in Private Quarters, his S rank line in particular I wanna bring mention too.

In Treehouse’s version, it’s this: 

“I would do anything for you. Would you do anything for me? I need to know...”

In the JP version, however, it’s this: 

“I love you. If there were another world in which I raised a hand against you… at that time kill me to stop me. Promise me that you will definitely do that.”

Big difference. Treehouse did this a lot with certain private quarters lines and confessions, where references to story happenings get outright replaced. Off the top of my head, Xander’s S rank private quarters in the JP version talks about how he’d be fine with dying if Corrin was the one doing it, referencing his death in Birthright. Elise, Ryoma, Flora, and as seen here, Takumi, have similar cases. It’s a shame that these were replaced, because I find it pretty neat that tragedy involved with these characters gets invoked in personal settings.

Anyway, I couldn’t find any more significant differences! I looked at DLC lines, My Castle lines, and the like to make sure, but all of it was pretty faithful to the original script. Overall, yeah, there are pretty significant changes here, with Birthright being the main offender as per usual. Some of them are baffling, some are effectively harmless, but regardless thought to do this because Takumi remains one of my favorite characters in Fates and Fire Emblem as a whole.

Chapter 7

-Welcome to Round 1 of “Xander Never Said That”!  

So, I’ve already argued many times before that Xander as he’s written originally was never the type to go against Garon, be it through not fulfilling his orders or even talking badly about him; all of this is because of his entrenched way of thinking as a result of being afraid of his father.

Treehouse however, did change many of his lines to have him openly defy Garon, even when it doesn’t make any sense. (Though they didn’t do that to all of his lines, cuz that would require reworking the entire story, so Xander just ends up looking like a wishy-washy mess)

In localization, when ordered to kill Corrin upon her return to Nohr, Xander says “I won't do it! I'm sorry, father.” In the JP version, he doesn’t say anything, he only expresses a non-verbal hesitation.

This may seem petty and trivial to point out, but it’s the start of a much bigger issue.

-In the localization, when Xander starts expressing to Garon how asking Corrin to suppress the Ice Tribe rebellion by herself is impossible, Garon responds by saying “If that is so, then kill her now. I will not tolerate insolence.” In the JP version, as Xander is talking, Garon interrupts him and says “I won’t have you talking back to me.” 

This is one of many instances where I think Treehouse made Garon too harsh/unambiguously evil. From his tone and the line changes, he just reads as a much worse person, whereas in the JP version, you can at least make somewhat of an argument that he’s just being cold-blooded and exceedingly strict to his children. Still not a good person, but not a total monster yet either. However, I will say this is actually mostly a problem in Birthright as opposed to Conquest, since Garon acting like a cartoonish villain was one of Birthright’s many localization problems.

-Not even at a new chapter yet, and already we’re at Round 2 of “Xander Never Said That!” 

In localization, when overhearing Garon’s ramblings, Xander says “...So it is true. I should have known. Father only wishes to make Corrin suffer... in that case, I know what I must do.” 

In the JP version he says, “…… Father… No way, was that decree just now all for the sake of tormenting Corrin? If that’s the case… I too have a plan.”

The localized line makes him seem aware of his father being evil, but the JP version continues to have him in disbelief and denial, as he was originally written to be.

Chapter 9

- “Xander Never Said That!” Round 3. 

As Garon is contemplating if he should punish Corrin for disobeying his previous order of quelling the rebellion alone, both Elise and Xander offer themselves to be punished in her place. In localization, Xander eventually says “Father, kill me or kill no one. That is all there is to it.” In the JP version, this line doesn’t exist, Xander just remains silent instead. 

-In localization, Azura says people with connections to Nohr were banished from Hoshido (or at least she was). In the JP version, she says that people in Hoshido with connections to Nohr were being eliminated. Yikes.

Chapter 10

-This is more of an all-encompassing nitpick I have, though one that I think might be controversial. The localization kind of exaggerates the bad things Hoshidans say about Nohr. 

As an example, I wanted to make a mention to Takumi’s pre-battle line where he says “So they plan to fight us, do they? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Nohrians aren't like normal, decent people. They live for the thrill of battle. All the better. I shall delight in putting those cowards in their place.” 

I think that line is hilarious and overly dramatic. It’s the same with his boss quote against Corrin, where in the middle he says “My suspicions must be accurate. Nohrians don’t have souls.” Of course, these lines are different/less hammy in the JP version. Whether or not these kind of dramatic insults added in the localization are a good or bad change comes down to personal preference IMO.

Chapter 14

-In the localization, during his post battle explanation to Corrin, Garon says “You finally understand, though you still fight it. I desire only to rule Hoshido. I, and those who follow me, will do whatever it takes to achieve that. I don't care if the peons that fill our towns don’t trust us. They are nothing to me. Those who disobey will die. The rest will quickly learn.”

In the JP version he says,  “Ah. My desire is to rule Hoshido. The means used to grant that wish don’t matter. Something as trivial as distrust isn’t significant. Everyone who goes against us will be killed.” So he doesn’t call his own people peons or say they mean nothing to him in the JP script. It’s another instance of Garon made to be more harsh/evil in localization than he already was in the original script.

Chapter 15

-In the localization, when following Azura, Corrin says “That's weird... Where did she go? Into the forest, maybe...? Th-that song! It’s just like the one that performer sang in Nestra. The one that cursed Father... The mysterious singer and Azura... Could they be the same person? N-no, it can't be. That's insane. I need to find Azura right now. There she is... Azura!”

In the JP version, Corrin says “Hmm… Where is Azura. I think she went into this forest, but… Eh…? That song… it’s similar to the one the songstress sang… Could it be… was the identity of the songstress Azura? Quickly, I must find her quickly! …There she is! Azura…”

Localization Corrin denies the possibility that Azura was the singer, while the JP version doesn’t. It’s a small change, but significant nonetheless. 

-In the localization, after Gunter explains how he met Azura in Valla, Azura says “When I felt lost and lonely in Hoshido, I often found my way here.” In the JP version, she says “After I was chased out of Hoshido… Wanting some sort of clue and some peace, I visited this place many times.” JP version makes it clear that it was after Corrin’s choice that she found Gunter, whereas localization gives no clear time frame.

-In the localization, when Azura asks Corrin if she’s prepared to conquer Hoshido for the plan to expose King Garon, Corrin says “...My happiness is a small price to pay for the good of the whole world. I will continue to fight for Nohr and follow my father's every command. If I must sacrifice my soul and walk the path of evil to end this war, so be it. Even if no one understands why I'm doing this... Even if they grow to hate me...”

Everything Corrin says is pretty much the same as what she said in the JP version except that first line,  “...My happiness is a small price to pay for the good of the whole world. “ That line does not exist in the JP version. I never liked that line in the first place, as it makes it seem like the only price that’s being paid is Corrin’s happiness, when that’s obviously not the case. Learning that it wasn’t in the original script is a relief.

Chapter 16

-”Xander Never Said That!” Round 4.

In the localization, while recounting his memories of Azura, Xander eventually says “Those who loved Queen Katerina were not happy about Queen Arete or her daughter. Camilla and I...and later Leo...were told not to associate with Azura because of this. I suppose Father wanted to protect the strength of his legacy or some nonsense.”

That last line, “I suppose Father wanted to protect the strength of his legacy or some nonsense” is not in the JP version at all. Not only would Xander not bad mouth Garon like that at this point of the game, the line also makes no sense. Garon was never the one who mistreated Arete and Azura or told his kids to stay away, it was the concubines and aristocrats.

-In the localization, Azura says Shura needs to be punished for what he did. In the JP version, she says they obviously need to be cautious around him after what he did. A minor nitpick.

-In the JP version, as Shura’s explaining himself, he eventually says “Someday, if a war started, I’d be able to take revenge on Fuuma (Mokushu). So… I thought kidnapping a Nohr princess was a good way to start one.” This line about him hoping to incite a war by kidnapping Azura is cut completely in the localization.

Chapter 17

-In localization, after the battle Saizo expresses confusion over Nohr’s army showing mercy, to which Corrin says “Then perhaps you don't know us as well as you believe you do. We Nohrians aren't all the same. Just as all ninja aren't as vile as Kotaro.” This line isn’t in the JP version (Corrin remains silent instead) but it’s one of few instances where I think the localization addition was nice.

Chapter 24 (Yeah, there wasn’t any issues I had or major differences that I thought were worth mentioning for seven chapters. Crazy, huh?)

-”Xander Never Said That!” Round 5

I’ve talked about this before in my previous posts about Xander, but this one really does bear repeating. His speech about justice in localization is much longer.

Here’s what he says in the JP version: 

Xander: “…Things like justice do not exist. This is war. In this world, there is no right or wrong way of being. There is only… ambition and desire. Moreover, it is what is expected. You would do well to remember that.”

Here’s what he says in localization:

Xander: “Little princess... The sad truth is that justice is an illusion. A child's fairy tale. There is no light path that always leads to good, nor dark path that leads to evil. To believe that—to see the world in black and white—is missing half the picture. All that matters are the choices we make—especially the hard ones. […] Letting innocents die is a tragedy, but so is letting the chance for peace slip away. This is war. There is no such thing as a clean win when lives are on the line. Instead of clinging to a false sense of justice, hold strong to something true... The desire to do what you know is right and to protect the ones you love... And the ambition to see your vision of a peaceful future through to the end. If we allow evil men to let their vision take precedence over our own, we all lose. Remember that, and find solace in it.” 

Yeah. Insane difference. Localization goes more in depth on what he means, but a longer speech potentially means more opportunities to poke holes in it. Take this as you will.

Chapter 26

-In the JP version, when Corrin says there’s one more person left to defeat Xander says “What…!? Is our opponent the one who escaped earlier…Princess Hinoka?” Xander thinking that it might be Hinoka was cut out of localization.

-In the JP version, Xander actually asks if Corrin’s intending to double cross them when she says King Garon is the final obstacle. Corrin even responds saying “No, I’m not betraying you to join Hoshido. …Even if I did defect, Hoshido doesn’t have a chance of victory now.” This part of the exchange was cut in localization.

Chapter 27

-”Xander Never Said That!” Round 6

The exchange before the party enters the throne room to expose Garon reads mostly the same, but what Xander says is fairly different between versions.

Here’s what he says in the JP version:

Xander: “…I understand. This whole time, you have led us in this war. So…I believe you. In your words. But, if what you say turns out to be a lie… It will be concluded that you betrayed us, and the entire army will turn against you, as an enemy. I just want you to be prepared.”

Here’s what he says in the localization:

Xander: “Hmm... So be it, Corrin. You have led us this far. The least we can do is follow you just a little farther. I am choosing to trust you, Sister. However, you know what will happen if this all turns out to be an elaborate ruse. If you mean to trap us, your siblings who have loved you all these years... You will be punished, just like any other traitor. I will not allow anyone, even you, to bring harm to my family or the kingdom of Nohr. If you can accept those terms, as I trust you will, let us proceed.”

Honestly, on the whole, the general point is the same. But the word choice in the localization would probably make it easier to get peeved at Xander; especially the line where he says ‘if you mean to trap the siblings who loved you all these years’, since it’s easy to read it as really guilt trippy. I personally never saw it that way, but since this is one of the scenes that get pointed at for Xander being “stupid and blindly loyal to his evil dad”, I think it’s worth mentioning.

-Minor line change. When Leo and Camilla say it’s hard for them to just accept that Garon is a monster and fight him, Azura in localization says “You can't be serious! Don't you see what he has become?!” In the JP version, she says  “ そんな…” (Son'na…) which I believe is most commonly used as an expression of disbelief. Localization kind of made Azura’s line a bit too harsh, IMO. Minor nitpick.

-”Xander Never Said That!” Round 7

This one is not as much of a problem than previous ones, but it’s in regards to a crucial understanding of Xander’s character.

Here’s part of Xander’s speech against Monster Garon in localization:

Xander: “It is you who knows nothing! Of my father, of me, or of my brother/sister here. All this time, I have strived to be a good son and a worthy heir. I have faithfully followed your orders, even when doing so tortured my soul. I brushed aside my early memories of Father and accepted you as our king. I fought in your name, hoping one day you would reawaken as the man you once were. But that man is dead and has been for a long time now...”

Here’s the JP version equivalent:

Xander: “You bastard, what do you understand of Father…! …All this time, I had to pretend not to see. I never disobeyed any order. Someday, everything would go back to the way it used to be… I fought believing that. But, the father of those days is already…”

Localization not only kind of embellishes things a bit, but it also removes the line where Xander said he had to pretend to not see the truth. That line is pivotal to Xander’s character, since it proves he has been in denial this whole time, purposefully looking away from the truth because the truth was something he was afraid of. Not having that line (along with the addition of contradictory lines that I covered earlier) makes Xander more of a confusing character to read.

Endgame

-When Corrin is talking to her Hoshido family in purgatory-land, Takumi joins in. In localization, he says this:

Takumi: “Thank you, Corrin. I wonder…what it would have been like to fight on the same side as you. I always wished we could have been close, as you are with your Nohrian siblings. Right up until my last moments, I wanted so badly to call you my sister. To look up to you and love you…and never allow anything to come between us. I wish I had told you that before I died. While there was still a chance… I was just so stubborn, so hurt. I couldn’t admit those feelings even to myself. For that, I am truly sorry. I’m so sorry for letting you slip away, dear sister.”

In the JP version, he says this: 

Takumi: “Thank you. If you and I had fought together, I wonder how reassured I would have been. Corrin. The truth is, I really… I wanted to get along as siblings. I wanted to call you sister. I should have said so properly when I was still me… But because of my stubbornness, I was determined not to show my true feelings… …I’m sorry.”

It’s pretty much the same, but that very last line in the localized version “I’m so sorry for letting you slip away, dear sister”, is a line I’m iffy on. It sort of shifts responsibility from Corrin to Takumi, when it wasn’t really Takumi’s decision that affected Corrin’s choice. Just a minor nitpick. Other than that, it’s good.

-In localization, Corrin says Takumi died because of the beast possessing Takumi. In the JP version, she says Takumi died because of her and her party, that it’s the price she paid for choosing this path and that she’ll redeem herself.

-This one has been talked about many times lol. In localization, Hinoka says “I never thought it would fall to me to rule Hoshido. I always took it for granted that Ryoma would eventually be king. And after him, I suppose I expected to pass on the honor to Takumi.” In the JP version, she says “I never dreamed I’d ever take the throne. I always thought it’d be Ryoma’s coronation, or Takumi’s…”

Hoshido has a very patriarchal and traditional social system. Similar instances of women being “lower on the hierarchy”, for lack of better words, happen with Reina (whose aristocrat parents cut ties with her after she chose to be a soldier instead of a housewife) and Hana (who faced many difficulties being a girl samurai amongst boys). Kagero’s situation of only being a retainer because her brother is ill could also be interpreted as such. What makes this strange is that all of the above were kept in localization, but Hinoka expecting to be passed over on being ruler in favor of Takumi was changed to her planning to just give him the crown, like Camilla did for Leo.

-Xander’s speech in the last animated cutscene is actually quite different between versions. In the localization, he says this:

Xander: “You’re just in time. You’ve always had a gift for that. No doubt you always will. There was no sense in this war, only madness and greed. War is monstrous. We are told to make war to support our country. But…it’s a lie. Told by those who profit from bloodshed. In my reign as Nohr’s new king, I vow to seek peace and understanding. With you to guide my hand.”

In the JP version, he says: 

Xander: “You’re all just as boisterous as usual. Just like back then… It’s certainly the same now. There was no justice in the previous battles. No, whether or not there was justice is not for me to say. Justice… is a fragile thing, that changes depending on how you look at it. But, at the very least… As king I will maintain the justice I believe in. The one who taught me the importance of that, was you.”

Chapter 8

-In the JP version, after it’s revealed that the Faceless were actually Wind Tribe people, Iago says that Corrin’s decision specifically devastated Xander and Elise, foreshadowing how integral those two in particular would be later in the plot. He then goes on to talk about how traitorous actions are not to be forgiven that easily. Localization just has him go on a hammy villainous rant complete with a silly end line “Oh, your ignorance does tickle me. Bwahahaha!”

-The JP version of Hinoka’s party introduction gives a sneak peek insight into their dynamic, where Hinoka explicitly says “I knew from the beginning that you weren’t cut out for the vanguard. I’ll just have to believe in myself!”, meaning she deliberately chose Setsuna and Azama knowing that she’ll have to do most of the heavy lifting as the direct combatant/protector. It’s a prominent character trait of Hinoka’s and it’s also neatly done in a gameplay sense given that she starts with the Guard Naginata, a defensive weapon. The localization cuts out this little nod to Hinoka’s role as her retainers’ protector, in favor of her making sarcastic remarks about how she has to babysit them.

Chapter 10

-In localization, after getting exorcised of corruption from Azura and her telling him how talented and smart he is in his own right, Takumi reacts in confusion and cockiness. In the JP version, he reacts with genuine happiness and relief, smiling portrait and all. And yes I think this is important, because Takumi being happy is very important, okay?

Chapter 12

-In the JP version when the group finds out Zola is a traitor but was still moved by Corrin’s genuine kindness, Corrin responds with an understanding that Zola at least changed a little, saying “Could it be… What Zola is saying, his manner of speaking has changed… Those words at least… could they be the truth?” In localization he acts kind of rude and says “What’s the matter, Zola? Conscience bothering you?” This is a common occurrence in Birthright’s localization, where Treehouse changed a lot of Corrin’s dialogue in terms of tone and word choice and he ends up sounding like a self-righteous jackass, something I really don’t appreciate.

Chapter 13

-This isn’t really about the chapter specifically, but another note on Treehouse making Corrin a weirdly different character. He is just... extremely obsessed with how Garon is treating people to the point that it overrides any and all topics otherwise. In his boss conversation with Camilla, after Camilla says that it was his choice that led to them fighting (which is true), Corrin makes the entire thing about Garon by saying “Can’t you see what Garon is doing? I had no choice!”

In just those two lines 1) Camilla’s grief about Corrin’s decision is thrown to the wayside, 2) Camilla is painted as an idiot for not seeing how obviously evil Garon is despite the fact that in just the previous chapter, Corrin got to see what Garon does to people who disobey him, and 3) Corrin’s authority on making a decision is removed by making it about Garon rather than about the familial bonds and personal values that Corrin has.

Saying he had no choice means more than you might think, especially in the game that has 3 completely different routes dependent on one decision. This is just one of many examples of how seemingly trivial line changes can mean a world of difference in greater context. And of course, this problem is only in localization. The JP version only has Corrin plead with Camilla to stand down because he doesn’t want to fight his sister.

Chapter 14

-In the JP version, Scarlet mentions that Chevalier (Cheve) used to train people from both Nohr and Hoshido alike as renowned knights, adding another friendly tie to Hoshido besides her grandfather serving Sumeragi. Localization has no mention of this.

-Benny and Charlotte having fuck all to do in BR other than get mowed over is already unfortunate, but in the JP version Benny actually says in his boss quote: “Sorry… I don’t have anything against you, but… If I disobey, I’ll die here… At the very least, let’s decide this with a single blow…” This is a nice acknowledgement of the shit that Nohrians have to deal with under Garon’s current rule, but it’s not in localization unfortunately. It’s not wholly necessary since by now it would be kind of obvious to the player what happens, but sometimes this fandom likes clear cut confirmation over reading into actions so whatever.

Chapter 16

-Takumi catching the illness from the Wolfskin is actually a localization only explanation. In the JP version, Sakura says it’s a rare disease that she’s only seen in medical books and has absolutely no idea why or how Takumi caught it. This actually supports the “Iago made Takumi sick” theory quite a bit in my eyes, since the same illness actually appears in FE Warriors and makes Rowan sick. But how does Rowan get sick? Well, there’s no Wolfskin/carrion explanation excuse in the game, but you know what-or rather, who-is in FE Warriors? Iago, playing both the Hoshido and Nohr siblings like fiddles while working for Gristonne, the main enemy country in Warriors (who would benefit greatly from Rowan dying in more ways than one tbh).  Pretty certain that it was Iago who made him (and Elise) sick all along now.

-In the JP version of chapter 16, Takumi’s delirious sleep talk actually makes reference to Anankos, saying  “What you see is… Not everything… Brother…… If you don’t defeat it- this fighting… won’t end…… True peace…… will never……”. I very much like how he says true peace is basically impossible without defeating this unseen threat, since it reinforces the notion that the war isn’t really the best result if you side with Hohisdo or Nohr. The localization only makes reference to the traitor subplot of Birthright... I think. The line is really vague and weird, with Takumi saying “Something’s not right... Look behind the curtain... ugh..”. Regardless, the more clear cut reference to Anankos’ machinations was altered, so blegh.

Chapter 17 (Holy fuck)

-In the JP version, the route that Flora leads the party on actually has a name! The road is called Turian. Not the most important information, but I think it’s cool.

-The conversation Corrin has with Ryoma about trust ends differently. The JP version has Ryoma say that Corrin doubting his friends is exactly what Nohr is expecting, and to not let it get to him. Corrin says that his head is clear and that he won’t doubt his friends anymore. The localization undercuts that entire thing by adding a new line at the end, with Corrin saying “The problem is my intuition is telling me that Iago wasn’t lying.” It messes with Birthright’s themes of trust and believing in others without doubt, and it was a wholly unnecessary addition in my eyes.

-In the JP version, Flora actually reveals that her getting attacked by Iago was all an elaborate set-up by the both of them in order to gain the party’s trust and lead them into the Ice Tribe’s trap. Localization doesn’t mention the set-up/faking being attacked part of this at all.

During the same conversation, in the JP version Felicia says that just like how Corrin chose his own path, she will do the same and find her own sense of justice. Localization... makes her speech about Garon’s atrocities instead of about her making her own choice. What the fuck.

In the JP version, Corrin’s pleas to Flora are about how he won’t doubt his friends anymore and that includes Flora (a deliberate continuation of the topic discussed in his earlier conversation with Ryoma). Localization, again, makes the speech about Garon, saying “But if we stick together, I promise we’ll have the strength to take him (Garon) on!” What. The. Fuck.

I know Garon is the main villain of the route, but why did Treehouse make literally everything regarding BR’s themes and character development about him. Especially in areas where it doesn’t make sense. Ugh, it’s so frustrating.

-Sigh... The post battle conversation for this chapter is just... such a different scene between the JP version and the localization and I’m exasperated. Let’s go down the list:

1) In the JP version, Corrin actually spared the other Ice Tribe people (the translation I’m looking at says helped, but it most likely means spared) because he sensed that it was painful for the Tribe to attack the party like that. Localization makes no mention of Corrin sparing or helping the people whatsoever.

2) In the JP version, Flora says that the reason why she had to make this awful choice is because Garon said she had to “take responsibility for her traitorous master”. It’s not an overly important piece of information, but it makes the consequences of Corrin’s choice sting that much more. Localization doesn’t mention this bit.

3) In the JP version, Corrin says “I’m sorry… It’s my fault for joining Hoshido. You didn’t do anything wrong, Flora. It was admirable of you to try and protect your people.” Localization has Corrin say “But Flora, how could you be sure that Garon would even keep his promise to spare your village?... None of this is your fault, Flora. I just wish you’d trusted that we could help you.” These line changes are fucking awful.

Not only does the localized line foist some of the blame/responsibility onto Flora when Corrin originally took all of it himself-since it’s in his character to be selfless and understanding-but it makes Flora sound like an untrusting dumbass instead of a victim of awful circumstances. Her “trusting” Corrin to help her has nothing to do with anything, she literally saw Corrin for the first time in forever just last chapter, and at that point the plan between her and Iago was in motion. But oh wait, I forgot, the reference to the set-up was also cut out in localization. Ugh, Christ above.

4) For this next point, let’s clear things up about Flora: She fucking hates herself for doing what she does in this chapter. Her self worth is in Hell’s basement. During the battle and especially after, she makes self-pitying remarks and calls her life worthless and miserable. This is the primary reason why she takes her own life. But what matters here is what triggers it. As mentioned above, in the JP version, Corrin says she’s very admirable for choosing to save her people at all costs. Flora in response says “…No. I’m not even a little bit admirable. No matter the reason, I turned my blade against Lord Corrin… …And deserve nothing but damnation.” Corrin unintentionally triggered her crippling self esteem during her lowest moment after having to make a choice that hurt her badly. She takes her own life because she couldn’t deal with the guilt and awful circumstances anymore.

And since localization cut out the part where Corrin says she’s admirable, the only reason now left that leads to her taking her own life is her betraying everyone, and not only is that a weaker reason, the lines Treehouse have her say make the entire scene melodramatic and not serious at all. Even though we’re literally watching a woman commit suicide in front of us.

5) Since we’re still not done with this butchering of a heart-wrenching scene, here’s what Flora says in the JP version as she’s burning:

Flora: “I’m sorry… Lord Corrin… Jakob… Felicia… Really, at that time… I’m glad we could speak again… […]  Thank you, Lord Corrin… For believing in me until the end… I… That made me happy more than anything else… Felicia, I leave it to you…[…]  It’s… okay… Felicia… I… Chose a path I should’ve never walked… This kind of atonement… is only natural…[…]  I… If it were possible… I wanted to walk the same path as you… With everyone together, with Lord Corrin… …………I love you… Felicia… Somehow, forgive your foolish sister for leaving you behind… From now on, always… I’ll watch over you… Only you… My… …………　…………”

Here is what she says in the localization:

Flora: “This is what I should have done the moment Garon threatened me. Perhaps I could have taken him out with me... […]  No, Lord Corrin. I finally feel at peace. […]  Please stop trying to save me. This is what I deserve. […]  Ughh... The end is near... Felicia... Lord Corrin... I regret...everything. …

I invite you to take from this comparison what you will, because I value you guys’ opinions on this stuff too.

As for me, I think it’s an utter travesty that in localization, once again a character’s big emotional moment is being shared with mentioning Garon, that Felicia-her fucking sister-barely gets talked to, that the theme of choice/walking your own path is completely cut out of this farewell, and that the entire scene doesn’t even read well as a whole. I don’t understand how this scene, and the chapter as a whole, got fucked up this bad.

Chapter 18

-I know there’s a lot of points for this one, but it’s mostly nitpicks lol. In localization, Corrin accuses Leo of “being blind to Garon’s lust for power.” It’s an extremely unnecessary line, imo and it’s not in the JP version at all. Garon’s way of doing things is mentioned, but Leo being “blind to his ways” is not.

-In the JP version, Azura assumes that Leo must know a way to defeat Xander, and outright says “Having such a great brother must have always troubled you after all… as his younger brother.” It’s another peek into Leo’s character when you wouldn’t otherwise get it in this route. Some might say it’s superfluous given the pre battle scenes, but since it relates to Xander and Leo’s dynamic, I don’t think it should’ve been cut in localization.

-There’s a lot of meta stuff in the chapter in regards to being in the light vs. being in the darkness, and it’s very on the nose. Localization keeps most of it, but it sadly cut out a line made by Corrin at the end where he says “…Leo. It might be impossible immediately. But someday, if you find the truth… Let me to comeback to this country confined in darkness… to bring light.” It’s serves as a neat reference to what Xander said all the way back in Chapter 2, where he said “It’s you who will bring light to our kingdom wrapped in darkness.”

-Also in the JP version when Corrin fights the retainers, he reacts with happiness upon seeing Odin again and plain confusion at Niles’ innuendos. In localization, he reacts with standoffishness towards Odin and disgust towards Niles, which is unfortunate for me personally since the chuuni trio all deserve unconditional love.

Chapter 19

-Nothing substantial again, but small hints regarding the Fire Emblem and the Rainbow Sage’s identity were cut out in localization so I thought I’d mention that.

Chapter 21

-In localization, other than the cartoon villain dialogue courtesy of Treehouse, Garon mentions a “Plan B” that will spring into action soon, and that he can’t wait to see the look on Corrin’s face when it does. We don’t know what he’s talking about, since it’s vague enough that he could be talking about literally anything. In the JP version however, he explicitly talks about the traitor among Corrin’s group. Garon is the main person monitoring Takumi’s mind control, not Iago, since y’know, Garon is possessed by Anankos. Hence why we get Diet Possessed Takumi in Birthright.

-The JP version mentions that the party is on a river heading towards the capital, which solves one of the biggest wtf questions I had since I was always confused why they were suddenly on a boat. Localization doesn’t mention the river at all. Though admittedly, the game’s weird pacing issues are also partially the devs fault since the river isn’t that well defined on the world map, since they decided to do a geographical world map for some reason. In this other official map you can see the river that divides the castle from the rest of the Kingdom much more easily (as well as the mountain that has the Demon Falls)

-In the JP version, Ryoma says multiple times that the Demon Falls used to be Notre Dia (Notre Sagesse) territory before Nohr seized it and the place became a home for monsters. Ryoma and Sakura then speculate that given that fact and the map the Rainbow Sage gave the party lead them here, that it’s no wonder that the Sage knew about the passage to Windmire and possibly even made it himself. Localization cuts out all mention of the Demon Falls being former Notre Dia (Notre Sagesse) territory, so this whole thing ends up looking more plot convenient than it was originally.

Chapter 22

-In the JP version, Elise reveals that after Arete died, Garon put up the Anankos statue in his room. This bit of information is cut in localization.

Chapter 24

-In the JP version, after striking down Lilith, Hans says that by defeating Corrin’s party, he hopes to get promoted more, getting his own territory and that his dream of becoming a king won’t be a dream anymore. So he actually does have a reason for why he’s a scumbag; a greedy and selfish reason, but it still makes him more of a character. Localization cuts this motivation out completely.

Chapter 25

-As I mentioned earlier, Garon was actually the main ringleader behind Takumi’s possession and betrayal cuz of the Anankos connection and cuz Takumi fell into the Bottomless Canyon. Localization sort of muddies this up by having Iago say “But the spell wouldn’t work without a kernel of dissatisfaction in his soul”, which makes it seem like Iago was the only one behind the possession, which isn’t completely true. In the JP version, Iago makes the ordeal more about Takumi’s resentment and inferiority complex, and how Corrin’s trust in people should be broken now that his brother did this. In fact, Iago’s dialogue before and during the battle ties extremely well to the themes of BR as a whole, with trust and the belief in the good of others being some of the main narrative points. Unfortunately though, lots of that was cut or altered in localization.

-Iago’s boss conversation with Takumi gives a bit more insight as to how Takumi leaked information, as well as a declaration of atonement from best boy:

Takumi: I’ll make you pay... How dare you... How dare you use me! Iago...

Iago: Hmph... Stubbornly regaining your consciousness like that... It would’ve been better, if you’d just stayed as my pawn until your death.

Takumi: When I was freed from your control, I remembered everything... How I’d send an owl with information of my whereabouts every night. How I’d lose all memory of it every morning. How I suspected my allies without knowing I was the traitor all along... What an absolute disgrace...

Iago: Then repent for your sins and quickly die. Isn’t that better than living a life of shame?

Takumi: Shut up! I’ll live and atone for these sins!! First, I’ll defeat you... And for everything I’ve done, I’ll put an end to it!

Chapter 26

-Aside from certain word choices making the tone different and Peri’s death quote being much sweeter in JP, I actually don’t have much to say regarding localization here, except for one thing:

In the JP version, Xander-during his final moments-eventually says “I could not choose a compromise with you…To choose a path against this country… No, a path against Father, was forbidden to me…”.  This is a very important insight to Xander’s relationship with their kingdom and Garon, one of the few times you get a glimpse of it in a route that isn’t Conquest. It sucks that this line in particular was altered, and it’s one of many changed lines in localization that gets used against Xander because people think his loyalty is the only thing holding him back.

Chapter 27

-I’ve always thought the endgame chapters of Birthright are the weakest of the three localization or otherwise (though the JP version still reads a lot better) due to how... underwhelming the scenes are compared to the everything that’s happened before, but there’s still a couple things I wanna mention. In the JP version, when Garon says Xander and Elise were great pawns, he mentions how he “only needed to pass down his blood, nothing more and nothing less.” I... actually don’t know what this relates to, be it just the general power of dragon veins or something similar to what Garon offered Gunter. But I thought it was interesting regardless.

-The JP version actually has a pretty cool line from Ryoma that ties into the Yato’s evolution, something I thought was kind of wonky in Birthright as a whole, but this saves it.

So, the entire route Ryoma has basically been this paragon of perfection, always gave the best advice possible and was strong enough to do pretty much anything on his own. But this chapter is the first time in the story where he feels powerless and doesn’t have an answer; his attempt at negotiation is met with an attack from Garon and a demand of surrender.

When Corrin is desperate and starts wishing for more power, Ryoma says “Corrin... Yes. I feel the same way... If only I had more power... Then, I, too, can save Azura and everyone else...!”

It’s an acknowledgement that, for once, Ryoma can’t do something himself; his power isn’t enough. Ryoma’s admittance that he can’t do things alone anymore-a narrative extension of Birthright’s other themes, acceptance and unity/collaboration-is what triggers the Yato into transforming into it’s Hoshido form. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it line of dialogue, but it works and it meshes well with Ryoma’s own personal arc of acceptance and tolerance.

In localization Ryoma just says “You’re right. We need more power...” On the surface the intent is the same, but changing ‘I need more power to save everyone’ to ‘We need more power’ takes away his self-recognition of weakness, which ultimately does him a disservice.

Endgame/Epilogue

-In the JP version, Leo and Camilla express that they have lingering resentment/bitter feelings towards Hoshido and Corrin because of all that’s happened. Localization cuts this out in favor of Camilla asking Corrin how he feels about everything instead. It really sucks considering that the line is supposed to be an equivalent to what Hinoka says at the end of Conquest, so changing it kind of bogs down that exchange for me.

Chapter 7

-A minor gripe I have with localization. The JP version compares Touma (Valla) to hell constantly. To jump ahead a bit, I believe in the JP versions of the End of All Sky/Land/Below tracks are even called The End of All Roads Heaven/Earth/Hell. The Vallites are also often called demons in the JP version, and Anankos himself is known as the ‘Invisible Demon Dragon’.

Another cool thing I just thought of too, is a connection to a popular Japanese short story. Zelda fans might be familiar with the story, “The Spider’s Thread”, which inspired the Ancient Cistern dungeon in Skyward Sword.

The beginning of the story has Buddha walking through paradise (heaven), before coming across a pond. The pond is filled with crystal clear water, and covered with water lilies/lotuses. As Buddha gazes further into the pond, he begins to see the depths of hell.

Sound familiar? “Azura is walking through Hoshido, before coming across a lake. The lake is filled with crystal clear water, and when she gazes into the lake she sees the fallen kingdom of her birth. Valla, the kingdom associated with water lilies/lotuses in the game, has been turned into hell itself.”

This association loses its meaning a bit when the comparisons to hell are a bit toned down, as well as when the Buddhist inspirations were kind of supplanted in favor of Greek renames. It’s not supremely important to the plot as a whole, but it’s something interesting I wanted to bring up.

-In the JP version, while explaining what happened in Valla, Azura eventually says “Using the art of manipulating people’s souls, he (Hydra/Anankos) made the people kill each other.” This bit of the people killing each other was cut in localization.

Chapter 12

-In the JP version, when Corrin asks Flora if she knows anything about dragons, Flora says “Sorry, I don’t know…The ancestral dragon of the Ice Clan has already perished and isn’t part of the legend. I don’t know what role it plays, sorry…” Localization makes her response “I'm sorry, but I can't think of anything... They've been gone so long that we don't even have tales of dragons in the Ice Tribe. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more assistance...”

So, the JP version explicitly says the Ice Dragon is dead (I believe Fates’ second artbook mentioned this as well), whereas the localization only says the First Dragons have been gone for a long time.

Chapter 16

-There’s not really much of a problem that I have with what Ryoma says about Corrin “having leadership qualities at a young age” but I wanted to do comparisons regardless cuz the word choice might lead one to different conclusions. In localization, Ryoma says this:

Ryoma: Huh... So she told us the same thing... I don't think it's in Corrin's nature to lie. And there's a leadership quality about her that just attracts followers. I remember being jealous of her as a child, in fact. Even at such a young age, she displayed the characteristics of a ruler. Silly to be jealous of her, right?

In the JP version, Ryoma says this:

Ryoma: Oh... So, she told you the same thing. …Corrin isn’t one to tell lies. She’s been like that since childhood. She’s always genuine and honest... She has this mysterious appeal that draws people to her. Seeing my younger sister with the qualities of being a ruler... Honestly, it makes me feel envious. …What a ridiculous thing to say, right?

Again, I don’t necessarily have a problem with how it was localized, but some might. The localization version might have people think that Corrin somehow was a fantastic leader at such a young age, but JP is more clear that it was about the qualities she had at a young age that would be valuable as a leader.

Chapter 19

-A minor gripe. In the localization, Azura says that Anankos uses his magic to send Vallites to Nohr and Hoshido to stir up conflict. In the JP version, she says he uses magic, along with the help of a body of water. That’s why whenever you fight Vallites outside of Valla proper, there’s a body of water nearby; Hoshido’s lake (and the ponds shown in Hinoka’s CQ battle which are in the capital) for Chapter 5, the sea for BR chapter 11, the burning falls for BR chapter 21, and the city for Rev chapter 13. Similarly, the consequences of being a victim to the curse are described as “turning into sea foam” in the JP version. Localization as a whole kind of toned down how much water has an influence on the story.

Chapter 23

-Probably the pettiest gripe I have lol. As Arete is fading away from Azura’s arms, Azura has a different reaction in localization and Japanese. In localization, Azura says “Mother? Mother!” while a voice clip of her in-battle pain cries plays. In the JP, she says  “*Sob... Sob*…! Mother... Mother...!”, while a voice clip of her crying plays. Her crying voice clip I don’t recall hearing anywhere else.

This is one of the few times in the you get to see Azura express a heavy and heartfelt emotion, since her rough childhood caused her to remain guarded and stoic around everyone. The equivalents to this scene in other routes is her death scene in Birthright, and her crying with Corrin over Ryoma’s death in Conquest; a normally unflinching and aloof character breaking down is a rarity, and indicates that the cause of it is something to take note of for the character as a whole. Localization softened this aspect, and I take issue with it, despite it probably seeming trivial to most other people.

Chapter 24

-When Corrin is questioning the phantom Mikoto, an exchange happens. In localization, part of it goes like this:

Corrin: But this can't be... Are you truly my mother?

Mikoto: I am. Even as a puppet of Anankos, my spirit at least remains my own.

Corrin: I... I believe you.

In the JP version, it goes like this:

Corrin: It can’t be... …Are you really my mother?

Mikoto: Yes... I became an Invisible servant, controlled by the Invisible King... Even so, I am your mother.

Corrin:  …………

Again, a minor thing that I don’t personally have issue with, but replacing Corrin’s silence with an admittance of belief could make some believe she has “reverted” back to being too naïve.

Chapter 26

-While Gunter is relaying his past, an exchange happens. In localization, it goes like this:

Gunter: I ask myself that, every day. I cannot understand the minds of royals. To you all, we commoners are little more than pawns in your schemes... Or weeds to be killed on a whim.

Corrin: That's not true...

Xander: Is that how people view the royalty?

Ryoma: Such an impression would easily breed powerful resentment...

In the JP version, Corrin, Xander and Ryoma don’t say anything. They just remain silent.

Endgame

-Not a major problem so much as a general thing about the game, but I can think of like... at least three memes that Treehouse inserted into the localization. Now I like memes, but there is no better way to date your media nowadays. One of them was Kana’s “That’s dragon for I love you” which tbh, is kind of cute and isn’t the most well known meme so I guess I can let it slide. Another is Felicia saying “I had one job!” when she messes up in the dining hall, which isn’t that big of a deal since the dining hall is very optional.

The last one I can think of is why I put this specific grievance here, and it’s during Corrin’s speech before facing Anankos.

Corrin: We won't back down! This is my... This is our destiny! Ready your weapons! Fight for your friends! With the Seal of Flames... With the Fire Emblem on our side! We fight for our world!!

Yeah, she says “Fight for your friends” which is everyone’s favorite Ike line from Brawl. Now, this isn’t even a totally inaccurate translation either, but it kind of just... makes the moment funny for the player when it’s supposed to be commanding and serious I guess.

But yeah, not the most important issue by far, but something I’d thought to mention. Hell, it’s not even that bad compared to how they made Peri’s, Effie’s and Hisame’s quirks into exaggerated and tired jokes. And the Beruka-Saizo support. Never forget.

-When Azura and Corrin are by the lake and discuss the latter’s plans to rule, Corrin says this in localization:

Corrin: I'm going to make Valla a wonderful place! In honor of the true last king and for Queen Arete. And everyone who fought... I promise to make them all proud.

In the JP version, she says this:

Corrin: I’ll make the Invisible Kingdom (Valla) into a great land. For the previous monarch, Queen Shenmei (Arete)… And for all of my allies who fought beside me. I promise.