#Japan Fes

[avomagazine]

Hironobu Kageyama to perform at the first edition of Japan Fes in Belgium

Click here if the image doesn't refer you to the article.

[dvrtrblhr]

lil painting of elise i started last year and finished just in time for her bday. i used to doodle elise a lot back in the day (i remember drawing her with her hair 'unrolled' all the way to her feet like rapunzel). there is something about the cheerful princess stuck in such terrible conditions that makes me think (also i was devastated about her end in birthright, which was my first choice when i played fates).

[badfacemai]

👁

[four-loose-screws]

Hi! I’ve seen people people say that Dimitri speaks in an informal rude manner in Japanese so him being super polite in English is weird changes his character a lot, but I’ve also seen people say the localization is just fine. Could you clear up please? Thank you!

This ask has been in my inbox forever, and I know other ENG/JP bilingual FE fans have weighed in on this topic before. But exploring the nuances of Japanese formal vs. casual speech is always super fun, so I want to share my own thoughts too. There's always a chance there will be more to learn with each new person's input on the same topic. Plus, I discovered some things even I didn't expect! So, I'll still offer everything I have to say!

First, I'll explain the full background this ask is referring to. Japanese has 2 major distinct speaking styles - casual and formal. I was taught to call the formal style "distal" - because it is more about respecting distance in social standing than being formal specifically. But formal is the more common term, so I tend to stick with saying formal most of the time.

The distinction between casual and formal is made with pronoun choice, word choice, and other factors as well, but the fastest way to differentiate the two is to look/ listen for the use of desu and masu at the end of someone's sentences. Formal uses them. Casual drops them. This concept is entirely foreign to English speakers!

Dimitri drops desu and masu most of the time. His "I pronoun" is also ore, and his "you pronoun" is omae - both casual, blunt, and masculine choices. But does speaking casually to most of the cast make him rude?

Short answer is... no, not at all! There's 2 major reasons for this.

Reason #1 - the rules for casual vs. formal speech are a bit different in reality vs. fiction:

Partially, Dimitri speaks casually because he is showing his personality. He's got all those traits most standard FE protagonists share - he's strong, straightforward, and wants to connect directly on a personal level with everyone he meets. He tries to convince several characters that they can speak casually with him, because he sees people as people, and doesn't want social status putting distance between them.

Fictional characters generally speak more in-line with their personality more often, rather than following the socially acceptable speaking rules of the real world. (Though don't get me wrong - casual real Japanese people will speak casually in more circumstances than the average Japanese person.) This is simply the style that Japanese writers largely choose. And I think it is one of the great benefits of Japanese - anyone can start to pick up on a character's personality archetype almost instantly, thanks to their speaking style!

Reason #2 - Dimitri is a prince, making him of high social rank:

Here's the second nuance to this - it is absolutely standard for a superior to talk to their subordinates in casual style.

In modern times, this is shown in the workplace. Bosses and those in other leadership positions will frequently speak casually with the staff in a lower-ranking position than them. The president of the office I now work at is Japanese, and he speaks very casually with me - I have to be formal in response though, because he's at the top!!

But in the past, this would have been a distinction made between lord/ royalty, and those beneath them. Which is the case that is relevant in Fire Emblem's setting.

Dimitri can also speak casually without coming off as rude, because he is one of the highest ranking people across all of Fodlan.

-

Okay, so that's the answer in broad strokes - but let's get a bit more nuanced, go down Dimitri's support partner list, and confirm whether or not he always speaks casually!

Group #1 - Dimitri and the other citizens of Faerghus (8 other Blue Lions + Gilbert)

Dimitri has a multi-layered relationship with all of the other 8 Blue Lions. They are citizens of the country he is a prince of, therefore he is ranked very highly in social standing above them. But they are also his friends, classmates, and later, war allies; placing them on the same social level in that regard. So the way they speak to him comes down to a little bit of column A - personality, and a little bit of column B - which aspect of their relationship with Dimitri they feel is the "main" one.

Gilbert is also here in this category, as another person from Faerghus.

Dedue: Dimitri speaks casually, Dedue speaks formally, as they have a lord/ servant relationship. Dimitri wants Dedue to be a very close friend to him though, and wants Dedue to speak casually with him - this is a major source of tension in their supports. In the end, being able to mutually speak casually with each other and be friends, is a place they may reach one day. With other characters, Dedue speaks casually.

Felix: As royalty above Felix's noble house, Dimitri speaks casually. Felix is Felix, so he speaks casually too. I imagine he sees Dimitri quite literally as more of a wild boar than a human being, much less royalty.

Ashe: Dimitri speaks casually, Ashe speaks formally. However, pretty much the whole point of their supports is Dimitri attempting to get Ashe to speak casually with him.. Ashe tries in earnest to switch, but in the end sticks with speaking formally, otherwise he feels too uncomfortable. His view of Dimitri as his prince is too strong for him to let go and speak casually.

Sylvain: Dimitri speaks casually, and Sylvain speaks casually more often, but actually switches to desu and masu more than once. When a relationship is "in-between" higher/lower social standing and friendship, it's not uncommon for at least one person to switch back and forth between casual and polite speech, depending on which side of the relationship they are appealing to more at the moment. This happens in real life too as people shift from strangers, coworkers, etc. to friends.

Mercedes: They both speak casually. In Mercedes' case, I think she's speaks more in-line with her personality rather than paying attention to social status.

Annette: Both speak casually, but Annette is well aware that there's something a little wrong with that - her father would never let her get away with it if he knew!

Ingrid: Dimitri speaks casually, Ingrid speaks formally. But I think Ingrid speaks formally with everyone.

Gilbert: As you can probably guess based on my comments in Dimitri and Annette's analysis, her father most certainly speaks formally with Dimitri! He is very formal and takes social heirarchy very seriously. Dimitri, as the prince above him in social status, speaks casually.

Group #2 - The other characters at the monastary:

Since the remaining characters are not from Faerghus, Dimitri is not their prince. They'll be more likely to view him through the lens of a different relationship than royalty/ subject.

Catherine is originally from Faerghus yes, but she has cut her ties from her homeland completely to serve Rhea, so she fits into this group now.

Raphael: Both speak casually. I think Raphael treats everyone like a life-long friend!! He at least attaches san or sensei (teacher) to the names of his instructors, but that's about it for formal language for him.

Marianne: Dimitri speaks casually. Marianne speaks formally, as she does with everyone. I think she even attaches san to everyone's name, conveying how much she keeps her distance from people, trying not to form close relationships.

Flayn: Dimitri speaks casually. Flayn speaks formally, as I think she does with everyone.

Hapi: Both speak casually. I think Hapi speaks casually with everyone.

Alois: Now *here's* where things get interesting! At this point, I really thought I would discover that Dimitri speaks casually with everyone. But alas, he does NOT! Dimitri speaks formally with Alois, while Alois speaks casually to him. Why? Well, while Dimitri is a prince, he's also a student at Garreg Mach (in Part 1 of course). In this way, he is below all Garreg Mach staff and professors in social standing. So it makes perfect sense that he'd speak formally and Alois would be casual in this case.

Catherine: Same situation as Dimitri and Alois - as someone who serves as an instructor at Garreg Mach, all students like Dimitri are below her in status at the monastary. So Dimitri speaks formally, and she speaks casually.

Byleth: I left Byleth for last, because while Byleth is a professor at the monastary... Dimitri speaks casually with them. I imagine this has more to do with Byleth being the self insert than anything. Everyone bonds to Byleth on a deep level faster than magnets stick together.

And that's all I can think of to say for now! This is a super fun example of how nuanced Japanese's casual vs. formal language can get, and showcases one of the many reasons why Japanese has such a high barrier of entry for anyone learning it - including young native speakers! You don't get all this desu and masu stuff, until finally you just do.

Let me know if I missed anything, or if anyone has any follow up comments to make!

I apologize it took me so long to respond to this one! Thank you anon, and all readers, for waiting! I hope it helped explain even more of the trickier nuances of Japanese.

[prfm-multiverse]

[gzeidraws]

Commission done for Issac of a Say’Bin family vacation 🎢!

[ilustrud1www]

Rojuu

[jokuneo]

la nostalgia es la realidad de que nada será ni volverá al pasado

[3xmal333]

El me ahorca y me dice 'no te quiero herir'

[cornysarthours]

Hey you guys remember the time that Mario Kart Double Dash and Fire Emblem Blazing Blade had that crossover?

That was funny. They should do that again.

[weepingwillow2000]

I Could beat up Akito and he’d STILL give me a four star

[badfacemai]

[four-loose-screws]

Would you say Tharja is more abrasive in English than Japan? I don't see people talk about it but everytime I see Japanese tharja she just seems more chill? I dunno if it's cherry picked lines or something. Like she says she loves noire versus English where she adds that "don't make me say it again."

I know Rhajat in English is more abrasive but I'm wondering if the same was true of Tharja.

This question was a bit harder to answer than I thought it would be! How a character’s lines come off actually depends a lot on the person reading the support. What feels abrasive to one person, might not to another.

In short - Overall, Tharja is abrasive, and sometimes just downright cruel, in the Japanese version as well. That being said, there’s definitely examples of the localization playing it up as well, and those examples do have some impact on her overall character.

This post got very long as I found more and more things I wanted to point out in Tharja’s supports, so I broke it down into several parts! Consider it a general analysis of Tharja’s character at some points, just as much as it is an answer to the initial question from Anon.

Part 1: The Tharja / Noire support

Since it’s the one direct example Anon gave in their Ask, let’s talk about the Tharja / Noire A support first. First, I’ll translate the last chunk of it.

From Tharja / Noire A:

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…未来の…私の気持ちが、

…わかってしまったからよ。▼ (...Because I know… my future self’s feelings.)

[ノワール]  (Noire)

未来の…母さんの気持ち？▼ (Your future self… Mother’s feelings?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…母親のことを信じて疑わない

無垢な我が子に…▼ (Her innocent daughter, who trusted her mother and did not doubt her..)

呪術なんて覚えさせたくない… (She did not want you to learn hexes.)

呪いは…とても危険なものだから。▼ (Because hexes are… very dangerous things.)

きっと未来の私も… (Surely my future self also…)

同じだったんだと思うわ。▼ (was the same, I think.)

[ノワール] (Noire)

私…愛されてたの…？ 母さんに…ちゃんと…▼ (She… loved me…? Mother… really…?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…そうなんじゃない？ (...She did, didn’t she?)

今の私が…そうであるように。▼ (Just like… the present me does.)

[ノワール] (Noire)

うぅ…母さん…▼ (Waaah… Mother…)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

つ、つまらないことを言ったわ。▼ (I-I said something so absurd!)

それより…呪術は教えたくないけど (More importantly… I don’t want to teach you hexes, but)

ほかに仕込むことがたくさんあるわ。▼ (There are many other things for you to learn.)

しっかりと…ついてきなさい。▼ (Come with me… and don’t fall behind.)

[ノワール] (Noire)

は、はい！　母さん！▼ (Y-Yes! Mother!)

Localization:

Tharja: ...I think I've come to understand the motives of my future self.

Noire: What?

Tharja: I don't want you dealing in hexes. The dark arts carry with them tremendous risks. My future self knew as much...

Noire: You think that she was worried for my safety? That...she loved me?

Tharja: Can't say. Not about her, at least. ...But I love you, if that helps.

Noire: Mother...

Tharja: Just don't expect to me to say it often! ...Or maybe ever again. And just because hexes are off the table doesn't mean I have nothing to teach you. There are more ways than hexing to skin a cat. ...Or other things. Heh. So pay attention, and try to follow along.

Noire: Oh yes, ma'am!

The localization changed what Tharja says after she tells Noire she loves her. Let’s see how each version measures up to the other! 

I actually think the Japanese might be even more abrasive than the localization.

This is partially because Anon remembered the localized line a bit incorrectly - Tharja doesn’t say “don’t make me say it again,” she says “don’t expect me to say it often … or ever again.” The connotation difference between “make” and “expect” is pretty big. Saying “I love you” rarely, or not at all, doesn’t make someone a worse parent necessarily, so long as a secure bond is made in other ways. Some people think less is more when it comes to expressing love. Sometimes people are not openly affectionate parents because that’s just not their local culture. Tharja’s tone in this context does still feel a bit harsh, but it’s not inherently a bad thing to not express love often. 

So what about the Japanese? Tharja describes her declaration of love as “tsumaranai.” I translated it to “absurd” in my translation above, but “tsumaranai” can have some other connotations depending on the context. I see it most commonly used to mean something is “boring.” It can also mean “useless” or “unimportant.” So it was tough to pick one word to use in my translation, but no matter which definition of “tsumaranai” we apply to Tharja’s line in this support, she is dismissing her expression of love as something not meaningful. I’ve got no alternate reading for that, like I did for her localized line.

So I think deciding which version comes off as more abrasive, really depends on how each person reacts to Tharja’s Japanese vs. localized line. 

Part 2: Lines that I think summarize Tharja’s personality the best, and how they differ in Japanese vs. localization

While I was reading all of Tharja’s supports in Japanese, I found a few snippets of dialogue that I thought described her personality very well in a nutshell. Did the localization translate these lines more directly, or change the meaning a bit too much in my opinion? Let’s find out!

This is from Tharja / Ricken A:

Japanese:

[リヒト] (Ricken)

サーリャさんも誤解されがちだけど、(People just tend to misunderstand you, but,)

意外といい人だよね。▼ (you’re actually a surprisingly good person!)

不気味に見える行動にも理由があるし (And you have reasons for your actions that seem creepy,)

体を張って呪術を教えてくれるし…▼ (And you put yourself at risk to teach me hexes…)

笑うとすごく綺麗だし…▼ (And when you smile, it’s really pretty…)

もっとサーリャさんのいいところを (More of your good side)

みんなに見せればいいのに。▼ (you should show it to everyone!)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

ふふっ…理解は求めていないわ。(Fu fu… I do not seek understanding.)

私は私のしたいようにするだけ…▼(I merely do as I want…)

Localization:

Ricken: People are all wrong about you, Tharja. You're actually really nice! I mean, even though you seem creepy, you let me practice on you. Maybe you should show more of that side instead of the doom and gloom. I mean, your smile is pretty, you know? You should show it more.

Tharja: I like the way I am.

I think the exact meaning of the Japanese was lost from Tharja’s dialogue here, and it’s unfortunate in my opinion. In the Japanese, Tharja doesn’t respond to Ricken by saying she likes herself the way she is, but that she does simply as she wants/ pleases. I think this describes her very well in a nutshell. Sometimes she’s a cruel dark mage who has no qualms about hurting others if it means she can master a new hex, but other times she will go out of her way to help people. How can the same person act so differently from one situation to the next? Well, that’s an easy answer! She simply does whatever she wants, and the feelings of others are secondary to how she feels. Even when she’s helping someone else, her own feelings are her primary motivation. I think that nuance that I picked up on is totally lost in the localized line, and it’s unfortunate.

This line in the localization also portrays Tharja differently from the Japanese. The idea that Tharja is protecting her reputation as a dark mage was newly added. In Japanese, she only says that she wanted to repay Donnel’s favors.

From Tharja / Donnel A:

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…勘違いをされては困るからよ。▼ (...It would be a nuisance if people got the wrong idea.)

[ドニ] (Donnel)

勘違い、誰にだべ？▼ (Who would get the wrong idea?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

貴方にも、他の連中にも…よ。▼ (You, and the others in the army…)

私は貴方が願ったから

儀式を行っただけ…▼ (I only performed the ritual… Because I asked you for favors.)

連中を助けたいという善意で… 

やったわけじゃないわ…▼ (Not at all because of the goodness of my heart wanting to help them…)

Localization:

Tharja: People might get the wrong idea.

Donnel: Whatcha mean?

Tharja: They might think I did it for some kind of...common good... Or out of the goodness of my heart. *shudder* I only did it to thank you for the help you've given me. If people think I've gone soft, I'm finished as a dark mage...

While those two examples are different in localization vs. Japanese, this little line that gives insight into Tharja’s personality (and Henry’s) is pretty much the same in both Japanese and localization. 

From Tharja / Henry B:

Japanese:

[ヘンリー] (Henry)

ん～…味方とか、よくわかんないな～。(Hmm~… I don’t really get this stuff about “allies” and whatnot~.)

悪いと思った奴と戦うだけじゃダメなの？▼ (Is it bad for me to just fight guys I think are bad?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…別に、駄目とは思わないわ…。(...I don’t think it’s bad, not really…)

私も、そうやってこの軍に来たのだから…。▼ (Because that’s the same reason I came to this army…)

Localization:

Henry: Aw, I don't get into politics. I just want to toss fireballs at bad guys.

Tharja: Interesting. That's the same reason I joined up.

Part 3: Examples of the Japanese and localized supports portraying Tharja the same

Here’s some examples where I think Tharja is equally abrasive in Japanese and localization.

S Support w/ Frederick: When she gets annoyed with Frederick, Tharja has no issue with telling him right off.

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

その確認…もう五回目よ…。(I’ve confirmed that to you… Five times already…)

ちゃんと出るって言ってるじゃない…。▼ (I told you for certain that I am coming, didn’t I…?)

本当に、どういうつもりなの…。(What are you really planning…?)

貴方が去らないのなら、私が去るわ…。▼ (If you do not leave, I will leave…)

Localization:

Tharja: I've promised you five times already! Surely that's enough. Look, what do you really want? If you're not going to leave, I will.

C Support w/ Virion: Tharja minces no words in ordering Virion around, whether in Japanese or localization.

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…くだらないことを言ってないで (...Do not say foolish things, and)

向こうの小川に橋でも架けなさい…▼ (go build a bridge over that stream over there…)

Localization:

Tharja: Enough chatter. You've got chores to do. Sputter and spidge... Build me a BRIDGE!

C Support w/ Stahl: Stahl’s reaction is so flustered in this example, that it shows just how curt and abrasive Tharja was being with him. 

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

ひとつでじゅうぶんよ…▼ (One is enough…)

[ソール] (Stahl)

そ、そっか。ごめん、もしかしたら (G-Got it. Sorry, I thought maybe,)

君が遠慮してるんじゃないかと思って。▼ (you were holding back.)

窮屈に思うことがあったら (If you ever think you’re in a tough spot,)

なんでも相談してね。▼ (talk to me about anything, okay?)

Localization:

Tharja: One is enough.

Stahl: Right. Got it. Well, I guess I'd better, um... Yeah. Just let me know if I can do anything else for you, all right?

B Support with Kellam: In Japanese as well, Tharja threatens to curse Kellam for the mere act of accidentally sneaking up on her. And she also gets creeped out that he was worried about her family - which seems to me like a pretty normal thing for Kellam to do.

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

きゃっ！？▼ (Kya!?)

あなた…今度いきなり話しかけたら (You… If you suddenly start talking to me next time)

呪うわよ…！▼ (I’ll curse you…!)

(skip a few lines)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…まだいたの？(...You’re still here?)

人の顔をじろじろ見て…悪趣味ね。▼ (Staring at a person’s face… is disturbing.)

[カラム] (Kellam)

ご、ごめん… (S-Sorry…)

僕も、気になってたから…つい。▼ (I was worried about them too… It was an accident.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

どうしてあなたが私の家族を (Why are you, about my family)

心配するの…？　おかしな人…。▼ (worried…? What a strange person…)

でも、まぁ…そうね。(But, whatever… I’ll tell you.)

みんな元気でやっているみたい。▼(They all seem to be doing well.)

あなたの家族はどうなの…？(How about your family…?)

返事はちゃんと届いた…？▼ (Did you receive a response from them…?)

Localization:

Tharja: Agh! What did I say about sneaking up on me like that? Next time, I'll turn you into a newt.

(skip a few lines)

Tharja: ...Are you still here?

Kellam: I was just anxious to know the news.

Tharja: Why do you care about my family? It's kind of creepy. But if you must know, it's from my parents and everyone is just fine. ...And your family?

C Support with Gaius: Tharja has no qualms about threatening to curse Gaius just for refusing her request, then proceeds to use him as a test subject throughout the rest of their supports. Though the wording is a bit different between Japanese and localization, the core of what Tharja does is not any different.

Japanese:

[ガイア] (Gaius)

なにやら怪しげだな。(Something seems weird about it.)

よしておいた方がよさそうだ。▼ (Seems best if I sit this one out.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

ふぅん…やってくれないの？▼ (Hmm… So you’re not going to do it?)

[ガイア] (Gaius)

ま、そういうことだ。▼ (Yeah, that’s what I said.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

だったら…貴方から呪うけど、(In that case… I will hex you,)

それでいい？▼ (if you don’t mind?)

Localization:

Gaius: Um, yeah. I don't usually take sinister chuckles as an answer. Sorry, kid. Go find someone else to help with your weird hobbies.

Tharja: This is not a negotiable request.

Gaius: Oh? And what are you going to do about it, Sunshine? Curse me?

Tharja: Yes.

C Support with Libra: Tharja is about as blunt as can be in both versions when she tells Libra that she would not like to be bothered while preparing to cast her latest hex.

Japanese:

[リベラ] (Libra)

記憶を操る…そんなことが (To control memories… Such a thing)

本当に���きるのですか？▼ (can you really do it?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

わからないから…研究してるのよ。(I don’t know, that’s why… I am researching it.)

…邪魔だから、向こうへ行きなさい。▼ (...You’re bothering me, so please go over there.)

Localization:

Libra: Is such a thing even possible?

Tharja: Well, I'll never know if you stand there and bother me, will I?

B Support with Lon’qu: Tharja is not suspicious of Lon’qu, because she is more curious about the possibility that a curse is causing his fear of women. She still can be pretty sassy with him though. While the localization and Japanese lines are a bit different, I think she’s pretty equally sassy with him in both accounts.

Japanese:

[ロンクー] (Lon’qu)

サーリャ。▼ (Tharja.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

あら…女嫌いの貴方が (Oh…? You, who hates women)

私になんの用…？▼ (what business do you have with me…?)

[ロンクー] (Lon’qu)

…………▼ (............)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

黙っていたらわからないわ… (If you remain silent, I won’t know…)

と言いたいところだけど…うふふ。▼ (Is what I want to say, but… Ufufu.)

察しはつくわよ… (If I had to guess…)

呪いを解いて欲しいんでしょう？▼ (you want me to dispel the curse, yes?)

Localization:

Lon'qu: Tharja.

Tharja: I'm not going to move across the room, if that's what you want.

Lon'qu: ......

Tharja: Okay, I have better things to do than watch you stand there with your mouth agape. You want me to dispel your fear, right?

C Support with Gregor: Tharja’s directness in saying that she does not want to talk to Gregor at first, is equally blunt in both Japanese and localization. 

Japanese:

[グレゴ] Gregor

よーう、サーリャ。(Yooo, Tharja!)

ちょっと訊いていいかい？▼ (Can I ask you something?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…お断りよ。私は今、忙しいの。▼ (...I refuse to answer. I’m busy right now.

[グレゴ] (Gregor)

つれないねぇ。おじさんの相手は (How cold! To an old man)

してられないってか。▼ (you cannot stand to make company?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

年齢なんて…どうでもいいわ。(Age… does not matter.)

単にあなたの相手をしたくないだけよ。▼ (I simply do not want to make company with you.)

[グレゴ] (Gregor:

おーっと、こいつぁきついねぇ。(Oh my, you are so harsh!)

加齢臭を理由にしてくれたほうが (If old person smell is the reason)

まだ救いがあるってもんだ。▼ (that will still save you.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

異臭には…慣れているわ。(Strange smells… I am used to them.)

でも、あなたの相手はしない…▼ (But I will not make company with you…)

Localization:

Gregor: Ah-ha! There is Tharja! Gregor is needing to ask question. Is all right, yes?

Tharja: I'm busy.

Gregor: Ah! You are not wanting be seen talking to old man like Gregor.

Tharja: Age has nothing to do with it. I'm just not interested in talking.

Gregor: Oy, little girl have tongue like snake. Very full of evil. Tharja could pretend to not liking old-man smell at least. Then Gregor is less insulted.

Tharja: You could smell like roses and fresh-cut grass. It wouldn't matter.

C Support with Donnel: Tharja mostly treats Donnel the same in both versions, taking full advantage of his willingness to help her. 

The S support is very directly translated as well, with Tharja asking Donnel to become her lifelong servant in both Japanese and localization.

Japanese:

[ドニ] (Donnel)

コウモリなら (If it’s a bat, then)

洞窟の中にいるだべさ。▼(they’re in the caves.)

サーリャさん、(Tharja,)

コウモリがほしいんだべか？▼(do you want a bat?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

ええ…呪術の儀式に (Yes… for this curse’s ritual)

どうしても必要だから…▼(it’s absolutely essential…)

[ドニ] (Donnel)

なら、おらが (Then I’ll)

ひとっ走りつかまえてくるだ。▼ (rush to go catch one.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

ふふふ…私が儀式に使うと言えば (Fu fu fu… If I say I will use it in a ritual)

ドニはどんなものでも手に入れてくる…▼ (Donnel will go get anything at all…)

なにか望みがあるんだろうけど… (I wonder what he wants from me, but…)

ずいぶんと役に立つこと…▼ (he is quite useful…)

望みはそのうち聞いてあげるとして… (As I will ask what he wants sometime later…)

しばらくは利用させてもらおうかしら…▼ (I shall use him for a while yet…)

Localization:

Donnel: Shucks, they mostly live in caves down by the ol' fishin— Er, beg pardon, ma'am, but...did you just order me to go fetch a bat?

Tharja: Yes, I did. Sometime today, please.

Donnel: Well, all right then! I'll just toodle on down to the caves and flush one out!

Tharja: ...I can't imagine why that hayseed keeps following my orders. I haven't even had a chance to place a curse of servitude on him yet...

Part 4: Examples of the localization making Tharja more abrasive

Next, here’s some examples where I think the localization makes Tharja more abrasive.

C Support w/ Kellam: In Japanese, Tharja did not imply that she did not kill or turn into an animal the last person who snuck up on her. Nor is she sarcastic when Kellam offers to help mail her letter. In fact, she takes him up on the offer, if he doesn’t mind that it is going to Plegia.

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

きゃっ！？▼ (Kya!?)

まったく気配に気づかなかったわ… (I didn’t notice your presense at all…)

あなた、呪いでもかかってるの…？▼ (Are you under a curse…?)

(skip a few lines)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

ペレジアに届けて欲しいんだけど、(I want it delivered to Plegia, but)

だいじょうぶかしら？▼(Is that OK?)

Localization:

Tharja: ...! The last person who snuck up on me like that isn't a person anymore. How do you stay so quiet? Is it a spell of some kind?

(skip a few lines)

Tharja:

...I know how to mail a letter. I just hope the postmen are still going to Plegia.

A Support w/ Kellam: While the B Support threat of Tharja cursing Kellam for sneaking up on her is in the Japanese as well, the A Support continuation of it was not.

Japanese:

[カラム] (Kellam)

サーリャ…。▼ (Tharja…)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…！▼ (...!)

[カラム] (Kellam)

ご、ごめん…。(S-Sorry…)

なるべくそっと呼んだんだけど…。▼(I called out to you as gently as I could, but…)

Localization:

Kellam: Hey, Tharja?

Tharja: Argh! ...That's it. Newt time for you.

Kellam: I'm sorry! I tried not to startle you! I clanked two pots together and everything! P-please don't turn me into a newt.... 

B Support w/ Vaike: While their Japanese support chain is also about Tharja telling Vaike to leave her alone as she stalks Robin, the localization plays up how aggressive she is towards him. In the Japanese B Support, she threatens to curse him for spying on her, but she certainly does far less than consider killing him, like the localization implies.

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…いい気分に浸っていたのに… (...I was just getting into a bood mood…)

なんなのよ、突然。▼ (What do you want all of a sudden?)

まだ…私がルフレに (Do you still think… I’m)

なにかすると思ってるの…？▼ (doing something to Robin…?)

[ヴェイク] (Vaike)

いいや。今まで見張らせてもらったが (Not anymore. I was watching over you until now, but)

お前は悪い奴じゃなさそうだ。▼ (you don’t seem to be a bad gal.)

もう心配はしてねぇよ。(I ain’t worried anymore.)

…疑って悪かったな。▼ (...It’s my bad for doubting you.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

そう…これ以上じろじろ (I see… if you were going to stare at me any further,)

見られていたら呪っていたわ。▼(I was going to curse you.)

Localization:

Tharja: ...Or perhaps I'll end my day by killing a man. What do you want, you great sack of suet? Are you spying on me again?

Vaike: Nope! Well, I mean, I WAS for a while, but I trust ya now. I had to make sure ya weren't up to any witchy business with my pal, Robin.

Tharja: If I catch you spying on me again, I'll turn you into a toad.

A Support w/ Vaike: At the beginning of their A Support, Tharja is dismissive towards Vaike, but the insult to his intelligence by implying that he throws his food waste on the ground was added in localization.

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

どうして…こんなところにいるの。(Why… are you in a place like this?)

食事の時間でしょう？▼ (It’s mealtime, isn’t it?)

Localization:

Tharja: Shouldn't you be off eating dinner with the others? I hear they're having lamb. You can throw the bones on the ground and everything.

C Support with Ricken: Tharja has very good reason for rejecting Ricken’s request to teach him dark magic, and she has to be aggressive about it, because he won’t take her first no for an answer. But the Japanese didn’t have her condescendingly tell him to go practice something else, so the localization is a bit more aggressive than the Japanese I think.

Japanese

[リヒト] (Ricken)

興味だけじゃないよ！ (It’s not just a whim!)

僕は���剣なんだ！▼ (I’m serious!)

僕、もっともっと (I, more and more,)

みんなの役に立ちたいんだ。▼ (want to help everyone out.)

そのためには、もっと成長しないと… (To be able to, I must grow more…)

広く、深く、もっともっと！▼ (I must learn more things, learn more about what I do know… more and more!)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…貴方が真剣なのはわかったわ。 (...I know you’re serious.)

でも…あきらめてちょうだい。▼ (But… give it up.)

Localization:

Ricken: I know! This is serious business! Super-deadly serious business! I'm trying to get as strong as possible so I can be a key part of Chrom's army. I'm studying fencing, wyvern riding, and even butter sculpting! ...You know. Just in case.

Tharja: Hexes and curses are a different animal. A wild, untamable beast. Now forget we had this conversation, and go practice your butter sculpture.

Part 5: How Tharja’s voice acting affects her portrayal

In addition to her dialogue itself, Tharja’s tone and voice type can also come off very differently in Japanese vs. localization. Her JP voice is soft, quiet, creepy, and trails off in an unsetting way (This is represented in text by her sentences nearly always ending in ‘…’ ). Her ENG voice is deeper, and unsettling in a dark villainess kind of way. I think both her voice types fit a dark mage like her perfectly, just in different ways. But without the soft and quiet aspects of her Japanese voice, her English voice type comes off much harsher.

I think that contributes a lot to how abrasive Tharja is in English vs. Japanese. Granted Awakening has limited voice acting, so the impact isn’t as big as in the fully voice-acted FE Warriors for example, but even the few words and sounds she does have in Awakening set Tharja’s tone a lot.

Part 6: Conclusion

And that’s all I have to say! 

As you can see, the localization did write Tharja to act more abrasive in select conversations. With her being abrasive in general, the overall change to her character is not very significant, but the change is definitely there.

If anyone has any follow-up questions, or questions about other FE characters in Japanese vs. localization, feel free to send me an Ask! I’ve gotten a lot of Asks so far this year, so I’m pretty backlogged, but I always get such interesting questions that I’m happy to answer them in time!

[wandersee]

disappointed but not surprised 🙄

[ekostarbeat]

Edits I made with the pics I took in Fujiyoshida

I'll post the sources when I find them again