#Translating NORN9

[queensharotto]

Translating NORN9: Hiyokos

Welcome back to “Translating NORN9”, where I translate NORN9 content!

Today I’m going to translate the Hiyoko Page. As a bit of trivia, all of the Hiyokos share thier VAs with the main characters

The Hiyokos living in Norn

These hiyokos take care of the personal belongings of those who board the Norn. However, no one knows their identities.

Pu Hiyoko

Voiced by: Takuya Sato (Masamune’s VA)

Pu Hiyoko has no particular role and always sits outside relaxing. He is dazed as if he doesn't care if he is thrown.

Maid Hiyoko

Voiced by: Ayumi Fujimura (Koharu's VA)

A solid Hiyoko who is good at cleaning rooms. When the bath is ready, she may come directly to notify the passenger.

Captain Hiyoko

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita (Ron's VA)

A Hiyoko piloting a Norn. With a scar on his forehead, wearing goggles and holding a cigar, he has a wild vibe.

Hiyocook

Voiced by: Ayahi Takagaki (Mikoto's VA)

This Hiyoko is in charge of managing ingredients and supporting passengers when they cook. They get angry when the passengers play instead of cook.

Librarian Hiyoko

Voiced by: Koji Yusa (Itsuki's VA)

A Hiyoko who manages Norn's library. Due to his timid personality, he doesn't pay attention to people who are making noise in the hall.

Reporter Hiyoko

Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga (Sakuya's VA)

A Hiyoko who works as a reporter for the "HYC Channel". He is too enthusiastic and sometimes annoys others...

Cameraman Hiyoko

Voiced by: Daisuke Ono (Natsuhiko's VA)

He works as a dedicated cameraman for the "HYC Channel" and always supports the Reporter Hiyoko from behind.

Doctor Hiyoko

Voiced by: Asami Seto (Nanami's VA)

A Hiyoko that examines a passenger when he or she is sick. As an experienced doctor, they immediately respond to any disease.

Programmer Hiyoko

Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Heishi's VA)

A Hiyoko who manages programs related to Norn. When it speaks, it chirps in a low, machine-like voice.

Introverted Hiyoko

Voiced by: Hiro Shimono (Senri’s VA)

A Hiyoko with a birthmark under his eye that appears in a dream. His feeble squeak and troubled expression are very similar to Senri's.

Hiyoko?

Voiced by: Noriaki Sugiyama (Akito's VA)

A Hiyoko that can catch fish. Its appearance is so confusing that Akito worries about it, but it is a chick, and if he is mistaken, he will be hurt and go insane.

White Hiyoko

Voiced by: Yuki Kaji (Kakeru's VA)

A white Hiyoko made by Natsuhiko and powered by AI. Using the green board it has, it acts as Mikoto's caretaker while having a conversation.

[seoafin]

there's an otome game releasing in 2023 and I didn't have high hopes for it until I found out that the writer is uta amamiya (psychedelia of the black butterfly) and it's being drawn by teita (norn9)

[miyakuli]

7 years ago, I watched an anime that was an adaptation of an otome game that I didn’t know about at all. The anime, let’s say it, was pretty bad xD (like many otome adaptation tbh). But still, I felt HARD for a ship back then, but in the anime, their relationship had NO CONCLUSION WHATSOEVER >< how frustrating it was...

So I wanted to play the game to do their damn route. But it was on ps vita with no official english translation (TTvTT).

Then the switch happened and I began to hope for the game to be transferred over with an english version this time. And my wish happened just a month ago.

And right now I’m playing their route after all those years and MY TUMMY TICKLES EACH TIME I SEE THEM HUG OR KISS////////////////////////// 

It’s in those moments I’m glad to have ships just for the happy feeling it can give me even for a tiny moment (;v;)

[fortune-maiden]

Very definitely finally starting my long overdue Norn9 playthrough

...now the question is, do I replay it in the same order I experienced it the first time, or go straight for the faves (and leave the ones I didn't like for last)

[queensharotto]

More stuff to translate!!

Norn9 Last Era from 電撃Girl’s Style 2015年04月号!

[sadlynotthevoid]

Do you know which song would I like og!Cale to sing in one of those AUs where he, well, sings? (Whether as a power or just normal singing).

Norn9 OP: Kazakiri.

You'll know what I mean if you see the translation of the lyrics.

It's just,

—the bird theme

—the "as a price for protecting, it broke it's flight feathers"

—the cage becoming a castle

—"even if you're not an angel,

Bird in the hand

I want to keep you warm"

—the bird asking to stay with the person.

It's so beautiful.

I picture white sparkles and dim lights forming around og!Cale and flying all around the place, maybe as far as the whole territory. The smaller fragments taking shapes of feathers and birds, clearing the air around them, and the most largest waves of light join to form a cage that protects the people inside instead of incarcerating them. Clear paths of light showing where it comes from and carrying his sound around.

[yuisdad]

The Otome Game fandom is too comfortable with inappropriate age gaps

As the title of this post says, I believe that the otome game fandom is a bit too comfortable with how they view inappropriate age gaps. And when I say inappropriate, I mean relationships that involve a minor (17 and under) and an adult (~20+).

Before I list off examples, I want to clear something up. Regardless if it’s fictional or not, people are still allowed to feel uncomfortable with these age gaps, even if they aren’t called out in universe. It’s fine if someone personally doesn’t see an issue with it (i’d still side eye you personally) but dismissing people’s valid discomfort over these age gaps is weird, at least to me.

Age lift examples:

These are examples of games changing a few ages around in order to get them out into English-speaking continents (I don’t know why more otome games do this honestly). These games are Sweet Fuse At Your Side and Taisho X Alice.

Sweet Fuse had to change the protagonist and one of the love interests’ ages (17 to 18 and 15 to 17 respectively) because, aside from one love interest being 19, the rest of them range from 20-32.

Taisho X Alice changed the following character’s ages: Yurika: 17 to 19. Alice: 17 to 19, Gretel: 15 to 18, Snow White: 18 to 20, Wolfe: 17 to 19. The rest of the love interests range from 20-23, and any references to a high school were changed to college/university.

While I can’t give a stated reason as to why Sweet Fuse changed their ages around (but I can certainly guess why) the translator for Taisho X Alice, Molly Lee, stated on a now deleted post that they changed some of the ages of the characters to meet a policy on how underage characters are being depicted (mind you, Yurika has off-screen sex with one of the adult characters and is a plot point), and the rest of the game series wouldn’t have made it into English.

I wonder why they don’t do this with other games, but my only guess is that they’re dealing with different policies depending on who’s localizing the game and what platform it’s on. Taisho X Alice was released on Steam, who, for the most part, has tighter regulations on how minors are being depicted. I’ve seen some otome game fans complain about this, but most of the age changes don’t affect the story as a whole. The only exception to this is Wolfe and Red Riding Hood, who’s friendship was acknowledged to have an odd gap in universe, but that doesn’t explain why Yurika (17) and, say, Cinderella (23), is suddenly okay game.

No age lift examples (official localizations):

This section refers to otome games that were officially released in English and have inappropriate age gaps.

Hakuoki: Chizuru is 16 and the rest of the love interests are around 19 to 28 (I’m not counting the love interests that were added from different ports because we’d be here all day lol.) People try to argue that it’s set in a time when that was commonplace, but I personally find that hard to swallow because a) there’s no in story reason for why Chizuru needed to be underaged, and 2) while the game does follow some events of the Shinsengumi timeline, it’s not a 1-1 recreation (the most notable case being adding original characters who affect the plot and adding magical properties into the plot) so I don’t buy that completely, but I can get some people’s perspective on this game specifically.

Norn9: Koharu and Nanami are 17 and 16. Their respective love interests, Masamune and Ron, are 24 and 25. While Masamune is overall a divisive character in the English-speaking fandom, I haven’t really seen anyone talk about his and Koharu’s age gap. Same applies to Ron and Nanami, but I’ve seen a few people complain about their age gap, but that’s because Ron is a walking red flag and Masamune isn’t, at least according to the game.

Nightshade: Enju is 16, and, aside from Kuroyuki, the other love interests range from 19-33 (and three of them are also related to the protagonist…) Much like the Hakuoki example above, people try to rationalize it by saying that it takes place during a time when that was excepted, but…33 and 16, even at the time, is still A LOT, so much so that Hanzo was friends with Enju’s mother before she was born, or at the very least knew her, so that makes it DOUBLE weird.

Variable Barricade: Hibari is 17 while the love interests range from 20-26. While I’ve seen some discourse surrounding the game, I’ve only seen a few people talk about the weird age gaps, even before it was released in Japan, so at least I’m a little vindicated lol.

Radiant Tale: Tifalia is 16 and, aside from Vilio (17), the other love interests range from 19-26. Since it takes place in a fictional world, this is where a lot of fans use the “it’s just fiction” remark, but as I stated before, people are still allowed to feel uncomfortable about inappropriate age gaps in fiction, even if the media itself doesn’t present it as a bad thing (which arguably makes it worse).

9 R.I.P: Misa is 17 and, while there are love interests around her age range, some of them are adults, even of their age isn’t given (except if you’re Touka). I haven’t seen a lot of people talk about it, but I just think some otome game players have unfortunately become used to it at this point.

No age lift examples (fan localizations): This section refers to fan translated otome games with inappropriate age gaps.

Black Wolves Saga: Fiona is 16 and, aside from Guillan and Rath (17 and 18), the other love interests range from 22-30. I’ve only seen some people complain about Arles (30) but not the others, which will become more prominent as the list goes on.

Bad Medicine: Hina is 17 and the love interests range from 26-33. Unlike the other examples, this is intentional due to the love interests being high school teachers and one of them being a principal, but, because it’s Rejet, they’re less focused on portraying these relationships realistically, but more so because “there’s a few people who have this kink, right?”

Arcana Famiglia: Felicita is 16, and aside from Nova, Ash and Liberta (15, 17 and 18, but Liberta and Nova are related to her) the other love interests range from 23-38 (and Jolly has a 29 year old son, so who knows how old he is.) I’ve only seen people criticize Dante, but I think it’s because he’s physically older while the others aren’t.

Brothers Conflict: While it’s based on a light novel, it still applies. Ema is 16-17 while the adult love interests range from 20-31. Thankfully, I’ve seen people complain about this more often.

Nonce examples: This is when the protagonist is an adult, but some of the love interests knew her when she was a child when they were an adult. I got this from @lolotheparagon who’s seen some shitty otome lol. Fans won’t complain about this by default since they��ll argue “at least they’re adults now!”

Cafe Enchante. While Kotone is 19, some of the non-human love interests met her when she was a child while they were an adult, even if it was relatively brief. Poor girl forgot all about it, too.

Cupid Parasite: Someone can correct me of I’m wrong, but I believe Lynette and Allan were children when Jupiter/Peter met them. Would’ve been better if he was ALSO a child, but Otomate can be dumb sometimes.

Hanaoni: Also based on a light novel, but still applies. The entire plot just feels like imprinting from Twilight but if the werewolves were in control of who they imprint on. The premise is that, due to all demons being born male, they curse human women who’s expecting daughters to give birth to children who are able to reproduce with demons. Once they reach the age of 16, these girls are forced to marry demons whom they never met. Their husbands are determined by who curses their mother (like how Kaki cursed Kanna’s mother and was part of what made her go crazy and abuse her daughter…) As the girls grow up, they’re protected by guardians, who hide in the shadows to make sure she doesn’t get assaulted by men or bullied by women. Kanna, the protagonist, wasn’t assigned guardians because, despite cursing her mother so her child can be his bride, Kaki wants nothing to do with her, so she had to suffer nearly being raped and bullied on a daily bases…But wait, IT GETS WORSE! Kanna and Kaki have met before, when she was a child and when he was physically a teenager…This series is written by a woman btw.

Collar X Malice: Ichika and Aiji have both met prior when the former rescued the latter when she was abducted by an adult. Ichika was 9 and Aiji was 16 at the time. It doesn’t help that the game constantly points out their age gap, despite Kageyuki being older than Aiji by a year. I’ve only seen my mutual bring this up, but I think it should be brought up more.

Reine des Fluers: Hubert basically raised Violette all her life and acts as an older brother figure, so why he’s a love interest is beyond me. And then it gets reversed in his good ending, where after some plot happened, Hubert is reborn as a child while Violette is his caretaker…

There’s a LOT more otome games with this issue, but these are the ones I can muster up. The moral of the story is Otome Games have an issue with inappropriate age gaps and it’s fandom shouldn’t be fine with it. This is also the reason my mutual prefers playing otome games with adult protagonists.

[protags-fic-blog]

Do you think Amnesia World will be translated and localized?? 👀👀

(Originally, my post was much more thought out but Tumblr deleted all of it, so this is more of a paraphrase)

Hopefully, yes! Realistically, no, at least not for a while. Amnesia Memories came out in 2011, translated + localized in 2015 for Steam. Amnesia Later was in 2012, Crowd in 2013, and bundled together in 2014. Those three games only got a release for Switch in 2022, meaning that there was a solid 8 years without rerelease, and it was only for the rerelease that we ended up getting a translation. If Amnesia World ends up getting a port for the switch, then the chances of translation are much higher, rather than them translating for the PS Vita (since they aren’t made anymore).

Since it’s only on the PS Vita, and they aren’t being produced, and a lot of people’s Vita’s are probably on their last leg, there probably won’t be a fan translation either.

Looking at market trends… the two games Idea Factory are releasing soon are SympathyKiss and the otome game for My Next Life as a Villainess, two games that came out in 2022. Charade Maniacs came out in 2018, but I’ve heard that it’s a beloved game by many. Birushana was a 2020 title, TLed and released in 2022 in the west. Seeing the pattern?

On another note, Aksys released Radiant Tale (2022 release), did a rerelease of Norn9 (an otome classic, 2013), releasing Shuuen no Virche soon (2021), and a couple more. But it tends to be that the ones being released are ones being released in Japan (though a couple years late for licensing, translating, localization, etc).

So, while Idea Factory (and they work close together, with Aksys being a frequent translator, so who knows) has the license for Amnesia, it seems that the newer games will get priority for a while.

[legend-of-zelda-voices]

Compilation Post

Ayumi Fujimura

Part 2

First Role as Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Other LoZ Roles: Fi (SS)

LoZ-Related Roles: Hyrule Warriors, Smash Bros.

Main LU character: Legend's Zelda (Fable)

Other LU characters: Fi

Alternate LU Voice for: (None)

Some characters with the same voice:

Mii Fighter Type 4 (Super Smash Ultimate), Misaki Ayuzawa (Maid Sama!), Neferpitou (Hunter x Hunter), Marisa Kirisame (Tohou Azure Reflections), Yuzuriha (BlazBlue/Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late), Ibuki (Street Fighter V), Mechanica (ARMS), Koharu (Norn9), Eiko Aizawa (Squid Girl), Shion (Naruto), Mineva/Audrey (Gundam Unicorn), Tomo (Chuunibyou), Haruka Ozawa (Psychic Detective Yakumo), Ichi Mezato (Mob Psycho 100 I & II), Miranda Vilfort (Valkyria Revolution), Aiko Iwase (Bakuman), Anne Patriceani (Star Ocean)

...

In the game:

A Link Between Worlds

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Zelda and Sheik)

Skyward Sword (Fi)

Hyrule Warriors (Fi)

Original Post

_______________________

Singing

"Knight Saber" from Rotte no Omocha!

This song is for the character Griselda "Zelda" Reginhard.

Original Post with Lyrics

---

"Natsuiro Sweet Pain" from Asatte no Houkou

Translated title: "Summer Sky Sweet Pain"

This song is for the character Karada Iokawa.

Original Post with Lyrics

---

"Shining Days" from Kaichou wa Maid-Sama!

This song is for the character Misaki Ayuzawa.

Original Post with Lyrics

---

"Soredemo Ashita wa Yatte Kuru" from Bakuman

Translated title: "Still, Tomorrow is Coming"

This song is for the character Aiko Iwase.

Original Post with Lyrics

---

"Sora ni Mau ~Konohana Sakuya~" from Hatsukoi Limited

Translated title: "Dancing in the Sky"

This song is for the character Chikura Nao.

Original Post with Lyrics

---

"POKER FACE for all" from Hayate no Gotoku!

This song is for the character Chiharu Harukaze.

Original Post with Lyrics

---

"Matataki no Kiwoku -Ayano Version-" from Kaze no Stigma

Translated title: "Blink of an Eye"

This song is for the character Ayano Kannagi.

Original Post with Lyrics

---

"Goddess Harp Songs" from Skyward Sword

Fi from Skyward Sword sings in-game!

The songs she sings along to are Ballad of the Goddess, Farore's Courage, Nayru's Wisdom, Din's Power, and Song of the Hero.

Original Post with Lyrics

---

Some songs I didn't make original posts for:

Never Give Up!!, Be Myself, Actress in the Mirror, Anime Medley (with Ghibli, Sailor Moon Songs, etc.)

_______________________

Part 1 - Click Here

[phantomdimension]

What do you MEAN norn9 last era got an official English translation and is releasing on the switch in a few days? Hello???? In the year 2023???

[atopearth]

Norn9: Var Commons Part 3 - Sakuya Nijou Route

I'm not too interested in Sakuya because it feels like his whole character revolves around Mikoto but we'll see I guess. It's sweet to see Mikoto's perspective though. She always sounds harsh and bossy, but seeing how caring she is and how considerate she is towards others is sweet. Lmao when Mikoto is annoyed and angry and doesn't want to agree with Kakeru but his plan has no fault in it so she just 'hmph's him and Sakuya translates what she means😂 I was thinking that conversation about the traitor seemed too well prepared so it's nice to see that Kakeru and them all talked with Mikoto about it. And it's interesting to see how Mikoto thinks Koharu is taking the traitor thing so hard because she wants to be friends with everyone and not think they're a traitor and I guess she's not exactly wrong, but the biggest problem she was facing at that moment was the thought that they would view her as a traitor because she's a pyrokinetic. I completely failed to realise that Mikoto's team only has two other people, so whoever she doesn't choose is alone and might be viewed as more likely to be a traitor since no one is monitoring them.

It is strange that Sakuya who should be a gentleman didn't help take Nanami back to her room and didn't help Koharu when she tripped, I wonder what his promise with Mikoto is? As for Heishi and Itsuki, lmao at them sleeping in the kitchen. I love the Hiyoko Channel, I found it so funny to see Masamune and Mikoto be so similar in that they're very rational worrywarts that try to think of solutions towards every bad possibility that may occur. I try to do that too so I can totally understand. To think that their promise is that they'll never fall in love with anyone, that's quite restrictive.. I never thought about Mikoto erecting a barrier 24/7, that's very tiring, I can see why Masamune and Kakeru would recommend her to rest and take breaks, but I can also see why Mikoto refuses to, because she doesn't want to see the people important to her get hurt when she's resting since she'll blame herself. Sakuya pulling Mikoto away from Itsuki was amusing, Itsuki really likes to help the people around him understand their feelings lol. It's sweet that Sakuya was the first person Mikoto really wanted to protect because he always had a frail body as a child. But it must have hurt for him to hear that Mikoto wouldn't mind swapping to another partner. But I guess he cares for her more than himself. Even though I really like the Kakeru and Koharu pairing, I can't help but wonder about a Kakeru and Mikoto pairing, I like their mutual respect for each other even though they don't really like each other, but I think they would match well in a way. It's actually quite sweet how honest Sakuya can be about expressing his feelings of wanting to stay beside Mikoto forever.

Both Sakuya and Mikoto really blame themselves too much, but I do like how they both prioritise the other above everything. They obviously love and care for each other but feel restrained by their promise and their powers to really do anything about their feelings. I like how Koharu glared at Kakeru and he immediately stopped pressing Sakuya and Mikoto😂 I know he was already done anyway but it was still quite funny. I love seeing how protective Nanami and Koharu are over Mikoto, it's so adorable haha. Sakuya as the Prince in Cinderella is very fitting, but yeah I can see why Mikoto ran away in shock when Sakuya got hurt to protect her now. It seems that his prediction of the future shows him dying to protect the person he loves, so if Sakuya loves her, then that means he'll die protecting her, and I don't think Mikoto can handle that knowing she's basically killing him by loving him. I'm not sure about how I feel towards the CG of Itsuki hugging Mikoto with Sakuya holding the glass slipper watching them, like noooo. I didn't need a CG of pain.

Even though what Sakuya did to Mikoto was wrong, especially tearing her clothes and stuff, I'm actually glad he finally stopped his kind facade. He's always endured the regret that he told Mikoto about this future of his making them becoming more distant. He's always thought that since Mikoto doesn't want it, he'll just be satisfied staying by her side. He's always tried his best to keep their promise because he wants her to be happy. So, seeing him finally break down and express his true feelings was great, just didn't like how it happened. I've been really enjoying the interactions between Heishi and Nanami in this route, it's so cute how he just casually said they should get married before they get to the destination hahaha. Heishi cheering Mikoto up was cool, I'm glad he told her to rely on them more and have people help her instead of thinking she needs to be the one to help Sakuya, everyone wants to protect him too! I'm glad Sakuya was reflecting on his actions, I really enjoyed seeing them finally have their feelings connected and Mikoto finally accepting that they'll try and find a way for them to live together rather than force themselves to suffer like this. I love the meeting with each girl's partners discussing how they should save Sakuya, it was so funny when Kakeru called Heishi a bloodhound with no sense of smell and Heishi started barking at him😂😂 I love the angry Koharu that can make Kakeru stop being mean or silly😂 HAHAHA, Itsuki pretending to be Koharu and telling Kakeru that she loves Itsuki and that she's going to be with him from now on killed me😂 I'm happy for Sakuya that he finally realised that Mikoto was actually confessing to him in that dream though lol. I'm glad Sakuya also finally understands that even though he's happy to sacrifice his life for Mikoto, he needs to live to protect her happiness. There's no point of living if she's ridden with guilt and sadness over his death.

Even though Mikoto is unable to tell him she loves him because the future hasn't changed yet, it's so nice to see them both understand each other's feelings and embrace that fact in their conversations much more openly now. I am actually quite shocked that Itsuki doesn't have any powers, he hides it very well. Ron having the power to make people dream certainly doesn't fit him though haha. I wonder if Itsuki somehow transferred this power to Ron? I kinda wanted a proper discussion over whether they should do the Reset or not but instead Mikoto wanted to do it to save Sakuya and it just became kinda decided lol. It was expected that Sorata was in fact from the past, so I guess that means he's known Aion since back then and he wants to save her now? I'm happy that they get their happy ending but this game really doesn't care about the plot huh? Lol.

The tragic love ending is exactly what you would expect, but I didn't expect more of Sakuya's perspective from his childhood and thoughts on the things that happened before they arrived at the destination. It felt so sad to think about how worthless Sakuya felt, and how he felt like there was no reason for Mikoto to come visit him all the time when he had nothing to give her since all he could do was stay in bed in his room and think about her all the time and when she'll visit next, so when he received a vision of the future where he would die for her and finally become "useful" to her, he couldn't help but feel happy and glad that he could finally do something for her and not the other way around. Seeing him so innocently and sincerely think that dying for her was the only thing he could ever "give" her just broke my heart, so even though I feel like the happy ending was rather bland, I'm happy for him that he finally found that living with Mikoto can be happier than dying for her. I love the short story. Mikoto imagining how happy and impressed Sakuya would be if she was knowledgeable and good at handicrafts and flowers was just so funny hahahaa. Other than it being hilarious how bad Mikoto is at alot of things, it really shows that the person she is right now is really derived from all the hard work she's been putting in to her duties and everything her whole life. It was so funny when Senri thought her ikebana would curse people, and I have to agree with Heishi that it's amazing how she used fresh flowers just like everyone else but her ones are like basically dead😂😂😂 I really loved how Sakuya could see past the beauty of Mikoto's ikebana and thought about how to better show it than dismissing it as just beautiful because she made it or something. Definitely a 10/10 short story, it could have been the route itself with how well it did the character interactions, Mikoto's determination to improve and Sakuya's happiness at knowing how cherished he is by Mikoto haha.

Overall, I wasn't sure how I would feel towards Sakuya in the beginning but I actually quite liked his route! Sure, it had annoying moments when both Sakuya and Mikoto just kept avoiding each other through their words and actions to prevent Sakuya's premonition of the future from happening, but it was understandable. I think what I enjoyed the most was how important the fact they were childhood friends was. A lot of childhood friends tropes make me think what was the point of them being childhood friends, but for Sakuya and Mikoto, I think the game did really well in expressing that even though they only shared a brief amount of their childhood together before they separated and saw each other again on the ship, they both think of the other as irreplaceable childhood friends and never forgot their time together because it impacted the both of them so much. For Sakuya, he could never forget the girl who always visited him and brightened up his dull life, and for Mikoto it was the first time she ever felt like she truly wanted to protect someone with her newfound powers. They both cherished each other and wanted the best for each other even though Sakuya's power ended up creating a barrier between the two. I think I'll be sad to see Mikoto fall in love with Itsuki and Natsuhiko in the other routes knowing how much Sakuya loves her but I guess it is what it is. I definitely really like Mikoto as the heroine, she's tough, strong, hardworking but also very fragile and considerate, she's great in every way haha. The plot was definitely irrelevant but I've kinda understood from reviews that I shouldn't have any expectations towards the plot, but apparently this is rectified in Last Era so I'm excited for that. Anyway, what I enjoyed about this route was that beyond both Mikoto and Sakuya's perfect exteriors are two people who are actually quite weak, so it was nice to see them learn to rely on each other and the people around them to realise that they don't need to be bound by one future and that they can try towards other futures too.

[queensharotto]

Translating NORN9: The Girls Game Bios

Welcome back to “Translating NORN9”, where I translate NORN9 content!

Today I’m going to be translating Koharu, Mikoto and Nanami’s bios, as well as the remarks about them from the game’s director, Miss Ayane Ushio.

Note that I won’t be translating the girls statistics since I already translated them in the form of their anime bios.

Let’s get started! Press keep reading for the translation.

Koharu’s Bio

The girl who forgot her name

She is a polite, pure and cheerful girl. She has been living alone for a long time and has forgotten her own name because no one called her by it. She is also naive because she has never been involved with other people. She has taught herself how to communicate with others by reading books on etiquette, because she does not want to be disliked. Her ability to manipulate "flames" is by far the most powerful of all her abilities.

Miss Ayane Ushio’s Comment on Koharu

“She is a fragile looking girl who at first glance makes you want to protect her, but she is the most mentally stable of the three heroines. She is kind to others and sometimes strictly disciplined, and is essentially a mother figure. She starts out ignorant and afraid of her pyrokinesis abilities, but as she learns to love, she uses her power to protect those she cares about. Her love story with Kakeru, Senri, and Masamune does not end in marriage, but as it progresses toward its conclusion, we see her grow from a young girl into a motherly young woman.”

Mikoto’s Bio

A goddess on a mission

A girl who was born into a noble family and has a noble demeanor. Because she was raised with great care, she has a somewhat haughty attitude, but her sense of responsibility is stronger than others. Although she is often strict with those around her, she has always been a compassionate individual and seems to be particularly concerned about her fellow girls, Koharu and Nanami. Due to her past experiences in protecting various things with her ability to create barriers, she is also adept at handling her ability.

Miss Ayane Ushio’s Comment on Mikoto

“At first, I wanted to make her a strong girl, but growing up in an environment where she couldn't rely on anyone made her worry about whether she could really become strong. As a result, she continued to play the role of a strong girl, and became a girl who had lost sight of her true self. However, once you get past the point of hatred, you will begin to feel a sense of love. She is a girl who cannot say what she really feels without crying, so I always want to tease her. Natsuhiko, Sakuya, Itsuki, and others who liked her have a wide range of capabilities.”

Nanami’s Bio

A girl who is not good at expressing her emotions

A silent girl with doll-like beauty. She comes from a family of shinobi that has been around since ancient times, has great physical ability, and always carries a kunai with her. Since she isn’t good at expressing herself and has few words to say, so she tends to be seen as emotionless. In addition, her senses may be out of sync with other people's, and she may surprise those around them with her mysterious behavior. Although she likes cooking, Akito often scolds her because she and Heishi make “amazing things” and end up wasting food.

Miss Ayane Ushio’s Comment on Nanami

“In contrast to Koharu and Mikoto, who were more expressive, Nanami is a girl who thinks more than she speaks. Although she often has a cold expression on her face, she tends to be passive in everything, and out of the three of girls, she may be the type you want to protect the most. Akito and Heishi can't help but take care of people, so they care about Nanami. Ron is drawn to the dark side of her. In each of their respective stories, the main point is for her to be able to speak in her own words.”

[pupgzut]

ooo, any otome games in specific ? ones that are more mainstream even :?

uhh i don't know if they are mainstream or not ( i do think they are but like whinin the community) but right now im playing piofiore (starting to!) but i played cafe enchanté + norn9 recently (not a lot because i have a problems w falling asleep while playing) and i plan to play variable barricade :) also if it count i play dramatical murder !! im trying to find older otome games - mainstream one but most aren't translated so TT (look at diabolik lovers)

[miyakuli]

Norn9 Var Commons

There is a girl who watched the anime of Norn9 back in 2016 and well, the anime was pretty bad (and kinda ugly xD) but she still felt kinda interested by the characters and the universe that it stuck in her mind for a long time....especially since she had a big otp in it and the anime never made them canon at the end, the frustration....

The girl soon learned that the anime was actually a bad adaptation of a visual novel game of the same name. She wasn’t playing many at that time because the most of the VN were on PS Vita and the poor girl couldn’t afford one (and wasn’t interested either). So she waited, hoping that someday, the game will be exported on pc or a console she would possess.

And this year, her wish came true ; Otomate group brought Norn9 on switch with a fixed english translation (apparently the previous one was bad) and more contents <3

Ok first, let me be clear, yes I definitely bought the game because I NEEDED TO SEE MY OTP FINALLY BE CANON xD it was for my own mental health lol 7 years of craving guys (TTvTT). I didn’t even start by this one though to not be biased about each routes (it was my 4th routes!!! I’VE BEEN PATIENT) and well, IT WAS STILL THE BEST ROUTE IM SORRY, AKito x Nanami best pair for sure <3333

That being said, how was the game? well, definitely better than the anime xD less confusing and more focused as well...even though the story isn’t always clear and consistent :

❤ An unusual otome since it gives you the choice between 3 different heroines, each with their own LI. They each have their own characteristics and are never relegated to the background, which is really cool for their personal development. Another positive point; THEY ARE DUBBED!!! (I hate when everyone is dubbed except for the girl, it's so annoying ><) ❤ An amazing cast with endearing characters, even the most secondary or the most horrible x) ❤ A very nice chara-design and frankly beautiful illustrations. ❤A beautiful OST which I never get tired of even after 40 hours of play ;) ❤ ALL.THE.EXTRAS!!!! (mini-games + bonus dub on the illustrations + mini comics etc...) ❤ An appreciated fast skip system which, compared to the normal skip, allows you to skip all the dialogues already read at once and which saves a lot of time when you just want to unlock an ending or an illustration.

+/- I really liked the sci-fi aspect of the universe and the story brought a lot of mystery and even surprises..but still there are inconsistencies in how each routes are put together. The universe is getting a little imprecise bcs of that.

✖ The epilogue and the character of Sorata. Sorata is not a bad character but we could very well have removed him that it would not have changed anything I think. He is supposed to be the main character at first but disappears completely in favor of the heroines. And when his route comes with the epilogue, it's so rushed that we don't even have time to appreciate his arc and his role in the story. The poor kid deserved better :/ ✖ The use of first/last names in the English translation is very distracting. For example, we hear the heroine call her companion "Kakeru" in the dubbing but it will be written "Yuiga" in the dialog box. And it happens a lot and I don't understand why the translation just couldn't follow the audio dialogues… ✖ I have a pbm with Ron's route because I didn't feel any real chemistry with Nanami. It's also the only route where I didn't feel any sparks between the characters.

It took me 40h+ to finish so yeah, that's a big one ;) I'd recommend just for the heroines bcs it's a nice change to have more than one but also because the girls are adorable, smart and brave <3 It's rare for me to appreciate that much the main girl tbh!

➡ My personal VN ranking (in french)

[otomegamesandme]

We got the Norn9 fandisk and DLsite announced they're translating Club Suicide so really that means there is hope for the other 3 as well

Hmm if I could localize anything, I think my list would be:

Norn9 fandisk

Clock Zero

Kenka Bancho Otome

Club Suicide

Nil Admirari no Tenbin

[otogelib]

Norn9 ~Norn + Nonette~ Last Era

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OTOGELIB DISCORD SERVER: https://discord.gg/tUf6Cd8 (for Asking questions, request for scripts etc...)

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v14415

A fandisc of Norn9 ~Norn + Nonette~ which contains three different story parts: 1) Concerto –Kyousoukyoku– Sun Concerto Even though it’s not a special day, the morning that welcomes you and your boyfriend is filled with the greatest happiness. Nothing could possibly change this specialness. This is a story written about you and your beloved boyfriend’s day-to-day life. Moonlight Concerto A problem that arises between you and your sweetheart after becoming a couple… This has something to do with his past. This is a story about fastening the traces of the past, present and future together. 2) Fuga –Tonsoukyoku– The meaning of that kiss and embrace on that day… The feelings he had hidden in the innermost depths of his heart had unveiled. This is the original story told from his perspective. 3) Fantasia –Gensoukyoku– What if the girls’ love had never blossomed? This is a “what if?” story written about a single scene from a certain trip… A certain incident that had occurred in the real world and the dream world causes chaos aboard Norn. The Norn members had all become small in the dream world. They thought Itsuki was behind this, but apparently, this wasn’t the case. “Even though we’ve become small… If it’s only in the dream world, it shouldn’t be an issue.” That’s what everybody thought… However, problems also gradually arose in the real world. Finally not being able to endure this situation, they all use Heishi and Itsuki’s abilities to gather together.