#like at least “jelly donuts” had the misguided assumption that children would lose their minds at the concept of rice balls

[humanransome-note]

So I'm gonna start by saying, I've never been able to play bloodborne, I don't have a ps4, and seeing as that's the only game I actually want to play that is a playstation exclusive. It's just... not something I wanna invest in, even though I really want to play the game. (I do have alerts for facebook marketplace tho so... if the stars align and such or a pc port gets announced)

So all my experience with the game is via playthroughs and their commentary, and since english is my only language, the playthroughs I watched and their commentary were obviously in english.

to the losing respect bit, cause I feel like this is a big thing... in the video that prompted this, he mentions inaccuracies with translations and localization, and the example he uses is of the note you find "seek paleblood to transcend the hunt". In english the note is described as "handwritten scrawl" when the more accurate translation would be "scribbled in your own handwriting."

which is a big thing story telling wise, scribbling something in your own handwriting with no recollection invokes fear and paranoia, specifically regarding your perception of the world and your surroundings. (which... bloodborne...)

handwritten scrawl gives off a different feeling entirely, could the person have been busy when they were writing the note? were they in a rush? did they have carpal tunnel? or were they just a doctor?

he refers to this as one of the most notable ministranslations, which along without indicating that he is interpreting Gehrmin's character through the appropriate translation, made me uncomfortable with how he was presenting the relationship. Because without that clarification, I was working under the assumption that the translations of Gehrmin's lines and inflection were at least more accurate in the official translation.

because he chose to emphasize something that many people would consider a largely benign, if somewhat frustrating for the way it warps the tone, mistranslation, and called it one of the most notable, I took that to mean that ALL of the "notable" mistranslations were on a similar level. (wonky word choice, that while understandable do not appropriately convey the tone)

Without the clarification of which version he is basing his interpritation on, as well as no acknowledgment of how much of a creeper the english translation made Gehrmin, I felt he was dismissive of what I saw as a very uncomfortable, down right creepy situation. And his constantly calling it "love" when the OET (my only reference at the time of watching the video and making the post) called it a "mania" felt like a willful blindness

I also am not entirely sure what Gehrman being old or Doll looking like a woman has to do with your point. If Gehrman was young or Maria (and thus, the Doll) were male/masculine, would that change your feelings?

Gehrman being old actually has little to do with the point i was attempting to make, and was just me repeating the trope of "creepy old guy" with specifying Doll as a young woman being an extension of that trope. So i accept that criticism.

No, changing the age and genders of Doll and Gehrman wouldn't change my feelings on the matter. Making a replica of somebody to fill in a void is one thing (not a healthy thing, but a thing) making a replica that's personality and presentation are antithetical to the person you are replicating, different thing entirely.

I took issue with it because I believed Gehrman intended the passivity, subservience, and very feminine dress. When i look at Gehrman, Doll, and Maria, with only the OET as context, what i see is a man with a fantasy of dominating a powerful woman and to facilitate it he makes a doll. He literally makes her an object for his fantasy.

I specify the feminine dress because when you look at Maria, especially in the concept art, you could easily mistake her for a man.

Maria:

Doll:

taking both the victorian setting and FromSoft's history with how they implement armor on their characters no matter the gender, with only the lens of the OET, this is real freaking ick. She looks more like a housewife, not a hunter. She looks dainty, in need of protection.

With the revelation that Gerhman saw Maria as something more akin to a daughter, this isn't ick, in fact i can sorta kinda see it as sweet. (like... sir needs therapy, but i doubt the moon presence understands what that is, and even if it did i don't think an entity with mysterious motives and no organs could facilitate such a thing in any meaningful way.)

I think that covers the crux of my original post.

On to the translations, cause HO-LEE SHIT like there's waffling on how something should be done, there's ill advised but understandable, and there's what seems to be genuine malicious intent on how the character is portrayed.

the more direct translation is a bit clunky, but even with that awkwardness, these are two completely different ideas.

"Curious Mania" in the OET comes off to mean "Strange Obsession" when paired with "You're welcome to use whatever you find. …Even the doll, should it please you…" and the way he whispers it like a dirty suggestion.

The OET wants you to think this dude is a creep, its implying Gerhman had an unhealthy obsession with Maria.

whereas "the mania of his curiosity" could be rephrased as, "the intensity of his curiosity"

So a more accurate translation would be something like.

Maria's Hunting Hat

One of the first hunters to study under Gehrman, was the lady hunter Maria. The design of this hat is similar to those made in Cainhurst.

Maria is a distant relative of the Undying Queen, despite this, she greatly admired Gerhman, unaware of the depths of his curiosity.

So largely, the OET got the right idea across, but just completely swerves into oncoming traffic in the last five words.

"Unaware of the depths of his curiosity." I phrased it this way because of two things, one, it's reminiscent of the phrase "depths of depravity" and while we don't know exactly what sort of things Gerhman got up to, we do know the atrocities other people committed to sate their own curiosity. two, Kos and the Fishing Hamlet. With Kos's body on the beach she looks like one of those deep sea fish without the thousands of tons of pressure keeping them in shape, so a bit of a *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* foreshadowing.

偏執 - henshuu - It means "bias, obstinacy; eccentricity," etc. It's like being so focused on one thing, one becomes blinded to everything else. Mania isn't a bad way to localize it, but since mania is tied to madness and frenzy, I think the distinction is worth emphasizing.

now this is a more difficult, because even the attempt at a more correct translation uses obsession, but again with the OET as base context it still comes off a creepy.

Doll Hat

The hat of a discarded doll, it seems to be a spare for dress-up.

It was crafted with great attention to detail, you can feel the love for the doll in how well the article was kept.

It speaks to devotion, and fills you with warmth.

my issue with both translations is the use of obsession/mania. maybe it is just me but even obsession has negative connotations when I hear it, so devotion. devotion brings to mind a deep love, which with Gerhman seeing Maria as something akin to a daughter figure feels more appropriate.

now "fills you with warmth" is 100% me just jerking the wheel so we go through a gas station parking lot opposed to waiting at the light. "exudes a slight warmth" and "therefore, it is a little warm" both sound like the hat itself is giving off heat, and if that's the intention alright then, but with the context of the rest of the item description I think it means something more like an emotional warmth. and i think "fills you with warmth" more appropriately conveys that.

the video that started it all

Losing respect for a video game essayist YouTuber over how he interprets and presents Ghermin in bloodborne.

Specifically Gehrman’s relationship with The Doll and thus his relationship with Maria…

Like… if I told you an old guy made a person sized doll you’d already be “that’s sketch”. If I told you that doll looked like a young woman and was his only companion you’d be “…that doesn’t make it better.” Then I tell you that this doll was made to look like one of HIS STUDENTS! You’d want to stop hanging out with me because “why do you know this guy?”

“You’re welcome to use whatever you find. …even the doll, should it please you…”

Who hears this and sees this as anything other than unhealthy obsession and objectification? Who sees this and interprets it as ‘love’?

Like even before figuring out the whole *waves spooky tendrils around* that is Bloodborne… I want to kill Ghermin so The Doll has some company that isn’t an eternally old man in a blood pact with the moon who created her with the sole purpose of fulfilling his creepy fantasies.