#why is the localization so mean to itonokogiri...............

[badgerhuan]

two weeks ago i made this post after i finished playing gs1 and then got informed that one of my favorite scenes in Yomigaeru Gyakuten (Rise from the Ashes) had been altered. i'm sorry that i didn't respond to anyone on that post, but now i'm here to present the full scene, with screenshots.

this scene is triggered when you go to Mitsurugi's office for the first time, and you choose to inspect the bookcase. (i fucked up my timing for the first screenshot rip. sorry Akane-chan)

Akane: Uwa...are all of these case files!? Akane: They're slotted tightly all the way to the ceiling! There's even a ladder here. Naruhodou: ...that's weird. Since that guy is supposed to have a fear of earthquakes... Naruhodou: I really can't imagine him using such a dangerous bookcase like this one. Akane: It's no problem! Akane: There are really gigantic bolts fixing it firmly to the wall! Akane: What great power. I wonder if Mitsurugi-kenji-san did that? The screen flashes to Itonokogiri's laughing sprite for an instant. Naruhodou: (...for some reason. Itonoko-keiji's face came to mind...)

when i got to this scene playing the game, it meant everything to me. on top of checking up on Mitsurugi after earthquakes, Itonokogiri also took measures into his own hands to make sure his office would be a safe place for him in case of earthquakes...it made their relationship even more compelling to me.

it's also very important to me that it's Naruhodou picking up on this. playing through the game i always got the vibe that he noticed how close Mitsurugi and Itonokogiri are. this is just one more piece of evidence for that.

it had been made known to me, that in the English localization, they, for some reason, decided to erase Mitsurugi's known fear of earthquakes (which Naruhodou only knows bc he learned it from Itonokogiri!) and swap it for a...fear of heights? that has never existed in the original version of the games? and also the only time it was brought up in the English version at all??

i really don't understand why they did that. what was wrong with the original?? why invent a new fear out of thin air instead of using what's established?? what was the goal here???

there are numerous slight changes that the English localization has made that, when compiled together, really alters the vibe of the characters and how they interact with each other. but this is by far the most egregious change they've made that i've encountered (i've only played from gs1 and gs2, and i wasn't really paying attention to possible changes when playing through gs1).

maybe one day i'll make another post about the small changes they made (that are almost all at the expense of Itonokogiri...), but for now, here is the change that left me the most baffled.