E-mail to Bandai
So, Bandai's finally listing the Tales of the Abyss vol. 1 DVD. And there are some... errors... in their description. So I sent them an e-mail pointing them out, so hopefully they can fix them before it goes to production.
I am unsure if this is the correct place to contact, but I am concerned, after reading the description for Tales of the Abyss vol. 1. If this could be forwarded to the correct people, it would be very appreciated.
If it is not known (the description does not make it clear), the anime is based on the game of the same title, which was released by Bandai Namco games. As such, the series already has an established fanbase, who are quite aware of the terminology and story of it.
This brings me to my concern, regarding the description as listed in the Bandai store. There are 4 points of translation dissonance with the game, in that alone. "Auldlant" (in the description) was translated in the games as "Auldrant" (the latter also sounds closer to what is being said, as well).
"Scores" (in the description) is better translated as "Score", as there is only one "Score" that prophesied the future (and is the basis of the conflict in the series.
I am unsure what the proper translation of "主席総長" is, but "General Chairman" seems to be fairly close. The translation (from the description) of "General" doesn't really work, considering he is a higher rank than the other Generals, and "Commandant" from the games seems to work better.
In the Bonus Features, it is mentioned that the "Asch the Blood" manga will be coming with this. While "鮮血" does mean "fresh blood", the Japanese website for the series (and the game) clearly name him as "Asch the Bloody" (which works much better for a descriptive title). [Link: http://www.tv-toa.jp/character/09.html ]
Finally, my last concern in the description does not have to do with translation. The series is described as taking place in an "alternate-reality world of swords and sorcery". I am unsure why "alternate-reality" was mentioned. This is not Earth. It is a planet named Auldrant, which is made clear in the first sentence. This isn't really even an Earth-like culture or society. Unlike other titles, which might involve multiple realities, or be similar to things we would recognize (such as the Gundam alternate universes), there is nothing in Tales of the Abyss that I can see warranting a description of "alternate-reality."
I hope that you will take my comments into consideration, as I have seen previous titles which are adapted from an established source receive much contempt from fans due to differences in translation. Additionally, from watching the series, there are many lines which could be translated almost word-for-word from the game's script. I do not know how closely connected Bandai Entertainment and Bandai Namco Games are, but I would implore you to at least consult their script, so that the anime release is consistent with the game's established translation.
I am unsure if this is the correct place to contact, but I am concerned, after reading the description for Tales of the Abyss vol. 1. If this could be forwarded to the correct people, it would be very appreciated.
If it is not known (the description does not make it clear), the anime is based on the game of the same title, which was released by Bandai Namco games. As such, the series already has an established fanbase, who are quite aware of the terminology and story of it.
This brings me to my concern, regarding the description as listed in the Bandai store. There are 4 points of translation dissonance with the game, in that alone. "Auldlant" (in the description) was translated in the games as "Auldrant" (the latter also sounds closer to what is being said, as well).
"Scores" (in the description) is better translated as "Score", as there is only one "Score" that prophesied the future (and is the basis of the conflict in the series.
I am unsure what the proper translation of "主席総長" is, but "General Chairman" seems to be fairly close. The translation (from the description) of "General" doesn't really work, considering he is a higher rank than the other Generals, and "Commandant" from the games seems to work better.
In the Bonus Features, it is mentioned that the "Asch the Blood" manga will be coming with this. While "鮮血" does mean "fresh blood", the Japanese website for the series (and the game) clearly name him as "Asch the Bloody" (which works much better for a descriptive title). [Link: http://www.tv-toa.jp/character/09.html ]
Finally, my last concern in the description does not have to do with translation. The series is described as taking place in an "alternate-reality world of swords and sorcery". I am unsure why "alternate-reality" was mentioned. This is not Earth. It is a planet named Auldrant, which is made clear in the first sentence. This isn't really even an Earth-like culture or society. Unlike other titles, which might involve multiple realities, or be similar to things we would recognize (such as the Gundam alternate universes), there is nothing in Tales of the Abyss that I can see warranting a description of "alternate-reality."
I hope that you will take my comments into consideration, as I have seen previous titles which are adapted from an established source receive much contempt from fans due to differences in translation. Additionally, from watching the series, there are many lines which could be translated almost word-for-word from the game's script. I do not know how closely connected Bandai Entertainment and Bandai Namco Games are, but I would implore you to at least consult their script, so that the anime release is consistent with the game's established translation.