I watched a 2005 fansub of an old show and finally got the joke.

I was rewatching a series from my college days, using the same fansub file I downloaded back in 2007. A character made a pun, and the translator's note just said 'Japanese wordplay, sorry.' I saw a clip from the official Blu-ray release last week, and the new subtitle made the joke actually funny and clear. How many other old jokes or references did I completely miss because of those bare-bones subs?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaron_flores841d ago

I had that happen with an old fansub of Azumanga Daioh. The translator just wrote "Osaka being weird" for a whole scene. Years later I saw the official version and realized it was a specific joke about her regional accent. Makes you wonder what else flew over our heads.

lindagreen1d agoTop Commenter

That "makes you wonder" line hits hard. I remember watching a fansub years ago where the translator just put "character says something funny" for a whole line. Like, thanks for the help. Makes me feel like I missed half the show, you know? I bet @aaron_flores84 is right and we all just nodded along without a clue. My own understanding of some anime is built on those shaky old subs. Kind of embarrassing when you think about it.