Doom Blade Translation Notes

This article contains spoilers for Doom Blade!

The following notes are in the process of being compiled from the current thinking of the English Doom Blade translation's editors. Some entries may be missing or incomplete or benefit from more detail or rigor. The information and opinions recorded here are subject to evolution as perspectives change or new information comes to light.

On the Use of Gikun

Examples of gikun in furigana notation in Doom Blade. The small text (furigana) that appears above a term provides an alternative reading (gikun) of the kanji below it.

Yoshitaka Tamaki commonly makes use of the convention of presenting gikun—alternative readings—in furigana notation above particular words to provide the intended (typically English) reading of terms that are defined in Japanese using kanji. This could be compared to the use of footnotes in English media. On the translation wiki, furigana are represented using HTML tags for ruby annotation.

This complicates the best way to present the terms in dialogue, as in the case of gikun, the implication is that the notated text above is what the character speaking would say aloud and the large text below is how it would be spelled out in the character's head. But omitting either part of the text in the English translation would result in some information being lost that is otherwise available in the original Japanese.

Example

In the panel from Chapter 1 below, Killy uses a gikun reading to say "grandfather" (じいさん, jīsan) aloud over the text for "necromancer" (死霊使い, shiryōtsukai).

Doom Blade, Chapter 1ː "Killy the Wolfling"
Killy
Original	死霊使いじいさん！　このまま速度を落とすなよ！
Rough	NecromancerGrandpa-san! Don't slow down at all!
Final	Excuse me, Grandpa! Necromancer, maintain our current speed!

In the final text, the dialogue is broken up into two parts to retain both senses for the reader. The phrase "excuse me" is used to convey the same mock respect found in Killy's use of the polite jīsan, and the sense of "necromancer" is moved to the second sentence. This type of technique is used throughout the English translation by way of parenthetical phrases, e.g., "Hush, the Ashen Devil" where the original Japanese is "the Ashen Devil" with the gikun reading notated as "Hush" (灰色の悪魔ハッシュ).

This may be left out when the meaning is redundant. For example, when Tamaki writes "wolfling", he uses katakana to spell out "wolfling" over the kanji for "wolf person race" (人狼族ウルフリング). Because English readers are able to infer the meaning of "wolfling", it is not necessary to write, for instance, the cumbersome "Killy is a wolfling, a member of the wolf person race", when the simpler "Killy is a wolfling" will suffice.

The Name "Doom Blade"

Yoshitaka Tamaki identifies the sword the comic is named after by spelling its name out in katakana as "Doom Blade" (ドゥーム・ブレイド, Dūmu Bureido). This name is presented as a gikun reading over the kanji for "Sword of Destiny" (運命の剣ドゥーム・ブレイド, Unmei no Tsurugi).

This is interesting because the English word "doom" has a very definite negative connotation. It suggests a severely undesirable fate. However, the English "doom" is likely what is being translated into the Japanese word unmē (運命) here, and the Japanese word refers to destiny in a more neutral sense. It is unknown to what extent Tamaki may have considered the connotation of the English "doom" as compared to the more neutral or positive "destiny".

Making the choice to follow one's destiny is a prominent theme in the comic, as contrasted with the defiance of one's fate.

The sword used by Hanzou in Shining Force that is called the Doom Blade in the English game is called the "deadly sword" in Japanese (「ひっさつのつるぎ」, 必殺の剣, hissatsu no tsurugi).

Character Names

Killy (キリー), a.k.a. Hush (ハッシュ), the Ashen Devil (灰色の悪魔), and Lupo

Hasshu in the December 1990 issue of Beep! MegaDrive. Illustration by Yoshitaka Tamaki.

The character named Hashhu (ハッシュ) was created by original Shining series artist Yoshitaka Tamaki and first appeared in Shining and the Darkness as a tavern regular who advises the player. Doom Blade is a prequel set ten years before the events of Shining and the Darkness and through the course of the comic, readers learn how the wolfling (identified in materials for Shining and the Darkness as a human–aardwolf hybrid) ended up at that bar in the Storm Kingdom.

For the English localization, the character was renamed Lupo for the word's association with "wolf".

Hash or Hush?

An image with the original filename "ha_0001.jpg" posted on Tamaki's website.

The name Hashhu appears to be a katakana transliteration of either the English word "hash" or "hush". Either is equally possible as either word becomes indistinguishable with Japanese phonology, and it is difficult to be sure which of the two Tamaki might have had in mind. Within the context of Doom Blade, the character is an assassin, so either name makes sense.

Evidence for "Hash"

The word "assassin" is derived from hashashin through the Arabic Ḥashshāshīyīn (حَشّاشِین), which itself is probably related to hashshāshīn ("hashish smokers"). The character Khamsin (Gila in the English game) has a name with a definite Arabic derivation, so it might fit the pattern if the wolfling were named Hash. However, the character was given the name Hashhu in Shining and the Darkness before it was established in Doom Blade that he was an assassin, so this proposed etymology may not withstand scrutiny.

There is also the remote possibility the name is derived from the sense of "hash" that comes from computer programming. Shining Force has a town named Prompt, the name of which would be recognizable as a computer interface term to a Japanese game developer. Although it may sound like a stretch, the involvement of renowned programmer Kan Naito was an important part of the marketing of these early Climax games, so this kind of humorous reference has some plausibility.

A final piece of evidence in support of the spelling "Hash" is an illustration of the character uploaded to Tamaki's website with the filename "ha_0001.jpg", but this could also be a reflection of the name's Japanese spelling or a reference to something else entirely.

Evidence for "Hush"

With the wolfling being characterized by an assassin, the name "Hush" conveys the sense of a stealthy operator. But if the Hashhu of Shining and the Darkness were not originally intended to be an assassin, the name still seems appropriate for a killer wolfling due to the connotation of a wolf stalking its prey. Tamaki would have likely been aware of relatively common English word, and the name "Hush" also has a cool factor to an English-speaking audience that "Hash" does not. The vowel sound in the typical English pronunciation of "hush" (/hʌʃ/) is also arguably closer than "hash" (/hæʃ/) to the original Japanese Hashhu (/haɕɯ̟/).

Ultimately, the spelling "Hush" is used in the English translation of Doom Blade because it stands out as a more natural choice that Tamaki might have made, and it gives the character a cooler image to English-speaking readers, but it is inevitable that some readers may prefer the spelling "Hash". Either preference seems valid without confirmation from Tamaki himself.

Killy

A cropped version of an illustration from Tamaki's website with the original filename "doom_Killy_001.jpg". The full image has ENDING SPOILERS and may be seen here.

In Doom Blade, the character prefers to use the name Kirī (キリー) to distance himself from the killer reputation he acquired as Hush. The similarity in sound to the English "kill" may be an intentional irony. Although a variety of spellings in English are possible, e.g., Kiri, Kili, Killey, etc., the greatest piece of evidence for Tamaki's intended spelling is in the filename of an illustration on his website labeled "doom_Killy_001.jpg". The English translation of Doom Blade uses the spelling "Killy" for these reasons.

The Ashen Devil

Hush's title, "the Ashen Devil", is given in Japanese as Hai-iro no Akuma (灰色の悪魔). Hai-iro (灰色) is the Japanese word for "gray", which has the literal sense of "ash-colored", being constructed from "ash" (灰, hai) and "color" (色, iro). The English word "ashen" retains both senses, so the English translation of Doom Blade uses the title "Ashen Devil" for Hush instead of the alternative "Gray Devil".

Arms (アームズ)

Identified as a blade tusk (ブレード・タスク, burēdo tasuku) in his Chapter 3 profile, Arms makes his first appearance in the Shining series as the leader of Killy's mercenary squad. His name is derived from the English word "arms", i.e., weaponry, transliterated into katakana (アームズ, Āmuzu). The same character appears as the host of the duel arena in Shining Soul II.

Khamsin (カムシン), a.k.a. Gila

The high lizard (ハイ・リザード, hai rizādo) named Khamsin (カムシン, Kamushin) was first seen in the Japanese version of Shining and the Darkness. English-speaking players will know him as Gila, as he was renamed by localizers in evocation of a gila monster. His Japanese name is a transliteration of a word in Egyptian Arabic meaning "fifty" (خَمْسِين‎, ḵamsīn) referring to the fifty-day period in spring characterized by hot, dry desert winds that bring sandstorms into Egypt. Tamaki may have also been thinking of the Maserati Khamsin, an Italian sports car from the late '70s and early '80s that succeeded the Maserati Ghibli. Tamaki would have certainly been familiar with Studio Ghibli's use of the name, which itself comes from the Libyan Arabic word for desert winds (قبلي ghiblī).

So does he really say "Wachunga"?

The line of battle text rendered flavorfully as "Gila joins the fray! 'Wachunga!'" in the English version of Shining and the Darkness has the following sense in the original Japanese:

The mercenary barged through!

ようへいが　らんにゅうしてきた

"In the name of righteousness, I lend you my sword!"

「ぎによって　すけだちいたーす!」

Khamsin's dialogue here uses an archaic expression that is something of a cliché in media with a historical setting. It suggests the context of a speaker who offers their support in repayment of a debt. The original translators of Shining and the Darkness may have had a hard time identifying the expression and perhaps went with "wachunga" following the inference that the dialogue was some kind of battle cry.

Jim (ジム)

The English name Jim transliterated into katakana (ジム, Jimu). Judging from the types of names Tamaki uses in FEDA, he had a penchant for combining simple English names with the fantastic. Jim's dialogue is written with a brusque manner of speech, which seems typified by his modern, sensible name.

Kris (クリス)

The dark elf sorcerer is named Kurisu (クリス) spelled out in katakana. Her name could be the transliteration of any variation on Kris or Chris into Japanese.

The spelling "Kris" is fitting because of its reference to a type of Indonesian dagger that has a spiritual and sometimes magical association.

An argument could be made either for or against the spelling "Chris" on account of its connection to Christianity. She would not be the first character in the series to have a name of Biblical origin. Cain and Adam from the first Shining Force fit this model, and their names lend a thematic connotation. The actions undertaken by Kurisu do paint her as something of a Christ figure. Tamaki may have intended for her name to be suggestive of this.

The English Doom Blade translation uses the spelling "Kris" because the edgier feel that it has in English suits the character's personality, but the appropriateness of the spelling "Chris" cannot be ruled out.

Nowald (ノワルド)

Written in katakana as Nowarudo (ノワルド), the Pegasus knight's name could conceivably be an adaptation of anything along the lines of Noward, Nowald, Norward, or Norwald. In this sequence of possibilities, the last two options are the least likely because the "Nor-" sound would be better represented by a long /o/, e.g., Nōwarudo (ノーワルド). The best guess as to how Tamaki might have imagined it in English is ultimately open to interpretation.

Dahama (ダハマ)

The name is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, India transliterated into katakana.

Dark Sol (ダーク・ソル)

Seeː Dark Sol § Name

Slash (スラシュ)

As a dragonewt swordsman, the English word "slash" transliterated into katakana (スラシュ, Surasshu) is a fitting name.

Claudius (クローディアス)

The king is named for the Latin Claudius transliterated into katakana (クローディアス, Kurōdiasu).

Drone (ドローン)

Drone very politely fires a laser beam at an opponent. Illustration by Yoshitaka Tamaki.

Being Dark Sol's robotic manservant, the character's name is the English "drone" transliterated into katakana (ドローン, Dorōn).

Drone's original Japanese dialogue is written with an extremely polite manner of speech that is ironic when contrasted with its violent content. Drone even goes so far as to spell out in kanji the polite gozaimasu (御座居ます, "to be") and anatasama (貴方様, honorific "you"), words that would typically only ever be written in hiragana in modern Japanese. The effect is made even more absurd by the consideration that the written forms of the words make no difference to how they are spoken aloud, and the characters in the story cannot see the words on the printed page like the reader can. The English translation attempts to capture this humor by making Drone's speech venomously courteous.

Drone's dialogue has a unique font with a handwritten style in the original Japanese. The English translation matches this effect by giving Drone's text a lightly calligraphic font that differs from other characters.

Otranto (オトラント)

Otoranto's first appearance in Chapter 7 of Doom Blade. Illustration by Yoshitaka Tamaki.

Otranto is a knowledgeable Star Eye who first appears as the leading Manarina scholar in Shining Force with the name Otoranto (オトラント) in the original Japanese and Otrant in the English versions. The character's name is shared with the setting of the Gothic horror novel The Castle of Otranto, staged in the real Italian city called Otranto.

The font for Otranto's dialogue uses thin lettering with a loose brushed style that is shared by the speech of the Great Intention.

Otranto's Gender

Otranto's appearance and presentation is intentionally androgynous, and as it is not really necessary to use gendered language in Japanese when referring to individual people like it is in English, it is not surprising to discover that definitively gendered language is never actually used to refer to Otranto. This is true in the original Japanese scripts of both Shining Force and Doom Blade, and it appears to be true of supplementary materials such as game guides as well.

The English script of Shining Force genders Otranto male, but this is an arbitrary decision made by the localizers to avoid having to write around Otranto's pronouns. The original Phantasy Star was affected by a similar phenomenon where the androgynous Lutz (Noah in the English game) was incorrectly gendered female in the English release before later being confirmed to be a man. To avoid the possibility of making this kind of mistake, the English translation of Doom Blade and the Legacy of the Gods English translation patch for Shining Force do not use gendered language in reference to Otranto. This choice gives English-speaking readers the option of interpreting the character's presentation for themselves in the same way that Japanese readers have already been able to do.

Norman (ノーマン)

Nōman (ノーマン) is a typical Japanese transliteration of the name spelled in English usage as Norman.

Carsel (カーセル)

The Japanese name Kāseru (カーセル) could be read as the transliteration of a few different invented names, but it does fit the pronunciation of the real name Carsel.

Randolf R. Storm (ランドルフ・R・ストーム)

The Norwegian name Randolf is closer to the Old Norse derivation of Randolph, but either spelling could be used for Randorufu (ランドルフ). Sutōmu (ストーム) is spelled the same as the name of the kingdom of Stormsang (ストームサング, Sutōmusangu), with the likely root of the English "storm". The middle initial R is presented as a Latin letter in the original Japanese.

Tristan (トリスタン)

Torisutan (トリスタン) is a Japanese transliteration of the English name Tristan. This character, along with King Storm, both appear in Stormsang Castle in Shining and the Darkness.

Lutecia (ルーティシア)

Lutecia is a historical Roman town near present-day Paris and the Japanese name of the Renault Clio car.

Entities and Races

Star Eye (スターアイ)

See: Star Eye

The Great Intention (大いなる意思 or 意志)

See: Great Intention § Translation Notes

Cantaur (キャントール)

See: Cantaur § Etymology and Localization Differences