Nukitashi Localization Full of Memes, Politics, and Questionable Translations

The highly-anticipated English localization of Nukitashi was released on June 23rd, but it wasn’t without its fair share of controversy after users called it out for being full of politics, Western memes, and questionable translations.

Shiravune, the company behind the localization, has been criticized for several points, with the most significant complaints being the use of immersion-breaking slang and replacing Japanese culture with Western cultural elements.

While it’s understandable that not everything is translatable, Nukitashi’s localization had numerous unfaithful or non-literal translations. Users also noted how the localization was seemingly “walking on eggshells” to avoid cultural sensitivities while also making players feel like they were the subject of ridicule (e.g., translating “otaku” as neckbeard, etc.).

Here are a few examples:

「オタク釣ったりとか危ないことしちゃめーでしょ」
““Anyway, no trying to go e-begging to a bunch of neckbeards, all right?””,

While the use of the slang “e-begging” works in the context, translating オタク (otaku) as “neckbeard” is incorrect and could be seen as a potshot by the players.

モブ男D/イクイクセーシ男子】
「イクイクセーシ！　イクイクセーシ！　イクイクセーシ！」
あまりの猛暑にどうかしてしまったのか、セミになりきったプレイをしている者もいた。
name = {“モブ男D”, “Bazinga Boy”},
““Bazinga! Bazinga! Bazinga!””
“There’s one girl performing the Voice Piece for Soprano, and a boy trying to imitate an American sitcom character.”,

Given how difficult it would be to translate “イクイクセーシ” in this context, any sexual joke as a chant would’ve likely sufficed, but the translators decided to go with the term “Bazinga” made famous by the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory, which had nothing to do with the original line. While it’s difficult to convey the cultural trope of “cicadas in the summer” used to describe something or someone being “loud,” going with “trying to imitate an American sitcom character” would likely still confuse many, and it’s also outdated.

【美岬】「それって……マップチンポじゃないですかっ！」
【淳之介】「マッチポンプだ」
【美岬】「マッチポンプじゃないですかっ！」
“That’s like… cunny capitalism!”
“You mean crony capitalism.”
“That’s like crony capitalism!”

In this example, a character mispronounces the term made-in-Japan English compound “マッチポンプ” (“match-pump”) as “マップチンポ” (“map chinpo”), which is mostly a humorous anagram pun for the use of “チンポ” (“chinpo”) meaning “penis,” but the translator decided to go with the character mistakenly saying “cunny” instead of “crony.” The use of “cunny” was questionable and a reach to try making a Japanese joke work in English.

「そんな当たり前のように蔑称で呼ぶな、育成型野球ゲームじゃないんだから」
““Could you please stop throwing that word around? This isn’t a fake outrage gaming blog.””,

Another example that would be difficult to translate as a character is saying, “Could you stop casually insulting me? This isn’t a baseball simulation game,” which is an obscure reference to a mobile baseball game. Using a “fake outrage gaming blog” was certainly an odd choice.

More examples of unrelated jokes about politics and other unfaithful translations:

Without delving into too many details, Shiravune continuously translated the word “lolicon” as “pedophile,” with no regard to potential nuance or sarcasm due to a seemingly personal bias by the translator, Ittaku.

Examples of “lolicon” being translated as “pedophile”:

Lastly, an issue that wasn’t so much about the game itself but several out-of-context screenshots of the localization team “bragging” about their work wasn’t taken too kindly: