Saber Marionette Is it me, or are the official subs way off...? *potential SMJ spoilers*

For those who don't know, I recently procured myself the entire set of the official DVD release fro J to X. I've had the fansub edition of eps 1-15 and the recent dreaded HK release for 16-26. I started into SMJ with fansubs, since it's taken so long to see a good release in english (J to X just saw it's last release here, and the series aired 5 years ago!!).

The release of J wasn't too far off, as I watched through it, noticing a few little translation tifbits that they left viewers in the dark on. The most annoying mention is of Lime's cooking entry in the Otaru Cup Marionette Contest.

In Bandai-Ent's release here, Otaru explains that she made "Jumbo Gumbo"...all in replacement of the original joke. In actual fact, the dish they are to create is called "Zoni". Lime takes this to mean "boiled elephant" (zou meaning elephant, and niri to mean boil). This sort of replacement is called "creative licensing", or even in some circles, "localization". It's the act of rewriting a scene because it doesn't make sense after translation, or is a joke that little would get outside of the release area. In this case, only someone with knowledge of the language (or guidance) would be able to catch Lime's mistake of Zoni, and why the judges give her marks for her "creativity"...

I question the official subtitling of Tiger's death scene a bit in J as well. She flat out states "Happiness isn't love. Being held isn't love." when it should rather be worded along the lines of "Happiness alone isn't love. Being held, by itself, isn't love."

But, these are a bit minor, and aren't too too bad based on J.

I've started J to X again now (official subs this time), though, and am noting a lot of variation from the fansub. Many scenes, especially those involving Hanagata's lines, seem to have undergone "creative licensing". This isn't too terribly bad, as they tend to play mainly with the unimportant scenes, but it can be a bit unnerving to know what you're reading is nothing close to what is really being said.

Any thoughts or opinions on this, or "creative licensing" as a whole?

 

I've watched the Spanish version of the SMJ2X the they passed in Locomotion and truly... IT SUCKS I rather view it on jap /w english subtitle

 

Further "localizations":

-Cherry makes and teaches the temple kids to make okonomiyaki. Ranma 1/2 fans will especially pick this one out. Yet, they translate it as "japanese pancakes" or simply as "pancakes". This is almost a nitpick, as they are kinda like a pancake/pizza hybrid, but it is kinda perturbing. Would it had been that awful to call it okonomiyaki as it was? A curious unknowledgable fan could do a 10 second google search and find it: http://www.japan-guide.com/r/e100.html (Heck, they even learn something that way! Like why they have pancakes for supper time in that temple )

-"Doctor Hesse" picks up during all of J to X. Every previous official release used "Hess". Why the sudden change in consistency? Also "Yan Min". Call me superficial, but I wish the names had stayed put the way I was used to them.

-Not sure on this second one. I'm hoping someone else can tell me one way or the other. In an early ep (and mentioned in background talk very late) is the Japoness man, Mishimi Heisuke. They celebrate his "upset victory" in the official subs, whereupon Otaru ends the scene asking the marionettes if they knew who he was. In my fansubs, Hanagata explains that Heisuke used his opponents weak spot to win, whereupon Otaru instead asks the marionettes if they thought what he did was right. So, my question now is, did Heisuke make a miraculous comeback as they portray in the official release, or was this comeback due to him playing dirty as my fansubs suggest?