This is the story of a girl who took on a gigantic translation project when she came to possess the visual novel, Suzaku Ibun...
An Explanation
For the uninitiated, Suzaku Ibun is a visual novel retelling of the classic shojo fantasy manga/anime, Fushigi Yuugi, a series that has always been very close to my heart. When a friend and I downloaded the game on a whim and decided to play it, we knew it was going to be a challenge to our (rough) Japanese skills. What neither of us knew, though, was that I would then decide to translate the entire darn thing and give it to you, The Interwebs.
I began this project over on my LiveJournal years ago, and now I've decided to (attempt to) compile the translations into a script, which you can then navigate as you play the game, make your selections, and (hopefully) mack on your Celestial Warrior of choice.
A Work in Progress
This is an ongoing project with two phases.
Phase One is the initial translation, which I will post in "scene snippets" on this blog. This version also includes translation notes, silly captions, and the occasional snarky comment. Don't you feel lucky?
Phase Two is the clean-up and compile process, where I'll organize the scenes, add links so you can easily jump between your selections, and publish it the scripts as PDFs. This version will not include my comments and captions (poor you). I'll keep the translation notes to a minimum as well.
Phase One is the initial translation, which I will post in "scene snippets" on this blog. This version also includes translation notes, silly captions, and the occasional snarky comment. Don't you feel lucky?
Phase Two is the clean-up and compile process, where I'll organize the scenes, add links so you can easily jump between your selections, and publish it the scripts as PDFs. This version will not include my comments and captions (poor you). I'll keep the translation notes to a minimum as well.
The Game
If you'd like to play the game as you read, well... er... normally I wouldn't encourage people to pirate, but Suzaku Ibun is nigh impossible to purchase (I'm pretty sure it's out of print), so I'm just going to leave these here...- Nintendo DS Emulator
- Fushigi Yuugi DS download (Note that this is the DS version and includes both Suzaku Ibun and Kagami no Miko, which is based off the Genbu Kaiden manga)
The Translation
I'm still trying to figure out the best format for these, but for the time being I think a good old-fashioned PDF will do. That way you can click around regardless of whether you're online or not. I'll continue to post additional parts and arcs as I finish them.
But here's what I have currently:
But here's what I have currently:
- Prologue
- Part One:
You can view the files in Google Drive, but the links won't work, so I recommend downloading the files and opening them in a PDF viewer (like Adobe).
Remember, you can read more on my old LJ. Start on June 22, 2011 - Suzaku Ibun: The Proud Hicks of Taitou Town to pick up where the above leaves off.
Happy reading!
Bonus Material
- Screenshot Gallery - Taken as I play the game
- Fan Book Gallery - Scanned from the official Ibun fan book
- Walkthrough Notes - General notes from my LJ. I'll try to replace this with something a bit more official someday, but my focus right now is the game itself. If you have any questions, you're welcome to contact me. ^_^
Awesome! Congrats on the new blog and keep up the excellent work! ^_^ I actually managed to purchase the DS game on Amazon. It's a bit expensive new, but some stores in Japan sell used copies a little bit cheaper. :p I think I got the PS2 copy for maybe $20.
ReplyDeleteGood to know! The last time I checked it was "out of stock" everywhere (or on eBay for like $100), so I always just think of it as "unavailable." Plus I don't own a Japanese PS2, so that limits my options. I did buy the visual fan book, though, so I supported the game as best I could from my stateside spot. Maybe I'll pick up a used copy of the DS game when I (finally!) visit Japan in the next few years,
DeleteReaders! Make sure you do the same if you're able! Support the FY industry! If we buy enough of their stuff, maybe they'll decide to turn Genbu Kaiden in an anime~ XD
There's a version for $46.94 on ebay at the moment in case you still don't have an official copy and are interested. It's still pretty expensive, but at least it's a lot less than most other listings.
ReplyDeleteThank you for what you are doing here, btw! I was so excited when I found out there was another version of the story I loved so much with the same characters. I really wish I knew Japanese, but my brain just refuses to retain anything I've tried to learn. *sigh* So without you, I'd be missing out on such an amazing thing. I'm so excited to start reading! Thank you again. -Lena
Nice interpretation
ReplyDeleteGo Here
you should update the content, it just says google+ not available. I went to show my friend the fan book and I can't.
ReplyDelete