I mean, okay, I don't live in Japan obviously. I spent a month there but I didn't spend much time in game stores (because I was so busy playing Maimai at the arcades and buying Magic Kaito merchandise COUGH COUGH). But... I'm preeetty sure the few copies of Zelda games I saw there used the English Zelda logo for the "Legend of Zelda" part with a Japanese subtitle. A quick Google search kinda confirms that, with all of the Zelda logos showing Japanese subtitles except for the first few games.
(Stolen from Pintrest.)
Now, of course, most of them have the classic "ゼルダの伝説 (Zeruda no densetsu)" written below so that Japanse people can understand too. But... let's take a look at Breath of the Wild's logo.
I saw the Breath of the Wild logo and I was... immensely confused for a second. I mean, why was there giant Japanese text at the top? Why was the English at the bottom? WHY ARE THE WORDS "THE LEGEND OF ZELDA" SO SMALL?
Of course, once I figured out that the kanji there means LEGEND, I was blown away. They're using the Japanese "Zeruda no densetsu" as the main portion of the logo this time? Look, the English title is so small in comparison, and doesn't even use the typical word layout that we've seen since Ocarina of Time!
I mean, I probably only find this interesting because I'm a linguistics major who is currently learning Japanse, haha. But I find it so fascinating that... even in their Japanese logo, Nintendo is really sticking to their promise of "returning to Zelda's roots". Compare it to the original Zelda logo. Isn't it fascinating how they're even going back to that original Japanese dominance? I think it's so cool!
You know localization teams change the logos, right? That's how it has been for, like, every single game ever... aside from a few.
ReplyDeleteI heard the school kids really love Hatsune, but everyone at my school really doesn't care. It's a shame, really. (Everyone knows 'Magic Kaito' is really just the Kaito vocaloid with a scarf and a cape. Duh.)
Personally, I really love the rough edges on the typeface, as well as the overall crisp appearance. I want to study Graphic Design, but God might have other plans for me if the money side of it doesn't work out.
So, the question is, now that you're in college and studying abroad, why do you come back to this blog? I'm pretty sure you turned comment approval off, so it's not like you actually want to read your comments. It's not even like you're becoming a writer, right? You're studying Game Design. Like, come on. You know no one reads this but me!
While you're in Japan, it might be worth it to invest in a VPN just so you could browse the web like you're in the U.S. It's what I would do. Probably. Also, I would go see a Priscilla Ahn concert live. I would also go see a Studio Ghibli movie. Then I'd have to see Babymetal live, and- well, you get the point. Live it up! Play some pachinko. (Sparingly.)
Anyway, I have a Skype now. If, you know, maybe you feel like I'm not weird after all (I totally deserve to be labelled weird,) but maybe you want to meet me before you're stuck up in heaven for eternity, just, I guess, give me a call.
It's why I come back here, after all. A small part of me wants you to be friends with me. I guess the unlikely is just as possible as the likely, eh? I guess the unlikely is just very... unlikely.
To end it off with one of my favorite J-Pop/Electronica artists,
here's a new single by Perfume along with OK GO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwx9rwHcmVc
P.S. Mario Odyssey and Puyo Puyo Tetris, amirite?!