Well, this has been a long time coming as I’m sure some people are aware. Basically, Hakuouki is over. I thank everyone for helping me and giving me support, but since this is being officially translated by Aksys, I don’t feel the need to get back to it.
My intent had been to maybe take a year or so off until I graduated and then return full force like I started and, after taking my Advanced Japanese courses, be able to go over my old translations and slog through the prose that was kicking my butt last time I tried. I had still intended to do this, no matter what naysayers may have thought, up until I heard that the game was being translated officially. Some people have expressed their interest in me translating the DS version, but… Honestly, I think it’s best to expend my Japanese experience in a game that is not receiving a translation on any platform. SaGa 3 is what I am looking at now if no group is already translating it. Or, I may go translate Cross Hermit or something.
I’d like to promise another Otome game, but one thing I’ve learned from Hakuouki is that, no matter how much work you put in, it will be a VERY long-term project if you do it in your spare time. Otome games have tens of thousands of lines of text and, in the case of Hakuouki (as opposed to Cross Hermit or Tokimeki Memorial), are occasionally written aimed at the high school/college crowd rather than most ‘regular’ games, which tend to be geared to be playable for all age groups (and thus use much simpler Japanese). Right now, I’ll be entirely honest with you, working a full-time job over the summers and working part-time plus 20 credits during the school-year, I don’t have the time to dedicate to do this. I thought I did – and I thought Hakuouki would be an amazing challenge for me. I’m someone who tends to do really well when thrown really tough problems, and this showed initially in Hakuouki, but as time went on I simply lost steam. People became increasingly negative, which made me feel unappreciated and made me start questioning “Why am I spending my time this way when I could go to this party I’ve been invited to? Or watch that documentary I had wanted to see?” This created a snowball effect and I resolved myself to “I’ll pick this up in a year or so when I graduate. Since no one would ever translate this niche game, I definitely will have all the time in the world to resume.” Now, surprisingly, someone has picked up the game and I lack a reason to keep translating it. I will do an otome game, but not next and not until after my doctoral work (when I can finally relax lol) most likely.
I would like to especially thank melete for all his hard work. He intended for his code to be released publicly, but I sort of fought that idea since… Well, I was selfish and wanted to be the one to release the game, to be entirely honest. Some people are going to leave me some very nasty comments for that I’m sure, but I prefer being honest over saying what’s convenient. I agreed to publish his editor on my site when the game was finished being translated, or after I was like half-done. Since the project is over for me and people MAY want to continue my work, I am posting a link to his github project page and a link to the editor itself.
Melete’s github project page: Hkki
A compiled version new as of several months ago: Here
I would also like to thank Noodles. She’s been incredibly supportive, helpful, and a breath of fresh air when I simply wasn’t feeling up to working on the project. I hope that she can help me out on whatever I decide to work on next. If not, I hope we at least keep in touch.
Thanks also to my wonderful non-English translators! It was a good ride while it lasted, but you all did really well!
Well, I really understand your choice. I picked the role of the French translation leader and I couldn’t find time to work on this after my “summer break” last year. Now, since this game will be released by Aksys, there’s really not much choice than to drop the project. I saw this project as a way to bring an otome game to western audience, but since there will be an official translation of this game I’ve lost my motivation to continue (even if the game is only translated in English, lots of people have English as their second language so they’ll still be able to understand)
But, I see this as an open door! Aksys will bring us Hakuouki, maybe it will be a hit and open the path for other companies to translate other otome games for us to enjoy!
I hope you do well in all your life plan (like graduating, finding a job you like, etc.) and that you will find time to start another otome game translation project!
(heart no kuni no alice? lol no, just joking! this game is freaking huge in terms of number of lines XD)
This project was a great trip for the time it lasted ^^ Thanks for your hard work!
Yeah, it can be hard. I realise I didn’t thank you guys in my post! *shame* I’ll go add that now x.x.
Thanks for your support.
BYE! hope you won’t come back.
and ENJOY that 5 dollar for doing nothing.
You realize, miss Queen, that copyright infringement costs way more than 5 dollars, right? If she decided to go on with the translation, although Aksys translates the PSP version, she could lose way more than your 5 dollars. Now if you wish so much to get the NDS version translated, why don’t YOU do it yourself? You may also realize that translating a whole otome game all by yourself takes much more than just a month, even if you don’t sleep and eat.
On another note, thank you Nimue for allowing us to see a part of that story in english (despite what everyone may say or think, you DID release at least one version with the whole intro in english and showed us that this dream was possible!)
It is sad news that you have to drop the project, but let’s all remember that amateur translations such as scanlations (or game translations) are copyright infringements, after all. You did the right thing into dropping it, and it sure as hell won’t stop me from buying Aksys’ version of the PSP game!
Thank you for taking so much of your time to translate this project despite all the hardships that it brought you!
I contacted Aksys, actually. They thanked me for taking the initiative and killing off my translation. They seemed really nice about it. ^^
And I think queen is a troll, to be honest. She seems to be that kind of person who’s “way too stupid/angry/ignorant to be real,” if you know what I mean.
And thanks for the thanks! It means a lot!
yeah. THANK YOU FOR THE STUPID INTRO.
huray!
and nimue, yeah you’re right.
i’m being troll and “way too stupid/angry/ignorant to be real” for you.
There’s already a team working on SaGa 3, actually.
http://www.cainsdomain.com/projects/saga-iii-translation/
aww…well I guess this is okay.. I just hope the official English translation won’t get TOO popular…heh heh…and I kinda hope they also don’t have English voices, but I think that might be impossible..I really liked their Japanese voices..but oh well..thank-you for your efforts in trying to make a fan translation for Hakuouki. ^-^
now all I have to do is buy the game console it will be on (I believe it will be on PSP) and wait until it officially comes out
well, thanks again for your efforts ^-^.
They won’t have English voices – Aksys has announced that they’re keeping the Japanese voice acting intact.
http://www.siliconera.com/2011/07/04/fateextra-and-hakuoki-will-only-have-japanese-voiceovers/
And on the contrary, you should actually be hoping that the official English translation DOES get “too popular”, because Aksys has clearly stated their intention to use Hakuouki to test the waters of the English market. Depending on how well it sells, they might consider localizing more otome games in the future… or not.
How about you try translating Yuugi Roku for the ds? Its still Hakuoki but its much shorter and really cute! They turn into chibis X3 Well only if you have time and if you’re interested…
Thanks for your hard work though! It was short, but Hakuouki is crazy text heavy and you did a lot by yourself. I’m just glad that its coming in English eventually XD
Good luck with school and everything!
Oh, look. Another person giving up on a translation. Nothing new.
How is she “giving up” on the translation when the official thing is coming out?
It was fun while it lasted no? ;D And I understand what you mean, I’m currently working full time atm as well, incl night and weekend shifts at the airport >.< and it's very tiring, leaving me no social life let alone enough time to watch anime and read manga, and with much of complaining from my friends and the bf~ DX
But I'm happy I was able to help you and be part of this project even though we couldn't finish it.
I'm not going anywhere and you got my fb ^-^ so we'll keep in touch ne!
Oh well, it’s just…kinda sad-funny because…there’s a lot of spanish speaker fans waiting for some updates about the translation since last year, asking me trough email and such (i feel sorry to bring’em this kind of update). Meh, i guess someday i will own a psp xDDD Anyway….I understand your points and fully support them. Wish you luck at any other project too, Nimue :3
You could’ve gotten much farther on your translation projects, not just this but Arabians Lost and the like, if you’d only allowed other people to help you rather than selfishly insist on doing the entire game by yourself. This whole project, right down to your keeping your hacker’s work private against his wishes, has come off as an attempt for you to glorify yourself rather than do something nice for fellow fans.
If you ever decide you want to work on translating otome games as a *group*, rather than foolishly announcing you’ll do the whole thing by yourself and you don’t want any help, I’ll be around.
Arabians Lost is still in the pipelines, but there are no tools for it. Hence no translation work. Melete and I are good friends, so please don’t try to make me out to be some antagonist – he understood my opinion and I understood his. We had a release schedule for his program. Also, when I realised the project was dead because I was taking on more than I could chew I did advertise for help, but no one responded beyond “I took Japanese 101 in college!” Really, I’ve said all this a thousand times before, so just deal with it, honestly. Since I don’t have to do this at all, I don’t feel any particular obligation to do it your way and I do wish people would respect that and have better things to do than make drama on the internet. My next release for this group WILL be a closed group-translation thing if it makes you feel any better. Right now though I’m working on a joint release with another group that I’ll announce once we get something worth releasing (progress is actually going quite well ^^).
This is a bit late but oh well…
I’m sad that this project is done/over with/discontinued but, really, there’s no point in creating a translation when Hakuouki is already getting an official English release, so your decision makes perfect sense! While I’m sad to see this project go, I can’t wait for anything else you decide to consider translating! :3 Everybody else who’s angry and blahblahblah have really no right to be, considering you’re not really dropping it because you have no time or whatever else they’re saying, it’s ’cause… It’s getting an official release. Anyways if you translate Arabian’s Lost I’ll die of happiness!! (Hopefully you’ll get tools :O)
Can’t wait to see what you bring out next!
Though I had hoped to see this translated. I kinda understand the loosing steam and negative comment. I am sorry that I couldn’t really help much besides silently cheering you on on the sidelines. As well as being kinda mellow to see it end. However, I look forward to the project that you’ll next pick up. Don’t lose your spirit! There that those that support you! ^ ^
You do get that they’re only going to be offically releasing the PSP verison, right? Not the DS.
Whoa this is late but thanks for all your efforts. I felt sad while I read this blog entry. And I heard Aksys was translating the game for PSP and not for DS. I mean, not all have PSP. I have a DS and I’d like to have english subs on Hakuouki… Anyway I’m rambling. I hope you are happy wherever you are and do your best in whatever you do. We are with you.
Ah another translation project given up upon. Brought up people hopes (in this case, to the extreme) and dropped like a inebriated koala. I hope all of those people who donated are cutting themselves.