Illusion of Gaia Translation Commentary Part 26: The End

The day of reckoning long foretold

The usual disclaimers, for the final time:

I’m an amateur. My advantage over the original translation is that I have no deadline pressure, and I have the modern internet to help me. I’m assuredly wrong about some of my translations.

Translation is hard. When I point out a mistranslation, it’s not a judgment of the original translators. They had a deadline and poor resources.

Please no jokes in the comments about Karen being a Karen. I really hate that trend.

Notation reminder:
JP: Original Japanese
T: My translation
OE: Original English

Proceeding through the Tower of Babel, you’ll come upon a skeleton:

JP: 古ぼけた　しかばねが　一つ 静かに　横たわっている．．．
そのとき　頭の中に 聞き覚えのある声が語りかけてきた。
T: A weathered corpse lies quietly, alone.
At that moment, a familiar voice spoke in my head.
OE: One worn-out body is quietly laid down…
In his head, a familiar voice speaks.

JP: テム。　私だよ。 お前の父　オールマンだ。
肉体は　くち果てたが 私は　こうして生き続けている．．
T + OE: Tim/Will. It’s me, Olman/Allman, your father.
My body has decayed, but I live on like this…

JP: テム：　と　とうさんっ！ どうして　そんな　姿にっ！！！
バベルの塔は　不思議な空間。 内部は　すい星の光で　満ちている。
T: Tim: F… Father! Why do you look like that!?
The Tower of Babel is a mysterious place. Its interior is filled with the light of the comet.
OE: Will: Father! Why are you in that form!!!
There’s a strange room in the Tower of Babel, filled with the light of the comet.

空間 (kuukan) can mean room, but it can also mean space. He’s talking about the whole Tower, not a single room. This is the same thing the wisps outside were saying.

JP: 時が　数百倍の速さで流れ 中にいる者は　すさまじい速度で 進化してゆく．．．
テム： じゃあ　ぼくと　カレンは どうして　生きていられるのっ？！
T: Time flows several hundred times faster. Anyone who goes in evolves at an absurd rate.
Tim: Then how come Karen and I can survive here?
OE: Time goes so fast there that people evolve very quickly…
Will: Why are Kara and I able to live?!

JP: テムの父： それは　お前たちも　進化した人間 だからだ。
カレン： あたしたちが．．．．？
T: Tim’s father: That’s because you two are evolved humans.
Karen: We are?
OE: Will’s father: Because you two are evolved humans.
Kara: Us…?

JP: テムの父： はるかむかし　すい星から 放たれる光を使った　バイオ技術が あって、
人々は　その力を使い 自由に　動植物を　作りだしていた。
T: Tim’s father: Long ago, biological technology was made using the comet’s light.
People were using that power as they liked to make plants and animals.
OE: Will’s father: Long ago there existed biological technology using the light of the comet.
People freely used the power to make plants and animals.

JP: 例えば　ラクダが　長期間 飲まず食わずで　生きていられるのは さばくを　移動する　乗り物として 作られたからだ。
やがて　人は　この力を　兵器として 利用できることに気づき、 まものが　次々と　生みだされた。
T: For example, they made the camel to act as a vehicle that could go long periods of time without food or water in the desert.
Before long, people realized they could use that power as a weapon. Monsters were created, one after another.
OE: For example, they made the camel. It can go for long periods without food or water.
When people realized the power could be used as a weapon, demons were developed.

JP: まもなく　世界は はめつのききに　おちいった．．．
そのとき　人類の存亡を　かけて 作り出された　光とヤミの戦士。 それがお前たちの　先祖なのだ。
T: Soon the world was on the brink of ruin.
At that time, with mankind’s existence at stake, the Light and Dark Warriors were created. Those were your ancestors.
OE: The world was on the brink of ruin…
At that time, the Knights of Darkness and Light were developed to decide the fate of humanity.
They are your ancestors.

JP: そして　６つのミステリードールこそ 光とヤミの戦士を　作り出したもの。
さあ　最後の一つ 命の　ミステリードールを　お前に たくそう。
T: It was the 6 Mystery Dolls that created the Light and Dark Knights.
Here. I entrust the 6th Mystery Doll to you.
OE: The six Mystic Statues were made by the Knights.
The last Mystic Statue is entrusted to you.

Well, that’s different. But there’s no question. The OE got it backwards. Mystery Doll modifies the word こそ (koso), which emphasize the previous word. It’s kind of like saying in particular or specifically. Light and Dark Knights is the noun phrase in front of the direct object marker を (o). The verb is 作り出した (tsukuridashita - created/developed/produced). Altogether, The Mystery Dolls in particular created the Light and Dark Knights.

That makes sense. It ties everything back to the attract screen.

Let’s go back in time to the first post in the series.

T: Among [the ruins] were strange statues. They were so invariably said to be good that people thought they were effigies of gods.
What exactly did the gods mean to the ancients? The ruins, standing quietly, tell us not.

If the Mystic Statues were effigies of gods, then it’s totally random that they were created by the Knights. Like, “By the way, the Knights were really religious”?

But if the Mystic Statues really are gods, or powerful aliens, then they used their powers to create the Knights in the world’s time of need.

Anyway, we get the 6th MacGuffin, yay.

Tim’s dad continues:

JP: もうじき　すい星が　大接近する。 お前たちは　それまでに　塔の屋上へ ゆかねばならない。 さあ　静かに目を閉じなさい．．．
T: The comet draws very near. You must get to the top of the tower before then. Stay calm and close your eyes.
OE: Soon the comet will be very close.
By then, the two of you must go to the roof of the tower. Close your eyes….

We’re warped to a new location.

JP: テムの父： かつて　古代人たちは　すい星を 神とあがめた。
すい星の光を　あびたものには 不思議な力が　やどったからだ。
T: Tim’s father: Once upon a time, the ancients revered the comet as a god.
Anything bathed in the comet’s light receives a mysterious power.
OE: Will’s father: The ancients worshipped the comet as a spirit.
Those who bathed in the comet’s light were given a strange power.

JP: 人の心に　悪が　あるかぎり あらゆる　まものが　生み出されて しまう。
さあ　テム　目をこらして まわりを　見てみなさい。
T: As long as there is evil in people’s hearts, all kinds of monsters will be born.
Tim, look at your surroundings very carefully.
OE: As long as people have evil hearts, demons will be born.
Will, open your eyes and look around.

目をこらす (meokorasu) means to strain one’s eyes or look closely, rather than open one’s eyes. Presumably Tim had already opened his eyes.

Karen has nothing to say in either version.

And Tim’s father won’t say much more until you’ve chatted up some wisps.

JP: テムの父： さあ　彼らと　話しておいで。
T: Tim’s father: Go on, speak to them.
OE: Will’s father: I need to talk to you.

Weird mistranslation. He even uses the word 彼ら (karera - they).

JP: ニールの母： 現実世界を　ながめることはできても ふれることはできない．．．
ニールが　どんなに困っていても もう　手をかしてあげることは できないのね．．．
T: Neil’s mother: I can see the real world, but not touch it.
No matter what kind of trouble Neil gets in, I won’t be able to lend a hand.
OE: Neil’s mother: Even if I can see the real world, I can’t touch it.
No matter how difficult it may get, I can’t help you.

JP: モリス： さあ　テム　ひさしぶり。
T: こんな世界が　あったなんて．．． これを　学会で　発表したら ぼくは　学者になれるだろうなあ。
T: Morris: Hey, Tim. Long time, no see.
To think such a world existed. If I could present this at an academic conference, I’d prove to be quite the scholar.
OE: Seth: Ah, Will. It’s been a long time.
Such a world. If I could talk of this at an academy I’d be a great scholar.

Uh, hey Morris, weren’t you a fish last time we talked? Did the fish version of you die too? Or are you able to split your consciousness between Fish Morris and Tower of Babel Spirit Morris?

I don’t know what he means by such a world. The spirit world? The afterlife? Or is he just talking about the great view?

JP: ニールの父： ええい．．． ニールは　何を　やっておるっ！
あいつには　ローレック株式会社を もっともっと　大きくしてもらわねば ならんのじゃ。
T: Neil’s father: Ugh. What is Neil doing!?
He’s supposed to be making the Rolek Corporation grow even bigger.
OE: Neil’s father: Neil… What are you doing!!
I want him to make the Role Company grow bigger and bigger.

Neil’s dad is mad that Neil is trying to end the slave trade, even if it hurts the company? I’m wondering if Neil’s parents weren’t evil before some evil spirits pretended to be them.

JP: 肉体が　なくなり　私は 不老不死の　生物となった。 すい星の光による　進化によって 永遠の命を　手に入れたのだ。
だが　果てることのない命に いったい　何の　意味があろうか。 不治の病に　おびえていたころの方が よほど　じゅうじつしていたな．．
T: When my body died, I became a perpetually young being. The evolution from the comet’s light gave me immortality.
But what kind of meaning is there in a life that doesn’t end? I felt more fulfilled when I was scared of a terminal illness.
OE: With my body gone, I became forever young. From the comet’s light, I gained immortality.
But is there meaning in eternal life? I felt more alive when I had a terminal disease.

Hey, look, it’s the guy I effectively killed by cheating in a game of death I had no good reason to play. But it’s ok, because he thinks that death gives meaning to life!

Click for direct link

Anyway…

JP: ペギー： ブヒブヒッ！！
テム： そうか　体がなくなっちゃえば 人も動物も　区別なんか ないんだな．．．
T: Piggy: Oink oink!
Tim: I see. Once a body dies, there’s no difference between humans and animals.
OE: Hamlet: Oink oink!!
Will: Of course. There’s no difference between humans and animals…

JP: テムの父： いよいよ　その時が　近づいてきた。
さあ　みんな。 テムに　力を　かしてやってくれ！
T + OE: Tim’s/Will’s father: At last the time is near.
Everyone. Give Tim/Will your power!

All of the wisps converge on Tim:

I guess they’re inside me now? Seems fine.

JP: テムと　カレンの　心が重なったとき 光とヤミが　一つになったとき そこに　大いなる力が生まれる．．
光とヤミの戦士が　ここに 数千年の時を越えて　よみがえり、 ヤミの戦士の　究極の力 ファイアバードが　やどった！！
T: When Tim and Karen’s spirits joined, and light and dark became one, a great power was born.
For the first time in thousands of years, the Light and Dark Knights were resurrected, and the Dark Knight’s ultimate power, the Firebird, resides within them!
OE: When Will and Kara joined and became one with the Light Knight, a great power was born…
The Knights were brought forth. The Dark Knight’s ultimate power, the Firebird, was released!

The Mystery Dolls start spinning around Tim as he turns into Shadow.

The game still hasn’t made it clear why I needed these things. Did they unlock Firebird? Did they allow Shadow to fly in space?

JP: お前たちの　戦いが　地球の運命を 変える。
さあ　いきなさい。 すい星へっ！！！
T: This battle the two of you fight will change the fate of the earth.
Now, it’s time to go. Off to the comet!
OE: Your battle will change the fate of humanity.
Now you must go to the comet!!

Shadow zooms out into space and flies there for a little while.

He eventually lands on the comet, which has a giant freaky face on it that you have to fight.

But it’s an extremely easy fight. After that is Dark Gaia, the final boss. It’s also an easy fight if you know what to do. If not, it’s kind of a pain.

During both of these fights, every time you a attack, a flaming bird shoots out from Shadow. You have an infinite use projectile attack for these fights only. Both of them require waiting a while for the boss to make itself vulnerable. The secret to both fights is the invincibility frames you can get from the Aura Orb. In the first fight, you don’t have to dodge a thing if you use the Orb. The invincibility frames last about as long as the boss’s only attack. In the second fight, you have to periodically block attacks, but for its strongest attack, you can just Aura Orb to safety.

Once defeated, its face melts and it explodes in a flash of light.

Neat.

And that’s it. When the flashing is done, you lose control.

The ending is mostly text boxes. The text displays on screen slowly and you can’t advance the text manually. The US version is annoying because the ending text does something that I’ve only seen once or twice in the game, previously: the text scrolls down as it appears, rather than appearing in multiple text boxes. This made capturing screenshots a pain. You’ll see what I mean.

Meanwhile, the Japanese version is annoying because the text box is transparent so you can see the neat planet graphic in the background. It looks cool, but it makes the text hard to read. It would work if all of the characters had colored text that contrasted strongly against blue, but they don’t. I had to zoom in super close on a few screenshots.

The planet graphic is different in both games. You can see it in all the upcoming JP screenshots, but not in the US screenshots, since the text box is in the way. Here’s a screenshot without text for comparison:

The US planet is the same one used in the title screen. The moon has been taken out completely, and it’s been made bigger, greener, and cloudier.

JP: カレン： すい星は　どうなったのかしら．．？
あの　青くかがやいている星は いったい？
T: Karen: What’s happened to the comet?
And what in the world is that shining blue thing?
OE: Kara: What’s happened to the comet…?
That glowing green planet?

青い (aoi) in Japanese means blue or green. The planet’s mostly ocean and therefore mostly blue. But they added some green to the planet in the US version. I’m not sure I’d call it a mistranslation. But it’s still mostly blue.

She asks what the 星 (hoshi) is. This word can mean almost any kind of astral body, planet or star. I substituted with thing since I believe that, if Karen recognized it as a planet, she’d recognize it as her own planet. I think it’s supposed to be ambiguous.

JP: テムの父： すい星は　その力を失った。
あくまの星は　今 宇宙の彼方へ　飛び去ろうと しているのだ．．．
T: Tim’s father: The comet has lost its power.
The devil star is now flying away to the other side of the universe.
OE: Will’s father: The comet’s power has disappeared.
The evil star has flown off to the other side of the universe…

JP: テム。 あの　暗やみに　うかんでいる 青い星が　何だか　わかるか？
テム： あれが　ぼくたちの星．．．？
T: Tim, do you know what that blue planet is, suspended in the darkness?
Tim: Is that our planet?
OE: Will. Do you know what planet that is, glowing there in the darkness?
Will: Our Earth…?

This is what I meant about the text scrolling. 4 lines of text in a dialogue box that can only hold 3 lines means I need 2 screenshots to catch everything.

JP: テムの父： そう。　あれが　我々の星　地球だ。
さばくのオアシスのように　見える だろう？
T: Tim’s father: That’s right. It’s our planet, earth.
Doesn’t it look like a desert oasis?
OE: Will’s father: That’s right. Our Earth.
Doesn’t it look like a desert oasis?

Uh. No? No, it doesn’t look like a desert oasis at all. Can this spirit wisp thingy actually see? I mean, he doesn’t have eyes anymore.

JP: カレン： 地球って　あんなに　きれいだった のね。
でも　ヤミお中にぽつんと光ってて なんだか　さびしそう．．．
T: Karen: Earth looks so beautiful.
But seeing it shining isolated in the darkness, it looks kind of lonely.
OE: Kara: It’s never seemed so beautiful.
But it looks lonely shining in the dark…

JP: 不思議な声：　そうよ。 地球は　さみしかっているの。
テム： かあさんっ！？
T: Mysterious voice: Yes. The earth is lonely.
Tim: Mother!?
OE: Strange Voice: Yes. The world is awakened.
Will: Mother?!

Hard to see where they got awakened in the OE. She says the earth is さみしかっている (samishikatteiru), a conjugated form of さみしい (samishii), which itself is a variant of the word さびしい (sabishii). It means lonely, solitary, or desolate. Maybe the fact that it’s a variant threw them off? But I don’t know what word they mixed it up with.

JP: テムの母：　地球はね。 何億人という　子供をもった お母さんなの。
テムは　時々　あたしたちのことを 思い出してくれるし　カレンだって ご両親を想うことがあるでしょう？
T: Tim’s mother: Think about the earth. It’s a mother who has had hundreds of millions of children.
Tim, I’m sure you think of us sometimes. And Karen, you must think about your parents too.
OE: Will’s mother: The Earth. A mother with millions of children.
I’m sure you think about us sometimes, and Kara often thinks about her parents.

JP: 地球だって同じ。 子供に　忘れられたら　さびしい ものよ。
T + OE: The Earth is the same way. She gets lonely if her children forget about her.

JP: テムの父：　どうした？　二人とも？ 自分たちの　住んでいた星を　外から ながめた　気分は？
T: Tim’s father: How does it feel, you two? To be looking at the planet we live on from the outside?
OE: Will’s father: How is it, you two? Looking at the world you live in from the outside?

JP: カレン： あたしたち　まるで 神様に　なってみたい．．．
T: It’s as if we’ve become gods.
OE: Kara: It’s as if we’d become spirits…

I know they had to do religious censorship, but it sure makes the dialogue sound weird sometimes. Spirits aren’t particularly known for looking down at all of creation. Also, we’re talking to two spirits, right in front of us.

JP: テム： ロブたちにも　見せてあげたい．．．
いや　世界中の人に　この景色を 見せてあげたいよ．．．
T: Tim: I wish I could show Rob and the others.
No, I wish I could show this scene to everyone in the world.
OE: Will: I want to show all of our group…
No, I want to show everyone in the world…

JP: テムの父： 人類は　いずれ　宇宙へ行く船を 自分たちの力で　　作り出す。
そして　この　 青い地球を 自分たちの目で　見ることになる だろう。
T: Tim’s father: Someday, mankind will invent ships with the power to explore the cosmos.
Then they’ll finally be able to see the blue earth with their own eyes.
OE: Will’s father: Someday people will build ships to travel the universe.
Then they will see this green Earth with their own eyes.

JP: その時　テムや　カレンと 同じように　さびしそうな顔をした 地球に　気がついてほしいものだ。
テムの父：　ほら。 お前のもっている　世界地図を よく　見てごらん。
T: When that time comes, I hope that they realize how lonely the earth looks, similar to how you two do right now.
Tim’s father: Hey. Take a look at your map of the world.
OE: See how lonely the Earth looks, just like the two of you.
Will’s father: Look carefully at your map of the world.

JP: テム： あっ。 地図の形が　変わり始めてるっ！
T + OE: Tim/Will: Ah! The map has started to change!

The map changes in a series of stages. Here are the US stages:

The final maps in JP and US versions look different:

JP: テム： 陸地が　なんだか　変な形に なっちゃった。
テムの父： それが　新しい世界だよ。
カレン：新しい世界？
T + OE: Tim/Will: Somehow the land has taken on a strange shape.
Tim/Will’s father: That’s the new world.
Karen/Kara: New world?

JP: テムの父： これまで　生き物は　すい星の力で 誤った進化を　続けてきた。
地球も　ひとつの　生命。 同じように　進化し　その姿が 変わっていたのさ。
T: Tim’s father: Up to now, the comet’s power has continuously led evolution astray.
The earth is also a living thing. It has evolved in a similar way and has changed its shape.
OE: Will’s father: The path of evolution, changed by the comet, has continued until now.
The Earth, too, has a life. It, too, has evolved and changed its shape.

JP: すい星の力が　およばなくなった今 世界は　本来の姿に　もどったと いうわけだ。
T: Now that the comet’s power can no longer reach it, the world has returned to its original form.
OE: Now that the comet has no influence on the world, it’s returned to its original condition.

JP: テム： 父さんも　母さんも　どうして 未来のことまで　知ってるの？
テムの父： 私は　肉体を　失ったとき すべてが見えるようになったのだ。
T: Tim: Mom and dad, how do you know so much about the future?
Tim’s father: When I lost my body, I started to see everything.
OE: Will: Why do you two know the future?
Will’s father: When I lost my body, I started seeing everything.

JP: 過去のことも　未来のことも そして　人類の　たどる道もね。
人は　こういう体を 神と　呼ぶのかも　しれない。
T: I could see the past, the future, the whole path humanity was treading.
People might call this kind of body a god.
OE: The past. The future. Humanity’s progress.
Maybe people would call this kind of body a spirit.

Censorship once again makes weird dialogue. Yeah, obviously it’s a spirit, who wouldn’t call it that?

JP: テムの母：　とにかく テムも　カレンも　これで ふつうの子供に　もどれるのよ。
もう　こわい　思いは　しなくて いいの。
T: Tim’s mother: At any rate, you and Karen can now become ordinary children again.
You don’t have to be scared anymore.
OE: Will’s mother: Now you and Kara can become ordinary children again.
Don’t be afraid.

JP: カレン： 地球に　もどったら　あたしたち はなればなれに　なっちゃうの？
テムの父：そうだ．．． 地球も変わるし　人も　歴史も すべてが　新しい道を歩み始める。
T: Karen: When we return to earth, are we going to be separated?
Tim’s father: Yes. The world is changing. People, history, everything have started to walk down a new path.
OE: Kara: When we return to Earth, will we be separated?
Will’s father: Yes… The world is changing. Humanity and history, have started down a new path.

JP: お前たちは　たとえ どこからの　街角で　出会っても おたがい　気づかないだろう．．．
だが　地球が　光とヤミの戦士を 必要としたとき　お前たちは 再び　めぐりあうかもしれんな。
T: Were you two to pass on some street corner, I doubt you’d notice each other.
But, should the world need the Light and Dark Knights, perhaps you’d meet again by chance.
OE: You two thought nothing of it when you met each other in South Cape.
But when the Earth needed the Light and Dark Knights, you met again unexpectedly.

OE changes all of this to be past tense about what just happened. Tim’s dad is talking about what may happen in the future, when these two are inhabiting a world with a radically different history. Which makes sense in the context of Karen’s question. He’s saying that the world could conspire to make them meet again.

This seems like a deliberate change—there’s nothing about South Cape at all in the JP.

JP: さあ　すい星の力が　消えないうちに 地球へ　向かいなさい。
テムの母： 二人に　すてきな未来が　訪れると いいわね．．．
T: Come on, head back to earth before the comet’s power is extinguished.
Tim’s mother: We hope you you two have a wonderful future.
OE: Let’s look at the world before the power of the comet is extinguished.
Will’s mother: We hope you two have a bright future…

Tim’s father asks us to 向かいなさい (mukainasai) which can mean face, but can also mean head towards. The latter is the only choice that makes sense. Shadow is made from the comet’s power, so Tim will lose the ability to transform shortly.

JP: カレン：テム．．． こっちへ　きて．．． そして　顔を　よっく見せて．．．
しっかりと　心に　焼きつけて おきたいの。
T: Karen: Tim, come closer. Show me your face.
I want to burn it firmly in my mind.
OE: Kara: Will… Come here…. Show me your face…
I want to burn you into my memory.

I’m glad I’m translating something that’s already been translated, to give me hints, because I would have had a hard time figuring out that 焼 kanji in the second dialogue box. This transparent dialogue box in JP was such a bad idea.

JP: テムの目も　鼻も　口も カミの毛も　声も 手のぬくもりも．．．
テム：　心配　しなくていいよ。 ぼくは　カレンのことを　必ず さがしだすからさ。
T: Your eyes, your nose, your mouth, your hair, your voice, the warmth of your hands…
Tim: Don’t worry. I am going to find you, Karen.
OE: Your eyes Your nose Your mouth Your hair Your voice The warmth of your hand….
Will: Don’t worry. I will search you out.

JP: たとえ　何年　かかっても、 １００年かかっても　１０００年 かかっても　必ず　むかえにいく。
だから　安心して．．． そして　目を　閉じて．．．．
T: No matter how many years it takes. If it’s 100 years or 1000 years, I am going to come to you.
So don’t worry. Now, close your eyes.
OE: No matter how long it takes. Hundreds of years… Thousands of years… I will come to you.
So take care… Close your eyes…

JP: カレン： テム．．．．．．
テム： さあ　行くよ。 地球へ．．．．
カレン： うん．．．．．
T: Karen: Tim…
Tim: Come on, let’s go. Back to earth.
Karen: Yeah…
OE: Kara: Will….
Will: Let’s go. To Earth….
Kara: Mmmm….

うん (un) is a super common Japanese word. It can mean mmmm or hmmm or similar sounds, but it frequently means yes or uh-huh or mmhmm. Short approvals or noises of agreement. That’s clearly what’s meant here. She’s agreeing with Tim that it’s time to go.

The OE translation of the ending has been pretty good. I’ve only caught a handful of mistranslations, and they’re minor. None of them have stopped the important points from getting through. This one is the same; it’s not important.

But I do think it’s funny that this, the last line of (non-narration) dialogue spoken by any of this game’s characters, is mistranslated.

Anyway, the two heroes get close to each other, transform into Shadow again, and fly back to earth.

Earth looks pretty different now!

This time the dialogue box is transparent in both games, but it’s fine. The background is dark enough that everything’s visible.

JP: 地球は　その　よそおいを　大きく 変えたが　あかね色にそまった世界は あいかわらず　美しかった。
森が　ビルの群れになり 川が　車の流れに　変わっても 町の中は人々の笑顔であふれている。
T: The earth’s guise had changed massively, but the crimson tinted world was as beautiful as before.
Even though forests became clusters of buildings and rivers became streams of cars, towns were still filled with smiling faces.
OE: The Earth’s look had changed, but, glowing in the sky, it was as beautiful as ever.
Buildings replaced the forests, rivers became roads, but the villages held only smiling faces.

This is a reference to what the dreamer told Tim in Angkor Wat. Flashback:

T: It’s merely that trees were replaced by towering buildings, and flowing rivers replaced by a flow of cars.
No matter what kind of world people are in, if they think they are happy, then they are happy.

JP: ただ　地球だけが　一人ぼっちで さびしそうに見えた。
明日の朝　目覚めたときには ぼくや　カレンの 新しい生活が　はじまる。
T: The earth is the only one who looked isolated and lonely.
Tomorrow morning, when we wake up, Karen and I will start our new lives.
OE: But the Earth was the only one that looked sad.
Tomorrow morning Kara and I will start our new lives.

JP: これからの　地球の未来を すべて　知っているかのように １９９３年の　バベルの塔は 空高く　そびえていた．．．
T: The Tower of Babel in 1993 rose high in the sky, as if knowing the entire future of the earth.
OE: The Tower of Babel stands tall, as if it knows the whole future of the Earth…

Roll credits!

The credits are entirely in English in both games. At the end, there’s a cute scene in which Karen scoots in a little closer to Tim.

But we’re not quite done. There’s a brief epilogue. Tim is seen wearing different clothes and a backpack, standing in a school:

JP: 今日の　授業は　ここまでに しましょう。
近ごろ　交通じこが　ふえています。 みんな　車に　気をつけて かえるのですよ。
T: Let’s end today’s lessons here.
There have been a lot of traffic accidents recently. Everyone, please be wary of cars.
OE: Class is over.
Please be careful crossing the street.
We have had a lot of traffic accidents lately.

I think it’s cool that the OE used all that negative space at the bottom instead of a dialogue box. Great idea.

And from the left, some of Tim’s friends come running up as the screen fades to sepia and the music that plays in most of the game’s towns starts up.

Hey, Morris is there! He’s alive! That means when we changed earth’s history, we also changed all the horrible stuff that Tim has done, or that has been done indirectly because of Tim. No grave robbing! No getting his friend killed! No turning in an escaped slave and possibly killing the guy who helped the slave! No cheating at a life-or-death gambling game using psychic powers against an opponent who wouldn’t have died that night if Tim hadn’t played! No taking a bunch of valuable animals from his widow! Hooray!

I doubt Tim’s parents are alive, since they ascended to godhood and all. But I choose to believe that little Piggy is doing just fine and was definitely not raised, tortured, and slaughtered in a factory farm.

…

Ahem. Sorry to end on such a grim note. Over 22,000 English words and over 2500 screenshots per game version later, this Illusion of Gaia retranslation is complete. The next post will contain some of the biggest highlights.