I have translated the original Japanese version of Rosetta's Storybook from Super Mario Galaxy and will be comparing each page with the English localization.
The differences between each version often speak for themselves, but I will add some commentary where needed.
I recommend reading my translation in its entirety if you're a fan of Rosetta as a character and want to know a more accurate version of her.
Because there are some parts that underwent some pretty significant changes, but you can judge that for yourself.
2.
In Rosetta's Storybook, and also in the rest of Super Mario Galaxy, the word star (星) is used the describe a whole array of things from asteroids, to
planets etc. Although in the localized version, they went out of their way to differentiate these things (translate it to asteroid instead of star, translate it to planet instead of star etc).
Chico are born to become stars, and in the world of Super Mario Galaxy, a star can be many different things. So despite seeing them all transform into wildly different things throughout the games, it doesn't change the fact that they've become "stars". The incorrect translation becomes a problem again later in Rosetta's Storybook, so I will touch upon this again later.
By the way, in the Japanese version, this is the only page in the entire book where they actually use the word planet (惑星).
3.
The fact that Rosetta is rubbing her tummy was removed. Criminal.
4.
And here we see some changes made just the sake of making changes.
The localization added the fact that she brought a telescope, a stuffed bunny and a butterfly net to the text here.
But you can look at the picture and know that she's bringing them with her. No need to alter the text.
They're just treating the readers as idiots here.
Also:
-Rye bread was changed to bread
-Raspberry jam was changed to jam
5.
They removed her remark regarding her own carelessness.
They also changed her hanging her head in shame to her pouting.
6.
In the original, Rosetta actually gets annoyed by the Chico's statement, and retorts with a sarcastic line accusing the Chico of not being capable of laughter.
But in the localization, Rosetta's retort is completely gone. Not only that, but the sentence that's supposed to annoy her actually cheers her up.
A totally incomprehensible change. She's also not supposed to cheer up until the next page.
7.
8.
9.
The fact that the butterfly net Rosetta is using used to belong to her younger brother was removed from the localized version.
They just say that it's "her butterfly net" now.
They also never specify that her he's her "younger" brother. Another piece of information left out.
2.
As you can see, in the original they call it a star. But in the localization they specify it as a comet.
This star they're standing on doesn't even become a comet until a later chapter, so it's quite a stupid change.
Also, the color of the star was changed from emerald green to turquoise blue.
3.
4.
5.
They removed the mention of Rosetta's butt. Which is criminal.
They also removed another entire line of her dialogue in which she remarks how it's a shame that the Chico's mother wasn't here.
6.
The chico doesn't actually remark that he's good at finding stardust in the original.
7.
The line "It's almost like Heaven" was completely removed in the localization.
You know how localizers are. "We can't be having icky words like heaven or praying, better remove them."
Which reminds me. That starting planetoid in the game, which you can later revisit, is called "Heaven's Door Galaxy"
in the Japanese version. But they localized it as "Gateway Galaxy". So they're pretty consistently removing any mention
of the word "Heaven".
8.
The chico being "despondent" is completely made up in the localization.
It might have been, but it sure wasn't in the original text.
9.
10.
Here's another major change.
In the original, Rosetta vows to become the Chico's mother, but in the localization, she simply says that she will take care of it.
The localizers might have had a problem with a little girl wanting to become a mother. It would make sense, given how those idiots are triggered by everything.
5.
They added the "grassy hill with flowers" part in the localization, originally it just says hill.
6.
While true that she used to live there, she doesn't actually say that she did in this specific sentence in the original.
7.
8.
In the original, she talks about climbing up the hill on snowy days.
In the localization she mentions sliding down it.
Both happened obviously, but that's not a reason to change the sentence needlessly.
9.
I like to keep 弁当 as bentou.
10.
11.
12.
She doesn't actually say that she wants so see her mother here in the Japanese version.
2.
This scene happens right after where it left off at the end of chapter 7, but the localization makes it
seem like it's happening on a much later date.
Not only that, but what the Chico is saying here was completely changed.
It's saying that mother is here with them. So, "Mama, you still have me" is totally wrong.
3.
A lot of extra words were added to the Chico's dialogue here. Like the don't be sad part, and the she'll always be close part.
4.
In the localization, the Chico says that stardust reminds it of its mother, but in the original it actually says that
stardust is a part of mother.
In the Japanese version, the Chico talks of "mother" here without specifying whether it's referring to it's own mother or
Rosetta's mother. But that's done on purpose. They didn't keep this in the localization.
5.
6.
Changing "I will make your wish come true" to "I have an idea" is a very incomprehensible change.
Though to be fair, all of these changes are.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
In the original, she doesn't understand what's happening, but in the localization she's just wondering how it transformed.
13.
I said I would touch upon it again, but here's another problem which translating star to a whole bunch of other things.
The result being that they have to do a lengthy explanation in the localized version of this page.
This could have been avoided if they just used to correct terms.
14.
15.
For some reason, the blue Chico calls the transformed Chico a "cutie" in the localized version, instead of saying that
it's happy like in the original.
Also don't think too much about the fact that I used "he" here. Its sex is not specified, but it seemed
kind of strange for those of the same race to refer to eachother with "it", so I used "he" as a stopgap measure.
5.
The most important detail here that was left out in the localizaton is that they removed the fact that Rosetta and the
Chico would be in another Cycle by the time they wake up.
Also, the part about the comet "traveling toward planets" is not in the original at all.
6.
7.
In the original, Rosetta breaks the 4th wall, and talks directly to the reader.
Telling the reader that it might be their world she visits next.
But in the localization they just completely remove this. And make her say "an entirely new world".
Every cycle she goes to is already a new world, so making her say something like this is very confusing to the
reader of the localized version, who wouldn't know any better.
8.
They completely remove the fact that she's praying here in the localization. For the same reason they
removed the "it's almost like heaven" line from an earlier chapter. It made the localizer feel icky.
Also, I'm sure you've noticed by now, but they're translating 巡り (Cycle) to "Journey" which is highly confusing.
It's very clear that she's about to transcend space and time to reach a place outside of her current Cycle.
But the reader of the localized version might not come to this conclusion because of all the information that's
been left out.
