Working for Japan Flix, I have quite a bit of experience with subtitling and it’s a complete pain in the ass. For those of you who think subtitling is just translating, you’re 100% wrong.

Often, those of use who can speak two languages look for accuracy when we see translations. That is not how subtitling works though, and it pisses me off to listen to people whine about how the Japanese was “butchered” or the “that’s not what they said” comments.

Christ! They’re different cultures! Of course it’s never going to be perfect.

It’s not supposed to be perfect; it’s supposed to be smooth. Whether that means the character’s subtitles read as how they would talk or the subtitles are short enough for the viewer to read and still be affected by the visual.

I subtitled stuff for NHK and was limited to 1 character (spaces count) per 1/10 of a second. For example, “What are you doing?” has to be on screen for 1.9 seconds even though it may have only taken the actor 1.5 seconds to say it in Japanese and now the scene has ended and the shot has changed. There is no flexibility.

So then I have to pay attention to the placement of the subtitle to try and make sure it doesn’t overlap a cut awkwardly or appears before the actor starts speaking but the priority is always the length. Every character and space gets 1/10 of a second.

In addition, I don’t subtitle shit for your Asiaphile ass. I subtitle it for people like my mom who hates subtitles. Many people find subtitles distracting and annoying.

Here’s a secret…

THEY’RE RIGHT!

Subtitles suck. Since film’s invention, it has been a visual medium and dialogue has always been secondary. Producers and directors don’t think about subtitles when they make the movie. Storyboard artists don’t put subtitles in the storyboards to make sure that they work with the image. Subtitles are the best thing we’ve got though because even more distracting is a live-action dub where the actor’s mouth doesn’t match the words we’re hearing them speak.

Subtitles can be great if we don’t get caught up in the translation. They allow us to experience films we would never have had the opportunity to otherwise. Not to mention, we want more people to be interested in foreign movies so we try and make the subtitles less of an impediment. We want to grow the audience don’t we?

So, next time you read a subtitle and it doesn’t match what’s being said, take it easy and think about the big picture.

Originally penned by critically acclaimed author Minato Kanae and now directed for television by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Shokuzai tells the story of four students who witness the brutal murder of their classmate but cannot remember the killer’s face. “Shokuzai” is Kanae’s third book and the live-action adaptation is Kurosawa’s first work since his 2008 brilliant film, Tokyo Sonata.

The five-episode mini-series premiered on WOWOW recently and really grabbed an audience debuting to rave reviews. One reviewer wrote that Shokuzai “was just awesome in terms of acting, directing and emotion. Kept me glued to the screen and eating up every scene.”

Much of the praise surrounding the series has centered on the acting, muted color scheme, and lack of melodrama. Hopefully we’ll get something from Kurosawa of this quality in the theater soon!

[via Tokyo Hive]

Out in theaters in May is another Oguri Shun movie called Uchu Kyodai or Space Brothers. Seems like I’ve been writing about Oguri Shun a lot lately, with Arakawa Under the Bridge, which hit theaters last weekend, and The Woodsman and the Rain, hitting theaters this weekend. But what can I say? He sure does seem to pick his projects well.

The plot begins with two young brothers making a promise. They will both one day become astronauts together. But come 2025, only one has fulfilled his end of the deal: the younger brother Hibito (Okada Masaki). The older brother Mutta (Oguri) is a failure, recently fired from his company. Things suddenly begin to change however, when Hibito gives Mutta a call with an offer to resume the pursuit of their dreams.

Uchu Kyodai is an adaptation of a tremendously popular manga by the same name. Over 5 million copies of the manga have been sold and it’s the first to ever simultaneously receive the Kodansha Manga Award and Shogakukan Manga Award.

Over ten companies competed for rights to the screen adaptation. Toho, Japan’s biggest studio won and they’re not holding back any punches to make this into a giant, successful blockbuster.

First, we have the cast. Of course, in the lead are established A-list actor, Oguri, and up-and-coming pretty-boy idol from Hana Kimi, Okada. In a supporting role is Tsutsumi Shin’ichi, another of my favorite Japanese actors most recently the lead in Always Sunset on Third Street. Some other names you may recognize include: Aso Kumiko (Moteki), Hamada Gaku (Robo-G), and Shiomi Sansei (Crows Zero).

Second, the special effects are impeccable (from what we see so far), which is not something you can usually say about Japanese films.

And thirdly, they’ve gotten Coldplay’s “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” for their theme song.

If you’re the type of person to be caught watching films at your local art house cinema, you likely won’t be catching Uchu anytime soon. But, if you’re a fan of Japanese blockbusters, you might want to check this out towards the end of the year when the DVD pops up at your favorite t*rrent site.

Uchu Kyodai hits theaters in Japan on May 5th. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t count on a legal distribution of this film on our side of the pond. Leave us a comment about what you think of the trailer and more below. Or follow us on twitter or like us on facebook.

[via Tokyo Hive, Nippon Cinema]

Coming out very soon for streaming rental here on Japan Flix is action-comedy Yakuza Weapon. It’s the latest U.S. release of the infamous production company, Sushi Typhoon. Here’s a quick look into what’s in store for you if you rent this film.

There are all kinds of Japanese movies that make it overseas: from sappy j-dramas to samurai movies, NHK period pieces, and controversial independent cinema. Sushi Typhoon doesn’t do any of that. Their specialty is comically over-the-top special effects and gratuitous violence.

Sushi Typhoon’s films take Japanese stereotypes and push them to the extreme. Take a quick look at their filmography: Helldriver, about a chainsaw-katana wielding girl fighting a zombie infestation; Alien vs Ninja, exactly as the title reads; Mutant Girls Squad, about a group of schoolgirls who realize that they have mutant powers like growing tentacles from their fingertips; and Karate-Robo Zaborgar, about a crime-fighting robot who knows karate.

Yakuza Weapon is about Shozo (Tak Sakaguchi), the son of Japan’s meanest yakuza boss. While he’s overseas, he learns about the death of his father and returns to Japan, only to find that his father’s empire has been taken over by his father’s sneaky subordinate, Kurawaki. Not only has Kurawaki taken what’s rightfully Shozo’s, he doesn’t obey the chivalrous ways of true yakuza. However, when Shozo attempts to get his revenge, Shozo loses his arm and leg in battle. All is not lost, though, because Shozo wakes up in a secret military facility that resurrects Shozo as a yakuza weapon: a machine gun for his right arm and a rocket launcher for his left leg.

On the one hand, some Japanophiles may argue that what Sushi Typhoon does is morally disgusting. They promote a particular image of Japan that isn’t “real.” Violent ninjas and samurai, fetish-ized schoolgirls, excessive bloodshed, and the like aren’t actually the kinds of entertainment mainstream Japanese people consume, let alone accurate portrayals of Japan, past or present.

On the other hand, I argue that Sushi Typhoon is truly loyal to the Japanese spirit. The images of ninjas, samurai, schoolgirls and blood did indeed originate from Japanese artists, albeit from a small niche community. Perhaps Western audiences selected these images and enhanced them to a point where they dominated all other creative works from Japan. But, Japanese artists and creators, fed by these audiences, continued to develop these memes into a truly original, polished, and proud art-form.

Yakuza Weapon is actually a pretty funny, well-paced action film. The special effects and action sequences are not realistic, but that’s now become an intentional, stylistic choice for Sushi Typhoon. But even after all this rhetoric, not everyone is going to appreciate this film. However, I do hope that everyone can get behind the idea that these works are also a distinct product of Japanese culture not to be ashamed about.

You can rent Yakuza Weapon and stream it immediately on Japan Flix very soon. Release date was supposed to be February 7th, but unfortunately, due to problems with video encoding, there have been some slight delays. Keep checking this blog post and the Yakuza Weapon page for updates.