Dark Horse Releases

Funkmasta Zeph

Finely made wine since 1840
Volume 18 was a pleasure to read, not only did I not notice any of the sfx trans, but when I did want to decode the japanese sfx I was able to immediatly reference the trans and continue on without trouble.

Its also nice to see 18 (almost inarguably the most explicit volume in the entire series) completely uncensored.
The entire pagan orgy episode alone is enough to make most companies balk, but DH delivers.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Maybe I should remove some of the offensive material from our past interactions, you know, like the stuff he didn't quote directly (actually, I could even alter that to make it not seem so bad, so he'll think he overreacted at the time). :carcus:

It's funny, that timing still amazes me. When I posted that BS, honestly just to clown around with Rane, it never entered my mind that Chris Warner would actually read it and you know, take offense. Of course, then he showed up at like the exact moment I posted it, so it was already too late to remove it! It honestly started as just a stupid joke that got blown way out of proportion due to circumstance. And of course, my damage control was excellent, "Oh yeah, you don't like it? Well, screw you!"

I still remember the shock as me and Aaz were watching him watching the thread knowing there was no turning back. :idea:
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I remember you came out in full support of me too; in hindsight, probably not such a good idea. :guts:
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith No More! said:
I remember you came out in full support of me too; in hindsight, probably not such a good idea. :guts:
Ugh, I knew you'd take the above post that way. Can't we just laugh about it now? Keeeeyrist.
 

CnC

Ad Oculos
The bewildered and near-mad Casca, former captain of the Band of the Hawk-and former lover of Guts, the Black Swordsman-has been adopted by Midland's pagan cults as a witch, due to her demonic Mark of Sacrifice. But the Holy Iron Chain Knights' campaign to rid the kingdom of heretics by any means necessary puts Casca in mortal danger, and Guts is having none of it. But all parties involved may end up with more than they bargained for as demonic spirits, drawn to Casca's brand, begin to possess the heretics and unleash the forces of hell. But hell hath no fury like the Black Swordsman!

:griff: :void:


... :miura:
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Aside from the cheese-ball last line, and "forces of hell" nonsense, I thought it was a pretty accurate and succinct summary.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Yeah, and I don't even mind the Hell stuff, and that cheesy Black Swordsman line even tickled me. :carcus:

Anyway, why did it take them so long to realize you could just insert the sound effects in small text with a tiny border instead of a gigantic, intrusive white box? Did they not discover the stroke layer feature in photoshop? Oh well, they only ruined like the three most important volumes anyway, right? =)
 
Anyway, why did it take them so long to realize you could just insert the sound effects in small text with a tiny border instead of a gigantic, intrusive white box?

So why didn't you mention it when Chris Warner was trying to figure out what the hell to do, if it was so obvious? Thousands of people read this forum, and tons posted on this topic, yet with all their brains combined, none could come to this solution. A couple of guys at DH figured out what all of them couldn't.
 

CnC

Ad Oculos
Peregrine_Falcon said:
So why didn't you mention it when Chris Warner was trying to figure out what the hell to do, if it was so obvious? Thousands of people read this forum, and tons posted on this topic, yet with all their brains combined, none could come to this solution. A couple of guys at DH figured out what all of them couldn't.

Easy there.. There were plenty of possible solutions brought up. Read the thread. Chris' stance was that this is the way it was going to be and there wasn't any changing it. I'm sure he'd agree he heard quite an earful on the subject.
 
Easy there.. There were plenty of possible solutions brought up. Read the thread.

I knew about the suggested appendix, doing away with the translations all together, and editing the pictures digitally (mentioned by Chris Warner). What I'm saying is that the particular solution, which made everyone happy, that DH came up with was not so obvious to everyone.
 

CnC

Ad Oculos
Peregrine_Falcon said:
What I'm saying is that the particular solution that DH came up with was not so obvious to everyone.

And what I'm saying is that you're giving too much credit for that solution.

-"Hey guys, heres a thought: how about we NOT stamp huge boxes all over the artwork"

-"Genius"
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I appreciate your point Peregrine, we, and I in particular, give Dark Horse a lot of shit and little credit, but when it comes to this specific situation, I don't think it's misgiven. Suggestions were made to Mr. Warner, some of which he followed apparently, like expediting the releases, which I could obviously care less about; I'm more concerned with the quality of what I'll have to live with thereafter than instant gratification. And better suggestions concerning sound translations were made than what he and the guys at DH initially implemented. Those last two points in a nutshell are why I find it so frustrating that they botched volumes 12-14, a view I think you share, before implementing a decent solution. Never should have happened.

Here's Mr. Warner's own summary of suggestions he received, which you alluded to:

Chris Warner said:
Specifically, here's what I've been told we should do with sound effects translations by Berserk readers:

1. re-letter the sound effects in english

2. run small translations right next to the effects

3. only run translations in panel gutters (despite the fact that some pages/panels don't have any)

4. print translations only in an index

5. don't translate effects at all

See? There's nothing to this job!

We're making adjustments to this as we go, but literally, and I ain't kidding, no matter what we do, somebody won't like it.

Where's the suggestion about big white boxes? :???:

Anyway, his point being DH couldn't make everybody happy, but my question was, so their solution was to essentially make everybody unhappy with a worst case scenario? It was a terrible solution, maybe the worst possible and comically so (made for some funny avatars though =), and hindsight hasn't changed that, only made it more clear. Also, the current solution is hardly radical or inventive, they've simply combined points 2 and 3 in tandem, common methods that were already in practice by pros and amateur scanlators alike (they were basically getting shown up by theHawks and EG, not good), I just wish they had done it like that in the first place. So I'm not going to pat them on the back for doing their jobs, and inconsistently at that.

Look, I'm trying to lay off Dark Horse, appreciate that they're the only show in town professionally translating Berserk into English, that they're trying. I acknowledge that, I like the look of the new volumes, and thus it's rekindled my consumer interest; I'm not unreasonable. But, the only way for me to fully enjoy some of their previous volumes is to overlook, or just plain ignore, the major flaws in the presentation. That usually wouldn't be a problem, but some of them have been made literally impossible to overlook (like an Eclipse Ceremony where white boxes attack). Anyway, I can even ignore that, and I will if it comes to it, but my point is, I shouldn't have to, and I'm not going to pretend I like it.
 
And what I'm saying is that you're giving too much credit for that solution.

-"Hey guys, heres a thought: how about we NOT stamp huge boxes all over the artwork"

-"Genius"

I think it was a great solution, but that does not mean that I think they are an ingenious, flawless company and that I love every decision they have made. I agree, the SFX boxes was the worst idea out of all of their options and they were foolish to keep ruining the most important volumes.

I find it so frustrating that they botched volumes 12-14, a view I think you share, before implementing a decent solution. Never should have happened.[...]Also, the current solution is hardly radical or inventive, they've simply combined points 2 and 3 in tandem, common methods that were already in practice by pros and amateur scanlators alike (they were basically getting shown up by theHawks and EG, not good), I just wish they had done it like that in the first place. So I'm not going to pat them on the back for doing their jobs, and inconsistently at that.

I did not know that 2 and 3 were common practices. I still give them a pat on the back because they found and combined these two methods to make the best method for translating sound effects that I hope becomes the standard for translated manga in the future; it was better than anything else suggested here. People can understand what the sound effects are made (a downside to when professionals do not translate at all) and at the same time, the artwork remains intact (a flaw of when professionals digitally edit the image to replace the Japanese with English).

I agree, you shouldn't have to put up with the boxes. As I've said before, they should republish volumes 12-14 with fixed sound effects. I would be more than willing to pay for the new volumes, even though they shouldn't have done it to begin with.

I'll be writing Chris Warner an email. However, I doubt that one letter would sway the company, so I encourage everyone who reads this to do the same. Remember to be polite (but still make sure your criticism comes loud and clear) and concise.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Hmmm, maybe I'll launch some emails about this myself (though I've never gotten more than a courtesy response from DH). After all, if I can take the time to complain, I should at least try to get something changed.

C'mon guys, how about a letter writing campaign to save Volume 13 in America? :carcus:
 
Peregrine_Falcon said:
I hope they use frames for all the upcoming DH Berserk volumes; keeping the cover art at original size really helped (I don't think this metallic color was the best choice though)

Every volume will be a different color.

Here is what volume 19 will look like (I assume): http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Berserk-19/2527416/product.html?ak=1

And for some odd reason, Dark Horse has the cover of volume 21 up, but not those of 19-20...: http://www.darkhorse.com/profile/profile.php?sku=14-356
 
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