海外大学字幕プロジェクト

In the 7th Session of the GUSP program, students at Düsseldorf’s Heinrich Heine University began their project to create subtitles for the short film The Wandering Plants (2019, dir. Yurina Kaneko).

In a class made of students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, the GUSP participants spoke of their interest in a wide range of Japanese content. Although a little nervous to start off with, the group soon relaxed and enjoyed swapping recommendations for their favorite pieces from a wide range of genres, from hit manga like Detective Conan, Rurouni Kenshin, and Yotsuba to the novels of Haruki Murakami and Shusako Endo.

After a speedy presentation on the basic principles of media translation, the class jumped into a practical translation exercise. The lecturers shared two versions of the same scene from a popular Japanese film: one with professional English subtitles, and the other with amateur subtitles. Students began a lively discussion trying to work out which version was which -- and which version they liked best.

Over the course of the workshop, the students came to an important realization to guide their own media translation work: there’s never one right answer. For subtitles, the emotion and nuance behind a line can be as important as its literal meaning, if not more so. Bringing this out takes research, experience, and creativity on the part of the translator.

Creativity and hard work are equally necessary for media translators. Fortunately, the GUSP students have plenty of both.

For the second session of the GUSP program at Heinrich Heine University, continued their work creating subtitles for Yurina Kaneko’s 2019 short film The Wandering Plants.

Subtitles, the class agreed, should help viewers understand the story. This makes it essential for media subtitlers to deeply understand the stories they translate. Therefore, today’s class began with a group discussion of the film’s plot and structure. But who was the protagonist? What was their drive? Where did the story beats of rising action and climax fall? A lively discussion followed, with different students making a case for their own interpretations and ultimately reaching a consensus.

In the feedback session on their work so far, it was clear that each of the groups had already paid close attention to the nuance of the dialog in their assigned sections. However, the director’s experimental style meant that not even Japanese native speakers agreed on the meaning of all of the lines. These sections took extra levels of effort and interpretation -- and the students enjoyed sharing the logic behind each of their choices.

Take, for example, a scene where the lead character calls herself “hamatteiru” about plants. Depending we interpret her attitude, this could be translated as “interested in”, “obsessed with,” or “addicted to” to name just a few options. Sincere? Self-deprecating? Students looked to the story structure and character arcs discussed earlier to make such calls.

Subtitles are not designed to offer a literal word-for-word translation. However, when translators look at dialog and stories from different angles, they can hit upon fresh ideas that add to the charm of the original work. The chance for students to demonstrate the underlying logic and interpretations behind some of their creative choices made for one of the liveliest GUSP sessions yet.

Session 3 of the GUSP Project at Heinrich Heine University saw the students look at subtitle translation from a new angle: that of the storyteller. As the lecturers explained, small details in the way a fictional character speaks can tell the audience a lot about who they are, how they see the world, and their relationship to other characters. Therefore, it’s incredibly important for subtitles to reflect not just a word-for-word translation, but to translate their unique tone and nuance for a global audience. But what about when this involves cultural references that might fly over a non-Japanese viewer’s head?

For example, a character in Wandering Plants invites his coworker to a date to a brand-name chain restaurant familiar to any Tokyoite -- and when that gets turned down, rather than giving up, he tries another similar chain. But how to get that subtle comedy across to an audience who might not know their Yoshinoyas from their Nakatamas? The students hit upon the idea of the character going from a first offer of “dinner” together to “fast food” -- a great compromise that also matched the rhythm of the original exchange.

Another point saw a character singing along to the theme tune of the Japanese kids’ show classic, Nihon Mukashibanashi. The students considered the dual role of the song in the film. Why had the director chosen this particular children’s song? What role did the lyrics play in the context of the story? They realized their translation had to match both the familiar sing-song scheme of kids’s shows Sesame Street or Doctor Seuss stories, as well as the melancholy and the irony of the protagonist as she sang to herself. Once this clicked, they came up with a great translation that fit the bill for both.

In just a few short weeks, this GUSP class has gone from media translation beginners to serious storytellers through subtitles.

Session 4 of the GUSP Program saw the budding media translators at Heinrich Heine University review each others’ subtitles to ensure that the director’s vision was reflected in the final product. It was in this session, however, that a seemingly simple exchange between two characters revealed an important aspect of Japanese culture.

At the beginning of the film, the protagonist Kanako, a part-time convenience store clerk, tells a customer that if a product is not on the shelf, it is most likely out of stock: “soko ni nakereba, nai” . Translated literally, the statement would seem quite polite in English. However, by the famously deferential standards of Japanese customer service, Kanako’s manner would be considered quite rude. Students realized this opening scene is therefore a key moment in showing the audience Kanako’s awkward yet rebellious personality.

Importantly, this same line is repeated in exactly the same phrasing, right before the film’s climax: “soko ni nakereba, nai.” Its meaning here, however, is very different: in its new context, it refers to the fact that Kanako can’t simply wait for her missing friend. What may have seemed like a throwaway line at the start of the film is actually what spurs her decision to stage a dramatic rescue.

The students were tasked with finding one line, with two meanings, both of which give the audience crucial information to understand the protagonist’s character arc and growth. How did they handle it…? You’ll have to find out for yourself!

In the next GUSP session, students will put the finishing touches on their assigned subtitles and prepare their work for the official release. We can’t wait!

The GUSP students have been putting their skills to work for five sessions, bringing us to the last workshop of the program! But even in putting the finishing touches on the credits sequence, our groups found plenty of room to stretch their creative translation muscles.

The lyrics to the Walking Plants ending theme are vague and atmospheric, making it hard even for native speakers to understand the Japanese nuances. In some ways, this song marked the culmination of the challenges GUSP faced along the way.

The students agreed that rather than a word-for-word translation, it was important that the poetry and sincerity of the original lyrics come through – leading to some lively discussions. The students stretched their creative muscles, making decisions on their approach early on – such as deciding that they didn’t want to repeat the same phrase twice. After experimenting with different approaches the groups decided on a fresh and poignant translation that matched their interpretation of the song.

In the final session, this brought students to one of the main take-home messages of the GUSP project. When it comes to subtitle translation, there’s usually no one right answer. It’s a creative and interpretative process, and the more angles you look at a problem from, the more answers present themselves.

The Heinrich Heine University students’ English finished subtitles will appear for The Wandering Plants, premiering as part of the world’s largest Japanese-language film festival, Nippon Connection (June 9 - June 14). Streaming online to homes around the world for 2020, the Nippon Connection catalog is a rare treat for fans of Japanese media. Don’t miss out on their hard work bringing you the best in Japanese independent cinema!