GG3 - Part 3, and Progress Report

Ganbare Goemon (English) - Part 3



This one was released only 16 and a half hours after the last one, on the morning of January 29, 2008. I'm just going to say right off the bat that this video has some of my favorite jokes so far, and that's probably why it was released so soon after the last one. I was really excited to share it. Of course, I'll go into more detail about my favorite jokes later.

Again, this one was pretty easy to translate, so I'm just gonna jump in to the scene analysis.

Scene 13: The Time Warp

Bismaru: Strong...they’re too strong...The great and clever Bismaru was charmed by someone else for once. But I guess you can’t blame him. I still have to take Omitsu away, though, because Lord Jurokubei ordered it. Bismaru pod, time warp! Until we meet again, farewell!
Sasuke: Ooh! He made a time warp!
Yae: Hoo hoo...He’s got a lot of nerve, running away!
Sasuke: Impact, time warp!
Yae: Phew...somehow, we’re okay. Eh? Something’s behind us!
Sasuke: Oh no! I can’t get away!

I think this scene is the main reason that this video is the longest so far in terms of time (by 25 seconds), even though it has the least amount of dialogue. I had a bit of a dilemma with this one. I thought it was very much out of character that Bismaru would say he was charmed by Goemon; I considered the possibility that it may have been the other way around (that Goemon and the others were so smitten with Bismaru, they didn't notice that he actually managed to escape, or something like that). But, what seems to be part of the Japanese dialogue is there, and it really does make sense when you remember that Goemon is an ancestor of Jurokubei (uh-oh...I hope everybody who reads this is familiar with the ending to this game). In other words, if Bismaru is in love with Jurokubei, it seems logical that he would also be in love with Jurokubei's ancestor.

Scene 14: Separated in the Future

Sasuke: What is this place? Is this the futuristic Edo? Ah! Yae! Are you all right?
Yae: Unn...I’m okay. Sasuke, where are we?
Sasuke: I think we arrived in the future, one way or another.
Yae: Where are Goemon and Ebisumaru?
Sasuke: Perhaps the impact of coming out of the warp sent them to a different place. That’s what I think, anyway.
Yae: Seems that way...
Sasuke: There’s no sense in us staying here. We should head towards the town!

Yeah, I don't think the writers were trying to put any jokes in here. After all, Sasuke and Yae are often considered to be the most serious characters. It's really kind of plain, I think, but it is necessary to move the story forward. Let's move on.

Scene 15: The Plum and the Curtain

Yae: It looks like we can’t continue from here.
Sasuke: Should we go back?
Omikuji: Ha ha ha ha! You! You’re the ones chasing the great Bismaru! But doing that is like trying to throw a dried plum at a shop curtain!
Yae: What is that supposed to mean?!
Omikuji: In Japan, there’s an old proverb that says if you throw a dried plum at a curtain, nothing happens. It just drops to the floor. In other words, it’s pointless to even try! Don’t you think you’re getting wiser here?
Yae: I can’t believe I have to talk to this idiot. What a ridiculous way to get arrested...(headache)
Sasuke: Well, what are you gonna do?
Omikuji: Hey! It’s incredibly rude to call me an idiot! Quickly, throw them into the prison!

First of all, I'm pretty sure the metaphor that Omikuji mentions (throwing a dried plum against a shop curtain) isn't a real saying in Japan. A "noren" is a short curtain that hangs from the top of the doorframe in most Japanese stores. Basically, this saying isn't referring to the drapes you put over your windows.

If you want to know more about what the name Omikuji refers to, I recommend Wikipedia. Now, I'm not going to give you the link to the actual page, but I will give you a link to a post in the Ganbare Goemon in English topic that has the link to the page. It's here. The more plugs for that site, the better, I say.

Again with the visual problems. Besides the usual frame rate issues, the barrier that's supposed to separate Sasuke and Yae from moving forward flickers on and off randomly. Otherwise, it doesn't really make sense that Yae says "we can't continue from here" when it seems like nothing's stopping them. But hey, they're able to jump over the barrier anyway, so I guess they could've continued forward if they had tried hard enough.

Scene 16: Ebisumaru's Eating Habits

Goemon: Uggh...Did we end up in the future?
Ebisumaru: Goemon...I’m so useless...I can’t move another step...
Goemon: What the hell are you talking about?! There’s nothing wrong with you, you’re probably just hungry!
Ebisumaru: That’s not true! I’ve been eating a lot of this grass, and I think it made me sick! I’ve been throwing up.
Goemon: Ebisumaru...even in the future, you’re eating grass?
Ebisumaru: B-But Goemon...I’m starving...
Goemon: Oh, shut up! Come on, we have to go look for Sasuke and Yae!

Probably my favorite scene so far. I figured out that Ebisumaru was eating grass pretty early on, and for some reason, it just made me laugh whenever I thought about it. I mean, what is he, a cow? And Goemon's reactions are just as great. Apparently, this isn't something unexpected for him. This scene just strengthens my belief that Ebisumaru is one of the best video game characters I've ever seen (he's definitely the funniest). I find almost everything about him to be incredibly amusing; I cracked up the first time I saw his walk in this game and Ganbare Goemon 4, for example. I thought it fit him so well.

Honestly, I don't know if this scene is REALLY as funny as I think it is. But it'll always stand out in my mind.

Scene 17: Plan of Escape

Goemon: Sasuke! You’re safe!
Ebisumaru: I was really worried! Huh? Where’s Yae?
Sasuke: I’m so ashamed! I underestimated our enemy, who was called Shokichi or something, and he threw Yae into a different prison. Not only that, but the conch shell seems to be in enemy hands.
Goemon: Damn it! Let’s go, you two!
Ebisumaru: Yes!
Sasuke: I’m going to go first and blow up the prison doors for you. I’ll also prepare our escape vehicles in the back. Yae’s freedom will be entrusted to you two!

I think it's funny how Ebisumaru says he was "really worried" about Sasuke when he wouldn't even move in the previous scene. Other than that, I really have nothing to say about this scene.

Overall, I find that I'm better able to utilize my resources to translate more of this stuff on my own. At the rate I'm going, it could take years before I'm even moderately proficient in written Japanese, so it's great to have so many great tools at one's fingertips.

OK, I'm going to end by apologizing for not having Part 4 ready this week. This is a result of being overly ambitious, extremely busy, and a little bit stupid. But, on top of all that, it simply wasn't possible to get a translation this past weekend even if I was ready. I started this blog two days ago to make up for this fact. But, progress is being made towards getting Part 4 done, so hopefully it'll be up next week sometime (cross your fingers).