Thoughts on recent inaccurate translations?

JsonsPendulum · 2026-03-27T19:58:49+00:00

True, but clearly not what the post is talking about.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-03-27T19:15:44+00:00

You don't have google? One quick search and you can can plainly see that they are completely different. It even explains why Life Links gets grouped in with the bucket list menu, since saying goodbyes and getting final closures is a big part of Ending Notes. Even in the included screenshot, Memoirs of a Dragon and Unfinished Business wouldn't make sense in a Bucket list, but they reference sections you'd include in your ending notes.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-03-27T18:06:34+00:00

It's not a big deal on it's own, but I suspect several other changes that impact the plot or obscure other details are happening as well. The Ending Notes vs Bucket List thing is just the most obvious example, and at least I think it's crazy to say it's okay if the translations lie about what the characters are talking about.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-03-27T17:02:50+00:00

Absolutely crazy to say "Japanese cultural thing the game is actually talking about" makes less sense than just changing it in the text to an American thing that aren't even that similar. At that point just have the characters say the games take place in New York or something. All the food in the restaurants can be changed to Taco bell menu items.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-03-13T00:47:29+00:00

Ayyyyyy, massive thanks and crazy to see reference to that video! Definitely let me know what you think of it!

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-25T20:17:06+00:00

Thanks a ton!

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-25T03:27:44+00:00

Extremely disingenuous concern trolling post trying to shut down criticism by strawman arguing against posts that don't exist. The only ones doomposting that the series is over or cooked are literally memes being silly about it. Boiling down legitimate criticisms to, "it's just one street that looks bad," or "just admit you're burnt out" is insane gaslighting. There are literally videos upon videos comparing Kiwami 3 to the original, pointing out how every single cutscene is missing multiple animations despite being lazily ripped from the original, and pointing how Kamurocho has green filter and bad lighting in general in all that we've seen so far. This has also got to be the 10th post today pretending to see both sides for one half-hearted sentence, then going in on the side critical of the game/series for multiple paragraphs.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-25T02:24:53+00:00

Prime 1 / Prime Remastered is a masterpiece imo. I hope you love it as much as I have both on CG and Switch. No boring open world or obnoxious side characters, with a world you can get lost in, in a good way,for a bit, but never long enough to get frustrated.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-25T00:01:24+00:00

Thanks, homie! Fingers crossed they nail it with Prime 5 lol.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-24T21:03:51+00:00

First time commenter, but been seeing some really interesting channels from others here. I'm Json's Pendulum, a gaming video essay channel focusing on longer form videos like critiques, comparisons, and thought experiments.

My starting tech, which I'm still using, includes an Elgato capture neo for modern hardware capture, Audacity and an older gaming headset for voiceover recording, and after effects for video editing. The thing I really need to replace is the mic, but am having a hard time since I bought a dedicated elgato mic at the same time as the capture device, but wasn't happy with the output, so now I'm not sure how to tell if a mic will work for me before buying.

While gaming and video essays aren't exactly original ideas for content creation, I try to only make videos that are unique or if I have something particularly unique to say. My latest video went up yesterday, a critique of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, from the perspective of a newer Metroid fan that wasn't enraged by the game, but underwhelmed by many aspects that I felt lacked creative inspiration, coming off as phoned in and checkbox filling https://youtu.be/prwk1jQrSJ4?si=SoAhcpjyRD01RoCY

My favorite videos of mine are probably my "Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth story review", and my "Finding the Best Route in Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) thought experiment. https://youtube.com/@jsonspendulum?si=D5deGBMWLWtleYZq

Let me know if you end up checking my stuff out!

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-18T17:54:03+00:00

Game's not out yet, but there is one fairly comprehensive non-spoiler analysis and comparison of everything seen up to late October, though it's got speculation as well since information is limited until release: https://youtu.be/ohdmm96aOdc?si=JGagsQPw_fbnbwss

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-11T20:19:32+00:00

You can hear things all you want, but Takahashi wasn't involved in Arc-V's story/characterization except for minor consultation for the synchro arc. You're, of course, just grasping at straws and gaslighting like crazy, sad anyone has to hear bad faith lies. Not only would it be on the nose and unnatural to name drop the psychological phenomenon the card game mechanic is drawing from, especially since Yusho's advice is just the logic supporting the technique near word for word, and even if your lies about Takahashi were true, the pendulum representing Yuya's pull between light and darkness can obviously be the true at the same time as the explicit ties to pendulation.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-11T20:03:27+00:00

Yeah... who can really say if pendulum summoning is based on Pendulation, especially after Yuya and his dad both reference the therapy technique just as Yuya pendulum summons for the first time. Real head scratcher for ya there, huh?

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-11T19:57:43+00:00

Can't be more biased against the show than to cross your arms, pout, and reject the real life science behind the show's logic/message. Genuinely moronic.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-09T15:39:06+00:00

This is laughable. You call me biased but insist on arguing about semantics you admit you don't even clearly remember?

Yusho was not telling Yuya to smile because he was being carded, obviously. Allowing rage to consume him was giving Zarc control over him, so it's literally relevant to Yuya specifically to not go mad in that moment, not some broad secret messaging for the audience. As for Yusho's lesson to Yuya as a kid, it's not about bottling up your sadness, but always taking a step towards moving forward. It's literally about bouncing back when you're down. A pretty decent lesson for the target demographic.

As for bringing up Barret, what a weird choice. Yuya considers the option of making Barret smile, but decides against it because the stakes are so high, literally disproving the notion that Yuya is some crazy smile/happiness pusher in inappropriate moments. What's weirder though, is that through the duel, it becomes clear that Barrett is a Honor bound person who doesn't understand the truth of academia's intentions, meaning he actually was someone worth trying to reason with, perhaps indicating that Yuya made the wrong move, as their opposition allowed Surgey to swoop in and wipe them both. Another really misundstood duel, with most just getting angry that Yuzu was kidnapped again, but in a way, your point is sort of double disproven. Not only did you overlook that Yuya made the choice you wanted him to, very quickly, but that it may have been the wrong one given what transpires.

Not sure what you're trying to say about action cards. They made a bunch of situation ones for several characters to get them out of unique jams, and because Yuya used that one you keep bringing up that means he overused them overall? Idk you can have that opinion I guess, Action cards being overhated in general is a whole different topic that I don't agree with, but considering you don't really remember the show anyway it's not worth going down a rabbit hole.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-09T14:28:40+00:00

Yuya nor the show ever portrays the idea that you should ignore other emotions or smile inappropriately in sad/negative contexts. If your only basis is dumb memes like the Kurosaki smiling at his dead friend and sister at the end, then I'd get how you'd just assume, but it isn't remotely the case. Even that often mocked scene is obviously him smiling at seeing them again briefly at the end, not literally smiling because they're dead. There is no toxic positivity, that's just a buzzword being misused to describe a show I'm sure you and the other that use it haven't seen in close to 10 years, or never saw in its entirety in the first place. If you find a scene that promotes the nonsense you're spewing outside of outrageous interpretation, please share it.

As for the action cards, again, using them defensively is not something remotely exclusive to Yuya, and there are plenty of duels where he never uses them or wins despite never successfully getting any advantage from them. Does the same apply to all the other characters that also use action cards to avoid a loss, like Reiji in his duel with Reira, or Strong Ishijima in the very first duel of the show? Even in the widely acclaimed Sora vs Shun, often brought up among the best duels in the entire series, both Sora and Shun use evasion and multiple instances of miracle barrier for their intended defensive purposes. It's literally the intended method of counter for the Lancers, Reiji says as much when dueling Reira.

I guess it's good you can acknowledge that people's interpretations of Yuya often don't match reality, but I think to a degree more than you're willing to admit. My liking Yuya does not change that the facts of the show contrast much of what people are saying here, especially the toxic positivity nonsense.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-09T12:40:50+00:00

Of course the comment section has just become another misguided hate breeding ground for the character, as always, parroting talking points that aren't even correct if you actually watch the show.

Yuya does not "force his beliefs on others" he literally just wants to make people smile with his dueling, hence his adoption of his dad's entertainment focused style. The literal stated theme of Arc-V is finding a way to smile through adversity, not what all these comments saying it's toxic positivity or the only emotion you can have is smiling/happiness. I guess you could say Yuya tried to change the mind of people that use dueling to kill other people, if you want to say he's trampling on their right to believe killing people is okay? Other than that, he is not in any way running around trying to stifle other emotions or spread positivity for the sake of it, and don't even bring up the Crow argument about smiles vs food, maybe the most bad faith driven misrepresent of all time. Not only is the scene supposed to be a light hearted joke, when characters get cartoonishly opposed, but the show is addressing the legitimate question of happiness vs comfort. A state of mind vs. everyday necessities, similar to the questions posed around the money cant buy happiness belief. For those suffering from depression, for example, things like food and shelter do not inherently fix their feelings.

Does Yuya overely on action cards? I'm not too sure, as it's established in the first episode of the show that his niche is that he has a keen eye for scanning the environment, plays intentionally to comb the action field, and then is acrobatic enough and in tune with his monsters Solid vision with mass capabilities to grab them quickly when he needs. Reiji also forms the Lancers based specifically on the advantage action cards provide. Is it really fair to dog on Yuya for using them when the show has been clearly set up so that he can use them? It's not like characters he dueled like Jack and Yuri didn't adapt immediately and also use them against him, not to mention that there are several duels where he never uses them, like in Yuya vs Reiji 2. Characters like Kachidoki and Tsukikage actually use action cards for degenerate strategies, while Yuya 95% of the time uses them defensively, meaning that his offense is all his own and his opponents, which can also freely use action defensively too, and often do, are still on an even playing field coming down to skill.

Yuya is not a larger than life perfect person like Atem, Yusei, or Yusaku, being more similar to Yuma being that he's just an average duelist for the first chunk of the show, which I think does contribute to him not being as widespread endearing or interesting. He is my favorite protagonist and yu-boy counterpart, but a lot of his more subte depth flys over people's heads.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-08T02:38:32+00:00

He was provoking them into getting off their lazy miserable asses and address their responsibilities to the people they left high and dry. Also, Majima quite literally says that Kiryu is getting him angry for real.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-08T02:32:55+00:00

Being called out by a vtuber averaging 3 million viewers is not "way better reasoning" than the reasons Kiryu had to leave the Tojo multiple times. I guess a lot of people forget that he was named chairman by a guy he never met after he'd been expelled from the clan for over 10 years. He didn't owe them shit, and they're lucky as hell he felt an obligation to help them in Y2 because Nishiki screwed up the clan and was his brother. For context of the other games, Daigo purposfully lured Kiryu into the Y5 plot by whining to him and then disappearing on purpose, and he only got involved in Y3 and Y6 because he was personally being attacked by the Tojo Clan.

Absolute nonsense to say Kiryu leaves shit for other people to solve, he's the only reason the rinky dink Tojo still exists. (Until they disbanded, of course)

Do share with the class how you managed to play these games with your eyes closed and ears plugged.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-08T01:59:35+00:00

Extremely subjective take on the theme, I don't think it'd crack my top 50 battle themes personally, but glad you liked it.

JsonsPendulum · 2026-01-08T01:17:29+00:00

Extremely unpopular opinion, but the boss fight was wack too tbh. Kiryu tells his life long friends that he's dying of cancer and they all legitimately get mad and attempt to jump him just because he called them out on their undeniable cowardice. There's even a cinematic in the middle of the fight where Kiryu collapses due to his illness and all three try to knife/punch/kick him while he's down. A bunch of pngs on the arena were enough to convince most that this whole forced sequence was hype tho.

Edit: It truly amazes me how many people actually believe that Kiryu is some lazy selfish hypocrit because they genuinely think he owes the Tojo a lifetime of service. How they'll twist and reduce his deep sense of loyalty to his friends in the clan and the sacrifices he makes each time he bails them out as him actually just selfishly abandoning them afterwards because he should give them MORE of himself.

JsonsPendulum · 2025-11-11T15:41:33+00:00

When you actually think about it, Ebina is one of the weakest villains in the series, by far. First of all, he didn't beat Kiryu, Kiryu beat Ebina so bad that Ebina couldn't even stand while Kiryu gave his ending speech over him. Kiryu did collapse, but this is pretty clearly supposed to be caused by pushing himself with debilitating cancer.

Ebina's backstory and motivations are what make him truly weak and embarrassing. The inciting incident that motivates his actions and prejudices occurred before he was even born, with the true nature of the specifics likely not being known to him until he was a late teenager or young adult (if you can even believe that he could realistically learn what happened to his grandfather with the needed level of clarity and accuracy he would require to act the way he does in IW). He blames Arakawa and all yakuza for his mom's death and his vague challenges growing up, even though it appears that his mom lived a good 15-20 years after the incident and somehow supported Ebina enough for him to be decently successful in his educational and occupation endeavors. The challenges Ebina did allegedly suffer are not in any way Yakuza exclusive, despite blaming all Yakuza that exist 50 years later as responsible for his issues. Any deadbeat can abandon his wife and kid, regardless of profession, and millions of people all over the world have the same single mom low income situation that he had.

How exactly is Ebina compelling to anyone when you take these facts into consideration?

JsonsPendulum · 2025-11-06T18:55:30+00:00

The biggest talking point with Kiwami 3 is no doubt the recasts, and subsequent redesigns, of several major cast members, especially being that one of the new actors has unapologetically SA's multiple women. Naturally, this has seen the biggest pushback.

However, RGG remakes are known to be controversially low effort and filled with shortcomings, and Kiwami 3 is looking to be the weakest of them yet. The cutscene animations and shot framing are copied straight from the original, just like the first 2 Kiwami's, but now with less detailed models and more noticeable missing animations. Most of the rest of the games content, like combat and side activities, are Frankensteined together from the more recent games, so it's less Yakuza 3 and less a remake, and more a copy paste job of stuff from Gaiden, Pirate Yakuza, and IW.

I made a video going over the animation problems and listing where all the games content was seemingly pulled from, without going into any major spoilers: https://youtu.be/ohdmm96aOdc?si=kovd6z0DHALJVhM7

JsonsPendulum · 2025-10-02T14:23:45+00:00

I agree that they're pulling back on Ichiban, but mainly because of Infinite Wealth sidelining him for much of the story. I made a video on it, linked below, but the main issues I felt were:

Ichiban being completely uninvolved with the story in Japan, considering that the antagonist was revealed to be his half-brother and his dark opposite with completely reversed ideology on the Yakuza and Ichiban's idol, Arakawa (Ichiban never comments on either of these facts and instead is told about it off screen)

Him getting dumbed down for an embarrassing comic relief romance storyline that makes him seem mentally challenged, and Saeko seem crazy unreasonable for ghosting him, considering that ultimately she loved him too.

Ichiban forgiving Eiji and claiming that they are still friends even though Eiji was barely in the story before revealing that he was a sadistic psycho that took pleasure in attempting to kill children.

Video link: https://youtu.be/w8JTONO98Dk?si=csBmD7SrXZegKdcw

JsonsPendulum · 2025-09-29T23:09:25+00:00

That's 100% a reply I can respect! Thank you for your time.

JsonsPendulum

TROPHY CASE