Alternative Culture: The Localization Controversy

Comparison of text between the Japanese (original) and American versions of the game Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The issue with localization in anime and video games
Japan is known for producing high-quality animation (anime) and video games. As such, it is little wonder that there is a demand for subtitling (subbing) and dubbing into different languages. 

However, one of the challengers of translation is that sometimes the Japanese phrases do not translate well outside Japan. For instance, our Japanese friends tend to use the words like "senpai", and honorifics like "-san" and "-chan" that are uniquely Japanese. Thus there is a need to do localization, which is to translate the Japanese words to suit the audience's culture. For instance in the game Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword,  the shopping district in is translated from "shoppu moru" to "bazaar" as it does resemble a street market in most countries.

One of the localization choices from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Localization controversy
Recently, Japanese-to-English localizers has come under fire for refusing to translate according to the original author's intention. 

The controversy first gained traction when the American audience noted the difference between the subtitles (which were more literal to the Japanese text) and the dubs in the anime Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. 

The change from the text in Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid

In another example, the person in charge of dubbing the anime Lovely Complex took pride that his localization deliberately took liberties with the text against the author's intent, with the statement,  "We made it good. This show SUCKED!".

Such liberties usually seem to conform to a typical California left-wing politics, rather than an international audience, or even the general American audience. These include and not limited to uncalled criticism of capitalism, unhinged hatred of males, sudden claims of patriarchy and insertion of LGBT ideology or pronouns when the original Japanese did not even allude to it. I attached a video below to show how inappropriate the localization can be in video games.

What this means for Christians?
Be wary of inserting our own desires into the Bible

Now whether we Christians should think such localizations are right and wrong is not the point I want to discuss for part of the post.

What I want to discuss for this post is like whether we tend to localize Scripture to our interest, rather than allowing the God's intent to be read.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. - 2 Timothy 2: 15

By rightly handling, this means doing the research, and not inserting our own politics, interpreting things to our favor  and detouring from the original text and intent. I have seen happen (whether intentionally or unintentionally) many times.

After all, no one seriously interprets God's instruction to the prophet Hosea to marry an unfaithful woman as a command to all Christian to do so. Similarly, we should not take verses like the one below:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29: 11

as a prediction that God always prosper us as it was a specific instruction for Jeremiah.

Dangers with translation of the Bible
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. - Revelations 22: 18-19

Another lesson we can take from the localization controversy is the lesson to localize or translate the Bible seriously. I appreciate the translators of the Bible for making the text available to everybody as learning the original Greek and Hebrew (in addition to the context) would not be accessible. 

Nevertheless, I think even for the Message translation (by Eugene Peterson) which takes great liberties with the text, I never got the sense that Peterson hated the original material unlike some of the anime and video game localizers.

Conclusion
The localization controversy should encourage Christians also to closely examine on how they interpret the Bible.

For more information:

Niche Gamer

Desiring God

Ministry Magazine

My confession: Comparing the requests of Moses and Solomon and the Presence of God

 

Due to recent departures in my department and changes in my family, I can see a rapid increased in workload before me. As I prayed, I wondered what I should ask from God. 

Should I asked for strength to meet the challenges, or a reduced commitments?

At first I referred to what King Solomon asked for:

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” - 1 Kings 3: 5-14, ESV

Ordinarily, I would have asked for wisdom and discernment to prioritize what is right and important. However, in a recent sermon on the presence of God by Pastor Francis Chan, I changed my perspective.

Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” - Exodus 33: 12 -17, ESV

Moses had simply asked for God to accompany him through the journey to the Promised Land. He stated in "if your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here." (Exodus 33:15).

And I realised I want the same thing. Even if I relied on renewed intelligence and wisdom, I am prone to folly and flaws and sin. So this is what I pray for - for God to be with my family and I, till the end of time.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.  -- Psalms 23:4

My Confession: My reflection on Job 11

 

I continue my reflections on Job.

Zophar's retort
Zophar, Job's friend, simply state that Job deserves much worse than what Job was facing now. Bear in mind that Job has lost his children and wealth, and was suffering from sores.

For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure,
    and I am clean in God's eyes.’
 But oh, that God would speak
    and open his lips to you,
 and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!
    For he is manifold in understanding.
Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves. -- Job 11: 4-6

He continues, stating that God's reasoning is higher than Job's.

Can you find out the deep things of God?
    Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
 It is higher than heaven —what can you do?
    Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? -- Job 11: 7-8

His solution for Job was to therefore turn to God and confess his sins.

If you prepare your heart,
    you will stretch out your hands toward him.
If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
    and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
 Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish;
    you will be secure and will not fear.  -- Job 11: 13-15

Zophar's theology assumes the guilt of Job
What is worrying is that we can fall into the trap of fallacy of correlation thinking. If Job is suffering, he must have committed some great sin. In fact, Job deserves much worse in Zophar's eyes. If only Job would confess admit his guilt, then God would restore Job.

However, at no point of time has Job's guilt been clearly pointed out. Zophar just assumes and asserts it. While Zophar is mainly correct in the nature of God (his omniscience, omnipotence and omnibenevolence), he was too hasty in condemning Job.

What I can learn from Job 11
Often, I too can commit the errors of Zophar by assuming someone's guilt before I even have the details. 

In the words of the Apostle James,

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. -- James 1: 19 -20

Theology 1.0: How did Christianity arrive in India?

 

An exhibit from the Indian Heritage Centre

India is one of the most populous countries in the world. Approximately 26 million of Indians profess the Christian faith (in 2011), which makes up about 2-3% of the population.

So how did Christianity first appear in India?

Earliest speculation
The first written record about Christians in India was in the 4th century document called Church History. Written by Eusebius of Caesarea (a Bishop), he stated that Saint Bartholomew (one of the twelve apostles) travelled to India for mission work after Jesus's death.

If true, then than Christianity might first arrived in India shortly after 30 AD. However, there is few supporting evidence that Saint Bartholomew did so.

In another tradition, St Thomas Christians of India claimed that Saint Thomas (another of the twelve apostles) came to the southwestern Indian state of Kerala in 52 AD and spread the gospel until his martyrdom in Chennai in 72 AD.

Stronger claims
Nevertheless, the first strong evidence of Christianity in India came as early in the 2nd Century. Saint Pantaenus (a Christian philosopher) travelled to India in about 180 AD, and found Christians in Kerala. The Indian Christians were using the Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew letters. This hinted that Syriac-speaking Christians (who used a Hebrew script) had somehow evangelised to the Indians before Pantaenus's arrival.

Conclusion
It is hard to confirm when Christianity arrived in India. Nevertheless, Christians should continue to pray for growth of Christianity worldwide.

Alternative Culture: 2023 Gaza-Israel War and the responses of Christian organisations

Rockets fired from Gaza, photograph taken 7 October

Recently, Israel experienced wide-scale attacks from the neighbouring territory of Gaza. Led by the Islamic Palestinian organisation Hamas, the attackers launched operations over land, sea and air. As of 8 October 2023, about 600 Israelis have been killed and thousands wounded.

In response, Israel described this as a "war", and bombed Gaza after warning of a revenge strike,. This retaliation killed abut 370 people.

In this post, I want to briefly summarised how Christian organisations have responded in this crisis.

Responses from Christians
As with any wars, there is a tendency to be partitioned in the support. Certain Christian organisations, like Christianity Today is explicit in its support for Israel. This is unsurprising as there are calls by Muslim leaders to support Hamas based on religious brotherhood alone.

Nevertheless, majority of the Christians I see are praying for a quick end to the bloodshed, with most condemning the killing of innocents. Both the Pope and the Latin Patriarch of Jersualem (Roman Catholic leader of Jerusalem) called for descalation. The Patriarch's official statement is here.

The Archbishops of York and Canterbury have called for restraint and a quick path to peace. The Lutheran World Federation also called for international efforts for a swift ceasefire.

Despite differing attitudes with regards to the methods of peace, it is obvious that we should desire a peaceful outcome. As Jesus said,

Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
 Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
 Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.  -- Matthew 5: 7-9

Alternative Culture: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always - Theological review

The long-awaited reunion? Sort of...

Early this year, I managed to catch the long-awaited 30th anniversary reunion film of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I remembered watching the series in my childhood, and enjoyed the cheesy and action scenes.

Thus I leapt at the chance to see my childhood heroes again. And of course, a theological review follows.

Synopsis
The 2023 movie starts with the resurrection of a classic villain, Rita Repulsa. This time, she is partially mechanical and is thus dubbed "Robo-Rita". She caps off her return by killing the Yellow Ranger Trini, leading to her daughter Minh being an orphan. The Black Ranger Zach and the Blue Ranger Billy then step up raise Minh. 

A year later, the Rangers are ambushed at Trini's death anniversary but are ambushed by Rita. She captures the Pink Ranger Kimberly, the Green Ranger Tommy and the Red Ranger Jason. The remaining heroes retreat, and call in the reserve Rangers for help. Rocky and Kat come in as the replacements for the Red and Pink Ranger respectively.

After a heart-to-heart talk with Minh, the Rangers induct Minh as the new Yellow Ranger. Together they defeat Rita and free the captured Rangers.

What the film does well
The film captures the feel of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in its cheesy dialogue and action scenes. The film also takes into account continuity, noting that Kat and Tommy were in a relationship prior to the movie and that Rocky finally managed to pull of a difficult action move (that he originally failed in the TV series).

The film also handles the death of Trini respectful (original actress Thuy Trang died in a car accident in 2001) and her replacement by her onscreen daughter Minh (Charlize "Charlie" Kersh).

It was also good to see the reserve Rangers come back. In addition to Rocky and Kat, Aisha and Adam (who were the second Yellow and Black Rangers respectively) made an appearance.

Minh receives news of her mother's death

What the film does poorly
As we all expect from reunion films, some were done a little too late. Some of the actors and actress were not able to maintain a reasonable physique for an action role. Others were unavailable to return for various reasons.

Amy Jo Johnson who was the original Pink Ranger Kimberly felt that she was out of the acting game for too long and did not return.
Jason David Frank (who was the original Green Ranger Tommy) rejected the return citing "broken promises" and "lies". He committed suicide in November 2022 just as filming wrapped up.
Austin St John (who was the original Red Ranger Jason) was indicted in 2022, and was thus not allowed to leave Texas for filming.

That left only two of the original six Rangers available for the reunion.

Actors Walter Jones (Black Ranger) and David Yost (Blue Ranger) are the only original Rangers to return

 The other issue was the mixed messaging given by the movie. For instance, Billy warns Minh in a scene against taking the lives of their enemies and living for revenge. Yet late in the movie, the Power Rangers literally perform lethal moves in front of her. 

Furthermore, Zack and Billy regularly reminds Minh of their  responsibilities of adults and her guardians, but the issue of them finding Minh's father (or addressing his absence) is never addressed.

What can Christians learn from reunion films?
First off, it is blatantly obvious that our time on earth is finite. We should not delay in doing the stuff we ought to do, whether it is reuniting with friends or making peace with past grudges.

What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. - 1 Corinthians 7: 29 -31

Thus, in the light of this, it is important to prepare our successors well before we leave. This may include the deliberate mentoring or training our successors, or having children to continue our legacy.

When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.

“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ - 1 Kings 2: 1- 3

Lastly for the Christians, our final reunion is not on earth, but in heaven. God has promised that we will all meet each other again in the final age.

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. - 1 Thessalonians 4:17

My Confession: My reflection on Job 9-10

 

I continue my reflections on Job.

Synopsis
After Bildad's simplification of God's justice in Job 8, Job expressed his understanding that it is impossible to show your innocence in the light of God's power and wisdom.

Then Job replied:
“Indeed, I know that this is true.
    But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?
 Though they wished to dispute with him,
    they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.
 His wisdom is profound, his power is vast.
    Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?" - Job 9:1-4

Yet Job maintains his innocence.

“Although I am blameless,
    I have no concern for myself;
    I despise my own life." - Job 9: 21

In addition, there is no point repenting because he has already been deemed guilty and he has no way of addressing his charges.

"If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
    I will change my expression, and smile,’
I still dread all my sufferings,
    for I know you will not hold me innocent.
 Since I am already found guilty,
    why should I struggle in vain?" - Job 9:27-29

“He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him,
    that we might confront each other in court.
 If only there were someone to mediate between us,
    someone to bring us together,
 someone to remove God’s rod from me,
    so that his terror would frighten me no more" - Job 9: 32-35

Job therefore chooses to complain. He questions God, on why Job was born and then made to suffer.

“I loathe my very life;
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul." - Job 10:1

“Your hands shaped me and made me. 
    Will you now turn and destroy me?
 Remember that you molded me like clay.
    Will you now turn me to dust again?" - Job 10: 8-9

Job also demands an answer to whether he is guilty or innocent. He also recognsied that there is no apparent difference between his fate whether he had sinned or not.

"If I am guilty—woe to me!
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in my affliction." - Job 10: 15

Reflections
What strikes me is that Job did not take the easy way out and just agree with his friends. To Him, God is a living all-powerful entity. He did not want to pay lip-service to God and suffer in silence over his innocence.

He also brings up an important message - what is the point of being innocent or guilty if the result is the same? Yet Job rightly points out that he has no entitlements; God does not have to answer his demand for a mediation.

Thus in a way, Job respects God's demand for authenticity (by being honest) and respect (by recognizing his status with God).

It would be easier if you were just a thought in my head
Simply something that I once read
A belief needing my defense

And it would be easier if you were something I once knew
A hope just to hold on to
But you're holding out your hands -- Tenth Avenue North (from the song The Truth Is Who You Are)