Reflections on Completing

My First Translation 

Update : 2026/2/16

As I’ve already shared on Bluesky and X, I have officially completed the Japanese localization for "Athemore," my very first project commissioned by AcesGames. I’d like to take a moment here to reflect on the lessons and insights I gained through this experience.

Japanese Version

The Difficulty of Deciphering a 

Story Through Text Alone

It goes without saying that a story-driven game consists of narration and character dialogue. There are also texts for notes, signs, and quest logs that appear according to the world-building, plot flow, and specific situations. The first challenge I encountered was the difficulty of grasping the "flow" of the story from the raw data.

For instance, when a specific term appears, it’s not always clear whether it’s a unique proper noun or just a common noun. There were cases where I initially translated a word as a common noun, only to realize later that it was a specific name that didn't need to be translated at all.

I also frequently found myself revising lines after actually playing the game, thinking, "Oh, so that’s what they were talking about!" Unlike manga or novels, games have "gaps" that occur while the player is moving. Where they went, how they obtained an item—it’s impossible to grasp these details through text alone. You only notice them by progressing through the translation or by seeing them in action. I learned the immense importance of deepening one’s understanding of the narrative to ensure there are no contradictions in the story or character personalities.

Differences in Emotional Expression

This is something I had suspected for a while, but this project made me feel it firsthand: English and Japanese express emotions quite differently. For example, English uses exclamation marks much more frequently than Japanese. They appear everywhere, from character dialogue to system messages. In Japanese, however, exclamation marks are often reserved for highly emotional lines or critical alerts; their use in standard dialogue is more limited compared to English.

Conversely, the frequency of the ellipsis (...) differs as well. In this case, Japanese seems to use it more often. When expressing fear, anxiety, or confusion in text, the ellipsis is almost essential in Japanese. Without it, the tone can come across as overly calm or detached. While the purpose is the same in English, there were several lines where I felt the Japanese version needed a bit more "silence" to be effective. These subtle adjustments made me realize once again that translation requires a human touch—a sensibility rooted in the culture.

Knowing Where Not to Translate

Even in Japanese games, it’s common to use English for the UI or certain messages, such as "Game Over" or settings menus. Specifically, terms like "SE" (Sound Effects) or "V-sync" (Vertical Sync) can actually feel less natural if translated into Japanese, often giving the impression of an unpolished machine translation. In other words, a key part of natural Japanese localization is deciding what not to translate.

Furthermore, rather than translating everything into Japanese, we often use Katakana to retain the English phonetics for proper nouns and world-building elements. This is especially true for skill names in games and manga. To Japanese speakers, English often carries an "oceanic" or "cool" image. Some works even name characters after English words translated from Japanese. Using Hiragana for a Level 1 skill and its English equivalent for a Level 10 skill can create a sense of "ranking up." Preserving this kind of sensory feeling is an element of translation I want to continue to value.

I learned and noticed so much more—from the trivial to the vital. I moved forward with the translation while constantly thinking about what to convey and how to present it. I hope to deepen my understanding of everything I’ve discovered and continue my activities so that one day, I can deliver the charm of a game to Japan with a level of quality that rivals any professional.

I actually had a bit more I wanted to discuss, but I’ll save that for another article. Thank you for reading to the end!

Author : Mikado Tashiro
I am dedicated to expanding the presence of indie games in Japan. Although I am in the early stages of building my official portfolio, I successfully completed my first full translation project within less than a month of launching my activities.

Beyond direct translation, I am committed to sharing insights gained through my work. I author in-depth articles focusing on linguistic nuances, cultural adaptation, and the technical aspects of localization to contribute to the growth of the game translation community.