Shaded Mazoku ([info]shaded_mazoku) wrote in [info]cult_of_kefka,
2006-03-11 20:04:00
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  • Music: Final Fantasy VI - Dancing Mad

Thought you people might find this interesting...

A while back, I got my hands on Final Fantasy VI: The Complete, a Japanese guide book to FFVI. It's a wonderful book, but of course, I have to take my while reading it, because my Japanese is rather bad. Kanji always makes my life so much harder.

Anyway, I take Japanese in university and have been told to practice it as much as possible. So I figured I'd combine schoolwork and fun, and translate some of the book. I thought you might appreciate Kefka's entry in the book.





This isn't exactly a litteral translation, as the litteral translation made little sense due to the Japanese sentence structure. I think I got all the important moments in, though. The kanji under his name means something like "highest Magitek warrior". Litterally it's "big demon guide/transition warrior". I didn't translate the part to the left, but it's about Figaro. The screenshot is from when Kefka is complaning about Edgar.

If anyone speaks better Japanese than me, which doesn't take much, the orginal text is:

ガストラ皇帝の右腕として, 様々な作戦に参加する帝国一の魔導士. セリスと同じく, 人工的に魔導の力を注入し, 絶大な魔力を手中に成功. しかし, 初期の実験だったため,その副作用として, 精神的に病んでしまった. 今では, 帝国一の危ない男として名を馳せる.

I think I'll try my hand at translating one of my doujinshi next. Fragile, maybe.


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  • 36 comments

[info]keltickefiwolf

March 11 2006, 21:42:55 UTC 6 years ago

Ha!! Playing with dolls? Somehow it doesn't surprise me, though. ^^

Thank you for this!

[info]shaded_mazoku

March 11 2006, 21:56:59 UTC 6 years ago

When you think about it, Terra with the slave crown on is really nothing but a living doll, after all. I can easily see Kefka treating her like a human-sized doll, something cared for as a possession, but not a real person.

Glad you found it interesting. I had fun translating it.

[info]blackjackrocket

March 11 2006, 22:03:03 UTC 6 years ago

Oh my. That dolls part convinces me once and for all that Piedmon from Digimon was based on him.

[info]shaded_mazoku

March 11 2006, 22:25:15 UTC 6 years ago

I have very little knowledge about Digimon, but I know one thing. Kefka is very inspiring. Not sure if that's a good thing, though...

[info]blackjackrocket

March 11 2006, 22:31:15 UTC 6 years ago

http://digipedia.db-destiny.net/encyc/images/piedmon.jpg that's Piedmon. He turns most of the cast into dolls.

[info]shaded_mazoku

6 years ago

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[info]blackjackrocket

6 years ago

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[info]shaded_mazoku

6 years ago

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[info]lemonparty

April 2 2006, 05:30:29 UTC 6 years ago

The difference is that FFVI rules and Digimon is a piece of shit :P

[info]blackjackrocket

April 2 2006, 06:35:51 UTC 6 years ago

Aww, I like Digimon.

[info]ruya

March 11 2006, 22:24:18 UTC 6 years ago

5'4" and 105.8 lbs!?! Damn, japanese people need to learn what a normal weight is ^^;;;;;;;;; I'm 5'2", 125 lbs, and everyone says I'm tiny (and not because of my height)... Can you imagine a 5'4" and 105.8 lbs MAN (men are supposed to have muscles which are HEAVY?????) With this kind of weight, he's not even anerexic, he's PASSED anorexia: he's a DEAD, DESHIDRATED CORPSE! XD;;;;;;

Really... They've got to stop making up weird impossible weights... lol

Ahhhhhhhh Kefka though~ Is it mentionned in the game that his craziness comes from experiments side effects?? I don't recall that. Makes sense though! I was wondering how olf he could be too... 35 is PERFECT :)

[info]shaded_mazoku

March 11 2006, 22:37:39 UTC 6 years ago

To be fair, there are Japanese people with that type of build. The vocalist of my favourite band is 5'3"-ish and somewhere around Kefka's weight. The drummer in the same band is 5'7" and lighter than Kefka's given weight. Another favourite musician is 5'8" and less than a pound heavier. Of course, Kefka isn't supposed to be Japanese, but... ...Honestly, Kefka's stats aren't that bad. As I said, I know of real-life people built like that. I've seen worse in Japanese games. Like a site saying that according to Square, Magus from Chrono Trigger is 5'10" and ca. 106 lbs.

I think they mention that something went wrong briefly in the game. Can't remember exactly when and what. If the book hadn't given his age, I think I would have assumed he was younger. He just don't act his age.

[info]ruya

March 12 2006, 02:33:21 UTC 6 years ago

Yeah, I know SOME people are stick-like, but still! They can't be healthy army men with this kind of weight XD;;

[info]shaded_mazoku

March 12 2006, 14:52:21 UTC 6 years ago

Yeah. But Kefka isn't really the soldier-type, after all. Looking at his stats, physical strenght isn't his thing. Magical strenght, though... ...He's also quite fast. He doesn't really have to be all that strong or built to be in the Imperial army, since the Magitek Armour sort of balances things out. Looking at the rest of the cast, they're all pretty "normal" in height/weight ratio, based on their class. The pure fighters, like Sabin, Edgar, Cyan, Umaro and Leo, are tall and heavy, while people like Locke, Shadow and Setzer are slenderer and a little smaller, built more for speed. The "mages" are generally the smallest.

I think they actually intended for Kefka to be the small and skinny type. Not that he lets that stop him. Leo is 6'1" and nearly 183 lbs, which isn't unlikely, and yet we know who came out the winner there.

[info]warsawkook

March 12 2006, 05:49:35 UTC 6 years ago

Playing with dolls, I LOVE IT.

God, Keffy is so fancy. I think that's the most appropriate word for it. FANCY.

[info]shaded_mazoku

March 12 2006, 14:55:04 UTC 6 years ago

It's a perfect hobby for Kefka. He does love playing with people, and dolls aren't that different.

Fancy is definately a good word for Kefka.

[info]quick2anger

March 12 2006, 13:13:37 UTC 6 years ago

Thanks a lot! ♥

[info]shaded_mazoku

March 12 2006, 14:55:46 UTC 6 years ago

Glad to share!

And I love your icon, by the way.

[info]grusch

March 13 2006, 03:47:39 UTC 6 years ago

35? That sounds about right I guess...? I guesstimated 30 or younger, but oh well.

That height IS pretty small.

And November 19th is his birthday? Hmmm... Scorpio in the Cancer decanate and the Leo quadrant...

Astrology on that:

You are a determined, sharp-witted person with strong desires and attainable ideals. You need to stand out, not in a flashy manner, but as an entirely unique individual. Others naturally admire you for your strength of character and backbone. Although you are a natural leader, you are also a humanitarian. At times quite self-absorbed and private, you are very much at ease in social settings as well. You need channels for your strong desires and your need for self-expression. Never afraid of an obstacle along your path, you are gutsy, dynamic, resourceful, and you rise to a challenge.

Well, it was ALMOST right... I figured he'd be an Aquarian or a Leo, maybe even a Capricorn...

[info]shaded_mazoku

March 13 2006, 16:52:33 UTC 6 years ago

I think his age has us all a bit surprised because he acts rather childishly. Though I was more surprised to find that Gesthal is only 50, because he seems older to me.

Yeah, it amuses me that Kefka's only a little taller than I am, and I'm fairly small. And Kefka is the smallest adult male in FFVI. The only two smaller men are Gau and Strago. A kid and a old man. And Gau has nearly grown past him. Well, Cid is smaller too, when I think of it.

That is interesting. I'm not all that surprised that he's a Scorpio, but that's because I know a lot of odd Scorpios.

[info]anglepoiselamp

March 14 2006, 19:15:14 UTC 6 years ago

ASjfsdfkjlsdgljkgdf.

*DEAD*

You should be awarded heaps of medals and things for this. You're way too modest about your translating skills!

I've always been curious about whether there is more canon information about Kefka, and lo! Here we are. (The playing with dolls bit? Makes way too much sense. XD)

[info]shaded_mazoku

March 14 2006, 19:26:16 UTC 6 years ago

I'm fairly decent at translating for a first semester Japanese student, but there's a lot of stuff that goes right over my head. When I tried translating General Leo's entry, I got stuck and had to get help. Luckily, Kefka's entry had no fancy grammar to deal with, just a rare kanji on the end I had to hunt down.

I was very happy to be able to translate this, as the idea of learning more about Kefka made me a giddy little fangirl. *grins* And yes, the playing with dolls bit does make too much sense. And as a doll-collector, it makes me quite happy.

[info]anglepoiselamp

March 14 2006, 19:35:13 UTC 6 years ago

Ooooo. You've been translating more entries from the book? Have you posted them anywhere? I think I'd sell my soul, kidneys, grandmother and firstborn to see more! :D

[info]shaded_mazoku

March 14 2006, 19:46:00 UTC 6 years ago

I intend to translate all the book entries for the NPCs, since all the translated info already out there seems to be for the playable characters only. I've done Leo's, and I'm starting Gesthal's tomorrow.

Leo's entry can be found here.

[info]anglepoiselamp

6 years ago

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[info]shaded_mazoku

6 years ago

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[info]anglepoiselamp

6 years ago

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[info]shaded_mazoku

6 years ago

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[info]blackjackrocket

5 years ago

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[info]shaded_mazoku

5 years ago

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[info]blackjackrocket

5 years ago

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[info]aurora_requiem

March 16 2006, 15:22:57 UTC 6 years ago

^_^ Kefka-san!

Aw, he's a little guy....

[info]shaded_mazoku

March 16 2006, 20:59:01 UTC 6 years ago

Yeah, he's pretty tiny. He's only a little taller than I am.

...Yet he's so mugh lighter. Damn those skinny men.

[info]aurora_requiem

March 16 2006, 21:55:02 UTC 6 years ago

Yeah same here. Ooh, pretty icon!

[info]shaded_mazoku

March 16 2006, 22:32:02 UTC 6 years ago

It's my insanely cute Kefka icon. Because Kefka shouldn't look this adorable, but damn if I don't love it when he does.

[info]themagitekelite

2 years ago

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