Gundam SEED Novels

[Blu_Moon]

Here you can chat about Gundam SEED novels 1-3. I'm the editor, and I'll take questions.

I was a total newbie to the world of Gundam, aside from watching a few episodes of Gundam Wing back in undergrad. (I loved the characters, particularly the hard-headed Wufei.)

SEED really grew on me! I had so much fun learning about the mobile suits and the PLANTs and the Coordinators. I really had fun playing up character interaction and action scenes.

Feel free to discuss what you liked, what you hated, what other stuff you'd like to see from Manga Novels here!

[Adrian_Alexander]

I was debating on whether or not I was going to get this series but, now I think I might. I watch the anime on Cartoon Network but I usually miss episodes constantly... :(

Is there a difference between the anime and the novel?

[Blu_Moon]

Is there a difference between the anime and the novel?

It follows the same basic canon. We've only got volumes 1-3, so, you'll definitely want to rent the anime on Netflix or something to finish the story out. (It goes on for quite a few episodes, and most novels don't sell beyond 3 or 6 volumes, that's just the American market). However, I really liked this series and can honestly say I think the novels are worth picking up. (Not just 'cause I'm paid to say that. ~_^) There's character insights (and relations with plenty of subtext) that really make it a more juicy story (at least, for me.) And tech specs about the various ships and suits are nice to have, it made it easier for me to understand. Now I can rattle off the differences between a mobile suit and a mobile armor and how awesome the Aegis is and if La Flaga is just a darn good pilot with his Zero or if he really does have some kind of tenuous "psychic" connection with Creuset.
^_^

[Adrian_Alexander]

I am definately getting it now! You like the same things in a story as I do! Now I am going to end up buying it next time I go to the book store! You got me so excited now. :D

[Blu_Moon]

I am definately getting it now! You like the same things in a story as I do! Now I am going to end up buying it next time I go to the book store! You got me so excited now. :D

Awesome! Be sure and let us know what you think!!!

[Adrian_Alexander]

Will do! (My Gundam SEED otakuness is going to expand by a thousand fold! LOL)

[Chaos-Shadow]

i got the first novel, and would get the rest if i can find them on the shelves >.> the first one was pretty good,and works great if u have to read a book for homework lol

[HIStory]

I got both of the novels. I really enjoy them a lot more than the series actually. There is more background information and even technical information which was never well explained in the anime series. The novels are well-written too. Very descriptive, makes it easy to picture all that is going on. I enjoy the illustrations as well. Just curious how many volumes are going to be made?
great job!

[SAKUxDD]

i only read the first one yet
i haven't seen the second one in the bookstore (i know that its out though, but i can't find it..o.0)

[Deacon Blues]

My question is why you (or anyone working with you) never referenced anything properly for the novelization. From what I can recall, the Bandai release coined "Ashitsuki" as 'legged-ship' whereas your rendition came out to be "Paw." I mean, seriously, is it that hard to watch the series to see if things are matching up properly? Granted, fans are getting to see a "translation" of the novel, but when you fail to properly present things.

The same happened for Astray, Astray R and Ecole. No one knows how to google anything.

[MikeyS]

Well maybe it is because the editor has not exactly had good access to the series information and is usually to wrapped up in the editing to look up things. Kara tries her best! (Respects her for it! I think she did a wonderful job on the Ai Buster series no matter what anyone says...)

[Deacon Blues]

What? Seriously... talk to fans, interact with the community, and well... Google it!! It's really NOT that hard. Gundam SEED information = uber abundant. :/

[MikeyS]

Just because it is abundant does not mean they have the time to go looking for it.

[koda]

Well maybe it is because the editor has not exactly had good access to the series information and is usually to wrapped up in the editing to look up things. Kara tries her best! (Respects her for it! I think she did a wonderful job on the Ai Buster series no matter what anyone says...)
... I will now point our errors in AI Buster.

.hack//AI Buster
1. Saying that the One Sin attacks with the same element used against it (instead of the One Sin attacking with the opposite element used against it).
2. Albireo says Fire can beat Wood when in actuality, it justs does normal damage.
3. The "boy" that talks to Watarai aka "Albireo" is actually Saki Shibayama aka "Kamui", and it's a girl, not a guy. Another damn gender confusion. This IS story important because it makes it seem like Saki/Kamui isn't the new intern working with Albireo. Their relationship grows over time. Furthermore, in AI Buster 2, Albireo constantly refers to Saki/Kamui, and it makes it confusing to people who don't know any better because it is like "where did she come from?" It also helps show Saki/Kamui's developement from a total non-chalant n00b in the business to caring a great deal by the 4th story in AI Buster 2, as well as UdeDen.

.hack//AI Buster 2
1. Izumi Rei's name was spelled "Rei Idumi" on the cover. That is just plain impolite.
2. Albireo was called a Pole Arm instead of a LongArm on page 112. Interferes with canon knowledge of .hack.
3. In page 104, there's a picture of an AI named Rin. It's labelled Rin on this picture, but is called "Lin" throughout the book...
4. Refers to Ouka as "Orca" on page 150-152. You have no idea how confusing that is, because Ouka and Orca are totally different people. Ouka is a female werewolf with huge boobs, and Orca is a male Blade User from the .hack PS2 games. Mixing them is absolutely unacceptable because it intereferes with canon.
5. Saying that Mireille "...resembled a buff female knight wearing plate armor, with long, gray hair reaching down to her ankles, and an imprint of the fire Wave on her body." on page 151, when it is really describing Rena's character, Brigit. This, also, interferes with canon.
6. On page 90, the 4 LongArms that Tsukasa kills in SIGN are reffered to as Heavy Axeman. Also interferes with canon.
7. Called scanlation "scanaltion" on page 38.
8. Refers to Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground as "Hidden Forbidden Sacred" throughout the book. Also interferes with canon.
9. Called W. B. Yeats "W. B. Yates" on page 59 - the name seems to change in every Tokyo Pop .hack release. Also interferes with canon.
10. Called Morganna "Morgana" throughout the book. Also interferes with canon.
11. Switching between Emma Weilant and Emma Wielant throughout the book. Also interferes with canon.
12. Calling the TwinBl ades "Twin Users". Also interferes with canon.
13. It's BlackRose not Black Rose wtih a space. This has since been corrected on TokyoPop's webpage.

And here are some .hack//UdeDen errors as well:
1. In Volume 1 of Udeden at the character introduction page, it lists Ouka as Orca. AGAIN they are two entirely different characters.
2. Spear of Wotan was translated as the Spear of Voltan.
3. Shugo is called "Shuga" in the Prologue.
4. In volume 1 on page 42, Shugo is refered to as Kite.

[MikeyS]

LoT
Number three makes me laugh because Rena was giving the name an affectionate twist.

And the Kite thing is referring to the character model.

Also blame Jake forbes for the errors in that series...

This is the Gundam Seed thread please discuss the .hack errrors in the .hack thread.

[Blu_Moon]

My question is why you (or anyone working with you) never referenced anything properly for the novelization. From what I can recall, the Bandai release coined "Ashitsuki" as 'legged-ship' whereas your rendition came out to be "Paw." I mean, seriously, is it that hard to watch the series to see if things are matching up properly? Granted, fans are getting to see a "translation" of the novel, but when you fail to properly present things.

The same happened for Astray, Astray R and Ecole. No one knows how to google anything.

I referenced the manga, watched the first 4 discs of anime in Japanese, and used the official website for tech specs and names: http://www.gundamofficial.com/worlds/ce/mechanics/index.html

The editorial decision to have Athrun's team nickname the Archangel "the paw" was made because "legged ship" was awkward and not as evocative of sinister imagery. I'm sorry that you didn't like it, but on the other hand, I firmly stand by my preference. I'm pretty sure that in great moments of tension, if Yzak suddenly whispered, "It's the legged ship!" it wouldn't be quite as dramatic. (If you're going to take me to task for a "mistake," how about the fact that I mixed up the words "cannon" and "canon" several times? Now, that's an error, not a stylistic choice, and one that still keeps me awake at night sometimes. I have to resist the urge to flog myself, seriously. ~_^)

Thank you for the feedback. I'm sorry that none of the three volumes we're doing will accommodate you on this point, (they are completed and the third is at the printers) but I hope you'll still get some enjoyment out of them.
Yours, Kara

[koda]

Uhm, Mikey, please get your head out of your ass and quit defending something that sucks, kthx.

Edit:
Wow Kara. If you can use a website for reference, why didn't you try that with .hack too? Pole arm vs. Long arm... you can find that on the .hack website, you could figure it out by reading Brady Games strategy guide for the games, you could find it on wikipedia FFS.

[Deacon Blues]

The editorial decision to have Athrun's team nickname the Archangel "the paw" was made because "legged ship" was awkward and not as evocative of sinister imagery. I'm sorry that you didn't like it, but on the other hand, I firmly stand by my preference. 'm pretty sure that in great moments of tension, if Yzak suddenly whispered, "It's the legged ship!" it wouldn't be quite as dramatic.

Um... yeah. I'm sorry, but when you say "Paw," 9 out of 10 people think of something soft and cuddly, not something ferocious. If anything, the series preference would trump this with the original dialogue as well as the dubing, which... oh wow! Yzak says "legged ship!" :/

[MikeyS]

Your just upset because I disproved those last two. I stand by what I said and will not change my opinion.

[koda]

Your just upset because I disproved those last two. I stand by what I said and will not change my opinion.
Uhh uhh a "scanaltion" could disprove your disproving. I have no time for people who say things baselessly.

Also, as a .hack fan, I would be happy to proofread Kara's edit of Another Birth for free without any credit or thanks going towards me at all for the sake of canon because there is nothing I hate more than canon being broken and nothing more than I hate then the US company butchering and confusing fans, but that is apparently what TokyoPop's Editing staff does best...

[Blu_Moon]

Since this is under the Gundam SEED thread, it might get moved over to the .hack thread when the moderators come by--just FYI so you don't think it disappeared.

Thanks for all your notes. They are really helpful. It's a little late to make any changes, but if we get to do a reprint, I'll try and put them in. I am not the editor for the .hack novels, but as a novels editor, I eyeball it for a copyedit. I admit I focused solely on sentence structure and assumed that the translator and rewriter were very familiar with canon. We were all very distressed to learn that this was not the case. As I did my copyedit of Another Birth, I worked with a coworker who is a fan of the series and has played the games, so hopefully there won't be glaring errors in the next book.

...
1. Izumi Rei's name was spelled "Rei Idumi" on the cover. That is just plain impolite.

Just FYI--this change was a direct request from the licensor, who was requesting it on behalf of the author. The author wanted us to spell the name differently, and per our contract, we did. I understand how it must look like a huge mistake to someone outside of the biz, but, maybe withhold anger until you learn the whole story? All novel covers and credits pages must be approved by the licensor before they go to print.

[koda]

If there are errors, you can guarantee I'll be posting them here. : P

Interesting hearing about "Idumi" as well. Interesting because it was spelled "Izumi" in other places on your releases. o_o;

[MikeyS]

Uhh uhh a "scanaltion" could disprove your disproving. I have no time for people who say things baselessly.

Also, as a .hack fan, I would be happy to proofread Kara's edit of Another Birth for free without any credit or thanks going towards me at all for the sake of canon because there is nothing I hate more than canon being broken and nothing more than I hate then the US company butchering and confusing fans, but that is apparently what TokyoPop's Editing staff does best...

Baseless? HAH! It is fact. You are just angry because I disproved your little theories.

Scanlators think they are all that becuase alot of fans say "Oh! Their's are so much better!" well I will think they are better when I see them being hired by companies.

[koda]

Theory? THEORY? You're calling a translation by a 46 year old native Japanese who is fluent in English and went to Yale THEORY? I am... speechless.

[Blu_Moon]

Uhm, Mikey, please get your head out of your ass and quit defending something that sucks, kthx.

Edit:
Wow Kara. If you can use a website for reference, why didn't you try that with .hack too? Pole arm vs. Long arm... you can find that on the .hack website, you could figure it out by reading Brady Games strategy guide for the games, you could find it on wikipedia FFS.

First off, that kind of language will get you banned. I really understand that as a die-hard fan, of course you're upset and you have every right to voice your concerns--I'll listen to all of them as soon as I can spare a minute. But don't curse and don't flame others, please. Second, as I said, I'm not the editor for the book; I did a quick glance at it (for how it read), before it went to the printer. Thanks to the fans pointing out the errors to us, we've now got fact checkers to double check what the translator and rewriter comes up with. We're not out to ruin our books--we're fans of them, too. I really understand how upset you must be. I sympathize, and I'm sorry. We are all trying harder to really respect the integrity of the series. Please continue to interact with us and let us know what you think, but please, if you can't be respectful, at least aim for civility, okay? If all I’m hearing is anger-anger-froth-at-the-mouth-disrespect, I can’t focus on what you’re trying to teach me.

Yours, Kara

[Deacon Blues]

Well, since you seem to know everything there is to know... Tokyopop actually watches scanlations groups and what projects they handle... this is how they determine what's hot and what's not from Japan. In addition to that, scanlators (their translators) are hired by manga companies. =) It's happened for translators with fansubs too...

I'm a scanlator (shouldn't be ashamed to admit that) and I know for a proven fact that some of my translations trump that of what they released. Therefore, unless you actually know Japanese, I suggest you stop running your mouth.

[MikeyS]

1. We don't know for a fact that you are a forty-seven year old who went to yale. So I wont believe you so go along with that until I see some proof.

2. How am I supposed to know that?

[Deacon Blues]

Quoting this for koda...

Well, thanks for disabling my account before I had a change to post a reply to Kara and Mikey S.

To clarify, I am not a 46yr old translator went to Yale. However, a translator who translated it for me personally was. And seeing as how the majority of her TL is a more wordy version of what Tokyo Pop has save for stuff like Shuga
(you realize that the Shugo -> Sugar -> Sugah thing doesn't quite work that way in Japanese, right? I mean, their word for sugar is entirely different) and "Kite has died" etc.

Next off, Kara, to answer your questions as I was doing before you or whoever deleted or disabled my account, the reason why fans are so intolerant and frothing at mouth disrespectful is because we've had enough of this on other message boards. When someone asks about these confusing things, the first few times, it's not a big deal, but slowly, -everyone- gets impatient about the same error being asked to be clarified on various .hack message boards. It's utterly annoying to have confused fans walk around when you're trying to spread canon. And then there's also things like the two page spread in AI Buster with Albireo and Kamui and the Spear of Wotan, and how strange it looks. Kamui is grabbing her spear hand on the right page, and Albireo is grasping the end of the weapon on the left. This is, well, just by looking at it you can tell it's printed wrong. It just plain makes TokyoPop look unprofessional and discourages wanting to buy products and does make a lot of people feel nothing but disrespect for your company. "If they do these kinds of things on this series, what did they do on another?" I don't really have much to "teach" you except encourage you and your other editors to you know, use Wikipedia or use Google. This isn't just relevant to .hack only, but also Gundam SEED and any other project of TokyoPop's. When you go the "extra mile" or whatever, it shows.

[Blu_Moon]

I'm not a mod, I don't have the power to disable anything. In fact, this is my first message board, so, I'm still trying to get my land legs. I'm sorry, Koda, that you were cut off mid-message. The rules are pretty clear about language. It's not that any of us mind criticism, but tone and cursing and whatnot, well, the mods are gonna be pretty quick to mercilessly lock that down, as it says in the welcome page.

Now. Onto the matter. I want to do my best. You want the best book possible. So far, we're in agreement. I vow I'll double check things as best I can for my titles, but I'll never do a transliteration of any book. I'm an editor--my job is to rework things so that they flow naturally for the English reader. So things like "paw" instead of "legged ship" will continue to happen when I think it needs to. If you hate that, I respect your right not to buy our products, but to read the Japanese "authentic" version instead. I will never happily hack away at an author's vision--I'm an author myself and I have respect for this stuff as a fan, too. And you are absolutely right--mistakes were made. Moving forward, we're trying really hard to make sure to get things right. And we want you guys to keep alerting us to mistakes/ your preferences. But no matter how upset you are, there's a right way and a wrong way to speak to someone. I completely understand your point of view and will champion your requests when I can. But I'm far too busy and committed to listen to angry static. You want me to be careful with the words I use in your books, just return the favor with your words on this forum, and we'll get along fine.

Koda, I hope you can sign up as a different user and we can start things over with a clean slate.

Okay, everyone. I'm off to my ballroom dancing competition and I won't be around again for a few days, but please know I'm interested in what you have to say and will check back when I can!

Yours, Kara

[Blackthornhiei]

Well, apart from the spellings mistakes I could see (mind you, english is not my native tongue) which I know it's impossible not to have them (doing english to spanish and spanish to english translation as a hobby, I know the spelling bug much too well), the only thing that irks me is the "Paw" thing.

It gives me mental images of the Archangel being a big, plushie ship, with bunny paws... but that's just me.

I understand your reasoning though, Kara. I'll keep that in mind as I continue vol 2.

In any case, now with these forums and all, I'm pretty sure there will be a couple of Gundam fans willing to give a hand on the technical aspects and such. Not me, though, I don't have as much knowledge as some people that have posted on this thread.