Female DQ3 HD-2D Art Changes
Image: Nintendo Life / Square Enix

Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii and former Shonen Jump editor Kazuhiko Torishima, co-hosts of radio show KosoKoso Hōsō Kyoku, have addressed the recent controversy surrounding comments made by the pair on a talk show appearance during Tokyo Game Show 2024.

According to the statement, the pair's comments — which focused on frustrations over changes that add more modest clothing to Akira Toriyama's original character designs for the upcoming Dragon Quest II HD-2D Remake — were both mistranslated and sensationalised by overseas media outlets (thanks, Automaton).

The conversation in the clip that appeared on social media was translated by Valute News, although the original post has since been deleted. The statement, posted to X, calls out Elon Musk's retweet of this original clip as a factor in the ensuing controversy.

The rebuttal specifically references the mistranslation of "Puritan" as "sex education" in the following line translated by Valute and attributed to Torishima: "There’s a religious concept from the West, especially in America, that influences their approach to sex education, right?"

Horii and Torishima criticise outets and users of social media for extracting comments made in the context of a much longer show in which the radio hosts were guests (which has since been removed from YouTube), criticising them for "arbitrary clipping videos that are different from the original content and message of the entire video."

Here’s Apple’s (imperfect, so bear that in mind) machine translation of the statement in full:

To everyone who always listens to "Yubo & Masirito's KosoKoso Broadcasting Station"
Regarding the live broadcast "~Denfa is live broadcast from Makuhari ~ Game Creators Special WITH Yu & Masirito's KosoKoso Broadcasting Station", which was implemented on Saturday, September 28, 2024, currently on SNS, some of the performers The statement was mistranslated by a third party other than the person involved when translating it into English, and the statement has been spread as a mistranslation.

Not only that, but some of the performers' statements were particularly cut out, and the speaker was quoted as if he was expressing a negative opinion on a specific ideology or belief, and it was far from the true meaning of the statement and the original content and message of this video. It has been spread by.

And the malicious videos and transcripts quoted above are spread on multiple YouTube channels and SNS accounts, and videos and articles that are accompanied by incorrect English translation subtitles and articles that are used as sources in Japan It has not only spread and spread to the outside of the country.

Mistranslation Applicable part

Positive: "Puritan"
Error: "Sex education"

Such a situation causes an unintentional misunderstanding by the speaker, and we are very sorry that there is a risk of damaging not only the performers themselves but also the rest on the relevant parties, and we strongly protest against the actions that led to such a situation. It's something to do.

Therefore, please refrain from spreading articles based on mistranslations and arbitrary clipping videos that are different from the original content and message of the entire video.

In addition, from the above perspective, please refrain from the following actions that are carried out in a way that separates the intention of the speaker and the original content and message of this video

・The act of cutting out a video that the speaker did not intend and spreading the video
・Incomplete transcription and dissemination of transcription that cut out part of the video
・Dissemination of cropping videos and transcriptions with mistranslated subtitles
・The act of arbitrarily cutting out a part of the statement and quoting it as a statement that follows one's own opinion in order to reinforce the legitimacy of one's own opinion

In addition, please refrain from cutting out and spreading statements in videos and videos in a form that ignores the context before and after the statements are made and the nuances of statements similar to the above acts.

We appreciate your cooperation in considering the above for game fans and viewers around the world.

※In addition, this statement does not deny or prohibit all posts, impressions, and posts that mention this matter and the contents of the distribution.

October 3, 2024

Yubo & Masirito's Kosokoso Broadcasting Station

The alterations to Akira Toriyama have been a hot topic online since the character art for the upcoming remake was revealed earlier this year, and Horii and Torishima have now taken steps to distance themselves from the sentiments previously reported. The changes are minor, but for many it seems that they amount to censorship and tampering with the late Toriyama's work.

[source x.com, via automaton-media.com]