Wan-Fu
They really ran out of ideas for this guy.
Challenges
vs self
| My translation | Official translation |
|---|---|
| Grraah! Those like you shame the royal family, and for that, I'll kill you here and now! | It's been a long time, brother. Let's fight and win honor! |
The official version feels like it was meant for the first game and just got delayed. It's not even a case of "it's not a translation but sounds like something the character could reasonably say" like we've seen for other characters, because Wan Fu partially changed personalities inbetween games. Now he's a lot more short-tempered and angry in Japanese, while in English...well, it sounds like an accurate translation from the first game. "Determine the royal succession" could be chopped down to "win honor" and it wouldn't be that big of a leap...
Which raises the immediate question of "how did that happen", and I have no idea.
Wan Fu used to speak in a very grandiose manner, but now he's more shouting and insulting. Wan Fu, what happened...
vs others
| My translation | Official translation |
|---|---|
| Nnngraah! I'll smash everyone in my way! | You stand against me? What a foolish guy! |
This is just kind of...generic. In both languages. It's not an accurate translation, but it's that weird secondary category of a new quote that mostly sounds like something the character would say, if only because it's so generic.
It's also a bit stilted, mostly because I think it needs a "dare" between "you" and "stand". Or something like that.
Win Quotes
vs self
| My translation | Official translation |
|---|---|
| Gaah! That this filthy pig dared to approach the royal throne while it was unoccupied! You damn pig! Pig! FILTHY PIIIIIIIG! | Weak, weak, too weak! You have brought shame on our kinsmen. Go to hell! |
Wow, Wan Fu.
So yes, Wan Fu is a lot more violent in SamSho2. I guess SNK thought he didn't have enough presence in the first game?
Technically he's calling 2P 豚クソ/buta kuso or pig crap, but that sounds weird in English if you're yelling it over and over again. Well, it doesn't seem to be common in Japanese either. Just be aware, I did make an interpretation here.
Besides Wan Fu being a lot more insulting in Japanese, the reason he's so angry at 2P is changed. In Japanese, he's furious that 2P tried to claim the royal throne while Wan Fu was away. In English, he's angry that 2P was so easily defeated and this shames the family. It feels like in Japanese 2P is an imposter, while in English Wan Fu acknowledges him as a relative, if a shameful one.
Feels like it's been awhile since SNK cursed in the English win quotes, but I have to admit, it fits the tone.
win with killing blow
| My translation |
|---|
| You fool, loitering about when the world faces a great crisis! I'll smash you down and eat you up! |
| Fool! Simpleton! Halfwit! Scumbag! Just die! |
For some reason, I could not get screenshots of killing blow quotes no matter what I did. It feels like SNK did not think getting bashed with a stone column is fatal, which I don't think is how it works in the real world. But either way, I had to get these off of Ulin's site. Sorry about that. Kishi got them for me! It seems like you have to use his move where he bashes his head against the pillar first, and that's the only one considered to be a killing blow for whatever mysterious reason.
It looks like Wan Fu, Siegar, and Nicotine were all considered to have non-fatal weapons (but not Cham Cham?) so their complete set of win quotes was considered a mystery for a long time, to the point where not even the All About Shin Samurai Spirits book knew how to get them - the book listed them, since they had data from SNK, but claimed there was no way to get them. For more details (in Japanese), please consult Ulin's page about it.
Starting with the first line, it's interesting that Wan Fu is yelling at the other character about the great crisis. Solving that isn't his main ambition according to the story sequences, but I suppose he does care. Though it does seem a bit hypocritical...not like Wan Fu goes straight for Mizuki or anything.
Also, implied cannibalism out of not-Earthquake is notable.
For the second line, he really is using a bunch of different ways to say "idiot" in Japanese. I did my best.
| My translation |
|---|
| Gah, how vexing! Just seeing this weakling's face makes me want to vomit! Away with you! |
See, this is "away with you" because it's the case where he didn't kill his opponent.
The translation could also go with the second killing blow quote above, but I went with Wan Fu telling his opponent to go away. Maybe it's a combination of both? But Japanese Wan Fu is disgusted by his opponent, so that might be it. It's very hard to tell! But I am glad to see an SNK-feeling insult like "chicken" in this game. Gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling. And it even kind of fits, because SamSho2 Wan Fu is much more temperamental and violent than he was in the previous game. Man, remember when he was quoting Sun Tzu in his win quotes?
Story
Opening
| My translation | Official translation |
|---|---|
| Time flowed on after the Shimabara incident, but the storm clouds once more begin to gather... | Time has passed since the last trouble. New battles are going to start, now again. |
| Wan Fu: Nnngraah! I'll take your head! | Wan Fu: Look at our great Chinese power! |
...what?
Japanese Wan Fu is, as usual, shorter and more violent than he was in SamSho1. Meanwhile, English Wan Fu seems to be channeling SamSho1 Wan Fu's Han pride angle, which isn't nearly as prominent in SamSho2.
But either way, they just made something up.
Stage 3
On Mizuki's page.
Stage 6
On Mizuki's page.
Stage 8
| My translation | Official translation |
|---|---|
| Wan Fu: This jewel of light... I hear its power, calling out to a true Han. | Wan Fu: Hey, you, I'll beat and eat you! |
| Kuroko: It's all right, everything's okay! Believe in yourself and go! | Kuroko: Don't worry, believe you! |
| Wan Fu: Quiet! Such drive is second nature to a true Han! | Wan Fu: That spirit, he is no ordinally man. |
Kishi got these. Thanks!
This is, oddly enough, the one place where Wan Fu's Han pride comes through...in Japanese. But they mostly cut it out of English SamSho1 too, so that's normal.
The backstory is that Wan Fu is looking for this jewel (Mizuki's orb?) in order to get the power to conquer China (and drive out the Manchus). This is entirely cut out of the English version, starting here. In Japanese, this is the first time in game where Wan Fu declares the reason he's come back to Japan; because the jewel calls to him and he desires its power. In English, this is replaced with... a version of one of Wan Fu's Japanese win quotes? What's that doing here? Copy-paste error? Did someone love this line so much they decided to put it here when they cut most of the win quotes? (assuming they started by translating all of them, which is unverifiable) Just a coincidence? ...but then why does it sound so very much like a translation of a completely different line, right down to the specific reference to eating someone?
It's very strange!
Kuroko's line is standard, temporarily check it out on Hanzo's page.
Wan Fu's line makes sense in both languages, but they're not really related to each other. The Japanese word Kishi translated as "drive" does mean "spirit", so that's a connection, but in Japanese he's referring to his own manly spirit, and in English he's calling Kuroko a spirit. Which Kuroko kind of is...but that doesn't come up here. A mistake? A deliberate change? It's hard to tell from here.
Stage 11
On Mizuki's page.
Stage 12
| My translation | Official translation |
|---|---|
| Wan Fu: My ambition can only be satisfied by the power of that jewel! I shall claim it! | Wan Fu: You disturb me, I never forgive you! |
| Rakiki-useless! Useless!-kikiki! Nkikira-I'll eat you all! | You, impertinent small fry, I'll eat, eat you all! |
| Wan Fu: You filthy pig! I'll kill you! | Wan Fu: Feel a great power of China! |
Wan Fu reiterates his desire for the jewel in Japanese, and adds that it will help him satisfy his ambition. This is completely cut out in English, replaced with the implication that it was Mizuki that picked a fight with Wan Fu? That's completely backwards.
Mizuki's line is the same for everyone, so check out Haohmaru's page.
In Japanese, Wan Fu's final line calls back to his win vs self quote. Calling people pigs is his thing in SamSho2, I guess. In English it's a call back to his prologue quote wiht the whole "power of China" thing. Either way, neither of these lines are actual translations.
Ending
| My translation | Official translation |
|---|---|
| Wan Fu: Humph, a mere trifle. The jewel's power was nothing much in the end. | Wan Fu: Rubbish! It's not much of I expected. |
| Wan Fu: I hope you're not all waiting for a punchline...You fools! My ending has no need of such a thing! | Wan Fu: I know you are expecting the ending. But there's no ending in my story! |
| Wan Fu: Thus I reject this world of clichés! | Wan Fu: This is my message to all of you contented with common endings. |
| Wan Fu: explodes | Wan Fu: explodes |
Kishi got the last two lines. Thank you.
I, um, what?
So let's start with the first line. As usual, it cuts out all mention of the jewel. In Japanese, Wan Fu discovers that the jewel's power won't help him conquer China and he gives up on it. In English, he's just randomly disappointed. It sounds more like he's angry Mizuki didn't give him a very good fight. In general, Wan Fu doesn't have much of a plotline in English, since every mention of the actual reason he's fighting was cut. It must've been a deliberate decision, but...why?
The English version is ungrammatical to the point of almost not making sense. Once again, SamSho2 doesn't feel like a native speaker was very involved with the project. Editor, what happened to you?
Then in the second line it gets meta. Wan Fu turns toward the player and scolds them for expecting either a punchline or an ending, depending on the language. It's a fairly small change in terms of words, but it changes Wan Fu from telling the players to not treat him like a joke to declaring his story has no ending, which is a fair bit more metaphysical. Then again, they're both breaking the fourth wall.
The last line...well, the idea that Wan Fu is rejecting the ordinary comes through. The word ends up being very different, but it's a weird line in Japanese. I'm having a hard time defining what the exact difference is between them besides the English version spelling things out more.
Random note: Wan Fu starts using wa again at the end of his sentences in the ending, like he did back in the first game. He doesn't do that in the entire rest of the game. I'm not sure if that actually signifies anything or what, but it's something I noticed.