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Saturday, November 17, 2012

This is why Korean songs should not be translated into Japanese

So B1A4's fun attempt to get into the Japanese music industry failed just as hard as you might have thought:




It kind of bothers me when Korean idols merely translate the same song into Japanese. It seriously just never sounds good in Japanese. That is also a very lazy tactic, too.

Why can't other artists just make a new song for their Japanese debuts / promotions? Dae Guk Nam Ah, Kara, 2NE1, and Big Bang did it just fine. And it is not like some of the smaller idols don't have the money or resources to be able to do that.

Seriously. It just sounds 100x worse translated into Japanese. 1/4 of that song was STILL in Korean anyways, with another quarter in half-assed English.

Just do us a favour and make an entirely different, crappy pop song to promote. You'll embarrass everyone else a little less.

I don't know. What do you FISH think? Do you like the Japanese versions of the same Korean songs; or do you also like it when artists make completely different songs for other languages? Leave your opinions in the comment section below. Unless they are stupid opinions. Then you can keep those damn thoughts to yourselves.
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25 comments:

  1. UnknownNovember 17, 2012 at 12:47 AM

    It sounds the same to me. Still sounds like shit,

    ReplyDelete
  2. LostSeraphineNovember 17, 2012 at 4:10 AM

    Not all songs sound good when translated from Korean to Japanese, but I mostly prefer Japanese versions to Korean ones. Especially because I don't understand a lick of Korean but am rather fluent in Japanese, so I prefer to listen to songs that I can grasp the meaning behind, if such should be present. I also find it easier to sing along in Japanese than in Korean because as said, I can neither speak nor understand the latter.

    Also, for the most time... it works the other way around for me. I got into K-Pop from K-Pop idols' Japanese releases. So usually I always hear the Japanese version of the song first before I listen to the Korean version if I find myself interested in hearing the Korean one in the first place. So for me, their Japanese releases are always a new song rather than something old reshaped into something new.

    I love Japanese, so whenever I find a Korean song I like, I kinda always wish it would be translated in Japanese as well, therefore I'm rather happy that a lot of idols do that. Even if it doesn't have or make a lot of sense in Japanese (but frankly, most of them DO have a coherency in the translated lyrics just as much as in the original), it's much easier for me to find my groove to the song because, like said, I can sing along and understand what is being sung without having to look at translations first.

    I know I might get eaten alive here for saying this, but I'm an avid TVXQ fan (not a Cassie or whatever though, I never liked any of those fanclubs and their stupid fanwars), and I love them even more now that it's only two of them. Using this as an example, I have always enjoyed their Japanese releases much more. For example, KYHD and Maximum sound very very nice in Korean per se, but I still prefer the Japanese versions which are in no way worse in translation, have barely a Korean word left and utilize a very nice English, too. If one apple is rotten, doesn't mean the whole barrel is, many idols and idol groups do a damn good job in translating their Korean releases to Japanese.

    I enjoy their latest Korean album, but I do love the Japanese release 'Tone' much more. The only song of theirs I could honestly say I find much more appealing in Korean is 'Mirotic' from their five-member time, because it sounds much smoother than the Japanese version of it although the Japanese lyrics are hardly inferior. Sometimes, yeah, that happens because Korean in itself is smoother language than Japanese. Still, for me, Japanese versions will always be the favorite.

    I don't think the strategy of translation is all that stupid, either, it's rather a courtesy for fans like me. As I Japanese fan of Korean idols, I rather feel grateful that they translate some of their songs for me. Because at times, I don't WANT an entirely new song, I want the EXACT same one - just with lyrics that I can understand. And some idols provide me with that and I feel thankful and happy about it.

    Hah. Look at this little essay *lol* But well, you asked for an opinion and here's mine, I hope it wasn't a stupid one.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Scatter_88milNovember 17, 2012 at 4:31 AM

    This is even worse than T-ara's Japanese versions of their Korean songs O__o and I thought those were terribad. Plus all that aegyo shit makes it even more unbearable.

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    Replies
    1. YumiNovember 21, 2012 at 8:52 PM

      Leave my T-ARA unnies alone! I love their japanese remakes! Oppa! Learn respect! >;-(

      Delete
  4. Nayeon's VibratorNovember 17, 2012 at 5:12 AM

    I hate how they translate songs nowadays. Three languages in one song is fucking retarded. Back when BoA and DBSK released a new song that come out in both languages, at least both of them sounded good (example: BoA's Valenti, Listen To My Heart, Meri Kuri/Merry Chri, etc.)

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    Replies
    1. AnonymousNovember 17, 2012 at 5:22 AM

      i thought mirotic sounded like the biggest turd ever in japanese.

      Delete
  5. Hire Robbie PetrinoNovember 17, 2012 at 6:10 AM

    I enjoyed Japanese Gee and Oh!

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  6. silverNovember 17, 2012 at 6:23 AM

    at least... they didn't get an old ass song and be sung again, put it in their single, like orange caramel. that's lazy shit.

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    Replies
    1. YumiNovember 21, 2012 at 8:56 PM

      Lazy shit it is, but the japan grannies and uncles eat that shit up! ORANGE CARAMEL UNNIES SQUIRT THAT KAWAII CUTENESS SHIT OUTTA THAT ASS!!!! XD Love em!

      Delete
  7. adoryNovember 17, 2012 at 8:24 AM

    After School's songs are better in japanese.

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    Replies
    1. JaybaitNovember 17, 2012 at 9:09 AM

      They're actually re-recorded, though. Or rather "re-produced"..? Meaning they have a new production, so the songs differ in the instrumentals as well. Which is actually cool. Shows that they actually give a crap.

      Delete
    2. SuJunkNovember 17, 2012 at 7:35 PM

      naw qurl. Because of You in jap is just so so but nothing beats the original. Shampoo was borderline horrid

      Delete
    3. SuJunkNovember 17, 2012 at 7:37 PM

      probably Lady Luck was good 'cept the bridge where they had to dance with handbags WTF

      Delete
    4. U-Know Who Has Man TitsNovember 18, 2012 at 1:06 PM

      JunsuJunk oppa!

      Delete
    5. SuJunkNovember 20, 2012 at 6:17 AM

      uknow huge diqq opparchan ❤

      Delete
  8. U-Know Who Has Man TitsNovember 17, 2012 at 10:09 AM

    Shinbi, y ur articles so bland?

    ReplyDelete
  9. necrkoxadeNovember 17, 2012 at 12:23 PM

    dont forget about f(x) earsore

    ReplyDelete
  10. YessyNovember 17, 2012 at 4:32 PM

    I detest Japanese re-makes of Korean songs form the artist! Shows them being fucking lazy and don't want to waste money in a new song plus they sound worse in Japanese (some) not all cause I love DBSK's Rising Sun JP version better lol xD!

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  11. youropparhasalittlepenisNovember 18, 2012 at 6:56 PM

    I just want to stare deep into CNU's eyes while I'm thumbing his slit with one hand and massaging his balls with the other.

    ReplyDelete
  12. zakuNovember 19, 2012 at 10:57 AM

    I chortle every time I hear Korean in a Japanese-port of a KPop song. It's one of the greatest hugest "FUCK YOUs" ever conceived, especially considering the relationship between Korea and Japan right now. LOOOOOOL

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  13. YundooNovember 19, 2012 at 4:15 PM

    Is it a giant penis or an ovarian system printed on that t-shirt @1:31???!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. blueymcphlueyNovember 20, 2012 at 4:12 AM

    I rike it rike it rike it

    ReplyDelete

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