Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Out of Gas

You've probably noticed that Orphan's releases this year lean heavily towards re-releases of past projects or of previously fansubbed material. Basically, the group is out of gas; our translators are busy with Real Life, and I've been unable to recruit new ones. So we're stuck with recycled material.

However, there's a limit to how much of that I'm willing to do (or the team is willing to do, for that matter). Yes, there are still a number of early projects that really need better encodes (for example, Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 2). Yes, there are other fansubs that also need better encodes (for example, Love Position: The Legend of Halley). But constantly retreading old ground means the projects and the group get stale. Without new scripts, Orphan is at or past the point of diminishing returns.

There's no lack of material to work on. We have good raws for dozens of untranslated shows, as well as preliminary scripts for a few:

  1. Ambassador Magma TV series (13 episodes)
  2. Asatte Dance (DdD, AIW7500)
  3. Ascending the Clouds 1-2 (DdD)
  4. Bakumatsu no Spasibo (needs TLC)
  5. Days OAD (needs TLC)
  6. Fighting Beauty Wulong (needs TLC) - existing subs are HK DVD and dubtitles
  7. Genji, Part 1 1-2 (needs TLC) (laserdisc)
  8. GoGo! Toraemon (DdD)
  9. Hashire! Shiroi Ookami
  10. Heart Cocktail (DdD)
  11. Kaitei Daisensou (needs TLC)
  12. Kentauros no Densetsu (AIW7500)
  13. Kimama ni Idol
  14. Koiko no Mainichi (AIW7500)
  15. Maps (1987)
  16. Mellow
  17. Mother: Saigo no Shoujo Eve (AIW7500) (needs TLC)
  18. Nemurenu Yoru no Chiisana Ohanashi
  19. Nijuushi no Hitomi
  20. OL Kaizou Kouza (AIW7500)
  21. Okama Report (AIW7500)
  22. Ore no Sora (AIW7500)
  23. Raiyantsuuriii no Uta
  24. Sakyo Komatsu's Animation Theater (with JP captions)
  25. Sanada 10 last 3 episodes (needs R2J encode)
  26. Santa Company ~The Secret of Christmas~
  27. Shin Takamaru (laserdisc)
  28. Shiratori Reiko de Gozaimasu (AIW7500)
  29. Son Gokuu TV series (39 episodes)
  30. Sugata Sanshirou
  31. Super Real Mahjong (DdD)
  32. Takamaru (laserdisc)
  33. Tannishou o Hiraku
  34. Tezuka Osamu Works - Kyoto Animation Theater (with JP captions)
  35. Tottoi (AIW7500)
  36. Umi no Yami, Tsuki no Kage
  37. Uraysau Tekkin Kazoku
  38. Ushiro no Hyakutaro
  39. Visitor (VHS)
  40. Warau Hyouteki
  41. Yumemakura Baku Twilight Gekijou

(Key: DdD = Domesday Duplicator laserdisc rip. AIW7500 = uncompressed VHS rip. TLC = translation check)

However, without translators, these shows will remain stuck in the vaults, inaccessible to an English-speaking audience. Even Chameleon is stalled for lack of a translator to do the songs in the last three episodes.

So yes, this is a recruiting post for translators; but it's also a notice that Orphan is basically going into quasi-hibernation. We'll finish what we started, like the HD versions of the Sangokushi movies and the Sensou Douwa specials, but after that, releases are going to be much more sporadic, as scripts turn up.

If you are a translator, and one or more of these shows interest you, please get in touch with me by private message on irc.rizon.net. To my great annoyance, I have to be on Discord occasionally, but it's very sporadic.


3 comments:

  1. The group that has been subbing Dr. Slump has apparently been paying someone on fiverr to do the translations and highly recommends that person (purpleparrotking). Just glancing at his page, it looks like it wouldn't really be too expensive. I, for one, would be happy to chip in towards translation costs, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are others who would do so, as well.

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  2. Agree with DP, would be willing to help with the costs of a translator.
    Thank you for your work and transparency!

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  3. It's times like these where I really wish I could speak Japanese and help out. Orphan does such good work on shows that would never be accessible to an English-speaking audience. Good luck. I hope you are able to find some translators. (I'd be willing to pitch in a few bucks myself, if need be.)

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