Yes, my last post was “The Best of 2007,” but rather than put up a Worst list, I’m lumping them all together with The Rest. Not all the dramas I’m mentioning here are bad; they’re just dramas I watched that didn’t belong in the Best list.
SONG OF THE DAY
War of Money OST - “알 수 없는 일” (unknowable thing) by Sweet Sorrow [ zShare download ]
Portrait - “I Thought About You.” Korean jazz. No, I mean like real jazz.
[ zShare download ]
I like seeing how other people translate, for a few reasons. For one, it helps me improve my own translations, seeing how others express a phrase, plus I’m curious at how I’d do things differently. Lily over at the now-defunct jlandsubs.com used to write posts analyzing her translations, comparing hers to other translations of the same thing, and I found them endlessly fascinating. Looking back at all the things I’ve worked on, I figured I’d give it a try as well.
(Unfortunately, it was easier for Lily because j-dramas often are subbed by multiple groups, while kdramas aren’t, so I don’t have much to compare against. If I analyze translations in the future, I’m thinking of comparing some of my summary work with translations other people have done, unless there are objections — I absolutely don’t mean to put the other work down; I only want something to compare with, to illustrate my point. If anyone doesn’t like the idea, let me know and I’ll reconsider. So for this post, I’m just going to pick at my own past translations — what I liked, what I didn’t like, what I’d do differently now.)
So. That’s why I’ve been skimming through some GOONG episodes, now that it’s airing on cable channel IATV (Imaginasian), and I have to say the series has got one of the better subtitles I’ve seen. (I didn’t work on Goong, although I have already seen the series prior to this.) In contrast, I really disliked the translations of Que Sera Sera that I saw (Edit: yikes, I mean to clarify, the QSS translations I saw on television — I have nothing against D-Fansubs work. Sorry if that confused anyone; I honestly didn’t think it would read that way). And although AZN’s version of Fantasy Couple was fine, they drove me nuts with their abuse… of ellipses… at the end… and beginning… of every… single… sentence…
Now that With S2 has just released the rest of Dal Ja’s Spring to finish our 30th project (30 kdramas! In just over a year!), I had a few thoughts on fansubbing as a whole… The more I fansub and translate, the more I’ve gotten comfortable recognizing wordplay in Korean, which I always get a little kick out of. I like wordplay of all sorts, and I think people enjoy understanding them, because it gives you a deeper appreciation into the language of a drama, for instance, rather than merely the plot. I’ve also seen a couple of comments noting interest in some of my Korean language explanations, which made me realize if I get a kick out of little details, other people probably would too.
I have to say, for a series I was only half-interested in for the first half of its run, this was a really good finale. I was simultaneously impressed at how much I liked it, and sad that the rest of the series couldn’t be this good. If I had to put it to a phrase, I’d say it was “quietly moving.” Which isn’t to suggest it’s boring or uneventful, but you see people dealing with their choices and consequences in a deep, thoughtful way. And the end, in case you were worried, is happy enough for me!
. SONG OF THE DAY
Infinity of Sound - “Spring.” (This song was played in Episode 5. New pop group composed of triplet sisters making eclectic music with traditional musical instruments.) [ zShare download ]
Also, if you thought Episode 19’s recap was long, this one’s a real mother! Seriously, it’s monstrous. (I just couldn’t bring myself to leave things out.) You have been forewarned.
And here, we are, the penultimate episode! Only one more left after this… so you know what that means. Lots of anguish and heartbreak, to make the happy ending appropriately satisfying. Or at least the ending had damn well better be happy and satisfying, because all this grief can’t be for nothing.
SONG OF THE DAY
J -”전하지 못한 말” (Jeon haji mot-han mal, or “Words I Can’t Express”) [ zShare download ]
Second Moon - “얼음연못”(Ice Pond) Apparently this song was used in both Goong and Goong S? Anyway, a very nice song, although I think there’s still another Second Moon song I’m missing… [ zShare download ]
I tried doing a “proper” recap this time, so be prepared for a super-long post after the jump cut!
Just thought I’d share one of the songs that’s cropped up in some significant scenes in the later episodes of Goong S. It’s not an easy song to find (or maybe that was just me), so I thought I’d share.
It plays in the following Hoo/Soon-yi scenes:
Episode 13: Early in the ep, when Hoo tries to catch Soon-yi at the train station before she leaves.
Episode 14: At the end, when Hoo asks Soon-yi to come back to Seoul. (Soon-yi says it’s too hard seeing him all the time, listening to his voice, seeing his face… and Hoo tells her, “I’m sorry for making it hard for you, and for not knowing your feelings. I’m sorry for not being able to promise you anything. But… I wish you could be somewhere i could always see you.”)
Episode 16: During the kiss
SONG OF THE DAY
이은미 (Lee Eun Mi) - “애인…있어요” (Aein… isseo yo / He has a lover) [ zShare download ]
