Sword Art Online: War of Underworld Spanish dub episodes 0-3 review

 Sword Art Online: War of Underworld 

Spanish dub episodes 0-3 review

    ¡Bienvenido! Welcome back to Learning Spanish With Anime! This entry begins my review series for Sword Art Online's War of Underworld arc following the cliffhanger ending on the last episode of Alicization. 

    The first surprise to me was that the recap episode, which sums up the events of the Alicization arc from Asuna and Alice's point of view, was actually dubbed in Spanish when it hasn't even been dubbed in English. There's no new content here, but it is a nice reminder of the key plot points moving into the next arc.

"Este es el mundo que tu salvaste." ("This is the world that you saved.") - Alice

    The scenes set in Rulid village during the Alicization arc were some of my favorites to watch in Spanish, and the same is true for the opening episode of War of Underworld when Alice returns with Kirito, who never quite recovered from the events of the finale. The dialogue between Alice and Selka is perfect for anyone still learning the language because their casual conversations focused mainly on their everyday life in the village are very easy to follow, and Rulid itself is one of the most beautiful, iconic locations in the anime. 

    The events of the last six months are summed up during a brief flashback sequence, showing how Alice and Kirito came to have a home just outside the village border. Somehow, hearing the village elder tell his daughter to go away ("vete") sounded even more harsh in the Spanish dub than it did in English. Although it was only half a year since their brave stand against Administrator, Alice has spent several months around people who show indifference and cruelty towards her and Kirito, and now her bitter tone of voice has none of the same resolve as she remarks to the comatose Kirito that she doesn't understand why they fight to protect these people. ("No entiendo por que peleamos para proteger esta gente.") 

"Este pueblo será su tumba." ("This town will be your grave.") - Alice 

    After a short meeting with Eldrie, in which he gives an impassioned speech begging Alice to return for the coming war and she refuses on the basis that she no longer feels able to fight, her resolve is tested by an attack on the village. The knowledge that her sister is in danger and the sight of Kirito trying in vain to stand and protect Rulid moved Alice to vow that she will fight in his place. ("Yo pelearé en tu lugar.")

    Although many of the townspeople are reluctant to follow her direction at first, even going so far as to accuse her of being a witch ("una bruja"), Alice reveals at last that she is a knight and protects the village from a horde of invading goblins and orcs. Alice's threats are delivered with an inspiring strength of will that sends the (remaining) invaders running. One thing I've really enjoyed about using anime to supplement my Spanish study is learning cool lines like the one Alice says here. 

    It was heartwarming to see Alice's father begin to accept her again after the revelation that she's an Integrity Knight. His line during this scene, "Cuidate mucho, hija", which translates to "Be very careful, daughter", is much more personal and a notable difference from both the English and Japanese versions where he calls her "milday" or "lady knight".

    Back in the real world, as the assault team led by Gabriel infiltrates the Ocean Turtle, Asuna and the Rath team have retreated to the sub control room. Asuna's voice actress did very well portraying her sudden shift in emotions as she went from fiercely interrogating Kikuoka to feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by the situation. 

    Higa's dialogue when he explains the decision making process that has been damaged in Kirito's mind is mostly easy to follow even with an intermediate grasp of the Spanish language because he uses a very simple concept to illustrate his point to Rinko - deciding whether or not to have an extra serving at her favorite restaurant. Interestingly, the food in question is called "beef bowl" in the original, and in the Spanish dub, it's translated as "arroz con carne" (literally, "rice with meat") - which seems to be a specific variation of the dish.

     Meanwhile, the assault team in the main control room is busy preparing for their next move, which involves Gabriel and PoH entering the Underworld as Emperor Vector (the super account of the "lost children of Vector" myth) and a high level dark knight. The bickering between PoH and Critter, the team's hacker, is just as much fun to watch in the Spanish dub. PoH's nickname for Critter translates literally into Spanish ("cuatro ojos" = "four eyes"), and many of his remarks are very close to the original lines, such as "Atrévete a repetirlo" when he's daring Critter to repeat himself and "Solo quería darle una lección a este gusano." ("I just wanted to teach this worm a lesson.")    

    A few lines of dialogue were actually spoken in English, just like in the original Japanese version, such as Critter's "Yes, boss" and Gabriel saying "Your soul will be so sweet" in Sinon's flashback to the Gun Gale Online tournament. However, at the end of episode 3's opening scene, Gabriel is speaking in Spanish when he says he hopes Alice's soul will be delicious.  

This adorable proposal is interrupted by the arrival of Gabriel and PoH in the Underworld! 

    Just before Gabriel and PoH log in, we're introduced to two new characters in the Dark Territory - Shasta, leader of the Dark Knights, and his second in command Lipia. Their discussion shows that the Dark Territory is only now becoming aware of Administrator's death at the end of Alicization, and Shasta plans to use this opportunity to initiate peace talks with Bercouli (whom he refers to as "el viejo Bercouli" or "the old (man) Bercouli"), though Lipia objects to the dangerous idea of taking down the leader of the Dark Mages first claiming that it's madness ("es una locura"). Then Shasta completely stuns her with a surprise marriage proposal.

    Shasta's proposal to Lipia - "¿Te gustaria casarte conmigo?" ("Would you like to marry me?") - sounds even more romantic in the Spanish translation when compared to the original Japanese line ("Isn't it about time you officially became my wife?") and the English dub version ("make it official and become husband and wife"), but his tone of voice still gives the same impression that he's uncertain about her answer. Shasta's dialogue sounds more romantic in general, with him even calling Lipia "love" when he asks her how many years they've been together. ("¿Hace cuántos años que estamos juntos, amor?")

    Now that all of the major players are entering the Underworld (or preparing to), the war this arc was named for is about to begin. Check out my translation guide below for common and key phrases from this episode, and stay tuned for my next blog post, which will continue my weekly reviews for the War of Underworld arc. ¡Hasta luego! 

Voice Acting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Translated Script: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommended Proficiency: Moderate/Intermediate

Key phrases:

• ALO - the abbreviation for ALfheim Online is read as a single word (which sounds like "ah-lo") rather than pronouncing individual letters, the same as SAO 
• Alma humana - Human soul (look, it's Gabriel's favorite phrase)
• El jefe de la guardia - The head of the guard
• La sala principal - The main room (control room taken over by Gabriel's team during the raid)
• Caballero oscuro - Dark knight (PoH's avatar, as well as the faction of knights in the Dark Territory led by Shasta) 
• Las artes oscuras - The dark arts (used in reference to the dark mages) 

Common phrases: 

• Come - Eat
• ¡Basta! - Enough! / Stop!
• Toma asiento - Take a seat
• Estoy de acuerdo - I agree
• Hace mucho frío - It's very cold
• Eso lo entiendo - I understand that
• ¿Estás cansado? - Are you tired?
• ¿Te gustaría ir? - Would you like to go?
• Qué hermoso lugar - What a beautiful place
• ¡Eso es tan emocionante! - That's so exciting!
• Entonces a trabajar - Then (get) to work 
• Esto es tu culpa - This is your fault
• Es demasiado peligroso - It's too dangerous
• ¿Oye, dónde estan todos? - Hey, where is everyone? 
• No tenemos tiempo ahora para eso - We don't have time for that now
• No hay tiempo para explicaciones - There is no time for explanations
• Necesitamos resultados, no excusas - We need results, not excuses
• ¿Qué está aquí? ¿Cómo me encontraste? - What are you doing here? How did you find me?
• ¡Atención todo el mundo! - Attention, everyone! (Literally, "Attention, all the world!") 
• Ya me encargo - the literal translation is "I'm already in charge", but it's more commonly used to mean "I'll take care of it/I've got this" 

*All images from Sword Art Online: War of Underworld, screenshots taken by me

Sword Art Online: Alicization Spanish dub episodes 22-24 review (finale)

 Sword Art Online: Alicization

Spanish dub episodes 22-24 (finale)

    ¡Bienvenido y Feliz Año Nuevo! Welcome back to Learning Spanish With Anime, and Happy New Year! This is the final batch of Alicization episodes before War of Underworld, and it's been a lot of fun rewatching my favorite series again in my second language. 

   The battle against Chudelkin that served as a cliffhanger at the end of the previous episode came to a swift end shortly after this one began in a beautiful show of special effects, but the main focus of the episode is a confrontation with Administrator. Alice's voice actress excells in scenes of raw emotion like this, and Kirito's cool and clever dialogue provided a good balance. However, Administrator realizes the truth about Kirito as well and makes an accusation of her own - "Eres un humano del mundo exterior." ("You are a human from the outside world.")

    Kirito tried to reason with her, warning her about all of the things that would be lost if the Dark Territory's invasion is successful due to her own arrogance - "Las montañas. Los rios. Los pueblos. Las ciudades. Todas las personas incluyéndote." ("The mountains. The rivers. The villages. The cities. All people including you.") Instead, Administrator reveals a creation of her own intended for this very purpose, The Sword Titan. Kirito recognizes it for what it is, an automated weapon ("un arma automatizada"), but Eugeo is the first to realize it's connection to the fragments of memory embedded in the ceiling of the cathedral. Administrator boasts that it's a machine of death and destruction ("una máquina de muerte y destrucción"), and when it proves too much to handle, Cardinal steps in to protect them.

      Administrator takes pleasure in the fact that Cardinal can't fight the Sword Titan due to the presence of its human soul, and her mocking tone and maniacal laugh fit her personality so well. Her VA really showed the depths of her character in this scene as Administrator acted amused by their struggle, like a game of cat and mouse, until finally losing her cool when she realized she might be in danger. Likewise, Cardinal's outrage upon hearing Administrator's plan and the sense of helplessness that followed displayed a good range of emotion for a character who is usually shown to be calm and collected. All of the voice actors in SAO so far seem to have great chemistry and play off of each other's performances nicely. 
    However, for anyone still learning the language, the detailed explanations related to the Sword Titan, fluctlights and the system itself during episodes 22 and 23 can be a lot to take in. Administrator and Cardinal's rapid fire dialogue moves from one big reveal to the next in record time, and may require multiple viewings to catch all of the important information.  

"¡Tus rayos no tienen efecto sobre mi!" ("Your lightning has no effect on me!") - Alice holding the line during Eugeo's transformation

    Through the same technique Administrator used to create the Sword Titan, Eugeo asks Cardinal to fuse him with the Blue Rose sword before she dies so that he can fight back. The drastic shift in Administrator's voice and speech when she realized she's in trouble is a good indication of her mental state, and her VA did a great job shifting from her former pompous attitude to her desperate shrieks of, "¡Te voy a matar!" ("I'm going to kill you!")

    Although Eugeo managed to wound Administrator, the grave injuries that he suffered shocked Kirito to his core. He sounds absolutely heartbroken in this scene when he tries in vain to heal Eugeo with sacred arts and cries out, "Por favor, funciona!" ("Please, work!") It was especially emotional when he said "Eres mi mejor amigo! Eres mi hermano!" ("You're my best friend! You're my brother!") because this line is different from both the English and Japanese dialogue - here, Kirito calls him "brother". 

"Ahora, salvemos a Alice juntos." ("Now, let's save Alice together.") - Eugeo

    This is one of the things I love about the Spanish dub. Kirito and Eugeo always say they're best friends in the English and Japanese versions, and in the Spanish dub as well, but hearing them call each other "brother" adds even more depth to their relationship and really drives home the reason why Kirito was so devastated by this loss. Eugeo was more than just a friend; he was like family, the only one Kirito had during his two years in the Underworld. 

    When Eugeo says goodbye to Kirito, he uses the phrase, "Hasta siempre, hermano" - also calling him "brother". Literally, the words "hasta siempre" translate to "until always", but the meaning behind it implies a farewell that is likely permanent (or at least implies a very long time apart). It pairs really well with the "stay cool" phrase Kirito taught to Eugeo, which he uses again here, and the way Kirito explained it's not used as a casual goodbye. 

    Kirito, snapped out of his shocked state by Alice jumping between him and Administrator to protect him and Eugeo's encouragement, proceeds to battle the ruler of the Underworld and wins, but not without taking significant damage himself. After a heartfelt goodbye, Eugeo and the memory of young Alice depart while reassuring Kirito, "Estaremos contigo para siempre." ("We will be with you forever.")

    Now that the battle is over, Kirito examines the control panel summoned by Administrator and establishes a link to the real world at last. However, he finds out that not all is well for the Rath team on the other side...

Two familiar faces from the GGO scene in the first episode - PoH (left) and Gabriel (right)

    A brief shift back to the real world gives us a glimpse of the assault team attacking the Ocean Turtle, along with the two main antagonists of the following War of Underworld arc. PoH's relaxed, confident tone of voice even as the sounds of gunfire ring out in the background fits the leader of Laughing Coffin very well. I loved the translation of his line for the Spanish dub - "Sí, yo lo se, bro. No es mi primera vez." ("Yeah, I know, bro. It's not my first time.") When compared to the lines used in the English dub ("I know what to cut") and the original Japanese version ("I wouldn't mess up like that"), all three are great and portray the same kind of cool confidence, but the fact that he basically brags about having experience with breaking and entering in the Spanish dub adds an interesting layer to their dialogue. Ultimately, their actions in the real world result in a power surge which causes Kirito to fall unconscious.

    This concludes Sword Art Online: Alicization's Spanish dub. Check out my translation guide below for common and key phrases from this episode, and stay tuned for my next blog post, which will begin weekly reviews for the War of Underworld arc. ¡Hasta luego! 

Voice Acting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Translated Script: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommended Proficiency: Intermediate/Advanced

Key phrases:

• El titán de la espada - The Sword Titan
• El fin del mundo - World's End (the place where Kikuoka tells Kirito to go with Alice, same name meaning as in English)
• Llamada al sistema. Remover protección del núcleo - System call. Remove core protection (this command is used before the synthesis ritual and before Eugeo's transformation)
• La técnica de cuatro golpes - The four strike technique (description given for multi-hit sword skills; number depends on the technique)

Common phrases: 

• Descansa - Rest
• ¿Esto es para mi? - This is for me? 
• Es mi oportunidad - It's my opportunity
• Entonces, vamos a pelear - Then let's fight
• Por fin termino - Finally finished
• O mejor dicho - Or rather/Or better said
• No te atrevas - Don't you dare
• Por supuesto que lo sabía - Of course he knew
• ¿Ahora lo entiendes? - Do you understand now?
• Levántate una vez más - Get up one more time 
• No importa las veces que cayas - It doesn't matter how many times you fall
• Dime, ¿quién es esta persona? - Tell me, who is this person?
• ¿Cómo puede ser tan insensible? - How can you be so insensitive?
• No puedo matar un humano - I can't kill a human
• ¿Eso es todo lo que tienes? - Is that all you have?
• ¿Qué crees que estás haciendo? - What do you think you're doing?

*All images from Sword Art Online: Alicization, screenshots taken by me