Did Sonic the Hedgehog really call someone a prick in Japanese? A thread #SonicTheHedgehog #localization https://twitter.com/Toruhiiyi/status/1264062387407052800

When translating between two languages as different as English and Japanese, one of the many difficulties encountered is that of strong language. Japanese simply does not do swear words the same way English does, in terms of what the words refer to or their received meaning.

It is sometimes debated whether Japanese even HAS curse words, but that argument is a little silly and out of the scope of this thread. Instead, we will focus on the word Sonic uses here, "yarou" (野郎).

What does yarou mean? Well, context is everything. Between two guy friends it can simply mean dude, buddy, guy, etc. However in some cases, mostly in set phrases such as "kono yarou" (この野郎), it has an insulting connotation not unlike the words "asshole" or "bastard."

Yarou can also be used to mean a nerd, usually fixed to the end of what that person is obsessed with as in the phrase torakku yarou (トラック野郎), a person obsessed with trucks.

So what does Sonic actually say in this scene? The line to my ear is "kamen yarou" (仮面野郎), kamen meaning mask. So can yarou really mean "prick" here?

In my personal opinion, prick is a very colorful interpretation of the line in this context, especially in a game made for kids. The better translation to me would be masked jerk, masked nerd, mask-lover, or something like that.

The word yarou is used often in boys media in Japan, as an insult between guys. In my view translating it as a vulgar word like prick is stretching the context of the scene and is clearly not what was intended.

Thanks for reading!