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I also had a brainwave! I now have my own idea for a good word for "maso"!
Because Shelby's translation said that it's an ambiguous word that could mean either "demon energy" (negative) or "magic energy" (neutral)
So calling it "dark" is a bad translation, that's 100% negative...
Because Shelby's translation said that it's an ambiguous word that could mean either "demon energy" (negative) or "magic energy" (neutral)
So calling it "dark" is a bad translation, that's 100% negative...
I couldn't think of a good word that would work for "possibly magic possibly demon" which could also work as the name of a world.
Because Dr Snap saying "I want to go to the Magic World" sounds a lot more sympathetic and understandable, that he wouldn't know it's a bad thing
Because Dr Snap saying "I want to go to the Magic World" sounds a lot more sympathetic and understandable, that he wouldn't know it's a bad thing
But it's hard to translate "Makai" into English
It's usually translated differently depending on the context it appears in a game. It might be "hell", it might be "world of the dead", it might be "monster world", or "dark world", or just "magic world"...
It's usually translated differently depending on the context it appears in a game. It might be "hell", it might be "world of the dead", it might be "monster world", or "dark world", or just "magic world"...
In my rewrite fanfic idea I liked the idea of Dr Snap calling it "wonderland"
Because that's really the only word we have in English for "a magic world, which might be good or might be bad, or might be both, or might defy good and evil entirely"
Because that's really the only word we have in English for "a magic world, which might be good or might be bad, or might be both, or might defy good and evil entirely"
And then I remembered that it's actually literally already officially translated as Wonderland in the 3DS remake of DQM1, lolllllll
Me, thinking deeply: hmm what if I call it.. what it was already called...
Me, thinking deeply: hmm what if I call it.. what it was already called...
I legitimately forgot it was already called that
I just came to the conclusion after half an hour of deep thought and then remembered the existance of AN ENTIRE GAME CALLED THAT
I just came to the conclusion after half an hour of deep thought and then remembered the existance of AN ENTIRE GAME CALLED THAT
So anyway I'm conclusion my headcanon is that "maso"/"monster element" should be called Wonder.
Cos that would be Really Cool.
Cos that would be Really Cool.
I think that would work well because it's an ambiguous name that doesn't let you know if it's good or evil. And it just seems inherently catchy and interesting to have a magical force that's named for an emotion, yknow? Like how it's called Malice in Shadow Hearts
Actually now I wonder if Malice and the Malice World were also called maso and makai in Japanese.. hmm...
And the association with the word Wonderland makes Wonder a particularly ominous synonym for "childhood happiness"
The original Wonderland of the Alice story was both wonderful and potentially terrifying.
The original Wonderland of the Alice story was both wonderful and potentially terrifying.
So it would make sense for someone like Dr Snap to think that Wonder and Wonderland would be something good and... Well.. wonderful! Because the word wonderful exists!
But it also makes sense that other people would think it's scary, because a wonderland is a place beyond logic
But it also makes sense that other people would think it's scary, because a wonderland is a place beyond logic
It can be a place that's untamed and wild and can never be understood
A place that doesn't follow human laws, or even the laws of gravity!
Incredibly dangerous to people who think like a human, but if you already live on childish logic then you'd be safe
A place that doesn't follow human laws, or even the laws of gravity!
Incredibly dangerous to people who think like a human, but if you already live on childish logic then you'd be safe
So, calling this place Wonderland would imply all of those things due to the western cultural memory of the original Wonderland books.
It would make sense that Dr Snap would be perfectly happy there, but any normal human would be terrified...
It would make sense that Dr Snap would be perfectly happy there, but any normal human would be terrified...
Wonderland reflects who you are. You have to already be like wonderland to survive it. Alice caused so much chaos there because she was a kid obsessed with acting more grown up than she really is, so she couldn't fit in with a childish dream world...
I suppose you could say that Dr Snap is a reverse Alice!
Makes sense why he'd be so desperate to escape the real world, which is the true terrifying one in his opinion...
Makes sense why he'd be so desperate to escape the real world, which is the true terrifying one in his opinion...
