Acknowledgment of Childhood's End

[Kizyr]

So I'm playing back through the Japanese (Saturn) version of EBC. Here's something I found...

Text of book in Vane Library for English version:
History of Lunar Volume 1 | The existence of the Vile Tribe was confirmed... during the terrible battle in which Vane fell from the sky. The behaviors and desires of the Vile Tribe are still shrouded in darkness... but it is clear that they have not chosen to coexist peacefully with humanity.
Hiro: "Someone scribbled a note in the margin. What does it say?"
This is wrong! The Vile Tribe has left The Frontier... and now lives alongside the rest of Althena's children. --Phacia

Here's the same text in the Japanese version (translation):
In the fierce battle when the floating city of Vane fell, the existence of the Vile Tribe was confirmed. However they chose to live, what purpose they had, is wrapped in shadow... It seems clear they have not chosen the path of coexistence with us humans...
Hiro: "...hm? What's this? There's a note scribbled in here.
This is a lie!! There are those in the Vile Tribe who chose to live with humans! -Alice

Well, this is the first acknowledgment in the game itself I heard of the Childhood's End manga. FYI, Alice was the main character in that manga (the translation of it is available on LunarNET, if you check the manga page). KF

[GhaleonOne]

Interesting. I can see why WD changed it to Phacia, since not many would know who Alice was, unless they were really into the series and knew of the manga's. But it is kind of a delimna, because it does change something about the story in the translation.

Though you've got me interested in what other library books say in their original text, now.

[DezoPenguin]

Wait...didn't Alice live with her uncle, etc., in Meribia (been a while since I read Kizyr's translations of the manga...) following the death of her mother? How would she be making notations in the margins of obscure books in Vane? I can see how the end-of-the-manga Alice might, but the pre-manga Alice was just a little kid, without any real awareness of herself or her powers or her personal identity (nor any apparent reason to travel to Vane and be allowed to root around the Magic Library).

Nice to see that they acknowledge the existence of the manga, but I find that the reference is as shaky in its respect for continuity and internal logic as the manga itself is.

Hey, come to think of it, "Childhood's End" is an EBC manga, so shouldn't the game have come out before the manga? Which would make the manga "Alice" a reference to the in-game "Alice" notation and not the other way around? Unless the manga was written after SSS but before EBC and the writers just had to guess that nothing big was going to change in EBC...What are the publication dates?

(I have to agree with G1, though--makes me wonder what else is different in there...).

[GhaleonOne]

Actually, I'm going to guess that Kiz is playing the epilogue, as that would make sense. Didn't Childhood's End happen between the full story and the epilogue? And Kiz can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that library book is only in the remake. Childhood's End was written before the remake, as far as I remember.

[Kizyr]

Actually, I'm going to guess that Kiz is playing the epilogue, as that would make sense. Didn't Childhood's End happen between the full story and the epilogue? And Kiz can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that library book is only in the remake. Childhood's End was written before the remake, as far as I remember.

Oh no, I'm playing the main game.

Childhood's End also would've have to have happened either in place of the epilogue, or after the epilogue. It wouldn't've made sense for it to be in between, since Jean, Ronfar, Lemina, etc., are all surprised when they hear about Lucia going back to the Blue Star in the epilogue.

Hey, come to think of it, "Childhood's End" is an EBC manga, so shouldn't the game have come out before the manga? Which would make the manga "Alice" a reference to the in-game "Alice" notation and not the other way around? Unless the manga was written after SSS but before EBC and the writers just had to guess that nothing big was going to change in EBC...What are the publication dates?

Well, Childhood's End was first published on 4/1/1995. That's before even SSS was released (1996).

Yeah this does mess around with continuity quite a bit. Maybe Alice just couldn't resist correcting what the book said, even when she was denying it herself. If you put her age at about 12-14 in the Childhood's End events (which I think is a reasonable range), then it'd just make her 9-12 when she wrote that, at the latest.

Wait...didn't Alice live with her uncle, etc., in Meribia (been a while since I read Kizyr's translations of the manga...) following the death of her mother? How would she be making notations in the margins of obscure books in Vane? I can see how the end-of-the-manga Alice might, but the pre-manga Alice was just a little kid, without any real awareness of herself or her powers or her personal identity (nor any apparent reason to travel to Vane and be allowed to root around the Magic Library).

I still figure it's possible for either her to go to Vane, or for the book itself to have made rounds in Meribia on loan or something. I think she had some awareness of who she was, since she was around when her mother was exiled from the village. So while the note might be uncharacteristic, it wouldn't be impossible for her to have written. And, even if it's uncharacteristic, she might've just wanted to correct a mistake.

Anyway, besides that one thing, not much was changed in the Vane Library. Here are some of my notes from that part (the pluses denote a difference between the English PSX and Japanese Saturn versions):

- History of the Dragonmasters | Together with the Goddess Althena, the one who came from the Blue Star to this world, was the first, Dragonmaster Louie [rui]. His first step is left somewhere on this world..."
+ Heroes, Dragonmasters | Some of the most popular Dragonmasters in history are Cyclone Zeon [shippuu zeon], Iron Fist Loka [tekken roka]... the Gold and Silver Sisters Alicia and Lina [arishia, rixina], one of the Four Heroes of the Battle of the Black Dragon, Dyne [kokuryuu sen'eki no yon'eiyuu dain], and... the last Dragonmaster Alex [aresu]..." (a few differences with the English version: 1) "Zeon" is called "Zeon" in original English, but changed to "Leon" in English remake. 2) "Loka" is called "Loka" in original English, but changed to "Gaull" in English remake. 3) There was no mention of Natto, the singing swordsman, in Japanese text here. 4) Dyne is called the hero of the fight against the Black Dragon--which sort of goes against SSS continuity, but with TSS continuity--although in English they call him hero of the 'Heresy War'. 5) English version omitted Alicia and Laticia from this book. 6) English version gave extra explanations behind Leon/Zeon, Gaull/Loka.)
- Lunar and the Blue Star, History and Future | The history of humans is the history of war. Within that, humans lost their home, the Blue Star. By Goddess Althena, we had to be brought to this world. A world of peace, so that we will not return to the same mistakes once more... With smiling faces to create a world of happiness. [lit]"
- Humanity's Original Home [furusato], the Blue Star | It's said that there is a way to go to the Blue Star in the heavens somewhere in this world. But, no one has discovered a way even now..."
+ Ancient Festivals | Originally, festivals were to offer sacrifices to the god(s). For us, the purpose of that was for the Goddess Althena, to dedicate to her. At the festivals for the Goddess Althena were offered songs and dances, and it was much fun." (no mention of human sacrifice or gods of war, as was inserted in the English version)
- Jean: "I've heard this before. It's true! The carnival was originally a dedication to the Goddess Althena."
- "In the fierce battle when the floating city of Vane fell, the existence of the Vile Tribe was confirmed. However they chose to live, what purpose they had, is wrapped in shadow... It seems clear they have not chosen the path of coexistence with us humans..."
- Hiro: "...hm? What's this? There's a note scribbled in here."
+ "This is a lie!! There are those in the Vile Tribe who chose to live with humans! -Alice [arisu]" Hiro: "Alice? ...who is that?" (MAJOR issue. English version has Phacia leaving the note, not Alice. Alice is in the Childhood's End manga, never translated into English)
+ "There are many creatures on this land of Lunar besides humans... Among them are those whose existence transcends humans--no, all living creatures... those are Dragons, the "Four Dragons" who serve the Goddess Althena... and, the Vile Tribe..." (English version also mentions beastmen. Apparently, by now, they're considered the same as humans.)
- Legend(s) of the Goddess Althena | We were all brought to this land by the Goddess Althena from the Blue Star. Since that day, all living things have received the blessings of Althena, and been raised by them... Althena waits for the day when those seeds will sprout deliciously [lit]."
- The Sealed City | ...across the sea is the sealed city of Pentagulia. Once, Althena's Tower, where the Goddess Althena lived, was there... In that land, Althena sealed the existence of a great evil, and built the city around that."
- Love... What color is love? What shape does love take? Ah, those things I do not know. Show me, Goddess Althena, and if you can, please show me for free...
- Lemina: "Ahh! What, what is this!? What are my poems doing here! Stop! Don't look!"
- You find Lemina's Bromide (Bromide 10) there as well--second row rightmost side
- The Vanished Dragonmaster(s) | The Goddess Althena returns via rebirth, and eternally watches over this world. And, at her side, is the Dragonmaster. Along with Althena, the rebirth of a Dragonmaster has not been heard of [i.e., unlike Althena, Dragonmaster isn't reborn]. But, where there was Althena, there was a Dragonmaster... And, along with the disappearance of the figure of Althena, the Dragonmaster's figure also disappeared...
- Legend(s) of the Blue Star | The Blue Star which shines in the heavens... the beautiful star was once our home. People were guided by the Goddess Althena from the Blue Star to this world.
+ No note in upper-right book (perhaps a Saturn-PSX difference, as the bromide it refers to isn't in the Saturn version)
+ Teachings of Lady Miria | A person's worth is not determined by whether or not they have magic powers. A person's worth is not determined by whether or not they have money. (English version adds on the line about their 'hopes, dreams, and actions'. Although, something like that is in the same book in the original Japanese version)

KF