Yesterday’s post translated Ashley’s Song from Japanese to literal English. Today I wanted to post the translated Japanese version next to the officially localized English version. This is mostly trivia for people who were wondering what the differences are. Indeed, there are some differences, mostly in terms of how her personality is portrayed.

Enjoy!

First, the Japanese Version (translated yesterday here)

Everyone in the world’s favorite person
That person is…
Ashley!
Everyone will turn to take a look,
Naturally, it’s Ashley!
The one admired by everyone in the world,
That person is…
Ashley!
Lady Ashley’s magic is supreme!
There’s gonna be a party tonight!

NAWA BUNA NUU A spell to make you laugh!
JIO IRA UN What kind of spell is this?
IO DI EMU I can’t remember this one!
Ah! No! So boring!*

Everyone in the world’s favorite person
That person is…
Ashley!
Lady Ashley’s magic is supreme!
Nothing scares me!

The night sky is like a vast sea with many stars,
I am always alone
I want to be on good terms with everyone…
What should I do?

Everyone in the world’s favorite person
That person is…
Ashley!
Lady Ashley’s magic is supreme!
There’s gonna be a party tonight!

The officially localized version:

Who’s the girl next door living in the haunted mansion?
You’d better learn my name, ’cause I am–
ASH-LEY!
She knows the darkest spells and she brews the meanest potions
You might be the ingredient I seek
Don’t let yourself be fooled by her innocent demeanor
You better be afraid of the great–
ASH-LEY!
She doesn’t play with dolls and she never combs her hair
Who has time for girly things like that?

Eye of newt, I cast a hex on you
Grandma’s wig, this will make you big
Kitten spit, soon, your pants won’t fit
Pantalones giganticus! Oh, no! Not again…

She can rule the world and still finish all her homework
Everyone knows that I’m the greatest–
ASH-LEY! You better watch your step, or she’ll cast a spell on you
I turned my teacher into a spoon

I’m a slave to my spells, well, I guess it’s true
I don’t have as many friends as you
But I think you’re nice, and maybe we could be friends
And if you say “no”, you’re toast

Who’s the girl next door living in the haunted mansion?
You’d better learn my name ’cause I am–
ASH-LEY! Just remember this when you see her on the street
I’m the cruelest girl you’ll ever meet.

—

-The Japanese version portrays a more shy/reserved/lonely, younger girl. In the English version, she is much more of the cool/grim/morbid/”wisecracking”/apathetic teen sort. Her age is stated as “15 going on 500” here in English, but nothing for certain in Japanese.

-The voices themselves differ greatly too to portray these above images of each character. It is especially apparent in the Super Smash Brothers version of the song:

Smash Bros. Ashley’s Theme (Japanese):

Smash Bros. Ashley’s Theme (English):

-Here in particular the voices differ greatly between Japanese and English, as well as English (DS) versus English (Smash Bros) –as Christina Peyser did not voice her in this song like previously (despite singing the Mona Pizza song instead). As such, the general tones feel different in three ways now.

The lyrics in English differ slightly too, however, from previously. This is likely to fit the more jazz beat of the new song. The most notable difference is going from “I’m the cruelest girl you’ll ever meet” to “I’m the coolest girl you’ll ever meet.” Neither are the Japanese version’s “There’s going to be a party tonight.”

-Similarities between both portrayals are still the lonely aspect, as well as the interest in the morbid. Nothing scares the both of them, and both desire friends. However, one will make you toast while the other just wonders what to do… once again leading back to that slight difference in portrayal one would pick up from all this.

And to wrap this up, here is a nice picture done by a Japanese Artist who was also remarking on the differences between the two versions of Ashley:

Japanese and Western Ashley! Source: here.

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