Sayonara Umihara Kawase vs. Yumi's Odd Odyssey

[KawaseFan]

What are your thoughts on the renaming of Sayonara Umihara Kawase for its North American release?

Personally, while I understand why Natsume would want to go with a name that sounds at least somewhat English, I feel like they could've done a lot better than Yumi's Odd Odyssey.  Not that I have any better ideas, though.

[Umihara Kawase]

I think the name change was a terrible idea. Regardless of anything Natsume did, this game was not destined to sell much at all - not even in Japan is UK very popular. They needed to at least partially rely on the few US fans who already knew about the series, and completely changing the name only alienates that small niche.

[海腹川背]

You really think the ten international fans won't already know what's up? It needs an English title or it'll join the ranks of unnecessarily foreign names like Doki-Doki Universe.

[Umihara Kawase]

But "Yumi" is also a Japanese name. So what was even the point? Turn a bi-syllabic word into a less scary mono-syllabic Japanese name?

[海腹川背]

You're being obtuse. In the context of Yumi's Odd Odyssey Yumi is visibly a name, not unlike Heather or Ricardo. Its being Japanese has no bearing on the appropriateness of the title for US shores.

[Umihara Kawaiise]

Too pointless a change for me to even care. What annoyed me was how long it took them to announce a proper release date. We spent more time waiting for that than the localization announcement itself!

[Electric Lady]

I actually like the name change; at least, I don't mind it at all. The Japanese fishing pun that makes up Umihara's name must have been impossible to translate into English. Focusing on one of the most appealing things about the game - the "odd" environments through which Umihara travels - might bring more people into buying and liking the game. Plus, the alliterativeness of "Odd Odyssey" at least ensures that there's some kind of sound-pun preserved in the name.

[Nicole]

I'm kinda in the same boat as Umihara Kawase here, I don't think it made much sense renaming the game. That being said, I'm grateful we at least got a Western release, so I can't complain too much.

[mfgreth]

I think it's sort of an awful title, but I'm just glad the game got a release over here at all.