After its debut in the US during the first week of April, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has now begun its theatrical run in Japan starting April 24, and it appears that the local version features significant variations in dialogue. In a conversation with Crank In, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto detailed the differences in Japanese localization for the sequel to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the reasoning behind the team’s decision to alter its script approach.
“Given that this is a project developed jointly in Japan and the US, we didn’t want the Japanese version to simply be a localized version of the English script; we aimed to craft it authentically in Japanese,” Miyamoto states. While the first Mario film was produced concurrently in English and Japanese, the expertise gained from that process enabled Nintendo and Illumination to adopt a fresh strategy this time. Consequently, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was initially produced in English before being completely “rebuilt” for the Japanese audience.
“Makoto Ueda from the theater troupe Europe Kikaku, who authored the Japanese script, is someone I’ve known for years. I envisioned Mario and his companions speaking with the natural dialogue you’d encounter in their stage productions, but localization can disrupt the flow of conversations. Humor varies between Japan and other regions, so we strived to make the dialogue as organic as possible,” Miyamoto elaborates.
Although the first Mario movie also incorporated some improvisation in its Japanese version, the voice actors were generally instructed to adhere closely to the original material. However, for the latest film, Miyamoto reveals that the production team directed the actors to “use the visuals as a foundation to craft something entertaining in Japanese,” encouraging them to improvise freely. “Since we recorded scenes with improvisation permitted and then polished them afterward, there’s considerable effort embedded in the final outcome,” Miyamoto adds.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is currently playing in theaters throughout the US and Japan. Details regarding digital streaming availability and platforms are yet to be announced.
Mido