Topic: I finally actually read the Jap CV3 intro

[TheouAegis]

So yeah, the English version is quite a bit different, I'm just now realizing.

１５世紀、ヨーロッパ。
"15th Century, Europe."
この暗黒の世に、おそるべき人物がいた。トランシルバニアの　ヴラド・ツェペシュ、
"In this dark era, there was a dreaded man. Transylvania's Vlad Tepes,"
またのなを、ドラキュラといった。
"also known as Dracula."
さつりくをよろこびとし、はかいのかぎりを
"He delighted in slaughter and destruction"
つくすことに　あきたらなくなったかれは、
"until nothing was left and he grew dissatisfied."
はるかなる太古に失われし魔法をふっかつ
"Reviving the dark arts from ancient times,"
させ、暗黒邪神をこの世によびさました。
"he evoked into this world the Dark Gods."
狂王は邪神の力をかりて、いまわしき魔物を
"The Mad King, with the power of the gods, summoned foul creatures"
つぎつぎと世へおくりだし、ワラキア全土を
"and sent them out into the world, plunging all of Wallachia"
暗黒と、さつりくの地へと　かえていった。
"into darkness and slaughtering."
そして自らの野望に狂った王は、ついには
"And for his own mad ambitions,"
その魔の手をヨーロッパ全土にひろげようと
"the hand of that demon reached"
はかったのであった。
"across all of Europe." (I know this isn't line-for-line)
この地をけがし、血でそめようと…
"And the land was dyed with blood."
このことをおもくみた正教会は、ただちに
"The Orthodox Church took heed of the situation"
手をうって、ぐんたいをおくりこんだ。
"and struck back, sending forth an army."
また、かの地でも、ドラキュラにたいして、
"At the same time, in that land there were"
たたかいをいどもうとする者たちがあった。
"were people who rose up to fight Dracula."
だが、しかし、だれひとりとして
"However, not a single soul"
いきてもどってきた者は　いなかった…
"returned alive."

Compare that to the English intro:

During 15th Century
Europe, there lived
a person named
Dracula.
He practiced sorcery
in order to create
a bad world filled
with evil.
He began taking over
the Continent of
Europe, changing
countries from good
to bad.
The good people of
Europe tried to
fight off Dracula,
but no one was able
to survive.

...
 

CV3 got the 4Kids treatment, it seems.

Also notice that Warakiya isn't even referred to as a town in the Japanese one. It's made very clear that CV3 takes place in Wallachia principality.

And I wonder if Konami used this pic for visual reference while making the first stage in CV3. Note the house in the lower-right corner.

[Nagumo]

I've known about the contents of this intro for thee years already.

Aside from the less awkward wording, the most interesting thing about the intro is the mention of Dracula using powers of "evil gods". Not sure what they are but they are mentioned in the CoD manga as well.

[Chernabogue]

Nice translation. Once again, the US version has been totally changed.

[VladCT]

Aside from the less awkward wording, the most interesting thing about the intro is the mention of Dracula using powers of "evil gods". Not sure what they are but they are mentioned in the CoD manga as well.

Maybe it was actually referring to the power of Chaos itself, seeing as it does contain immense power equal to gods. Well, at least that's what I think.

[Sinful]

Considering how many Castlevania fans there are out there, I was beginning to wonder why I was having such a hard time finding translations to something as obvious and simple as the game manuals? Even more so considering how bogus the English versions are.

So yeah, many thanks for this, TheouAegis.

[Foffy]

Could one of the Gods in question be Galamoth? They've entertained that Galamoth and Dracula have some rivalry in Kid Dracula and Judgment, with Judgment specifically about Galamoth trying to change history and replace big bad Draccy.

[Nagumo]

My speculation is that they are the vampire souls that Dracula absorbed in order to become stronger.

[Sumac]

Dark gods, eh?
Sounds better than EVIL Chaos.

[VladCT]

Was there any CV material that directly equated Chaos as evil? To my understanding, Chaos in itself isn't inherently evil, it was Dracula's constant influence that ultimately turned it into a force of evil.

[C Belmont]

Maybe it was actually referring to the power of Chaos itself, seeing as it does contain immense power equal to gods. Well, at least that's what I think

CVIII is a pre-IGA Castlevania game so I doubt that it is was intended to be a reference to Chaos unless there is any evidence that supports Chaos existed before Iga introduced the idea.

[darkwzrd4]

CVIII is a pre-IGA Castlevania game so I doubt that it is was intended to be a reference to Chaos unless there is any evidence that supports Chaos existed before Iga introduced the idea.

I think they are different.  If I remember correctly, Chaos comes from the darkness in people's hearts.  That sounds very different from the power of "Dark Gods".  My thought is that originally Dracula's power came from the dark gods (referred as "evil lords" in the CoD manga), but when IGA came to power he changed to Chaos which comes from the darkness in the hearts of people.

I could be wrong, but this is my interpretation based on what I know.

[X]

I think they are different.  If I remember correctly, Chaos comes from the darkness in people's hearts.  That sounds very different from the power of "Dark Gods".  My thought is that originally Dracula's power came from the dark gods (referred as "evil lords" in the CoD manga), but when IGA came to power he changed to Chaos which comes from the darkness in the hearts of people.

I don't know why IGA would even think that Chaos comes from the darkness in people's hearts when Chaos is nothing more then the opposite of order. Chaos is not evil at all, it's just chaos. And before mankind was even a glimmer of a thought in God's mind, Chaos was already in existence as Order's opposite. I'd much rather prefer the 'Dark Gods' concept as it just seems to work better.

[Ahasverus]

Now THAT's interesting 
In CV3 Dracula was supposed to be a socerer wasn't he? Perhaps the original "Demon Castle Dracula" subtitle had a close relation with the fact that it as, you know, Demon's Castle? And Dracula was always a "priest" for the Devil?

[TheouAegis]

As the Japanese version goes on to say, the Belmondo clan had a history of slaying vampires but because the general populace feared the Belmondo clan, the Pope had difficulty finding a Belmondo. Eventually the Pope found Trevor/Ralph. Over 100 years before Simon defeated him, the battle between Dracula and humans is about to begin here and now.

Two interesting things to note. First off, Trevor is declared as the very first to fight Dracula. So whether or not Mathias is actually Dracula, the first actual reference of a battle between humans and the entity known as Dracula wasn't until Trevor/Ralph fought him. This means a) Mathias isn't Dracula, or b) Mathias didn't change his name to Dracula until after moving to Wallachia.

The other important thing to note in CV3's intro is nowhere is Dracula referred to as a vampire. He's a demonologist (and as the games seem to suggest, an alchemist as well). Don't remember if he's actually called a vampire by the time Simon fights him, but as of Trevor's confrontation with him he's never called a vampire.


I'd quote the original game and translate line-for-line like I did earlier, but I"m at work and boss will be here in 20 minutes.

[X]

The other important thing to note in CV3's intro is nowhere is Dracula referred to as a vampire. He's a demonologist (and as the games seem to suggest, an alchemist as well). Don't remember if he's actually called a vampire by the time Simon fights him, but as of Trevor's confrontation with him he's never called a vampire.

This is true. However he is a Vampire whether or not the story says it. The name 'Dracula' alone will automatically point you in that direction of thought. Dracula is a vampire but more-so, he is The King of Vampires to rule over all others. And being a dark sorcerer who knows alchemy as well will only just solidify his place in the grand scheme of all things evil.