Pluto #8: What's up with hugging and praying?

[AprilSeven]

Barnes & Noble delivered my copy of Pluto vol. 8 a few days ago -- now my set's complete, and I can not recommend it enough.

But

The very end -- where Ochanomizu remarks "All we can do is pray..." has been edited for my delicate American brain to read "All we can do is hope.."

Excuse me -- "hope" is a very passive verb. "Pray" is an action verb. One word expresses a sense of futility; the other suggests we need to pull together on a spiritual level. No particular "faith traditions" (aka religion) was cited -- simply the word "pray" -- how sad that had to get lost in translation.

Then there was Atom -- when Gesicht's wife was hugging him -- it was such an emotional scene -- but his little arms are stoically at his side. It just didn't feel like "our" Astro (overall his character was definitely more "serious" and contemplative -- that was more challenging than seeing him drawn with real hair).

Still thought it was an amazing achievement -- and I think they should do the Atlas story arch next!

[Ysabella_15]

[jeffbert]

Barnes & Noble delivered my copy of Pluto vol. 8 a few days ago -- now my set's complete, and I can not recommend it enough.

But

The very end -- where Ochanomizu remarks "All we can do is pray..." has been edited for my delicate American brain to read "All we can do is hope.."

Excuse me -- "hope" is a very passive verb. "Pray" is an action verb. One word expresses a sense of futility; the other suggests we need to pull together on a spiritual level. No particular "faith traditions" (aka religion) was cited -- simply the word "pray" -- how sad that had to get lost in translation.

Then there was Atom -- when Gesicht's wife was hugging him -- it was such an emotional scene -- but his little arms are stoically at his side. It just didn't feel like "our" Astro (overall his character was definitely more "serious" and contemplative -- that was more challenging than seeing him drawn with real hair).

Still thought it was an amazing achievement -- and I think they should do the Atlas story arch next!

Does the actual JLV say 'pray,' or are you referring to the online bootleg?

I do not remember the hugging scene; it could be that he was taken by surprise.

I loved it when Tenma comforted G's wife, it reminded me of the manga version of EGYPTIAN CONSPIRATORS, when he counseled a confused CLEOPATRA, who was torn between her nature and Dr. Baribari ("Ripping" "tearing")'s orders. One might not think Tenma was capable of tenderness toward robots, seeing he had rejected his own creation, but those incidents were sweet. I think that by the time these incidents occurred, T had had plenty of time to reconsider his relationship with Atom, & perhaps saw the error of expecting of him what could never be.

[cybotron]

What is your "Hope?"
Hope works....
I can understand why they changed it. In what do you place your hope. All people have hopes. Some evil some good. One person's hope maybe another person's evil.
Prayer and hope are alike in this.

[AprilSeven]

It was from the online copies you can read (and buy) -- I thought they might be rough translations, as part of the graphics included Japanese characters. It was interesting to read the text at this site, and then compare with the books.

http://view.thespectrum.net/series/pluto-volume-8.html?ch=Volume+05&page=1

It just struck me as consistent with the over-editing of the anime. And I thought the ending was exquisite and fittingly simple/direct. When I saw they changed "pray" to "hope" it struck me that following the events that had just taken place, a man of Ochanimizu's character would definitely have used the word "pray."

hmmm can't get the image to load -- this is the third time I haven't been able to post an image...

You could be right about the hugging scene (where Atom shares Gesitch's last thoughts with Helena) -- he might have been flustered.

[Laughing Dragon]

Barnes & Noble delivered my copy of Pluto vol. 8 a few days ago -- now my set's complete, and I can not recommend it enough.

But

The very end -- where Ochanomizu remarks "All we can do is pray..." has been edited for my delicate American brain to read "All we can do is hope.."

Excuse me -- "hope" is a very passive verb. "Pray" is an action verb. One word expresses a sense of futility; the other suggests we need to pull together on a spiritual level. No particular "faith traditions" (aka religion) was cited -- simply the word "pray" -- how sad that had to get lost in translation.

Then there was Atom -- when Gesicht's wife was hugging him -- it was such an emotional scene -- but his little arms are stoically at his side. It just didn't feel like "our" Astro (overall his character was definitely more "serious" and contemplative -- that was more challenging than seeing him drawn with real hair).

Still thought it was an amazing achievement -- and I think they should do the Atlas story arch next!

Ah, but when you see the expression on Atom's face when she hugs him...did he need to do anything more?

I have no comment on the "hope" vs. "pray" issue...either works okay for me.

Pluto is wonderful, guys. Don't miss it.

[fafner]

When I saw they changed "pray" to "hope" it struck me that following the events that had just taken place, a man of Ochanimizu's character would definitely have used the word "pray."

Found the page: http://view.thespectrum.net/series/pluto-volume-8.html?ch=Volume+08&page=243

I disagree on this one. Not to oppose religion against science, but Ochanomizu is a scientist. I don't think he would call for a spiritual action, regardless of the religion. I am myself a non-religious scientific oriented (as a matter of fact, in the "which Astroboy character are you" test I ended up with Ochanomizu), and I never use the word "pray" when I'm talking seriously. I use the word "hope". You may find it somewhat negative, but I realize that "pray", even though it is a more active word, is about calling for a superior force to intervene. This is all about believing or not about such a superior force, and I don't see Ochanomizu believing in such a force. This is how I see it, but I may be wrong of course

[AprilSeven]

Just to be clear -- the issue for me is that it appears the original Japanese text used the word for "pray" -- in fact, on the very next page Atom uses it in the same context Ochanomizu did, and in both "versions."

http://view.thespectrum.net/series/pluto-volume-8.html?ch=Volume+08&page=244

That lead me to believed that a decision was made to "soften" the word from something like "pray" -- which points to a belief in something "bigger than us all" which could assist us -- to "hope" which does not make that point as directly.

Plenty of scientists believe in God -- in Pluto, Ochanomizu pauses to speak to a photo of his deceased wife, as if she's still with him. I respectfully disagree about your impression of him. Now Dr. Tenma I DO believe to be more atheist or agnostic --

Interesting to ponder this, but I wish they would keep the translations as true as possible.

[jeffbert]

I can recall at least one incident in the B&W in which Dr. O resorted to prayer; Buddhist shrine and all. Though I am agnostic, I can appreciate this.

[AprilSeven]

I can recall at least one incident in the B&W in which Dr. O resorted to prayer; Buddhist shrine and all. Though I am agnostic, I can appreciate this.

YAY Dr. O!!! I love that guy!! Hmm he kinda looks like a Buddha!!


I'll bet most scientists are somewhere on the agnostic spectrum -- after all you do need to suspend all prejudice to be objective. But... that said, would/could a "higher power" be such that he/she/it defies our "rule book" for logic/physics and that's where the "faith" and "prayer" come into play until we can explain just what's going on "out there?" oops - off my own topic!

My point is, it does seem like butt guns and religion are two items that get pruned in translation (to the US, at least).