As a man fascinated by language, I admire any attempt to explain wordplay jokes in foreign tongues. When I saw Japanese media covering UbiSoft‘s next South Park game, I couldn’t wait to see what they said about it. Specifically, I was curious to see if they’d attempt to explain the full title, South Park: The Fractured But Whole to their audiences.
From what I could find of the biggest news outlets, only 4Gamer jumped into The Fractured But Whole. And this is where I laughed, because hearing things in another language, then changed back, makes me smile. So they say in their preview:
ちなみに，「The Fractured But Whole」とは「破裂したけど全部残っている」というような意味だが，「破裂したお尻の穴」という意味とほぼ同音になっており，サウスパークらしい下品さが全開のネーミングになっている。
Or, when taken back into English:
Incidentally, “The Fractured But Whole” means that “(subject) is torn, but all parts remain,” but when said aloud, it sounds like (you are saying) “(The) Ruptured Anus.” That’s so South Park to use vulgarity right in the naming.
I just had a good time picturing confused Japanese readers having all the same conversations we have, in reverse.
It’s also pretty admirable for 4Gamer to go to this link in the interest of rectal humor. Famitsu’s one and only mention of the game simply says that it exists and was at E3. Dengeki reacted similarly. They weren’t touching that.
So hats off to you, 4Gamer, for seeing just how deep that whole can be.
