While the show’s first episode got rave reviews from viewers, some have criticized the Oshi no Ko English subtitles on HIDIVE for their questionable translations and errors.
Recently, a former fansubber named puddi detailed the errors of the HIDIVE subs in a comprehensive article that explained some of the questionable lines in the official subtitles.
These errors range from lines or dialogue that are lost in translation due to the difficulty of translating some parts, as well as some style and typographical errors.
Oshi no Ko HIDIVE Subs Criticized for Typos and Other Errors
In the article, several typos in the official subs were listed, including one that happens during Ai Hoshino's scene on the hospital rooftop.
Instead of “first star of the evening,” the subtitles are typed as “first start of the evening.”
Some of these typos are nothing too serious, but some lines have awkward phrasing or feature run-on sentences.
There also seems to be a lack of contractions, making some sentences longer and/or clunkier.
Another thing that was noted is the lack of italics in the HIDIVE subs.
Typically, subtitles italicize monologues so that spoken dialogue is differentiated properly from the internal monologue of a protagonist.
Given that Oshi no Ko features a lot of monologues from its main characters, the lack of italics might make it a bit difficult to distinguish if something is spoken or if it’s just Aqua’s inner thoughts.
Thankfully, some of the typos and other errors were fixed. Though there are still some parts of the anime that seem to be lost in translation.
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Oshi no Ko Lines That Are Lost in Translation
Translating Japanese to English is a tough job as many nuances in Japanese don’t translate well at all in any other language.
So, it’s no surprise that there are moments in Oshi no Ko that aren’t conveyed as clearly.
For instance, when Miyako asks Ruby and Aqua if they want to be her children, the original Japanese line translates more accurately to if they want to become their family.
Then there are some jokes such as Kana licking baking soda. While this was a funny moment, it’s even more hilarious in Japanese as it’s a play on words.
Ruby misheard "cry in 10 seconds (juubyou de nakeru)" as "licking baking soda (juusou o nameru)".
It’s worth noting that Oshi no Ko is a special case as its first episode is essentially as long as a movie.
Coupled with how difficult translating is, it’s understandable why there were errors and awkward translations.
But here’s hoping that the subs are improved in Episode 2, which will be released tomorrow.
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Sources: Fansubbing, Reddit
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