Localization is when things are changed in a work in order to help other cultures be able to better understand and enjoy a work. Names may change, genders can shift, and themes that are "too foreign" may be altered wildly to be more acceptable and enjoyable to their new audience. Some people see this as a creative workaround, while others see it as a creative excuse to justify cultural appropriation.
This index holds tropes and pages that have something to do with Localization.
For tropes that have to do just with translation itself, see the Translation Tropes Index.
Tropes:
See also:
- Adaptation First: The adaptation is localized before the work it is based on.
- Alternative Foreign Theme Song: The foreign dub of a work has a completely different theme song rather than a translated version of the original theme song.
- American Kirby Is Hardcore: A work with a cutesy cover has a more badass-looking cover in overseas releases.
- Bad Export for You: The version released in other countries is inferior to the native release.
- Banned in China: A work for some reason is banned from ever being released in a specific country.
- Canada Does Not Exist: Works shot in Canada deliberately obscure the setting's location.
- Completely Different Title
- Cultural Translation
- Denial of Digital Distribution: Can apply if the digital release is region-specific.
- Difficulty by Region: The video game has harder difficulty in foreign releases.
- Dub-Induced Plot Hole: An inconsistency in the plot happens because of a translation error.
- Dub Name Change: The translation changes a character's name.
- Dub Personality Change
- Dueling Dubs
- Foreign Culture Fetish
- Foreign Remake
- Foreign Re-Score
- Importation Expansion
- Keep Circulating the Tapes
- Late Export for You: A work isn't localized until well after its native release.
- Localized Name in a Non-Localized Setting
- Macekre: Shoddy localizations.
- Market-Based Title
- Marth Debuted in "Smash Bros."
- Mascot's Name Goes Unchanged
- No Dub for You: A work is released in another country, but does not get a proper dub.
- No Export for You: A work never gets released in a specific region for some reason.
- The Pond
- Recursive Import
- Region Coding
- Regional Bonus
- Remade for the Export: A video game that was never released overseas gets a remake that does see release outside of its native country.
- Same Language Dub
- Selective Localisation
- Sequel First
- She's a Man in Japan: The localization changes a character's gender.
- Spell My Name with an "S": A character's name does not have a consistent spelling.
- Subbing vs. Dubbing: The debate on whether it's better to localize a work by adding subtitles to translate the dialogue or by dubbing over the dialogue with actors speaking the language of the country the work is being localized for.
- Thinly-Veiled Dub Country Change
- Woolseyism: The translation alters dialogue to make it work better in the new language.
- What Song Was This Again?
