Found the Korean version!! So, some nice additional nuances from the Korean lines of the new D.Va cinematic:
You can really feel how close Hana and Daehyun are because they’re both using the informal register. It gives everything an air of fondness to it, and also gives them the impression of being similar ages because neither of them are using age relation terms like “oppa” or “noona.”
This effect is also emphasized because we get hints of Hana’s D.Va demeanor through the Nano Cola voice, which uses the polite register as expected of a celebrity.
Whereas in the English, Daehyun says “I wonder what glitz and glamour tastes like,” the Korean says, “How great would it be if that were true,” ‘that’ meaning the news report about D.Va and her crew enjoying some luxurious celebration time. I personally feel that the Korean gives more room to interpret Daehyun’s comment less as self-interest and more like concern for Hana.
Interestingly, whereas the English says “How we used to stay up late and work on your hoverbike,” the Korean says “Like how we used to stay up all night working on the hoverbike together,” without implying ownership.
The English has Hana say, “You still mad about that?” but the Korean uses the word “삐졌어,” which is… cuter? It can give either a more lighthearted or trivializing feeling, depending on the context. Kind of like the word “sulking,” actually – it just adds to the feeling of familiarity between them. It’s cute.
When D.Va’s in the clutches of the final omnic, the English says “I can’t stop this thing,” but the Korean says, “How can I stop this thing?” – a small nuance, but I feel that they give slightly different impressions of Hana.
And before that, when she goes to chase it down, in the English, Hana says “I’m on it,” but the Korean says “Leave it to me!” and it’s just a little extra sense of responsibility, that impression that she’s used to taking everything on her own shoulders.
Also, I’ve pointed out in my Details About D.Va post before that D.Va is going to end up a major advertising campaign, and I’m delighted to see that I was correct!
To wrap this up, the messages on her cast say, “Hana’s the best! (jjang!),” “[I/We] love you!”, “D.Va jjang!”, “Fighting!” (a Korean term of encouragement), and – interestingly enough – “Thank you” in polite register. It makes me wonder what variety of people got to sign that cast.
As per usual, if anyone has questions about translation and or Korean culture, feel free to ask. I’m not a professional, but I’m always happy to give it my best shot!
alright this short did like nothing for lore development but it gave us GREAT insight into d.va as a person – or rather, hana as a person, and d.va as a persona.
because ultimately, that’s what d.va is: a character invented by hana song and a role she plays under public scrutiny. d.va is a fearless, capable, invincible superhero and an icon of hope and safety who laughs in the face of danger and shows the people they have nothing to fear, because d.va will take care of it and she’ll walk away with nothing but another tally mark on her meka.
hana song is not d.va. hana song is a regular woman – a smart, charismatic, courageous woman, but still a human being. she isn’t invincible, she has faults and weaknesses she has trouble dealing with and works on her mech in near-isolation because she’s anxious about the possibility of another attack.
d.va fights five omnics alone, walks out without a scratch and gets herself some vacation days because she’ll always be able to be there when she’s needed. hana fights five omnics with the help of a friend, barely makes it out alive and returns to her workshop as soon as possible so she’ll never scatter the illusion.
PkCaramel 