Play Japanese Visual Novels with Sugoi Translator Toolkit or Textractor

 As a warmup session in updating the blog, I want to post a tutorial.

Honestly, I forgot how to play Japanese visual novels so I had to follow my own tutorial LOL so I decided to update my previous tutorials with a better application; Sugoi Translator Toolkit.

Here I break down the gist of what I (and you!) need to prepare our computer:-

1. Get the game that we want to play and translate
2. Let the game recognise our OS in a language other than the real one
3. Get Sugoi Translator Toolkit or Textractor 
4. Actually set it up
5. Enjoy!

Step 1. Get the game that we want to play and translate

Buy it digitally or physically through proxy services, borrow it from your friend, or whatever your way is, you can decide it yourself.

I personally use Japan Rabbit (formerly White Rabbit Express) proxy service, which can be expensive when you add up the fees but I'm satisfied with their service. I might look for other services that are gentle for me pocket. 

Step 2. Let the game recognise our OS in a language other than the real one

After installing the game, you can launch it to see if it works. The game text might appear gibberish at this moment. Depending on how the game or developer makes it, some games only work on the Japanese version of Windows only. 

So we need help to make our OS to appear as Japanese.

Introducing, Locale Emulator. This nifty emulator lets the game read your OS as Japanese. Follow the guide and we're good to go to the next step.

Step 3. Set up Sugoi Translator Toolkit or Textractor 

Before my hiatus, I remembered I used Textractor by Artikash for text hooking and DeepL for translating the text. Now I found the best of both world; Sugoi Translator Toolkit. This fellow compiles all the necessary tools for Japanese language media translation into one big package.

Follow the link to find the download link and tutorial how to set it up.

Step 4. Actually set it up 

Now this is the meat and potatoes of playing untranslated Japanese visual novels, setting up all the applications and ensuring it runs.

First step, open the game. I'll use Paradise -MUSUBI- as an example.

Hello best boy!

The game runs! Time to see whether there's any gibberish in any texts or settings...

We found some gibberish. Now, close the game and try to open the game. BUT BEFORE WE OPEN THE GAME, we have to right-click the game application, and choose as follows:

Right-click --> show more options --> Locale Emulator --> Run in Japanese

Now the game should be able to read the Japanese text like so :]

Now, open the Sugoi Translator Toolkit.

There are two options that we can choose to hook the text and translate it:

1. using Textractor -x64/x86 offline/online
2. using Visual Novel OCR 

I'm used to using Textractor so I'll be using "Textractor -x86 + Sugoi Translator DeepL".

Various windows will pop out. PANICK!

First, we go to a window named 'Textractor":

Click at "Attach to game", then find your game.

Now Textractor should be able to do its thing; finding texts from the game and translating them. All you have to do is search for the right one. Play some scenes to let the application detect some texts.

Seems like everything works well! Now you can close the other windows that popped out as follows:

1. Textractor - Regex Filter
2. Textractor - Google Translate
3. Textractor - the white/grey window one, it's another extra textbox displaying what's translated from Textractor
4. Menu Window - displaying Sugoi Translator Toolkit window

BUT DO NOT CLOSE THE BLACK BOX (OR BOXES) OR ELSE YOU HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING AGAIN. 

Step 5. Enjoy!

Now sit back and enjoy the story :]

I think that's all for today. Hopefully it will be useful for anyone who wants to play the untranslated Japanese BLVNs.

See you all in the next post where I'll visit a familiar island....