One of my ambitions is to expand from fansubbing Anime, and make a move into the world of Visual Novels. And after recent developments, this is no longer a dream, but a possibility.
The first project we will be working on is Tomoyo After. Doki has many translators, but all are involved in translating anime.
I am seeking one (or more) translator(s) dedicated specifically to translating Tomoyo After. You will be provided with the Japanese text to translate from. You can email me if you are interested, or go on our IRC channel and find me or Cruxis (Supreme Receptionist of the Doki VN Department).
Cruxis edit: I am also looking for a person who completed this Visual Novel and can provide me some necessary resources. Find me in #doki.
Later I will be recruiting a number of “testers” to play the patched game, for debugging purposes.
There will be no “public” release until the entire project is complete.
Edit: A small update about how we will deal with the release, which shouldn’t be too far away. The only thing we will release officially, ie, via this blog, is the patch itself. We will NOT be releasing the actual game (iso or otherwise), for obvious reasons. You will have to find a copy of the game yourself. If you idle on #doki, I am sure someone will be able to help you.
Wednesday 27th April 2011 
5:17 PM 
Yaaaaay!! Tomoyo 🙂 Ahahahaha!! This Is Really Nice 😀 Since I Love Tomoyo Than Nagisa(But Nagisa Is Also Good). I Can Say That Tomoya And Tomoyo Is Better XD Oh Well. I Cant Wait 🙂 Go DOKI!!!
^_^ My favorite pair is Nagisa & Tomoya. Luckily for me, I got to see that pairing played out in canon. Luckily for you, you’ll see the official Tomoyo & Tomoya version soon enough!
I’d like to be a “tester” of the patched game, but is there a way you can notify when the patch is done like by email, or do we have to check forum every so often, thanks.
Any information regarding the selection of game testers will be done at a later time. Until then, you’ll need to check the forum or here for updates.
love tomoyo looking forward to it
Aren’t we all! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Where is the forum?
Conveniently located on the forum link.
Lucky! Still waiting for the translation release, but I got the VN like 3 years ago, so no need to download again
Time flies when you’re having fun, eh?
Hi! 😀 I have been following this for a while and I just want to ask – how is the project going? 😀 Almost ready?
I really appreciate your efforts!
The project is moving along nicely. Its great seeing all the pieces fall into place like they have been.
Thanks for following us! We appreciate your interest!
I greatly appreciate your efforts for undertaking this project.
Do you have a tentative release date?
Yes, I do. Unfortunately, its staying a secret for now.
Aren’t surprises better when they’re… you know… surprises? I think so!
Well said, thank you for your team’s efforts once again!
Ahaha you are so evil! you sure know how to keep one in suspense 😉
Looking forward to the release :D!
Will totaly go awol for a few days, turn of mobile phone, call in sick to work 😀
Thanks doki for your hard work rly appriciate it 😀
Just don’t get fired. Neither Doki nor Key is liable for any type of damages resulting from loss of employment due to extended gameplay.
But hey, if you do get fired, at least you’ll have Tomoyo to cheer you up! ^_^
I really appreciate what you are doing, i love clannad and everything around it. so i have longed to play this game (and understanding it :P)
So, thank you and good luck!
Thank you! I’m glad to see that people are interested in the meaning behind Key works, especially Clannad. I’ve spent a good deal of time analyzing the mindset of the characters, and have come to realize that…
Oh. Wait. You meant that you wanted to UNDERSTAND Tomoyo After, as in you want a translation. My bad. We’ll get that to you. Um… yeah.
SOON.™
Big shout out to the men and women of Doki for doing this. I’m a fan of the series Clannad. Always wanted to play this game, even though Tomoyo isn’t one of my more favorite characters; it’ll still be interesting. Just got done playing through a route in Little Busters!. Playing that as a hold over for a while hoping this one will be out soon. Thanks again Doki!
You did the right thing to use ‘Little Busters!’ as a way to satisfy your Clannad craving.
(“Its Key Coffee. Would you like to try some?”)
How far along are you guys with the whole translation process? Would you say that you guys are over 50%? Thank you guys very much for putting in time for this project. Much appreciated.
Well, right now we’re at… wait a second. If I tell you how far along we are in the TL process, you can make a pretty darned good approximation of when we’ll be done. Nice try, Mon Capitán! I’ll provide you with the same answer I gave the others; the project is well on its way.
While you’re waiting for us to complete construction (pardon our dust), why not check out the Anime-Index tab at the top of this page? Here, I’ll even post a link for you, since I’m such a nice guy:
http://doki.co/anime-index/
Woah, thanks for the link.
Don’t mention it! =P
Yeesh, you’re doing a good job of keeping the details under wraps. But it is kinda frustrating for those of us who really can’t wait for it to be out. Tomoyo is tied for my favorite Heroine with Fuuko, don’t know why but I really like Fuuko’s path.
Just don’t get hit with legal issues like Project-Dawn did when they had justed release a beta patch for Shuffle! Essence+ (still upset that that game isn’t translated).
After 10 Days of the silent treatment, I can’t stay quiet any longer. I guess that means I’ll need to open my trap up one of these days!
Can’t wait until the full translation is out… thanks for the hard work!
You’re quite welcome!
could u give me any hint for the release of full patch –a
Hint: When it’s done.
Wow… I can’t believe we’re actually seeing forward progress, especially considering how long I’ve been following the translation from its Baka-Tsuki days. Anyways, I hope it will be released soon, and if you could sate my curiousity, how far along are you?
Since Baka-Tsuki, eh? It’s been awhile for you, but keep in there!
As for satisfying your curiosity in terms of a progress bar or time frame, I can say that we are further along than we were before. Too vague? Sorry, can’t help it.
–‘..
It took me a couple days, but the answer to your statement is ’69’. Take that as you will.
Hey guys. I’m real excited to hear about this! So refreshing to see such recent replies from just yesterday. Whenever I checked up on this VN I got stuff from 3 or 4 years ago. I won’t harass you guys for a release date, but I’ll be waiting eagerly.
Thanks for your hard work!
I’ll try to respond to comments as frequently as possible. Though I won’t give specifics on progress or release dates, feel free to try and pry some other information out of me.
Thanks for your comment and attention!
Writting a second time. I already get it that you will not tell us the us the release date :D, but can you tell me some details – is there going to be a lot of drama? Is Tomoyo the same Tomoyo as before(as personality)? If you respond, please make it as less spoiling as possible, thanks! 😉
Clannad is epic, found it by chance and it changed my life perspective, but “episode 24” completely shattered my heart D:, it was one of the best stories I had ever seen.
looking forward to the patch.
don’t worry. there’ll be a lot of drama that will make u crying hard XD
and about Clannad. mostly, i agree with u, except I hate that kind of “ending” :/
Aah, some new questions I can actually answer! Fascinating that when these inquiries pop up, I’m told to be vague. Is that going to be my Q&A trademark?
–
1) Is there a lot of drama [in Tomoyo After]?
Look up ‘Key’ in the dictionary, and you’ll find the word ‘Drama’. Even before finding the definition about the small metal thing that opens stuff. Really. Check it out.
2) Is Tomoyo’s personality in ‘Tomoyo After’ the same as in ‘Clannad’?
Yes, I would say so. Clearly this VN is devoted to her extended story from CLANNAD, so it would make sense to have her personality very similar in both games. Since Tomoyo After places more of a focus on Tomoyo, her family, and their relationships with various characters & surroundings, new personality traits and insecurities are able to be revealed or elaborated upon throughout the visual novel.
–
Personally, I’ve always felt a bit of sadness for Tomoyo at the end of CLANNAD / ~After Story~ (True End). While all the main characters maintain a connection to Tomoya, Tomoyo’s path going forward provided the most uncertainty. Just look these snapshots from the end of Clannad ~After Story~:
http://i.imgur.com/TKkSR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xz2rq.jpg
Though only in focus for a brief moment, one can really sense the range of emotions she is going through. While the ~AS~ true end is my favorite and preferred route of the Clannad family, I am pleased that Tomoyo’s backstory was elaborated upon through ‘Tomoyo After’.
I see! And I am happy about this, since the AS ending was really “brief” and it felt like she completed her dream, yet she had to do something more to feel complete…It’s just my perception.
Not sure if I clarified which “episode 24” I was referring to – Clannad (not -AS-) episode 24, the one with the alternative ending, where Tomoyo is the protagonist’s girlfriend and it all envelops around…well you know how it goes.
So, Thanks a lot!Good luck!
Yeah, I completely agree. Even though she saves the sakura trees, I always felt like Tomoyo lost something really important. She did something she wanted to do, but her dearest needs and desires were never met.
That scene in the anime is visually suggestive and it makes me feel for her, but the lack of detail about what’s actually going on in her life is telling. She has basically no connection to the rest of the cast or to the audience and that’s heartbreaking since we love her so much. It’s like Key just couldn’t bear to say anything specific, because it would be tragic no matter what it was. She’s just too far away.
I have a feeling she won’t end up happy in Tomoyo After, either. She certainly has the potential to be more than a stay-at-home girlfriend, and even if she’s happy with Tomoyo I know I’ll feel bad that I never got to see her change the world. Changing her family will have to be enough, right?
It’s going to be bittersweet either way, but I need to see how it ends. Should be a special story.
I’m going to fast forward through the H-scenes though. I hate pornography with a passion. For me, it’s surprising that these scenes were included. Clannad has always been about the importance of personal relationships and family, and those are exactly the things that pornography destroys. Does anyone else share my opinion?
Well, can’t wait. This VN is in good hands.
You’re very perceptive of the aura surrounding Tomoyo’s character.
What makes Key games/anime great are the storylines themselves coupled with strong character development. Like you, I would very much prefer that the H-scenes be left out of Tomoyo After, as well as all of the other Key games. Quite frankly, their inclusion in the game was unnecessary, which is why the scenes were removed in lieu of more in-depth story development in later editions. However, the patch we are working on is for the original version, which includes H-scenes. When you get to that point of the game, just ignore them and continue to focus on the story; I think you’ll enjoy it.
@Aleksii – Thanks for the clarification, though I knew what you meant. I am the Clannad Man after all! =D
Question. Where would one buy/download the original version of the vn? You guys are only patching original version, but that was a limited release wasn’t it?
As the original version is no longer manufactured by Key, it is probably best to search sites like Amazon, eBay, JBox, or PlayAsia to find a copy. I would also very much recommend using a service such as Yahoo! Auctions Japan (http://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/) if you are able, as they usually have several LE copies available. Though the prices on Yahoo! Auctions are generally much cheaper than on Amazon or eBay, you’ll need to work through an intermediate unless you have a Japanese address. I would suggest using a proxy service such as Taigaya (http://taigaya.com/proxy/2009/05/about_us.html) if you choose to pursue this route.
As always, ask questions to verify the goods you are receiving when working with online auctions services. Two examples of the game I found after a quick search are listed below. As you can see, prices for the game can vary greatly.
eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/160720694570
Yahoo! Auctions: http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k145101906
I recently purchased the CS Version for Xbox 360 and it looks really great. However, the original edition is also a limited release, as you suggested. The decision to translate TA was made many moons ago in a far off land; my task is simply to ensure it gets translated into a working patch, nothing more. While I would like if the patch was compatible for all versions of the game, due to script changes, Doki’s focus will remain on translating the original release of the game.
As an FYI, three versions of the game are generally discussed: the (original) Limited Edition, the CS Edition, and the Memorial Edition, each of which has structural changes which differentiate them from the others. Other Tomoyo After releases have also been made, specifically for consoles; I was going to write this out myself, but remembered that Juhachi already provided an excellent summary on Wikipedia:
Just FYI the Little Busters! team on TLwiki was able to extract from and get patches made for the Memorial Edition version of RealLive. If you contact them they might be able to send your team tools that can also extract the scripts from Tomoyo After Memorial Edition. (not sure if the RealLive in the Memorial Box, which contained Little Busters! ME, is the same as in the retail “Memorial Edition”, though)
No worries if you’re only focusing on the LE right now (understandable) but I thought it was worth mention if tools are your only roadblock :).
Okay, I misread that and thought you meant script format changes (obviously the script changes in the ME you referred to are also something to consider). So I guess you already know that *facedesk*.
Even anons can make mistakes! Not a problem. Right now we’re focusing on one patch at a time. If there is enough interest, we might make patches for other versions, but for now, the focus is on the LE version.
FYI, the Little Busters! team was contacted by Doki awhile back just to see how things were doing. They did a nice job getting the LB! patches out; I commend them for that.
Memorial edition? Light Edition? Normal Version? H-Version? (Ok, I know about the last one >.>). Forgive me my ignorance, but can somebody tell me the differences between those and which of them have translations? Sorry for the trouble.
Focusing on the PC game, there are three versions of the game: the Limited Edition (aka, the Original), the CS Edition, and the Memorial Edition. The Limited edition was released first and features H-scenes as as part of the story line; it is also highly compatible with PCs, being officially released for all Windows platforms ’98’ through ‘XP’. The CS Edition was later released with the H-scenes removed and some additional script added in. It was meant to allow native compatibility through Windows Vista and also had some minor graphical upgrades. Memorial Edition was released as a limited edition game and featured native compatibility with Windows 7, along with some audio/visual changes such as a new startup video and voice acting for Tomoya (the story is told from his perspective). Overall it is very similar to the CS version of the game.
Subsequent to the release of the Memorial Edition, the name ‘CS Edition’ was re-used on the 1080p Xbox 360 port of the game. This version has all the in-game features of the PC’s Memorial Edition. All prior console ports featured game quality similar to that of the PC’s CS Edition.
Thanks for translating. Though I’m sad to see it still isn’t finished I’m glad it hasn’t been dropped.
However could you give us a hint on the release date? I’m just interested to hear if translations will be done this year.
Now Xi, you know Doki doesn’t drop anything. Furthermore, seeing this project was called ‘cursed’ and ‘a longshot to be completed’ by members of the fansub community due to the number of times it has been passed around (pre-Doki), did you really think the Clannad Man would give up before a patch is released? Ha! I like challenges.
Of course, the majority of the credit must go out to Doki’s dedicated translation team. Without them, progress would be virtually nilch. Nada. Nothing.
You want a release date, eh? I’m sorry, Xi, I’m afraid I can’t do that. As for the translations being done this year… Hmm. You might be onto something.
Might.
Have you guys looked to even see how long it normally takes to translate a visual novel. I’ve seen some take 3+ years. thanks doki for doing this. If it gets released soon I’ll be amazed XD
This. The fact that steady progress is in itself amazing. Great work on the part of the Doki staff.
@Xi, the staff has said repeatedly they’re not going to tell you. Dun annoy them, mmk? 😛
ಠ‿ಠ Yes, amazing indeed!
Thanks for the effort!
One question, do you think it’ll be able to use your translation with the Memorial Edition?
I really want to get the happy end.
The majority of the translation between the Original Edition and the Memorial Edition are similar; however, they way the files are prepared are different in each version, meaning the patch we are working on will need to be modified to work on the Memorial Edition.