Cygames Localization Team Reveals How Uma Musume Reproduced Dialects in English
At CEDEC 2026, Cygames localization staff Allison Cottrell and Ryuhei Morita presented a lecture on how the English version of "Uma Musume Pretty Derby" handled character dialects and speech patterns without English voice acting. The team avoided conventional methods such as mapping Kansai dialect to a Southern US accent because the game already had a character, Taiki Shuttle, who speaks with that accent. Instead, they analyzed the rhythm and speed of Japanese dialects and reproduced them through English spelling and line delivery. For Yukino Bijin, who speaks Tohoku dialect, the team used older English expressions and slang from the 1930s to 1960s to convey simplicity. Agnes Digital's otaku speech was localized using expressions from English-speaking otaku communities, while Daitaku Helios's gyaru slang was reimagined as Gen Z social media language. The team also established a system of character-specific speech pattern guidelines, Slack channels for idea sharing, and assigned translators with relevant cultural knowledge to maintain consistency across the project.