Tonight, I want to begin by thanking everyone who visits this website and continues to support our releases by downloading, passing them along to others, seeding, etc. And as I mark this day, I’m also mindful that I have a lot of promises to keep to this year, and I hope that all of you continue to support this group and what it is trying to accomplish.

By now, it’s no secret that I’ve had my share of differences over the years. The comments towards us have been harsh, but we’ve fought fiercely in what we stand for. That is, however, a good thing. It’s what keeps us going. It’s what sets us apart from others who have tried and failed repeatedly. Recently, a member of the translation community took it upon themselves in a “butthurt” move to remove any and all translations they had due to criticism towards it. This, in part, was mainly a criticism from myself. Many people ask why we here at Zeonic|Scanlations take on SO many projects. In my mind, I have everything woven in an elaborate and grandiose fashion… but it comes out at a snails pace, unfortunately.

To digress, this came in part from my desire to pick up after Gunota. I started Gundam|News, because I wanted a reliable and accurate website to prevent any false information from spreading around on the net. This small belief is the core principle of Zeonic. It’s what I stand for. I hate bullshit information. I hate made up facts. I hate reading how people are under the impression that one thing happens when in fact it’s something else entirely.

I acknowledge that my work here is by no means professional. If anything it’s laughably amateur. Nonetheless, I strive for perfection in any way that I can. If I don’t know something, I research it. I ask people to give me a nudge in the right direction without telling me exactly what it means. When all else fails, it’s then I say “Hey, can you help?”. At the same time, I’m also critical of other translations. Why? I’m not really sure. A part of me is so caught up in things that I don’t realize how I come across sometimes. It’s probably why people read too much into what I write that I come off as an elite dickhead lurking on the net. Word choice means a lot, and unfortunately I come off a bit strong from time to time. Mind you, our work hasn’t been under the microscope all that much, so I’m sure it can be quite nagging. We did have an issue with Gundam 00V at one point that was completely mistranslated… and I deferred it off as a translator error not associated with me. I do tend to sweat bullets thinking about my work being critiqued, but alas when and if it were to come I’m sure I’d be just fine with it.

Nonetheless, I doubt the person whom I criticized will ever read this, it’s just something I feel I’ll say.

I’ll digress further on the matter in which I feel the need to criticize. This whole post and what not comes in light of a novel project we’re undertaking. Yes, it’s the Gundam W: Frozen Teardrop series. When information becomes available in Japan, I try my best to translate it for the folks over at AnimeSuki. This usually tides them over until someone else posts translations of the actual chapter. Well, the reason why I become so critical is when they read my stuff and then read something else in the translation chaos and confusion ensues. This mainly comes in part from hastily posted workings with promises to change things later. This is a huge no-no in every facet of translation. This is what causes problems. This is what causes misinformation. This pisses Deacky off to no end.

I believe I’ve noted five or six translation errors towards a particular individual and their aspirations to being a beloved project to the world. I think it’s only fair. Yes, I called them out on it. Yes, I specifically stated they were mistaken. Does that make me a troll? No. Do I have a right to do so? Me thinks. I am competing, or rather I “was” competing with them in a translation sense. Not to toot my own horn, but it saves a huge mess of a cleanup later on down the line.

So with that in mind, if you think something is fishy with our work, something that doesn’t look just right, tell me! If there’s a hair on the scan or a smudge in a bubble, I wanna know about it. What hurts us makes us stronger. I’m here to attempt perfection. It doesn’t happen, obviously (i.e. slow releases), but we do a better job than the official companies that produce material. This is, after all, quite sad. People who do this stuff for free should not be the ones who are flawless (sic) and consistent in their material. It’s not that hard to do, really.

This all in turn brings me to what we can do to speed up our group. Mind you, I intend to stick to the “7-11” project as best we can, but I’m looking for feedback from the community on this one. Yes, comments will be open. I’m going to also be searching for a new home soon. This domain, while relatively cheap, is running on thin ice. We’re set to expire again in March. I, unfortunately, haven’t been able to pay many bills myself thanks to wonderful cuts to my income so Zeonic is definitely going to be something that gets pulled. Sorry, but I have to keep my gym membership: gotta look sexy somehow 😉

Nonetheless, I enjoy doing this… despite the burden I place upon myself. I like introducing new things to fans, I like learning new things myself. Translating this stuff continues to challenge my mind and my language skills. That, and it also pushes my English skills to the dark side (I’m so sorry Martin. So very, very sorry).

So now is the time to act. Now is the time to stand up for the future. (Hail Zeon! jk!) The awakening of a new Zeonic will be triggered by the fans of the Gundam community, and we shall be a symbol of information for the people. (Oh I’m killing myself here)

We’re in a position where victory is within our grasp, and once again, our most cherished scanlations site will flourish. Rise, my people, rise! Zeon thirsts for the strength of it’s people.

Sieg Zeon, bitches.