Whoa...google translate got me thinking:

[Syklo]

Why/how exactly does ファンタシー output as "Phantasy" without any definitions/synonyms, instead of "Fantasy";
yet ファンタジー outputs as "Fantasy" with a definition?

Heck, this leads to 2 questions
1. Is there a difference between these 2 words?
2. Is it possible that the title was originally a typo but stuck with it?

I dunno...I am a newb to this series so what do i know? :-?
It got me thinking though...

[Mikessc88]

Well perhaps they simply choose not to translate it literally for promotional purposes. Also perhaps they named it in English first and had no other way of translating it without using F sound in Japanese. But much like you i'm not an expert in this ^^.

[The Walrus]

It's just another way to spell it. It's in Merriam-Webster's dictionary.

[Mikessc88]

I guess its just interesting that google translate chooses to show it as Phantasy instead of Fantasy

This spelling outputs Fantasy due to a variation in the of the shi character, replace it with ji and you get Fantasy
ファンタジー

[Syklo]

It's just another way to spell it. It's in Merriam-Webster's dictionary.
That's according to one source...
Some others say that one is about something psychological in medical practice, and another simply "imagination/desire unfulfilled"
Primary curiousity is why G-T outputs "Phantasy" instead of "Fantasy"

[BlueCast Boy]

Never trust a translator, there never that accurate but at least they help...

[Shadowth117]

Honestly, its just how they felt like romanizing it. They could have spellled it Phontoshee staa if they'd wanted it and it would still pretty much work. In Japanese, Fantasy from Final Fantasy uses the same spelling as Phantasy from Phantasy Star (or very close, haven't looked in a while).

They probably went with a ph to make the name look more unique to western audiences since the ph version of the word isn't used as much.

[riku2replica]

Get in the "thinking" bowl. M&M ads

[Syklo]

Get in the "thinking" bowl. M&M ads
daphuq?

[Daiyousei]

Google translate also tends to use popular and trending stuff when it comes to those words. Maybe it's just because of how popular Phantasy Star is.

I just looked it up and phantasy is an obsolete spelling of fantasy.

Out of curiosity: ファイナルファンタジー and ファンタシースター.

[Mikessc88]

Google translate also tends to use popular and trending stuff when it comes to those words. Maybe it's just because of how popular Phantasy Star is.

I just looked it up and phantasy is an obsolete spelling of fantasy.

If this is true it would make the most sense. I hadnt thought about it recognizing popular names.

[Syklo]

Google translate also tends to use popular and trending stuff when it comes to those words. Maybe it's just because of how popular Phantasy Star is.

I just looked it up and phantasy is an obsolete spelling of fantasy.

Out of curiosity: ファイナルファンタジー and ファンタシースター.
I've isolated the actual word "ファンタシー" incase that wasn't clear in the OP.
Also, note the difference in what you wrote there:
ファイナルファンタジー = Final Fantasy
ファンタシースター = Phantasy Star
ファンタジー; Fantasy
ファンタシー; Phantasy.
???????

[blace]

Could it be that someone over at Google is a Phantasy Star fan and hidden away some coding to translate it as such?Just bored out of my mind and it's a possibility.

[Zyrusticae]

I'm guessing it's because ファンタジー is the commonly accepted spelling of "fantasy" while ファンタシー　is not used for anything outside of the Phantasy Star series.

Or something like that.

[Shadowth117]

I've isolated the actual word "ファンタシー" incase that wasn't clear in the OP.
Also, note the difference in what you wrote there:
ファイナルファンタジー = Final Fantasy
ファンタシースター = Phantasy Star
ファンタジー; Fantasy
ファンタシー; Phantasy.
???????

Still pretty much the same thing. The only difference you're seeing there is the the ji symbol being used instead of the shi symbol which is pretty much as close as they get to having a zi normally. Its really not as huge as you think...

[Syklo]

Still pretty much the same thing. The only difference you're seeing there is the the ji symbol being used instead of the shi symbol which is pretty much as close as they get to having a zi normally. Its really not as huge as you think...
It makes me curious how that particular character difference results in a variance in spelling of the first fricative ('f'/'ph')
Let alone, on google translate.

What blace said is the first thing I thought.

[riku2replica]

Borrowed words is always a mystery. :D

[connor_the_kid]

I'm guessing it's because ファンタジー is the commonly accepted spelling of "fantasy" while ファンタシー　is not used for anything outside of the Phantasy Star series.

Or something like that.

why would using shi over zi at the end affect the spelling with "ph" over "f"?

@OP it has nothing to do with the japanese spelling. They probably just thought it looked more unique. which it does.

the end.

and no phantasy star is not the first to spell it as phantasy.

[kkow]

wasei eigo ┐(´ー｀)┌　

ive seen both used, although not sure how google translate does things.

[Chik'Tikka]

I've isolated the actual word "ファンタシー" incase that wasn't clear in the OP.
Also, note the difference in what you wrote there:
ファイナルファンタジー = Final Fantasy
ファンタシースター = Phantasy Star
ファンタジー; Fantasy
ファンタシー; Phantasy.
???????

ファンタ シ ー
ファンタ ジ ー

am i the only one to see the Tsu in one and the Zu in the other? +^_^+
Also thread on Google Translate??? am i tht drunk? I've been drinking all day, don't be 馬鹿人　on me now+^_^+ (yeah i know that's mispelled, but you know what i mean)

[Hosaka]

ファンタ シ ー
ファンタ ジ ー

am i the only one to see the Tsu in one and the Zu in the other? +^_^+


Those are "shi" and "ji," respectively. Not tsu and zu.

[Chik'Tikka]

Those are "shi" and "ji," respectively. Not tsu and zu.

yeah, they are+^_^+ but i　still do gotta wonder, why are two different spellings resulting in two different translations surprising anyone?

[Syklo]

yeah, they are+^_^+ but i　still do gotta wonder, why are two different spellings resulting in two different translations surprising anyone?
Details man, details.
The surprise is how the difference in spelling towards the end of the word alters the translated spelling at the start of the word.
I.e. it could've been Fantazee.

[riku2replica]

Details man, details.
The surprise is how the difference in spelling towards the end of the word alters the translated spelling at the start of the word.
I.e. it could've been Fantazee.

I think it would be wiser to ask a native japanese or a japanese sensei about that.

[GoldenFalcon]

Seriously, guys?

Google translate is run on user input for the most part. The truth is that it isn't translating, it's substituting in what people want to see.

So no, the last syllable isn't altering the start of the word

Edit: successful ninja for once

[Idolon]

Could it be that someone over at Google is a Phantasy Star fan and hidden away some coding to translate it as such?Just bored out of my mind and it's a possibility.

Google's translation is (like nearly all current AI) statistical in nature. It almost certainly analyzes web pages to build up the database from which it makes translations, and it allows people to suggest better translations. That is, if that spelling is mostly used in the title to Phantasy Star games when used on the web, Google recognizes that and translates accordingly. If it translated it as "Fantasy" at some point and a bunch of people corrected it to "Phantasy", it would learn and fix its translation.

[JeyKama]

Closest thing I can think of (and read about) is that ファンタシー is a spelling based on the Greek word (SEGA didn't make up the word "phantasy" if you didn't realize), and ファンタジー is based on the English. Same meaning, though.

[Sparzyle]

"Ph" is because photons

The photons man

/thread?

[Syklo]

"Ph" is because photons

The photons man

/thread?
no
pH cuz oranges.

[Sparzyle]

Well I'd accept something like Falz/Phallus/Phalz... but Phantasy/Fantasy? ph*ck that phinal fantasee >_>

[Darki]

I don't really see the relevancy of this issue...

To begin with, the detail about the letter "shi" or "ji" probably has nothing to do with the change on the first syllable. We're talking about a word that is not japanese in origin, written in katakana, which, no matter how much you might like it, is a very poorly designed way of writting non-japanese words (to be honest I don't even get why don't they just use roman alphabet for them, is there any japanese person nowadays who wouldn't be able to read them?). For any given non-japanese word you can probably find more than one valid katakana spelling, and the only reason for choosing one over another is usually due to popularity.

And about why is it Phantasy and not Fantasy... Well, both are valid words. As someone said, as a joke but it might be the reason, it could be a hint to the concept of photons that are the trademark of the franchise.

[Mikessc88]

I would call it more of a curiosity than an issue.

[Alenoir]

Seriously, guys?

Google translate is run on user input for the most part. The truth is that it isn't translating, it's substituting in what people want to see.

So no, the last syllable isn't altering the start of the word

Edit: successful ninja for once

It's this. Just go play around with the definition of a word next time you use Google Translate.

[Mekhana]

Also can't forget the old SEGA game Phantasy Zone.

It may either engrish or a spin on the world purposedly done by SEGA.

My guess is that the world Phantasy was a marketing thing and they would name several games with that word but changed their minds.

[Gardios]

I'm guessing it's because ファンタジー is the commonly accepted spelling of "fantasy" while ファンタシー　is not used for anything outside of the Phantasy Star series.

Or something like that.

This. I've never seen ファンタシー anywhere except in ファンタシースター, so it makes sense to have it translated as "Phantasy".

[connor_the_kid]

the fan/phan part is spelled the same tho lol

Dumb argument is dumb

[Gardios]

So what? Fan- and Phan- are pronounced the same, they're both ファン in Japanese.

[NoiseHERO]

Why does this thread have 4 pages?

Ya'll bored as shit.

[UnLucky]

Woah, Google Localize says that the English phrase "ace attorney" means "gyakuten saiban" in Japanese! Even though that literally means "turnabout trial"

What is going on?? This thing is wildly inaccurate, why do people trust machine translations at all?

[Bellion]

^Lol. Same with Bing Translator. Lol Bing.

[Daiyousei]

Virtually no one I know says "turnabout trial" when referring to the series, they always say "Ace Attorney" or "Gyakuten Saiban", Google keeps up with pop culture. Like you won't get "first sound" when you type in 初音, you'd just get Hatsune in English.　Especially if you tack on the ミク　to it. It'll pick it up as our favourite vocaloid.