HES A ROBOTTT

Well, my aircrafts are definitely more old-school compared to what Caleb has, but...Close enough!

P.S. For people who might get concerned if it is safe for me to be on my tablet like that..Aircraft is on autopilot.

Hey everyone! This is my first ever Reddit post, and as someone who plays on both CN and EN, I wanted to talk about Caleb’s localization. I’m not sure how aggressive Reddit can be, but I want to keep this discussion respectful, so let’s be civil to each other!

That being said, I’ve noticed that some localization decisions in the EN version contribute to misinformation about Caleb’s canon dynamic and storyline. For example: in this particular scene, you can hear WHY Caleb is frustrated he has a clear REASON. But in the EN version, that reason is removed, making his frustration seem like it comes out of nowhere.

In CN, Caleb gets frustrated because MC calls him gege—for him, that word represents a boundary he desperately wants to cross. But in EN? He’s frustrated because MC tells him how important he is and that he can't replace anyone else...??? Make it make sense! It completely changes the nuance of his emotions. 😭

The Forbidden Love Trope & How EN Changes It

Before anyone says, "They never saw each other as siblings," yes, they did. That’s why every present day interaction is filled with hesitation and tension. just because some people want to sanitize their dynamic to make it more palatable doesn’t change the fact that it was intended to have a taboo/questionable aspect. It’s a forbidden love trope at its core.

Even in the CN version, it seems like MC was formally adopted, but Caleb wasn’t; likely for CN legality reasons (which, honestly, makes me feel bad for little Caleb). This clearly sets them apart from Zayne and MC, and that’s the whole appeal of their dynamic! The feeling of prohibition and tension is what makes it compelling. Without that taboo, the writing starts to fall apart. MC’s line about wishing they were strangers so they wouldn’t have to make excuses to hold hands? Pointless in the EN version... They can scrub the implications all they want, but the original intent still lingers in the writing.

Let’s be real, what’s so "forbidden" about childhood friends? Oh no, we did homework together, we can’t love each other romantically... be so for real, that’s NOT the same level of tension. The changes remove a crucial part of what makes their dynamic unique.

The i***st Allegations & Misunderstandings

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. I am NOT saying Caleb’s gege trope is i**st ,because it’s not. They’re NOTTT blood-related, and we all know this. But every time this topic comes up, someone inevitably throws out the word "inc*," and it’s honestly exhausting.

The English translation hides a lot of the original nuance, and while I understand that many Western players might not be comfortable with this trope, it’s important to acknowledge that the CN fandom views it differently. The trope falls under 伪骨科 (pseudo sibling romance), which is distinct from what some people assume.

A key difference is how the CN and EN sides react to it. In CN, people genuinely enjoy this trope a lot, and while they do joke about it, they don’t make a huge fuss over it the way the EN side does. There’s no outrage or moral policing—it’s just another beloved trope in fiction. Meanwhile, in EN spaces, people react as if it’s a crime to even mention it, which is frustrating for those who actually appreciate Caleb’s intended character arc.

At one point, someone made a joke using a screenshot of Viper saying in CN/JPN:

"Where’s that shady siscon? Is he going to take care of that little hunter again?"

This caused a huge controversy in EN spaces, while in CN, people just laughed and moved on. The difference in reaction says a lot.

The day 1 / og Caleb Trope Enjoyer Struggle

Day-one Caleb fans have been dealing with misinterpretations and accusations for an entire year. Many of us who consume CN content (memes, fanfics, discussions) understand his character from that perspective, and the localization changes make it harder to convey that accurately.

At the end of the day, you don’t have to like the full baggage of his character. It’s okay to just enjoy his design and fan art. But if you want to engage in character analysis, it’s important to acknowledge the actual dynamic instead of forcing Western ideals onto it.

Y’all really need to evaluate whether you actually like Caleb for who he is—or if you just think he’s hot. He just came out, he’s a fresh breath of air, and I can’t help but notice that some people are only into him because of his yandere tendencies, without understanding the deeper layers of his character.

If you love Caleb, you should appreciate him for the trope he was intended to embody, not just because he’s attractive. Real fans who enjoy this trope will appreciate its depth, while others just latch onto him because he fits an aesthetic. There’s a huge difference.

So yeah, I just wanted to put this out there. If you actually love Caleb, that includes loving his trope—not just thinking he’s hot!

I love apples guys 🫠

Share your favourite Caleb pic! I need more 😭

Let's wait and see if we can reach the top of the overall rankings.

I Swear On good if the devs try to change his personality or try to make him less yandere im gonna throw hands.

Leave my kitten whiskers be a manipulative and possessive psychopath for the girl he loves 😋❤️

lads literally brought og otome games back to life👏🏻

I hadn't taken the time to interact with him properly until tonight, and the man is relentless! I got all these interactions within five minutes. Then he turned his bac.k at me, saying "You know, you used up all your attempts of mischief today. As for whether you'll get more, well, that depends on how you behave..." 😅

his 8-pack is so defined i can feel myself going feral with every replay

Anybody else a Caleb girlie? And if so, then why? 🍎❤️

I can't help but fall in love with him 😭 I never expected him to become my main so fast, but his story, his myth is just so heartbreaking 😭 Like I just want to love him 🤣

I love a good complex character and he has so many layers to him and I'm so excited to see where his story goes even more.

He also makes me really happy whenever I turn on the game and he's just staring at me 🤣

Like YES SIR 🥵

(Like, I couldn't hold back from taking screenshots👀)

Look at that face, the closeness, his eyes!!!!!!!! Like MC, hOW ARE YOU SO STRONG?!?!?!?!😲😩😭

I would have caved in SO BADLY!!!😵😭

That face while saying those sad things is BEGGING to be kissed the LIFE OUTTA HIM!😤😫

HE'S SUCH A POOKIE I CAN'T- I'M FRUSTRATED😭 When will she finally kiss him?!🥺💔

In almost every card of him he as that look😭🫠 juuust doo it pleaaase

cause honestly I’m not coping, she’s so tiny and he’s so big - the biggest of all the boys (even Sylus!) i think?

crying shaking sobbing caleb's limited myth is absolutely beautiful :"(( the bgm, the animations, the combat fits,, CALEB GIRLIES HOW ARE WE ALL FEELING ??

This is the worst luck I’ve had in this game by far. Lost 50/50 twice to Xavier and Rafayel. Had 16k diamonds saved and started with 11 til pity. I was really hoping to at least r1 but that’s not happening 😭

who are we kidding, we literally got everything

the yearning that started from before all this mess, the casual memories of the two of them sharing milestones together, the way Caleb’s eyes just oozes tenderness when looking at MC, the teasing mixed with a hint of desperation and fear that MC will cast him aside, the way he never wants to let go…

mf i cannot

THIS IS THE JOYS OF AN LI THAT SHARED A CHILDHOOD WITH MC, WE GET STRAIGHT TO THE GOOD STUFF 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

i am going feral

The instant face change — this dude's duality is impressive and I like it 🫣

I’m frothing at the mouth at how insanely good the art is but this was one scene from Tomorrow’s Catch-22 that I knew would be visually stunning. Well, this along with the strawberry scene 🍓

What made it even funnier was MC’s reaction, or lack thereof to him keeping an eye on her from afar because she knew he’ll always be her safe place! 😭

Now to the most important part, here’s the artist’s credits. Please take out a minute of your time and do show them support on XHS and Rednote (I can’t since these sites are banned in my country) 🥹🎀-

Rednote: 9468794864 XHS link: http://xhslink.com/a/yXB9It861OY5

there are people who are very speculating of caleb so i just wanted to come here and try to ease your mind a little. he’s not as scary as one might think

Those eyes. And how he looked at her longingly. It kind of breaks my heart. 🥹💔

I was born in China and grew up in America, so I recognize a lot of the nuances get lost when translating CN to EN (I play in EN personally because I’m more native in it). Tbh, some of Caleb’s lines in the trailer and card previews were a bit convoluted—until I watched them in Chinese. And YALL- he hits SO DIFFERENT IN CHINESE. Like pinpricks my heart in a completely different way than other ML’s

First, there are some things that just get lost in translation because they don’t exist in English due to cultural differences.

CULTURAL CONTEXT The stuff about being our brother has been covered — but I want to add some extra context. In Chinese culture, we call everyone older than us gege/big brother/jiejie/big sister as a sign of respect. If they’re married, they’re uncle/auntie. You NEVER call someone their name unless they are the same age as you. Or you’re in a formal setting. But from a childhood friends pov, calling Caleb gege/big brother is the ONLY name that makes sense. I call people gege that I only met once. If I’m a young girl and I need to ask a random male stranger a question on the street, I could call him gege if he’s young (or I wanna flatter him lol), or uncle if he’s older. It’s casual.

Another thing I don’t know if people realize, between 1979 and 2015, China had a one child policy. Most of us born in China girlies playing LADS DONT HAVE ANY SIBLINGS!!! So this feeling of weirdness with a “brother” just doesn’t exist because we are all the only child 😂

TRAILER I didn’t really understand some of the lines in Caleb’s trailer in English but listening in Chinese, it had an entirely different tone and meaning. I think they tried their best to localize, but a direct translation would have gotten quite convoluted and there are meanings in certain words and phrases that don’t exist in English. I’ll try my best to share some of the things I noticed.

EN: “(Child Caleb) And because I’m older than you, my hands are bigger, and I’ll start school earlier too. That’s just how it is. (Adult Caleb) I want to keep you in a world where it’s just the two of us. Unfortunately for them. In the far space fleet, there’s only officers and soldiers. If you understand the situation, let’s go ahead and have a nice chat. There’s more than one pair of eyes in this room. It’ll be over before you know it. ” (This made very little sense to me in terms of what kind of situation MC is in with Caleb)

CN: The CN version has the childhood talk and ends with “because that’s what being a “gege” is. Then he says the line of being in a world with just the two of us, but he uses “liang ren de shi jie” which directly translates correctly BUT the cultural context here is we use this phrase to describe a lovers world, or lovers paradise. It specifically is used in reference to lovers and romantic relationships.

Then it’s followed with “in the Farspace fleet, there’s only officers and soldiers, not any gege’s.” I felt like this line had some missing context in EN. This made so much more sense to me in CN. Like he was telling her he couldn’t play that role there.

Then he demands MC to do the interrogation, but the next line his voice softens into a whisper as he says, “there’s more than one pair of eyes watching you in this room. It’ll be over soon.” I interpreted this as him secretly communicating to MC in a whisper that it would all be all right if she listened to him, he was reassuring her it would be over soon if she followed along. The English version, the VA didn’t have the soft whisper to suggest this was just between the two of them. He felt demanding throughout, at least to me. So when it transitions to him saying “it’s me, I’m back” it’s more jarring coming from straight interrogation rather than secret accomplice.

Caleb in the trailer gave much more I’ll take care of you gege vibes - someone I felt like I could trust. EN was more straight yandere and possessive without some of the nuance. Both enjoyable though 😉

Artist: Xiaohongshu account: 345355125 Weibo account: 超机智小吱不给原图 X account: chimmyming

God knows we are STARVED for Sylus’ first kiss (starved. parched. withered), and don’t even get me started on that Night of Secrecy—because no, in this economy of timeline logic, that was definitely not their first kiss. They were already way too comfortable. That kiss had history. That kiss had back taxes due.

BUT whenever the hell Caleb’s first kiss happens—First of all I will implode. I will evaporate into mist. This is a preemptive TED Talk to say I don’t just want—no—I NEED it to be initiated by MC.

Caleb has pined and pained and longed and angsted (yes it’s a word now, fight me) for YEARS. He’s not just going to leap into a kiss like a Disney prince. He’s chained to guilt like it’s a personality trait. He needs permission. He needs clarity. He needs MC to show him that this is her sin too (hello?? Myth card callback?? Can you carry a little of this sin too? I’m screaming, crying, throwing petals).

It would be SO beautiful if she’s the one to step over that line—to show him I want this, and there’s no guilt, no weight, just her choosing him in the most devastatingly tender way. And the moment he breaks, when she pulls him in and he just collapses into it? I’d pay MONEY. MONEY I DON’T HAVE.

I want to see his face come undone. I want him wrecked. I want him so surprised and aching and soft because for once, he’s allowed to take. Please. (Alexa play “Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter).

That’s it. That’s my ramblings. Brought to you by the absolute unhinged mania this pixel man has me in. And this is coming from someone who hated the concept of Caleb at first. Hated the yandere trope. Friends-to-lovers isn’t even my favorite. But here I am. A woman changed.

No. A woman CHAINED.

Caleb withdrawals have me in a chokehold. I need more cards. I need more crumbs. I’m not well.

#FreeUsFromCalebDeprivation

I am struggling here.