User:Mistiryshak/sandbox
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This article details an official policy on Japari Library. The policies contained in this page are to be followed when editing Japari Library and are not to be broken without direct permission from a member of wiki staff. |
The policy on canon for Japari Library details what should be considered canon, what a reliable source for canonicity is, how to handle dubious canonicity, and treatment of non-canon materials.
What is Canon
Generally, materials that are official works licensed by Kemono Friends Project are considered canon. However, derivative works licensed by KFP, such as anthology manga, are considered non-canon. Additionally, works that are direct adaptations of previous Kemono Friends materials, for example the manga adaptation of Kemono Friends 2, are considered non-canon, with canon superseded by the original work unless otherwise stated. Works that feature little to no story will also be considered non-canon. Lastly, works that require a real-world interface or licensed crossover to remain canon, such as Pachislot Kemono Friends and KemoV, will be considered outside of canon as well.
The following outlines what is considered canon vs. non-canon on Japari Library.
| Canon | Non-Canon | |
|---|---|---|
| Games | ||
| Print Works |
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| Audio Works | All others | |
| Animation |
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| Other |
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Sources for Canon
As the Kemono Friends franchise is made up primarily of untranslated Japanese, what is considered an "acceptable source" of canon will depend on the source of the translation.
Direct Translations
Generally, direct translations will be considered fully canon. These include translations by qualified individuals (i.e. can read and speak Japanese at a conversational level) as well as translations provided by KFP themselves. Exceptions will exist and should be noted; KFP may translate materials incorrectly or use computer assistance to translate a passage or term; in such cases, they should be considered equivalent to a localization and verified by a qualified individual.
Localizations
Localizations of Kemono Friends media will generally be considered canon to the same level as a direct translation, with some exceptions. For example, the term Cerulean was used in the localization of the first season of the anime, but KFP themselves have translated it as Cellien in most future works such as Kemono Friends 3 and official merchandise, which should be considered canon. Note that even if an element of a localization is considered non-canon, a localization is still broadly considered a good source of canon. For example, the localization of the first season of the anime should still be seen as canon outside of elements which are explicitly superseded elsewhere.
Computer Assistance
Direct computer-assisted translations (i.e. copied and pasted outputs), either through machine translation (Google Translate, DeepL, etc.) or through A.I. (large-language models, ChatGPT, etc.) are not considered an acceptable source, especially for translations placed on the wiki. Mistranslations and hallucinations can occur, and machine translated materials are known to have great difficulty interpreting Japanese. They are especially considered unacceptable as a placeholder until a "better" translation comes along. Use of such tools to provide a summary of events is considered an acceptable use of assisted translation, with the caveat that the summary will be immediately replaced if a manual translation or localization is produced and contradicts the previously written summary. Use of machine assistance alongside a dictionary and some knowledge of Japanese on the part of the translator in order to manually translate is also considered an acceptable source.
Exceptions
In the event that a localization is released which replaces a fan-made direct translation, it is considered to be "more canon" than the previous direct translation. However, if research finds that an element of said localization is improperly translated, significantly changes the canon, or directly contradicts the canon established within the original Japanese text, then the direct translation will be considered more accurate only for the instance of inaccuracy, which may be as small as a single sentence.
Additionally, this does not apply to transcripts, where a localization is always used if available, regardless of errors. Usage of notes from editors is encouraged to document inaccuracies in official transcripts.
Dubious Canonicity
As Japari Library is a collaborative effort, editors are encouraged to write on subjects they are passionate about. However, personal interpretation and bias are inevitable, and editors should take care to avoid introducing dubious canon to the wiki. Dubious canon is defined as any material that is purely speculative or headcanon. Discussion of theory on Japari Library is considered poor practice regardless of the source of the information, and can result in direct staff intervention. When reading Japari Library, users expect to see accurate information, and treatment of theory as canon creates misinformation and may lead to misconceptions that extend far beyond the reach of the wiki itself, leaking into the broader fandom. As such, dubious canon is very strictly monitored and treated as a high priority matter by staff.
Implied Canon
While purely speculative canon is barred from Japari Library, unconfirmed canon that is implied by KFP directly is considered acceptable to cover. In spite of this, great care should be taken when handling implied canon. For example, the belief that the Serval from the first season of the anime is the same as the one from the original 2015 mobile game, while implied, is not explicitly canon. When covering a topic that features implied canon, it is required to specify that such material is either not confirmed or has only been suggested. It is considered the intent of KFP to leave such matters a mystery, and lists of evidence for and against a theory are explicitly disallowed under this belief.
Retroactive Continuity
Retroactive continuity, or a retcon, is when a more recent work considered canon renders an element of a past work, or sometimes an entire past work, as non-canon. In the case of a retcon, any elements of a past work that are contradicted should be considered non-canon to any future works. However, they should still be considered canon to the original work, as well as canon to any works produced between the original publication and the publication of the retcon. Examples of notable retcons include the addition of Royal Penguin to PPP in Kemono Friends 3, contradicting S1E8 of the anime's first season. Note that in cases where characters may not have knowledge of in-universe history, it is possible that some retcons can be explained canonically and a contradiction is not necessarily present. However, the previous canon is still considered to be replaced in such instances.
Parallel Continuity
Parallel continuity is when two separate canons exist, for example, the canon of Kemono Friends Kingdom is separate from the canon of works taking place in Japari Park. In these cases, care should be taken to ensure that the canons are not "crossed"; for example, using worldbuilding in Kingdom to describe events in Kemono Friends 3. Currently, two confirmed parallel canons exist: Kemono Friends Kingdom and Pachislot Kemono Friends. Additionally, there are numerous works that take place within another canon, such as the Kemono Friends 2 manga. These are not considered to be parallel continuities and considered fully non-canon unless listed as canon on this page.
Events in Live Service Titles
Crossover events in live services titles such as Kemono Friends 3 are to be considered non-canon, with some exceptions. Lore introduced in crossover events that is later utilized in materials considered canon, such as the main story of the title, are considered to be canon. Examples include expansion of the function of Sandstar in the process of becoming a Friend, which was first introduced in the 2015 mobile game via a crossover with Ghost in the Shell and then later made fully canon by the first season of the anime. Additionally, characterization, such as a Friend being a fan of the source material for a crossover, is to be considered canon.
Coverage of Non-Canon Materials
While non-canon materials require greater care to cover, Japari Library should still provide accurate and detailed coverage in order to fulfill its mission of being a Kemono Friends encyclopedia. Non-canon materials are not considered "lesser" materials and deserve proper coverage all the same, including coverage of the story, characters, mechanics, release information, etc. so long as such material is understood to be separate from canon.