Trademark Filing Reveals Ni no Kuni’s English Title

A lot of folks were ecstatic when Level 5 announced that Ni no Kuni: Shiroki Seihai no Joō would be finding its way onto North American PS3s. Now there's even more to celebrate, as it looks like we won't have to fumble our way through the cumbersome Japanese name.

According to a recent filing with the US Patent Office, Level 5 will be releasing the game in America as Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. That's basically in line with the original subtitle, which translates directly as "The Queen of White Sacred Ash," but the revision is certainly much more musical to Western ears.

And that's a good thing. The RPG is a collaboration between Level 5, the developer behind Dark Cloud, and Studio Ghibli, the animation house responsible for such classics as Princess Mononoke and My Neighbor Totoro. This strong pedigree combined with an enthusiastic response from Japanese critics make this a title worth watching.

The localized version of Ni no Kuni will be launching North America early next year.