There are situations where “really?” and “of course” work, but these are so often a go-to translation that it can become tired. Such as “what a bummer” “this is great” “why do all my friends leave me?!” or “I couldn’t be happier!” In Japanese it’s natural to say what you’re feeling, but when was the last time you said randomly said “I’m happy” in English? Native English speakers are more likely to describe the situation that is affecting their mood. If it fits with the context, why not try “this jerkwad”, “you dummy” or simply just “she/he/they” if they’re not trying to be offensive. This is often translated to “that guy” or “this guy.” Sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn’t. We both love reading manga! From general observations, translating, and editing we’ve noticed some common Japanese words that often get directly translated into English. Google search a phrase to see if it is something commonly said English.Read comics written in English to get a feel for the “flow” of dialogue.Have a friend or colleague read over the translation.Use Word’s text-to-speech function to have the text read to you.To get a translation to a natural-sounding level, we suggest a few techniques: That’s when you hope an editor/adapter will point out and improve stilted wording. However, when we work so close to Japanese all the time, read so much manga, and then translate it, it can be hard to see the woods through the trees. In most cases, a translation should read as naturally as possible. Sentences such as “ We two can do it together” or “ Even at a time like this” might be understandable in English, but they’re not what a native speaker would say. That said, our goal here is to compile tips on manga translation that have helped us in our own careers, and we sincerely hope that this article can help you shape yours.ĭirectly translating a manga can result in a number of really strange English choices. As we mentioned, everyone has their own preferences and styles.
It is merely a series of suggestions based on the observations and personal preferences of two translators.
I (Jennifer) teamed up with translator and manga editor Kristi Fernandez to come up with some common pitfalls that manga translators might face and how to avoid/tackle them.īefore we get started, this article is in no way the “be all and end all” of manga translation practices. Not just the translator, but editors, adapters, and of course companies, have their own approaches and preferences (hence why styles guides are a thing). A manga translation can vary drastically when handled by different people.