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samuelp
Industry Insider
Joined: 25 Nov 2007
Posts: 2248
Location: San Antonio, USA
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 8:20 am
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Ah, the pain of translating the word "Nakama" when used in certain shounen manga.
Nakama isn't even used that way in real Japanese... It's like a special shounen manga connotation.
Companions does seem like a weak choice though. I don't like comrades myself either 'cause I start reading everyone with a russian accent in my head.
Personally I just go with "friends" unless the people aren't really "friends" then I'd use comrades. There''s nothing wrong with "buddies" or "pals" or "brethren" or "mates" or "We few, we happy few, we band of nakama"
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MaxSouth
Joined: 11 Oct 2008
Posts: 1364
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:17 am
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Actually, "nakama" is more accurately translated as "comrade" or "companion" (as "companions in arms"). "Friend", of course, has separate word in Japanese: "tomo".
(But I agree that any of these words are left not translated, then it is highly unprofessional, amateurish way to handle "translation" of anything.)
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Princess_Irene
ANN Associate Editor
Joined: 16 Dec 2008
Posts: 2655
Location: The castle beyond the Goblin City
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 2:02 pm
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I'm generally not even a "nakama" snob when it comes to translations, but this volume just didn't sit well with me in terms of word choice. I agree that "friends" would have been better in terms of English connotations, even though, as MaxSouth pointed out, it's technically a different word. I suppose if we want a really good translation we'll have to go back to at least Elizabethan English, if not Middle. (I just had a sudden image of a shonen translated into Old English. Can't you just see Zoro yelling "Hwaet!"?)
On the other hand, Henry V in shonen-speak would be pretty awesome too...Thanks for the image, samuelp!
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TitanXL
Joined: 08 Jun 2010
Posts: 4036
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 4:30 pm
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"Nakama"? Oh man, bad One Piece fansub flashback
Friend, Comrade, Companion, Partner.. use whichever word works in the context, You can't just find/replace translations, since you always have to look at the context.
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