Forum - View topicUntranslated Japanese sound effects
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Case
Posts: 1016 |
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This has come up alot recently, too. What do you-all's think of it?
When sound effects text is left in Japanese in manga translations are the translators only doing half of the job, or are they doing us a favor? |
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Emerje
 Posts: 7455 Location: Maine |
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I think it really depends on how the sound effect is done. If it's got a balloon of it's own then I feel it should be translated, if it's part of the actual art then it should be left alone. I don't know why they can't be added in under the frames as sort of footnotes. To me it's pointless to translate a sound effect without converting it to a familiar english form as well. Say theres a pic of a chick going "piyu-piyu", i'd rather see it translated to "peep-peep" instead, if you're going to use a different language then use that languages sound effects too. Eh, it's just one of those things that annoy me...
Emerje |
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radicaledward
 Posts: 776 |
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I would have to agree with the if it is art leave it alone, and if it is speech translated it to the english equililent. It would be nice if there was a refernece in the back for the untranslated text though, a manga "liner notes"
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John Jakala
 Posts: 60 |
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This is how RAIJIN COMICS handles things - they leave the sound effects as is in the artwork, and they have "Sound Effects" columns that show examples of how the sound effects can be used in different situations. |
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Case
Posts: 1016 |
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Have any of you seen the way they handled the sound effects in Tokyopop's Initial D manga? That's the main title I had in mind when I created this thread.
The effects aren't especially artsy... They're mustly big, stretched white text in the background above and behind the cars. In that particular case (at least in the original edition of book 1) they are not translated in any way and aren't of much use to someone like me who doesn't know Japanese writing. I can't tell squealing tires from an engine exploding. If anyone has seen it, how do you feel about this particular title? And what bearing do you think it has on the untranslated sound-effects trend in general? Is it just a bad example? |
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billslates
Posts: 31 Location: Miami, FL |
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I agree. I don't really think people care that much about having the sound effects translated. I mean, do you really think someone is reading the manga like this:
With untranslated SFX (Person watching a frame with someone being punched) Person- Wah! What the hell is going on in this frame! What's the guy doing? What's those weird lines on the page! With translated SFX (Preson watching a frame with someone being punched(changed from katakana to "BAM") Person- Oh! The guy was punching him -phew- (Person flips page) Person- I was just reading this... Person- What's going on! Japanese comics are so confusing!!! |
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