Manga has become popular around the world, thanks to its unique style of storytelling and captivating artwork. For readers outside Japan, however, these stories are usually only available through translation. Manga readers can access these stories in two ways: raw manga, the original Japanese text, and translated versions.
Wordplay and cultural references
The adaptation of cultural references and wordplay is one of the most difficult aspects of manga translation. Japanese culture and language are full of unique idioms and customs. Translators have to decide if they want to use these references in their original form, which could confuse readers unfamiliar with Japanese culture or adapt them to make the story more accessible.
Character Voice and Personality
A second challenge is to translate manga while preserving the unique voice and personality of each character. In Japanese, honorifics and speech styles such as “-san,” -kun,” and “-chan” can indicate social relationships, character traits, and status. The markers are not directly equivalent in other languages. This can lead to subtleties being lost in the way characters communicate.
Visual and textual symbiosis
Manga is a visual storytelling medium that combines text and drawings to tell a story. Japanese sound effects (called “gitaigo”, “giongo”, or “giongo”) are often incorporated into art to convey sounds such as laughter, footsteps, and intense action scenes. It is important to decide whether or not these sound effects should be included in the translation. This can have a significant impact on the reader.
Honorifics and Linguistic Nuances
The nuanced Japanese language is known for the way that words can be used to convey hierarchy, respect or intimacy. In Japanese culture, honorifics play a crucial role and can be difficult to translate. These titles may be dropped from translations to simplify dialogue, but remove a layer that provides social context.
Censorship & Localization
Localization involves adapting content to the cultural and social norms for the target audience. This can lead to the censorship or certain themes or images. In English, for example, scenes which are considered acceptable by Japanese culture may be changed or even removed if they’re deemed offensive or inappropriate. This can make the manga more appealing to a wider audience, but it also decreases the authenticity of the story.
Lost in Translation and Fan Translations
Some fans, frustrated by the difficulties of official translations turn to “scanlations”, fan-translated versions. These fan-translated “scanlations” are often created by fans to help other fans. They strive to be as accurate as possible with the original Japanese text. This includes honorifics, cultural reference, and some Japanese sound effects. Fan translations may not be accurate because fan translators lack professional training and can make mistakes.
The conclusion of the article is:
Translating a richly cultural medium such as manga is an interpretive act. Official translations of manga are meant to be accessible to a worldwide audience. However, cultural references, honorifics and linguistic nuance may be lost. Raw manga is a great way to connect with the Japanese culture and language for readers who are interested in the intricacies. Official translations, however, balance accessibility and authenticity.
