As part of an ongoing series about working in the manga industry, io9 recently interviewed the translators for One Piece, Undead Unluck, and Spy x Family to learn more about their working conditions and the challenges of adapting culturally specific material into English. The article is sobering: not only do translators cope with tight deadlines and low pay, but they face harassment from fans who disagree with the way they’ve translated a phrase, voiced a character, or substituted an American pop-cultural reference for a Japanese one. The problem is especially pervasive among Shonen Jump readers, who frequently “dogpile” on work that doesn’t match their favorite scanlations:
“Especially when it comes to Shonen Jump stuff, one misconception I see a lot is when [readers] see the scanlation first, they think if there’s something different that it was something we saw it and we changed when that’s not the case,” [Stephen] Paul said. “We work before anyone sees the material. There no prior conception of the material before we get our hands on it.”
The article also touches on the looming threat of AI-generated translations; though AI currently “produces subpar output that readers notice and abhor… it also results in the same amount of work for translators while they are paid less to copy-edit.” If you care about the quality and artistry of good translation, this is a must-read essay.
NEWS AND VIEWS
Everything old is new again: Dark Horse announced that it will publish new editions of Blood Blockade Battlefront and Planetes. Both are slated for a July release. [Dark Horse]
Speaking of licensing announcements, VIZ unveiled its summer 2025 line-up, which includes a new Star Wars manga, a Castle in the Sky cookbook, and a historical drama set in China’s Warring States era. [Behind the Manga]
Erica Friedman rounds up the latest yuri news, with updates on Galette and a new Vampire Princess Miyu-Yui manga. [Okazu]
David and Jordan kick the tires on Chameleon Jail, a new Shonen Jump series. [Shonen Flop]
ICYMI: Ray and Gee discuss their top five manga debuts of 2024. [Read Right to Left]
Adam Wescott jumps in the WABAC Machine for a look at Ranma 1/2 fanfic from the early 1990s, when English-speaking fans penned their own scripts and circulated them through Usenet. [Anime Herald]
REVIEWS
SKJAM! offers a full-series review of Undead Unluck… Kara Dennison argues that Komi Can’t Communicate “had a perfect final chapter”… Sarah gives I’m Here, Beside You mixed marks… and Tony Yao explains why Manga Goes to School is an essential resource for parents, teachers, and librarians.
- 86-Eighty-Six: Operation High School (Demelza, Anime UK News)
- Attack on Titan, Vols. 1-2 (SKJAM! Reviews)
- Becoming a Princess Knight and Working at a Yuri Brothel, Vol. 2 (Paul Ens, Okazu)
- Beyblade X, Vol. 1 (Manga Alerts, Behind the Manga)
- Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Vol. 1 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- Cheerful Amnesia, Vol. 5 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- Days With My Stepsister, Vol. 2 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- Dogs and Punching Bags (Demelza, Anime UK News)
- Dog Days (Kevin Brown, The Comics Journal)
- Emanon, Vol. 1 (Sara smith, The Graphic Library)
- Firefly Wedding, Vol. 1 (Kristina Elyse Butke, The Beat)
- Hitorijime, My Hero, Vol. 15 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
- How to Connect, Share, and Play Safely Online: A Manga Guide for Preteens, Teens, and Parents (Sakura Eries, The Fandom Post)
- I Want to Escape From Princess Lessons, Vol. 1 (Megan D. The Manga Test Drive)
- Lady Murasaki’s Tale of Genji (Sakura Eries, The Fandom Post)
- Let’s Do It Already!, Vol. 3 (King Baby Duck, The Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Little Mega Man, Vol. 1 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- Love and the Highly Sensitive Person (Dee, Anime News Network)
- Love on the Horizon, Vol. 1 (Merve Giray, The Beat)
- Kawaii Cafe Ramen (Kennedy, Anime News Network)
- Marvel Meow (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
- Mujina into the Deep, Vol. 1 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, Vol. 1 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
- The Revenge of My Youth, Vol. 1 (Renee Scott, Good Comics for Kids)
- The Revenge of My Youth, Vol. 1 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 1: A Study in Scarlet (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
- Studio Ghibli: The Complete Works (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
- Super Ball Girls, Vol. 1 (Giovanni Stigliano, Asian Movie Pulse)
- The Urban Legend Files, Vol. 6 (Chris Beveridge, The Fandom Post)
- The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 12 (King Baby Duck, The Boston Bastard Brigade)
- This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Vol. 1 (darkstorm, Anime UK News)