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My experience with fan-translated versions is that they often prioritize clumsy, literal translations over readable, fluent translations and it’s the exception

My experience with fan-translated versions is that they often prioritize clumsy, literal translations over readable, fluent translations and it’s the exception when you find a really good translation. It’s not uncommon to see random untranslated words, or an over-reliance on translator’s notes. The most infamous example is “keikaku”, which was from an anime fan translation. It just means “plan”.

anigbrowl 5y ago
I suppose you think the timing of that was an accident [dramatic pause] I kind of prefer transliteration over fluency unless it's really clumsy; overly 'helpful' translations that prioritize ease over engagement can lead to incongruities, like characters in a medieval or fantastic setting saying 'OK!' rather than 'certainly' or 'of course'.
- astrange 5y ago
  Trying to judge the translation by this kind of accuracy implies it was well-written in the original language which sadly is, uh, not often true. Japanese isn't actually a great language to write Western settings in. In particular Final Fantasy games have surprisingly boring scripts in Japanese; the FFXIV pirate city doesn't sound piratey at all, just kind of military.
least 5y ago
It's a clash of ideals, for sure. A commercial company avoids literal translations for obvious reasons; you want to ingratiate yourself with as large an audience as possible and using terminology that most people don't understand is alienating. Putting a translator's note to educate viewers about Japanese culture isn't really an option. Fan translations don't have the same restrictions in place and while it can lead to infamous examples like the keikaku one you mentioned, it can be much more enlightening, enriching, and enjoyable. Most of the time they help provide cultural context and some of these are widespread enough in anime fandom that even the official translations will use things like honorifics. Ultimately, I think it's good to have both. I view it as sort of the "introductory" level and the "intermediate" level of anime watching.

anigbrowl 5y ago

I suppose you think the timing of that was an accident [dramatic pause] I kind of prefer transliteration over fluency unless it's really clumsy; overly 'helpful' translations that prioritize ease over engagement can lead to incongruities, like characters in a medieval or fantastic setting saying 'OK!' rather than 'certainly' or 'of course'.

astrange 5y ago
Trying to judge the translation by this kind of accuracy implies it was well-written in the original language which sadly is, uh, not often true. Japanese isn't actually a great language to write Western settings in. In particular Final Fantasy games have surprisingly boring scripts in Japanese; the FFXIV pirate city doesn't sound piratey at all, just kind of military.

least 5y ago

It's a clash of ideals, for sure. A commercial company avoids literal translations for obvious reasons; you want to ingratiate yourself with as large an audience as possible and using terminology that most people don't understand is alienating. Putting a translator's note to educate viewers about Japanese culture isn't really an option. Fan translations don't have the same restrictions in place and while it can lead to infamous examples like the keikaku one you mentioned, it can be much more enlightening, enriching, and enjoyable. Most of the time they help provide cultural context and some of these are widespread enough in anime fandom that even the official translations will use things like honorifics. Ultimately, I think it's good to have both. I view it as sort of the "introductory" level and the "intermediate" level of anime watching.