#but i've been upset over this since the first time i saw how viz translated it

[gumbaigumbai]

Grievances regarding the VIZ 310 translation

Obviously 310 spoilers ahead This is the VIZ translation from the physical copy of Volume 31

For comparison, here is the fan translation (by EverydayHeroes) that I read my first time around

To preface this, I have absolutely zero knowledge when it comes to reading Japanese, so I have no idea which translation would be "more correct," but this is a rant on my own opinion over why I think the EHscans translation is better suited for this scene.

One of the glaring differences is the exact word Ogata uses to describe himself with; a "fuckup" vs someone "defective." I believe depending on which is used, a vastly different meaning could be perceived for this moment. A fuckup implies someone who has made a mistake, and it provides a sense of depreciation. When Ogata uses it here, it means that he took the actions he believed were that of a failure. That he unconsciously thought, "this is how someone incompetent would act," and tried to imitate it. The issue with this is that, as we know, Ogata is not incompetent, and he is not a failure. Throughout the manga he consistently shows off his adequacy, and his issues never, not even once, stem from a lack of skill. His entire downfall is purely based on his mental and emotional struggle. This is why using the word "fuckup" seems inappropriate by definition. It also adds a passage of time to its meaning, a "fuckup" is someone who might have been born as a completely competent person, but has along the way made a mistake which labeled them as such. Again, this doesn't make sense when inserted into Ogata's beliefs, whose primary goal was to show how the environment and circumstances by which he was born held no effect to his psyche. Lastly, a minor issue I have is the tone; this is an extremely vital part of Ogata's arc, it's his finale, and he's going through this intense introspection, yet despite all that when choosing to describe himself he picks this lackadaisical word "fuckup," and not something more meaningful. It feels like the translators relied more on the expressive quality of an expletive than the definition itself. Now, looking at the fan translation, defective sets a much different tone, along with the wordage used around it. It implies something is flawed, or not working correctly. Similarly to "fuckup," it describes imperfection, but here it can be seen as inherent. Here, Ogata talks about how he chose to act like someone who was born lacking, how he believed he was missing something since birth (love), and therefore made decisions he thought reflected this implied lack of love. It perfectly ties into his inability to see that Yuusaku genuinely loved him, and sets the focus on what the issue is, which is his mentality. I can't stress enough how this would be impossible to derive from a word such as "fuckup," and how important that distinction is. Another issue is that "fuckup," as I've mentioned, reads as someone who has made a mistake, whereas a "defective" individual is not at fault for their impairment. When placed into the context of the story, why would Ogata consciously choose to act as someone who "fucked up", instead of someone who just wasn't born correctly. Sorry if this rant is a bit jumbled, I just needed to express my thoughts on the matter since I seriously do not like how VIZ executed this scene. Hope you enjoyed the read though, if you made it to the end! ^_^