#did an edit like that for an old fandom with official manga art and it’s kind of breathtaking that I actually managed to make a rainbow

[sableeira]

always wanted to arrange my artworks in a gradient and since I started drawing again over a year ago, I was finally able to put this together 🫶

[incomprehensiblelentils]

@purlturtle: Thank you so much! That was very cool! Are these novels or graphic novels? Mainly one, some of the other?

I tried to answer this in a reply but it was too many characters lmao. The short answer to your question is both. The long answer is these are the types of Warriors books:

Main series: 8 series of 6 books each with a ninth planned (s8b6 pending Nov 2024). This are the main Warriors books

(I should mention that series 5 is a prequel series going back to the origin of the Clans, which also undid half of the previously mentioned lore lol.)

Super editions: 16 books (SE17 pending Sept 2024), longer (~500 pages), single POV, and allegedly standalone except somewhere around book 7 they made them irrevocably tied into the main series so that if you don’t read them, you will miss crucial information such as the death of a POV character from series 2 or setup for a huge plot element of series 8

Mangas/graphic novels: there are 9 of these, although the first 5 were initially released as three smaller volumes. They are supplementary and focused on mostly detailed flashbacks of events from canon (i.e. Graystripe got snatched by humans and spent like a year trying to get back to ThunderClan, the first one of these was about his journey and meeting his second wife) or explorations of characters who don’t need a 500 page book (Feathertail got one like I said). BUT ALSO they are releasing the first book series as graphic novels starting this year - I think it’s 2 books per one graphic novel volume which is a cool format.

Novellas: these are like 50 pages each, focused on specific events or elements of a particular character, and can be accessed either via individual ebooks or 3-novella paperbacks they started putting out eventually (thank Christ). These vary wildly in quality and there are a couple that the fandom hates so much they basically ignore them entirely. (If you want to make a Warriors fan mad mention “Spottedleaf’s Heart” lol) I have read a few of them here and there but they’re the least “necessary” canon elements.

Field guides: they put out these from 2007-2012, which started as simple reference guides to the Clans and characters and then branched out with a book about the warrior code (including short stories about how each rule came to be) and major battles in Clan history. Also as I mentioned, the older ones include a bunch of lore about Clan history that was immediately retconned with series 5. I own all of these old ones, mostly because they included new little tidbits that hadn’t been established yet. Then they put out an “ultimate guide” in 2013 which is I think most of the above existing content plus a couple new stories, and then last year they did a “10th anniversary version,” which was so badly done and full of errors fandom literally warned people away from buying it. I got a used copy of the 2013 ultimate guide and it’s mostly nice for the art - the gentleman who did the original books’ art, Wayne McLoughlin, passed away in 2015, and they redid the covers and most official art after that and made them (IMO) way worse. Series 6 and forward have had okay covers, but goddamn I hate the newer “zoomed-in cat faces” covers on 1-5.

Anyway! I hope that helps answer your question. I have been buying and reading them in real-time since series 2 book 2 (2005) so I truly do NOT know how one would attempt to parse the amount of story content that currently exists if they hadn’t been doing that.

[angstintensifer]

Tag Game - Fandom edition

thank you for the tag @celestemagnoliathewriter

Your name: Dee

First Fandom: I think my first fandom I officially joined was the MCU. As a fan who watched the movies and got merch, read fanfics and cried over the characters.

Current fandom: Hp next gen.

How did you first get into fandom? A wanda/vision smut fic on ff.net.

How long have you been engaging in fandom space? Since like 2016 or 2017? I'm fully sure but it has been years.

How often do you read fanfic: When I'm really interested in something, I would read it anytime I can, usually at night before i go to bed.

Top three characters from your current fandom? It's currently hp next gen, but if i went with just hp, it would be Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks & Ron Weasley, but in next generation, it's definitely, Teddy Lupin, Victoire Weasley and Dominique Weasley.

Have you ever written a fic for a fandom and if you so. shout it out! I have wrote so many fics, most of them for Fruits basket the anime/manga, and I am currently still working on some one shots for it and three hp next gen fics!

Have you ever drawn fan art for a fandom? Yes, I once sketched Tonks from hbp, after lupin broke her heart lol. And I did draw Romione at Bill and Fleurs wedding. All were in old school book copies.

Share a personal head canon that you feel strongly about? Tonks felt great guilt for Sirius's death and that played part in her depression in hbp.

You're trying to convince a friend to get into your current fandom(s) with you, what episode, clip, or scene are you showing them? A very potter musical lol

And finally, what does fandom mean to you? The sharing of special interests and characters and finding other perspectives within the love of fav characters, with friendships obvi.

Tagging @sophia-ravencrest @riza-rin-rose @wolfheartsstuff

[toukatan]

I don't know if you've heard about this Beni, but some of the fans in the fandom on Twitter are harassing the staffs of MAPPA. Last week was the OST soundtrack, this week was the character designs, CGI, and every minor details. They reply hate tweets under the staffs' tweets, they tagged their accounts on their hate posts. It is infuriating and I am both embarassed and angry at these fans. And it's funny, because whenever I go to their profile to just block them, I found out that they are mostly new accounts (0 following!), troll accounts, which means they created THAT account for the sole purpose of spreading hate and bitching about MAPPA. It's insane how low can these people be! The lowest of the low form. It's okay to talk or post if they're disappointed but for the love of God, tagging and harassing the staffs is just SO disrespectful. I cannot stress enough how infuriated I am seeing them under the staff's accounts posts. They are absolutely an abomination to the fandom. I have to remind every manga readers that the anime IS made for anime audiences. We have the manga, that's our source material. Let the anime fans enjoy theirs. It's okay to give constructive criticisms but if fans are just complaining and whining and hating, one must learn how to shut the hell up.

I don't like aotwitter just because it's so toxic on so many levels, I just open it time to time whenever I want to see some updates to the official accounts. But to hell with these fans. This is why I enjoy Tumblr most especially YOUR community because the fans here are more chill and you don't tolerate if fans are being disrespectful. I absolutely love how you appreciate this new season and just really enjoying it. Maybe if they have the same perspective view as yours, maybe they'll see and appreciate all the MAPPA staffs has been doing.

hello anonie bean, ah yes unfortunately i have been informed about the type of activities that go on within the aotwt community and honestly i’m not surprised, just disappointed. i personally can’t speak for that community itself because it’s not my place, i’m not in it but i guess a little input on how i feel can’t hurt.

coming from someone that edits and has studied years of technological design, graphic design and visual communication to fine arts i understand how long of a process it takes to be proud and happy with your final product. i understand how much work, energy, time and effort is put into the final result. so i understand what kind of weight mappa is carrying upon their shoulders. especially with a deadline and the audience they cater to.

you have to put yourselves into the shoes of the animators. i can’t emphasise this enough. imagine being so excited to start this new project, putting countless hours, an enormous amount of hard work and fine tuning your product and finally being happy with it. only to get backlash on every single little thing you’ve done wrong from people who don’t even know, what it takes to do your job— yet they’re telling you how to do your job. that just doesn’t— no i can’t even, the audacity. imagine what it’s like to be told to go k yourself for animating something wrong, for removing something, for not using the right ost, etc. animators are humans, they’re not perfectly tuned machines. they have feelings just as much as a viewer, i can’t stress this enough. be careful with what you say. words leave marks. how would you feel if your own criticism that you use at them, was targeted at you instead? imagine the amount of stress they’re under, they’re only human just as much as we are.

constructive criticism is fine but i refuse to understand the concept of plain old slander. if you don’t like it— don’t watch it. simple as that. it’s their project, let them play around with it.

every other studio turned down aot but mappa studio didn’t, they chose to pick it up knowing how big this series is. appreciate them for just doing that alone— without them there wouldn’t be a final season. instead of complaining be grateful for what they’re doing and what we have left because one day, there isn’t going to be anymore attack on titan content.

mappa’s doing an amazing job with aot and honestly speaking they absolutely popped off and didn’t have to go off so hard but they did that— from animation to tiny little animation details, promotional art to even drafting concepts— chef’s kisses absolutely love them and their extraordinary team. they’re legends @ mappa you’re doing fking amazing sweetie— don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

the series is coming to an end soon, so instead of all that negativity, let’s just enjoy every second we have left with this spectacular storyline. from wit studio, to mappa studio to the man that created this phenomenal story, isayama himself— without them we wouldn’t be here. let’s make happy memories while we still can and appreciate what we have left 💗

[greed-the-dorkalicious]

Some fun stuff for new HikaGo fans:

The reason Hikaru’s clothes all seem to have the number 5 on them is because “5″ is “go” in Japanese, so it’s a pun. This is why May 5th is Hikaru no Go day; May 5th (a holiday known as Children’s Day in Japan) is also the in-universe date of the big Thing that happens in episode 60, and the irl date that the volume the Thing happens in was released in English.

Sai’s former host, Kuwabara Torajirou (better known as Hon’inbou Shuusaku), is a real historical figure widely regarded as one of Japan’s all-time best go players. He’s best known for having 19 straight wins in the Castle Games (an important go tournament during the Edo period), and the famous “ear-reddening game”, in which he played against a higher-level player and appeared to be losing until he made a comeback with a move supposedly so good that his opponent’s ears turned red. Torajiro eventually became heir to the prestigious Honinbou go school, but never actually inherited this role; When a cholera epidemic swept Japan in 1862, Torajiro insisted on tending patience in the Honinbou house, and died of cholera himself at age 33. (His teacher and head of the school at the time, Honinbou Shuwa, didn’t die until 11 years later.) Also, yes, Torajirou shares both his last name and his title with Kuwabara-sensei (although the modern Honinbou title is a title won in a tournament, since the Honinbou school closed in 1940). It’s unclear if there’s any actual connection between them other than their names. Oh and here’s a piece of rare official art that I’m fairly certain is of Torajirou’s death. :)

Speaking of names, Hikaru, Akira, and Akari all have first names that have to do with light or visibility (”shining/bright/glittering”, “clear/light/bright”, and “light/glowing/lamp” respectively), while Sai, Hikaru, and Akari all have last names that include the character 藤, meaning “wisteria”, associated with the Fujiwara clan. (It’s the “dou” in “Shindou”, and the “fuji” in “Fujiwara” and “Fujisaki”). Again, nobody’s 100% sure of the significance of these connections.

Sai’s hat is called a tate-eboshi (standing cap), and his robe is called a kariginu. His clothes are typical casual wear for a Heian-era nobleman. His hair, however, is not how men wore their hair at the time, but rather how noble women did (it’s a style called “taregami”, aka keeping your hair silky and as long as you can possibly grow it). His makeup and earrings are not typical of the period. Sai also uses gender-neutral pronouns (not that this is especially noteworthy, it really just means he’s polite, Roy Mustang uses the same ones ffs), has been shown in flashbacks interacting face-to-face with both men and women at a time and place where that wasn’t really a thing unless you were married or biologically related, and the publishers for the English edition of the manga thought Sai was a lady until the author corrected them on which pronouns to use.

Go is known as “weiqi” in China, and “baduk” in Korea. Yes, there are go leagues in other countries. Yes, there are standardized English go terms. I don’t know WHY nobody in this fucking fandom ever uses them, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING “GO-ISHI” LITERALLY JUST MEANS “GO STONES” AND ISN’T SPECIAL, but here’s a convenient list of terminology for when you’re reading a fic and have no idea what the hell anyone’s talking about.

There’s an old PS1 RPG that takes place in a Heian-period AU in which Akira is an onmyouji (sort of like a wizardy priest I guess), Hikaru is a police officer in Heian-kyo (the capital city), and Sai is an ex-noble and legendary go player. The three of them have to work together to save Heian-kyo from a mysterious, seemingly go-related influx of yokai attacks. You can read my incomplete translation of the game here.

Paper Cranes by @tenspontaneite​ is the most gripping fic you will ever read for any fandom, and blissfully ship-free. Don’t read it until you’ve finished the series, but do read it!! It’s SO GOOD and I really need to catch up oh my god

Everyone loves to mock Akira’s fashion sense, but it’s actually made worse by the anime; In the manga, his hair was black with a lavender tint, so it went well with his lavender/pink/blue wardrobe. Then the anime came along and decided to make his hair FUCKING FOREST GREEN, BECAUSE THAT LOOKS GREAT WITH LAVENDER AND HOT PINK. Sai’s lipstick was also a lot less garish in most of the manga art, and if anyone ever tries to convince you that Sai’s lips are “purple” to represent his death via drowning, they’re an idiot who does not know what a drowned corpse looks like, or what the color purple looks like. Sai’s hair was also black in the manga.

Here’s the famous “long hair Akira” image, a drawing by Takeshi Obata of what Hikaru and Akira would look like 10 years after the end of the manga. I forgot what this was drawn for, I think the anniversary of the manga maybe? Idk. But yeah, here it is.

[marshmallowgoop]

Can I have a link to your posts gushing over the kill la kill dvd cover with Ryuko and Senketsu on it as well as your favorite ryuketsu posts please and thank you so much ryuketsu+gamako 4ever otps

I’ve actually written a few final-cover-gushing posts ^^;

Gushing

Sketches to Final, More

Final Cover Design: Life Fiber Synchronization Hug?

Sushio’s Drafted Final Cover Design 

As for favorite Ryuketsu posts… that’s super difficult! There is so much good content out there; the archive on my other blog is really a treasure trove for fabulous work!

But I can try to pick out some faves! (These might not necessarily be Ryuketsu exactly, but they are all wonderful Ryuko and Senketsu pieces.)

If I’ve linked to your work here and you would not like to be on this list, please let me know and I’ll remove you immediately!

For favorite fanart pieces:

http://art-of-zirio.tumblr.com/post/77437562345/ryuko-hey-now-whats-with-that-face-i by @art-of-zirio

A really good human!Senketsu with amazing expression work.

http://bechnokid.tumblr.com/post/75424699297 by @bechnokid​

I love the style of this, and it’s also 110% in character.

http://laminated-potato.tumblr.com/post/78911508364/spoilers-from-episode-21-here-i-am-again-with by @laminated-potato​

Absolutely stellar comic-book style rendition of that bit right after Ryuko tears off Junketsu in episode 21 (which, imo, is one of the sweetest and most loving moments in the entire show).

https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/mossmallow-art/80650423246 by @mossmallow​

A real cute piece of Senketsu as a party dress.

https://superdiduper.tumblr.com/post/89334412507/rrrrr by superdiduper

Really sweet pic of Ryuko and a wonderful humanoid Senketsu.

http://mochafish.tumblr.com/post/94258350363/unfinished-klk-comic-that-i-did-right-after-the by mochafish

A short post-series comic that is super heartbreaking and well done.

http://ayuseiart.tumblr.com/post/102786062721/always-in-my-dreams-senketsu-x-ryuko-matoi by @ayuseiart​

One of the absolute cutest Ryuko and Senketsu pieces I’ve ever seen.

http://maliadoodles.tumblr.com/post/104315794432/this-anime-is-my-life-3-please-do-not-use-my by @maliadoodles

A real fun human!Senketsu, with some neat fashion for both him and Ryuko.

http://the-chokey.tumblr.com/post/92722492452/a-month-of-procrastinating-makes-me-appreciate by @the-chokey

Okay, so @the-chokey and @murasakidoku made this fantastic Kill la Kill AU back in the earlier days of the fandom, and the work put into it is phenomenal. This is just one piece of animation from the AU, where Ryuko and Senketsu kiss to synchronize (and I totally lost it when I first saw it). Incredible stuff!

http://fuckyeahryuketsu.tumblr.com/post/104611687073/godrobe-freshblood-actually-i-like-this by godrobe-freshblood

Godrobe-freshblood has since deleted and left Tumblr, but she’s done so much good work for this pair that definitely still deserves acknowledgment. This piece is a particularly heartbreaking one of Senketsu’s last moments.

http://theneonflower.tumblr.com/post/117521303222/a-promise-or-a-proposal-ill-wait-till-the-end by @theneonflower

@theneonflower has so much good Ryuketsu stuff! This piece is one of my faves; I just dig that Red String of Fate symbolism.

http://starcre8tor.tumblr.com/post/79730415930/kill-la-kill-sketch-request-dump-click-on-theby @starcre8tor

@starcre8tor‘s Kill la Kill stuff is so good! I love this top piece here of Ryuko signing “I love you” to Senketsu, and Senketsu’s adorable reaction.

http://fuckyeahryuketsu.tumblr.com/post/137453814400/secretmusician23-doodle-of-wedding-ryuko-3 by secretmusician23

Secretmusician23 has also since deleted and left Tumblr, but their work still definitely deserves acknowledgment. This piece is so evocative and beautiful (and I love it because it’s a wedding-dress Ryuko pic that doesn’t forget about and erase Senketsu!)

http://badlydrawnaikuro.tumblr.com/post/141973226943 by @badlydrawnaikuro

Senketsu and Ryuko and Loss. Need I say more? (It’s not supposed to mess me up like this!!!)

https://choco-maize.tumblr.com/post/141665868143/i-forgot-how-to-draw-side-view-bodies-frick-yknow by @choco-maize​

Pictures of Ryuko and Senketsu hugging always get to me, and this one is no exception. Wonderful expression work and and colors.

http://fedorarapture.tumblr.com/post/168223415460/ryuketsu-fanart-in-2017-yeah-why-not by @fedorarapture​

The style and coloring on this Ryuko and Senketsu hug pic is fantastic.

http://liqdra.tumblr.com/post/119813763533/3 by liqdra

Intimate, sweet, and beautifully detailed, this piece is breathtakingly gorgeous (note though that it might veer a bit into the nsfw side).

http://scribbly-z-raid.tumblr.com/post/71391583161/i-need-more-protective-senketsu-in-canon-trigger by @scribbly-z-raid

A Good comic that I wish would have happened in canon!

http://wife-fiber-matoi.tumblr.com/post/126200276503/phew-okay-thisll-be-the-beggining-of-a-ryuketsu by @wife-fiber-matoi

A lovely start to a post-series story that tugs on the heartstrings with just a few panels.

http://ggup23.tumblr.com/post/116046347022/mmhmm by ggup23

A super cute piece with such a good, in-character human!Senketsu.

http://bakemeats.tumblr.com/post/137063667214/also-here-are-some-sketches-sorry-world by @bakemeats

These sketches are adorable and in a really good style, and the humanoid Senketsu design is also fantastic.

https://sleepwalker-j.tumblr.com/post/164228736683 by @sleepwalker-j​

I just love the colors and atmosphere of this Ryuko and human!Senketsu pic.

http://lovelettertofiction.tumblr.com/post/160102065197/in-german-carrying-and-wearing-are-the-same-words by @lovelettertofiction

A sweet pic with a Good humanoid Senketsu design.

http://lenandbonten.tumblr.com/post/128926389304/my-sis-and-i-finished-watching-kill-la-kill-a-few by @lenandbonten

Super sweet, traditional art piece with a great use of color. Back when Erica Mendez, Ryuko’s English VA, had a Tumblr (tsunderica), she reblogged this one, so you know it’s good!

For favorite official art/animator fanart pieces:

Akira Amemiya’s “Senketsu’s Date with Ryuko” (of course), and Mago’s art of the date, too

The final DVD/Blu-ray cover art, and the draft, by Sushio (also of course)

This piece of Ryuko smiling sweetly at Senketsu by Sachiko Yajima, from the Kill la Kill Starter Book

Sushio’s absolutely intense image of Ryuko after she tears off Junketsu (this is still one of the most loving and sweet moments on the show!)

Sushio’s illustration of Senketsu crying, which unfortunately didn’t make it into LOVE LOVE KLKL, but is still really cute

Sushio’s Scarfketsu turns, here and here

This old design of synchronized Senketsu (the far right on the fifth picture down), where Senketsu literally holds Ryuko

Mago’s super cute Blu-ray/DVD side art for the final volume, featuring Senketsu waving goodbye and Ryuko/Senketsu waving goodbye in Senketsu-Kisaragi

Ryo Akizuki’s (the artist for the official Kill la Kill manga) early drawings of Ryuko and Senketsu’s interactions

Senketsu as a fancy red dress (while Ryuko has extra red in her hair, implying that they synced to form the dress, aw!) and as a bikini, done by manga artist Ryo Akizuki

This key frame from episode 9 (“That positive outlook of yours is what I love about you, Senketsu!”)

For favorite GIFs/Graphics/Edits:

http://fuckyeahryuketsu.tumblr.com/post/82639712231/konohananosakuya-hime-senketsu-and-ryukos by konohananosakuya-hime

Konohananosakuya-hime has since deleted and left Tumblr, but this edit definitely deserves a look. It’s a beautiful collage of Ryuko and Senketsu’s growing bond.

http://lycanrockruff.tumblr.com/post/81015761133/life-fiber-synchronise-senketsu-kisaragi by @lycanrockruff​

A super impressive GIF of Ryuko in Senketsu-Kisaragi.

https://fairytailwitch.tumblr.com/post/78811710462/kill-la-kill-episode-21-incomplete-i-have-to by @fairytailwitch

A really good, effective edit of that moment after Ryuko rips off Junketsu. (Have I mentioned yet that this is one of the sweetest and most loving moments of the show?)

http://softchoi.tumblr.com/post/107253257299/ryuko-loves-this-uniform-more-than-anything by @softchoi​​

This GIFset wonderfully emphasizes how protective Ryuko is over Senketsu. My heart.

http://asofterhonnouji.tumblr.com/post/119558607766/1064-my-body-is-a-temple-and-theres-another by @asofterhonnouji​

This edit is so ouch.

For favorite fanfiction, here’s a list I’ve made before:

For general, in-series fics focused on Senketsu and Ryuko:

pulse by Noa (nothingbutcinders)

This is a short one, but oh so very sweet. It focuses on Senketsu’s love for Ryuko’s heartbeat.

Things to Remember by @felflowne​​

Ryuko and Senketsu being awkward about friendship. A cute story about dorky teens being dorky teens.  

For A Crack, Some Plaster by plumeri4

A fic that explores Senketsu’s introduction some more. It’s a touchy subject, but something that definitely feels missing in the actual show.

For post-series:

Forever Sailor Fuku by @miracle-interrupter-heno​

A funny and cute story that takes place after the series and doesn’t make Senketsu a humanoid. While that’s all good and fine, it’s nice to see fics like these, too.

AUs:

Vibrations by @murasakidoku​

A really sweet story. Ryuko is deaf, but she can hear Senketsu’s voice, and can hear what he hears when they synchronize.

Senketsu Goes to School by @carrinth​

While not a fic exactly, this comic is a hilarious and adorable high school AU with Senketsu as the main character.

And I don’t know where exactly to put this, but:

Dragon Blood by @inkblood-mistrieu​

Really beautiful and poetic short piece with allusions to the Tanabata story.

Also, all of these authors have more stories and content about Senketsu and Ryuko. So if you like any of these, there’s more where that came from!

And I don’t know if you were looking for my favorite Ryuketsu posts that I’ve done, too, but I’ll self-plug, lol:

This long edit of my favorite Ryuko and Senketsu moments

This edit using a quote from Ami Koshimizu, Ryuko’s Japanese VA

This edit that makes the show material look like a video game, using one of the sweetest moments from the series (Senketsu loving Ryuko’s heartbeat)

This fanart which is like, the only thing I’ve drawn in the last fifty years

This fic which is honestly one of my favorites I’ve ever written for Kill la Kill (even if I’ve gotten the impression from others that it’s one of my weakest ^^;)

This meta about Ryuko and Senketsu’s communication

This post about how Ryuko and Senketsu are a Good Ship, Y’all (and the Spongebob one, too)

This meta post about why they’re good

Also, searching “Ryuketsu” on Twitter gives you a bunch of unrelated content and ship hate, so I’d recommend trying 鮮流 (Senryu) to find some good material there! The same goes for Pixiv!

I’m just scratching the surface here, but I hope this is a good starting list!

[fukasenanairo]

Some thoughts on YP’s official translation and possible explanations

This post attempts to address a few complaints on the official manga release by Yen Press, and why I believe YP’s work is an insufficiently-edited take that actually tries to adhere to the original as closely as possible.

You might have seen me around, but I used to do some minor translations for this fandom. It is not to an extent as some of the more dedicated translators, and I am under no illusion that I am an authority in anything BSD-related. However, I can offer my two cents in a time where everyone is confused, enraged and/or anxious about the official translations and what may come next.

Now first of all, opinions are divided on the quality of the official translation. Some think it’s the most horrible thing since gacha games, others like it because it’s funny and quirky, the rest couldn’t care less or don’t want to comment in fear of sparking an all-out war. Personally, I believe the translator’s choices backfired on him somewhat, but it is by no means as bad as everyone seems to be saying.

A note on the translator: I will not reveal his name, but a quick search told me he has quite a reputation. To my knowledge, he has worked in the translation business for roughly 9-10 years, and has done translations for games and light novels including Kagepro and Nier: Automata. This is not to say he cannot make mistakes, but rather you should be very careful before you criticize him.

As for the list of complaints I see the most often (if I missed something, feel free to comment and I will try to address you personally).

1.      The translation sucks!

2.      Why do I need to break out a thesaurus every time I try to understand something?

3.      Why does Dazai talk like ______?

4.      For that matter, why do I want to punch a wall every time they say something?

5.      That’s not what ____ means in the original Japanese!

6.      Why do fan translations have them talk normally and the official does that?

7.      What should I do if the translation is so headache-inducing and I want to introduce BSD to my friends?

8.      But what if I want to support the series and can’t stand the official translation?

1.      The translation sucks!

This is the complaint I see most often, and the one that is the most puzzling. To ‘suck’, a translation needs to be 1) inaccurate or 2) did not portray the original meaning. While YP’s work does make me feel iffy because they try to purple prose it up, I cannot say it’s wrong. The most I can say that it’s weird and needlessly complicated, and could have used an editor. This is the only complaint I have against Yen Press, and that does not make them bad.

Now if you hate the translation because it doesn’t click with you, then that’s your thing. To be honest, I don’t like the official translation either, but I don’t necessarily have to read it, and neither do you. Other translators exist. Japanese-learning resources exist.

2.      Why do I need to break out a thesaurus every time I try to understand something?

That is a very good question, one that a lot of Japanese fans would like to ask as well. Let me tell you about the first time I sought out the raws for this manga, after I read chapter 29 (the latest chapter at the time). I had no clue what game they were playing. The authors go out of their way to use difficult, even outdated, kanji in a medium that’s supposed to be easier to read. Here is a list someone compiled:

Some characters have noticeable quirks (Akutagawa has his infamous ‘yatsugare’, and if you read EGS, you’ll have seen them once complain that “No one talks like Kouyou in the 21st century”.) Is it annoying? Do you just groan at some of those ridiculous words no one uses in the modern age? I can assure you, on the other side of the world, someone is feeling just the same way about the original.

3.      Why does Dazai talk like ______?

Dazai’s speech is notably...strange. To be honest, I don’t know why he got hit the worst with the ye olde speech syndrome. However, there is a question from this 2014 interview that would put his speech in more perspective.

Interviewer: What is the world view you’re mostly going for?

Asagiri-sensei: “Stylish Taishou”. The stage is the modern age, but I thought it would be an interesting remix to combine the air of the authors, who lived in the Taishou era, with the stylish atmosphere of the modern age, using old-fashioned expressions and difficult kanji.

So if you think this Dazai is talking like someone straight out of a Victorian era novel, congratulations! The translator did his job. Taishou, from around 1912-1926, is marked by rapid Westernization, a continuation of the movement Fukuzawa Yukichi advocated at the end of the Meiji era. This is the period where a lot of Japanese authors started reading Western works like Dostoevsky, Franz Kafka or Emile Zola’s works, and consequently influenced by them. We do have a few authors (Mori Ougai, Natsume Souseki etc.) who were active around the Meiji (reform) era and some (Dazai Osamu, Nakahara Chuuya, Nakajima Atsushi etc.) who were mostly around Shouwa (militarist) era, but generally the atmosphere should be Taishou, the age of modernization and Westernization. I hope it adds to your enjoyment when you look back at the translation, official or otherwise.

4.      For that matter, why do I want to punch a wall every time they say something?

Pretension. The text is unbearably pretentious – is what I thought. The wording is needlessly complicated. However, there is an example I usually use to explain this.

The word YP used to describe Dazai’s ability is “Annuls any ability he touches”. I needed to throw something when I saw that, because you can use “Nullify” and achieve the same effect.

And then I read the original. It’s sprinkled with kanji no one would see in anything they usually read. And I thought, isn’t the effect the same? The words mean the same. 珈琲 means コー��ー means ‘coffee’. 凡百 can be read as あらゆる means ‘everything’. But tell me, which would you prefer to read? And which do you think is in the original?

(By the way, the 凡百/あらゆる appears in the Japanese text of Yumeno Kyuusaku’s Dogra Magra. I remember seeing 珈琲 in Odasaku’s works. They’re all present in the actual authors’ works.)

So the YP translation uses SAT words the same way the original would use words you see in old novels and N1 exams. It pisses people off, of course. I didn’t read manga for a mental exercise. However, we can agree that for Bungou Stray Dogs, which tries to achieve a scholarly effect because of its characters, this is nothing unusual and even part of its charm. Afford it the same amount of concentration as you would a novel, and if you cannot, refer to the fan translation.

5.      That’s not what ____ means in the original Japanese!

First, I’d like you to have a sufficient knowledge of Japanese to understand exactly what it means in the original before you make such a claim. If you do, feel free to comment on something you think is wrong. I’ll listen you out and amend my post as needed.

That aside, when I hear this, the worst offender is usually Dazai’s weird way of referring to Atsushi as ‘lad’. While weird, it is not incorrect. ‘Lad’ is an informal way to refer to a young man. Dazai’s speech is largely boyish and informal. I can question the translator’s choice and poor editing, but I will not say that’s not what it means. You may not like it, but that’s what the fan version is for.

6.      Why do fan translations have them talk normally and the official does that?

As you can see, translators take plenty of liberties. On one hand you have fan translations who either work on a tight schedule or seek to make the text easy to understand, on the other you have the official that tries to keep the air of the work to varying degrees of success. Think of it as two ways to enjoy the work.

7.      What should I do if the translation is so headache-inducing and I want to introduce BSD to my friends?

The anime, thankfully, is a faithful adaptation of the original work with wonderful voice acting and easy to digest subtitles. The fan scanlations are speedy, high-quality, and supported by most of the fandom. Lastly, the plot is interesting, and the characters are colorful. Give your friends a heads-up about the official translation – “the wording takes some getting used to” – and help them understand why it is the way it is, if you must.

8.      But what if I want to support the series and can’t stand the official translation?

Because the fandom has grown over the years, there is a huge collection of official merchandise in many countries. If buying Japanese books are not an option, keychains, acrylic stands, figures etc. do not require Japanese knowledge and do support the original author. I especially recommend the official artbook – I do not regret a single cent I spent to buy it. The paper quality is top-notch, the art is stellar, and the comments (if you can read them) are a treat.

You should, as always, give feedback if you think it will prevent newcomers from reading BSD. Tell YP that while you understand why they made the choices they did, some of the word choices will turn people off, and offer some corrections as examples. People listen to you if you understand both sides of the argument and offer constructive efforts. Even if you don’t understand why, ask! With how much YP has done to reply to complaints, I’m sure they will not mind explaining.

However, I will advise against telling people not to buy the official or calling YP bad while not knowing why they decided to translate it like it is. Tell people why you do not like it, warn them that liking it is an acquired taste because of the reasons above, but let them read and come to their own conclusions.

9.      Conclusion

I believe the BSD fandom is really lucky. Despite its initial difficulties, Japanese fans have stuck with its unique way of portraying the manga’s atmosphere. The English fans have dedicated translators who love the series so much they try to translate every available material.

The official translation may not be easy on the eyes, but it offers another perspective to the series many did not know about before. Like it or hate it, I believe you can learn to tolerate it. You can learn advanced/hard to understand words (you’ll use some of them in the SAT for the kids who are taking it) and just have an entirely different experience. While I was searching for the list of outdated kanji, I found a question where someone asked “Where can I find manga with interesting advanced kanji like Bungou Stray Dogs?” I think it’s a great attitude to take in regard to the translation as well.

And finally, Yen Press listens. The “Chuoya” thing was an honest mistake they fixed. They listened to complaints and toned down the pretension in volume 2. Rather than digging for faults and bemoan your ill fortune, I hope that you can believe in the winds this series is riding on, and wish the best for it.

[kitreadsbirdmen]

Blog Anniversary and Update 1-13

First of all The Dissimulation of Birdmen blog is officially a year old. I began this thing January 9th of last year and have enjoyed over 12 hundred posts of original and shared Birdmen content. I can say with full confidence that this has been a great year for this manga and this fandom and we’ve seen a remarkable growth in it. This past year alone we’ve managed to exponentially increase birdmen tag activity and engage a large number of tumblr fans with our discussions, art, prose, edits, memes-- you name it! This has been incredibly fun for me on a personal level and I hope for another amazing year!

Onto business: Chapter 17 is rolling around. I am going back to 2 updates a day to prevent a queue burnout. I’ve been feeling chatty lately so it should be of satisfactory content. I am getting to some real meaty moments so color me excited. 

IRL Announcement: I’ve let my mainblog know in mindless worried rants, but I think for the sake of understanding I should let this blog know that I actually landed myself a full-time job. I just graduated college last month and did not expect a recommendation to land me a teaching position in the middle of the semester, but I start this Tuesday (17th) and have almost no concept of what this means for my free time. As excited as I am (this is beyond lucky like seriously) I am a ball of nerves and thus escape with this quirky little analysis review blog. :/ Basically I’m saying I need to do this review series for my sanity but don’t know what this’ll mean for my consistency and I definitely won’t be very active on messenger save for the evenings. Please bear with me as I battle myself into the throes of adulthood! Hurray!

Thank you

I want to thank my new followers with a heartfelt welcome to my blog. And may I remind you that I adore discussion. If you want to hear my take on a specific aspect of the story, regardless if I’ve gotten to it yet in the review series, shoot me an ask. If you want to share your interpretation of something. Go for it! (my submissions are open as of today). I don’t discuss Raw spoilers here, but there’s a discord for that. Like I said this blog is a great passion of mine!

Please take care Birdies~

Kit, Over and Out~