How Manga Translation Is About Reconstructing the Story, Not the Words

Note: This blog post was originally written in Japanese for our Japanese website. We use our machine translation platforms to translate and make automatic corrections, and then partially edit to fit the content in English.

In recent years, Japanese anime and manga have been gaining popularity around the world. Japanese manga, which used to be available only in print and only in Japanese, has now taken on new forms that include webcomics and anime distributed through streaming services, making it easier for international audiences to enjoy them.

Let’s take a look at the challenges and appeal of translating Japanese manga into other languages, using one of Japan’s most iconic manga series, ”Doraemon,” as an example.

Manga translation is not about translating every single word with exact precision

While accurate translation without omitting a single piece of information is essential in technical translation, manga translation can be described as the process of understanding the story as a whole and reconstructing the narrative in another language.

We need to convey to readers in another language the tone of conversations shaped by Japan’s cultural context, as well as the characters’ subtle gestures and the world of the story. What’s more, space is limited, so we cannot simply add lengthy explanations to every scene. And then there are onomatopoeia, puns, and other wordplay that are unique to Japanese...

Take, for example, “Hon’yaku Konnyaku,” one of Doraemon’s famous gadgets. It pairs the word “hon’yaku” (“translation”) with “konnyaku,” a familiar Japanese jelly-like food that every Japanese person knows, but how should this be translated? Preserving that catchy sound and easy pronunciation in another language helps convey the playful spirit of Doraemon's gadgets.

As you can see, it’s not possible to translate every single word literally, so the most important step is to fully absorb the atmosphere of the manga before starting the translation.

What should we do with onomatopoeia, a distinctive feature of Japanese?

1. 1. The sound of Nobita’s shoes going “tatata” as he runs away from Gian

   2. The sound of “jaan!” when Doraemon pulls out a gadget and shows it off

How should these be rendered in English? It takes some thought, but the basic principle is to choose a translation that conveys what is being represented.

For example, the sound of footsteps in #1 could be rendered as “tatata,” but since what we really want to convey is that he is hurrying away, “scurry” or “flee” would better express Nobita’s sense of panic.

So what about #2? English has an equivalent for “jaan!”: “Tada!”

"Tada!" is a perfectly correct translation, but if "jaan!" appears several times in a single episode, using it every time can start to feel flat.

For example, when Nobita proudly shows Shizuka the “Memory Bread” he borrowed from Doraemon to get a good score on a test, saying “jaan!” as he does so, “Tada!” would work, but “Look!”, which carries the nuance of “Look at this!”, may better convey Nobita’s desire to show Shizuka something unusual.

One of the great joys of manga translation is that a single source text can legitimately give rise to many different translations.

Preserving the characters’ voices

Doraemon is easygoing. Nobita is timid and a bit unreliable. Gian is self-centered and aggressive, while Suneo is a snobbish kid from a wealthy family. We must not undermine the distinct personalities of these characters, which were meticulously crafted by the original author, during the translation process.

For example, Shizuka speaks in a very feminine way in the series, and let’s say she saw a beautiful flower and made a comment. If we want to translate her line into English while preserving her refined manner of speaking, “Hey! A pretty flower!” wouldn’t fully capture Shizuka’s personality. "Oh my, what a beautiful flower" better conveys Shizuka's refined personality.

So, when Gian holds a concert on a stage in an empty lot, how would we render the following line in English: “Let me sing for all of you! Please stay till the end!” We have to capture Gian’s rough personality. How about “Hey! I’ll sing for y’all! Don’t you dare leave in the middle of a song!”? We use slang and other devices so that readers can tell it’s Gian just by reading the line.

Summary

Beyond these examples, the depth of manga translation lies in the difficulties and constraints it involves, such as making dialogue fit within speech bubbles and figuring out how to bridge cultural gaps. At the same time, one of the most interesting aspects of manga translation is that, precisely because it cannot be done word for word, translators can turn that limitation to their advantage and weave words together freely and creatively.

Since English editions of the ”Doraemon” manga have already been published, it might be interesting to read them and see how aspects of Japanese culture and Japanese-language puns have been translated. The next time you have a chance to read Japanese manga in another language, keeping these points in mind may help you enjoy manga from a different perspective.

Note: The character names appearing in this post are used for explanatory purposes only and belong to their respective rights holders.

Kawamura International's comic translation services

Of course, bringing that same depth of craft to your own manga or comic titles is exactly what our translation team does every day. At Kawamura International, we offer comic translation services that carefully recreate each work’s world, the characters’ personalities, and even the pacing of the dialogue. If you're looking for a translation partner who understands the nuances of manga and comics, we'd love to talk about what we can do for your titles.