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Old 2009-08-04, 07:28   Link #249
Doraneko
The Owl of Minerva
 
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Quote:
Originally Posted by meh View Post
How can a light novel be epic after 3 volumes? That's the equivalent of maybe 1/2 a regular novel. And there seems to be quite a lot of room for the story to expand.

I personally thought Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai one of the best works of its genre. The gags are well-executed and quite hilarious.
Well I would only say different people have different tastes and expectations I guess. Somehow the unexceptionally high popularity of the book has led to some disappointments. Indeed anything that has entered the top-selling positions naturally attracts flakes and there is no need to feel bitter about it.

Personally I truly love the story and enjoyed every bit of it, but still I cannot say it is truly the pinnacle of the genre.

As for whether light novels can be epic or not, I recommend you to check the following series. They usually start to become epic from the second, if not the first book. Still, these are from other genres, so yes they don't make good comparisons.

銀河英雄伝説
十二国記

Quote:
What you're saying is fairly impractical though. Sure, that is what a translator can strive for, but in the end you settle for what's realistic. Like I said, I've seen translations of popular commercial works done by I'm sure very professional translation teams with layers of editing. And still come up quite short with tons of WTF text when you compare it with the original.

Sometimes, the language/cultural barrier pwns all.
Indeed. That is why I truly respect those who are willing to devote themselves to the art of translation. Regardless of the quality of the end product or whether they are professionals or not, most of them should receive applause for their time and effort.

However, I personally think that I am still not up to the standard required to do JE translation satisfactorily. From time to time I translate some light novel chapters for self-practice, but I will never release them to the public (at least not until I become a professional). I am sure many other Japanese-speaking fans around share my sentiments. In a certain perspective, it is another form of respect to the industry, the fandom and the original authors.
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