Zero no Tsukaima Novels Discussion Thread

[Matt122005]

Ok, good news!!!

First, if you didnt know, the first 3 novels of ZnT have been translated by Baka-Tsuki, so if you havent read them, go right now and do so!

Now heres the good news for those that have known and have been waiting for the next release.

Serenade Beta has finished translating ch. 8 and the epilogue.....which means.... only 3 chapters remain till novel 4 is fully translated!

Vol. 5 is 25% done, but dont expect much progress as most translations will skip to vol. 6 since vol. 5 is a sidestory novel mainly.


-Matt

[holyman282]

Thanks for the info, I have a question though, why are some of the completed chapters in volumes 2 and 3 only shown as previews?

[Onizuka-GTO]

Originally Posted by holyman282

Thanks for the info, I have a question though, why are some of the completed chapters in volumes 2 and 3 only shown as previews?

...because someone forgot to pay them.



you can only live so long on interwebz cookies......





or it could be that we don't have any real Japanese -> english Translators.....naaah.

has to be the cookies.

[Matt122005]

I know, its confusing, but PREVIEWS basicly mean that the chapter is fully translated, but may contain some errors (like the wrong use of a word). They don't mean the chapter is not done, it just means that it's not a PERFECT translation, but unless you can read Japanese, you shouldn't know the difference.

-Matt

PS. MY previews however are the appitamy of horrible. lol Which is why Darknemo has been so kind as to re-do ch. 5.

I only did them to re-encourage translations, cause at the time the translations had died.

[holyman282]

Oh thanks for that, but does that mean they'll remain previews forever? Will someone do a proper translation? In some of the preview sections they skip a few lines and I'm not sure if they are important or not.

[Matt122005]

Usually only my previews skipped lines. lol

Also, dont expect proper translations on vol. 1-4's previews since they are coming officially soon and we aren't going to waste effort on something already being done by a publisher.

-Matt

[holyman282]

oh ok thanks for the info. Just read the 3 volumes and I have to say the difference between novel and anime is huge!!! Wow the novel is just so good, every chapter had me at the edge of my seats! I really like this, makes me wonder why the hell the anime sold out storyline for fanservice......

[Darknemo2000]

Beats me..I wondered the same thing. I would guess that it is because novels are orientated towards young adults (18-25 year olds) while anime is for teenagers.

Now question yourself what teenager going through the puberty would like more - a solid storyline with character development or huge explosions, boob-jokes and fanservice?

Exactly.

Thats why the ZnT novels are much more mature than anime , I guess.

But the difference between the first volumes and anime is not that big. as between the second season and later novels.

The real difference is between second season (which works with volumes 4-8) and novels. Now thats where the novels are really great and anime screws itself up. (specially the 8th volume which is considered to be one of the best of ZnT novels if not the best, ironically, anime skipped it through completely).

[holyman282]

Originally Posted by Darknemo2000

The real difference is between second season (which works with volumes 4-8) and novels. Now thats where the novels are really great and anime screws itself up. (specially the 8th volume which is considered to be one of the best of ZnT novels if not the best, ironically, anime skipped it through completely).

Yeah i know what you mean, I saw a bit of the preview for volume 8 and damn I really can't wait till that volume is translated cause it looks so good compared to the anime!!

[Matt122005]

The novels were not written for 18+. lol

They were written for 13+, get the facts streight, the most people reading light novels are 13+.

And where did you hear that anime was for only teenagers? Yes, its a target audience, but its not the only. sheesh, lots of adults watch anime in Japan. Even old people watch some anime and read manga.

-Matt

PS. THANKS FOR FINISHING CH. 5'S NEW PREVIEW!

[holyman282]

Oh chapter 5 is done? Hey matt or anyone is there a way to know when a preview is finished? Cause right now I can't tell whether if a preview has completed translating the chapter or if it's still ongoing. So for volumes like say 4 i'm not sure which chapters are completed and which are still ongoing for translation.

[Darknemo2000]

Actually Matt, they were written for 18+. Because they are classified as a seinen in japan meaning that it is suited for the young adults. Sure anyone else can read it and enjoy it, however the original audience is +18 (or +16 in some cases)

Yes it may be true that the major audience is +13 but it still doesn't change a fact that it is a seinen genre and I think you know the difference between seinen and shounen.

Shounen is mainly targeted for teenager boys while seinen is targeted to bit more mature audience. It is classified as a seinen in japan so i think it is.

As for anime. Well the show it on 'kids' time (they would not be allowed to show real seinen on that time), they take away all the more serious or gore stuff - so it is pretty obvious that the targeted audience has changed as well from seinen into shounen. Of course anyone else can watch it too, yet the main targeted audience is classified by these terms.

So I think it is you who should get the facts straight since in Japan it is a seinen and not shounen as far as I know.

holyman282, there is no way of telling. Best way - look at the registration page... If it is done by Matt only then it has a great chance to be not finished and skipping stuff a lot. If by anyone else the probability is high that it is "right" one.

All of previews of volume 1-3 are finished.

As far as volume 4 goes:

The completed ones:

Chapter 2
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 7

The incomplete ones:

Chapter 6
Chapter 9


So basically you can read Chapters 1-5 of Volume 4 now and make a stop at chapter 6th.


P.S Matt, are my eyes fooling or me does someone seemed to upload some more material to chapter 6?

If someone is working on it, then I'll go to chapter 9, if, however, they are not then I guess I will work with this one...

[Matt122005]

I don't see any additions. So I say go ahead with translaing it.

Seinen would not mean 18+, to be better, it would be 16+, or even 15+ in some cases depending on the maturity of the teen. But you said it yourself, a major audience of the books are 13+. The rating and rank of the novels does not always mean that the AUTHOR is writing it that way, most of the time an author just writes the story he wants and tries to find a rating or genre that fits it. Its different for each author and story, so obviously I can't say which THIS author did.

Anyways, I always was told Shonen was for young boys (before teen years), like 11+. Was I told wrong?

-Matt

[Darknemo2000]

yep shounen is for young boys and teenagers in general. Seinen usually picks it up at +18 (or +16 in some cases).

Shounen best age is around 11-16, so it is not exactly for small boys but mostly for teenagers.

And no a genre doesn't mean that it is limited to only that group but it does mean to what audience the author is aiming his/her works when he is writing.

ZnT is aimed to young adults but the story is liked by teens just as much, however it doesn't changed the fact that it was design to suit more mature audience.

The best example would probably "Alice in Wonderland" as originally it was created as a psychology story for adults but it was so popular among the kids that it eventually turned into fairytale though again originally it was meant for adults.

ZnT is not meant for adults but for seinen so if it is liked by the younger audience - there is no such big surprise. Yet it still doesnt change the fact that Noboru Yamaguchi was and still is writing it to young adults, while the anime adapted it to suit kids and teenagers (shounen) more.

Thats probably one of the reasons why the differences are pretty big, yet it doesn't explain why they skipped volume 8 though... Unless they decided that deeper plot and character development would hurt the brain cells of young boys/teens somehow...

[Matt122005]

Yea, they should have tried to keep the story the same. But then again, the ZnT anime isn't meant to be anything more than a light hearted ALTERNATE version of the novels. I like it, but deffinatly the novels are better.

-Matt

[Onizuka-GTO]

....and shoujo is for young girls.

*hides his shoujo manga under the futon*

[longshot]

so anyone find out what volume 14 is about

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by longshot

so anyone find out what volume 14 is about

http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost...&postcount=740

Is the best we will get until the volume comes out.

[Paul628496]

Greetings, I read the novels translated so far and was wondering a few things.

1-Does anyone knows if there is an english version of it beyond the translation?

2-Are the novels difficult to translate?
I mean, with some basic knowledge on japanese language (know some words, about 100 kanjis only and some grammar) plus a japanese dictionary I'll be able to translating it if I buy the original novel.

3-Does it contain furigana to help reading on words or just in introduced names?

Thanks in advance.

[Darknemo2000]

There is no other english translation beyond baka-tsuki one, but since it was licensed the first novels should come out sooner or later anyway. Too bad that because I do not live in america or in other shipping supported countries I wont get the chance to enjoy it.

Actually ZnT novels are not hard to read. They are written in a very simplistic style (can't compare to Haruhi or other advanced novels really). Sentances are short and simple.

Some words contain the furagana to make them easier to read. Usually names but sometimes harder words as well. So if you know some basic japanese you should be able to handle it.

It is still novels so it has quite a few words through the books (so 100 kanji is a pitiful knowledge compared to it) but it still isnt as hard to handle as Haruhi or Spice and Wolf ones....

Onizuka, I also have my shoujo mangas so nothing bad about it. Yep it is suited for young girls rather than boys but some can be really enjoyable for both... Like Lovely Complex or similar stuff.

Yet it doesn't change the fact that it is oriented to the girls. But it is just a basic direction. It doesn't tell that one cannot enjoy shoujo or shounen it just tells that the probability is higher for you to enjoy shounen if you are a male and shoujo if you are a female.