AnimeSuki Forums

tyson123g · 2012-05-14, 16:51

So, the question was too long for the title, so I made it like that.

The full question is :

Would you rather buy a manga which has been Americanized with names changed to English ones, or you'd rather learn Japanese in 5-6 years and then buy off the original Japanese ones?

I am currently facing this dilemma.

On one hand, I dislike the way the licensing company has Americanized the names as it feels weird and out of place, but on the other hand, I am still mid-way learning Japanese and there is no guarantee that I would be on level of reading, even in 5-6 years.

The manga is Detective Conan or published as "Case Closed" by Viz.

Character names such as Kudou Shinichi, Mouri Ran becomes Jimmy Kudo and Rachel Moore, respectively.

So, what should I do, according to you?

MUAHAHAHAHAHA · 2012-05-14, 17:02

It's pretty hard to get used to the different names but to wait 5-6 years to get your hands on a manga.....between these two options, I will opt for the former.

NoemiChan · 2012-05-14, 17:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyson123g

Would you rather buy a manga which has been Americanized with names changed to English ones, or you'd rather learn Japanese in 5-6 years and then buy off the original Japanese ones?

I choose the first one like MUAHAHAHAHA. But I didn't know that names were being altered in the Americanized version.

Well, another good reason to stick on "fanscans" and "fansubs".

bhl88 · 2012-05-14, 17:28

Yep. I'd stick to good old fanscans.

AbZeroNow · 2012-05-14, 17:44

I don't read a lot of manga, and Monster is the only one of those that I have read that Viz licensed so I can't really speak to how Viz localizes their manga(although they deserve a lot of crap for making Shounen Jump Alpha only available to North America and excluding the UK and continental Europe). Since Monster is set in Europe, the character names except for Dr. Tenma are European ones.

Yen Press tends to localize their manga pretty well, although they sometimes do prefer to use literal translations like "Azu-meow" instead of "Azu-nyan" in the K-ON! manga and they use "Pop Music Club"(which isn't an incorrect translation, btw) instead of "Light Music Club" for the kei-ongaku-bu. Yen Press also tends to retain honorifics in their manga.

I also haven't found any particular localization issues with Seven Seas with the Toradora manga and the A Certain Scientific Railgun manga so it could be that either I am not exposed to how Viz handles localization(and I have heard that the now-defunct Tokyopop also was bad in their localizations) or it is not a major issue with most of the official English translated manga these days.

tyson123g · 2012-05-14, 18:05

Umm.. not to appear rude, but can we stick to the original topic?

I am in a bind about that. Sure, from what I seem to understand, is that most people think it is better getting the english ones..

Well, the only other thing I would be worried about is if either Viz goes bankrupt or stops publishing any more Case Closed Manga.

Master_Yoma · 2012-05-14, 22:26

I would like to learn japanese but I dont have the time so ill just read it in english

tyson123g · 2012-05-15, 05:31

Wow.. Even though noone here commented, but working hard to learn Japanese, is coming up more..

word sux · 2012-05-15, 05:50

I have been learning japanese (not just to read manga..) and its pretty difficult. I don't find the spoken language that hard but the written language is a different story.. if all you are try to learn japanese for is to read manga then more power to ya but I don't know if I could find the motivation seeing as how long it will take to you get to a level of understanding were you can enjoy most manga..

Dhomochevsky · 2012-05-15, 05:51

If the only reason for you to learn japanese is so you can read Detective Conan and it will take you 6 years... seriously what kind of question is that?

Of course that's not worth it.

Now there are some other advantages to learning a language than that. If you consider those and have the time, sure go for it.
But just for Conan? You should think hard about what your goals are. Don't you think, that maybe in... 4 years... you might have changed your mind about how great Conan is? Then you would need some better reason to pull through with it.

A manga is hardly something that will motivate you for 6 years of hard work, is what I'm getting at. If that's all you have, then better forget it.

tyson123g · 2012-05-15, 06:25

Oh come on! Where did I say that it was my sole reason for learning Japanese.

I have already been studying Japanese for the past year. And this was for so many more reasons. This question just popped up in my mind, while I caught up to the manga's scanlations.

I would one day, be efficient enough in Japanese for sure. That has been aim for last 2 years. But the question popped up now.. I am not sure, why this question even came out of nowhere..

hyl · 2012-05-15, 06:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyson123g

Oh come on! Where did I say that it was my sole reason for learning Japanese.

I have already been studying Japanese for the past year. And this was for so many more reasons. This question just popped up in my mind, while I caught up to the manga's scanlations.

I would one day, be efficient enough in Japanese for sure. That has been aim for last 2 years. But the question popped up now.. I am not sure, why this question even came out of nowhere..

If you dedicatedly want to learn japanese for various of reasons, then i don't see a problem with it.

However, if you are facing with the dillema of only having the options of
- reading a manga now that you like, but it is translated badly by an American company
- reading that manga after learning japanese (since reading scanlations is not an option in this case)

Then i would pick read it now, even with a butchered translation. I think you should still enjoy reading them for now and you don't need to "save" them for later. You can easily ditch the English translated mangas if you have mastered japanese in a few years.

It's not that much different for me when i was a child when i liked the greek mythology. I started by reading the translated stories and later at high school i took the opportunity (gymnasium) to learn Latin and Ancient Greek from those classes to enjoy the stories in their original glory.

tyson123g · 2012-05-15, 06:36

Well.. The part about reading scanlation is not an option, meant more of the fact that I want to keep a collection.

I have already read the scanlations and continue to do so. Just that I would like to have it in physical format.

hyl · 2012-05-15, 06:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyson123g

Well.. The part about reading scanlation is not an option, meant more of the fact that I want to keep a collection.

I have already read the scanlations and continue to do so. Just that I would like to have it in physical format.

If it's only for collecting purposes, then i rather get the original japanese versions though. Unless it's too expensive for you to import them.

Tempester · 2012-05-15, 06:45

Well, it depends. I find it preferable to just learn Japanese in most cases, but if the localization doesn't tamper too much with the story and themes, I might give it a try instead.

Learning new language has several uses, many of which can be quite practical or even preferable for real life purposes. You may be inspired to start learning because you want to read a manga, but find out that it helps you greatly if you go to Japan for a vacation or business trip. Also, the more languages you learn, the easier it is to learn an additional language. And of course, when you've learned the language enough, it's possible that even though your interests changed, you are still a fan of anime and manga and can now experience them authentically.

Kyuu · 2012-05-15, 09:37

Learning Japanese just to read manga? That's fool-hardy and stupid.

HOWEVER

Learning Japanese to get rid of this feeling of being "illiterate", while looking at some random Japanese text... this is a worthwhile effort.

As far as manga is concerned - I refuse to read manga because I prefer to read them while in possession (as in buying them). English translated or not, I kinda do not care as long as I have a basic clue as to what is going on. Are translations perfect? No. But, as long as y'can infer via the translation and the pictures -- it'll be just fine. At the same time, I am not inclined to buy any manga (meaning, I'm not inclined to read any manga) - aside from the Ah My Goddess series.

tyson123g · 2012-05-15, 10:14

@Kyuu : Your first sentence is redundant. Please try to pay attention.

And for the rest of the post, thankyou for your views.

DragoonKain3 · 2012-05-15, 10:14

Between the two, I take the Americanized version. Just too lazy to learn the language (believe me I tried lol).

SeijiSensei · 2012-05-15, 10:17

If you're already reading the scanlations, then by all means buy the manga, either the VIZ imports or, as seems more appropriate for you, the Japanese originals. I wouldn't use the excuse about how VIZ translated the character names as a reason for not buying the manga in one form or another.

Chiibi · 2012-05-15, 12:37

I already took the second option. YEARS ago.

I was so lucky my school offered the course though!

Quote:

Learning Japanese just to read manga? That's fool-hardy and stupid.

NO, IT ISN'T KYUU!

It just makes you HARDCORE.

But I learned it also because I like it. If I hated it, I would have quit a while ago. If I can only find raws in Chinese online, I'm not gonna go learn Chinese.

I DON'T WANNA LEARN CHINESE AT ALL. lol

View Poll Results: Which way to go?
Just try to like Americanized version and buy that.	23	38.98%
Work hard to learn Japanese and then buy the original manga.	36	61.02%
Voters: 59. You may not vote on this poll

2012-05-14, 16:51	Link #1
tyson123g Kaizoku-ō Ni Ore Wa Naru Join Date: Mar 2012 Age: 31	Would you rather...? (Localized Manga vs. Learning Japanese) So, the question was too long for the title, so I made it like that. The full question is : Would you rather buy a manga which has been Americanized with names changed to English ones, or you'd rather learn Japanese in 5-6 years and then buy off the original Japanese ones? I am currently facing this dilemma. On one hand, I dislike the way the licensing company has Americanized the names as it feels weird and out of place, but on the other hand, I am still mid-way learning Japanese and there is no guarantee that I would be on level of reading, even in 5-6 years. The manga is Detective Conan or published as "Case Closed" by Viz. Character names such as Kudou Shinichi, Mouri Ran becomes Jimmy Kudo and Rachel Moore, respectively. So, what should I do, according to you? __________________

2012-05-14, 17:02	Link #2
MUAHAHAHAHAHA Hail the power of Fujoshi Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: hahahahahahahahaha Age: 35	It's pretty hard to get used to the different names but to wait 5-6 years to get your hands on a manga.....between these two options, I will opt for the former. __________________ A politically ignorant person who embraces only hedonism as the main philosophical doctrine. Old stuff but just a reminder that butthurt report form is here to help

2012-05-14, 17:28	Link #4
bhl88 Otaku Apprentice Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Unseen Horizon	Yep. I'd stick to good old fanscans. __________________ OS-tan Collections (temporary): https://discord.gg/Hv2rBs3

2012-05-14, 18:05	Link #6
tyson123g Kaizoku-ō Ni Ore Wa Naru Join Date: Mar 2012 Age: 31	Umm.. not to appear rude, but can we stick to the original topic? I am in a bind about that. Sure, from what I seem to understand, is that most people think it is better getting the english ones.. Well, the only other thing I would be worried about is if either Viz goes bankrupt or stops publishing any more Case Closed Manga. __________________

2012-05-14, 17:44	Link #5
AbZeroNow North American Haruhiist Join Date: Oct 2010 Age: 43	I don't read a lot of manga, and Monster is the only one of those that I have read that Viz licensed so I can't really speak to how Viz localizes their manga(although they deserve a lot of crap for making Shounen Jump Alpha only available to North America and excluding the UK and continental Europe). Since Monster is set in Europe, the character names except for Dr. Tenma are European ones. Yen Press tends to localize their manga pretty well, although they sometimes do prefer to use literal translations like "Azu-meow" instead of "Azu-nyan" in the K-ON! manga and they use "Pop Music Club"(which isn't an incorrect translation, btw) instead of "Light Music Club" for the kei-ongaku-bu. Yen Press also tends to retain honorifics in their manga. I also haven't found any particular localization issues with Seven Seas with the Toradora manga and the A Certain Scientific Railgun manga so it could be that either I am not exposed to how Viz handles localization(and I have heard that the now-defunct Tokyopop also was bad in their localizations) or it is not a major issue with most of the official English translated manga these days.

2012-05-14, 22:26	Link #7
Master_Yoma Nekokota Festival Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lost in the Fairy Forest	I would like to learn japanese but I dont have the time so ill just read it in english __________________

2012-05-15, 05:31	Link #8
tyson123g Kaizoku-ō Ni Ore Wa Naru Join Date: Mar 2012 Age: 31	Wow.. Even though noone here commented, but working hard to learn Japanese, is coming up more.. __________________

2012-05-15, 05:50	Link #9
word sux Member Join Date: Mar 2012	I have been learning japanese (not just to read manga..) and its pretty difficult. I don't find the spoken language that hard but the written language is a different story.. if all you are try to learn japanese for is to read manga then more power to ya but I don't know if I could find the motivation seeing as how long it will take to you get to a level of understanding were you can enjoy most manga.. __________________ Signature removed. Please check the forum signature rules before trying to upload another one. If you have questions, feel free to contact a mod through PM.

2012-05-15, 05:51	Link #10
Dhomochevsky temporary safeguard Join Date: May 2004 Location: Germany	If the only reason for you to learn japanese is so you can read Detective Conan and it will take you 6 years... seriously what kind of question is that? Of course that's not worth it. Now there are some other advantages to learning a language than that. If you consider those and have the time, sure go for it. But just for Conan? You should think hard about what your goals are. Don't you think, that maybe in... 4 years... you might have changed your mind about how great Conan is? Then you would need some better reason to pull through with it. A manga is hardly something that will motivate you for 6 years of hard work, is what I'm getting at. If that's all you have, then better forget it.

2012-05-15, 06:25	Link #11
tyson123g Kaizoku-ō Ni Ore Wa Naru Join Date: Mar 2012 Age: 31	Oh come on! Where did I say that it was my sole reason for learning Japanese. I have already been studying Japanese for the past year. And this was for so many more reasons. This question just popped up in my mind, while I caught up to the manga's scanlations. I would one day, be efficient enough in Japanese for sure. That has been aim for last 2 years. But the question popped up now.. I am not sure, why this question even came out of nowhere.. __________________

2012-05-15, 06:36	Link #13
tyson123g Kaizoku-ō Ni Ore Wa Naru Join Date: Mar 2012 Age: 31	Well.. The part about reading scanlation is not an option, meant more of the fact that I want to keep a collection. I have already read the scanlations and continue to do so. Just that I would like to have it in physical format. __________________

2012-05-15, 06:45	Link #15
Tempester Japanese Culture Fan Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Planet Earth Age: 33	Well, it depends. I find it preferable to just learn Japanese in most cases, but if the localization doesn't tamper too much with the story and themes, I might give it a try instead. Learning new language has several uses, many of which can be quite practical or even preferable for real life purposes. You may be inspired to start learning because you want to read a manga, but find out that it helps you greatly if you go to Japan for a vacation or business trip. Also, the more languages you learn, the easier it is to learn an additional language. And of course, when you've learned the language enough, it's possible that even though your interests changed, you are still a fan of anime and manga and can now experience them authentically.

2012-05-15, 09:37	Link #16
Kyuu =^^= Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: 42° 10' N (Latitude) 87° 33' W (Longitude) Age: 45	Learning Japanese just to read manga? That's fool-hardy and stupid. HOWEVER Learning Japanese to get rid of this feeling of being "illiterate", while looking at some random Japanese text... this is a worthwhile effort. As far as manga is concerned - I refuse to read manga because I prefer to read them while in possession (as in buying them). English translated or not, I kinda do not care as long as I have a basic clue as to what is going on. Are translations perfect? No. But, as long as y'can infer via the translation and the pictures -- it'll be just fine. At the same time, I am not inclined to buy any manga (meaning, I'm not inclined to read any manga) - aside from the Ah My Goddess series. __________________ Japanese Mahjong Group \| Currently Watching List \| Click on this - I dare you.

2012-05-15, 10:14	Link #17
tyson123g Kaizoku-ō Ni Ore Wa Naru Join Date: Mar 2012 Age: 31	@Kyuu : Your first sentence is redundant. Please try to pay attention. And for the rest of the post, thankyou for your views. __________________

2012-05-15, 10:14	Link #18
DragoonKain3 Osana-Najimi Shipper Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Mt. Ordeals	Between the two, I take the Americanized version. Just too lazy to learn the language (believe me I tried lol). __________________ Yes its YOU childhood friend - source of BERZERKER RAGE since forever Childhood Friend couple STATISTICS(spoilers abound though)

2012-05-15, 10:17	Link #19
SeijiSensei AS Oji-kun Join Date: Nov 2006 Age: 74	If you're already reading the scanlations, then by all means buy the manga, either the VIZ imports or, as seems more appropriate for you, the Japanese originals. I wouldn't use the excuse about how VIZ translated the character names as a reason for not buying the manga in one form or another. __________________ Taking Anime Seriously - Politics by the Numbers - Sports by the Numbers - MAL List - Avatars - Images