Fansubbers: most difficult to anime to translate?

[Onesimos]

I would like to ask the fansubbers a question: what is the most difficult anime series to translate?

[Quarkboy]

Most difficult.... ever? The most difficult genre? Your question is pretty ambiguous

In general, shows with lots of classical era japanese (Pre-Edo) are very difficult to translate, as most people don't study old style japanese (For example, 12 Kingdoms was pretty hard to translate, I hear, due to a lot of old style, careful honorific japanese+made up jargon). Animes with lots of complicated technical jargon can also be difficult for someone not familiar with the technical specifics (this is more for realistic military series, like Zipang, etc...) Difficulties can also come from very thick accents, although normally this is restricted to one side character, so it doesn't make the whole show difficult.
Another category of "hard" is best explained by example: Kodocha/Excel Saga. These are hard due to the sheer speed and insanity of the dialogue. Especially Kodocha has long passages of blabbering, which can be a pain to translate into english.

Truthfully, most anime is NOT hard to translate when compared to literature/tv in general in japan. Though we like to think Anime is only made for brilliant inttelectuals, the truth is it's made for kids and young adults (with a small exception of some anime aimed at middle aged people). Therefore the language used simply can't be so difficult, because otherwise japanese viewers themselves wouldn't understand it .

[Soluzar]

I am not a fansubber, but how about that show, Bobo-bo bobobo-bo? That's got to be kinda hard to translate.

[TougeSil80]

I would say a comedy is pretty hard to translate. Because a lot of the Japanese reference that won't translate well into English, or even Chinese.

[Sylf]

Maico was hard, due to sheer volume of scenes in which more than one person are speaking at the same time. I've displayed up to three people's line on the screen concurrently in that show.

Gags, jokes, puns are difficult to translate, especially it has cultural references.

Black Jack is difficult to translate because of all the medical references (and sometimes inacurate references... making it even more difficult.) I'm sure the folks at Anime-Empire is struggling just as much with Yakitate.

I hate subbing sports anime because of all the grunts and cheers and other nonsensical short noises. I've done Ippo, Captain Tsubasa, Yawara, and Major. I guess it's not too difficult, but annoying. Those unique grunts by the characters of PoT would annoy me even more if I were to sub it.

LastEXILE was somewhat hard to translate due to the sheer volume of unique terms used in the show. The helping hand came from the official site itself - they posted the unique terms on their website within 2-3 days of the air date. I see same thing happening with Rescue Wings, which I'm also attempting right now. These shows have some highly technical terms, but I don't find these too terribly difficult to translate.

[DaFool]

Quarkboy pretty much nailed it. That is why we have the tendency of speedsubbers translating the nth harem anime, while gems remain slow and only done by a few groups precisely because they're so complicated language / literature-wise, that's why they're gems.

Sorry for butting in, I'm not a fansubber,...gah, too late.

[CelesAurivern]

Originally Posted by Sylf

I see same thing happening with Rescue Wings, which I'm also attempting right now.

Jolly good Something to look forward to.

So far the toughest show I've attempted is Sanada10.
- old style japanese
- place/prefecture names (some of which no longer exist)
- complex feudal government and ranks
- cultural and traditional references
- huge cast of characters, some of which have two or three names
- political innuendo

[Heibi]

I'd have to add Galactic Heroes to the list.

Heibi
Central Anime

[Quarkboy]

Originally Posted by Heibi

I'd have to add Galactic Heroes to the list.

Heibi
Central Anime

On that topic... I've always wondered, do the novels on which that show is based help with the translation at all?

[Sairai_X]

Galaxy Heroes wasn't hard at all... especially not with the freaking MOUNTAIN of available resources on it.


Hard is Ghost in the Shell, and its 5-minute long speeches on cyber autamasatacratatism.

[Syaoran]

I haven't a clue about how the fansub scène works, but those who translate anime ... are you all Japanese or did you study Japanese at university?

Anyway, whatever it is, I really look up to you guys. You're doing a fantastic job ^^

[krusher]

Originally Posted by Sairai_X

Hard is Ghost in the Shell, and its 5-minute long speeches on cyber autamasatacratatism.

lol yeah when i watched that show i was just thinking damn this must have been a pain to translate

[Radiosity]

Paniponi Dash! would be a good example I think. Not only have you got some pretty crazy characters with a lot of witty-banter style dialogue, you've also got an absolute crapload of on-screen references to multiple other series, in gestures, on blackboards, scrolling marquee text, flashing signs, you name it. Translating all that and adding all the extra notes on the references to other series' etc. must be pretty harsh.

And mad props go to Oyasumi for doing a top-notch job on it

[Quarkboy]

Originally Posted by Radiosity

Paniponi Dash! would be a good example I think. Not only have you got some pretty crazy characters with a lot of witty-banter style dialogue, you've also got an absolute crapload of on-screen references to multiple other series, in gestures, on blackboards, scrolling marquee text, flashing signs, you name it. Translating all that and adding all the extra notes on the references to other series' etc. must be pretty harsh.

And mad props go to Oyasumi for doing a top-notch job on it

I was involved with translating Pani Poni for maho maho (actually did 4 eps although only 1 was (and will ever be) released). I can personally attest to the difficulty of translating that bastard. The multitude of characters and their weird quirks, plus crazy references and blackboard nonsense. I'm a pretty big otaku, but I'm not THAT big an otaku to actually get all the jokes in that show. Hell, I didn't get more than 30% of them. I still don't think it'd be as bad as kodocha though .

[Heibi]

Originally Posted by Sairai_X

Galaxy Heroes wasn't hard at all... especially not with the freaking MOUNTAIN of available resources on it.

Hence the reason it is difficult to translate. An easy series wouldn't need resources. It's a dialog intensive show.

[ths1138]

I would say that Turn A Gundam was pretty hard to translate, since it uses not only military jargon and technical sci-fi terms, it also uses political terms, archaic Japanese and VERY formal (keigo) Japanese.

ths1138

[itaydile3]

I dont know if it's the most difficult ever... but I know that basilisk is very difficult...

[zalas]

I would have to say that a show you absolutely despise would be the hardest show to translate.

[Antonik]

how about ghost in the shell ?

[CelesAurivern]

Originally Posted by itaydile3

I dont know if it's the most difficult ever... but I know that basilisk is very difficult...

Originally Posted by Antonik

how about ghost in the shell ?

Did you two even try translating those said shows?
If not, this thread is not for you