Translating and blogging is not very easy. Frog-Kun has done both. Well, “unofficially”. The blogger at Fantastic Memes, he started getting into the translation game with Nano Desu Translations, which is a light novel translation group, in the past year, and is continuing to translate for them. We talk a bit about that and why he thinks that a lot of LN titles will fail over here, translating Japanese, and how is the anime scene in Australia.
Organization ASG: So how’s this year been going for you so far? What anime have you been keeping up with this Spring?
Frog-Kun: This might be a little surprising, but nothing so far! I’ve actually been taking a break from anime. I did watch a few first episodes here and there, though. I think Oregairu 2 is really good and has improved on the source material quite a lot.
OASG: I had actually seen you say that on Twitter and I immediately went, “well, I sure seem to pick the best time for interviews!” If you can share, what happened?
Frog: Nothing really “happened”, per se! I just found myself more interested in other things. To be honest, though, my interest in currently airing anime has been on the decline for a while. It’s very exhausting keeping up with the ins and outs of the community, especially when the trends change as rapidly as they do on Twitter. Sometimes, I felt pressured to watch anime I never really enjoyed that much. So I think it’s understandable to take a break from all that.
OASG: Has that been one of the few things that you think has changed since you started blogging, feeling like you have to watch weekly shows? Or have there been other things that have changed?
Frog: I don’t think the blogging has as much to do with it since I never blogged much about currently airing shows to begin with. My outlook has certainly changed over time, though. I’m more critical of certain aspects of the fandom than I used to be, and there comes a point when being too immersed in one community isn’t good for you. I definitely still like anime, but there are other communities I’d like to get involved in now. It’s a matter of allocating time.
OASG: Does other communities involve getting to the translation community? You’ve picked that up in the past year or so correct? How’s it been like translating material and working with a group?
Frog: Yeah. Getting into translation has definitely caused my interest in anime to decline. You don’t tend to feel like watching anything after you’ve spent hours translating words on a screen! And yeah, I’ve been translating for Nano Desu Translations for the past year now. I worked on Henneko, Oregairu and Aldnoah.Zero. At Nano Desu, most of the emphasis is on quality translations. Translators have to pass a test before they can begin working with the team. They also have full creative control as well as the final say in what gets published. They work with one or two editors, who mostly critique the translator’s English writing. If there’s a gap in the process, it’s in the lack of translation/accuracy checking. But other than that, the system works very smoothly.
OASG: How did you learn to translate Japanese to the point where you could pass their test? I assume before joining them actually you were interested in Japanese language correct?
Frog: Funny story. I never actually took the test. Nano Desu tells me I’m the only person they made an exception for.
What happened was that I was posting translations of Henneko on my blog. Nano contacted me and asked if I was interested in translating Oregairu as well.
At the point when I joined the group, I had already studied Japanese for several years. I majored in Japanese at university and I’ve taken translation classes before.
OASG: How long did it take for you to feel completely comfortable translating Japanese, or can you ever be comfortable translating?
Frog: I don’t think it’s possible to be entirely comfortable translating. I learn a lot of new things every time I do it – not necessarily new words but new ways of expressing ideas. It’s a lot like writing in general. But you do need some solid familiarity with the language before you start translating. I usually tell people that you need to be about JLPT N2 standard before you can read a light novel fluently.
OASG: Did you ever believe that LNs would finally start getting as much attention in the West, considering LNs had previously failed here?
Frog: Not really, not until Sword Art Online became a big hit. But considering that so many anime titles these days are based off light novels, perhaps it was a matter of time for English distributors to begin paying more attention to the source material. I still can’t help but think that a lot of LN titles will fail over here.
OASG: Why?
Frog: A lot of them just don’t have much appeal except with otaku audiences. I’m sure you’re familiar with the stereotypical LN tropes. It makes them difficult to translate, too, since a lot of the humor is very referential and/or requires cultural knowledge to appreciate. You can get around that to a degree with anime and manga, because they’re both visual mediums, but LNs don’t have quite the same potential for growth in the English-speaking market.
What I have noticed, though, is a broader interest in Japanese literature in the English-speaking book market. Maybe LNs are tapping into that broader trend.
OASG: So what do you hope will happen to LNs now since there seems to be more of a commitment to them being released here?
Frog: First off, I hope that more and more titles get published! There are plenty of less mainstream titles that are really quite good and would be appreciated by English readers. I also hope, although this is quite a stretch, that English-speaking LN readers will become more interested in other Japanese books. In any case, I don’t think English speakers will have much influence over the Japanese LN market, so I’m not so concerned about that.
OASG: How is the Japanese culture scene out in Australia? Are there any conventions or events, anime on TV, people that know or care about it, etc?
Frog: There aren’t as many cons as America, let’s put it that way. Anime cons tend to overlap with other geek interests. Perhaps there’s not as much of an anime-specific market over here. Funnily enough, though, I remember “Deltora Quest“, a book series written by the Australian author Emily Rodda, ended up getting an anime adaptation. The dub was popular in Australia when it aired over here years after the Japanese release.
OASG: Final question: How do you see the rest of the year going for you? Have anything you want to accomplish?
Frog: Yeah, I want to translate another light novel before the year is out. I also want to put more focus on my academics. For now, though, I’m just cruising along and enjoying my anime-free time.
By the way, to anyone reading this, I hope you buy English light novels and support the industry!
