Translating My Comic Into Japanese! (Do You Translate Yours? :O)

sambeawesome 2019-12-19 23:28:18 UTC #1

Super excited that my comic is gonna be translated into Japanese! In fact, I'm the one translating it, along with my Japanese teacher. I've been learning the language for years now, so it's awesome to get this opportunity x3

The idea is to keep learners in mind and have it be fairly simple, so others can try to practice with it I'm aiming for early 2020 for the official pages to be released. I'm super hyped x3

You can check it out here:

And in English:

What about y'all? Is anyone else translating or getting their comic translated into another language? I know I've seen a few, I'm curious how popular it is to do this. :o

Kiweevil 2019-12-20 00:12:45 UTC #2

I'd like to have mine translated to both japanese and spanish (especially because one of my main characters is a native spanish-speaker) eventually, but I only know some of each language so I'll be waiting until I get a little more fluent to do that. I started learning both languages years ago and have already forgotten lots of them both haha

sambeawesome 2019-12-20 00:19:21 UTC #3

That sounds cool! Learning another language is tough. I tried several times with several languages, and you really gotta keep up with it or ya' lose it ;o; I've been slacking with my studies this month and I'm really feeling it x'D But hopefully you can tackle your goals! x3

Iris-Grimoire 2019-12-20 01:14:18 UTC #4

I simultaneously update my comic as both english and portuguese(my mother language)! I actually write it on english first then localize it into portuguese, because I noticed I have a way easier time with jokes, slang and whatnot if I think about the english expressions first. It's mostly so I can introduce it at local cons and to IRL acquaintances that aren't comfortable reading english, but it's easy enough to upload it the same time as the original.

sambeawesome 2019-12-20 02:44:03 UTC #5

Funny how that works out And that's awesome that you can share it around more with others x3

Beatrush 2019-12-20 02:44:24 UTC #6

I'd like to do this someday. Ive wanted to start uploading to Pixiv for some time now.

sambeawesome 2019-12-20 14:47:02 UTC #7

Hopefully you get the chance!

Kudos26 2019-12-20 15:43:52 UTC #8

おめでとうございます. I don't know if there are a Japanese readers on Tapastic, I wonder if it might be an idea to promote your comic on Twitter or Pixiv?
I've only had a little bit of experience with translation, when I submitted to my comic to Enterbrain's Comic Beam magazine, I translated my comic to Japanese with the help of a friend - so I can totally relate to what you are doing. I hope you can expand your audience!

MaggieW 2019-12-20 16:15:36 UTC #9

it is definitely a good way to practice Japanese, for both you and the readers You can try posting the Japanese version on Pixiv as well, since they have a huge Asian audience. You may even get in contact with other Japanese artists with whom you can practice the language ^^

I am planning to translate one of my comics to Chinese with my mother's help, but I don't know yet if I'll be uploading it here on Tapas, because I feel that there isn't really an audience for it here (though perhaps people who want to learn it as a second language?)

sambeawesome 2019-12-20 16:31:15 UTC #10

Thanks so much! I figured there'd be few, if any, Japanese readers on here. I was mostly translating for learners like myself But Pixiv might be worth looking into later on. Do they have features for comic artists? I don't know much about the site, to be honest :o

That's cool that you've done the same though!

Thanks! Glad you like the idea ^^ I'll definitely have to look into Pixiv, haha.

That's awesome! And I get the feeling. Uploading here is really only for learners. There might be Chinese dedicated comic sites out there. I've seen Russian, and I know Japanese has a few. A friend of mine was debating Polish, but she had no idea if any sites existed for them

MaggieW 2019-12-20 16:36:01 UTC #11

They do ^^ they have a separate option to upload manga (and even novels), and it allows you to upload up to 200 pages at a time. You can even add it to a series to keep it neatly sorted for your audience

sambeawesome 2019-12-20 17:06:24 UTC #12

Whaaa?? That's awesome! Omg thanks for letting me know!

Maps 2019-12-20 21:53:46 UTC #13

God I wish. I've tried taking four languages in my life and Japanese has been the one that grasps the most (shockingly). I wish I was good enough to be able to translate! I love this though. I'm a freak for languages.

vothnthorvaldson 2019-12-20 22:14:28 UTC #14

I'm supposed to translate my comic in French. It's my mother tongue.
But I always put it to later because I find it very difficult to write concisely in French, as comic dialogue requires; it's difficult partly because it's a less concise language than English, partly because I never speak French anymore, only read French (classic) literature, and my French is becoming more and more formal.
It's easier to me to think (and write) casually in English, even if I still make many, many mistakes.

AmysGames 2019-12-20 22:18:55 UTC #15

That's super cool! Best of luck to you!

As for me, I've always wanted to translate my stories into other languages, but I'm not fluent enough in any of them to actually pull it off. I can put together sentences in Japanese, but they don't usually make much sense so I've heard.

sambeawesome 2019-12-20 22:47:12 UTC #16

Don't feel bad, it's a LOT of work and time dedication to learn another language. And I for sure wouldn't be able to do it without my teacher correcting my mistakes. I'm glad you like the idea though! I hope you get the opportunity to do it too one day x3

I'm seeing those kinds of issues when I'm translating. Some parts are more verbose, other parts are shorter, it can be a bit tricky. My partner is having a similar problem with his Russian. He doesn't use it as often anymore and struggles every now and again. But best of luck to you! :o

Thank you! It's a hard language for native English speakers :o I've found a couple sources that made a huge impact for me, though unfortunately it does involve fleshing out some cash But my favs are: WaniKani, Bunpro, and Italki. For freebies, if you don't use it already, I recommend HelloTalk. It's like Twitter but for language learning. Natives can correct your sentences, it's pretty cool

NickRowler 2019-12-20 23:14:25 UTC #17

I know a little Japanese and German but I am not fluent enough to translate my work. I don't know if my stuff would appeal to a Japanese audience, I think it is a bit too Western. Honestly it would be cool to have another translation of my comic, maybe in Spanish or something.

sambeawesome 2019-12-21 20:22:11 UTC #18

I'm not so sure my story would appeal to a Japanese audience either, but the translation is less a marketing move for me personally. But hopefully you get the chance to translate your comic one day

Cavechan 2019-12-21 20:58:09 UTC #19

That's awesome! I've been thinking about translating mine too. My Japanese is not very good though and I am very particular about the dialogue and some of it is tricky/more advanced, so I don't think I'd be able to do it myself. I've been considering hiring a translator.

sambeawesome 2019-12-23 18:30:21 UTC #20

Thanks so much! Oh I feel that, I couldn't do this by myself either xD Having my teacher correct me makes a huge difference. Sometimes there's just nuance that a dictionary can't tell you. When I was trying to translate the word "supplies", I had accidentally used a military term LOL

But hopefully you get the chance one day, whether you do it yourself or get someone to help you