Not really, maybe the purpose was to sound ignorant? Well maybe some are trying to sound ignorant and some are ignorant. It doesn't really matter to me. Japan's poor form on the usage of the English language doesn't reflect on me, so I could probably care less.

People do make mistakes, which is why I really get peeved when someone finds it necessary to reply to a post with "Excuse me, it's their, not they're. Also... you spelled [insert commonly misspelled word here] and should have obviously used noun phrase appositives instead of repeating yourself, not to mention your use of conjunctions are in poor form. By the way... there is a difference between a clause and a phrase, please look it up."

Actually I doubt most of these grammar nazis know that much about grammar and I'm getting off topic...

The real point is... Japan barely gives a rat's ass about correct usage of English and the mangaka only throw random words in there to look "hip" and cool. We throw random French into anything litearary to sound sophisticated and all bourgeois (look at me go!).

If we compare this to something like a restaurant, it's a lot different. Restaurants need to cater the tastes of their food to their people. If you serve authentic Italian foods in Japan, frankly it won't sell. Same with any different cultural foods. Frankly, I find American foods ridiculously salty and greasy, many fast foods beyond edible. When franchises like McDonalds goes over to East Asia to sell, they change their recipe to make things less salty and greasy. I haven't been to Japan, but speaking as a Korean (who's somewhat similar), they know if they go to a so called Italian restaurant in Korea, it's not authentic. They just want the exotic feel, not an authentic feel - though sometimes misinformed.

Language in manga on the other hand are trying to imitate the foreign feel. So, whether they butcher it or not, it does deliver the feel since no one understands the shit. But, my problem lies in the fact that they just rn't putting a serious effort. They could just pay someone a single buck on Amazon Mech Turk to QA the Engrish they wrote. ONE DOLLAR! or even less! Yet, they don't even take steps like this to make sure. This lack of effort is purely disappointing.

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The Company
[b]Batoto

hmmm you can't really say it's bad if mangaka don't do much research on some words they use.other languages are mostly used to give finisher-attacks,titles,etc...a special touch.moreover...the mangaka are writing for an audiance in their mother-language only and needn't expect many people to know the languages they are using.so why would they care?
in übel blatt for example,some german words are used terribly wrong,but who who isn't german would notice or care about it?

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Oh really? Thank you, too bad I didn't have an editor to catch that.

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I think they are doing their best, really...

With deadlines looming I don't think the average mangaka cares... It is used as a device where the reader through the supposed translations can understand the foreigner where the characters listening cannot. The language can be gibberish and sometimes is, but as long as the translation is provided to the reader, it doesn't matter.

i went to Engrish.com!!!
and now my sides hurt!!!


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oh please do click this!
The sweeter the apple, the higher the branch. The quieter the fart, the nastier the smell.
GUESS WHO??

Sorry, I just couldn't resist the irony. ^__^

Actually, gotta say something else too:

"Mangling of foreign languages" doesn't just happen in Japanese culture too. It's pretty common in other parts of Asia where they'll often just slap together some random foreign words to induce some effect. Like throwing in some French, German, whatever random words they grabbed from Babelfish or online translator.

And sometimes, it even also comes down into the food like "fish and chips served with soy sauce(mixed in mayo), rice and other Asian ingredients." or spaghetti with tofu,coriander leaves and so on...and sometimes, the assumption that ALL western food comes loaded with mayonnaise, salt and pepper(and oh yes.. that there is no such thing as "black pepper"). Or how about pizza loaded with nori, bonito, squid, fish and wasabi with cheese?

But then again, in America and perhaps likely parts of Europe, people often use Asian words without any idea of what they mean: and sometimes, it's a few different languages all meshed up together. Yah... I sometimes get massive headaches over that though sometimes, it's priceless. And as for customs/culture, it'd be things like "fortune cookies" which seems to be spreading from America to parts of Asia.

Oh well, it's something that happens everywhere.

Last edited by VampireBanana at 2:16 am, May 5 2010

Meh, mistakes happen.

Its actualy hard work to be a mangaka i guess...
I was talking the other day to this retierd comic artist. The reason for him quiting was low pay and too much work, I'm pretty sure that's what happens for most anyhow. Its even harder when you get fans being harsh about mistakes too.

"mm'kay, like on chapter 34 his shirt had exactly 13 buttons mmm'kay, but on chaptor 118 you can clearly see its only 12 buttons!"
An extreme example of being picky but it adds on to stress. I'm sure they don't pursposely do it.
You have to let something's slide you know.

Last edited by fr33noob at 3:50 am, May 5 2010

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I believe in letting people do as they wish, as do I myself. Sometimes, of course, what I wish to do is kill them and they do not wish to die. This gives life interest.

Oooh... outta curiosity: who was it?

you wouldn't know him.
Mr. ward is what i call him, don't know his full name tbh.
Just another nameless comic artist but he had some good stuff from what i saw.


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I believe in letting people do as they wish, as do I myself. Sometimes, of course, what I wish to do is kill them and they do not wish to die. This gives life interest.

Whoa, so there are people that share my sentiments! : o
The worst I've seen, unfortunately, was in one of my favorite works, The Doorway to Summer. "A kiss" was translated as "Un/une embrasser."