FEATURE: Azuki Showcases Manga Translation as the Art Form It Truly Is
When people think of the manga localization process, they might imagine an isolated experience with a single translator working on a single project before passing it off to an unseen higher-up. But Azuki, a digital manga streaming service founded in 2021 by former Crunchyroll software developers, argues that it doesn’t have to be. In fact, from talking to Azuki’s small team of full-time and contract employees (“Everyone wears a lot of hats,” said co-founder Adela Chang) one gets the sense the system of localizing a manga can be as intricate and thoughtful as the creation of a series itself.
Azuki’s titles range from Natsume & Natsume to The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting to My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files, and it recently began publishing the gorgeous Crescent Moon Marching. However, all are handled with care and a five-step house process of localization. It’s a workflow that takes 8 to 14 days from start to finish according to Adela, but the time and communal effort are more than worth it: Azuki’s reviews have been solid and its catalog of manga has only expanded.
It all begins with a doubling down on translation, with a translated script being completed and then proofread by another Japanese speaker to check for any errors, mistakes or phrasing that could be potentially handled differently. Samuel R. Messner, a Japanese translator, has two guiding principles regarding his work: “The experience given to the English-speaking audience should be as close as possible to the one that the original Japanese audience had” and wants to “…educate people. Since the reader chose this story specifically, I assume they want to know about the unique historical and cultural content.”
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This, again, can be time-consuming work, rendering manga as not something to be consumed but rather studied and relished. Samuel is fervent in going above and beyond to provide “the spirit of the original.” For example, though a manga like My Dear Detective (now available in eBook form) is written in “approachable, modern Japanese,” Messner (aided by proofreader and editor Ken Urata) spent copious time researching and analyzing the background signs and art which were written in an older style. It was a labor of fascination with the manga’s 1930 time period rather than a mere duty: “We were not provided with that information by the publisher,” co-founder Evan Minto added.
“It’s my favorite part of the job,” Samuel said.
When a translation is completed, Barri Shrager, a letterer and graphic designer for Azuki, takes the reins. Her job is far more complex than adding sound effects and filling in speech bubbles, though. Just as a translator wants to capture the spirit of the original work, so do Barri’s lettering choices. She has to consider bubble “stacking order” and “how to make the shape of the words themselves in the bubbles look aesthetically pleasing and easy to read.”
Even when it comes to sound effects, ones that can be “really amazing and beautifully drawn,” Barri has to learn how to recreate their energy with different words and letters. It’s here that Barri’s skills in design and art come into play — the manga page must be as visually strong when it finishes lettering as it was when it first came in.
A manga then goes through a round of quality control editing, this time performed by someone who does not speak Japanese, as many readers likely don’t.
“They are having the first look at it from an English reader’s perspective,” said Adela. “So we’ll catch any issues that may not be apparent to people that have read the original.” After the letterer makes any small fixes, it is then sent back to the Japanese publishers for their approval. Changes are asked for and corrected (“That’s not happened yet,” Adela affirmed) and it’s released to the public.
The efficacy of the meticulousness of this system is evident in every page, plot and character. In the first chapter of My Dear Detective, one supporting character would, by modern standards, be considered a trans woman, and her portrayal is one that is delivered with obvious care.
“We’re very lucky that Natsumi Ito (the manga’s author) has a very good perspective and a sensitive touch. The messaging is very good,” said Samuel. From there, there were many discussions about the use of era-appropriate pronouns from multiple time periods and locations, about adding context for the reader, and even about providing a content advisory. Giving such nuance to a character that wasn’t even one of the main leads is a great example of Ito’s talent and Azuki’s dedication.
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“The fact that that first chapter has such a positive story featuring a trans character was one of the selling points for us internally,” Evan said. My Dear Detective might be overlooked by another publisher for a print release, but for the team at Azuki, it’s the kind of title that “we really want to find.”
Big or small, bestseller or niche favorite, it’s all treated the same, though. With their committed operation, any manga that lands at Azuki is in good hands and treated as the art form it truly is.
Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter! His book, Monster Kids: How Pokemon Taught A Generation To Catch Them All, is available wherever books are sold.
