It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that sometimes, the anime and manga community can harbor a significant amount of negativity. For every fan who cherishes and values what they consume, there’s another who might overreact to creative decisions, character developments, artwork, or dialogue, going so far as to send harmful messages to the creators. This behavior is particularly prevalent in popular series such as One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen. Even veteran manga translators have shared their experiences of facing undeserved criticism for their work.
In an interview with Gizmodo, manga letterers Stephen Paul (One Piece), David Evelyn (Undead Unlock), and Casey Loe (Spy x Family) addressed common misconceptions about the process of translating manga. “Many fans believe it’s a single mysterious figure manipulating things behind the scenes to give them a hard time,” explained David Evelyn, referencing these misconceptions. He added that “a lot of people are unaware that there’s an entire team dedicated to translation.
Several Manga Translators Have Been Bullied Off Social Media
Stephen Paul noted that events occur more frequently in combat and popular shonen series. Apart from translating “One Piece,” Paul is also involved in the English translation of “Akane-banashi” and “Vinland Saga.” He shared that the translation process for “Akane-banashi” varies significantly from “One Piece,” primarily because there are fewer fan-made translations available for the former, and also due to the fact that its audience is less engaged in debates.
Speaking as an observer, I’d rephrase it this way: “This isn’t your typical series, so it doesn’t often lead to heated debates,” Paul explained. “I’d describe it more as passionate enthusiasm, but passion can sometimes overstep boundaries. Arguments are indeed more common in series with intense battles, no doubt about that.” David Evelyn concurred and shared his perspective on the issue of fan backlash towards translators who are ardent fans of the show themselves. “It’s really unfair,” Paul expressed, “because some translators wish to engage with the community and share interesting trivia and language choices, but they often face harsh criticism from a majority of fans instead.
Personally, I’ve noticed that in the past, some manga translators have chosen to retreat from social media due to an overwhelming wave of criticism from fans. For instance, Caleb Cook, who was once deeply engaged with “My Hero Academia” fans on Twitter, had to withdraw after facing relentless online harassment. As Paul puts it, “[Cook] would discuss all his translation decisions for each chapter on Twitter.” However, as disagreements arose among the fans, he found himself constantly bothered. Eventually, he grew tired of it, locked his account, and moved on.
Even Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Voice Cast Piled Onto the Translation Hate
Instead of just fans unfairly criticizing manga translators like John Werry, who worked on Jujutsu Kaisen, it’s particularly disheartening when the English voice actors from the anime adaptation, such as Adam McArthur (the voice of Yuji Itadori), contribute to this negativity. In 2024, McArthur joined in by sharing a meme that criticized Werry’s translation, unknowingly misspelling his surname in the process.
This revised version maintains the original meaning and uses more natural, conversational language.
Evelyn expressed her sadness about the situation, saying, ‘It was heartbreaking to see [McArthur] act that way.’ She questioned, ‘What benefit will you get from it besides some thousands of likes on Elon Musk’s adult-oriented platform? We are but one person and have limited capabilities.’
A straightforward approach for enhancing knowledge about the manga industry could be: Encourage manga enthusiasts to educate themselves more thoroughly on how the industry operates and recognize that the online personas they criticize anonymously are actually run by real individuals. Regrettably, urging the internet to exhibit kindness is as ineffective as anticipating a high-quality adaptation of Junji Ito’s works into anime.
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2025-02-14 20:09