Hi guys!

I thought I’d start a new segment featuring short tidbits on things I’ve seen being “lost in translation”. Now take note, there’s a reason why simulcasts tend to have translational inaccuracies. The most common is due to the timing of release in that streaming services usually rely on professional translators that are not directly members of the Japanese production team. In some cases, there can be multiple translators, and even multiple translation groups commissioned on a single airing show depending on how the agreement is set up between the home (Japan) broadcast company and the online streamer. This is the reason why official translations on DVDs/BluRays are far more polished, because the transcripts are actually worked on from the ground up with cooperation between the publishing company/distributor and the home office.

Another reason is partly due to the language itself. There are many nuances in Japanese that don’t filter through as succinctly as they should given the format of subtitles. So that being the case, I figured I’d share some of those nuances with you in these posts.

To kick things off, let’s start with a show from last season, Sound! Euphonium. Continue reading →