Translation Studies Research Seminar Series: PhD showcase 2

Abstract

Manga and anime fan translation strategies and their influence on professional retranslation

by Katherine Heller

Fan translation has long played a central role in English-language manga and anime fandom. From the early distribution of VHS fansubs through university anime clubs, to the mass sharing of manga scanlations online, fan translations have shaped many fans’ experiences of the texts that they love. Many titles, now considered manga and anime classics, have been translated several times, both by fans and by professional translators.

This presentation aims to explore how the approaches of fan translators have influenced commercial retranslations. The recent increase in popularity of Japanese manga and anime with English-speaking audiences has resulted in retranslation becoming a relatively frequent practice. Despite this, manga and anime remain underrepresented in literature on retranslation and research on shōjo titles primarily aimed at a female audience is particularly limited.

My research centres on the popular shōjo manga series Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon) by Takeuchi Naoko, which was serialized between 1991 and 1997 and quickly adapted as a television anime, airing between 1992 and 1997. Many fan and professional translations of this title have been produced since the mid-1990s. My presentation discusses what strategies have been identified as characteristic of fan translation in existing literature, how these strategies have been applied in Sailor Moon fan translations, and to what extent they can be observed in professional retranslations published following the widespread distribution of fan translations online throughout the 2000s.

About the speaker

Katherine Heller is a full-time PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, working in the language pair of Japanese-English. Her research is funded by the University’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science Research Award for Literatures, Languages and Cultures. Her research explores the impact that fan communities can have on commercial manga and anime translation strategies, and focuses specifically on the case of the Sailor Moon franchise. Katherine’s wider research interests include retranslation, multimodality, reception, fandom, and popular media translation.

About the seminar series

Each semester, we welcome a fantastic range of guest speakers and colleagues to present a seminar on their work in translation.

Our seminar series is run collaboratively by staff and postgraduate students, enabling our early career researchers to build networks and experience. This semester, the students are Katherine Heller and David Hayes.

Entry is free and no booking is required. Everyone is welcome.

Ask us for a link to join the seminar online

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