Official PDF release?

[onizuka-gto]

Hello Baka-Tsuki members,

a while ago, TLG forward a email, from someone who wish to use his/her skills as a typography undergraduate, to create a better & endorsed PDF of the Haruhi series.

While i'm certain you are all aware of, is that there is an fan created version by Molitar.

I'am skeptical of the benefits of doing a "endorsed" version and applying the art of typography.

However i'am always open to ideas, so i have asked Keito, to make me a sample so that i can compare to the one molitar has created. He is hoping to be able to do all the available translated volumes.

Here is a preview, and i have also uploaded the pdf sample.

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Click to download


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I would like to ask you all to have a look athis work, and please give me feedback, into what you think? Should we go ahead and take his offer? Or simply let it be, for our readers to do there own without officially endorsing any of them?

Unstickied, outdated. - TGM

[onizuka-gto]

from the lack of response, I guess no one think this is a good idea....

Well, i'll give it a little bit more thought, and perhaps at leased one person will post a comment on this.

[Coffee 54]

Well I really liked the idea. I like my .pdf of volume 1 and would love to see an one for each of the subsequent volumes. An endorsed or offical version would not be depentant on an individual fan stepping up each time, for each volume, and would allow your group to update the .pdf releases if any changes in your translation come up. That's my two cents from a readers prespective.

[onizuka-gto]

well you got a point....

to be honest, there were some things missing in the pdf that i wanted to be in it, such as the registeration page, to give credit to all the different translators who contributed...well ok it was only kinny, but you get the point.


Well, you could say im half-way convinced....i just need that little nudge...

[keito]

to be honest, there were some things missing in the pdf that i wanted to be in it, such as the registeration page, to give credit to all the different translators who contributed...well ok it was only kinny, but you get the point.

Of course, things like that should be included in a book-style release as well! Such notes are usually put at the first pages, you know. Like the author's, translators' and other contributors' names. That'd have to be in the final version! The translators' notes should be stuffed in as well, but probably at the end of the book then, I'm not sure how much one should put in front of the actual content.

Anyway, I think it'd work out pretty good, and judging from the responses on the other thread, people seem to find the PDF format quite convenient!

[onizuka-gto]

Well, I think the lack of objection is what should decide this, while i have yet to hear from the Big Boss yet, or from the members of the Baka-Tsuki team, I think it is safe to assume that TLG would not object to this. After all, from my limited interpretation of the Captain, is that he never stands in the way of clear progress that does not infringe on criminal activities.

Therefore it would be my pleasure to welcome you to join the Baka-Tsuki Team to compile an official Baka-Tsuki PDF.

While this would be on a volume to Volume Basis, you will only have to work on Volume one at the moment, until we have completed all avaiable books.

Once again, I would like to thank you for taking your time to undertake this project.

I look forward to your contribution.

[velocity7]

A PDF release is good but there are a few caveats that come up:

1. Should we release a new version every once in a while, as the wiki content changes?
2. Will this put us in competition with companies who decide to also translate the novel for the North American market?

On another note, what would be nice is if the actual PDF will have pages that mimic that of the Japanese novels. You may see an example of the Japanese pages from the images below. Usually the order is as follows:

1. Cover page (in Color Illustrations)
2. Table of Contents
3. Insert (in Color Illustrations)
4. Color double-pages (in Color Illustrations)
5. Suzumiya Haruhi START! (in Color Illustrations)
6. Text
7. Illustration
8. etc.

[onizuka-gto]

Well to answer some of your questions,

1) I was think of releasing the pdf either per chapter or per volume, meaning when you take the pdf a volume at a time, it would be the latest revision. Even statin the latest edition with a date. it will be inpractical to release it at every change. but it will also mean the one we release will be more current them any other fan compiled pdf, unless they have the time to make a new one everytime it changes, and if there is someone out there like that, please contact me.


2) definately not, because as the Captain stated, the minute we know the Suzumiya Haruhi novels will be licenced for the North American Market, TLG will remove it from the wiki. so there will be no conflict.


As for having the PDF resemble the original material.

Why not?

Contact Keito, and discuss it with him, obviously we will not be able to replicate everything, but perhaps we can reach a middle ground that will pay respect to the original and that will be suitable to an English reading audience.

[onizuka-gto]

Talking about suggestion, the Big Boss himself wish to give some:

1. Maybe you should include page numbers + book title at the end of each
page. This would make it easier for people to refer to.
2. Similarly, a chapter layout tree can help people to jump to the chapter
they want to read.
3. The last page of the pdf with Mikuru in the bunny suit: it is supposed to
go after the color illustrations and before the prologue. The words on the
sign means roughly "The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi Is Starting Now!"

Just some things to think about keito.

(^^)

[Zero Blitz Guest]

A PDF release is good but there are a few caveats that come up:

1. Should we release a new version every once in a while, as the wiki content changes?
2. Will this put us in competition with companies who decide to also translate the novel for the North American market?

On another note, what would be nice is if the actual PDF will have pages that mimic that of the Japanese novels. You may see an example of the Japanese pages from the images below. Usually the order is as follows:

1. Cover page (in Color Illustrations)
2. Table of Contents
3. Insert (in Color Illustrations)
4. Color double-pages (in Color Illustrations)
5. Suzumiya Haruhi START! (in Color Illustrations)
6. Text
7. Illustration
8. etc.

I totally agree. There's one novel translation that came to mind the instant I started reading this thread. Here's some examples of how they did it:

Front page:

Back page:

Inner sleeve:


Pages prior to story (in order):

Start of story:

You probably get the idea. ^^

If haruhi is done in this fashion, it would probably look really good and would be really nice to print off, if people felt like it.

Also, I think the idea of only updating when a new chapter is finished is good as people would download half-finished versions then moan about the other half not being done.

PDF is good but maybe someone could release the pages as seperate JPGs in rar/zip form too?

[onizuka-gto]

Well thats the beauty of this wiki stuff, they can't really complain about the pdf being "half-done" if we ever have the insanity to do so, because they can see for themselves the progress of the translation and even witness the script being updated.

Obviously people will always be inpatient, but if they can't wait for the group translator to finish it off, they are welcome to help, like they say:

If you want a job done properly, do it yourself. unless you can't, in which case your complain is invalid.

[Final Fantasist]

Hmm, I'm new on this forum, I hope my vote counts =p

Anyway I would like to share my two cents:

I've downloaded Volume 1 and really enjoyed reading it, and there are so many things that ae different then the anime, but enough of that, let me get to the point.

There were some sentences that I didn't know if Kyon was talking to himself or talking to the other person in question. I know if Kyon were talking then the text should have "___" between, but it felt kind of akward sometimes.

I've seen the preview and the screenshots, whenever a character talkes, there's the --- before the sentence, well you get the idea.

I'm all for this offical version. Also, I would want to help in any way possible, but alas, I can't translate japanese t english, since translatio is the thing that I like to do lol.

And about the releasing of each chapter instead of a whole volume... Well if that was the case, maybe you could do a few things:

1º - Release the chapters by chronoligical order. We know that the anime doesn't go by this order, and I've seen in wiki, in the timeline link that this novel won't either. Maybe releasing each chapter chronologicaly? That would make things much easier for the readers imo.

2º - After you do point number 1, maybe you could do your own list of the timeline. I know it's in wiki, but that way you could make this with a little more "offical" feeling, to sort of speak. Since you'll be releasing by chapters, you could at least give it to us in according to timeline, if you get my grip.

Of course, with all this in mind, you guys should be loyal to the book, in terms of inner presentention, like cover, notes, etc. (and as someone pointd out, the images being in a different page then the text.

I'm saying all this, but I don't know the work that you guys will have to do if you decide to do something that I suggested. As I said, if there's any way I can help, I'll help.

Thanks for reading this looong post, just waned to get my ideas through ^^

[SubordinateFive]

There were some sentences that I didn't know if Kyon was talking to himself or talking to the other person in question. I know if Kyon were talking then the text should have "___" between, but it felt kind of akward sometimes.

Join the club. We've noticed it too—that's simply how it appears in the original Japanese text (with the mixture of present/past tenses). It's generally agreed that this is simply the author's style.

Of course, with all this in mind, you guys should be loyal to the book, in terms of inner presentention, like cover, notes, etc. (and as someone pointd out, the images being in a different page then the text.

They seem to be leaning towards this direction anyway.

This point and the one above have ongoing discussions within this forum, so be sure to check them out.

I'm saying all this, but I don't know the work that you guys will have to do if you decide to do something that I suggested. As I said, if there's any way I can help, I'll help.

Answer: a lot. I'm not on the project team (merely a fan of the series) but I think I can safely say that any help would be greatly appreciated.

By the way, it would help to know what kind of help you can offer.

I must know what each of you consider your best skills. ... No!! Not the petty, useless abilities forced upon you as part of your educational incarceration! What are you capable of that you are most proud?? What are your L33T skillz??

[keito]

Therefore it would be my pleasure to welcome you to join the Baka-Tsuki Team to compile an official Baka-Tsuki PDF.

Why, thank you!

On another note, what would be nice is if the actual PDF will have pages that mimic that of the Japanese novels. You may see an example of the Japanese pages from the images below. Usually the order is as follows:

1. Cover page (in Color Illustrations)
2. Table of Contents
3. Insert (in Color Illustrations)
4. Color double-pages (in Color Illustrations)
5. Suzumiya Haruhi START! (in Color Illustrations)
6. Text
7. Illustration
8. etc.

I have used the Japanese novel as some kind of model for my work so far, and my goal was to create something true to the original typography. For instance, it has SOS logos at the beginning of each chapter, and the book's title and page numbers placed at the top of all pages (though the pages with book title should possibly be switched to the right page, as we are, like, mirroring the original).

My reason for putting the image of Haruhi on page 17 instead of being solo on page 18, was that if I did, then page 17 would be only five lines long, consisting of 80% white-space. Then the image would lose its connection with the text, and it would seem as if the chapter was over. If the text was at page 16, and the image could be put at page 17, then it'd be completely different.

Now I'm looking at some double linebreaks that might be unnecessary, and if I'd be able to follow the original typography more accurately, that'd be great. However, do remember that the Japanese novel reads downwards from right to left, and is therefore designed to help the eyes read that way. Not all things are as easy to mimic, when taking readability into consideration as well, so there'll always have to be made some choices in the progress. Maybe I should have someone else to ask for advice when I need to take such choices, so that I get to hear other people's opinions too.

Start of story:

You probably get the idea. ^^

If haruhi is done in this fashion, it would probably look really good and would be really nice to print off, if people felt like it.

I don't understand how the designer working on that book figured out that it was a good idea to waterstamp the original text and put a comic font in top of it. Unless they had no designer. Comic fonts aren't meant to be used for longer texts, and as such aren't suited for it. The original text in the background is irritating, at least my eyes keeps trying to read it all the time. I don't understand why they left it there. Other than that, it was not bad.

Talking about suggestion, the Big Boss himself wish to give some:

1. Maybe you should include page numbers + book title at the end of each
page. This would make it easier for people to refer to.
2. Similarly, a chapter layout tree can help people to jump to the chapter
they want to read.
3. The last page of the pdf with Mikuru in the bunny suit: it is supposed to
go after the color illustrations and before the prologue. The words on the
sign means roughly "The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi Is Starting Now!"

Just some things to think about keito.

(^^)

1. Already done.
2. The original novel has one, so our should also feature a table of contents, modelled after the original book!
3. Gotcha!

[garra]

Hey I know this may be a stupid question, but what are you useing to read that pdf file? I really like the exterior outlook and how its made. Mind telling me what it is?