Golden Time

[rpapo]

1) Ah, so the anime cliches are true that the normal Japanese looks down at otakus ?

From what I've seen, yes. At least in the older generation, and those that haven't lived in Japan for a while.

2) Would that really be worthwhile?

I find most so-called literature to be an exercise in elitism. That is, people saying "Look how smart I am. I can write things you cannot understand because you aren't smart enough." It turns me off.

3) Problem would be that one would have too pay too much to get a license to do that legally (also I heard translators are normaly paid very bad...)

Actually, in this case my wife was suggesting that I use my spare time doing independent software development to bring in some more cash. I prefer to use my free time doing whatever I care to do, and not be subject to other people's deadlines. Besides, my salary is quite enough for our needs. We aren't rich, but we aren't poor either.

4) Great that you can understand that!

Like I said, I had no idea what I was getting into. Takemiya is a challenge to translate, but it's like getting thrown in the deep end of the pool: you learn quickly or you drown. At least I'm keeping my head above water now.

[thelastguardian]

For language scholars, every language has its share of trashy literature. One of my Eng teacher threw his copy of Harry Potter to the bin after 50 pages or so into the book, and let's not even mention those Japanese cell phone novels these days. It all depends on your definition of bad literature. Cast your net wide enough, you will encompass the majority of popular literature.

As for being a Jap-Eng translator- the pay is fine if you are a 20-something single. But you can hardly earn enough money to feed a family of three (I know a couple japs here who do part-time game translation.) It's not worth it.

[rpapo]

As for being a Jap-Eng translator- the pay is fine if you are a 20-something single. But you can hardly earn enough money to feed a family of three (I know a couple japs here who do part-time game translation.) It's not worth it.

That's been my take on it too. Translation doesn't pay much, in part because there's not enough demand for it, and in part because there are plenty of cheap (i.e. not that good) translators available. Business doesn't pay more than it has to. I'm fluent in Spanish, but I wouldn't want to try making money as a translator between English and Spanish. I've been doing computer software since the 70s, and it pays quite nicely. The main drawback to the job is the lack of physical activity: it's all head work.

In any case, I didn't start learning Japanese as a potential livelihood. I did it because I was interested in the language. Interest in anime, manga and light novels (in that order) came along afterwards. Having reached a plateau in my book-learning of Japanese after nearly two years of study, I decided to force myself up to the next level. Hence, a dive into the deep end of the pool.

[Darklor]

From the Story synopsis from the wiki project page:

The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was her childhood friend, Kaga Kouko.

Shouldnt that bold underlined her not be a his?

[rpapo]

You're right. Remember when we were gender-confused about this story at first?

[rpapo]

Do you get the feeling that everybody in this story is crazy but the ghost? Banri is like half a person, and we have seen hints as to why, though the wiki article is the real spoiler. Mitsuo is a typical crazy 18 year old, and probably the sanest of the living so far. Kouko seems more than a little cracked, living in some sort of fantasy world of her own.

[rpapo]

Chapter one is done. Let the hacking begin. There are probably plenty of misunderstandings in the translation, one of them very plain in the final paragraphs of the chapter: Since when was Banri the recipient of two unintentional kisses on the same day? I don't remember Kouko giving him any kind of kiss, and it sure looked like Linda's thrown kiss was intentional, and that Banri was the target.

Aside from that, I have a tendency to be too literal in translating at times, so sometimes the English comes off as stilted, even though it's my native language. Side effect of being fluent in another language . . . other ways of thinking don't seem quite so strange anymore.

So if anybody would like to pitch in with their opinions and/or criticisms, feel free.

[Luksis]

Hey Guys i just finished reading Toradora! til end of chapter 10 and searched for other releases by Takemiya Yuyuko out of curiosity.
I found "Golden Time"( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_%28novel%29 ). I dont know if this Novel is really good `cause i cant yet read in japanese (learning it beside normal schoollife^^), but looking back on Toradora! Im almost sure it is...
Therefor Id pretty much suggest you Guys take a look at it and translate it if it is good, if it is not good i wouldnt mind to have translated nevertheless

Well thats it from my side hope for an answer

MfG Luksis

[rpapo]

I've been translating it slowly since October. You will find it in our teaser projects area, at http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... olden_Time. The prologue and first chapter are done, and I'm about a quarter through with the second chapter, typically doing about three pages per week, interleaving it somewhat with work on Spinoff 2. I, too, am still learning Japanese, which is why I'm not all that fast.

The teaser poll page is at viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500

The main forum topic is at viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3465

[Luksis]

Well thats great, thanks for the Reply

[rpapo]

Dengeki Bunko's light novel releases for March 10, 2011 have been announced, and though it had been thought that Golden Time 2 might not make it, it has shows in the listing at http://dengekibunko.dengeki.com/new/bunko1103.php#new2. The cover artwork has not yet been posted, but the following blurb was given:

Golden Time 2 - The Answer is YES

Yuyuko Takemiya of ‘Toradora!’ and Komatsu Eiji of ‘Iriya’ present the second volume of this romantic comedy about youth!

Exuding an overwhelming aura, styling herself as perfect, in fact as a princess Kaga Kouko hadn’t done too well. The failure of her original plan, in which her fate was to be married to her childhood friend, had left her feeling somewhat heartbroken.

Meanwhile, an older club member, Linda, though generally well thought of as a caring and sociable person, was in fact from Banri’s same high school class, and what’s more, seems to have had a deep relationship with him, and was now hiding the fact carefully.

Having lost his memories, Tada Banri’s heart was torn between the two. Club activities, going to parties, their hearts were separating, yet they were nearing.

When Banri turns toward them to ask, what will the answer be---?

[larethian]

I'll read the original when I have more time, and do some proof-reading for you.

[rpapo]

The summary would be nice for everybody, since at the rate I'm going I won't even be done with volume 1 until volume 3 comes out! I will of course buy the books as they come out.

To keep up with Takemiya's pace in writing, I would need to be approximately three times faster than I currently am. That will only happen if (1) I lose my job, (2) I retire, or (3) I simply learn an awful lot more. I've still got a mortgage to pay on, so that leaves me with only one choice: work harder and learn more.

Of course, if somebody else wants to step up to the plate to help out, that'd be nice, but I don't see that happening at this point. Most of our translators seem to interested in stuff that's a little more violent, a little more ecchi... and a lot easier to deal with.

Then again we have the masochists who want to get back into SnS...

[larethian]

actually, most of the translators are not even active anymore (basing on the names in the member list)

for projects like this, the only way is to get new translators who are like-minded. so I guess it's best to network around in other forums, and then market, I mean advertise, hmm, rather, publicize about this project. if something is interesting across the board, attracting new translators is a matter of time if there is enough publicity. though whether these translators 'die' along the way is another story though.

as for SnS, if it ever gets revived, which seems very unlikely given the way things are going, it could very well generate a shockwave momentum in the 'otakish' world, especially when there are 4 active translators, and possibly more to come later, it just make me go waku waku that I'll slacken my original requirement of 5 ACTIVE translators.

[rpapo]

Well, I've been snooping around in MyAnimeList for native speakers that are interested in Takemiya. How do you find them? Simple: if they claim to have read all of the Toradora Spinoff books, or to have entirely read Golden Time yet, then they've got to be able to read Japanese fluently, since as far as I know the only translations to English of the above material are my own, and I'm nowhere near done.

No luck yet, though. Two didn't bother to answer, another had marked the books as fully read by mistake...