HAPPY 8th ANNIVERSARY!! An 8th of a Decade of Light Novels!

[onizuka-gto]

Today marks an 8th of a decade since our GLORIOUS DEAR LEADER, THE BIG BOSS, Thelastguardian raised the good ship Baka-Tsuki!

True to his username, he has tirelessly and faithfully been the guardian of this niche genre of Japanophile culture.

But in there 8 years we have not only liberated our comrades from illiteracy and zombie manga stupors, but have embrace the wonders of reading and translating as a hobby to be proud of.

Without you all, my comrade brothers and sisters, we would not of seen Light Novels being published in the west and/or a English speaking one.

Ever since the bloody revolution from the tyrannical anime/manga dictatorship scanlation groups, we have become the oasis of the people, providing a haven for freedom to read and to translate, to practice and improve and bring unknown novels to our comrades.

And for that, I thank you all, without all of your support we would not be here! For the people, by the people!

Here to another 8 years, another 8th of a decade to Light Novels! Baka-Tsuki Banzai!

Why don't you tell Baka-Tsuki your experience? come share it on the comments below.

Tell us how you found Baka-Tsuki, how long you have been here, your first Baka-Tsuki moment and more importantly your all time favourite Baka-Tsuki project?

Edit: In true Baka-Tsuki form 2006 + 2014 = 10yrs! yay! Baka4ever!!!

[victorrama]

I have been watching anine and manga since I was 6 years old...I knew there's the existence of Baka Tsuki from around 2009 or something from browsing through forums etc. At that time I thought what is LN..it's only a dump of text. and then around 2012...Campione anime aired.

I liked it and noticed that it comes from LN. My curiosity then brought me to the irc channel #campione after reading a few chapter.After this and that.. Now I'm stalking BT and helpin whenever and wherever I can. Especially Indonesian community of BT.

My fav LN of all time is hard to decide..so manny good LNs translated ( or not ). But I think it's Campione .

[Nameless angel]

Happy 8th Anniversary.

OK. Now I will tell you about my experience (Sorry if my English was bad)

I watched anime from 7 years old, but I rarely watch them so I always buy magazine about anime. In June 2012 when I was in acceleration class, my parents always told me to study. So I can only obey them, but one day there was a boy who sit in front of me and read my anime magazine (He borrow it before I can read it) and after that he open his laptop and he was watched anime. And I just realize the anime he currently watch was same with the opened page in that magazine. So I decided to watch together with him and I ask "What the title of this anime?" He only answer "SAO"

I began to acknowledge that anime was awesome and I download SAO anime. In episode 17 or maybe 18, I read the magazine with SAO, I just realize there was a word light novel in that. So I am searching that in internet and found Baka-Tsuki. And read SAO in English project and I shocked because it already Volume 10 (But still not complete) and when I saw Indonesian project and click that I was shocked because only few chapter translate. So I register in BT and trying to translate a few chapter in Indonesian project.

I translate few chapter in GGO arc also in Alicization project but one day my parents told me to stop playing computer. And so I decide my last chapter in Mother Rosario become my farewell chapter. But in school the boy in front of me saw me typing a translation. So he say "Are you translator in BT?" I can only nodded and saying "This is my last chapter I will translate"

His face become shocked after he knew the word I am saying, but he say "You still afraid your parents with your score in school because you in acceleration class. Even though you get good score?" I finished my translation and say "If I am still continue become translator. What about study for national exam!" But he only say "It's okay, even though your translation become more slow because you used that time to study, I still want you to continue it because that was something, you like, wasn't it?"

After I heard that I can only say "But...But....But" while crying but he only smile and say "If you can finish Alicization Turning translation, I will make facebook for you" So I become happy and asked "Really....Really....Really" And he only nodded and answer "I will wait your translation, even though it will need one or two month for one part" After that I needed six month to finish it together with national exam (I also get good score) and he fulfilling his promise. And he say "I will wait for next translation" So I answer "Just look forward my next translation". And I am smiling to him. And I am still continue my translation until now.

I am register in BT in September 2012 and forum January 2013. So maybe around two years I stay in BT.

My favorite project is SAO. But for me all light novel is good as long you enjoy the story and thanks to BT because many light novel I can read. Without this site maybe I don't know about light novel until now.

[onizuka-gto]

Thanks for sharing nameless angel, it was a touching story.

I look forward to seeing your activities and contributions on Baka-Tsuki in the future and thanks again for helping bring light novels to the Indonesian communities.

[Hazue]

Woooohoooooo happy anniversaryyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't have much to say since I've forgotten exactly when I get to know Baka-tsuki. Heck, I don't even recall which novel brought me here
What I do know is I've enjoy a looooot of LN thanks to Baka-tsuki, and along the way also managed to practice my Japanese reading (by reading here first before reading the raw LN).

Despite not visiting here lately (in self-control mode, because reading LN could get quite addictive), this is actually one of the very few website/forum that I hope would stay alive for years and decades, so CHEERS AND LONG LIVE BAKA-TSUKI!!

[Xehannos]

Happy Anniversary!

I don't remember from when I have been watching animes and reading mangas(maybe it's around 5 or 6). As for BT, a certain manga-reading site's forum introduced me to BT(SAO was the manga that lead me to BT btw , I think it was around 2010/2011), at first I was just lurking to read SAO(even I read SAO a week before my National Exam lol). Then after that just more, more, and more lurking till I asked my friend if he want to translate SAO together from EN->ID(August 2012), too bad that he stopped half-way... but he's still interested in LN.

And then, from that I worked for AW(ID) Vol.2 with SoulTranslator as my Editor(I think this was the trigger for the rise of Nocturne Sky Translation/NST). After AW, came DAL-ID, and we(NST) are going to keep working on DAL for now, and we'll always post the translation on BT (HAIL BT!!).

My fav: I don't know, too much to decide lol

[Misogi]

BT's that old, huh...

Well, I read the Half Prince manga years ago, then I found SAO as a recommendation (volume 2 wasn't translated back then).
I got here two years ago on a whim and because of a "bet" with a HSDxD fan and comrade.

Luck made me take this series as my first project, which was the beginning of the French section's massive development. Come to think of it, I facepalmed a bit once I read back my first translation (it wasn't bad, but I went a bit too far with adaptations...).

No particular favourite project.

[Cindynka]

Happy anniversary <3 :3

I found BT just because of (a moment of surprise) SAO. I watched anime for already some time (3 years maybe?) but while SAO got out, I've seen tons of spoilers everywhere. I found out that it was because of the novel and I got curious... So I found the site and started reading SAO.
After about a year later, I thought it would be nice if I could translate it into my language and... Well, I kinda got hooked.

My favourite project... Hard to say, I don't probably have only one particular but maybe SAO or Waltraute?

[Shinu-Mitsuki]

I first found BT whilst looking for a translation of SAO. After reading all of the volumes, even those that had an anime adaptation, I began searching to see if any of my other favourites were there. To my surprise, I found my all time fave Toaru majutsu no index. I was amazed to see how much was there, and impressed by how much effort people had made to allow people such as me to read it. In the case of the New Testament volume 9 of index, it was a mere few days since release that it was fully translated to a marvellous standard. BT has rapidly become my most visited site, and I am sure it will continue to be for quite some time.

Congrats on the first eight years! I'm sure all the support you recieve will inspire you to continue this great work. Aim for another eight years, and even beyond!

[krytyk]

Haa, I first took notice of BT around late 2009, and was just a reader, if I'm not wrong I was looking for a manga version of certain anime... and found this place, realizing - wait this isn't manga! The amount of novels was still quite limited back then, but I've had lots of respect for our brave heroes who fight with those weird scribbles. Not much later I started contributing by anonymously fixing typos and stuff... first account in april of 2011... soon after I realized that I can contribute more by doing things others cannot - illustration editing. In middle of 2013 I started to actually work towards learning japanese... and well, here it is. April again 2014 and I write this post!

Well, that's it. Happy anniversary BT. Looking forward to future cooperation with you all~

[Dreyakis]

Somehow, I always felt like B-T has been around forever, though I suppose 8 continuous years of activity does constitute "forever" on the Internet.

Back before I picked up my first light novel, I always considered the light novel fans/readers to be somewhat of a quaint group. Not part of the anime/manga crowd, but not disenchanted enough to forgo the culture entirely. Older than the typical anime/manga fan, but not old enough to be jaded and drift away from the medium either. I honestly never thought I would be one of them one day.

And then I chanced upon the Chinese translations for Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei back in July 2012. The rest, they say, is history.

Perhaps favorite would be too vague of a term to describe my general attitude towards light novels. Notorious as I am when it comes to unleashing scathing critique, very few light novels catch my eye as something I am willing to invest the time and energy into reading, never mind actually working on. Though by no means approaching anywhere near perfection, Mahouka will always be my first and (most likely) only foray into the actual translation business. Occasionally, my attention may drift over to other titles such as GATE, Black Bullet, or some others, but they all remain at the level of dabbling. God willing, I will be there to write the last paragraph when this series ends or the publishers get to us, whichever comes first. (laugh)

[revassin]

Gratz guys, A big thank you to all the members for their hard work. I am only a recent visitor (I think since about a year now) but avid reader of your translations.

I actually found you guys through the manga of High School DxD. I started reading the DxD manga and after reading all the current chapter (at the time only 3-5 chapters where out) I was hooked to High School DxD and i wanted to keep reading. I found out through Manga-Updates that there was a Light Novel and this is how I started reading High School DxD thanks to B-T.

Been reading Light Novels on my e-reader ever since.

This is the order of LN that I started with

1. High School DxD (My first LN ever! Started reading this about month before the anime started)
2. Sword Art Online
3. Campione (I started reading this one after I saw the anime)
4. Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei (My current number one LN cant wait to read more so addicted tot this one)
5. Madan No Ou To Vanadis
6. Chrome Shelled Regios (Seen the anime so i tried out the LN)
7. Silver Cross and Draculea
8. Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance
9. Gakusen Toshi Asterisk
10. Tsurugi no Joou Rakuin no Ko
11. Spice and Wolf

To be honest I heard of Light Novels but I thought they where something similar to books for teens. So my expectation where pretty low but man am I glad I was wrong. I really enjoy reading Light Novels since i discovered them and its all thanks to you guys B-T

[chaoticrun]

Happy anniversary~
I've read at B-T for, uh, maybe 10 months? :3
Because of SAO, probably.
I've read a ton of LNs since then, thanks to all members hard work.

Spoiler! :

Sorry ._.

[defan752]

Congratulations on the 8th anniversary, you guys had better bring us something good for year 10!

I'm kidding.

Anyways, I discovered Baka-Tsuki back in 2012 when seeing someone else read Sword Art Online on their iPad using the site. Intrigued, I pulled up the site myself, and in one single breath, read the entire first novel. Captivated, I proceeded to read Volumes 2, 3, and 4. Then, I marathoned the anime, and came back to read Volumes 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and recently, 13. Out of breath, I scoured the site for more.

I blazed through Accel World.

I devoured High School DxD.

I swallowed Kokoro Connect.

I discovered light novels because of this community, and for that, I thank you all.

Keep up the good work!

[cloudii]

I first became aware of BT sometime around 2011, when I was reading/watching Spice and Wolf. I wanted to read the novel 'cause it was rated really high, but Baka-Tsuki didn't have it (it was abandoned already). :c ...That was my first brush with BT.

Unsurprisingly, SAO drew me back to Baka-Tsuki when the anime came out last year. However, OreImo was the anime that really got me itching to translate. Back then, I really wanted to know what happened next in OreImo............. so I started looking for the Chinese translations. xD

This maybe lulled for around around half a year, and I gradually regained an urge to improve my Chinese, since I'm barely literate. At some point I was inspired with the crazy notion that perhaps I would be able to translate something. OreShura happened to the be the first Chinese translation I stumbled upon (the BT version was stalled), and I happened to watch the anime, so that's why I'm on the project. xD

As opposed to a certain series I like, I have several BT members whom I really admire/inspired me.

Teh Ping (for his blog interview), Chaos (for OreImo) were the ones who probably directly influenced me to start translating.

Juunynam and Pudding321 for making me realize that translating from alternative languages (Chinese/Korean, not Japanese) is acceptable on BT. (I didn't know Zzhk at the time xD)

NanoDesu for his editor diagnostic and his group's great translations that I'd like to strive towards.

EusthEnopEron for solo-ing some amazing one-shots and series. I really hope I can be like him in the future. xD

Finally, all the active members on Baka-Tsuki. Every few months, my translations usually drop to a lull, but every time I glance through Baka-Tsuki and see everyone translating and working so hard, it sort of inspires me to come back again. I think that's the strongest point about BT. I'm not really just translating by myself--we're a community, and I draw a lot of inspiration from seeing other translator's ambitions (whether this be Lygophile, Enn are, Krytyk, and many others). I don't think I would have gotten this far if I had been translating on my own isolated blog.

Perhaps this is Teh Ping's fault, but I've gotten to a state where I've blocked out a year of my life as a translation schedule. @/////@; I mean, I know Teh Ping has it planned out until 2016, but translating is like a synthesis between accomplishing things and seeing a dream come to realization. Like--I want to be here to see the translation of Sakurasou completely finished, and I want to be here to catch OreShura up to date.

Cheers to an 8th anniversary to Baka-Tsuki, and a one-year anniversary to my own time translating on BT. <3