@TakinawaTonfa:
Thats a false statement if I ever saw one. TOKYOPOP and Del Ray have both made changes to their manga. Hell, even Dark Horse has edited their titles as well (Although probably few in number as compared to the other two).
You're probably mistaken regarding Del Rey, though I welcome you to provide evidence to the contrary. I would specific that "changes" were referring to "art edits", so cover changes and "extras" do not count.
There was an instance I can think of where TOKYOPOP did indeed edit manga but I have not been able to verify such (which would be Initial D), but I would humoursly point out it's the same kind of editing VIZ Media would have done, yet recieved a ton of backlash since TOKYOPOP was held to be the "100% authentic" company, not the snarling conformist localizations that VIZ Media flatly applies to all of its works.
In all likelihood, I would surmise like VIZ Media TOKYOPOP was considering anime fans too small a market and wanted to expand its reach to "mainstream America", hence the localizations. Since then, there hasn't been a single "bastardization" of TOKOYOPOP heavily editing manga, since doing so was so utterly disastrous to them.
@TakinawaTonfa:
Thats NOT what he said, and likening the Viz translation to the Bernstein Bears is a pretty cheap and poor comparision.
How dare you insult the Bernstein Bears! It is an integral part of classic American children's literature! :getlost:
@TakinawaTonfa:
I understand what rapskallion is saying, and I have to agree that the Viz translations do have a very nice flow to them, and the delivery in English works well, sort of like a well-done FUNimation dub (and thats just my interpretation of it based on my reading habits). It's that same ease of reading which got me into manga a few years back. The only difference then was that Viz was a bit more lenient on swearing.
"you darn dirty half-fish". Real flowing, that.
…
Language simplification is inevitable given that we want children to be able to understand the manga; Oda has this in mind when he writes dialogue, which is meant to be sort of detatched anyway given the format of manga, which jumps from sequence to sequence. Writiers of news articles do the same thing; magazines like TIME and NEWSWEEK write in the style of a fourth grade level narrative so that even the uneducated can understand the writing. It's more 'personalized'.
What I would point out is that the language is too simple; simple sentences, which require less thought to process, are of course easier on the eyes than a comprehensive and annotated addition of The Communist Manifesto. And, of course, we have "awkward" sentences as well that do not sound "flowing" since not enough time was devoted to over-simplifying the dialogue, making it stand out.
I might provide some examples tomorrow if I edit this post; it all depends on how much work I accomplish today.
@TakinawaTonfa:
Coming from a person who actually edits quotes from other memberrs…Yeah, that is some sort of double-standard. :happy:
What? What does proof-reading the quotes of other people have to do with swearing? Are you referring to the […] style? That's more along the lines of censorship, actually, though I've been doing a lot less of it since I've become increasingly indolent.
@TakinawaTonfa:
Thats how any from of media gets when it becomes more popular. Its gets branded with labels to show whats appropriate for the respective age group.
Take a look at video games for example. In about 1976, when games were really taking their baby steps, and were the latest "thing", there was an arcade title called Death Race (based off the movie "Death Race 2000) which sparked some of the first controversy (however minor) in that form of media. Fast-foward to 1992, when games are a lot more popular now (thanks to Nintendo) and you've got the game everyone's talking about, Mortal Kombat. The game solely responsible for the creation of the ESRB. That game was on the verge of being censored or just out-and-out banned. Even today, while the ESRB system is still is in place, some games still get edited. (With the occasionally oddity such as the chainsaw deaths in the Japanese version of Resident Evil 4)
Such would be understandable for video games since, in some manner shape or form, they have, do, or will impact almost every American life. However, is manga in the same kind of vein? The "advent" of manga as a popular medium was during 2002, and aside from Naruto the market has grown simply because more people are being exposed to it, but compared to the exponential growth of video games, not to mention the number of companies that have sprung up dedicated to them versus manga companies and the 'accessibility' of said games, manga shouldn't be at the point of applying "labels" just yet.
On another note, the video game industry is vastly different in terms of how people react to labeling; company branding means virtually nothing to consumers as far as video games go because of the enormus number of companies, which makes it difficult for them to gain recognition. At that, consumers are educated enough to recognize that "not everything from Nintendo is quality", so they're more responsive to actual gaming content rather than merely buying based on a brand (which VIZ Media is trying to work against). Additionally, ESRB ratings rarely impact parents or children who purchase a game, primarily because of the "title" not "company" recognition I just talked about. Case in point; more third graders play Diablo II on Battle.net than high school kids, and they're blood good at it. ESRB's ratings are only important in determining which stores can carry certain game, and so long as nothing has shagging in it (a sad state of affairs in American societies) major chain stores will carry it.
@TakinawaTonfa:
OK, I'm pretty sure the last thing Viz wants us to believe is that manga isn't from Japan. Why would they bother calling it "manga" then?
They call their products 'graphic novels' officially, but manga is used in advertisements. It's just "cool" to use foreign words when advertising something foreign, which would explain why English lyrics appear in J-POP songs.
I'm saying, though, that there's a philosophical contradiction between what VIZ Media says and what they do; they're promoting Japanse culture while simultaneously censoring much of it. Compared with the other comapnies, barring the D.C. Comics, a "wholly American" company, it's indicative of 'typical' Japanese conformity to the West. A submissive nation that deems much of its culture unworthy to be explained to Americans, such that they try to omit altogether.
As an Asian, as well as a strong promoter of ethnic diversity and awareness in America, that goes against the very fundamentals of what I, and nearly all of the people I associate with, believe to be 'progressive' regarding the integration of world cultures into American culture.
Ironically, it would be TOKYOPOP, a company run by weeaboo, who turn out to be the strongest promoters of 'authentic' (or as 'authentic' as manga gets) Japanese culture.
@TakinawaTonfa:
On that note, why would "manga" be bothered to be defined in the dictionary?
???
@TakinawaTonfa:
Credited as what? And where exactly?
The "English team" credits are not on the covers themselves, but on one of the inside cover pages. You won't have to look very far. Full credits for VIZ Media and then some credit to Oda as "Japanese staff"; I don't even think Oda's assistants are mentioned.
@TakinawaTonfa:
I kinda disagree. The title itself, spread through word of mouth, reviews, Internet, etc. really aids establishes an author/mangaka. (See Naruto) It's kinda going out on a limb to say that 'x' is going to be popular solely because its by 'y' who is 'z's sibling/father/mother/etc.
When I think of Eiichiro Oda, I think of just the name "Oda". When I think of Akira Toriyama, I just think "Toriyama". When I think of Masashi Kishimoto, I think "Kishimoto". Average Americans, especially children, have trouble with foreign names, so if they pick up on something they recognize "Kishimoto" and they want more of something like like, say Naruto, they'll also go for material with a related name.
And yes, the title is of paramount importance, but when the title lacks recognition (like O-Parts Hunter, changes from it's original name 666 Satan) people rely on authorship for identification.
@TakinawaTonfa:
That being said, I have heard and read some good things about 666/O-Parts. I might have to check that out.
Same, I hear it's better than Naruto and still has good art, but I can't get past the title. ~.~;;