I understand that a manga originally came from Japan, and the name is japanese originally.
But... I do not understand japanese.
I come to this site to access manga in a language that I CAN understand.
As an english reader, if a manga's name has a translation, then it makes sense for the translated name to be used.
If in some cases, the scanlator has specifically left a name that's halfway english/japanese, then fine I can get used to that as well. It's not ideal, but after a while you get used to it.
But as of late, it feels like a lot of titles have been having their name specifically changed from their longstanding ENGLISH name to a japanese name.
That is just extremely jarring and I don't see any purpose for it.
If it was the other way, from a japanese name to english, then yes, I understand that. If it was that the scanlator read somewhere that the author's intent for the title was to be read in some different fashion, I'd also understand.
But I do not understand the reason for, to name one title, "We Can't Study" suddenly had a need to be changed to "Bokutachi wa Benkyou ga Dekinai". As above, if it had been changing "We Can't Study" to "We Never Learn" which is also under alternate titles, I'd understand. But why Bokutachi?
If a title is going to become nonsensical (and it IS nonsensical), why not go the full way and make it "ぼくたちは勉強ができない"? It's just as unreadable, and at least it can be justified with "But that's how it was meant to be read!!!" (That's a terrible excuse, but at least it's one).
I mean, as with the partly translated names or the ones that never were translated, I will get used to it. For example, Tomo-chan has ALWAYS been "Tomo-chan wa Onna ko!" instead of "Tomo-chan is a girl!".
But I really do not understand the rationalization behind changing a manga's name from something understandable, that has been in use for MONTHS if not years, to something pointless, confusing, and jarring.
If you go to the scanlator's website, they themselves use "We Can't Study", not "Bokutachi whatever". So clearly this wasn't a scanlator request, which I could also understand (I'd disagree with it, but hey, they're the ones providing the translation service, I'm willing to bend over to keep getting translations for stuff I'd otherwise not be able to read).
So clearly this came from elsewhere.
So...WHY? Can someone please explain to me why we are having something so pointless occuring? Is there a way to revert this as well?
Edited by kethean, 17 December 2017 - 01:39 AM.