*twitch* It rather bothers me when a doujinshi scanlating group announces their first release with phrasing similar to "Here's our first doujinshi!" Like the people who, say, created the doujinshi aren't worthy of mention.
There seems to be an odd disconnect about doujinshi among many English-language fans. Like people who would scream bloody murder if their fic was translated without their permission don't give a second thought to reading scanlated doujinshi... They seem to see them as something that is just there, not the product of another fan.
Yup. And when someone's looking for a particular one, the first thing they say is "Where can I get scans?" instead of "Is the group selling copies anywhere?"
To be fair, people say that about most manga, too. >>; The 'scans rather than buy!' thing isn't just limited to doujinshi... though I'm quite sure you know that so I have no idea why I'm telling you!
I wish doujinshi were easier to get here, though. I'd happily buy tons of it if I could get it in a way that actually benefited the creators rather than paying $20 for 10 pages from a reseller. :/
My attitude towards doujinshi pricing took a huge turn when I saw how cheaply used dj were priced in Japan. The new ones, especially from popular groups, were $16-25, but I bought lots in the $2-10 range. I suspect I know how some people are financing their stays in Japan.
While I'm absolutely sure "Free stuff!" is the top thing on people's minds rather than "Possible legal backlash!", there's still an element of risk of buying stuff through international snail mail, especially for yaoi and/or sexually explicit doujinshi/manga. A guy in the US got held up on obscenity charges recently for receiving a package of yaoi (I need to check if that's been dropped yet or if the CBLDF has gone into WTF mode). And there was an interesting discussion on free_manga a while back (in a post requesting English-licensed yaoi) between fangirls who hadn't bought the series like good fans because they lived in non-English-speaking countries with strict obscenity laws and regular mail searches. I know stories like these are the vast minority, but they make the copyright/translation/scanslation wonkiness more complicated and interesting.
Scanslating doujinshi is still kinda shady, but I can't say I haven't benefited hugely from it. (I WILL stop reading/delete doujinshi that have those those big "PLEASE DO NOT SCAN THIS" notices from the artist already on them. *facepalm* Ohhhh, scanslators.) I myself am happy to pay my $15-$20 on eBay for doujinshi and hope my USPS inspection luck doesn't run out, but they've all* been doujinshi I read in scans first. I could get them much cheaper in Japan, but they're cheaper and less frustrating for me than a plane ticket and hours rummaging through Japanese comic stores for That One Awesome Temari/Shikamaru Hentai Doujinshi With The Pink Cover.
*except the awesomeawesome Coyote Iruka doujinshi y'all mailed me from Japan, which I adore to pieces and hope to never have to talk about in court. And would kill for a translation/scanslation of the talky non-sex bits.
If you send me the scan, I can translate the parts you want. As you long as you don't mind unnatural English dialogue flow, I am pretty sure I can translate it accurately^^
GLEEE! I love you!! My computer that is hooked up to my scanner is currently dead, but once I get it replaced I will see what I can do! Thank you thank you thank you eeee!
I don't mind unnatural English dialogue flow, but yours is far from unnatural and very far from the worst I've seen. With many scanslations that are (for example) originally in Japanese, licensed in Chinese, translated from Chinese into Portuguese by Person 1, then translated from Portuguese into English by Person 2, I've seen some VERY STRANGE wording. And that's why English scanslation groups are always begging for more people who can read Japanese!
No problem! If you can number the speech bubbles that will be great!
So Japanese to Chiniese to Portuguese to English?? Oh boy...(@_@) And as for why some Japanese people are reluctant to join scanslation groups (including me) please read my post below... I think I prefer to help friends when needed and translate what I want like HAGIO Moto.
Your icon!! it is TWITCHING! Sorry, I had to say that.
Anyway, the consensus of scanslation here in Japan(from what I could gather from other Japanese LJs and blogs) among people who are interested in translating are the following. (I have to remind you that this is an "impression" people got) Scanlation groups seems rigid and have definate preference and do not really allow people to choose what they want to translate They actually tell some Japanese people their understanding are wrong (ie argumentative? aggressive?) They are scary ..... Anyway, that is why even though I am interested in translating, I am not signing up for anything. Blah
You could always start your own group if you felt like it! As the essential Official Person Who Can Read Japanese, you get to be Boss Lady. And only release chapters as determined by magical phases of the moon, just to drive overly impatient fans insane. Every time a bell rings, someone is starting a new scanslation group (to replace another scanslation group that died when its members got bored or got in a fight because they couldn't scanslate what they want!).
That's why you form a group! So someone else with a scanner does the dirty work ;D.
Scanlation groups seems rigid and have definate preference and do not really allow people to choose what they want to translate
I agree that a lot of the larger and more established groups are like that, but the smaller ones tend to be much more flexible. I guess it's because larger groups are that much harder to organize?
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I wish doujinshi were easier to get here, though. I'd happily buy tons of it if I could get it in a way that actually benefited the creators rather than paying $20 for 10 pages from a reseller. :/
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Scanslating doujinshi is still kinda shady, but I can't say I haven't benefited hugely from it. (I WILL stop reading/delete doujinshi that have those those big "PLEASE DO NOT SCAN THIS" notices from the artist already on them. *facepalm* Ohhhh, scanslators.) I myself am happy to pay my $15-$20 on eBay for doujinshi and hope my USPS inspection luck doesn't run out, but they've all* been doujinshi I read in scans first. I could get them much cheaper in Japan, but they're cheaper and less frustrating for me than a plane ticket and hours rummaging through Japanese comic stores for That One Awesome Temari/Shikamaru Hentai Doujinshi With The Pink Cover.
*except the awesomeawesome Coyote Iruka doujinshi y'all mailed me from Japan, which I adore to pieces and hope to never have to talk about in court. And would kill for a translation/scanslation of the talky non-sex bits.
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I don't mind unnatural English dialogue flow, but yours is far from unnatural and very far from the worst I've seen. With many scanslations that are (for example) originally in Japanese, licensed in Chinese, translated from Chinese into Portuguese by Person 1, then translated from Portuguese into English by Person 2, I've seen some VERY STRANGE wording. And that's why English scanslation groups are always begging for more people who can read Japanese!
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So Japanese to Chiniese to Portuguese to English?? Oh boy...(@_@)
And as for why some Japanese people are reluctant to join scanslation groups (including me) please read my post below...
I think I prefer to help friends when needed and translate what I want like HAGIO Moto.
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Sorry, I had to say that.
Anyway, the consensus of scanslation here in Japan(from what I could gather from other Japanese LJs and blogs) among people who are interested in translating are the following.
(I have to remind you that this is an "impression" people got)
Scanlation groups seems rigid and have definate preference and do not really allow people to choose what they want to translate
They actually tell some Japanese people their understanding are wrong (ie argumentative? aggressive?)
They are scary
.....
Anyway, that is why even though I am interested in translating, I am not signing up for anything. Blah
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But don't own a scanner unfortunately..
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Scanlation groups seems rigid and have definate preference and do not really allow people to choose what they want to translate
I agree that a lot of the larger and more established groups are like that, but the smaller ones tend to be much more flexible. I guess it's because larger groups are that much harder to organize?
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So all I have to do is to find me a slave *g*