Translating Japanese typefaces in ‘Manga’: Bleach

Armour, William Spencer and Takeyama, Yuki 2015. Translating Japanese typefaces in ‘Manga’: Bleach. New Readings 15 , pp. 21-45. 10.18573/newreadings.102

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Abstract

This study is concerned with how Japanese-language typefaces used in the popular Japanese ‘manga’ Bleach have been translated into English. By using a social semiotic approach, this article asks two questions: does the typeface fit the role it was intended for and does it get its message across? We analyse one example taken from the Japanese-language source text and compare it with the English-language target text. While there are significant differences between the typefaces used in each text, we claim that the target text may be ‘constrained’, leading the discussion to issues dealing with foreignisation and domestication. We conclude by suggesting that the choices of typefaces in each text achieve their purpose but in different ways.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Subjects:	N Fine Arts > NC Drawing Design Illustration P Language and Literature > PL Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania P Language and Literature > PR English literature
Publisher:	Cardiff University Press
ISSN:	1359-7485
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	10 Aug 2023 16:21
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/128910

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