100-nen Ryuunen Shiteru Elf - Ch. 6

[Carn109]

We really fixing Elel
Teaching her to be straight

Also her OG elf outfit is cute af

 

[Kouhakuho]

 

[Silfir]

The problem with translating boke and tsukkomi as "funny man" and "straight man" is that it's mostly incorrect. It's just correct enough to fool people, but wrong enough to be wrong.

"Straight man" and "funny man" in Western parlance are about delivery. The straight man is always serious and composed, the funny man is hot-headed, emotional, or silly, or angry. As an example, look at Abbott and Costello (of "Who's On First" fame). Joe Abbott is the straight man, Costello is the funny man. Nobody could possibly argue against this and be taken seriously. We can move on.

"Boke" and "tsukkomi" are about who's the dumbass (boke), and who is correcting (tsukkomi) the dumbass. Watch Gintama. It's a world full of very stupid people doing nonsensical things with a perfectly straight face. Shinpachi is the only one who sees the absurdity and frequently reacts to it by going absolutely apeshit. He's the classic "tsukkomi". But he's also not a straight man. Straight men don't go apeshit.

It's completely possible for the straight man to be the boke, and the funny man to be the tsukkomi.

In fact, this is expected!

The premise of the very chapter we're commenting on relies on the implicit understanding that, in a comedy routine, bokes should act completely serious, and the tsukkomi should be loudly and violently reprimanding them for their stupidity. Elel herself understands this, probably because of all the variety TV she watches, and her failing was that she was so much a shut-in she did all her tsukkomi in her own head, not that she didn't realize how manzai comedy was supposed to work.

 

[treepalds]

what friend my dear elf? what i see here the other two is more lika parent to you

 

[PinkManiac]

I can't friggin believe the elf was actually right. Genuinely thought it was gonna be an overthinking bit

Same. Was thinking when she pointed out she was an elf, they would say something like she doesn't count towards that debate because she is from another world.

 

[Sumasuun]

Childhood friend makes an adorable elf. I'll be so sad if she doesn't win.

 

[SlingToken]

I've definitely seen boke and tsukkomi left untranslated way more often, dunno what the other commenters are on about. In fact, I've seen the words used more times than I've seen "straightman" and "funnyman" like the person above said (I genuinely don't think I've ever seen "funnyman"). They are extremely common terms in manga/anime. Personally I think you're fine, some people are gonna complain whether you translate it or not.

For real. Super common. I’ve probably seen it in a hundred series by now.
Just learn a little bit of Japanese. You’re reading a manga.
Do you need me to tell you all about the famous Japanese foods riceball, raw fish on rice, and noodle soup?

 

[Metamorfix]

This wasn't a dream chapter!?

 

[sillybear25]

For real. Super common. I’ve probably seen it in a hundred series by now.
Just learn a little bit of Japanese. You’re reading a manga.
Do you need me to tell you all about the famous Japanese foods riceball, raw fish on rice, and noodle soup?

Which noodle soup, the one made with thin alkaline noodles from China, or the one made with thick non-alkaline noodles?

Maybe after dinner, we can go to a singing parlor or a ball bearing casino.

 

[LordTartaros]

Seems like an extremely odd choice to not translate two words/phrases to their english counterparts. I've read I don't know how many manga series at this point and this is literally my first time seeing boke and tsukkomi.
I understand not translating certain extremely common things that sound "wrong" in english like onee/onii-chan, senpai and ojou-sama but boke and tsukkomi ain't it. Also while I'm complaining, why are there so many non-english words in english translations in general? You're the translator, why do I have to google your "translation" to find out what a word means? And if I read a freakin Manwha I gotta learn a whole other set of words that don't get translated, like what the hell is a sunbae or a hoobae?! Now I gotta google more shit, why? /rant

Ok but then we translate samurai as knight and geisha as courtesan. Deal?

Seriously though, translating one to one is suited for the words in common between both languages, not unique cultural elements.

 

[Skater901]

Is this really something that EVERY Japanese person has to develop? The ability to play straight man and fool? Is every interaction just a constant comedy duo??

 

[AzureLightning]

What?

 

[hbmonk]

Childhood friend makes an adorable elf. I'll be so sad if she doesn't win.

I'm almost seeing them as a throuple at this point

 

[Friendly-Sentence710]

Elf-mode Kanae is simply too powerful.

Also, I think it's funny how you acknowledge "senpai" but complain about the cognate "sunbae." These are literally the exact same Chinese word just loaned into different languages.

The issue I have with Sunbae is Senpai is unlike japanese common names and readily identifiable. Senpai used to be put in italics a lot as well. Paisen/Paizen
Sunbae reads like a lot of Korean or Romanized Chinese names, and SL's usually do a poor job of denoting it as a title. Most Japanese SL's usually do a better job of disambiguating Senpai by adding the name, the Korean translations especially are pretty rough about that.

Untranslation is stupid. The English terms are “straightman” and “funnyman”.

I would agree with you except the english translations both lose nuance or are ambiguous, and are clunky.
"Joker" and "Square" might work better but those aren't common slang anymore.

 

[Friendly-Sentence710]

Childhood friend makes an adorable elf. I'll be so sad if she doesn't win.

I am fairly certain that the elf and MC remain only as friends, I don't get any romcom chemistry from them. She's offered her body before and its always been treated as "utter cringe" comedy.