Ruri Dragon - Ch. 14 - I Wanna Learn About You, Maeda

[KazuyaKan]

Maeda is a jerk. She has all these petty grievance about people she doesn't bother getting to know and then has the absolute chutzpah to be mad at Ruri for not caring about people. Projection much?

She just hates people to hate people, aka she a "lives on Twitter 24/7" type.

 

[SuperOniichan]

She just hates people to hate people, aka she a "lives on Twitter 24/7" type.

So, right now Ruri was on the verge of being canceled on Twitter, but was able to turn it around with "why are you so mad?" thread?

 

[nomadicengi]

So, right now Ruri was on the verge of being canceled on Twitter, but was able to turn it around with "why are you so mad?" thread?

Sounds like a Reddit AMA event but with a twist of r/outoftheloop vibe.

 

[ILOVECODY]

Maeda is her biggest hater LMAO.

 

[BuyVelomobiles]

She wasn't exactly meek and socially awkward in the one-shot either. She was sarcastic and just got a bit uncomfortable with all the attention she was getting. Pretty consistent with the regular series to the point that I can't tell the difference. Don't tell me those fautless translators fucked up too.

No clue. I haven't gone out of my way to analyze the one-shot. But that's irrelevant, because I know that here it's a rewrite. There's not all that much slang, not sarcastic at all, and she's much more meek in the raws.

But it wouldn't be the first time I see scans making up lines too. Hell, my uploads consist exclusively of chapters and series where the TL either admitted to making shit up, or didn't even try to follow the plot in the first place.

 

[Guyincognitus]

No clue. I haven't gone out of my way to analyze the one-shot. But that's irrelevant, because I know that here it's a rewrite. There's not all that much slang, not sarcastic at all, and she's much more meek in the raws.

But it wouldn't be the first time I see scans making up lines too. Hell, my uploads consist exclusively of chapters and series where the TL either admitted to making shit up, or didn't even try to follow the plot in the first place.

Okay so either two independent translators got everything wrong in the same exact way or some random asshole in the comment section doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about.

Tough. I'm leaning one way but I won't say which.

 

[TanyaTheEvil]

I love that panel at the end, "I take it back, okay, my bad,"... Thanks for the translation

 

[BuyVelomobiles]

Okay so either two independent translators got everything wrong in the same exact way or some random asshole in the comment section doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about.

Tough. I'm leaning one way but I won't say which.

Random asshole translator, thank you very much. But yeah, you don't really speak the language, so explaining how translating "だよな" (I figured) to "Nothing escapes you" is both inaccurate, and changes her character fundamentally, is basically impossible. And that's one of the easier ones to explain to people. Imagine having to explain the difference between casual speech and slang. I tried it once. It went poorly. And I feel like the other guy was smarter than you.

Spoiler: I asked GPT to try.

Original Japanese Phrase "だよな"​

"だよな" is commonly used in Japanese to seek affirmation or agreement. It can be translated as:

• "Isn't it?"
• "Right?"
• "Don't you agree?"

This phrase is neutral and typically does not carry any inherent humor or sarcasm. It's a straightforward way to confirm or affirm something previously mentioned, expecting a nod or agreement in response.

English Translation "Nothing escapes you"​

"Nothing escapes you" in English tends to carry a specific implication. It can mean:

• A genuine compliment to someone's attentiveness or perceptiveness.
• A sarcastic remark implying that someone is stating the obvious.

Issues with the Translation​

1. Adding Additional Nuance: The translation "Nothing escapes you" introduces a nuance that may not exist in the original Japanese. It suggests a focus on the listener's perceptiveness or possibly their tendency to state the obvious, neither of which is implied by "だよな".
2. Shift in Focus: The English translation shifts the focus from seeking agreement about a statement to commenting on the listener's traits (their perceptiveness or sarcasm). This shift can alter the perceived dynamics between the speaker and the listener.
3. Potential Misinterpretation: Without context indicating sarcasm or humor, "Nothing escapes you" might be misinterpreted as a straightforward compliment, which is different from the neutral agreement-seeking intent of "だよな".

Conclusion​

To avoid confusion, a more accurate translation of "だよな" would focus on its function as a phrase seeking agreement, without adding additional commentary about the listener’s characteristics. Phrases like "Right?" or "Isn't it?" maintain the neutral tone of the original Japanese and are less likely to mislead about the speaker's intent or the nature of the conversation. This approach ensures that the translation remains true to the simplicity and neutrality of the original phrase.

It didn't really have the context needed to understand that this was a response, rather than a question, but I'm not about to feed it the whole page just to have you turn around and ignore everything anyway.

 

[Fireboy]

Nothing wrong with your two tone pigtails Kashiro. They're cute!

 

[WaffleIroner]

I was kind of hoping Maeda had something real going on, but she really just comes off as a petty misanthrope. I guess that's at least an unusual direction. Most comics would probably have gone for misunderstanding-melodrama.

 

[Guyincognitus]

Random asshole translator, thank you very much. But yeah, you don't really speak the language, so explaining how translating "だよな" (I figured) to "Nothing escapes you" is both inaccurate, and changes her character fundamentally, is basically impossible. And that's one of the easier ones to explain to people. Imagine having to explain the difference between casual speech and slang. I tried it once. It went poorly. And I feel like the other guy was smarter than you.

Spoiler: I asked GPT to try.

Original Japanese Phrase "だよな"​

"だよな" is commonly used in Japanese to seek affirmation or agreement. It can be translated as:

• "Isn't it?"
• "Right?"
• "Don't you agree?"

This phrase is neutral and typically does not carry any inherent humor or sarcasm. It's a straightforward way to confirm or affirm something previously mentioned, expecting a nod or agreement in response.

English Translation "Nothing escapes you"​

"Nothing escapes you" in English tends to carry a specific implication. It can mean:

• A genuine compliment to someone's attentiveness or perceptiveness.
• A sarcastic remark implying that someone is stating the obvious.

Issues with the Translation​

1. Adding Additional Nuance: The translation "Nothing escapes you" introduces a nuance that may not exist in the original Japanese. It suggests a focus on the listener's perceptiveness or possibly their tendency to state the obvious, neither of which is implied by "だよな".
2. Shift in Focus: The English translation shifts the focus from seeking agreement about a statement to commenting on the listener's traits (their perceptiveness or sarcasm). This shift can alter the perceived dynamics between the speaker and the listener.
3. Potential Misinterpretation: Without context indicating sarcasm or humor, "Nothing escapes you" might be misinterpreted as a straightforward compliment, which is different from the neutral agreement-seeking intent of "だよな".

Conclusion​

To avoid confusion, a more accurate translation of "だよな" would focus on its function as a phrase seeking agreement, without adding additional commentary about the listener’s characteristics. Phrases like "Right?" or "Isn't it?" maintain the neutral tone of the original Japanese and are less likely to mislead about the speaker's intent or the nature of the conversation. This approach ensures that the translation remains true to the simplicity and neutrality of the original phrase.

It didn't really have the context needed to understand that this was a response, rather than a question, but I'm not about to feed it the whole page just to have you turn around and ignore everything anyway.

You talk a big game and been banging on this drum for ages but this is all you show me? A single phrase doesn'tmake the case for an entire character chatgpt(lol) isn't gonna make your case for you. I need a full chapter of Rawri at least. Put up or shut up.

 

[BuyVelomobiles]

Okay so either two independent translators got everything wrong in the same exact way or some random asshole in the comment section doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about.

Tough. I'm leaning one way but I won't say which.

I actually went ahead and went through the oneshot on here, since you piqued my curiosity. Assuming this is the actual dialogue from the chapter, she was actually written differently. The scan was pretty mediocre, but you can feel that they really tried (And failed at times) to get the dialogue through properly.

You talk a big game and been banging on this drum for ages but this is all you show me? A single phrase doesn'tmake the case for an entire character chatgpt(lol) isn't gonna make your case for you. I need a full chapter of Rawri at least. Put up or shut up.

Like I said: You don't speak or read the language. What kind of explanation were you expecting on the forum? It was all that just to explain three words. If you want to go into Autistic detail, line for line, for an entire chapter, DM me, and we can do a thing on Discord.

 

[RobbertFruit]

I feel like the switch from "Ruri doesn't care about other people" to "actually she does" is a little weird when the reason given is "she's obsessed with what other people think of her."

... That's still not caring about others, she only cares about how they perceive her, that feels very different to me. She still doesn't care about people who don't care about her. It feels a little undeserved as it is, but it seems like it'll be going in a "but she wants to change that perception by truly understanding the other person" sort of route.

 

[Guyincognitus]

I actually went ahead and went through the oneshot on here, since you piqued my curiosity. Assuming this is the actual dialogue from the chapter, she was actually written differently. The scan was pretty mediocre, but you can feel that they really tried (And failed at times) to get the dialogue through properly.

Well, if that's your take then I definitely don't give a shit. You're making the case that flaws in translation are fundamentally failing to capture the spirit of her character but really it seems to me that you've fundamentally failed to understand her character because your only focus is on purism. By your own admission the translators of the oneshot adhered closely to the original and Ruri there is actually less less meek, just as snarky (less sarcastic; still snarky) and just as spunky. So I can walk away from this conversation comfortably knowing that none of your moaning fucking matters.

Like I said: You don't speak or read the language. What kind of explanation were you expecting on the forum? It was all that just to explain three words. If you want to go into Autistic detail, line for line, for an entire chapter, DM me, and we can do a thing on DDiscord.

Hell no.

 

[YamiryuuZero]

"Unlike me, Ruri is borderline obsessed with how others view her and treat her."

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the root of the issue with localizations like these - the original Ruri talks like someone who is self conscious and fears how others might perceive her, while localized Ruri is a snarky girl who couldn't care less as she makes sarcastic retorts at any and everyone!

And now that we've reached out a point where her lack of social skills are on full display as she tries to overcome her meek nature, the localized dialogue betrays that character trait that is being specifically addressed, making the English release a mess!

Now, as for the actual plot, this is quite interesting and realistic. The issues Maeda has with Ruri are mostly her projecting. Ruri isn't someone who doesn't care about others, it's Maeda who shows this trait as she openly dislikes someone else due to preconceptions she has about them and doesn't care to find out the truth. She just assumes Ruri and her best friend are in their own world talking smack about others behind their backs, but all we see is how the best friend wants to help Ruri make more friends, and she didn't even bother to know whether or not the blonde had more friends besides Ruri, which she does. And she starts the list with superficial traits, like Ruri's eyes.

Maeda isn't interested in others, she assumes the worst out of someone and acts like she is better than them for spotting those flaws, but she is the one who needed to take a look on that mirror she handed Ruri the most.

 

[JumboWheat01]

Wait... Ruri didn't notice her eyes had gone slit?

 

[BuyVelomobiles]

Well, if that's your take then I definitely don't give a shit. You're making the case that flaws in translation are fundamentally failing to capture the spirit of her character but really it seems to me that you've fundamentally failed to understand her character because your only focus is on purism. By your own admission the translators of the oneshot adhered closely to the original and Ruri there is actually less less meek, just as snarky (less sarcastic; still snarky) and just as spunky. So I can walk away from this conversation comfortably knowing that none of your moaning fucking matters.

No. I'm telling you that this isn't a translation, but rather a rewrite. The people that did the oneshot at least understood that their role was to convey what was being said faithfully, and just failed sometimes. You seem to think Oneshot Ruri is the same as Series Ruri.

Hell no.

"THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. DO AN ENTIRE CHAPTER FOR ME. LINE BY LINE!"

"Ok, call me."

"NO"
That about tracks as far as my critics tend to go.

You don't speak the language, yet you've already decided I know less about it than you do. Anything you ask for just gets ignored, because the point isn't to actually learn anything, or point out what I've got wrong, but to make yourself feel like you've "Won". And that's why you only got a single explanation, for a single line, written up by an AI.

 

[Guyincognitus]

No. I'm telling you that this isn't a translation, but rather a rewrite. The people that did the oneshot at least understood that their role was to convey what was being said faithfully, and just failed sometimes. You seem to think Oneshot Ruri is the same as Series Ruri.

They're fundamentally the same. Your statements have mischaracterized her the most out of all this.

No. I'm telling you that this isn't a translation, but rather a rewrite. The people that did the oneshot at least understood that their role was to convey what was being said faithfully, and just failed sometimes. You seem to think Oneshot Ruri is the same as Series Ruri.


"THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. DO AN ENTIRE CHAPTER FOR ME. LINE BY LINE!"

"Ok, call me."

"NO"
That about tracks as far as my critics tend to go.

You don't speak the language, yet you've already decided I know less about it than you do. Anything you ask for just gets ignored, because the point isn't to actually learn anything, or point out what I've got wrong, but to make yourself feel like you've "Won". And that's why you only got a single explanation, for a single line, written up by an AI.

This conversation is already too intimate I'm not hopping into your dms. You're here every chapter with something to say regardless.

 

[xanon]

I get not liking someone due to their personality, but because you don't like their eyes? WTF?

 

[BuyVelomobiles]

They're fundamentally the same. Your statements have mischaracterized her the most out of all this.

No, they're not. I don't know why you keep saying this if you haven't even seen the raws, much less understood them.

This conversation is already too intimate I'm not hopping into your dms. You're here every chapter with something to say regardless.

"THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. DO AN ENTIRE CHAPTER FOR ME. LINE BY LINE!"

"Ok, call me."

"NO... I have a fear of intimacy "

Well that's certainly a new one!

I guess you'd rather just "correct" me on material you've never seen before. Let me know when you actually want to have a talk about the dialogue. I'm always available.