From this blog:
The translation by Naomi Kokubo deserves a special mention because it is absolutely superb, giving the characters believable and distinct voices without relying on slang or cutesy verbal devices. The teens sound like teens, the doctors sound like doctors and Tomie sounds like nothing you’ve ever encountered- by turns charming, devious, innocent and then completely inhuman and monstrous. Chris Claremont wishes he could write dialogue this natural.
An ideal translation doesn’t simply substitute one language for another; it amplifies and complements the source material and the author’s original intent. I wish I could read this in the original Japanese, but I can hardly imagine it to be any finer than Kokubo’s work here.
Ahhh… Tomie… You get my highest recommendation!
Now please don’t kill me!
The way manga is usually localized is you’ve got a native Japanese speaker to translate, then a native English speaker to edit or rewrite; so it is with Naomi and me. I have the most fun with Dark Horse, as — being a “normal” comic company rather than strictly a manga publisher — all they ask for is a smooth read that more or less carries the original intent. The result? They put out the most readable, professional-grade adaptations around. I don’t really get credit. That’s okay, though. Naomi does the hard part.
Anyway, of the adaptations I’ve done, I’m most proud of the Junji Ito stuff. What I find interesting is that this guy singled out for praise the specific books, chapters, and characters I spent the most time on.
I’ve never heard of this Chris Claremont person. Looks like he was responsible for writing Uncanny X-Men single-handed for sixteen years. Going by the following description…
The most common criticism of his work is his overly descriptive writing style. Claremont’s characters tend to speak in long paragraphs that are often called forced or unrealistic. He frequently employs third-person omniscient narration to describe events that might easily be conveyed in the art and (to some) unneeded thought bubbles to spell out character motivation and personality, especially during action scenes. He is also known for certain characteristic phrases, (for example, Wolverine’s catchphrase, “I’m the best there is at what I do. And what I do… isn’t very nice”) known as “Claremontisms” among fans.
… I’m not sure how strong this praise really is. I guess it’s sincere, at least!
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