K-ON! Discussion Thread

[Asrialys]

Originally Posted by kijakusai

Perhaps you like speech styles used by Japanese upper-class girls. <grin>
Since I read K-ON! in the original, I don't know whether the translator of the K-ON! manga dealt with various Japanese styles of the lines in the manga well, though.

Hm, can't say it's conveyed all that clearly for any of the characters. However subtle, Ritsu does occasionally use words that the others most likely wouldn't, like "friggin" instead of "freaking" when describing Tsumugi's vacation house. At a quick glance through the pages, just about everyone, including Tsumugi, seems to use "'cos" instead of "because" or "gonna" instead of "going to". When stating that Yui is ready for the make-up test, Tsumugi says that Yui's "got the make-up test in the bag now!". Although it may be subtle, Tsumugi does speak in a way that may be different than others. You may need to look for it though.

[einhorn303]

Originally Posted by Asrialys

Hm, can't say it's conveyed all that clearly for any of the characters. However subtle, Ritsu does occasionally use words that the others most likely wouldn't, like "friggin" instead of "freaking" when describing Tsumugi's vacation house. At a quick glance through the pages, just about everyone, including Tsumugi, seems to use "'cos" instead of "because" or "gonna" instead of "going to". When stating that Yui is ready for the make-up test, Tsumugi says that Yui's "got the make-up test in the bag now!". Although it may be subtle, Tsumugi does speak in a way that may be different than others. You may need to look for it though.

I feel like in English a polite speech style is determined more by what one doesn't say, than what one does say as in Japanese, so that'd make it more subtle.

[Orihimes_Boyfriend]

Just read volume 1 and so far I like it a lot. It took me a sec to get used to the up and down style instead of the normal zig-zag patten of reading most mangas but it I got the hang of it really fast. I was a little worried how a story about a music group will do in a manga but so far it's working for the most part. So far Ritsu is emerging as my favorite character since she is the catalysis for most of the jokes. My only minor complaint is I wish the book was little longer cause I was surprised how skinny it is but the inclusion of all the color pages is a nice bonus in addition to the stuff in the back. Can't wait for volume 2.

[kijakusai]

Originally Posted by Serial Experiments Nobue

...her appearance resembles that of a high-school aged Ana Coppola. And then I found out that she played keyboards. Thus, Mugi won me over before ever reading the manga or seeing the anime!

　
I see. You seem to be a fan of Strawberry Marshmallow, Nobue-san.
　
　

Originally Posted by Serial Experiments Nobue

It makes perfect sense that Mugi would speak in polite fashion (similar to Fuu in Magic Knight Rayearth or most of Marimite's cast, I presume), given her social status. In the english translation, Mugi's speech didn't seem remarkably different from the other girls to me. She was still polite, though.

Originally Posted by Asrialys

Hm, can't say it's conveyed all that clearly for any of the characters. However subtle, Ritsu does occasionally use words that the others most likely wouldn't, like "friggin" instead of "freaking" when describing Tsumugi's vacation house. At a quick glance through the pages, just about everyone, including Tsumugi, seems to use "'cos" instead of "because" or "gonna" instead of "going to". When stating that Yui is ready for the make-up test, Tsumugi says that Yui's "got the make-up test in the bag now!". Although it may be subtle, Tsumugi does speak in a way that may be different than others. You may need to look for it though.

　
Thank you for your information about the stylistic thing, Serial Experiments Nobue and Asrialys.
In the Japanese edition, Tsumugi usually speaks in a polite 'well-bred girl' style.
Manga and anime are often interesting from a stylistic point of view. In the Japanese edition of K-ON!, Mio usually speaks distinctly in a boyish style. In a scene where Mio admonishes Yui and Ritsu, she speaks in a 'teacher/mother' style. In the 8th koma of p.57 and the 4th koma of p.58, Sawako-sensei speaks in a rough 'rocker' style. In the 8th koma of p.63 she speaks a fake 'too cute girl' style. In the 5th koma of p.107, she speaks an 'archaic/jock' style.
　

[Goggen]

Anyone else get Vol 2 yet? My copy was waiting in my mail box when I got home from work just now. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but on first glance, it's looking pretty darn good, color pages and all. And yes, "Azusa" is properly spelled.

Oh, and her Yui-given nickname is...

Azu-meow

[EnigmaticWarrior]

Originally Posted by Goggen

Anyone else get Vol 2 yet? My copy was waiting in my mail box when I got home from work just now. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but on first glance, it's looking pretty darn good, color pages and all. And yes, "Azusa" is properly spelled.

I'm still waiting for Right Stuf to ship Volume 2 out to me. It now says "Reserved for your Order," so hopefully I won't have to wait too long to get it.

[Orihimes_Boyfriend]

Originally Posted by EnigmaticWarrior

I'm still waiting for Right Stuf to ship Volume 2 out to me. It now says "Reserved for your Order," so hopefully I won't have to wait too long to get it.

Same here, my copy up updated to "Reserved" yesterday. I plan to order some things in during the Yen Press sale and hopefully it will ship with some of them. Also during the sale I will pre order volume 3.

[kijakusai]

Originally Posted by Goggen

Anyone else get Vol 2 yet?

I bought and read the Japanese edition of Volume 2.

Originally Posted by Goggen

Oh, and her Yui-given nickname is...

Azu-meow

Yeah, in the Japanese edition, the nickname is Azu-nyan. Since 'nyan' is a word which expresses the crying sound of a cat and also is a suffix which adds cuteness to the person's name (the nickname for voice actress Nogawa Sakura is Saku-nyan), linguistically it works nicely.
　

[Junker Woland]

Oh, and her Yui-given nickname is...

Kinda clunky and doesn't really fit as an actual nickname.

I can appreciate it may be clearer from a comprehension standpoint, but in terms of the way it sounds, the nickname would have been better served in its original form, with an added note in either the margins or appendix.

As for the book, haven't purchased the second volume yet, but it'll be included in my next manga order.

[Fencedude]

Originally Posted by Goggen

Oh, and her Yui-given nickname is...

Azu-meow

*twitch*

I don't mind most of the localizations, but I do not like that at all.