gernot

I'm translating Claymore mostly to improve my Japanese. If you spot any mistakes, do let me know.

If you're looking for a translator for manga other than Claymore, I will probably decline. Claymore works well for me since it only comes out once a month and there's not too much dialog... I don't think I'm up to translating anything else at the moment. However, if it's one of the manga listed below, you might just be able to convince me. If it's not listed... well, you can always ask, but don't hold your breath.

You may use my translations any way you like. It'd be nice if you credit me, but that's not a requirement. If you use my translation for your scanlation, and you decide to change any part of it, please indicate that in your credits (or don't credit me at all).

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I really enjoy Claymore, I think the art and the story are both awesome. But, like I said, I translate it mostly to improve my Japanese.

Here, I'd like to share a short compilation of useful terms I learned (in no particular order).

斬る - "kiru" - to kill (with a sword)
斬殺する - "zansatsu suru" - to kill (with a sword)
惨殺する - "zansatsu suru" - to slaughter, to massacre
殺害する - "satsugai suru" - to kill, to murder
八つ裂きにする - "yatsuzaki ni suru" - to cut (someone) to pieces
切り裂く - "kirisaku" - "to rip, to slash, to cut up, to tear to pieces"
退治する - "taiji suru" - to exterminate
やっつける - "yattsukeru" - to finish (someone) off
千切れる - "chigireru" - to be torn off, to be torn to pieces
略奪する - "ryakudatsu suru" - to pillage, to plunder, to rob
息の根を止める - "iki no ne wo tomeru" - to end (someone's) life
切断する - "setsudan suru" - to cut off, to amputate
両断する - "ryoudan suru" - to cut in two, to bisect

It's just a small selection of terms, but I'm sure you'll also find them very useful and practical in every day life. Please do try to practice them in a conversation when you get a chance.

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Just for fun, here is a random selection of some other manga that I enjoyed reading:

Angel Densetsu (complete):
An earlier work by the author of Claymore. You'll notice that the art is really awful in the beginning, but it gets better over time. It's good entertainment about a high school kid who looks like a thug but is really an angel on the inside.

Basara (complete):
When the evil Red King kills her brother Tatara and is about to wipe out her village, Sarasa sees no other way to save everyone than to pretend to be Tatara, the child of destiny, in order to lead her village out of danger. But now she's stuck as Tatara, with everyone's hopes and expectations weighing her down. How can she possibly handle it? Can she take revenge and kill the Red King? Can she lead the country into a brighter future, as the prophecy had foretold for her brother? Will she ever be able to live a normal life as Sarasa again? And who's the mysterious guy she keeps running into every time she tries to take a bath?
Basara has a lot of elements that make it a compelling story, but there are many parts of the story that I wish had been different. For example, I found the ending to be rather unsatisfactory and drawn out unnecessarily, but it was still a good read overall.

Cat Street (complete):
About a girl who was deeply traumatized as a little kid and locked herself up in her room for seven years. Now she is sixteen and is coincidentally introduced to a "free school", where students can come and go as they wish and there is no pressure. In that environment, she gradually opens up, makes friends, and over time, finds happiness. By the author of "Hana Yori Dango".

Chikita Gugu (complete, let me know if you want to scanlate this):
Chikita's family has been killed and eaten by Raa, a man-eating monster. Chikita alone survived because he tasted so bad. But rumor has it that those that taste bad will become particularly tasty if you raise them carefully for one hundred years. Will Raa be up to the challenge?

Iyashi no Ha (complete):
An unlikely quartet of protectors forms around the "saint", one man from each of the four countries. Will they overcome their countries' differences and protect the saint? Will they solve the mystery of the "leaf of healing" and the "elementals"?

Kanata Kara (complete):
Middle school girl gets transported to a different world. Before she knows it, she gets attacked by monsters and rescued by a mysterious guy. She doesn't speak the language and has no clue what's going on, but her arrival has apparently been predicted and now every government of that world is after her because she's "the awakener", the key to releasing a power that could destroy the world. Will the mysterious guy be able to keep her safe, who is he, and why is he even helping her?

Kiseijuu (complete):
Mysterious parasitic creatures fall from the sky, infect the brains of their mostly human victims, kill them, and take over their bodies. Ah, but there's one exception, Migi fails to take over the brain of his host, and ends up taking over one arm only. The two of them now have to share the same body, fierce enemies, yet neither being able to kill the other one. Can they learn to cooperate to survive the attacks of other parasitic creatures? Can they possibly ever get along? This manga is cruel, many people die, including friends and family of the main character. At the same time, it has a gentle and philosophical side to it, as Migi over time gets to know his host better and even learns to adopt some human values. If you liked the earlier Claymore volumes, when it was still acceptable for good guys to die, you'll probably enjoy this.

Majimena Jikan (complete):
A fairly short story (only 2 volumes) about a high-school girl who dies in an accident and lingers for a while as a ghost. How will she deal with the fact that life goes on without her?

Phoenix no Tamago (complete, let me know if you want to scanlate this):
Chris returns from the war and decides to look for the person that saved his life. Can he get used to his new job as a sort of constable in former enemy territory? Will the villagers learn to accept him? Will he find his savior? And what's up with this fluffy... bird? that chatters away nonstop and causes all sorts of havoc? Could it possibly one day turn into the legendary phoenix?

Red River / Anatolia Story (complete):
Japanese High School Girl gets ported to ancient Anatolia. The evil queen summoned her as the perfect sacrifice for a dark ritual, but a beautiful prince falls in love with her and saves her. Will he be able to win her heart? Will she stay with him, or will he help her back to modern Japan? Or will the evil queen prevail and kill her after all? In spite of intrigue, murder, and war, this is a reasonably light-hearted story and a good read.

Tokyo Crazy Paradise (complete):
About a girl who was brought up as a guy and is an awesome fighter. The story starts out when her cop parents are killed and she is forced to rely on a class mate who is actually a yakuza boss. Lots of action and suspense, I loved it.

Tora to Ookami (complete):
About a girl who is a great cook, and two guys (Tora and Ookami) who bring a little turbulence into her life. I thought the ending wasn't completely satisfying, but overall a very good read.

I'll add more if I have time...

Here are some incomplete ones I enjoyed, but I can't really recommend them outright, since I don't know how they'll turn out...

Akagami no Shirayukihime (ongoing):
A light-hearted story about Shirayuki who has unusual red hair, and her adventures running away from a certain prince and ending up friends (and maybe more?) with the prince of the neighboring country, Zen.

Akatsuki no Yona (ongoing):
Princess Yona takes a rude awakening from her sheltered palace life when she witnesses her childhood crush Suon killing her father. Protected by her bodyguard Haku, she manages to escape from the palace, but what will she do now? Will she find the courage to live on? Will she take revenge on the person she loved so dearly? Will she forget Suon and fall for Haku?

Kamisama Hajimemashita (ongoing):
A high school girl takes over the job of a "land god". Is she up to the task? This is a well written, funny story with a bit of romance.

Kirara no Hoshi (ongoing):
A high school girl very forcefully turns a shy class mate into a movie star. Will she eventually figure out why he puts up with all the embarrassing situations she puts him through?

Love so Life (ongoing):
A high school girl who grew up in an orphanage works as a babysitter taking care of two very cute kids. As she grows closer to the children, she strives to give them all the joys of family life that she vaguely remembers experiencing with her mom. But of course they could never be a real family, or could they?

Ookami-Heika no Hanayome (ongoing):
Yuurin never imagined her new job at the palace would be like this: She is supposed to pretend to be the king's bride to help him ward off other marriage proposals without any actual commitment on the king's part. Will she be able to handle it? And will she be able to keep herself from falling for the king, since she's only a temporary hire? They couldn't possibly have a future together, or could they??

Reimei no Arcana (complete, but I haven't read all of it):
Officially, it's an arranged marriage between a prince and a princess to forge a brittle peace between their countries, but in reality, the princess is more of a hostage. But wait, the prince seems to be falling for her. Will he win her heart? Will they be able to lead their countries into more peaceful times?

Tokyo Ghoul (ongoing):
Ghouls in this manga are monsters with human form and terrifying strength that live among us ordinary people, prey on us, and eat us. Kaneki Ken, a human college student, is turned into a ghoul himself and has to experience first-hand the cruel urges to eat human flesh, and how very few options he has to survive as a ghoul in human society. I loved the first volumes of this manga, which reminded me a lot of Kiseijuu. Later volumes introduce too many unnecessarily mysterious or evil characters and focus too much on epic battles between and among ghouls and humans rather than on the character development and inner struggles of the main characters. I found this very tedious and skipped over much of the boring fighting, but it's still been a good read overall so far.

If you like the above, and have any other manga to recommend, send me a PM! Read More