This episode we’re thrilled to be joined by Jake Jung, a Japanese-to-English translator who has worked on various anime and manga throughout his career - Made in Abyss, Oshi no Ko, Vinland Saga, and Ya Boy Kongming! to name a few. Together we go through his own personal history in Japan as well as his career as a translator, his tastes in manga, and his insights into the world of anime/manga translation. Timestamps: 4:13 Jake’s photography and time as a tour guide 6:00 Oshi no Ko, Ya Boy Kongming!’s rap battle, and Blue Giant 7:40 Jake’s favourite manga: Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo 10:40 Jake’s guilty pleasure: Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma 12:40 Yotsuba&!, Akira, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind adaptations 15:14 Jake’s prediction for the Next Big Thing: Lazarus by Shinichiro Watanabe 18:23 Non-translated manga to keep an eye on: Bakeneko Anzu-chanby Takashi Imashiro 21:00 What’s the difference between translating anime and manga? 25:23 The usage of slang and vernacular English in translations 28:11 How much contact do translators get with the original creators? 30:18 What’s the most difficult translation you’ve worked on? 34:09 Was Vinland Saga simple to translate? 36:48 Is there an older series you’d like to give a new translation? 38:32 What is your take on AI being used increasingly alongside or in place of translators altogether? 45:18 AI Translation controversies (Rugby Rumble and The Yuzuki Family’s Four Sons) 47:26 Jake’s favourite and least favourite thing about living in Japan?