The translation of the word “tsundere” as “fragile male ego” in a four-year-old English version of a video game sparked a firestorm on Twitter. Our panel of translators discusses how this shows some people in Western anime fandom don’t understand the nature of translation. We discuss what makes a good translation, the difficulties inherent in the translation process, and what’s REALLY driving this type of criticism.
No Title
The translation of the word “tsundere” as “fragile male ego” in a four-year-old English version of a video game sparked a firestorm on Twitter. Our panel of translators discusses how this shows some people in Western anime fandom don’t understand the nature of translation.
From the Unseen Japan Crowdcast. Panelists:
Jay – Publisher, Unseen Japan Site and Japanese translator based mainly in Seattle.
Planning a trip to Japan? Get an authentic, interpreted experience from Unseen Japan Tours and see a side of the country others miss!

"Noah [at Unseen Japan] put together an itinerary that didn’t lock us in and we could travel at our own pace. In Tokyo, he guided us personally on a walking tour. Overall, he made our Japan trip an experience not to forget." - Kate and Simon S., Australia


We hate paywalls. Our content remains both free and fiercely independent. If you love the values we stand for and want to help us expand our coverage of Japan, consider a recurring or one-time donation to the Unseen Japan Journalism Fund today.
Sachiko – Japanese feminist and translator based in Tokyo.
Kazuma – Half-Japanese translator, trans-masc, LGTBQ+. Based in Germany.
Mercedez – ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) and Japanese translator based in Fukushima.
Subscribe on YouTube
If you liked this video, please subscribe to us on YouTube! We publish discussions about Japanese news and culture every week taken from our live stream. And at least once a month, we publish a long-form rendition of one of our popular essays. If you want to listen to Unseen Japan rather than just read us, our YouTube channel is for you!