In a moment of revelation from growing up, I'd like to apologize for my lack of tact on the Internet (a bit late in some instances, I know). I've always tried to practice etiquette properly but in the anonymity of being on the Internet, I have difficulty practising discretion. I type my mind in an effort to help or just express an opinion, but like in real life, there are times I wished I just SHUT UP. And how on earth do you apologize sincerely when you've hurt someone online? How do you know? It's just as complicated as it is in real life!

There will be people who dislike/hate you, are simply mean, or just having a crappy day. That's life, and that's okay. Because there are also people who are the exact opposite - someone will like you, are genuinely caring, and having wonderful days. Despite my failings, I'm earnestly trying to be helpful and happy to everyone.

I hope you all are having excellent winter holidays and bringing cheer into your own lives!

Featured Friend

She doesn't have her own artwork and most of her deviations are literature pieces that are in their learning stages (she's 15, so her grammar, style, syntax, and storylines need some work) but she has enthusiasm that is second to none. She's always eager to show someone her work and always tries to cheer others on. I think that's the heart of deviantART, wouldn't you agree?

Clubs l Beyblade Revelation l Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Lost Saga l Forum | Child's Step

Happy Halloween y'all!

Now my title sounds like a bad anime episode. That aside, I would please like your help in finding "magical girl"/mahou shojo types anime/manga/characteristics/characters for a current project. Rest assured I have researched the basics, but I find REAL experience always more helpful than just reading about it.

I like magical girl/shojo as much as the next person (die hard Sailor Moon fan ), but it's really not my cup of tea since I'm more of a shonen, mecha, die-hard action fan. The series I am aware of and have references for are:

Sailor Moon, Pretty Cure, Tokyo Mew Mew (Mew Mew Power), Cardcaptor Sakura

...Yeesh, I'm so North American mainstream.

Featured Friend

There's something about Japanese culture I find fascinating and when it's combined in new and interesting ways, it makes it all the more intriguing! *apricot8585 has an amazing style which combines the patterns and symbols of Japanese culture with a Western theme or her own creation. Her pieces are incredibly detailed and stunning, and you won't be sorry you stopped to take a peek!

Clubs l Beyblade Revelation l Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Lost Saga l Forum | Child's Step

Screenshot the page please!

I'm trying to be more active since I've almost been on dA for almost six years AND I want to draw something [not explicit] from another deviant's mind.

What will be suggested?!

Featured Friend

Featured friend #150 - Feeling depressed? Need some "happy-happy" anime style? Or maybe some action is right up your alley? Then ~AkitoMaru can fill that void! Both a traditional and digital artist, she is a varied anime arist who is willing to try things and her character designs are quite pretty. Take her SDL (Samurai Duelers League) character Tomoe for example - she's got the whole Asian family pride thing, but still wants to better herself FOR herself. Yup, sometimes you just have to do that for yourself.

Clubs l Beyblade Revelation l Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Lost Saga l Forum | Child's Step

I was perusing my local bookstore when I came across xxxHolic: AnotherHolic by Nisioisin and thought, "Wow! A xxxHolic novel! I'll try it!" because I enjoyed Nisioisin's previous work, Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases. However, I totally forgot that Del-Rey does the translations for xxxHolic.

You know what that means - SHODDY TRANSLATION TO THE MAX.

I was right. Honorifics and footnotes for jokes and terms abound when it could be translated properly. Take the word hitsuzen (p.33) for example; there's a note it means inevitablity when you could put that in writing. Don't give me the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis because in this case, English DOES have a word for hitsuzen - it's called FATE. Or DESTINY. Take your pick! There's also no notes on what the honorifics mean but there is a footnote on what a ninja does (p. 49). I think everyone knows what a ninja does. Not just because of Naruto either. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, anyone?

I was going to be disappointed in the work of the translator, Andrew Cunningham, but then I realized the name was awfully familiar. He also did the translation for Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases which was well-written and DOESN'T have honorifics. Well, except when Ryuzaki uses them, but it's a strange nuance I notice he has in the manga, anime, and movies to give him an eccentric factor different from the other characters, so I guess it's forgivable. But more impressive is he makes obscure Japanese references work. Take the page and "Holy Up!" references from Akazukin Chacha (p. 59). If he can do THAT, he can translate anything.

So why the huge translation difference? Unless Mr. Cunningham was hit by a bus and totally changed his translating style due to brain trauma, it's editors and what the companies demand from their workers. Obviously Viz and Del-Rey differ on opinions and Mr. Cunningham simply complies. It's not his fault, I'm sure he has his own convictions on what proper translating is, but in order to find work and survive in this world, he does what he has to do.

I forgot about this, and I want to apologize that I thought so poorly of the individual doing the work. That's not the case, is it? We all have our own opinions, but no matter how reasonable they are, sometimes they get drowned out. I understand this myself, because when my school was doing a production of Grease and the art team I was a part of wanted to make a backdrop with music notes, the lead artist drew the eighth notes on the backdrop BACKWARDS (upward notes had the tails and heads on the same side). I said it was wrong and even offered to grab sheet music 7 feet away from us to prove it but she insisted that it looked better that way, so we had no choice but to comply.

The musician in me died a little that day.

Moral of the journal? Voice your opinions, even if they get squashed. Hopefully others listen eventually and we change for the better. Be open, because even we need a "slap in the face" honest opinion to set us straight too.

P.S. Del-Rey gonna kill me one day.

Featured Friend

Originally ~Sakura-Star, this artist has improved quite a lot. His (her?) gallery consists of a nice collection of original works and fanart from nostalgic and modern anime. Oooh yeah! I highly recommend checking out his (her?) watercolour works and the original comic, Chiqua Defenders. Now if only I could be certain about a gender...

Clubs l Beyblade Revelation l Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Lost Saga l Forum | Child's Step