How translation turned manga into a global phenomenon

Without translation, manga would likely have remained confined to Japan. It has made it possible for many people to enjoy this niche culture and art directly from Japan, significantly contributing to its global development. But translating a manga is not just about converting words from one language to another. It is also a delicate art, requiring translators to convey an entire culture, juggle with wordplay, and determine what level of adaptation is appropriate. It also involves engaging the target audience and choosing the right words so that the message resonates with everyone.

Crossing borders

In Japan, manga has long been an institution (according to Wikipedia, the first recognised manga dates back to 1902), enjoyed by all generations and published weekly in huge magazines such as the Weekly Shōnen Jump, a weekly Japanese magazine that serialises manga, typically aimed at young boys and teenagers. Yet, for decades, this cultural heritage remained largely confined to Japan. It wasn't until the 1980s that the first international publishers started getting involved. As manga began to attract international audiences, publishers outside Japan seized the opportunity to bring popular series to new markets. In the United States, Viz Media turned titles such as Sailor Moon and Pokémon from exotic comics into icons of global pop culture. Translation effectively served as a cultural passport, allowing manga to travel beyond Japan and become part of the international collective imagination.

An economic springboard

Not only did this international expansion have a cultural impact, it also gave rise to a colossal industry. Once translated, manga sells by the millions and helps shape an entire market. In 2024, the U.S. manga market was valued at approximately $1.06 billion and is projected to reach $3.73 billion by 2030. Specialised publishing houses and new jobs have emerged, from translation and proofreading to the graphic adaptation of speech bubbles. And each success paves the way for other markets: anime dubbing and subtitling, video game localisation, and merchandise galore.

The example of Demon Slayer is particularly telling. Published in 2016 in Japan, it was quickly translated and distributed worldwide. The result? Over 150 million copies sold, a film that shattered Japanese box-office records, and an avalanche of merchandise. This kind of worldwide impact wouldn't have been possible without fast translation. Even fan-driven piracy, with the phenomenon of scanlation (a portmanteau of scan + translation), in which fans digitise and translate a manga, has contributed to its spread. Though unofficial, these translations give readers access to new chapters ahead of their local release (usually, just after their publication in Japan), accelerating the process. To meet reader demand, official publishers had to offer near-simultaneous translations, transforming publishing habits.

Balancing faithfulness and adaptation

Translating manga is often a balancing act. For a long time, publishers leaned towards adaptation, sometimes at the expense of cultural nuance. In the 1990s, the famous onigiri (Japanese rice balls wrapped in nori seaweed) in Pokémon were transformed into ‘sandwiches’ to make them feel more familiar to Western readers. Japanese honorific suffixes such as -san or -sama, which are placed after a person's name to indicate their social status, were removed, generally translated as ‘Mr’ or ‘Mrs’. Even the -chan and -kun variants for girls and boys disappeared, deemed too complicated for readers. The result? Part of the characters' identity and Japanese culture got lost in translation.

From the 2000s onwards, the opposite trend started to take hold. Translators now choose to retain Japanese terms, relying on the reader's curiosity to make sense of them. Ramen are still ramen, and onigiri are still onigiri. Far from being an obstacle, these choices actually enhance the appeal of Japanese culture, with each manga offering a peek at daily life in Japan. By staying faithful to the source, translations have introduced foreign readers to Japanese food, festivals, schools, and traditional beliefs.

A mutual influence

Manga translation has not only taken this art form overseas; it has also inspired new creative expressions. Around the world, creators have adopted the manga format, blending Japanese aesthetics with local storytelling conventions. In Canada, for example, the comic series Scott Pilgrim brought together manga-style graphics and American comics, becoming a big hit. This phenomenon has given rise to what is now known as ‘global manga’, a hybrid style that is embraced and adapted worldwide.

The challenges of the profession

Behind every translated manga volume lies an invisible yet complex process (see our previous article here on the behind-the-scenes of translation). The translator must find equivalents for sometimes untranslatable puns, decide how to render the countless Japanese onomatopoeias, adapt the text to fit the speech bubbles, and meet increasingly tight deadlines. A translator is part wordsmith, part cultural guide, and part high-wire performer under pressure.

Conclusion

Translation has proven to be far more than a mere tool for linguistic transposition. It has opened new markets, created a multi-billion-dollar industry, spread Japanese culture, and inspired new generations of Western authors. Without it, manga would probably have remained a local treasure. Thanks to translation, manga has become a worldwide phenomenon, studied at universities and celebrated in book fairs and fan conventions alike.

The next time you open a volume of One Piece or My Hero Academia, remember that behind every witty line, every heroic speech, or every striking onomatopoeia, there is a translator who helped this story reach fans across the world. Without this often invisible work, manga might never have become the global phenomenon it is today.