Entertainment has become increasingly globalized in recent years. From the international expansion of Japanese anime and games to the translation of foreign comics and dramas into Japanese, it is almost as if there are no longer any language barriers in entertainment. However, entertainment translation requires skills that are different from business translation, and it is not easy, as it requires localization that is tailored to a specific region.

This article discusses localization and transcreation, which are essential in entertainment translation.

Why is Localization Important in Entertainment Translation?

In entertainment translation, localization, the process of optimizing translations to fit the cultural context of a specific region, is essential. Optimization is not just aimed at altering the content itself, but rather at transcending linguistic barriers and accommodating different cultural practices to make the content's worldview more accessible and understandable to people from various regions. Therefore, depending on the situation, it may be necessary to provide references or annotations for concepts that do not exist in the target region.

The need for localization varies by region. Therefore, for multilingual implementations, instead of adopting a uniform approach to localization, it is necessary to optimize the process for each specific region.

Why Entertainment Translations require Transcreation

In entertainment translation, transcreation is essential in addition to localization. Transcreation involves transforming content and its worldview into expressions that are natural and shareable with the local audience.

In entertainment genres like gaming, in particular, there is a prevalence of unique expressions and slang. Direct translations of these expressions can often be difficult to understand. Moreover, when conveying aspects such as a character's personality, it is frequently more effective to use different expressions in the translation. Therefore, by employing more natural expressions in the target language through transcreation, we can enhance the satisfaction of your target customers.

Furthermore, rather than broadly categorizing everything as entertainment, optimizing expressions through transcreation based on the type of entertainment, and the target regions and customers, is more likely to enhance customer satisfaction.

Entertainment Translation and Overseas Markets: Why They Cannot Be Treated Uniformly

One important consideration in entertainment translation is the diverse nature of international markets. The difference between the Asian and Western markets is easy to imagine. But the differences between the American and European markets, or the variations that exist within Europe itself from one country to another are not so easy to anticipate. For example, despite being neighboring countries, Italy and France have distinct markets. Similarly, even within the English-speaking world, the markets in the United States and the United Kingdom differ significantly.

Therefore, when conducting entertainment translations, it is important to focus on specific markets and utilize localization and transcreation tailored to the target audience, which is likely to result in higher customer satisfaction.

Key Points in Entertainment Translation: For Better Translations

Naturally, the same entertainment translation cannot be used for different target customer groups. Even for the same entertainment content, if the target customer base differs by language and region, the translation needs to be optimized. Conversely, even if the language of translation remains the same, it may be necessary to adapt expressions and tone to suit different customer segments and preferences according to the country or region.

And, in some countries, there are restrictions on the expressions that can be used due to religious reasons or to age. Therefore, even with the same entertainment translation, it is necessary to pay attention not only to differentiating translations based on genre, content, and region, but also according to the target customer group.

Translating under these numerous constraints while maintaining natural and engaging expression is by no means an easy task. Therefore, when seeking entertainment translation services, it is advisable to entrust the work to experienced and skilled professionals for peace of mind.

Toin’s Transcreation Services

Toin strives to provide clients with the best possible translations. By carefully listening to the messages our clients wish to convey, we harness our expertise and technological capabilities to offer optimal entertainment translation and transcreation solutions.

The transcreation services Toin offers enhance marketing effectiveness by delivering specialized information tailored for target customers, capturing their hearts and steering global entertainment business ventures towards success. For effective entertainment translations, please consider our transcreation services.

Summary

Toin leverages its over half a century of expertise in translation to convey product features and corporate/brand images, overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers. We are committed to assisting you in achieving success on the global stage by offering a wide range of translation techniques. Catering to your specific needs, we provide translations that are faithful to the original text, optimize content through localization, and convey the stories of products and companies through transcreation.

We also focus on entertainment translation, translating and even transcribing movie and drama titles, synopses, comic books, and typesetting.

From business to entertainment, our translations are not only tailored to target customers, areas, and products, but also optimized for local use with easy-to-understand localization and memorable transcreation to increase customer satisfaction through our technical expertise.

If you are considering high customer satisfaction translations, including transcreation, for a global audience, please feel free to contact TOIN.

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▶About the Author

TOIN Corporation　Marketing Department
Hiromi Ishikawa

Joined TOIN Corporation in 1990 and was engaged in the production of manuals. Her wide range of duties include everything from transcribing Japanese manuscripts to directing the production of multilingual manuals.
From 2002, her main focus has been on localization project management, and she has been responsible for facilitating many of the company's major projects. Since 2009, she has been working in the Marketing Department, where she has been involved in marketing as well as advertising and public relations activities. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Japan Translation Federation and the Asia-Pacific Machine Translation Association since 2018.