‘I Stay Far Away From That S—t’: Kaiju No. 8 Translator on Engaging With ‘Negative’ Fandom

by

David Evelyn, a translator specializing in Japanese to English for renowned Shonen Jump series, shared insights into the challenges of his career. Lately, professionals like Evelyn have faced unjust criticism and cyberbullying regarding their translations, which has grown due to misunderstandings and falsehoods about the translation industry’s inner workings.

As a passionate translator for Viz Media, I recently had the honor to be interviewed by Kanzenshuu about my work, which includes the latest release, “Dr. Mashirito’s Ultimate Manga Techniques“. During our 90-minute chat, I was asked how I manage to maintain a professional demeanor while socializing casually online amidst toxic fans who misunderstand the anime and manga industry. It’s disheartening that some content creators fuel this negativity by encouraging harassment towards those of us in the English anime and manga industry, falsely accusing us of censorship or political alteration of Japanese source material. I stand firm in my dedication to bringing these captivating stories to life for fans worldwide.

Kaiju No. 8 Translator Believes Toxic Fans Don’t Target Him Because He’s Honest Online

According to the Kanzenshuu interviewer, Evelyn discusses his strategies when adapting Japanese text into English for a global audience on platform X (previously Twitter). He ensures that the translations sound natural and clear for international fans. Previously, some individuals online have misused these educational moments to accuse certain translators of promoting an agenda if the English translation doesn’t perfectly align with their personal preferences.

Evelyn thinks he’s successfully dodged the harsh criticism from toxic anime fans and dishonest content creators due to his honest and casual demeanor online when discussing his series’ creative choices. Additionally, he attributes his low-key presence on social media before the COVID-19 outbreak, which may have contributed to an increase in online aggression, as a reason for his under-the-radar status. Prior to sharing details about Japanese-English translations in 2020, Evelyn primarily posted photos of food, animals, and amusing memes on platform X.

He mentioned, “I was performing this action since I rarely notice discussions about the actual manga’s details.” Essentially, it’s like he said, “‘Here are some fun facts about what’s inside the manga,’ but they never explained why I chose to do things this way or that is why I made these decisions, or this is why I broke it up and placed it here – no one ever went into detail about that process. So, in my head, I thought ‘I can take on this task!’ […] I believe I was so enthusiastic about it. Just like ‘Here’s what I’m doing, you know whatever,’ people didn’t seem to respond negatively towards me as other translators did, and also, I try to avoid getting involved in that kind of negative banter.

You can enjoy the “Kaiju No. 8” manga by Naoya Matsumoto digitally through Viz Media and the Manga Plus app, while the first season of its anime TV series is available to stream on Crunchyroll now. The premiere of Season 1 for the anime TV series is set for July 2025.

As an anime enthusiast, I can’t help but share my excitement about “Kaiju No. 8”! This gripping story follows me, a 32-year-old named Kafka Hibino, who’s been dreaming of joining the Defense Force to honor a childhood promise made to Mina Ashiro. My life takes an unexpected turn when I make a new colleague, Reno Ichikawa, while cleaning up Kaiju debris. Inspired by his determination, I decide to take the plunge and pass the Defense Force entrance exam, hoping to finally join Mina in our quest to protect mankind. However, my life takes another twist as a small Kaiju burrows into me, granting me superhuman strength and abilities suitable for Kaiju battles! Now, I strive to win over my human teammates’ trust, conquer ever-powerful Kaiju, and safeguard our world!

Read More

2025-05-24 22:05