On March 23, Seven Seas Entertainment announced via its Twitter page that it has licensed Shouichi Taguchi’s Yuri manga 'Futari Escape.’ The first volume will be released in English in North America in November 2022.
The manga follows two girlfriends trying to relieve the stress of adulthood by joy in the little everyday things in life and in each other! The publisher describes the manga:
Two young women–one an overworked manga artist, the other a complete slacker–try to escape the realities of adult responsibilities. Whether it’s running off on a day trip instead of being productive or going into debt for an epic meal, the two always have fun when they’re together! Enjoy this delightful (and relatable) slice-of-life tale about the little pleasures in ducking away from the hard stuff.
Futari Escape began serialization in Comic Yuri Hime in 2020. Ichijinsha publishes three volumes in Japanese. Shouichi Taguchi is a Japanese mangaka known for his manga Jumyou wo Kaitotte Moratta. Ichinen ni Tsuki, Ichimanen de anadaptation of Miaki Sugaru’s tragedy light novel Mikkakan no Koufuku. Taguchi also contributed to Ichijinsha’s Shuumatsu Sekai Yuri Anthology in 2020.
Seven Seas Announces News Yuri and BL Labels and New LGBTQ+ Licenses
On Wednesday, May 18, North American manga and publisher Seven Seas Entertainment announced two new labels, Seven Seas BL for Boys’ Love works and Seven Seas GL for Yuri works. The logos, which will appear on the backs of books, feature a lily for Yuri, the name of the flower in Japanese, and a chrysanthemum for BL, a euphemism for a male anus. Notably, a rose is more typically associated with the BL genre.
Many readers took to Twitter to voice their happiness at seeing LGBT manga and light novels get their own spotlight and labels. However, some responses were mixed. Girls’ Love (commonly shortened to GL) is a marketing term coined by publishers to create an analogous term for BL.
However, Yuri is the name commonly used in Japan and chosen specifically by creators to honor the genre’s history, inclusivity, and lesbian roots. Yuricon founder and LGBTQ manga tastemaker Erica Friedman responded to the news by Tweeting, “[Yuri creators and fans] spent 20+ years making Yuri the preferred term and one not easily conflated with Boys’ Love. Yuri is the term we use.
YuriMother notes that the genre’s name, Yuri, is used on this site and article to align with the terminology used in Japan and honor the genre’s LGBT history and the wishes of creators and fans.
Seven Seas also announced new BL and Yuri licenses. The Yuri licenses are:
Asumi-chan is Interested in Lesbian Brothels!
Asumi-chan is Interested in Lesbian Brothels! (Asumi-chan wa Les Fuuzoku ni Kyoumi ga Arimasu!) is a mature Yuri manga by Kuru Itsuki. It has been serialized in Comic Yuri Hime since 2020 and is collected in Japanese in two volumes published by Ichijinsha. Seven Seas describes the series:
A Mature-rated, sweet and sexy yuri rom-com about self-discovery and the search for lost love! Sweet but awkward college student Asumi never got over her childhood crush on her old friend Mai. She’s mortified by the memory of their first kiss, which couldn’t have gone worse. When she discovers that Mai may be working at a nearby brothel, she sees her chance for redemption. There’s only one catch: none of the girls on the brothel’s website use their real names. Goaded along by a more experienced friend, Asumi begins a journey of exploring her sexuality, trying new fetishes, and getting comfortable in her own skin as she sleeps with the brothel’s women one at a time in her search for Mai. Is it possible Mai is searching for her out there, too? And when they finally reunite, will Asumi be experienced and confident this time?
Volume 1 of Asumi-chanwill be released in English in November 2022.
There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… (Light Novel) and (Manga)
There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… (Watashi ga Koibito ni Nareru Wake Naijan, Muri Muri! (*Muri Janakatta!?)) is a comedy schoolgirl Yuri light novel by Teren Mikami with illustrations by Eku Takeshima (Whisper Me a Love Song). Shueisha publishes four volumes of the light novel in Japanese under its Dash X Bunko label. A manga adaptation by Musshu began online serialization on the Dash X Comic section of Nico Nico Seiga.
Seven Seas has licensed both the light novel and the manga adaptation of There’s NO Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… The publisher describes the manga:
A high school yuri comedy about fake dating, real dating, competitive dating–and one very overwhelmed girl who’s accidentally doing all three at once?! Renako Amaori is leaving her awkward and lonely junior high school life behind, determined to become a normal girl with normal friends in high school. Glamorous, confident Mai Ouzuka is Renako’s total opposite: wealthy, outgoing, and a literal fashion model. Against the odds, the two girls form an immediate connection. Renako thinks she may have found the best friend of her dreams…until Mai’s romantic confession sends her into a tailspin. Renako wants to prove to Mai that being BFFs is better than being girlfriends, but Mai is dead set on convincing Renako that they’re destined to be lovers. Let the love games begin!
The manga’s first volume will be released in North America in April 2023, with the light novel’s English debut will follow in May of the same year.
I’m guessing a bunch of you have come from that United Workers of Seven Seas (UW7S) post. We appreciate all the solidarity we can get, especially as, as of yesterday (5/26/22) management has decided not to take the high road and voluntarily recognize us.
While we are sure we have the support to win an election (a full 30 of 41 eligible employees are publicly committed to our cause), it’s disappointing not to be acknowledged for the consensus we’ve already come to.
–
I probably won’t be speaking much about my actual work at 7S, especially not without touching base with the union first, but I’m happy to answer questions re: editorial practice with translated work now and again.
I’m a little more at liberty to speak freely about my own work, such as with STAR WARS: RONIN (my queer little contribution to the Visions project) and THE ARCHIVE UNDYING (my queer little original debut abt funny-sad gays and equally funny-sad giant robots dragged screaming toward revolution). Though I won’t be around much while I’m drafting the sequel to the latter. Brain tired.
haven’t seen anyone else mention this here but seven seas is unionizing. there’s been a lot of discussion of the problems with the official eng tl of the mxtx books and it seems at least somewhat likely that the work environment described in the full statement has something to do with the state of the final product. anyways, regardless of what media properties 7S distributes that you’re familiar with, this is a huge step for a publishing/distribution/TL house and i hope other workplaces facing similar issues in the industry are able to follow suit
haven’t seen anyone else mention this here but seven seas is unionizing. there’s been a lot of discussion of the problems with the official eng tl of the mxtx books and it seems at least somewhat likely that the work environment described in the full statement has something to do with the state of the final product. anyways, regardless of what media properties 7S distributes that you’re familiar with, this is a huge step for a publishing/distribution/TL house and i hope other workplaces facing similar issues in the industry are able to follow suit
Oh hey, it’s my day job!
Hi everyone following me because I wrote a book you like: I’ve also possibly edited books you like. The editorial team and I do our damnedest to turn out products to the best of our ability within the constraints set upon us, but, well, unions happen for reasons, now don’t they.
I won’t be commenting publicly on a number of things – keep an eye out for interviews the union’s been taking from a variety of publications – so suffice to say, I’d love to see some support from our readers. We do the work for the books and we do it for you.
I have been struggling to write this since December. I still don’t really know where or how to begin, but the recent announcement of 2ha’s English licensing by Seven Seas seems as good a motivator as any at this point.
I guess before I begin, I want to make clear that I am not writing this with the intent or desire to harm—it’s certainly a criticism, but I want it to be a practical one. Please don’t use my words as an excuse to take up arms or make personal attacks. I don’t want to be used as a prop in anyone else’s fights, I don’t wan to talk about it, I just want to say my piece and be done.
So. Without mincing words: I am beyond disappointed in the MXTX English-language editions. The idea that this might be what sets the precedent for future danmei releases is incredibly disheartening. There are several reasons, and I’ll try to explain my main issues as best I can without being unnecessarily harsh. I will be talking about specifics with regards to MDZS, as it’s the one I’m most familiar with.
Quality & Production Timeline:
The overall quality of the work is lackluster and rushed. Several reviews have already discussed issues with the MDZS translation that was published—they are easy to find on Goodreads and elsewhere, but I am not going to link them here because I feel that relitigating details and pinning blame on the translator(s) is very misguided. The licensed translation is full of mistakes (both major and minor), inconsistencies, and confusing wording. To me, this betrays a very serious lack of editorial oversight and quality checking rather than a problem with the raw translation itself. No translator on earth can produce a first draft without mistakes, yes, even very basic ones. Everyone slips up, even in their native tongue, all the time. Having mistakes in an early draft is not at all an indication that a translator lacks skill, and this persistent focus on the faults of the translator(s) feels more like scapegoating than anything. I may not agree with all of the translation choices, but I do not think that mistakes make the translator(s) unqualified.
Another new year, which means another load of LNs for me to read. I didn’t update this much last year, but hopefully I can change that this time around. Got a LOT of books to go through.
May These Leaden Battlegrounds Leave No Trace Vol. 1
Reign of the Seven Spellblades Vol. 1
Sexiled: My Sexist Party Leader Kicked Me Out, So I Teamed Up With a Mythical Sorceress! Vol. 2
The Sorcerer King of Destruction and the Golem of the Barbarian Queen Vol. 1
Is It Wrong To Try and Pick Up Girls in A Dungeon: On The Side: Sword Oratoria Vol. 9
Is It Wrong To Try and Pick Up Girls in A Dungeon: On The Side: Sword Oratoria Vol. 10
Roll Over and DIe: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword! Vol. 2
Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt , So I’ll Max Out My Defense Vol. 1
The Executioner and Her Way of Life Vol. 1
Last Round Arthurs Vol. 3
Roll Over and Die Vol. 3
Is It Wrong to Try and Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Vol. 16
Last Round Arthurs Vol. 4
The Strange Adventure Of A Broke Mercenary Vol. 1
Spy Classroom Vol. 1
A Tale of the Secret Saint Vol. 1
My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s Vol. 1
Eighty-Six Vol. 2
I’m in Love with the Villainess Vol. 1
Planet Of The Orcs Vol. 1
Arifureta: From Commonplace To World’s Strongest Vol. 4
If you haven’t heard, our union twitter announced some disappointing news this morning:
[Screenshot of post from United Workers of Seven Seas Twitter account: “Our employer, Seven Seas Entertainment (@gomanga) has hired the union-busting firm Ogletree Deakins.”]
It was disheartening enough to know that they’d opted not to voluntarily recognize us, but learning who had been hired to represent Seven Seas was, let’s say, the start of a bad weekend.
[Screenshot of post from United Workers of Seven Seas Twitter account: “It’s embarrassing that @gomanga would rather pay Joe Arpaio’s fave legal firm than recognize our union. There’s still time for leadership to reverse course and work w/ us in good faith to negotiate a contract for fair wages, industry-standard benefits, and freelancer protections.”]
In short, we wish a number of different choices had been made, but we will continue to hope that upper management chooses a new strategy in better faith.
In the meantime, please continue to support UW7S and other unions as we push for worker’s rights and strive to save our ship. We do this work for the books and we do it for readers, and we’d like to be able to do it for as long as possible.
I’m guessing a bunch of you have come from that United Workers of Seven Seas (UW7S) post. We appreciate all the solidarity we can get, especially as, as of yesterday (5/26/22) management has decided not to take the high road and voluntarily recognize us.
While we are sure we have the support to win an election (a full 30 of 41 eligible employees are publicly committed to our cause), it’s disappointing not to be acknowledged for the consensus we’ve already come to.
–
I probably won’t be speaking much about my actual work at 7S, especially not without touching base with the union first, but I’m happy to answer questions re: editorial practice with translated work now and again.
I’m a little more at liberty to speak freely about my own work, such as with STAR WARS: RONIN (my queer little contribution to the Visions project) and THE ARCHIVE UNDYING (my queer little original debut abt funny-sad gays and equally funny-sad giant robots dragged screaming toward revolution). Though I won’t be around much while I’m drafting the sequel to the latter. Brain tired.
haven’t seen anyone else mention this here but seven seas is unionizing. there’s been a lot of discussion of the problems with the official eng tl of the mxtx books and it seems at least somewhat likely that the work environment described in the full statement has something to do with the state of the final product. anyways, regardless of what media properties 7S distributes that you’re familiar with, this is a huge step for a publishing/distribution/TL house and i hope other workplaces facing similar issues in the industry are able to follow suit
Oh hey, it’s my day job!
Hi everyone following me because I wrote a book you like: I’ve also possibly edited books you like. The editorial team and I do our damnedest to turn out products to the best of our ability within the constraints set upon us, but, well, unions happen for reasons, now don’t they.
I won’t be commenting publicly on a number of things – keep an eye out for interviews the union’s been taking from a variety of publications – so suffice to say, I’d love to see some support from our readers. We do the work for the books and we do it for you.
I have been struggling to write this since December. I still don’t really know where or how to begin, but the recent announcement of 2ha’s English licensing by Seven Seas seems as good a motivator as any at this point.
I guess before I begin, I want to make clear that I am not writing this with the intent or desire to harm—it’s certainly a criticism, but I want it to be a practical one. Please don’t use my words as an excuse to take up arms or make personal attacks. I don’t want to be used as a prop in anyone else’s fights, I don’t wan to talk about it, I just want to say my piece and be done.
So. Without mincing words: I am beyond disappointed in the MXTX English-language editions. The idea that this might be what sets the precedent for future danmei releases is incredibly disheartening. There are several reasons, and I’ll try to explain my main issues as best I can without being unnecessarily harsh. I will be talking about specifics with regards to MDZS, as it’s the one I’m most familiar with.
Quality & Production Timeline:
The overall quality of the work is lackluster and rushed. Several reviews have already discussed issues with the MDZS translation that was published—they are easy to find on Goodreads and elsewhere, but I am not going to link them here because I feel that relitigating details and pinning blame on the translator(s) is very misguided. The licensed translation is full of mistakes (both major and minor), inconsistencies, and confusing wording. To me, this betrays a very serious lack of editorial oversight and quality checking rather than a problem with the raw translation itself. No translator on earth can produce a first draft without mistakes, yes, even very basic ones. Everyone slips up, even in their native tongue, all the time. Having mistakes in an early draft is not at all an indication that a translator lacks skill, and this persistent focus on the faults of the translator(s) feels more like scapegoating than anything. I may not agree with all of the translation choices, but I do not think that mistakes make the translator(s) unqualified.
What I find unacceptable is that these mistakes were allowed through into the final printing, which tells me there was insufficient, if any, review of the content, either by the translators, or by another party familiar with the original work. The production timeline feels very, very short for such a project (I cannot even begin to imagine trying to translate 32 chapters of MDZS in under four months), which maybe explains, but doesn’t excuse. I am not intimately familiar with the publishing industry, so I will refrain from speculating further, except to point in the direction of both Suika and Pengie’s threads on the matter:
If the books needed more time to be done well, then they should have allotted more time. The translators should not be bearing the brunt of the criticism. It isn’t fair to them—and it isn’t fair that the publication schedule and process set them up for failure in this way.
Pronunciation Guide:
This is perhaps my most serious grievance, and the one that’s kept me from writing this for four and a half months. I know that my reaction is personal and extreme, but I also think that it has roots in something that is both real and actionable. Forgive me, this will be harsh.
When I saw the pronunciation guides in the back of all the books, I felt physically ill.
It reads like an echo of all the times I’ve had my “difficult” language used against me, but this time packaged up as a pseudo-helpful, sightseeing brochure to make English speakers feel good about themselves when confronted with supposedly “difficult” content. They are condescending, touristy, and teach a bastardized, hyper-Americanized anglicization of my first language. The pronunciations, as they are written, sound exactly the way a classmate used to harass me by following me around, mocking my name, and pulling at the corners of his eyes. They are worse than useless.
These guides are not only disrespectful to people like me, but also disrespectful to the English speakers who put their trust in this production based on the marketing that implied there would be careful consideration of the cross-cultural challenges involved. When there was so much reassuring from the publisher that these books would be done right, that the production would be handled with respect and understanding, the inclusion of these guides was particularly insulting. Much has been made about how they are inaccurate—which they are. But what’s more egregious is their tone, their technique, their application.
Mandarin pronunciation can be challenging for English speakers. I am not contesting this. But I ask—what was the purpose of these guides? “[Mandarin] is a tonal language,” they read, “so correct pronunciation is vital to being understood!” But there is not a single further allusion to tone within the guide, and the pronunciations that follow are not, in any way, going to help a reader new to the language pronounce anything well.
Obviously, two-page pronunciation guides cannot be a substitute for language instruction—but then they should not make any pretension to be. I cannot see these guides as anything other than a way to pander to the egos of English speakers, to simplify and make palatable this language that might make them uncomfortable with its difference. These guides promise knowledge on culture that they don’t deliver, and instead mislead readers with racist caricatures of the language.
Lest this is met with responses along the lines of “but it’s hard to create a pronunciation guide” and “it makes the book more accessible”—1) of course it’s hard. So what? Doing it badly was worse than not doing it at all. 2) No, it doesn’t. Misinformation does not increase accessibility.
There was every opportunity to create something respectful and sincere. Many people have pointed out that the Pinyin system is very serviceable and consistent. If it wasn’t feasible to include a basic guide to Pinyin in the books, perhaps there could have been a space for “Additional Resources” instead, providing links or references to places where a reader could seek out that information if they wanted it. We live in a multimedia world. Several fans, including myself, have made audio pronunciation guides—something like that, more professionally produced, might have been an option. There was room to allow readers to explore and learn and put in effort to engage instead of spoon-feeding them this slapdash, half-assed bullshit.
I can believe that it was done with the best of intentions. But that doesn’t make it good.
Marketing:
This leads into my final point, which is a bit more nebulous and hard to explain, but I’ll try.
The inclusion of guides beyond a pronunciation guide and glossary was also insulting, in a different way. Why is there a need for a character guide? Can readers not be trusted to read? I might understand an inclusion in later volumes as a refresher, but it’s baffling to me that these guides are considered necessary at the outset, and it’s also frustrating to see that they contain interpretations of characterization and motivation. “The identity of certain characters may be a spoiler; use this guide with caution on your first read of the novel.” Why include it at all?
As a reader, I do not want to be told how to understand the text. The text can speak for itself without an external party setting the tone. These stories are not more complicated just because they are Chinese. Harry Potter didn’t come with an extensive list of characters and the meanings of their names. And those were books written for children.
MXTX’s works are adult books. They are adult books, but everything about their marketing in English feels like they are aimed at teens that the publishers don’t think are very smart. Yes, the stories may be culturally unfamiliar, but that doesn’t mean readers need to be hand-held with cutesy lectures. To do so feels like it says something less than flattering about the publisher’s perception of MXTX’s work and audience.
-
When the English licensing of MXTX’s works was first announced, I admit my first reaction was despair because I was so afraid of the consequences, of what unintended collateral damage the final product might generate if it fell short of a very high standard—for the translators, for MXTX, for the greater danmei genre. It’s difficult to be the first, and it’s difficult to be the first with such high stakes. And unfortunately, here we are, and it played out nearly exactly how I had predicted and hoped it would not.
I am not unbiased, and my views certainly reflect that. It is possible that some of my criticisms are excessive or unsympathetic. However, I have spent a long time thinking this over and attempting to put it all into words, and I would appreciate having my criticisms considered seriously, even if you eventually decide that you disagree with them. But I am tired and I am terribly sad that something I loved so much was handled in a way that felt so disrespectful. How can I be excited about the English releases of these books if I can hardly bear to look at the copies on my shelf? Unless a lot changes about the future installments, I cannot view any English licensing announcements with anything but bitter disappointment. I have no trust left to give, and no heart to spare.
It’s fine if you love the English editions of these novels. I don’t want to take away your joy because it’s a wonderful thing to have. As always, all I’m asking for is serious consideration. If I’ve made you see things in a different light, that’s as much as I can hope for.
If you haven’t heard, our union twitter announced some disappointing news this morning:
[Screenshot of post from United Workers of Seven Seas Twitter account: “Our employer, Seven Seas Entertainment (@gomanga) has hired the union-busting firm Ogletree Deakins.”]
It was disheartening enough to know that they’d opted not to voluntarily recognize us, but learning who had been hired to represent Seven Seas was, let’s say, the start of a bad weekend.
[Screenshot of post from United Workers of Seven Seas Twitter account: “It’s embarrassing that @gomanga would rather pay Joe Arpaio’s fave legal firm than recognize our union. There’s still time for leadership to reverse course and work w/ us in good faith to negotiate a contract for fair wages, industry-standard benefits, and freelancer protections.”]
In short, we wish a number of different choices had been made, but we will continue to hope that upper management chooses a new strategy in better faith.
In the meantime, please continue to support UW7S and other unions as we push for worker’s rights and strive to save our ship. We do this work for the books and we do it for readers, and we’d like to be able to do it for as long as possible.
I’m guessing a bunch of you have come from that United Workers of Seven Seas (UW7S) post. We appreciate all the solidarity we can get, especially as, as of yesterday (5/26/22) management has decided not to take the high road and voluntarily recognize us.
While we are sure we have the support to win an election (a full 30 of 41 eligible employees are publicly committed to our cause), it’s disappointing not to be acknowledged for the consensus we’ve already come to.
–
I probably won’t be speaking much about my actual work at 7S, especially not without touching base with the union first, but I’m happy to answer questions re: editorial practice with translated work now and again.
I’m a little more at liberty to speak freely about my own work, such as with STAR WARS: RONIN (my queer little contribution to the Visions project) and THE ARCHIVE UNDYING (my queer little original debut abt funny-sad gays and equally funny-sad giant robots dragged screaming toward revolution). Though I won’t be around much while I’m drafting the sequel to the latter. Brain tired.
