Hi, a Fellow Scanlator Here

staytrashy June 9, 2021 1:08 pm

I’m another scanlator on this website, so I just kinda wanted to say my opinion after I stumbled upon this manga. I work with a group but I also do solo projects (I CLRD, translate, typeset). I used to upload Renta titles as well but stopped cause of reasons. This comment section is filled with different opinions so I thought it would be fun to have a scanlator’s opinion thrown in.

1) On the topic of notices: they are..... weird. I’ve never seen anyone go ‘hey guys I’m calling this manga and will update later’. It’s fine if it’s just one person (maybe), but I think if scan groups did that it would be chaos, tens of new manga, all no content just ‘will update later’. I get (and appreciate) that the Uploader was trying to spread awareness but....... it’s kinda weird and I don’t know how I feel about it, as a reader AND a scanlator. Now with mangago’s new instant uploading system, mangas/webtoons are getting all these ‘notices/extras’ chapters from uploaders saying someone uploaded over them/sorry for uploading over them, etc. It sucks cause other scanlators work are getting pushed off the front page by false updates

2) On the topic of renta. A rule in scanlation is to not touch anything that has been licensed. Just because of morality reasons and we know we’re taking away from oversees sales so the least we can do is stop when it’s licensed. Also....... nearly no translator wants to have their translation compared to the official English one and have all the tl mistakes pointed out. VERY embarrassing . A little counterproductive too.

But the weirdest thing to me is the Uploader ‘took’ the first pages of the English Renta preview??? Like they started translating after the preview??? So they knew the English version existed and instead of posting that they tried to tl?? That’s just weird to me, that you know there’s a better version out there but you still want show everyone yours. Also.... if it’s a retranslation you’re supposed to keep the credit pages of the Spanish group after asking permission???

I guess in the end, I don’t really know how to feel, other than I know it feels weird. As a scanlator I’m like all like ‘notices are frustrating for the reader experience, if you can’t typeset/tl don’t put out a chapter that looks and sounds bad, don’t retranslate without permission, it’s a rule not to scan/upload licensed stuff’, but on the other hand as a reader I’m like ‘legit I’m grateful for anything I can get, as long as the work is understandable I’m happy’

LOL SO IM TORN, though I know the majority of scanlator would be upset by this and I don’t think this should be the norm

Responses
    fairy May 13, 2021 3:11 pm

    i think over the years as manga has become more accessible and more titles get licensed, people newer to the scene have no idea about certain rules. and because of the fact that everyone here is so hungry to read anything new and anything updated, no one cares that theyre dismissing these rules that might be somewhat unspoken but definitely known. people only get upset when tl's are poorly cleaned and the person used google tl to make some quick scans but otherwise everyone is cheering the fact that they got something to read lol
    i also agree about the using other peoples scans, like they very much said they used a spanish tl but there were no credits or watermarks anywhere /:

    Let me SLEEP May 13, 2021 3:13 pm

    I agree 100%
    The notices are so annoying and it always frustrates me when I see the uploader's note saying, "english/(whatever langage) isnt my first language, but im gonna still upload it bcuz y not, dont hate!"
    As cruel as it sounds, please dont waste your time putting so much effort into something that wont even look good.

    fairy May 13, 2021 3:24 pm
    I agree 100% The notices are so annoying and it always frustrates me when I see the uploader's note saying, "english/(whatever langage) isnt my first language, but im gonna still upload it bcuz y not, dont hate... Let me SLEEP

    omg period like this one was so extra "its not my first second OR THIRD LANGUAGE" like baby.... aint that telling u something...

    Kyuu May 13, 2021 4:21 pm

    This so much and I hope you’re not getting downvoted to oblivion just for spitting facts.
    I also dislike that this person didn’t even had the capacity to do this while groups waste weeks trying to make something of good quality.
    I’m just baffled how people can even defend this behavior.

    EliseLMidfort May 13, 2021 4:40 pm

    You really just spoke my mind. It was super confusing and jarring to see the first few pages looking one way and the rest of the chapter looking another way. Everything you said about licensing issues and creditting the original TL group is on point. I'll just add how I feel on the quality of this person's portion.

    I couldn't even comment on the translation bc of how... awful the editing is. As a translator and novice typesetter, I take great care to make sure the presentation of the pages look AT LEAST decent so that ppl won't get distracted and turned off right away. This typesetting is so bad that I couldn't even bear to look at it and read the translation properly. Point is, presentation matters. I'm not even an editor but I have strict standards when it comes to how things look.

    Hellspawn May 13, 2021 5:04 pm

    Thank you. I scanlate as well and I share most of your thoughts.

    Hellspawn May 13, 2021 5:15 pm
    Thank you. I scanlate as well and I share most of your thoughts. Hellspawn

    And from a scanlator perspective: Honestly, people complain about readers being picky and ungrateful, but I'd rather have those than readers who just take whatever. Complacent readers are the reason why scan groups that use Google Translate/DeepL or just pump out horrible work in general continue doing their thing, instesd of trying to fix their mistakes and improving. (Granted, this is Mangago, so the standards are lower than on Mangad*x for example...so honestly, I don't expect much in the first place when reading here.)

    Insults are obviously a whole other thing, but criticism should be accepted.

    Donghae Not the Sea May 13, 2021 8:50 pm

    people are so quick to upload bad translations and notices now since the upload changed in the website and we can see now who uploaded which chapter. imo they just want attention

    Tsuikatan May 14, 2021 12:37 am
    I agree 100% The notices are so annoying and it always frustrates me when I see the uploader's note saying, "english/(whatever langage) isnt my first language, but im gonna still upload it bcuz y not, dont hate... Let me SLEEP

    Haha agree. What annoys me the most is that they take up public space by doing that:
    - When they post their translation, even if it's shitty, decent scanlation groups would not do that comic anymore, and readers don't get to read even an alright version
    - When they post anything on this website, their update pushes other comics' updates to the back and eventually they'll disappear from the main page. It's unfair for them to be pushed faster by trashy scanlation works.

    Fwuffy Bread June 20, 2021 12:43 pm

    As a fellow reader who hv seen most of og scanlators team doing this. I agree. It's until recently when they doing mtl with sniped scans from other scanteam. They shd stopping TL it if there's a official translation available. And sniping others scan for raws w/o their permission is aint nice too.

    Thanks for bringing this up bcz i thought abt it too

    EYAH September 9, 2023 1:09 am

    i've been telling this to other "translators" for a while now but they just act all entitled and keep saying "if you dont want to read my translation then don't"... like bruh,, u think anyone wants to read your shitty uploads???? i hope more people from this site read this because i feel like no one knows or cares about this rules anymore