Written by Misty of Myu Corner
The following are errors that I found in the first printing of Volume 7 of Kodansha USA’s English release of the Sailor Moon manga. They are divided into sections for writing errors (presented in a table), possible issues on multiple pages, honorific issues, inconsistencies/continuity errors, and miscellaneous errors (presented as bulleted lists).
I am not in any way affiliated with Kodansha USA, Del Rey, William Flanagan, or any other person or entity involved in the translation, production, or publication of the volume critiqued here. I also do not mean these critiques as libel in any way, shape, or form, and hope that the persons and entities involved in the translation, production, or publication of the volume critiqued here will not take it as such.
| Writing Errors(Awkward writing, grammar & syntax errors, etc) | Possible Replacement | Tokyopop Translation* | Miss Dream translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| “e xperi-ments”(p. 13) | This word is spaced weird in the word bubble; should be “experiments” or, if hyphenated, “experi-ments.” | “experi-ments” | “experiments” |
| “That power, that far exceeds that of human Hoste…that radiance, that is so similar to our life source, the Taioron Crystal!”(p. 14) | “That power that far exceeds that of human Hoste…that radiance that is so similar to our life source, the Taioron Crystal!” | “The human’s Hoste is nothing compared to that power…It’s light is close to the light of the Taioron Crystal, our source of life!” | “The humans we have been taking as hosts have been no match for her power so far. Her brilliance is like the Taioron Crystal’s, our source of life, which is shining nearer and nearer!” |
| “That I haven’t been able to glean from my water mirror either the secret behind the Sailor Guardians’ power nor the identity of the Talismans that shall lead the destruction…”(p. 15) | Should be “either…or” or “neither…nor.” “either the secret behind the Sailor Guardians’ power or the identity of the Talismans” / “neither the secret behind the Sailor Guardians’ power not the identity of the Talismans.” | “My water mirror hasn’t been able to catch any image of the secret of the Sailor Scouts’ power or the identity of the Talismans.” | “Now I’m supposed to uncover the secret to the Sailor Soldiers’ power, and the three Talismans that illuminate the path to destruction.” |
| “I consider you bad company…So it’s a symbol of friendship.”(p. 17) | That doesn’t even make sense. Why would something be a symbol of friendship if you consider the person you’re giving it to to be “bad company.” | “I appreciate you as a bad influence…It’s a symbol of friendship.” | “It’s because I’ve been a pretty crummy friend to you. So this is my token of friendship to you.” |
| “It’s really you, Pluto?!”(p. 60) | “Is it really you, Pluto?!” | “Is it really you?! Pluto!” | “Is it really you?! Pluto?!” |
| “similarly outer planet Neptune”(p. 64) | “outer planet, Neptune” or “the planet Neptune” | “Neptune, the Planet of the Sea” | “the outer solar system Planet of the Seas, Neptune” |
| “And we, too…like yourselves, were promised rebirth as well.”(p. 66) | Redundant. “We too were promised rebirth, as you were.” | “We too were promised rebirth as you were…” | “There we were also reborn, just as we promised.” |
| “However it seems as if we’re too late”(p. 67) | Needs a comma: “However, it seems as if we’re too late.” | “But it seems we were too late.” | “But it seems we are too late.” |
| “A space-time far away”(p. 68) | This doesn’t really make sense. Possible replacement “that faraway place” or something similar | “Yes, from that far dimension” | “Yes, it’s a very distant galaxy.” |
| “A rent has developed in the space-time here”Noticed by @sailorastera/Sakky-chan
(p. 68) |
“Rent” is a word meaning “tear,” like a tear in a piece of cloth. Since this is not a word an average person is likely to know, a word like “tear” or “fissure” might be better. | “there is a warp in the time-space fabric there” | “warp in space over the area” |
| “comrades in arms”(p. 69) | Needs hyphens: “comrades-in-arms” | “allies” | “allies” |
| “You’re in the way.”(p. 70) | “You’d just be in the way.” | “No way.” | “You’ll just get in the way.” |
| “It’s too much for you people.”Noticed by @sailorastera/Sakky-chan
(p. 70) |
“It’s too much for you” or “It’s beyond your abilities” or something like that | “It’s too much for you” | “This mission is too much for you.” |
| “The three of us posses special powers that you people don’t have. Powers greater than yours. Stronger items as well…have been bestowed upon us.”(p. 73) | “The three of us possess powers you girls don’t have. We’ve been given stronger powers than you…and stronger items too.” | “The three of us have special abilities that you don’t. We have been given…stronger powers…and stronger tools.” | “We three have special powers that you don’t. Stronger powers. Stronger items. These things were bestowed to us.” |
| “and who is responsible”(p. 75) | “And who is responsible” (to match headline in art) | “Responsibility sought” | “those responsible” |
| “The enemy’s invasion is advancing and we have to stop it!”(p. 77) | Missing a comma: “The enemy’s invasion is advancing, and we have to stop it!” | “The enemy’s invasion has gone underground.” | “They are doing their best to conceal their invasion.” |
| “Still my research comes first”(p. 81) | Missing a comma: “Still, my research comes first.” | “but I have my research” | “I have research to do on the power of the Taioron Crystal and the diminishing light it is emitting. I’ll be in my study.” |
| “It is difficult to believe that there exist those capable of escaping out academy.”(p. 83) | “I can’t believe anyone could escape our academy like that” or something similar | “That someone could escape from this campus…” | “It seems that they were somehow able to escape our academy.” |
| “Somebody is trying to take possession of me?”(p. 93) | “Somebody is trying to possess me?” or “Somebody is trying to take control of me?” | “Someone is trying to possess me…” | “It feels like there is something inside of me, someone who is going to take over.” |
| “Ptilol”(p. 101) | Well, more accurate than “Petite Roll” (the Tokyopop translation) | “Petite Roll” | “Ptilol” |
| “Now make up!”(p. 101) | Kinda odd considering what “make up” means in this series. | “Don’t fight!” | “Don’t fight!” |
| “We have the same reason for fighting”(p. 104) | “We’re fighting for the same thing!” or “We’re fighting for the same purpose!” | “Our goal has always been the same!” | “They are fighting for the same goals as us!” |
| “My talisman, the Deep Aqua Mirror is…””My talisman, the Space Sword is…”
“My talisman, the Garnet Orb is…” (p. 114) |
Needs commas: “My talisman, the Deep Aqua Mirror, is…””My talisman, the Space Sword, is…”
“My talisman, the Garnet Orb, is…” |
“My Talisman, the Deep Aqua Mirror…””My Talisman, the Space Sword…”
“My Talisman, the Garnet Orb…” |
“My Talisman, the Deep Aqua Mirror…””My Talisman, the Space Sword…”
“My Talisman, the Garnet Orb…” |
| “Sailor Moon went through a power up?!”(p. 121) | “Sailor Moon powered up?!” or something similar | “Sailor Moon has gotten stronger?!” | “Sailor Moon powered up?!” |
| “I see pillar of energy that extends into and pierces the heavens!”(p. 121) | Missing a word: “I see a pillar of energy that extends into and pierces the heavens!” | “I see a pillar of light that pierces the heavens!!” | “It’s as if heaven itself is giving off its power!!” |
| “What is this power that can give life energy to everything!”(p. 122) | Exclamation point should be a question mark. | “It did not have a fraction of its power” | “What is her power? What is it that gives her such an advantage?!” |
| “and when in the beginning of our new world, on this land”(p. 124) | Delete a comma: “and when in the beginning of our new world on this land” | “and see the beginning of our new world here with our Master” | “We are supposed to be forming a new world order here!” |
| “I…?! I had a power up?”(p. 126) | “I…got a power up?” | “I’ve…gotten stronger?!” | “I powered up?!” |
| “A curse that will last for aneternity!”(p. 179) | A space is needed: “an eternity.” | “an unbreakable curse” | “A curse that will doom them forever” |
| “The Greek letter ‘omega”…!”(p. 181) | “the Greek letter ‘Omega'” | “Right…Almost like the symbol Omega.” | “It’s forming the Omega symbol…!” |
| “You actually don’t want to fight, do you?”(p. 184) | “You don’t truly want to fight, do you?” or something similar | “I know you don’t really want to fight.” | “Oh, you really don’t want to fight?” |
| “It’s the super computer with the world’s most advanced system for artificial life!”(p. 185) | Not sure how to replace this. It just sounds awkward. | “An artificial intelligence super computer!! Wow! I’ve seen that in books. It’s the biggest system in the world!” | “I saw this before in a book. It’s the world’s largest super computer! The artificial life super computer!” |
| “Where did they go, at what point?”(p. 187) | “Where’d they disappear to?” or “Where’d they go?” | “Where is everyone?! Where did they go?!” | “Where is everyone?! Which room is everyone in?!” |
| “You managed to undo the greatest spell of Magus Kaolinite, me?”(p. 201) | “You managed to undo my greatest spell?!” | “You’ve broken my strongest spell!” | “You’ve undone the finest witchcraft of me, the Magus Kaolinite!” |
| “What an enormous life energy that is several tens of thousands of times greater than that of human Hoste!”(p. 208) | “What an enormous life energy! It’s several tens of thousands of times greater than that of human Hoste!” | “This life energy is thousands of times stronger than the humans’ Hoste!” | “This energy is more powerful than thousands of human souls combined!” |
| “Although the honorific -kun is most usually heard for school boy”(p. 208) | “Although the honorific -kun is most usually used for school-age boys” | n/a | n/a |
| “This space is being rent with abnormalities…?!”(Volume 8, preview p. 2) | “The space is becoming abnormal…?!” | “There’s a flux in the space-time continuum?!” | “Something is happening to the sky above us!?” |
*Due to the ongoing investigation of Megaupload by the FBI, I was unable to download the file of the Mixx version I usually use from Neo Nobility. So, for this and possibly several future reports, I will be using the raw scans of the Tokyopop version from Miss Dream rather than Neo Nobility’s Mixx scans.
Possible Issues on Several Pages
- The initial scene of the manga (pages 7-9) features repeated use of the word “airspace.” Another word, like “atmosphere,” might be better. The Tokyopop manga uses “dimensional warping” while the Miss Dream scanalation uses “area.”
- On page 9 and other pages, the Mugen area is referred to its Japanese name “Sankakusu” again, as in previous volumes. Tokyopop uses “Delta.” Miss Dream uses “Delta Area.”
- The font for when Pharaoh 90 is talking seems to have changed in this volume.
- The term “aberrant”/”aberrances” is used multiple times by the Death Busters in reference to the Senshi. This is a weird word choice. Not sure what would be a good replacement. Noted by Moonkitty Tokyopop uses “impurities” while Miss Dream simply eliminates the word.
- The Mugen Delta is referred to as “Mugenzu” again multiple times, as in previous volumes. Tokyopop uses “Infinity Bank” while Miss Dream uses “delta area.”
- On page 81, the word “the” is missing before the word “Master” three times. Tokyopop has “the” present.
- On pages 84 and 85, Chibiusa refers to Usagi’s parents as “Mama Ikuko” and “Papa Kenji.” Technically, this is accurate; it just sounds weird. Tokyopop uses “Mama” and “Kenji Papa.” Miss Dream uses the same terms as Kodansha.
Honorific Issues (Oddly Used, Not Needed)
- In one panel on page 10, Motoki calls his girlfriend Reika “Reika-san,” but in the fourth panel he calls her just “Reika.” (In the Tokyopop version he just calls her Reika, as the Tokyopop version has no honorifics. Miss Dream ditto).
- On page 22, one of Makoto’s friends calls her “Mako-chan-sempai.” In the translation notes, Flanagan explains that this sort of honorific combination is rare in Japanese. It still seems weird though. (In the Tokyopop version, the friend just calls her “Lita,” while Miss Dream just has “Makoto”).
Inconsistencies/Continuity Errors
This isn’t a translation thing so much, but on page 99, it looks like Sailor Moon is hit by Cyprine’s spell as well, yet she is unaffected by it. Not sure why.
Miscellaneous
In the profile of Hotaru on page 24, Hotaru’s birth year is changed to “199X,” a date which would be impossible if the series is set in the 1990’s as most fans believe. However, it’s possible that, since this was the reprint, Naoko-san updated the date. Noticed by @sailorastera/Sakky-chan
Credits: The lines from the Tokyopop English translation come from scans I obtained at Miss Dream. The examples given from Miss Dream’s translation belong, naturally, to Miss Dream. Tokyopop English manga (Sailor Moon) © 1996-1998 TokyoPop. Kodansha English manga (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon) © 2011-2012 Kodansha USA, Kodansha Comics and William Flanagan. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon (Japanese) © 1992-1997, 2003-2004 Naoko Takeuchi.
There was also an inconsistancy where in this volume Usagi calls her father “Papa” when she called him “Daddy” in previous volumes. Not as good as volume 6.
Re: Sailor Moon not affected by Cyprine’s spell. Per Cyprine’s explanation in the next page, the spell magnifies the distrust that is already present in people’s hearts, and makes them act out the mistrust violently. Since Sailor Moon has nothing but love inside her, there is nothing that Cyprine’s spell can do to her.
Re: “space-time far away” (p. 68), credit should be given to Kodansha for knowing to render the term 時空 as the Western sci-fi term “space-time” instead of “time-space”, such as done by the translation of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (時空管理局 translated as “Time-Space Administration Bureau”).
I have a comment, and if I am wrong, please correct because it seems like most fans are confused about the the following topic: Hoste. I also read your page where you give the manga translations for certain words, and I read what was written about “hoste” there. I’m from Montreal, so I speak French and I understand all that, but the official description of Volume 7 states that Hoste means “human energies(which is grammatically incorrect; it should be “human energy” :p)”, not “soul”, so wouldn’t that make the Miss Dream correction incorrect?
“The humans we have been taking as hosts have been no match for her power so far. Her brilliance is like the Taioron Crystal’s, our source of life, which is shining nearer and nearer!” This is correct if “Hoste” mean “soul”, but if it means “human energy”, then wouldn’t that sentence not make sense?
I’m definitely not critiquing you all, and all Sailor Moon fans worship this site, but everyone online is always debating about the definition of “hoste”, how Volume 7’s definition is different than that given on the back of the manga, that it is way confusing and I’ve been a fan for too long to still not understand this! Its embarrassing now! Please let me know what you all think in case your opinions have changed since you wrote out this “Volume 7 Errors” page!! Please pray for Crystal Arc 4 to be released soon (I’m asking everyone to do so), and for Toei to release a full season please!! Best wishes!
I have a comment, and if I am wrong, please correct because it seems like most fans are confused about the the following topic: Hoste. I also read your page where you give the manga translations for certain words, and I read what was written about “hoste” there. I’m from Montreal, so I speak French and I understand all that, but the official description of Volume 7 states that Hoste means “human energies(which is grammatically incorrect; it should be “human energy” :p)”, not “soul”, so wouldn’t that make the Miss Dream correction incorrect?
“The humans we have been taking as hosts have been no match for her power so far. Her brilliance is like the Taioron Crystal’s, our source of life, which is shining nearer and nearer!” This is correct if “Hoste” mean “soul”, but if it means “human energy”, then wouldn’t that sentence not make sense?
I’m definitely not critiquing you all, and all Sailor Moon fans worship this site, but everyone online is always debating about the definition of “hoste”, how Volume 7’s definition is different than that given on the back of the manga, that it is way confusing and I’ve been a fan for too long to still not understand this! Its embarrassing now! Please let me know what you all think in case your opinions have changed since you wrote out this “Volume 7 Errors” page!! Please pray for Crystal Arc 4 to be released soon (I’m asking everyone to do so), and for Toei to release a full season please!! Best wishes!!