Fans Are Furious At Manga Publisher Bushiroad Over AI Translation Plans
Ancient Magus Bride key art
Yesterday, Bushiroad made an announcement about the upcoming chapters of The Ancient Magus’ Bride manga that should have been good news — it was said to be releasing in English on day one alongside the Japanese version of the manga. Unfortunately, once the details became clear, fans quickly turned on Bushiroad.
On the official Twitter account for The Ancient Magus’ Bride, publisher Bushiroad announced in both English and Japanese that new chapters of the manga would be serialized in English simultaneously alongside the Japanese release. The Japanese version of the statement, however, revealed that the translation for the English release wasn’t being translated by humans, but instead would be AI-translated.
大変お待たせしました。
本日12月21日22:30より連載再開の『魔法使いの嫁』新章は、AI翻訳技術を活用した英語版を同時連載していく事を決定しました！
The new chapter of "The Ancient Magus' Bride" will be serialized simultaneously in English alongside the Japanese version! pic.twitter.com/2DHlE62xXK— 魔法使いの嫁/ゴーストアンドウィッチ原作公式 (@magus_bride) December 21, 2023
Curiously, the English part of the announcement made no mention of AI, which is a little bit suspicious honestly, but maybe it just slipped Bushiroad’s mind. The AI translation is being handled by a company called Mantra, which according to its website, also provides the technology for AI translation for Vietnamese versions of One Piece and Spy x Family.
Naturally, as is usually the case with AI nonsense, people are not happy about the announcement. The replies to the announcement tweet are filled with angry English-speakers denouncing the decision and vowing not to read it.
Please consider paying human translators for their work. English language readers deserve a quality product. The nuance, care, and love that translators pour into their work cannot be replicated by a machine.
— Hina🌸c0mms in pinned!🌸運命の遙💙❤凛 (@hinalilly) December 21, 2023
This is an insult and will give overseas readers a worse translation. Hire actual people instead of spitting in your readers faces
— Jules (@_Wolfsteak_) December 21, 2023
Ancient Magus Bride is one of my favorite manga/anime of all time, but if this is how you're going to treat it by using A.I. to translate it, then I refuse to support it from here on. Hire real people. Pathetic.
— BrigadierGinger (@BrigadierGinger) December 22, 2023
The overwhelming sentiment is that Bushiroad should be hiring actual translators, rather than what fans believe is the company skimping on costs. It comes at a time where animosity towards AI is already quite high, although it’s worth noting that the stigma surrounding it is much less severe in Japan compared to the West.
It’s also made some people concerned for the recently announced Hunter x Hunter fighting game, which is being developed by Marvel vs Capcom 3 developer Eighting but published by Bushiroad.
Seven Seas Entertainment, the English distributor for The Ancient Magus’ Bride, has yet to comment on the situation.
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