A Question while reading mangas


[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2TC30.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2TC30.jpg)I
love to read manga, and I am always confused when a character uses a spell,
and a T/N is written somewhere stating the literal meaning.

Example is when Mad Hatter (From Gaitou Alice) uses a spell, and is translated
as Mad Tea Party, but a note above states that the Kanji is read as Mad
Firearm. How does this work? Is there a term for instances like this?




This first draft is sent before any image was posted so will probably be
edited or incomplete later... BUT

**edit:** Looking at the image posted, another (less linguistic) option is
also that different rounds of translation and disagreeing translators could be
at fault.

* * *

see @Kess Vargavind 's comment on how authors can add creativity to kanji by
altering their typical reading with furigana that typically are to match a
non-Japanese language word. I would also note that typically when I have seen
these used they are to refer to **fantasy elements specific to the story at
hand**. in the example given in the comment, the author isn't just talking
about the idea of vampires, but the specific vampires that exist within their
story.

A similar feature can be seen in My Hero Academia, where the character 敵
(meaning opponent or danger) has the furigana ヴィラン. This specifies that they
are not just talking about bad people, but rather the specific type of super-
villains that appear in this world.

This means that the kanji might have a different direct translation than the
furigana.

* * *

Another instance is that different phrases may carry **different
connotations** to a Japanese audience vs. an English speaking audience. Or
certain **puns or portmanteaus** don't work in a given language.

Take Pokemon move's for example which is probably the closest analogue to this
case. There exists a move called
[Acid](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Acid_\(move\)), in English.
Although scientifically an acid is either something that donates a proton or
accepts an electron pair (blah blah), in the English lingo we think of acids
as goopy liquid that ""melt stuff.""

However, the Japanese name for this listed move is ようかいえき, which if they used
kanji would be 溶解液, which I use at my job to mean what you get when you
dissolve something in a liquid, eg. sugar in water. But can also refer to a
liquid that would do the melting or liquifying.

These two words clearly don't have the same meaning if you would look them up
in their respective languages' dictionary, however the tend toward the same
connotation. A sense if a liquid being used to turn the opponent ... also into
liquid mush.

* * *

So ... I personally wouldn't worry too much about noticing differences in the
made up names of made up fantasy elements. But potentially reading both (if
the translator is clever) may nail down specifically what the connotation is
supposed to be.




This first draft is sent before any image was posted so will probably be
edited or incomplete later... BUT

**edit:** Looking at the image posted, another (less linguistic) option is
also that different rounds of translation and disagreeing translators could be
at fault.

* * *

see @Kess Vargavind 's comment on how authors can add creativity to kanji by
altering their typical reading with furigana that typically are to match a
non-Japanese language word. I would also note that typically when I have seen
these used they are to refer to **fantasy elements specific to the story at
hand**. in the example given in the comment, the author isn't just talking
about the idea of vampires, but the specific vampires that exist within their
story.

A similar feature can be seen in My Hero Academia, where the character 敵
(meaning opponent or danger) has the furigana ヴィラン. This specifies that they
are not just talking about bad people, but rather the specific type of super-
villains that appear in this world.

This means that the kanji might have a different direct translation than the
furigana.

* * *

Another instance is that different phrases may carry **different
connotations** to a Japanese audience vs. an English speaking audience. Or
certain **puns or portmanteaus** don't work in a given language.

Take Pokemon move's for example which is probably the closest analogue to this
case. There exists a move called
[Acid](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Acid_\(move\)), in English.
Although scientifically an acid is either something that donates a proton or
accepts an electron pair (blah blah), in the English lingo we think of acids
as goopy liquid that ""melt stuff.""

However, the Japanese name for this listed move is ようかいえき, which if they used
kanji would be 溶解液, which I use at my job to mean what you get when you
dissolve something in a liquid, eg. sugar in water. But can also refer to a
liquid that would do the melting or liquifying.

These two words clearly don't have the same meaning if you would look them up
in their respective languages' dictionary, however the tend toward the same
connotation. A sense if a liquid being used to turn the opponent ... also into
liquid mush.

* * *

So ... I personally wouldn't worry too much about noticing differences in the
made up names of made up fantasy elements. But potentially reading both (if
the translator is clever) may nail down specifically what the connotation is
supposed to be.

