This episode was kind of annoying translate because of the demeanor of the job changer, as I think you’ll see. I don’t want to spoil too much of it, but I will say this, though. Japanese at the best of times is a vague language that relies on situational context for quite a lot of meaning. So even at times when people are trying their damnedest to be clear there’s always wiggle room for misunderstanding. So then if you have a character that is deliberately trying to be vague… I think you probably get the idea.
It’s still a good episode, though. Some of you that have worked at poorly-run companies before will find a lot of entertainment in Ms. Ino’s list of signs of bankruptcy. As someone who came out of such a situation recently I found myself messaging my translation of that list to people, and then having a hearty laugh.
As a more technical translation note, one of the things that made this episode difficult to translate was the explicit mention of the senpai(先輩)/kouhai(後輩) relationship in various scenes. I chose to eschew it completely because I believe the examples used within the show to demonstrate that relationship are fairly universal. The idea that such and such character is older or younger than another character is beside the point when the more universal concept of being indebted to one’s friends crosses that language boundary unscathed.
As always, thanks to Drazic for the timing, QC, packaging, friendship, and moral support. I definitely consider him my senpai.
