WotakuManga Glossary β
Manga portion of the Wotaku glossary!
Terms β
Adaptation β
Not original content but based on an already existing work (light novel, anime, picture book etc.). Example: Josee, the Tiger and the Fish which was a Light Novel adapatation.
Doujinshi β
Doujinshi refers to self-published works. It can be a standalone self-published work, but it can also be a derivative of an existing published franchise or work. Doujinshi need not be NSFW, anything self-published counts. Example: Ganbare, Douki-chan (Pre-serialization)
Mangaka β
Mangaka means the artist of the manga. Mangaka can also be the story writer. Generally, mangaka does everything by himself, but sometimes he may employ assistants to speed up the work and cope with the weekly release schedule.
OEL Comics β
OEL, or Original English-language comics, originate in English-speaking countries. They prominently feature Asian cultural influences in their art styles, themes, and storytelling, while the creators, including artists and production, are primarily non-Asian. Prominent examples include Bizenghast, Attack on Titan Anthology, Ghost in the Shell: Global Neural Network and The Beginning After the End.
Omake β
A bonus/extra chapter which doesn't really affect the main story. Generally gives artworks, character backgrounds, mangaka notes or an extra story.
Omnibus β
A release type characteristic of western publishers where multiple tankoubon volumes are contained in one book. It's most commonly seen as 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 editions, tho it can sometimes contain an entire series, like in the case of the Death Note All-in-One volume. They're usually larger format and can contain extras, especially if the series already had a tankoubon release previously.
One-Shot β
A manga that's been published at once. The length of the story depends on the mangaka. Also, it can be serialized later. Example: Kimi no Kaketeru Tokomo Suki
Panels β
| Type | Manga | Manhwa | Manhua |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direction | Right to Left | Left to Right | Left to Right |
The usual reading direction for manga is right to left, whereas manhwa and manhua are read left to right (like standard comics). In the case of manga, the individual panels are read right to left and top to bottom, then top again upon reaching the next page.
For a spread, you can set an imaginary line based on the page number.
Raw β
The term 'RAW' refers to manga (Japan), manhwa (Korea), or manhua (China) that has not been modified in any way from its original form. It can be both physical (scanned) or digital (ripped). Nowadays most of the raws are digital.
Simulpub β
Simultaneous publication, meaning releasing and translating the latest chapters alongside their country of origin.
Backfilling β
When the translation of a series starts at the latest chapters, with the publisher later working on the rest, starting from the beginning.
Sound Effects β
Sound effects in manga visualizes the characters physical or mental state, environment of the scenario, motions or just sounds(obviously). A collection of Japanese Sound effects.
In the sfx image you can see the parallel lines at the tops. These are symbols; works like sfx. These symbols may be used with or without sfx. They can have multiple meaning depending on the context. Like in the next image, it means shock.
Tankoubon β
Tankoubon means the volume release. Many manga are initially published in magazines such as Weekly Shonen Jump. If a manga becomes very popular, it can receive a volume release a.k.a. Tankoubon. These volumes often include redrawn content, extra chapters, and notes from the mangaka. Sometimes, Tankoubon collections can feature various works by the mangaka, similar to an anthology.
Other volume types β
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aizouban ("loving collection edition") | Collector's edition volumes, usually printed in limited runs. These volumes are generally more expensive and come with special features such as new covers, higher quality paper, a special slipcase, etc. |
| Bunkoban ("paperback edition") | A volume printed in bunko format, or a typical Japanese novel-sized volume. Generally A6 size and thicker than tankoubon, usually with new covers. Bunkoban tends to contain considerably more pages than a tankoubon, meaning the bunko edition of a given manga will consist of fewer volumes. |
| Goukaaizouban ("luxury favorite edition") | Another term occasionally used to designate a type of special release. |
| Kanzenban ("perfect complete edition") | A special complete edition. Volumes are generally A5 size and will typically include individual chapter covers, color pages, and side-stories from its original magazine run, all of which are often omitted or converted to grayscale in standard tankoubon releases. |
| Shinsouban ("new decoration edition") | A new edition, usually with special covers, new color pages and other extras. They can even feature completely redrawn pages and rewritten dialogue. |
| Soushuuhen ("complete collection") | A format published by Shueisha beginning in 2008. Volumes are B5 size, larger than a kanzenban. They include chapter covers, color pages, and various bonus features such as posters and interviews. They're usually reserved for popular manga with ongoing serializations and contain far more pages than a standard tankoubon, thus feature more chapters in fewer volumes. |
| Wide-ban | A larger (A5 size) edition. Many manga, particularly seinen and josei, are published in wide-ban editions after magazine serialization, and are never released in the tankoubon format that is common in shounen and shoujo manga. When a series originally published in tankoubon format is re-released in wide-ban, each volume will contain more pages than the original edition, thus consisting of fewer volumes. |
Webcomic/Webmanga β
Was originally published on a web platform. The platform can be free(twitter, pixiv etc) or paid (Comico, comic-walker etc.). Example: ReLife (comico) & A Story About Smoking at the Back of the Supermarket (twitter)
Scanlation β
Scanlator β
A group that fan translate a manga/manhwa/manhua. The group takes the raw file and translate the whole manga (including dialogue, sfx & other forms of text). Also, sometimes the wordplays & cultural references provided in that chapter are explained in the credit section.
Cleaner (CL) β
Cleaner takes the raw file, fixes any faults (such as artifacts due to scanning, color shifts, tilts, etc.), and cleans all of the original text including SFX, if necessary. But these days, this can be only removing texts since digital raw is widely available.
Redrawer (RD) β
Redrawer redraws all the erased parts by the cleaner and makes them as smooth as possible. They patch everything that was affected due to scanning or other issues. Nowadays, cleaning and redrawing are often done by a single person since these two tasks are closely related.
Translator (TL) β
The translator translates all the text in the manga, including dialogues, sound effects, and other texts in the panels. They also provide explanations for all the jokes, cultural references, or wordplays.
Typesetter (TS) β
Typesetter takes the translated script from the translator and typeset it on the panel with appropriate font, formatting & sfx drawing. Sometimes TS can do both translation and typesetting.
Proof reader (PR) β
PR reviews all translated text to correct any typos, awkward translations, or grammar issues. It is essential that PR is fluent in the translation language. The job of PR may become unnecessary if the TL is highly experienced, as QC could potentially take on the responsibilities.
Quality checker (QC) β
Quality checker oversees all processes, including checking the translated manga for typos, grammar errors, translation issues, and redrawing problems. However, whether or not this role exists depends on the project or group's working strategy.
