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context: comics > how big?
Translations
Manga books have been among the fastest-growing publishing sectors in much of the western world in recent years, but there are a few awkward issues. The Japanese read right to left, so early translations flipped the work - most characters became lefthanded, and for those fussed about knots and folds in garments, everything went horribly wrong. Also, the sound effects were stripped out and translated, which upset those who felt the calligraphy of these was something that shouldn't be lost.
The new trend is not to flip at all - western readers are offered translated dialogue, and footnotes on the untouched sound effects, but read panels and pages right to left. The original artists prefer it, as their work remains unaltered; the publishers have less work to do; readers perceive it as more authentic; and it confuses outsiders - so it looks set to stay for the foreseeable future.