That is if you can’t read Japanese.
The series in question, Cipher Academy, is only twelve chapters in and has already made waves across the internet for being impossible to translate!
And that isn’t an exaggeration; the series created by Monogatari mangakaka, NisiOisin and Yuji Iwasaki is a nightmare to turn around. A sentimen shared by Kumar Sivasubramanian, the official Viz translator for the series or ex-translator. After 13 chapters, Sivasubramanian waved the white flag, announcing on his Twitter account that he would no longer be translating the series, citing Screenrant’s article on the series being “Impossible to Translate.”
whoever is translating cipher academy, between all the obscure japanese puzzles and the constant pop culture and history references, they deserve triple the pay pic.twitter.com/gCqcr7eJXN
— Fatal Frame Vi (@Luigipunkcore) January 30, 2023
So what is this “lost in translation” series all about thats causing all this difficulty? Well, in accordance with it’s title, Cipher Academy is all about ciphers, puzzles, and everything puzzling. The series follows Iroha, an average student enrolled in Cipher Academy, a school dedicated to code cracking and puzzle solving. Accordingly, much of the series’ dialogue and battles involve references to Japanese culture, poems, and intricate Japanese word play.
And that right there is why the series is so difficult to translate; so much of the dialogue refers to specific Japanese phrases and words that do not translate to English. This isn’t something new in manga and anime, as a few things are always lost in translation. However, with Cipher Academy, it’s not just the one off panel; it’s the entire series.
These 2 panels of Cipher Academy do a good job conveying what's wrong with the series.
— Jay (@JayGaredian) February 12, 2023
It just doesn't work over here in the west unless you know Japanese pic.twitter.com/xvKLLNFV9E
Cipher Academy 11
— Rip Space Witchery (@MMaystorm) February 19, 2023
I know it’s pointless to ask but what? pic.twitter.com/55PLAFJrcm
Cipher Academy is so infused with japanese wordplays that it simply broke the official translation, I'm in awe pic.twitter.com/qAo9ZHGPp9
— Rukasu (@RukasuMHA) February 12, 2023
For any English fans of the series not to worry, as Viz media does have another translator already placed on the project and has begun translating for weekly release. With that said, we here at Anime Senpai wish the new translator the best of luck dealing with these insane ciphers and extremely intricate wordplay, as whoever is translating this series definitely has their work cut out for them.
Where To Read
If by any chance this article has inspired you to check out NisiOisin and Yuji Iwasaki’s Cipher Academy yourselves you can find the series and many others on on both Viz Media and Manga Plus, completly free!
Please try to read the series officially, as this supports both the author and allows them to create more stories.
Let us know what you think of this insane new series in the comments below. Is it worth checking out? Let us know down below! And for more news on everything anime, manga and more, visit our main Anime Senpai page! We have new articles daily, so check them out!
