Of all the challenges in manga localization, three elements consistently trip up automated tools: tategaki (vertical text), onomatopoeia embedded in dialogue, and SFX integrated directly into the artwork. This guide goes deep on each.
This technical guide explores how Translayer handles the most difficult elements of manga localization: vertical text (tategaki), embedded onomatopoeia, and artwork-integrated SFX.
Understanding Tategaki (Vertical Text)
Japanese traditionally uses tategaki — text written vertically, reading top-to-bottom, columns arranged right-to-left. In manga, this is the default orientation for most dialogue and narration.
When translating to languages that use horizontal scripts (English, Spanish, French, German, etc.), the translator must:
- Extract the vertical text from each column
- Recompose it as horizontal text
- Fit the horizontal text into the original bubble/box dimensions
- Match the visual styling of the original
This is straightforward in simple rectangular speech bubbles. It becomes complex when:
- Bubbles are narrow and tall (the natural shape for tategaki)
- The translated text is significantly longer than the original
- Multiple tategaki columns share a single irregular bubble shape
Translayer’s approach: it regenerates the text region entirely rather than overlaying new text. This means it can resize and reflow the translated text within the bubble’s actual boundaries, not just paste it over the original.
Mixed Vertical and Horizontal Text
Some manga panels contain both tategaki and yokogumi (horizontal text) — for example, a character speaking Japanese in tategaki while a foreign-language sign appears in horizontal text. Translayer identifies both text orientations and handles them independently.
Onomatopoeia: The Translator’s Creative Challenge
Japanese onomatopoeia is extraordinarily rich. Japanese has distinct words for types of rain, types of silence, types of heartbeats, types of laughter. Many have no direct English equivalent.
Categories of Japanese manga onomatopoeia:
Giongo — sounds made by non-living things
- ゴーン (goon) — deep bell toll
- バーン (baan) — explosion
- ザーザー (zaazaa) — heavy rain
Giseigo — sounds made by living things
- ワンワン (wanwan) — dog barking
- ガオー (gaoo) — lion roar
Gitaigo — states or conditions (no sound)
- ドキドキ (dokidoki) — nervous/excited heartbeat
- ニヤリ (niyari) — smirking
- シーン (shiin) — dead silence
Gijōgo — emotional states
- ウルウル (uruuru) — eyes welling up with tears
- フラフラ (furafura) — dizzy, unsteady
The third and fourth categories have no sound at all — they describe visual and emotional states. Translating them into English requires either a phonetic rendering (which English readers may not understand) or a descriptive word (which changes the character of the panel).
Translayer’s Default SFX Behavior
By default, Translayer:
- Replaces giongo and giseigo with English onomatopoeia equivalents where they exist (バーン → BOOM, ザーザー → SPLASH)
- Translates gitaigo and gijōgo to descriptive English (ドキドキ → THUMP THUMP, シーン → silence)
Customizing SFX with Prompts
On Standard and Pro plans, use a custom prompt to override defaults. Examples:
Retain Japanese authenticity:
For sound effects integrated into the artwork, retain the Japanese phonetic spelling
in Latin characters (e.g., DOKIDOKI, SHIIN, GAAN). Do not translate SFX to English equivalents.Full English localization:
Translate all sound effects to English equivalents. For emotional states without
English onomatopoeia, use descriptive words in all-caps (SILENT, TREMBLING, GLEAMING).Hybrid approach:
Use English onomatopoeia for physical sounds (BOOM, CRASH, SPLASH).
For emotional/state descriptors (dokidoki, shiin, furafura), retain the Japanese phonetic spelling.SFX Integrated into Artwork
The most challenging case is SFX that is hand-lettered directly into the panel art — styled to match the visual tone of the scene. An explosion panel might have ドカン rendered in fractured, fire-colored lettering. A silent panel might have シーン rendered as thin, faded text blending into the background.
These are not inside bubbles. They are part of the image itself.
Translayer’s AI identifies these text regions using visual context — the area around the text, its styling, its relationship to the scene action. It then replaces the original SFX with translated text rendered in a visually consistent style.
What Works Well
- Large, bold SFX on clean backgrounds
- SFX with clear boundaries from the surrounding art
- Commonly recognized manga sound patterns (standard giongo/giseigo)
What Requires Manual Review
- SFX that blends into complex, detailed backgrounds
- SFX with extreme custom styling (hand-drawn, integrated into character designs)
- Very small SFX in corner panels
- SFX that spans multiple panels or bleeds across page edges
For these cases, Translayer will make a best attempt. Review these panels carefully and use image editing software for manual corrections if needed.
Vertical Narration Boxes
Many manga use vertical narration boxes — rectangular columns of tategaki running along the edge of a panel. These often contain internal monologue, scene-setting text, or chapter headers.
Translayer handles these the same way as speech bubbles — it identifies the box boundaries and regenerates the content with horizontally laid-out translated text. When translated text is significantly longer (common with English), it reduces font size proportionally.
Tip: If narration boxes are a critical part of your layout (e.g., the boxes are decoratively styled), upload at the highest available resolution. More pixel data = more accurate boundary detection and better style matching.
Checklist for SFX-Heavy Volumes
- Action sequences (fight scenes, chase scenes) — highest SFX density
- Emotional climax pages — gitaigo/gijōgo dominant
- Establishing shots with environmental sound — check ambient SFX
- Title pages with stylized chapter headers
- Any double-page spread with large integrated SFX
- Pages where SFX overlaps character faces or expressions
Summary
In summary, handling the most difficult elements of manga localization—vertical text and integrated SFX—requires a tool that understands the visual context of the page. By using Translayer’s regeneration approach and customizing SFX handling with prompts, you can produce high-quality, authentic manga translations in any language.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Giongo, Giseigo, and Gitaigo in manga?
Giongo are sounds from non-living things (BOOM), Giseigo are sounds from living things (BARK), and Gitaigo describe visual or emotional states (SILENCE, SMIRK). Translayer can translate all three categories into appropriate English equivalents.
How does Translayer handle SFX that is hand-lettered into the artwork?
Translayer's AI identifies these text regions and replaces the original Japanese lettering with a translated equivalent rendered in a visually consistent style, matching the weight and tone of the original scene.
Can I choose to keep the original Japanese phonetics for SFX?
Yes. By using a custom prompt, you can instruct Translayer to retain the Japanese phonetic spelling in Latin characters (e.g., 'DOKIDOKI' instead of 'THUMP THUMP') for a more authentic 'foreignized' feel.
What resolution is best for pages with complex SFX?
For panels with extreme custom styling or SFX integrated into detailed backgrounds, we recommend uploading at 600 DPI. More pixel data allows the AI to better distinguish between the text and the underlying artwork.