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Home , Fan fiction, Fan translation, Henry Jenkins

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Chatarina Edfeldt Anneli Fjordevik Hiroko Inose Dalarna University, SE Dalarna University. SE Dalarna University, SE [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

case of , the scanlators practice the ABSTRACT skills and techniques of translating in an informal environment. This phenomenon of culture is a subculture that has developed participatory culture has been observed by explosively on the internet over the last decades. scholars and it is concluded that they contribute Fans are creating their own , , WR WKH GHYHORSPHQW RI D VWXGHQW¶V OLWHUDF\ DQG , , blogs, role play and also various foreign language skills. Furthermore, there is no forms that are all based on familiar popular doubt that the related to Japanese culture creations like TV-series, bestsellers, cultural products such as , and anime, manga stories and games. In our project, videogames is one of the strong motives for we analyze two of these subculture , fan foreign students to start learning Japanese. fiction and scanlation. This is something to take into pedagogical Amateurs, and sometimes professional writers, consideration when we develop web-based create new stories by adapting and developing courses. and fan culture make it existing storylines and characters from the possible to have an intensive transcultural original. In this way, a "network" of texts dialogue between participators throughout the occurs, and writers step into an intertextual world and is of great interest when studying the dialogue with established writers such as JK interaction between formal and informal Rowling () and Stephanie Meyer learning that puts the student in focus. (). Literary reception and creation then merge into a rich reciprocal creative activity Keywords: fan culture, fan fiction, scanlation, which includes comments and feedback from the informal learning environment, participatory culture participators in the community. INTRODUCTION The critical attitude of the fans regarding quality and the frustration at waiting for the official In order to better meet the needs of the New of manga books led to the Generation of students, our challenge will be to development of scanlation, which is an amateur develop new pedagogical thinking to accompany translation of manga distributed on the internet. new technologies. This has led us to take a closer look at informal learning environments Today, young internet users get involved in taking place on the internet today. The present conceptual discussions of and study builds on interesting and important structures through fan activity. In the

105 previous research from scholars like Marc the internet. It aims to identify and discuss some Prensky, , and elements in these fan communities that probably Christina Olin-Scheller, when we are taking as a benefit the learning situation. We are interested premise that a favorable learning situation and in the learning process, per se, rather than learning outcome is taking place in fan culture proving or evaluating specific learning online communities today. outcomes. Furthermore, we will try to identify and discuss some elements within this process Marc Prensky has suggested that the so- called that benefits the learning environment. We will GHFOLQHLQWRGD\¶VHGXFDWLRQDOV\VWHPLVGXHWRD start with a brief introduction to fan discrepancy between how young people access communities and then continue on to the new information and knowledge through online learning processes taking place on fan fiction communities, and the traditional methodology and scanlation sites. used by their teachers to educate them. And to describe this he uses the metaphor: digital Fan culture is a subculture that has developed natives and digital immigrants, referring to a explosively on the internet during the last generation that has grown up with these new decades. Fans are creating their own films, technologies and an older generation that has translations, fiction, fan art, blogs, role play and had to adapt to them. (Prensky 2001) Also James also various forums that are all based on familiar Paul Gee has convincingly shown in his study creations like TV-series, Situated Language and Learning: A Critique of bestsellers, anime, manga stories and games. Traditional Schooling (2004) how young people On fan culture community websites young FDQ OHDUQ ³PRUH´ IURP WKHLU DIWHU-school people learn how to write, comment on and activities than from traditional schooling (for translate texts. On fan fiction websites fans example, complex problem solving from create new stories by adapting and developing videogames). In his latest book Language and existing storylines and characters from the learning in a Digital Age (2011) he emphasizes original; get involved in an intensive dialogue learning environments and popular culture and between reader and writer and have conceptual KHUHFRJQL]HVLWDVD³QHZOHDUQLQJV\VWHP´DQG discussions on intertextuality and narrative invents a new term to define it: structures. In the case of scanlation, the The new learning system, competing today in scanlators practice the skills and techniques of many respects with our school systems, is translating, as well as acquiring Japanese learning as part of popular culture. (---) There language abilities, in an informal environment. LVQR³RIILFLDO´QDPHIRUWKLVW\SHRIOHDUQLQJ Art reception and creation then merge into a rich so we will have to make one up. We will call reciprocal creative activity which includes LW ³SDVVLRQDWH DIILQLW\-based comments and feedback from the participators in OHDUQLQJ´ Passionate affinity-based learning occurs when people organize themselves in the community. the real world and/or via the Internet (or a In 1992 Henry Jenkins wrote a groundbreaking virtual world) to learn something connected to study on fan culture where he deconstructed the a shared endeavor, interest, or passion. (Gee prevailing negative image of a fan as a 2011:69) stereotypical fanatic and reinterpreted her or him In our paper we will focus on how communities as passionate and creative community member. of fan culture ± with the examples of the two Since then, fandom has taken the step into online subgenres fan fiction and scanlation activity - communities and experienced an explosive function as an informal learning environment on 106 development, both in the form of an increased FAN FICTION number of participants as well as in social credit. Fan culture is now a completely transnational Feedback: Reviews and beta activity where people from all over the world come together in their shared passion for a readers specific fandom. Henry Jenkins characterizes a In an article in the Swedish newspaper Svenska fan as follows, and the also illustrates Dagbladet, the author Jennifer deLucy what he has defined as a Participatory culture: HPSKDVL]HV WKH IDQ ILFWLRQ ZRUOG DV D ³ZULWLQJ This ability to transform personal reaction into VFKRRO´ ZKHUH HYHU\RQH HYHQ SURIHVVLRQDO social interaction, spectatorial culture into writers like herself, has something to learn. Even participatory culture, is one of the central if most of the fan fiction writers may be characteristics of fandom. One becomes a amateurs there also are the more experienced ³IDQ´ QRW E\ EHLQJ D UHJXODU YLHZHU RI D who supervise the less experienced. Under the particular program but by translating that WDJ ³5HYLHZ WKLV VWRU\´ RQ WKH ZHEVLWH viewing into some kind of cultural activity, by fanfiction.net every reader has the possibility to sharing feelings and thoughts about the give feedback and interact with the author. The program content with friends, by joining a feedback from other fans often comes quickly, ³FRPPXQLW\´ RI RWKHU IDQV ZKR VKDUH common interests. For fans, consumption since the fans share the same interests ± the naturally sparks production, reading generates same passion for a fandom ± and normally react writing, until the terms seem logically RQWKHQHZVWRULHVLPPHGLDWHO\,W¶VDQRQJRLQJ inseparable... GLVFXVVLRQLW¶VQRWRQO\RQHFRPPHQWIURPWKH teacher like in the traditional teacher-student (Jenkins 2006: 41) relationship. Here, writers have the possibility to This passage points to some important elements argue an opinion or just ask what the reviewers for a favorable learning situation namely: a mean by something. They also develop skills in shared passion for the fandom and an emotional WKHVH ³PHWDWDONV´ LQ KRZ WR DQDO\]H WKHLU RZQ investment in the material as a strong motivator ZULWLQJ DQG WKH\¶UH KDYLQJ WKHRUHWLFDO for writing and participating. The fan discussions about the interpretations of the communities are particularly good examples of source texts (Wenz 2010; Olin-Scheller 2009). participatory culture - where consumers and )RU H[DPSOH WKH TXHVWLRQ ³:KHQ GRHV IDQ SURGXFHUV EOHQG WRJHWKHU LQWR ³SURVXPHUV´ DQG ILFWLRQEHFRPHOLWHUDWXUH"´LVEHLQJGLVFXVVHGLQ WKHNH\ZRUGKHUHLV³VKDULQJ´-DPHV3DXO*HH a forum on fanfiction.net. was seen in the citation shown earlier on his (http://forum.fanfiction.net/topic/2872/5683 concept of ³SDVVLRQDWH DIILQLW\-EDVHG OHDUQLQJ´ 6699/1/ 2012-02-15) and Prensky agrees with Jenkins on passion as the key element. Author and readers accordingly meet in this ongoing and intensive dialogue. They act as In the following sections, we will see two types teachers/mentors for each other; they comment of fan activities, identifying the elements that on texts, structure, characters, style, grammar, would benefit their function as an informal etc. The feedback ranges from very positive learning environment. comments to concrete suggestions about how to improve the text, depending on how experienced the writer is. Sometimes the new writers are TXLWH ³HGXFDWHG´ E\ RWKHUV OLNH WKH VLJQDWXUH

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The Moons Feather, who has written two fan every time someone different talks make a new on Inkheart on fanfiction.net. As most paragraph. It makes your chapters seem longer new writers, she asks for reviews before her DQ\ZD\  ´  story starts. On her personal profile, she informs (http://www.fanfiction.net/r/7478112/ 2012- everyone about herself and tells her favourites in 01-30) Significant to note here, is that even different categories, for example her favourite though there is a very clear teacher-student fan fiction wULWHUWKDW¶V.DOO\SVRZKRUHYLHZV situation, the student asks for feedback and is the first chapters of her first fanfic InkClover. really happy about it. The discussion on the Kallypso notices that The Moons Feathers story published text usually starts directly. This needs more work and gives her quite detailed immediate feedback ± WKDW HYHQ LI LW¶V FULWLFDO instructions for how to improve her writing: often contains some positive feedback like Number 1: Take your time. Don't be afraid to ³XSGDWH VRRQ´ ± is probably an important slow down and take time to describe the element for learning. scene. You brush over the majority of a Also beta readers (proof readers) are available to chapter with just a few sentences. Even though offer help before an author decides to publish a whoever is reading your fanfic has read text on fanfiction.net. In this way, the Inkheart you should not be afraid to use more detail. If you don't want to spend too much participatory culture with its informal time on the old scene you can always use ³PHQWRULQJ´LVYHU\FOHDU7KHPRUHH[SHULHQFHG space to develop your and maybe contributors read the texts of the less delve more into her thoughts. So far I don't get experienced and teach and support them. The much of a sense of who Clover is or what her GHILQLWLRQRIDEHWDUHDGHURQIDQILFWLRQQHWLV³D personality is like. She's a writer... that's person who reads a work of fiction with a basically all I know. Writers are very critical eye, with the aim of improving grammar, interesting people. Explore her some more, spelling, characterization, and general style of a add in some back story. Dramatic back stories story prior to its release to the general pubOLF´ can be your friend :) Number 2: If you plan on having really short (http://www.fanfiction.net/betareaders/ 2012- chapters then update them alot quicker. I 01-09) For example, we can take a look at one know, again from experience, that if you don't registered beta reader on this webpage, Detafo. update quickly you might lose alot of potential She has written 14 stories (fan fictions) for readers. Silence of the Lambs, Cats, Twilight, Alice in >«@, GEHJODGWRKHOS\RXDQ\WLPH\RXQHHG Wonderland and some more. All registered beta me to. I was once a beginner to and it takes readers on fanfiction.net have a beta description, awhile to get into the swing of things. where we get to know what their strengths and (http://www.fanfiction.net/r/7478112/ 2012- weaknesses are and what they prefer to read (and 01-30) prefer not to). Detafo gives the following general Some days later, The Moons Feather has description on her beta reader profile: published more chapters of her story and I'm OCD when it comes to spelling and .DOO\SVR ZULWHV DQRWKHU FRPPHQW ³

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don't use abbreviated terms such as 'c'mon' ZRXOGQ¶WKDYHFKRVHQZKHWKHULQWKHFODVVURRP and 'hey'. To me it... it's insulting. Be warned or on the fan fictioQ ZHEVLWH LI KH KDGQ¶W EHHQ that if I beta-read your fics, I might just go anonymous. Nazi on things like that. Unless you ask me nicely not to ;) (http://www.fanfiction.net/beta/168470/Detafo SCANLATION 2012-01-09) ´6FDQODWLRQ´LVDWHUPWKDWFRPELQHV´VFDQQLQJ´ Detafo thus has an awareness of writing from DQG ³WUDQVODWLRQ´DQG VWDUWHG LQWKHODWH V different periods and historical language. She Overseas fans of Japanese manga were frustrated adjusts the style and the language to the time in that there were many works that were not which the story is taking place. translated and published abroad, and started making their own translation of the scanned Anonymity original version. They were all circulated by through the internet. Most writers of fan fiction use screen names ZKLFKPHDQVWKDWZHGRQ¶WNQRZWKHLUDJHVH[ With time, this has grown into a major practice, ZKHUH WKH\ OLYH HWF 7KH IDFW WKDW \RX GRQ¶W and although there is a growing conflict with the know who the person behind the screen name is publishers over the issue, it has not makes the distinction between amateurs and ceased by any means. The motives today for SURIHVVLRQDOV PRUH GLIILFXOW 7KH\¶UH DOO fans to translate manga work and to read fan anonymous and in the first place they identify translated manga could be summarised as two ± themselves as part of the fan community, as to read what is not translated abroad, and to read prosumers (the mixture of producers and the next chapter of a series as soon as it is consumers), not young teenagers or professional published in Japan. Many manga works are writers. Some users sign up with very well- published in weekly magazines but it takes constructed pseudonyms that really show their months for official translations to come out. personality and their values, or they sign up $XWKRUV VXFK DV 2¶+DJDQ   'LD]-Cintas XVLQJQLFNQDPHVWKDWH[SUHVVWKHLGHQWLW\WKH\¶G (2006) or Ferrer (2005) have published articles like to have. In this way the fan fiction writers on scanlation, but mostly to give an overview of have the possibility to try different roles and WKH SKHQRPHQRQ 2I WKRVH DXWKRUV 2¶+DJDQ different identities. (Olin-Scheller & Wikström (ibid.) suggested the possibility of scanlation 2010; Olin-Scheller 2009) functioning as an informal translator training, an The anonymity thus plays an important role idea which is closely related to the theme of this since it encourages learning and teaching paper. We would like to consider very briefly activities. It probably gives (at least some) fanfic some elements we find in this particular fan writers the courage to publish and it also creates activity that could drive the process of learning a freedom to express oneself since you can have Japanese language, and skills for translation. an online identity or even use many different In order to be able to translate, fans have to learn SVHXGRQ\PV LQ GLIIHUHQW IDQGRPV

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Translation is taught at university and other give me some context to educational institutions, but in the community it though. sites for scanlators, such as Mangahelpers.com Comment 2: for example, we can see much more OJT-type Hakuna is a rougher translation training taking place. In this imperative than community site of scanlators, if one wants to hakanaide. Shinakutemo register as a translator, one has to go through a is a truncated version of ³-Xst stop rigorous screening, presenting five translation shinakutemo ii talking about that works that will be graded by other translators noncense already. No one and will be ranked somewhere between S rank FDUHV´ and D rank (there are five ranks: S,A, B,C,D). If Another forum teaches you how to proofread, an the work is considered to be not good enough, important skill you should learn in translator RQH LV FODVVLILHG DV D ³WUDLQHH´ DQG FDQ QRW training. The forum teaches you not only upload the translation until the quality of the techniques, such as to compare the original and translation improves. translation, but also more tangible tips such as to Inside the same site, there are forums such as get in touch with the translator when not sure ³7UDQVODWRUV¶ $FDGHP\´ ³+RZ WR SURRIUHDG´ about the interpretation of the text, or DQG³-DSDQHVHODQJXDJHVWXG\´,QWKRVHIRUXPV consideration about use of the slang, if it is quite elaborated discussions take place about appropriate to use slang in the translation for the how to translate particular phrases in Japanese. character or situation. Finally, as many fan For example, a translator asks for advice to translators teach themselves Japanese, translate several quite difficult sentences, such information sharing and peer teaching of the as kudaranai mougen wo hakuna. Sonnakoto wo language is very common in these sites. shinakutemo Information on the basic phonetics, language (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread history, register, basic grammar and other online .php/75218-Various-short-sentences ). This resources are shared often, and then sometimes ZRXOG OLWHUDU\ EH ³'RQ¶W YRPLW XVHOHVV the discussion develops into topics such as how DEVXUGLW\ 1R QHHG IRU LW´ DQG WKH WUDQVODWLRQ to prepare for the official Japanese language ZRXOG EH VRPHWKLQJ OLNH ³6WRS WDONLQJ XVHOHVV proficiency test, JPLT, both for elementary and bullshLW 1R QHHG IRU LW´ 7KH WUDQVODWRU higher levels. confesses he can not translate this, and some There is also an important element of feedback. very appropriate suggestions come; Translation per se is a skill acquired and used Comment 1: because there is a need for it ± someone needs the translation to understand what he wants to )URP WKH ORRN RI LW ,¶P going to assume that understand. Feedback, therefore, could be the sonnakoto is referring to strong motive for a translator to continue KRZ KH¶V EDUNLQJ RXW translating, especially if the translator is not paid stupid without even as in the case of scanlation. WKLQNLQJ«,µGWranslate it DV ³6WRS EDUNLQJ RXW In the scanlation sites, numerous comments are QRQVHQVHV ,W¶V WRWDOO\ posted from right after uploading a newly XQQHFHVVDU\´EXW ,¶PQRW translated work. They are comments of totally sure unless you gratitude, or requests to translate the following chapter, as well as comments on the translated 110 work itself. Though translators use pseudonyms, normally one can keep track of what he BIBLIOGRAPHY translates, and in the aforementioned community Diaz-Cintas, Jorge and Muñoz Sánchez, site (Mangahelpers.com), readers could become 3DEOR   ³)DQVXEV $XGLRYLVXDO ³IDQV´ RI D FHUWDLQ WUDQVODWRU PDLQO\ IRU WKH TUDQVODWLRQ LQ DQ $PDWHXU (QYLURQPHQW´ selection of work he translates. In these fan The Journal of Specialised Translation, pages, fans can post comments of not just issue 6, pp. 37-52 gratitude but also of serious interest in how the )HUUHU6LPy0DUtD5RVDULD  ³)DQVXEV translator learned Japanese or the analysis of the y : la influencia de los manga work he translates. In other words, they DILFLRQDGRV HQ ORV FULWHULRV SURIHVLRQDOHV´ are of the most gratifying topics that fans, Puentes, no.6, pp.27-44 including the translator himself, could participate passionately in. Gee, James Paul (2004), Situated Language and Learning: A Critique of Traditional CONCLUSION Schooling. New York: Routledge. Gee, James Paul (2011), Language and As has been seen very briefly, in both fan Learning in a Digital Age. New York: activities ± fan fiction and scanlation ±the Routledge. passion to create, teach, learn and evaluate, and Jenkins, Henry (1992) Textual Poachers: not only to consume, is found. And this is Television Fans and Participatory Culture. exactly what Prensky (2010) points out in his New York and London: Routledge. book Teaching Digital Natives DV ZKDWWRGD\¶V students want and do not receive ± learn by Jenkins, Henry (2006) Fans, Bloggers and pursuing their passion and interest, desire to Gamers. New York: New York University create using the tools of their time, and learn Press something real, not just relevant. In the fan 2¶+DJDQ0LQDNR  ³)DQ7UDQVODWLRQ community, or what James Paul Gee calls a Networks; An accidental Translator Training learning system embedded in the popular (QYLURQPHQW" ´ LQ -RKQ .HDUQV HG  culture, we see elements that fulfil these needs, Translator and Interpreter Training. New and an environment where fans acquire such York: Continuum International Publishing skills as writing, translating, or foreign language. Group, pp.158-183 How to incorporate, or make use of this informal Olin-Scheller, Christina & Wikström, Patrik learning environment in next generation learning (2010) Författande fans: om fanfiction och is one of the major questions that we have to elevers literacyutveckling. Lund: pursue in our NGL project. Studentlitteratur Olin-Scheller, ChULVWLQD ¶%RUWRP ERNHQV begränsningar: Om ungas möten med fiktion SnQlWHW¶ In: Granath, Solveig, Björn Bihl & Elisabeth Wennö (ed.) (2009), Vägar till språk och litteratur [Elektronisk resurs]: CSL (Centrum för språk och litteraturdidaktik), Karlstads universitet, pp. 91-101.

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Olin-6FKHOOHU &KULVWLQD µ, ZDQW 7ZLOLJKW Svensson, Karin, Twilightfans på hugget, information to grow in my head. Svenska Dagbladet, 5th of June 2010. from a fan :HQ] .DULQ   µ6WRU\telling goes on SHUVSHFWLYH¶ ,Q /DUVVRQ 0DULDK  $QQ DIWHU WKH FUHGLWV¶ ,Q 6LPDQRZVNL 5REHUW Steiner (ed.) (2011) Interdisciplinary Jörgen Schäfer and Peter Gendolla (eds.), Approaches to Twilight. Studies in Fiction, Reading moving letters. Digital literature in Media, and a Contemporary Cultural research and teaching, Bielefeld: Transcript Experience, Nordic Academic Press, pp. Verlag. 159-175. Prensky, Marc (2010) Teaching Digital Natives California:Corwin Press

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