Visual Novel History Lesson: MangaGamer

[NowItsAngeTime]

Wanted to try a new series idea, talking about the history of various visual novel aspects. In this video, I'll be talking about the VN publisher MangaGamer, mostly about their different releases by developer, as well as other interesting information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Zalor]

I like this new series idea. I hope Jast USA is next

[ChaosRaven]

That really takes me back. I got in contact with visual novels around the time MangaGamer started localising them. Still remember learning about them through the Shuffle intro logos. It was my second VN after Fate/Stay Night. I had downloaded it from some barely trustworthy torrent and thought it was a fan translation like Fate, since I had no clue at that time that they were actually sold in the west.

Actually, Tsuriotsu is also coming to Steam - in Chinese and Japanese. Unfortunately, no English in sight. Still curious to read this and find out if Luna is really so great that she deserves the Getchu character award she won three years in a row.

MangaGamer's latest title selections felt a bit low profile to be honest. Though they had some questionable title choices in the past as well, so it doesn't have to mean anything. They are probably just buried in their countless Rance projects. Still kinda hope they can get their hands on Kara no Shoujo 3. Story titles of that quality are so rare nowadays.

[littleshogun]

As for Mangagamer, yeah it did very nostalgic in that it's the localization company that changed the VN localization scene seeing that before Mangagamer there's only JAST as the biggest companies that deal with VN localization. There's some other localization companies though, such as Hirameki or Kitty Media although output wise JAST still won over those two. While recently their reputation is quite positive, back then actually it's quite opposite in which most people sort of hope that some VNs were keep fan translated instead of being translated by Mangagamer, mostly because bad translation in both of Kira Kira and Higurashi (Also don't forget their very liberal translation of Hinatabokko). That say though, right now their reputation is waned thanks to their leaked Discord discussion (Which I suspect that some former staff who had a grudge did spread it seeing that the section is can only be from Staff Only section).

In regard of the companies who localized their VN what I can say is that ironically Tarte didn't localize their VN through Mangagamer anymore even though they listed as one of the four Mangagamer founder, but instead they ask JAST to localized their Magnum Opus (Katahane). At least both of Overdrive and Circus (I count Moonstone as Circus seeing Moonstone is originated from Circus) still asked Mangagamer to localize their VNs, although right now I'm waiting for Da Capo 4 license. As for Nexton, turned out that they kind of flexible when it come to company to localize their VNs though their branch companies ask Mangagamer to localize several of their titles. By the way, we also have several other companies who are loyal to Mangagamer, and those companies are 07Expansion, minori, and Liar-soft. Alicesoft can count to a degree, although they did localize Evenicle 2 by themselves and ask Shiravune to localize Dohna Dohna. Lastly what I can say is that while their recent licenses are sort of lacking (Probably the effect of pandemic), we should still thankful to them seeing that they bring quite a number of translated VNs.

PS - Forgot to mention that some of their staffs are former well-known fan translator, with some of them did work in No Name Loser who is the fan translation group who worked on ef. Also if I may say something, what Fata Morgana translator said that she localized tsundere in the middle of leak scandal here is not a wise move seeing that it'd gouge her (And Mangagamer) reputation even further because some fans who didn't like it would use a small crack and make it a bigger deal than it should be (And make it into a video content seeing that the controversy would be a very tasty source of idea), but I suppose anyone else who under some pressure would probably need some way to vent on social media.

Edited March 29, 2022 by littleshogun