Japanese book covers are AWESOME.
Jul. 29th, 2010 04:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snarpLooks like the Kushiel books were each split into three volumes in Japan, with subtitles:
Kushiel's Dart 1: The Kingdom of Eight Angels (Subtitle = fair enough.)
That's an awfully pale Phedre, right there. Looks like they copied the design for her marque straight from the American art.
Kushiel's Dart 2: The Court of Spiders (Subtitle = Sure, that works.)
Joscelin looks kind of sneaky here.
Kushiel's Dart 3: A Cold Land of Trees and Wolves (I can come up with no painless way to translate this, but I guess it's probably fine in Japanese.)
I have no quarrel with that Hyacinthe! Well, except that he and Phedre aren't actually looking at each other.
Kushiel's Apostle 1: Raiment of Crimson (Yep.)
The cover artist's clearly read the book - that's definitely the costume Phedre commissioned from Favrielle.
Kushiel's Apostle 2: The Swan Queen (I thought Ysandre was out of the story by the 1/3 point of this book...)
Kushiel's Apostle 3: The Labyrinth of Sinners (That title could be applied to pretty much any part of the series, but sure, go for it.)
Kushiel's Revelation 1: The Wandering Prince (Hey, he did not wander intentionally!)
Phedre has a little lamb, and Joscelin is wearing white. The rest of the book isn't out yet - poor Japan.
Amazon recommends Mercedes Lackey's Mage Storms series to people looking at Jacqueline Carey books. The Storms books are the ones that seriously needed to be edited, but not quite as seriously as the Owls books seriously needed to be edited. Who cares, look how they drew Firesong!
Here he is again, snubbing a goat!
Actually, no, I'm wrong - I think that's Darkwind's dad. Dude may well have canonically snubbed goats. That is just the kind of nuanced characterization you get from Mercedes Lackey. What's a cold, distant father gonna do with a goat? He is going to totally snub that goat. Snub it so hard.
And OH GOD LOOK AT VANYEL
that's perfect. And on this one he's tiny!
...Is he supposed to be tiny? Was that on purpose?
Talia looks pretty cool on hers. This is way better than the American covers.
Mornelithe Falconsbane is, I regret to say, a complete failure.
Yeah, they dropped the ball on this one. He's an evil guy with kitty ears who sexually abuses pretty men. While this is not the exact premise of Loveless, I think it serves as evidence that these ideas hold appeal for certain demographics in Japan.
In Japan, as elsewhere, the Vorkosigan books appear to be cursed with awful covers.
That's Memory, and I have no idea who those people are supposed to be. Is the guy with the stick supposed to be short? Is he supposed to be Miles? I don't know! And I don't know what the heck Elli's trying to accomplish on the Ethan of Athos cover:
And OH GOD
the Japanese title for Brothers in Arms? It's Shinai naru clone. This literally means Beloved Clone. You can use "shinai naru" for letters or messages, like "dear," so maybe it doesn't come off quite so strongly, but 1) you only do it on personal correspondence to people you actually like, and 2) there ought to be an "e" tacked onto the end if that's what they were going for, anyway.
1) THAT IS KIND OF A SPOILER, YOU GUYS.
2) It is also hilarious.
3) Disappointingly, Mirror Dance does not get a similar interesting change in title.
Kushiel's Dart 1: The Kingdom of Eight Angels (Subtitle = fair enough.)
That's an awfully pale Phedre, right there. Looks like they copied the design for her marque straight from the American art.
Kushiel's Dart 2: The Court of Spiders (Subtitle = Sure, that works.)
Joscelin looks kind of sneaky here.
Kushiel's Dart 3: A Cold Land of Trees and Wolves (I can come up with no painless way to translate this, but I guess it's probably fine in Japanese.)
I have no quarrel with that Hyacinthe! Well, except that he and Phedre aren't actually looking at each other.
Kushiel's Apostle 1: Raiment of Crimson (Yep.)
The cover artist's clearly read the book - that's definitely the costume Phedre commissioned from Favrielle.
Kushiel's Apostle 2: The Swan Queen (I thought Ysandre was out of the story by the 1/3 point of this book...)
Kushiel's Apostle 3: The Labyrinth of Sinners (That title could be applied to pretty much any part of the series, but sure, go for it.)
Kushiel's Revelation 1: The Wandering Prince (Hey, he did not wander intentionally!)
Phedre has a little lamb, and Joscelin is wearing white. The rest of the book isn't out yet - poor Japan.
Amazon recommends Mercedes Lackey's Mage Storms series to people looking at Jacqueline Carey books. The Storms books are the ones that seriously needed to be edited, but not quite as seriously as the Owls books seriously needed to be edited. Who cares, look how they drew Firesong!
Here he is again, snubbing a goat!
Actually, no, I'm wrong - I think that's Darkwind's dad. Dude may well have canonically snubbed goats. That is just the kind of nuanced characterization you get from Mercedes Lackey. What's a cold, distant father gonna do with a goat? He is going to totally snub that goat. Snub it so hard.
And OH GOD LOOK AT VANYEL
that's perfect. And on this one he's tiny!
...Is he supposed to be tiny? Was that on purpose?
Talia looks pretty cool on hers. This is way better than the American covers.
Mornelithe Falconsbane is, I regret to say, a complete failure.
Yeah, they dropped the ball on this one. He's an evil guy with kitty ears who sexually abuses pretty men. While this is not the exact premise of Loveless, I think it serves as evidence that these ideas hold appeal for certain demographics in Japan.
In Japan, as elsewhere, the Vorkosigan books appear to be cursed with awful covers.
That's Memory, and I have no idea who those people are supposed to be. Is the guy with the stick supposed to be short? Is he supposed to be Miles? I don't know! And I don't know what the heck Elli's trying to accomplish on the Ethan of Athos cover:
And OH GOD
the Japanese title for Brothers in Arms? It's Shinai naru clone. This literally means Beloved Clone. You can use "shinai naru" for letters or messages, like "dear," so maybe it doesn't come off quite so strongly, but 1) you only do it on personal correspondence to people you actually like, and 2) there ought to be an "e" tacked onto the end if that's what they were going for, anyway.
1) THAT IS KIND OF A SPOILER, YOU GUYS.
2) It is also hilarious.
3) Disappointingly, Mirror Dance does not get a similar interesting change in title.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-29 11:22 pm (UTC)I don't know, those Vorkosigan covers could be lots worse. And I think the Shin'ai naru clone cover is possibly the best of the lot.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-30 06:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-30 12:09 am (UTC)haha, still French Caza Vorkosigan covers remain the best! ;)
no subject
Date: 2010-07-30 06:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-31 02:32 pm (UTC)It does show when an artist loves the book (and has read it in the first place ^^)
no subject
Date: 2010-07-30 12:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-30 01:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-30 06:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-30 02:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-30 04:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-30 06:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-01 04:20 pm (UTC)Kushiel subtitles
Date: 2010-07-31 04:09 pm (UTC)I started a collection of book covers of J.Carey (www.jcbookcovers.drak.li). Thank you ever so much for this blog entry! :) Without Japanese skills, it was almost impossible to find the Japanese covers, not to mention the titles... is it okay if I use your translations on my website? And if so, do you think you could help me with the next parts as well?
Kind regards and thanks again (you really made my day! ^^)
Frenni
Re: Kushiel subtitles
Date: 2010-07-31 08:05 pm (UTC)For the "advertising stripe" on Yuri's Report that you mentioned, that's a disposable paper strip that most people toss when they get the book. I don't know the word for them, but publishers put them on books as part of promotions. That one just says:
"Award-Winning
Winner of the Locus Award
Winner of the Romantic Times Award
An excitement-filled historical fantasy series opens!
In the land of an angel brimming with desire, in the Night Court, a young girl's journey begins."
And there's something in the corner saying "large-format, easy-to-read." A little alarming, as I think that may imply that it's being marketed to high-schoolers!
Re: Kushiel subtitles
Date: 2010-08-01 04:16 pm (UTC)yay! :)
Date: 2010-08-06 04:16 pm (UTC)And for that advertising thing... it's obi strip then? ^^ That really was a word I couldn't find a translation for as I didn't know it in my mother tongue itself. :-)
"large-format, easy-to-read" ? That's pretty weird, your right. I hope though, it was meant for the elderly!
Kind regards,
Frenni