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As our world becomes more interconnected, effective translation is needed to bridge gaps and facilitate ease of communication between cultures. Students who are pursuing the translation field may want to consider a career in anime localization, since this area can be both engaging and rewarding.

When it comes to the translation field, there can be serious consequences that arise when unclear and imprecise language is utilized. Localization helps alleviate such issues since it takes into account the audience and the overall meaning of the text that needs to be conveyed. The localization process is used by diverse industries around the world, with anime localization being a common application in the arts.

Kent State offers an online M.A. in Translation where students can expand their language skills and become well-versed in the field, leading to a variety of career opportunities including anime localization.

What to Expect for a Career in Anime Localization

Anime is a predominantly Japanese style of animation used in film and television programs that continues to see a rise in popularity among western audiences. With the language gap that comes with translating these films and TV shows to an English-speaking audience, anime localization is often needed to fully convey all aspects of the original source text and dialogue.

A successful career in anime localization isn’t just about simply translating the language itself, as a complete analysis and understanding of the source material is necessary. Within anime localization, you will need to factor in cultural differences and alter your translations to match, affecting areas such as dialogue, titles, visuals, and more. All of this is performed in an effort to aid the audience’s understanding of the material.

For anime localization, some aspects that are taken into account include:

• Region-specific spellings
• Cultural identities and preferences of the audience
• Presentation of dates, currency, and more
• Cultural differences, traditions, expectations, symbols, and anything that may be absent in the original language that produced it

Localization is crucial to ensuring that communication between individuals is understood and that nothing is lost in translation. It also allows people and cultures to bridge gaps, whether that is found in the arts like with anime localization, or for business or personal matters.

Working in Localization

Anime localization is one of the many paths you can pursue after receiving an M.A in Translation from Kent State. Beyond an anime localization career, other potential roles include:

Benefits of Pursuing Your Master’s Degree at Kent State

On top of being able to select from a variety of career paths, there are various benefits when choosing Kent State for your M.A in Translation, including:

• Graduation rates exceeding 90%
• Excellent employment prospects
• Courses designed by experts in all aspects of translation/localization and language project management
• Access to a virtual, multilingual computing laboratory with state-of-the-art software
• Ability to conveniently earn your degree from anywhere in the world
• No prior translating experience necessary to be accepted into our program

Additionally, our master’s program provides six language concentrations you can specialize in including Arabic, French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Japanese, the latter especially relevant to anime localization considering the art form’s origin. With these options at your disposal, we can ensure that you’ll find the right path for you.

Start Your Career in Anime Localization at Kent State

Kent State focuses on challenging and inspiring students, while giving them the attention needed to improve as translators. Our goal in this program is to prepare you for your translation career, setting you up for success in anime localization and other areas.

If you are interested in earning your M.A in Translation, contact us for more information. We look forward to hearing from you!