The new English version (Eternal Edition) of the manga is available in just TWO DAYS!

(Though from Twitter, it looks like at least one book store had copies for the Crunchyroll convention back in August?? I don't know who else had this privilege...) ANYWAYS! Amazon just told me it'd be arriving at my door next week or so, so I'm feeling super hyped!

When you get your copy, please pop in here and let us know what you think! I'll be sure to post some side by side photos too :3. Ahhh can't wait to gaze at that cover art in person!

Yeah I'm excited for my copy! Amazon is showing I should have it for the 11th! Hopefully, i had an old credit card on my preorder cause it was so long ago so it might've been delayed a day xD

I have seen a picture floating around twitter of a copy that someone got in early and they took a pic next to the Japanese version and it is quite bigger than that one! I was quite surprised. Although, I don't mind at all because i think it will look quite nice on my shelf once I eventually get all 12.

Oh and since it's a all new translation, I guess we can have fun and compare the first Kodansha release and this one!

I bought mine yesterday at Barnes and Noble. IT IS HUGE! I absolutely love it. The size isn't that bad. I can read everything a lot better and the glossy pages! 

One big difference I noticed in the translation is how they call the silver crystal "mystical".

I got mine in from Amazon earlier this week! I really love it! It feels like a nice collector's edition and I cannot wait to get the rest of the volumes. I really like the size as well. It makes it feel like an actual graphic novel (like if i was buying an American comic book rather than manga).  Finally getting physical print of the colored manga pages we never got before is probably my favorite thing so far.

As far as translation goes, I haven't read the whole thing yet but I've been seeing quite a few comparisons on twitter this past week. While, I don't think the previous Kodansha USA translation was bad, it definitely had it's issues, especially in tone and flow. It felt more awkward due to a more direct approach in the translation. In this version, the dialogue feels more natural and flows a bit better (at least so far).  It feels more like how actual English speakers would talk except for the addition of honorifics, whiiiiich I'm on the fence about. Especially if the fandom is wanting a more natural translation, I don't think honorifics should be included BUT I know its wildly popular in the anime/manga demographic soooo I don't have a huge problem with it but I don't think its necessary either. Kinda makes it feel weeby, but eh. I do really like them using V-chan BUT I MISS VBABE. #VBABE2018

I'm probably biased towards how we've translated "maboroshi" over on Sea of Serenity, but I'm not a huge fan of the use of mystical. It's not wrong, but it's just not my favorite. We use "illusionary" and I also like the use of "legendary" that was in the previous Kodansha translation. I believe I can understand why they went with mystical as they probably felt that conveys this use of "maboroshi" the best. I believe though that this is the first time I've seen mystical used in official translations so it might just be the fact that its new and different.

I did get a chance to glance a bit over the translator's notes in the back and I really like how many there are and how much detail they go into. One of my complaints about the first Kodansha translator's notes, is that they weren't always very indepth or I felt like they missed out on opportunities to talk about certain things.


Anyway, if you haven't bought any of hte SM manga before, I'd say this is definitely a good edition to start with. If you already own the manga BUY IT AGAIN. SUPPORT OUR BELOVED SERIES.XD

I've been seeing lots of translation comparisons on twitter (as well as comparisons to the JP kanzenban), and I'm definitely going to buy it! While it's not perfect (bc that's literally impossible), I really like what I've seen, and think it flows naturally! 

I'm a bit conflicted about the honorifics because I personally like them, in that I like knowing what was said in the original Japanese version, and in translations without them, I sometimes wonder what honorifics are being used.... BUT I think translations in general are better without them. Its like....even though I want to know what Japanese sound effect was used, I think that in a translated version, a mouse should say "squeak," not "chuu," even though reading that "squeak" will make me wonder what it said in the original version... (this applies 10x for puns. I love JP puns but making your own is so much better than a huge TL note explaining the pun.) In any case!! #vbabe2018

I feel like mystical is a pretty good midpoint for maboroshi because it retains the meaning fairly well, while also sounding fancier than illusionary or phantom (plus phantom with its negative connotations), so flow might have factored into that decision as well. 

Anyways, I'm still waiting on a different manga shipment that's like 15 volumes to arrive, and I know as soon as it gets here, I'm going to want to read it all! Since I want to give myself proper time to read this instead of just glancing it over and looking at the pictures, I'm waiting until after that to buy it! Good news is I should be able to buy it in person instead of waiting for shipping!

I finally picked mine up from the post office yesterday and OMG IS IT SHINY OR WHAT?! XD I really love how they did the shadow and logo at the back too!! And I was super surprised that the pages are glossy! I didn't really read anything particular about how the Japanese Complete Edition was, so everything is new to me lol. It is kind of weird to have the super high-contrast drawings inside though. I'm so used to the newsprint-style level of contrast I guess so it feels kind of harsh ^^;;.

I was a little disappointed seeing that they left the honorifics in but I'm so used to them from back when I was reading a ton of fanfic that it doesn't bother me that much. After reading other translators' comments over the years, I agree it probably lacks some professionalism to leave them in. My brain tends to imagine the Japanese VAs instead of my own voice more readily when I read names with honorifics attached if that makes sense... So if it's in the middle of a sentence it's actually kind of disruptive ^^;;. But, hearing Ami say "Usagi-chan" in my head while reading instead of just "Usagi" is definitely cuter, so there's that at least haha. In any case, I'm with Brit, the amount of translator's notes is AWESOME. So appreciated compared to what the Shinsoubans had!! (I mean at least they had *any* but still...)

It's interesting comparing some of the dialogue to the Mixx version (the one I own in mostly English) because there's a few lines that actually seem better done by Mixx. For example, when Usagi and Mamoru run into each other on the bus in Act 3 and Mamoru comments on Usagi's talking to Luna:

Mixx:
Usagi: What?! Luna, what are you trying to say?!
Mamoru: Yeah Luna, go ahead and say it.
Eternal:
Usagi: What is it, Luna? I don't understand cat code! Just talk!
Mamoru: Yeah, Luna. Just talk.

Cat code? Unless literally "cat code" was in the original dialogue, that just seems like an awkward addition and even as a direct translation kind of unnecessary? I'll have to look at what the Shinsouban version was...

Anyways, I do like how the first volume ends with the cliffhanger Sailor Venus entrance :0. But I guess that's a comment for the Japanese version too haha.

That's all my thoughts for now!

Moderator's Note:

I just checked and volume 3 is coming out March 19 my bday. Its a sign I need to buy it and then I could read it on the plane to DC for the super live!

The fourth volume just arrived and I love all of them so much. I love how dark the ink is and how big the pages are. I wonder if they'll ever release a full-color set. (I would, of course, have to buy that one, too, and then I would have five sets. Haha.)

Omg if they could convince Naoko to go back and do a full color release she doesn't even need to do work, hiring people yo i would die. There is a full color release of the Dragonball manga that would be really nice to eventually collect.

I'd be on my 5th set with a colored version too haha

I wonder if they will ever do a box set? I bet the art would be beautiful.

What I like most about the Eternal volumes is that you can actually buy them in the comic shops where I live.  They're cool in that way because they are keeping the IP alive.  And it's nice to be able to go into a shop to buy something of this nature.

I think, personally, I will probably get a more traditional set as well (hopefully in Japanese), one day, as I feel that the Eternal editions are heavy to hold and it would be nice to see the images in less of a glossy print.  But they are certainly very appealing collector pieces and I really like the translator notes.

kpp_fan wrote:

What I like most about the Eternal volumes is that you can actually buy them in the comic shops where I live.  They're cool in that way because they are keeping the IP alive.

YES THIS!!
Although when I tried to go pick up the 3rd volume a while back they didn't have it at all @.@. Sold out I guess???

I bought the current ones right now. Honestly, if it weren't for the color pictures and color pages in the intros of the volumes, I would have been content with my Kodansha set. But I did buy them, and the art is clear and the pictures, including the cover, is so lovely. I am looking forward to reading it more in depth.

Diagnosed wrote:

kpp_fan wrote:

What I like most about the Eternal volumes is that you can actually buy them in the comic shops where I live.  They're cool in that way because they are keeping the IP alive.

YES THIS!!
Although when I tried to go pick up the 3rd volume a while back they didn't have it at all @.@. Sold out I guess???

I had the same thing with the 2nd volume.  I went into a RPG shop that I knew sold manga stuff and Lo!  They have volumes 1,3 and 4.  So I'm torn.  Because I've just finished watching the first 14 episodes of Crystal which seem to run consistent with Eternal volumes 1 and 2.  So technically I could have just got volume 3 and hit the ground running.  I picked it up - felt it's weight - and tried not to read too much of what was going down.  And then put it back.

Read Vol. 5 and it is weird seeing "Taioron" spelled "Thyoron" when all other translations were the former. The translations notes at the end explain why they did this, and I do respect their research team studying ancient Egypt and Latin language for it. But still...weird.