Winning Work

< Translator’s Comments >I first heard about translating “TOKYO TARAREBA GIRLS” around the time when the first stay-at-home order was imposed and being able to delve into and immerse myself in the lives of unrestrained women around 30 in Tokyo was a lot of fun. Translating a humorous manga was far from easy and this work had many links to popular Japanese culture, too. However, I love the sense of humor that manga writers have, so I couldn’t accept the idea of those jokes falling flat due to the way the manga had been translated! So, I used my imagination to the best of my abilities and tried to be faithful to the tone, rhythm, and vividness of the work while also adapting it as best as possible. There were many tough parts along the way, but this work has become one I have enjoyed as both a reader and a translator, so I always happily work away every time a new volume is released.

< Synposis >TV screenwriter, Rinko, is a single woman in her 30s who is entranced in her work. One of her little sources of fun is meeting up with Kaori and Koyuki, who are also around the same age. One evening, she got a little drunk at an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) that she frequented and was talking loudly about Tarareba, a good-looking man cut into her conversation. The man got annoyed at Rinko for shouting so much and smiled scornfully at the three of them, calling them middle aged, then promptly left the place. Rinko still thought she had a lot of time on her hands, but right then she noticed that she needed to wake up and do something with herself if she was to avoid growing old alone.