Translator’s Column

Hello, everyone! My name is Molly Lee, and I was the translator for Kokoro Connect: Kizu Random. Quite a rollercoaster, wasn’t it? I’ll bet a certain subset of the readerbase was thrilled to get so much quality Inaba content, too. (At least I was!)

First things first, let’s talk about the title.

As a refresher (or for those of you who might have missed my J-Novel Club exclusive Translator’s Column in the first volume), “kokoro” means heart, but it can also mean mind or soul. Paired with “connect,” it suggests a linking of hearts. This is the overarching theme for the entire series.

Then there’s the subtitle for volume 2: Kizu Random. “Kizu” means wound, scar, or injury, followed by the English word “random.” Together, they suggest that this time around the kids are under direct attack, the next victim just as unpredictable as the last... only it turns out they’re the perpetrators as well.

If I were to set an official English subtitle, however, I’d like to put the focus not on the passive victims but the root cause, as I did in my original (rejected) suggestion, Incendiary Impulse—a phrase I liked so much, I worked it into the prologue instead.

So, why shift away from a more literal translation like “random wounds”? Well, as far as thematic elements go, Kizu Random is obsessed with self-confidence and the lack thereof. Sure, pain is present on nearly every page, but so too is pain fleeting; it fails to grip quite as hard as the cold, clammy hand of self-doubt, threatening to undermine a majority of the cast at every turn. Wounds may heal, but fear lingers—fear of ourselves all the more so.

As translators, we all go through different stages as we progress through our careers. Fledgling translators in particular have a tendency to cling a little too hard to the words in front of them; eager to prove themselves competent, they sacrifice creativity and literary flow for over-literal faithfulness, and in so doing, often miss the forest for the trees. Inversely, as we gain experience in our craft, we gain with it an understanding of our second language that lets us start to read between the lines. This is critical for a language like Japanese that likes to leave many things unspoken.

For a concrete example, take the common Japanese fixation on pale or translucent skin. There’s a moment early in Kizu Random where Inaba starts stripping in the clubroom, and Taichi finds his gaze drawn to the “translucent skin” located, y’know, on her breasts. A fledgling translator might leave it at that, but those of us who have been doing this for years are quick to pick up on what he’s actually staring at: the veins peeking through. English is an extremely direct language, so I chose to translate this section more naturally—that is, stated outright, rather than coyly left to the imagination.

So far Kokoro Connect has been mercifully devoid of any complicated kanji jokes, something I can always appreciate. That said, at one point Inaba explains her grievances with letting people use her given name, Himeko. I didn’t want to break it down entirely in the main text and bring the narrative momentum to a crashing halt—hopefully my workaround still made sense to everyone—but if you were curious, I’ll explain the kanji of her name in a little more detail. The first half, “hime,” comes from 姫 (princess), and “ko” comes from 子 (child), a common feminine name ending. Together, this creates one extremely girly name.

Fun fact about me: I’ve had similar struggles with my own given name. Growing up in the ‘90s, I quickly learned that “Molly” was the sort of name people gave to their dogs rather than their daughters, and when people weren’t comparing me to their beloved basset hound... or a party drug... there was usually a certain Little Richard song involved. These days, I’ve gone by Verde (my online handle) for so long now that I sometimes find it hard to think of myself as “Molly,” but... well, hopefully Inaba and I can both find a newfound appreciation for our names as I spend the next year translating the rest of her spiritual journey.

Before I go, I’d like to thank everyone at J-Novel Club, particularly my editor, Adam Fogle. (Thanks for making sure I’m using all these idioms correctly!) And to the author, Anda Sadanatsu—should our paths ever cross, I’ll buy you a beer (and some expensive sushi).

See you in volume 3: Kako Random!