Seisa O Shimesu Honyaku O Shiyagatte : The Influence of Character Gender on the Translation of Vulgarity into Japanese

Abstract

This study examines how gender influences Japanese translations of vulgarity across the first season of the online dramas The Boys and Russian Doll . Through analyzing if, where, and how English vulgarities spoken by male and female characters are localized into Japanese across the programs’ dubbing and subtitling, the current study aims to address a lack of attention to both issues of gender and Asian languages in studies of vulgarity translation to date. The study also contains a detailed methodology regarding issues in attempting to analyze vulgarity translation between English and Japanese, noting problems that arose in adopting study designs used to study vulgarity translation between European languages and providing potential solutions. Ultimately, the analysis shows that while non-translation of vulgarity is quite common in general in the Japanese context, women's swearing is translated less than men's and translations occur via distinct sets of linguistic forms, showing that translators are approaching vulgarities differently depending on speaker gender. That said, the study also notes higher amounts of vulgarity use by women than many other studies of Japanese media to date, showing potential changes in attitudes towards gendered language practices.