zxzxzx's blog

High School DxD holds a special place in my heart – it was the first series that captivated me and compelled me to seek out the novels. It was an experience that sent me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I’m sure many of you enjoy this series for much more than its face value.

When I first started translating in 2015, I never imagined myself getting so deep into it. I was just like any other impatient sod who wanted the translations to be done sooner. But then I realised – I’ve spent countless hours watching fan-subbed anime, reading fan-translated manga, and fan-translated novels. None of that was free, it was at the expense of someone else’s time. My motivation to translate has always been to return what I have received from the community and hope that it inspires others to do the same – a so-called equivalent exchange. The High School DxD community is vast, and I’m incredibly grateful to those who have contributed to the wiki, subreddits, fanart, translation, and other domains.

Going forward, I’ve decided that it would feel natural for me to finish my work with the last volume of the original series. A lot of expectation has fallen on me to continue the series, and it’s honestly a bit too much for me. While my love for the series runs deep, it pains me to see how it gets treated. People often complain about the quality of the translation or its grammar, or how long it takes for each release. I’ll say this now – that doesn’t bother me. What bothers me is the fact that no one does anything about it – I realise that a lot of readers aren’t fluent in English, but if they’re capable of pointing such things out, then they’re more than capable of helping to change it. Baka-Tsuki is open to all, and anyone can contribute, but the page histories always look the same. I’ve always wanted to go back to volume one and rewrite everything from the beginning to turn it into a vivid and enthralling narrative, but I spend my time translating instead because it’s something that far fewer can do. Aside: If you are trying to edit on Baka-Tsuki, you’ll need to make an account to get access – the protection level has been lowered so that anyone with an account can make changes.

Like many, I’d love to see English DxD novels in a physical format, but there isn’t much point in having a book that isn’t close to perfection. High School DxD has somehow evaded licensing up until now, and even if it were to be licensed, I have serious doubts over whether such adaptions could do it justice. So I’ve taken it upon myself to do this – I’m planning to license the novels next year so that they can become true physical novels. Realistically speaking though, even if I did register a business, it’s unlikely that Kadokawa would give the license to a completely unknown third party. But that’s okay, I’d be happy just to unofficially print a few hundred copies at my own cost and distribute them to those who are deserving – that’s how far I’m willing to go. What about you?

For once, what happens next might be up to you. I’m not averse to continuing my translations for the series if no one else wants to take it, but I’d like to see more people contribute back to the community by giving their time.