Japanese wordplay may depend on readings, shared kanji, ruby, script choice, or visual resemblance. Record the mechanism and story function before choosing an English solution.
Strategy set
Use one explicit strategy for each recurring case:
- preserve directly when the same mechanism works in English;
- explain once when a brief contextual gloss protects a later payoff;
- rebuild locally with a different English mechanism serving the same function;
- accept a controlled loss when explanation would damage the scene;
- do not force when the supposed pattern is speculative or incidental.
Decision table
| Evidence | Source mechanism | Function | Strategy | Required treatment | Controlled loss / warning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1:0110, B1:0204 | Two aliases share the kanji 灯 | Hints at a family connection | explain once | On first comparison, note that both names use the character for “light”; afterward use approved romanizations. | Latin spelling hides the repeated glyph. |
| A1:0277 | 記憶 carries ruby ログ (“log”) | Reframes memory as recorded data | preserve directly | Render as “memory log” where syntax permits; retain the technical double sense. | Do not replace every ordinary 記憶 with “log.” |
| X1:0061 | 橋 / 箸 homophone in a nervous joke | Breaks tension and causes a misunderstanding | rebuild locally | Use a short English near-miss that can trigger the same correction. | The literal bridge/chopsticks pair is lost. |
| A1:0032 | Similar-looking characters appear once | No demonstrated recurrence or reaction | do not force | Translate normally and mark as observed, unconfirmed. | Resemblance alone is not evidence of a pun. |
What to inventory
- ruby/furigana that changes or contradicts the printed reading;
- recurring kanji components across names, factions, items, and chapter titles;
- homophones and deliberate mishearings;
- switches among kanji, hiragana, katakana, Latin text, or unusual capitalization;
- glyph contrasts, damaged text, signs, and text embedded in artwork;
- lexical networks whose recurrence matters more than one isolated pun.
Decision record
For every non-obvious treatment, retain:
| Field | Required content |
|---|---|
| Line IDs | First use, payoff, and meaningful recurrences. |
| Mechanism | Reading, glyph, sound, register, typography, or mixed mechanism. |
| Function | Plot clue, joke, identity link, theme, characterization, or atmosphere. |
| English decision | Exact required treatment and where it applies. |
| Sacrifice | What cannot survive and why this loss is controlled. |
| Status | observed, review, or locked. |
Guardrails
- Explicit ruby and in-game Latin text outrank a guessed reading.
- Later knowledge may confirm a pattern, but must not make an earlier line reveal more than the source.
- Do not explain every mechanism inside dialogue; glossary, translator note, image treatment, or one contextual gloss may be better.
- Recheck translated textures and helper text at gameplay size when the mechanism is visual.