The Japanese-English Translation of Character Language in the MangaSPY x FAMILY

Language and Character Archetypes of Anya and Yor

Abstract

This article examines the peculiar linguistic expressions used by the characters Anya and Yor in the manga SPY x FAMILY by Tatsuya Endo from the perspective of character language and character archetypes, and investigates how they are expressed in the translated English version. Anya the trickster, a young telepath, uses a peculiar form of baby talk, whereas the story’s shapeshifter Yor, a professional assassin in disguise, speaks with excessive politeness. Although the English version is only partially successful in reproducing Anya’s unique mix of toddler-like pronunciation and occasional adult masculine expressions, it represents Yor’s consistent and overly polite expressions rather effectively.