The "Vertical" Layout of manga

Continuation   Japanese
Part 2 (part1)　Manga Translation (Japanese → English)

About the layout

Blue= Kawaii Neko(DMG)

About the “pg30”,

The example2.tif –
I did the dialogue in “vertical”. The font of the dialogues are same, because smaller letters might make them look like “aside-dialogue” . 

Changed Raiko’s dialogue from “of course” to “Yup” because of the space. It’s squeeze a bit , that makes the letter look smaller than actual size, comparison with “they only…”. But the “answer”(of course) can’t be smaller than other lines (it should be same or bigger)

I hope as much as you can, the dialogues are put in vertical way (I upload an example/example.tif at my folder). Because in Manga, readers eyes are supposed to move in vertically, that the way it is composed. The dialogues are horizontal in English, it can be interrupt the stream of manga. Putting the dialogues in vertical layout, it could make up for the gap, I think. I want to readers’ eye lead to around the bottom of the balloon every time they read the dialogues.

*in the example I uploaded, I changed “I promise,” to “I promise…” because of the space. If it was strange, put it back, please. I think that flows better too..I changed it on my endt o match

Above Horizontal-type layout / Below Vertical-type layout (I mean)

But I’m not an English speaker, so I don’t know how you feel when you see such sentence. Annoying? I leave the decision to you, how keep the “vertical” principal.
For instance, I don’t know if it is a good thing to make one word split to 2, like “inter-esting” If you could, I’m sure I use it a lot. ^^; I don't mind hyphenating :)

Keep it(vertical, and easy to read) in your mind, then I leave it to you. Let me see the result, and if I think we’d better to change the dialogue because the space, I ask you to translation again. Or you can suggest the new translation.
 

E-mail
Hi,

Pg11 (sorry, it's the part which has been done already!) Could you replace the dialogues of the last panel like I did? (I uploaded a file to show my idea at nao's folder) For guide of reading order. This could be confusing a bit, you might read these dialogue from the left one in the layout.

The one I suggested

The final image

The part I fussy about Vertically layout

pg20 More many lines is possible? I mean they are 3 lines (panel 1-2), can you make them  5-6 lines? Like..

GO/OVER / TO THE/GIRL'S GROUP/AND BRING/REIKO HERE

IF/SOMETHING/WERE/TO HAVE/HAPPENED TO/MICHI...

WE'RE/GONNA/NEED THE/WOMEN'S/HELP...

That's what I mean "vertical" If the last line of the dialogu has just one word, it's ideal for me. Because it puts the readers eyes to the bottom of the balloon, I think...




pg 27 The same as P20,  Can you put the words like what I did?! (first panel) At least "FOR THIS..." could be "FOR/THIS/..."(I love the phont work of this page, bhw! Very nice :D）If you took the way according with some English principal, let me know.

pg33 panel 3, you can erase inside of the balloon completely, the space is too narrow, isn't it?

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I stick to the "vertical layout" idea. Because I think it is one of essential elements of manga, "readers' eye is supposed move to right to left, top to down.The time on the paper goes in that way. So manga storyboard (name/ne-e-mu, manga jargon) is composed in that way. Sometimes, the spaces of top and bottom in the balloon, it makes me feel unsteady. But you should think how it looks to English reader - too much "the style" can make you annoyed, can be confusing with the dialogue in the side. it depends, balance of the designer, maybe...(I don't know other manga artists agree with it, it's my thought... and I'm fussy, I know it ^^;;)


part1 Manga Translation (Japanese → English)
Part2 The "Vertical" Layout of manga
Part3 Manga fonts