A Japanese startup is placing its focus on using artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize the translation of manga comics into English. This innovative approach promises to reduce costs by 90% and increase translation speed by five times.
The startup, known as Orange, recognizes the immense potential in the manga market. Japan produces a staggering 700,000 manga editions annually, yet only 2% of these are translated into English due to the scarcity of translators and the demanding nature of the translation process.
Orange predicts that the manga industry will reach a value of $42.2 billion by 2030, citing the remarkable success of popular series such as “One Piece” and “Dragon Ball” as evidence. With its AI technology, Orange aims to translate 500 English-language manga every month, surpassing the current industry capacity by 500 percent. Over the next five years, they plan to produce 50,000 volumes and expand their translation services to other languages.
Translating manga poses significant challenges. The unique vertical writing style of Japanese manga often makes it difficult to distinguish between dialogue and internal thoughts. Additionally, finding suitable onomatopoeic words to convey the meaning of Japanese expressions adds another layer of complexity.
To support its ambitious goals, Orange has secured a funding injection of $19 million (¥2.92 billion yen) from various sources, including the government-backed JIC Venture Growth Investments, several venture capital groups, and major publishers like Shogakukan. The startup believes that its AI tool will also play a crucial role in combating piracy, which costs the industry an estimated $5.5 billion annually, according to the Content Overseas Distribution Association.
