Translating humor, especially when it hinges on wordplay, is a notorious challenge, and the world of anime and manga is no exception. For a series like Spy x Family, where comedic timing and character misunderstandings are key, getting the jokes right in English is crucial. While much of Spy x Family‘s humor is rooted in universal situations, some jokes require clever adaptation to resonate with English-speaking audiences. One character who often finds herself at the heart of these linguistic puzzles is the телепатическая (telepathic) and utterly adorable Anya Forger.
Alt text: Anya Forger looking confused during a tutoring session with Yuri Briar in Spy x Family manga, highlighting a scene where wordplay translation is crucial.
A prime example of this translation tightrope walk is found in chapter 26 of the manga. During a tutoring session, Yuri, in his characteristic intense manner, tells Anya, “knowledge is power.” However, the original Japanese phrase, 知は力 (“chi wa chikara”), becomes a comedic goldmine due to Anya’s mishearing. She perceives it as ちわわぢから (“chiwawa jikara”), which hilariously translates to “chihuahua power.” This delightful misunderstanding conjures up the iconic image of a muscular chihuahua in Anya’s mind, a visual gag that perfectly encapsulates her whimsical thought process. From this moment on, Yuri playfully dubs her チワワ娘 (“chihuahua girl”).
This joke presents a significant hurdle for direct translation. Simply rendering “knowledge is power” wouldn’t capture the humor of Anya’s auditory mishap and the subsequent running gag. Enter Casey Loe, the official English translator for the Spy x Family manga, who brilliantly navigated this linguistic labyrinth. Loe ingeniously employed the English idiom, “the whole enchilada.” This phrase cleverly mimics the sound of “swole chihuahua,” creating a plausible mishearing for Anya and allowing her to believably conflate the two. This translation not only preserves the humor but also lays the groundwork for Yuri’s nickname, “chihuahua girl,” to make perfect sense in English.
Alt text: Anya Forger imagining a muscular chihuahua after mishearing Yuri Briar in Spy x Family manga, illustrating the visual humor derived from wordplay in translation.
However, the path of translation isn’t always smooth, especially when dealing with adaptations across different media. Inconsistencies often emerge when anime and manga localizations are handled by separate teams. In the case of this very joke, the Spy x Family anime translation team opted for a different, and arguably less effective, approach. As seen in screenshots from the Hulu subtitles, the anime translation has Yuri use the word “unleash.” This leads Anya to associate “unleash” with a muscular, leash-less dog as the source of power.
Alt text: Screenshot from Spy x Family anime showing Yuri saying “unleash” to Anya, a different translation choice compared to the manga’s “knowledge is power” joke.
Alt text: Anya Forger imagining a muscular dog without a leash in the Spy x Family anime, showcasing the anime’s interpretation of the wordplay joke.
Alt text: Yuri Briar looking at Anya in the Spy x Family anime after she misinterprets his words, highlighting the setup for the translation difference.
Alt text: Anya Forger reacting with surprise in the Spy x Family anime, a moment where translation choices impact the comedic delivery.
This anime translation feels less intuitive and stretches the comedic logic. Furthermore, it creates a problem when Yuri later refers to Anya with a nickname related to the joke. Instead of “chihuahua girl,” the anime needs to find a different, consistent nickname. Interestingly, months later, in season 2 episode 28, the anime maintained this translation choice, having Yuri call Anya “stupid leash girl.”
Alt text: Screenshot from Spy x Family anime where Yuri calls Anya “stupid leash girl,” showing the anime’s attempt to maintain consistency with their translation of the joke.
While the anime team deserves credit for maintaining consistency, the “stupid leash girl” nickname lacks the charm and comedic punch of “chihuahua girl.” It also feels less connected to Anya’s initial misunderstanding.
Adding another layer of complexity, translation discrepancies aren’t limited to manga versus anime. They also exist across different streaming services providing English subtitles for Spy x Family. While services like Crunchyroll, Amazon, and Netflix in the US often mirror Hulu’s subtitles, Muse Asia offers a completely distinct English subtitle track. In their version, the “knowledge is power” joke is translated closer to the original Japanese, using “puppy power” and retaining Yuri’s nickname for Anya as “chihuahua girl.”
Alt text: Screenshot from Muse Asia’s Spy x Family subtitles showing “puppy power” translation, representing another English subtitle version with different translation choices for Anya’s joke.
Muse Asia’s translation also extends to Anya’s endearing names for her parents, “Chichi” and “Haha,” which they translate directly as “Father” and “Mother,” instead of the more commonly used “Papa” and “Mama” found in Hulu subtitles and the official English manga.
Alt text: Screenshot from Muse Asia’s Spy x Family subtitles showing “Father” and “Mother” for Anya’s parents, illustrating different naming conventions in subtitle translations.
Alt text: Anya Forger calling Loid “Papa” in the Spy x Family manga, contrasting with Muse Asia’s “Father” translation and highlighting naming consistency in manga.
Alt text: Anya Forger calling Yor “Mama” in the Spy x Family manga, further emphasizing the “Papa” and “Mama” naming consistency in the manga and Hulu subtitles.
Disney Plus in Asia reportedly features yet another distinct English subtitle version, suggesting a landscape of at least 3-4 different English subtitle scripts for Spy x Family. For viewers unfamiliar with Japanese, these inconsistencies can be perplexing. Imagine someone reading the manga with the “swole chihuahua” joke and then watching the anime, encountering “stupid leash girl.” The disconnect can be jarring and lessen the overall viewing experience, especially concerning a character as central to the humor as Anya. Even minor differences, like Hulu subtitles consistently having Yor address Anya as “Miss Anya” while the manga does not, contribute to a sense of fragmentation across translations.
Alt text: Screenshot from Hulu’s Spy x Family subtitles showing Yor calling Anya “Miss Anya,” illustrating a minor inconsistency in honorifics compared to the manga.
Alt text: Yor Forger talking to Anya in the Spy x Family manga without using “Miss Anya,” highlighting the subtle differences in character interactions across translations.
Licensing complexities likely contribute to the absence of a unified official English subtitle script. However, the existence of multiple translations, particularly without apparent consultation with the manga’s established translations, seems inefficient and potentially detrimental to viewer comprehension and enjoyment of the humor, especially as it revolves around Anya’s character.
Another instance of translation challenges arises in chapter 23, during the scene where Loid discusses dog names with Anya for their new family member, Bond. Loid explains that dogs struggle to differentiate consonant sounds. He uses the Japanese phrase 子音の聞き分け (“shiin no kiki wake”), meaning “distinguishing consonants,” where 子音 (“shiin”) signifies “consonant.” However, Yor misinterprets 子音 (“shiin”) as 死因 (“shiin”), which means “cause of death.” In her mind, she envisions asking Bond if he prefers death by blood loss (失血死) or crushing (圧死), showcasing her characteristically skewed perception of everyday conversations.
Alt text: Yor Forger misunderstanding Loid’s conversation about dog names with Anya in Spy x Family manga, illustrating her comedic misinterpretation due to similar-sounding words.
The manga translator, Casey Loe, again takes a creative liberty, having Loid use “plosives” instead of “consonants” and Yor mishearing it as “explosives.” Yor then imagines Bond preferring C-4 explosions, a humorous, albeit slightly anachronistic, take.
Alt text: Yor Forger imagining Bond preferring C-4 explosives in Spy x Family manga, showcasing the manga’s English translation adapting the wordplay joke.
While perhaps not as seamless as the “chihuahua power” joke, this translation attempts to bridge the linguistic gap. Interestingly, the Hulu subtitles opt for a direct translation, retaining “consonants” and “causes of death.” This results in a nonsensical exchange where Yor’s misunderstanding becomes difficult to grasp for English-speaking viewers unfamiliar with the nuances of Japanese homophones.
Alt text: Screenshot from Hulu’s Spy x Family subtitles showing a direct translation of the consonant joke, resulting in a less clear comedic moment for English viewers.
Alt text: Another screenshot from Hulu’s Spy x Family subtitles continuing the direct translation of the consonant joke, highlighting the challenges of literal translation for humor.
However, some wordplay translates remarkably well between Japanese and English, requiring minimal alteration. Chapter 59 provides such an example, where Becky, in her typical dramatic fashion, asks Yor how she managed to “get” Loid, or as she dramatically puts it, “pierce his heart.” Yor, ever literal-minded, interprets this physically, replying that she wouldn’t hurt Loid.
Alt text: Becky Blackbell asking Yor Forger about “piercing Loid’s heart” in Spy x Family manga, setting up a joke that translates relatively well into English.
The Japanese version uses 射止める(“itomeru”), meaning “to shoot down” with an arrow, which also carries the figurative meaning of “winning someone’s heart.” Yor, focusing on the literal meaning, responds that she wouldn’t shoot Loid and doesn’t even use a bow and arrows.
Alt text: Yor Forger misunderstanding Becky’s “pierce his heart” question in Spy x Family manga, demonstrating a joke where the figurative and literal meanings align in translation.
The Hulu subtitles translate this almost verbatim, with Becky asking about “shoot an arrow through his heart” and Yor’s reply about not using bows and arrows, a detail omitted in the manga. In this instance, the anime translation arguably surpasses the manga in retaining the comedic nuance.
Alt text: Screenshot from Hulu’s Spy x Family subtitles showing Becky asking about “shoot an arrow through his heart,” showcasing the anime’s translation of the joke.
Alt text: Screenshot from Hulu’s Spy x Family subtitles showing Yor’s reply about not using bows and arrows, further illustrating the anime’s successful translation of the joke.
Alt text: Yor Forger with a confused expression in the Spy x Family anime, reacting to Becky’s question, highlighting the comedic timing preserved in translation.
The success of this translation lies in the shared concept of “shooting someone’s heart” to signify romantic conquest, a trope understood in both English and Japanese. This also aligns with Yor’s established character trait of interpreting figurative language literally, often through a violent lens, due to her assassin background.
Finally, a particularly commendable translation feat in the manga is Casey Loe’s handling of guest character names at the ski resort in chapter 94.
Alt text: Panel from Spy x Family manga introducing guest characters at a ski resort, showcasing names that are puns in Japanese and cleverly translated into English.
Alt text: Close-up panel from Spy x Family manga highlighting the pun-based names of the ski resort guest characters, emphasizing the translator’s skill in adapting wordplay.
These names are puns in Japanese, and as detailed by Annie on Twitter, Loe masterfully crafted English pun names that capture the spirit of the originals. With this chapter yet to be animated, it remains to be seen how the anime translators will approach this challenge. Given the apparent lack of cross-referencing with the manga translations, they might opt for literal translations or invent entirely new puns, potentially leading to further inconsistencies.
In conclusion, translating humor, especially involving wordplay and characters like the ever-misunderstanding Anya Forger, is a delicate art. Translators must often prioritize conveying the comedic intent over literal accuracy, sometimes even creating entirely new jokes to achieve the desired effect in English. The inconsistencies between manga and anime translations, and even across streaming platforms, highlight the complexities of localization and the potential for confusion among English-speaking Spy x Family fans. Ideally, greater collaboration between translation teams could ensure a more cohesive and enjoyable experience across all adaptations of this beloved series, especially when it comes to preserving the delightful humor that makes Anya and Spy x Family so endearing.
