Kaiju No. 8 Translator David Evelyn Talks About Online Hate and Staying Positive: “I Don’t Engage In That Kind of Negative Discourse”

David Evelyn, the official English translator for the popular manga Kaiju No. 8, recently spoke about the challenges of his job. In an interview with Kanzenshuu, Evelyn explained how some fans online have been unfair to translators like him.

In recent years, some toxic anime fans and online creators have accused translators of changing the original meaning of manga. These people wrongly believe that translators are trying to censor or push political ideas.

This has led to online bullying and harassment of many professionals in the anime and manga world.

Evelyn, who works with Viz Media, has translated several manga, including Kaiju No. 8 and Dr. Mashirito’s Ultimate Manga Techniques. He often shares behind-the-scenes facts about his work on X, including why he makes certain choices when turning Japanese into natural-sounding English.

In the past, fans enjoyed learning about how manga gets translated. But now, some people use these posts to spread false claims and attack translators if the English version doesn’t match the Japanese exactly, word-for-word.

Evelyn says he has been lucky to avoid most of this hate. He believes that being honest and clear online has helped.

“I guess because I was so earnest about it. Just like ‘Hey, this is what I’m doing, you know whatever,’ I guess people didn’t give me the ire that some other translators got,” he said.

He also talked about how he used to stay under the radar online, which may have helped. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, he mostly posted pictures of food, animals, and memes. He didn’t talk much about his work until 2020.

“I was doing it because I don’t see people post stuff about the content of the manga,” Evelyn explained. “So, it’s like ‘here’s some trivia about the thing that’s in the actual manga’ but they never really went over why I did it this way… no one went over that kind of process. So, in my mind, I was like ‘Hey, I can do that!’”

Now, Evelyn still shares information about his work, but he stays away from angry online fights.

“I stay far away from that s–t. I don’t engage in that kind of negative discourse,” he said.

Evelyn’s honest and open approach has earned him respect from fans who want to understand how manga is brought to life in English. His story is a reminder that translation is not just about words; it’s about creativity, culture, and care.

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