Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to Localization Today. My name is Eddie Arrieta, CEO of Multilingual Magazine. And today I'm joined by no other than Odai Karzu, the head of manga creation at Arabia Manga. Welcome.
[00:00:20] Speaker B: Thank you so much for having me.
[00:00:22] Speaker A: Of course. And you were mentioning that this is weight. Before I even say that, I have to say salaam alaikum.
Hella wallah.
I'm doing well. I'm doing well.
Thank you so much for joining us. And you were saying this is the first time you're interviewed in English.
[00:00:41] Speaker B: That is correct, yeah.
[00:00:43] Speaker A: And I'm very surprised because you have an amazing product.
[00:00:46] Speaker B: Thank you. But yeah, it's my first time being interviewed in English. But of course we had a lot of interviews as Manga Arabia with.
With other languages like English, Japanese. But this is my first time actually being interviewed officially in English.
[00:01:02] Speaker A: And this is fantastic. Off the mic, we were talking about your involvement with the proposition of having Saudi Arabia being the host of the World cup in 2036, if I'm not mistaken. Can you tell us more about that? And how is Arabia Manga and how is Odai involved in this whole process?
[00:01:22] Speaker C: Of course.
[00:01:23] Speaker B: Well, again, thank you for talking to me about my passion, which is manga. You mentioned one of our latest projects, which is Road to 2034, which talks about the amazing efforts that Saudi Arabia is doing to basically bid to host the World cup in 2034. Of course, we use this story just how we create any other manga, because we believe in the medium of manga and the power of visual arts to. To tell a story, to. To. To create messages and to. To. To showcase culture and. Yeah. So thank you for mentioning our latest project.
[00:02:03] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And 2034, not 2036. Thank you so much. Why do you believe this specific manga? For those that are looking at the video, of course you'll be able to see the manga. For those that are listening, you won't be able to do that. But we'll put the links in the description so that you are.
There is a story, a particular story that you are telling. Why do you think this particular story is powerful and how does it embody the Saudi spirit?
[00:02:33] Speaker B: Well, of course, what you're holding right now is our kids magazine at Manga Arabia. We're creating a lot of original IPs with also publishing some Japanese manga that we have the right to translate and to publish here in the Mena region. Of course. And Again, Road to 2034 is only one of the stories, the many original stories that we create from scratch of Course, my job is to oversee the development of every single original IP that we have. And that stems from our core belief that manga is an amazing platform to tell stories, because stories have a great effect on the youth. Especially because we all grew up watching cartoons, of course, or what we call anime that comes from Japan. Of course, you told me that you're watching Attack on Titan, which is one of the stories that are one of the mangas that we are licensed to publish here in the MENA region. Of course, in our youth magazine, we all grow up watching a lot of amazing anime.
And that, of course, inspired us to tell our own stories and through Manga Arabia, and the amazing efforts that we do to empower generations of creators is to tell your own story. Because we believe that culture is imbued through stories and storytelling. And of course, I'm really happy to talk to you here, especially about language and multilingual stuff, because we believe if a word describes a word, we believe that a picture describes a thousand words. And using the powerful visual art to tell story or stories is one of the greatest privileges I have, myself and the team that are behind road to 2034 or any of our other amazing IPs, like Dubboi, Ludi Dana, or In the Youth, Long Live the Dead, High Moon or Wanderers, and other many amazing stories that we are publishing. And we reached until now, more than 7 million readers across our platforms and our printed magazines. So, yeah, this all stems from our belief that telling stories really is the best way to affect and to create generations.
[00:04:54] Speaker A: And thank you so much for sharing that. And you're pointing into the right direction.
[00:04:58] Speaker D: So why don't you tell us a.
[00:04:59] Speaker A: Little bit more about the effect and impact that Arabian manga is already having in the industry and the global market. Tell us more about those statistics.
[00:05:09] Speaker C: Of course.
[00:05:09] Speaker B: So the market of anime and manga is a huge market.
It values right now at more than $4 billion only in Japan.
So we saw that this market here in the MENA region is really important to us as we have a lot of creators, a lot of artists, and a lot of writers that believe that they have messages to tell. So the establishment of Manga Arabia was an effort to empower those creators to imbue culture. As we saw in a lot of stories that we read, whether they are made in Japan or any other place around the world, we saw that there are a lot of values that we cherish also here. So we decided to give the chance to creators to create stories. And we can see the effect as you read any of our stories. This amazing platform of visual storytelling through stories that are published in chapters, you can also start, always to start to read the first chapter.
You realize that all the efforts and work that is done by not just an artist and a writer, but a whole industry behind that. We have teams of editors, we have teams of translators, we have teams of proofreaders. And this amazing industry that we want or wanted to create here in the MENA region. And we can see that and in the world, through our new office in Japan, we can see the effect of how a story can inspire someone, if not millions, to be better, to learn more about friendship, to learn more about strength, to learn more about cherishing what you believe in. So, again, this amazing platform of creating manga allows anyone who has the ability to tell a story to send their messages. And we believe in the positive impact that manga is doing on readers, whether they're in Saudi or outside Saudi Arabia and around the world.
[00:07:25] Speaker A: And thank you again for sharing that.
We were having a conversation in localization today at Lockworld 52 in Monterrey, California, and we were talking to the CEO of Unilingo Farbad, and one of the things that we were discussing was the process of dubbing and how the big challenge when you are dubbing anime from any language into a specific locale emotion is something that's really hard to put forth.
[00:07:56] Speaker D: Could you speak to us a little.
[00:07:57] Speaker A: Bit about the challenges of localizing manga into the MENA region? And of course, as head of Manga creation at Manga Arabia, you are right at the forefront of this conversation.
What are the biggest challenges that you've had there, and how have you been dealing with those in the recent history?
[00:08:23] Speaker B: Of course, I'm only responsible for the team that creates the original manga, but in Manga Arabia, we have a whole department that is dedicated to translate and adapt those works in the Arabic language, and we can see the great efforts that they're doing. Of course, I talked about the shared values that we see in those stories that comes from Japan or any other country. So we're proud to be the only company in the region that is trying our best to bring those stories here in the main region and to adopt them for the readers here.
Translating, as you said, is not just translating word by word and to have the exact meaning of each sentence. I believe in Manga Arabia, we try our best to translate the feeling because the Arabic language is different from the Japanese language.
Each word that we use feels different than the words in Japanese. And of course, if you know, Arabic language is one of the hardest languages to master, not just because of the grammar, because. But because we have, I believe we have one of the biggest word counts per language. Each word can be translated to a number of meanings. But what we try at Manga Arabia is to transfer the feeling through not just translating, but also to edit and to make sure that the language is understandable.
We have a line of communication with the Japanese publishers where we actually not just translate and adapt those pages. We actually have to take their approvals. And we believe that we're the only company that does that. And they're more than happy to see the efforts that we're doing to just spread the amazing stories that inspired us in a way that really is effective here in the MENA region and that works with our values and the way we tell stories here.
[00:10:47] Speaker A: And just piggybacking on that point of telling your stories, you've also mentioned a few of your original stories.
[00:10:58] Speaker D: Could you tell us a little bit.
[00:10:59] Speaker A: More about what commonalities do you have with manga from Japan and what things are unique to a Saudi Arabian manga?
[00:11:09] Speaker C: Of course.
[00:11:10] Speaker B: Well, Manga Arabia is not just a Saudi company. We're based here in Riyadh. But we are actually empowering artists from all around MENA region at the moment. The thing we love about manga is the ability it gives artists and writers to tell stories through specific way of storytelling. We follow the same storytelling methods as the Japanese through the Kishu Tenketsu method of storytelling.
We have our own unique art styles that some of them look like Japanese manga, some of them are different. But the main goal is to create stories that are in high standard that can be published all around the world. We actually already have stories that have been published outside the MENA region, like road to 2034. And right now it's not just published in Arabic, but also in English and Japanese. We also have other stories that are published in Malay, Chinese and English, like xventure, which is basically in partnership with a company, Kadakauga, in Pakistan, in Malaysia. So what I believe that what we bring to the table that is unique to us, it's not just the way we tell stories, but the unique cultural values that we have.
I think once manga came to the world, we saw that a lot of countries understood more about the Japanese values and what that these values, how these affect their own people and the people outside Japan. And we believe we can do the same in Armenia region. We are a vast region that is very diverse, but we talk the same language. So we believe we bring more values, more positive values than any other region. And we tell stories that are unique to us, but also that can be understood through the amazing medium of visual art.
[00:13:14] Speaker A: And you are right. The visual arts open up a huge opportunity for sharing knowledge, for sharing values, for sharing principles.
Of course, this aligns with the Saudi Vision 2030.
[00:13:27] Speaker D: Could you tell us a little bit.
[00:13:28] Speaker A: More about that journey to align with the Saudi Vision 2030 and how you've gotten involved in this process?
[00:13:36] Speaker C: Of course.
[00:13:37] Speaker B: Well, it's amazing that you talk about the Saudi Vision 2030, because as a Saudi, this is one of the biggest goals that we have here in the region. Of course, this amazing vision that is, that wants to.
To not just create better opportunities for Saudi, but also for the world. Because we believe that one of the main, core aspects of the vision is to empower creators from Saudi and from outside Saudi.
[00:14:08] Speaker C: Of course.
[00:14:09] Speaker B: And we don't see anything better than to allow those people who grow up just like me in a room drawing pages and drawing fan arts and drawing anime.
I'm very lucky to have my hobby turned into a job. And through this hobby that I grew up with, I started since fourth grade drawing little tiny drawings and doodles. And I believe that I didn't. I didn't think that one day this hobby is going to turn to a job. And of course, this opportunity comes from the fact that we are empowered here in Saudi Arabia, not just by our amazing leaders, but through amazing visions like, of course, the Saudi 2030 Vision. And I'm very grateful to have this opportunity because I'm talking right now in front of the camera, but I believe that we have a huge team of creators, not just people that I know that I work with, but also people from all around the world that wants to take this opportunity. So we try our best at Manga Arabia and through our work to empower those people. We give time to know more about amazing artists from Saudi Arabia and outside Saudi Arabia. We give time to develop those artists. We actually have a lot in the team, a lot of people in the team that started like me drawing pictures in their rooms, and now they have this amazing opportunity to not just draw and do this as a job, but also to inspire millions. Because out of all the millions of the readers that read our stories, if we inspired one to tell their stories and they affect more people, that is more than enough for us to create.
So, yeah, I believe that this is an amazing opportunity and I'm very grateful for that.
[00:16:01] Speaker A: And I'm very grateful that we're talking to you about this. There are many artists around the world that are in a similar position. So this surely will inspire them to begin with.
I want to dig a little bit deeper into the values that you are pursuing.
So there are many artists and creators. You are one of those creators.
[00:16:22] Speaker D: Can you tell us a little bit?
[00:16:23] Speaker A: And I know if we go to the manga, we'll be able to see the values more clearly, like you said, because an image will speak more than a thousand words.
[00:16:31] Speaker D: But could you tell us a little.
[00:16:32] Speaker A: Bit about the values that you are pushing that of course, will align with that Vision 2030?
[00:16:37] Speaker C: Of course.
[00:16:38] Speaker B: Well, as humans, the human experience is very unique in the fact that each one of us are experiencing life in a different view.
And I believe that each of us have something to give, whether they are positive values or messages. One of the core amazing values that we cherish as creators here in the region, the value of.
The value of family, the value of righteousness. And of course, many values that are not. That doesn't just stem from us being from Saudi Arabia or in the region, but also values that connect us as humans. What is language if it's not what we communicate with? So I believe that each one of us have a message to tell.
I took the opportunity through my stories to tell little kids about how they are unique in their own way, how they should embrace their positive attributes.
We have stories that talk about friendships, about how it is amazing to have people that you can connect with and to share values. And of course, we have stories about courage, about going forward, doing the right thing no matter what. All these values come from each other of us as humans, through our experiences in life. And again, manga is the the best way to showcase what you can tell generations, what you can imbue in them. So I just mentioned some of the values that we have, but our values are the people we work with. I believe our strength is not just the stories that we have, but the amazing team and the amazing creators that can bring a lot to the table. And for each creator to put their own positive values through these amazing stories.
[00:18:54] Speaker A: To the readers, that's very insightful and very interesting. Many people thought that print was done, that you will never get print books, that you will not get print manga. But it seems like there is a new renaissance of print and us as a magazine, of course we love what is happening and I already mentioned this to you off the mic, but there is a space for Manga Arabia Multilingual, so that we can get some of your amazing illustrations within the magazine. Of course. I'm trying to think about the future as well, and I want to get Your perspective about how do you imagine Manga Arabia developing in the future? How do you imagine the manga industry developing in Saudi Arabia, the MENA region, and also globally?
[00:19:38] Speaker B: Well, the future of any industry.
[00:19:42] Speaker C: Especially.
[00:19:43] Speaker B: This amazing up and coming industry that we believe manga is, is connected to what we can do with those stories.
Whether it's through printed books or printed magazines, or through apps, the important thing is to empower those who can tell stories. And we believe that the future is very bright.
This magazine that you're holding is done by a team of around 120 people that come from many different backgrounds. And we believe that in a region like the MENA region, that there are a lot of millions of readers and of course the world where we have many readers and many creators. So as long as we have messages to tell, of course, as long as we have values to imbue, I think that really is the real future of the manga industry. And it's through our amazing creators and the people who create those mangas, whether they're artists or writers or translators or editors, as long as we have passion to tell stories, I believe that the future is very bright.
[00:20:54] Speaker A: Thank you for sharing that. And of course, like I mentioned, there is a space for Manga Arabia and Multilingual magazine.
Before we go, what is your message to young artists? Those that are right now in their room, they are drawing and they perhaps are thinking there is a future for them, or perhaps they are thinking that's not the case. If they manage to get a hold of a conversation like the one we are having, if we manage to put a conversation like this one, your story, in a manga, and then perhaps translate it into Spanish.
If there was one message that you could share to those young artists, what would that message be?
[00:21:35] Speaker B: As I was talking about the power of stories, I have a tiny story to tell. There was a tiny kid that played piano in Japan back in the 40s, I think, or after this little kid, this little Japanese guy, has met someone from the us.
They shared their love for music.
And once they parted ways, this person from the US didn't have anything to give that that young person and instead gave him a comic.
Of course that, that, that guy is Osamo Tezuka, the creator of manga. And through those comics he got inspired to tell stories and created this amazing industry and this amazing platform to tell stories.
As I take from that story, that someone inspired a guy who inspired an industry.
So we don't know who's right now in their room waiting to inspire millions. And I believe each one of us, if you can form a sentence, you can write, and you can draw a scene. And if that scene affected one person, that person can affect another and can inspire millions. So I hope that the next generation of inspirational artists are still there and we're waiting for them. And we look forward to read their stories and to share our values through the amazing medium of manga.
[00:23:09] Speaker A: Odai, it's been a pleasure to meet you.
[00:23:11] Speaker B: Thank you so much for the pleasure of mine.
[00:23:16] Speaker A: This was my conversation with Odai Karsu, Head of Manga Creation at Manga Arabia. My name is Eddie Arieta, CEO of Multilingual Magazine. I hope you are as inspired as I am right now. Until next time, goodbye.
