LogFAQs > #923819591

kirbymuncher posted...

gonna go totally against that recommendation and say you should read stuff actually written originally in the native language:

1) you don't have to worry about the potential of a poor translation. There are many bad jp->en translations so it follows that there would also be many bad en->jp translations

2) you get the satisfaction of being able to "access" something you normally wouldn't be able to

As someone who speaks Finnish, Swedish, and English completely fluently, and as someone who has read The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and the Harry Potter series in all three languages, I'm telling you that reading a work that you've already read in another language and already know the plot of is a great way to familiarize yourself in the new language with.

Books generally have far more professional translations and are far better localized than Crunchyroll subs, so there's not nearly as much need to worry about awkward phrasing.

And finally, reading a work that's been translated doesn't preclude you from reading works that are originally in Japanese.