Each year on September 30th, we honor International Translation Day, a moment to recognize that translation is far more than a simple word-for-word conversion. It’s an art of building vital bridges – connecting cultures, communities, and even nations. Here at Crunchyroll, our exceptional localization teams are absolutely integral to making anime accessible and enjoyable for people across the globe. Their tireless work is dedicated to fostering a world where dialogue thrives and stories transcend borders.
This year, we asked our diverse localization team to reflect on a personal question: What’s a piece of media that shaped your childhood or teen years? Their answers, shared by team members from around the globe, offer a fascinating glimpse into the inspirations behind the magic they create.
Meet the Crunchyroll Translation and Localization Team
A.L. (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
A.L. fondly recalls an 80s movie, Serendipity the Pink Dragon, which she adored as a preschooler. It wasn’t until nearly two decades later that she realized this beloved childhood memory was, in fact, an anime!
Alicia Ashby (USA/Japanese > English, Editor)
For Alicia, Magic Knight Rayearth was a pivotal influence. It opened the door to discovering doujinshi culture and self-published fan comics as she delved deeper into the world of CLAMP.
Angela Tamae Liu (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
Angela’s childhood was rich with manga and anime like Sailor Moon, Yu Yu Hakusho, and the ONE PIECE manga. She remembers her mother having Japanese Shonen Jump mailed from Japan weekly. Initially finding ONE PIECE’s art style “different and ugly” when it first came out, she eventually grew to love it, and it remains a cherished series by her side.
Arantxa Ragel (Spain/Chinese and Korean > Spanish, Translator)
Yu Yu Hakusho made a significant impact on Arantxa as a teenager. It taught her profound lessons about how friendships can forge and strengthen an individual, demonstrating that bonds can emerge from unexpected places – even rivals or strangers – and evolve into unbreakable connections. These are friends who challenge you, support you, and stand by you through every battle, in every world, even the spirit realm.
Arissa (Japanese to Brazilian Portuguese Translator)
Ghibli films and Detective Conan were major influences for Arissa. The strong female characters in Ghibli works profoundly shaped her personality, inspiring independence and a tenacious spirit to fight for her beliefs despite challenges. Detective Conan, on the other hand, sparked her interest in investigation and detective stories, shaping a beloved hobby.
Becky Cottrill (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
Becky admits Sailor Moon might be a cliché answer, but it’s undeniable. Catching it on TV after school one day led to an unshakeable obsession. This eventually connected her with friends who shared her love for anime, leading to anime clubs, online forums, learning Japanese, and ultimately, a career as one of the “nerds who make the subtitles.”
Bridget Kan (Canada/Chinese > English, Translator)
Gintama had a unique effect on Bridget, making her laugh so hard she cried, and then cry so hard she laughed. The show taught her to always find time for a joke and a good laugh, no matter what struggles she might be facing.
Elanor Sakamoto (Japanese > English, Translator)
For Elanor, music and The Lord of the Rings were formative. Her first name is actually derived from a flower in Middle-earth and Samwise Gamgee’s daughter, so the epic fantasy has always been a subtle background presence. Music, meanwhile, has been instrumental in shaping her self-expression through dance, acting, and writing.
Facu Salas (Argentina/Japanese > Spanish, Translator, Quality Checker)
Pokémon was Facu’s first significant step into Japanese entertainment, a wonderful world that accompanied him through the third generation of the anime. Years later, he discovered the games (despite never seeing a Game Boy in person), and catching Chikorita felt like reliving his childhood joy.
Gabriella Ramirez (Japanese > English, Editor)
Gabriella points to Fallout 3, acknowledging that while New Vegas is often considered superior, she couldn’t fully connect with its revenge plot. Having never played a Fallout game before, she dedicated herself to helping as many people as possible in Fallout 3. The inability to even give clean water to a wastelander outside Rivet City left a lasting impression, fueling her commitment to helping others, even through small actions like asking how people are doing.
Gad Onyeneho (Japanese > English, Translator)
Gad remains amazed by how Brian Jacques’ Redwall series vividly paints action and comedic scenes with brilliant aplomb. The novels’ masterful use of differentiating dialects continues to influence him to this day.
Gustavo Moreira (Brazil / Japanese > Portuguese, Translator)
Various media shaped Gustavo, including Jim Henson’s Dinosaurs, Choshinsei Flashman, Saint Seiya, Shurato, and Samurai Warriors. He specifically credits Dinosaurs as a primary source for his social views and sense of humor, profoundly impacting his worldview and translation approach.
Jana Pardo (Spain/Chinese > Spanish, Translator)
Jana’s journey into anime was humorously influenced by Ranma 1/2. After her mom witnessed the mischievous Happosai character, she banned Jana from anime. This prohibition, however, had the opposite effect, fueling an obsession with manga and anime that ultimately led her to her current career. “Thanks, Mom!” she quips.
John “Kouryuu” Pickett (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
John consistently recommends Outlaw Star over Cowboy Bebop as one of the best sci-fi space westerns of its era. Watching it helped him forge friendships, bond over anime, and learn to embrace his own quirks and those of others.
Karen Bildsoe (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
ONE PIECE was so inspiring to Karen that she once aspired to become a mangaka. The story and characters instilled an adventurous spirit in her, even leading her to visit Venice, Italy, the very place that inspired the Water 7 arc.
Keith Tsubasa Noro (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
Keith highlights Future GPX Cyber Formula, a unique racing anime that, even now, feels ahead of its time with its exhilarating speed and high-tension drama.
Lívia Machado (Brazil / Japanese > Portuguese, Quality Control)
Pokémon served as a strong motivator for Lívia, inspiring her to “be the very best” in her academic pursuits.
Meagan Smith (USA/Japanese > English, Editor)
Meagan’s childhood revolved around Dragon Ball Z, catching episodes whenever possible and playing all the Budokai games. Her love for the series evolved into a lifelong passion for martial arts.
Michael A. (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
In high school, Michael worked at a record store, listening to hundreds of CDs. “Hits” by The Birthday Party”, a spooky Australian post-punk album with its alliterative jabs, howls, and odd time signatures, taught him how language is shaped by rhyme and melody – a lesson that continues to guide his translation work today.
Michelle Tymon (USA/Japanese <-> English, Translator)
Michelle grew up loving shonen manga and anime, with Saint Seiya and Yu Yu Hakusho holding special places in her heart. She was drawn to constellations, Greek mythology, the power of friendship, and “delinquents with hearts of gold.”
Naomi Suda (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
Through Tales of the Unusual (Yo nimo Kimyo na Monogatari), Naomi discovered as a child that fear and fun can coexist. This experience fostered a love for exploring all sorts of horror stories.
Nita Lieu (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
Many of the jokes in Animaniacs flew over Nita’s head as a child, but the show sparked her initial interest in the voice actors who brought animation to life. Now, she skillfully uses her “voice actor otaku skills” to identify speakers in PVs even without scripts.
Pedro Cortijo (Kihru) (Spain/Japanese > Spanish, Translator)
Pedro grew up watching Spanish and Catalan dubbed anime on TV. His world changed when he discovered online platforms and encountered Gosick, featuring a blonde girl with amazing detective skills. He was instantly hooked, falling in love with the Japanese language, voice actors, and ultimately, his current career.
Rei Miyasaka (From Japan and living in Canada, Japanese <-> English, Translator)
Rei’s upbringing was marked by a “weird ’90s Japanese band called Tama,” which she humorously claims has made her “undiagnosable.”
Sachiko (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
The anime series Chibi Maruko-chan helped Sachiko, born and raised in the US, feel connected to her family in Japan. Now, the tradition continues as her own children watch it too.
Sarah Alys Lindholm (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
Alfred Hitchcock movies shaped Sarah, making all black and white films vaguely happy for her. As an adult, she found a “soothing nostalgic feeling” in A&E’s horror series Bates Motel, which she described by saying, “Psycho was my childhood!” – a statement she admits “doesn’t sound quite right.”
Tara Campbell (USA/Japanese > English, Editor and Typesetter)
Danger Mouse (1981) introduced Tara to spoof and parody, and she developed a deep appreciation for the sheer creativity possible in animation, noting that modern CGI isn’t quite ready for it. She also loves that both children and adults can enjoy Danger Mouse together for different reasons.
Tomoko Takedani Sater (USA/Japanese > English, Editor and Typesetter)
Tomoko’s parents didn’t allow her to watch prime-time TV. Instead, she’d watch jidaigeki (period dramas) like Mito Komon and Ooka Echizen after school. This sparked her love for actor Kyomoto Masaki, and she now dreams of subtitling a jidaigeki featuring him.
William Varteresian (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
Walter Moers’ novels, with their off-kilter settings and striking illustrations, captivated William. Reading them also provided an early introduction to the complexities of translating wordplay and neologisms.
Yukari Murase-Louden (USA/Japanese > English, Translator)
Yukari truly believes that Sailor Moon made her who she is today. The show taught her about the limitless possibilities for women, the Japanese language, unconditional love, and even science.
Zachary Carlysle (USA/Japanese > English, Editor)
At a time when “cartoons are for kids” was a common sentiment, Gargoyles, with its intricate stories and characters, showed Zachary that this wasn’t necessarily true. It kept his enjoyment of animation alive at a point when he might have otherwise drifted away from it.