Transcripts of Manga and TV?
 

I thought it would be a fun way to learn Japanese if there was a way to get transcripts of Japanese movies, manga, anime, etc so that it helps with learning Japanese.

Does anyone know where I might be able to get some of these transcripts?

I am just curious, but how would you use a transcript script from a Japanese TV show to help learn Japanese?

I can sort of see where transcripts of television programming or anime may help an advanced learner. Either the stage where most things are understood but the new word or pattern thrown in every once in a while is a potential learning opportunity... Or someone who has studied written Japanese intensely, but has trouble keeping up with the speed of normal conversation.

But manga?
Manga is it`s own transcript, if it can even be called that. Transcripts are of spoken sources - manga is already in text form.

I feel that it's a productive way of learning because if you see it being used in a context to understand it, you remember it better, both the words and how it's written, than if you were just memorizing them standing by itself.

I guess for manga it would be nice if there was audio file that came with it. And manga text is not in a text form, but a picture form. I was thinking of using rikachan for the transcripts.

I agree with Nyororin, that seeing the script of, say, a TV drama could be helpful as you could see the kanji in context with the pronunciation, but it wouldn't help much if you didn't know what the word meant.

I see in Japan they sell transcript/translations of English language movies, so someone can watch a movie and read along in English and Japanese at the same time.

A manga audio book. That's a new idea.

That is very true for people like me who is 独習. We tend to learn to write and read, but as soon as we hear something (even simple) spoken we get completely lost. There is a commercial here in the USA about a Japanese family. It is all in Japanese and they speak very few short phrases...LOL still haven't recognized a single word :O
But I am satisfied to learn how to read, that is already a big achievement for me.

I`m sorry, but you`ve lost me with this bit.

Text is text. If it were pictures, it would not be text.

In that case, you absolutely will not find text transcripts of manga. Think about it: why in the world would anyone make such a thing and then put it online?

I suppose he was distinguishing actual plaintext files as opposed to text presented in images, but the point is mostly moot anyway. Especially as having the text entirely devoid of images would hurt comprehension instead of helping it.

'though I could see the plaintext transcripts as being more useful for people who can't write out unfamiliar kanji with IME Pad...

Or possibly if one wants to skirt copyright restrictions. (like quoting something without presenting the copyrighted image. That said, the text is technically also copyright-protected.)

But like what KyleGoetz had said, it's not like anybody would bother to type out manga transcripts just to post them online.

Ah, so he is talking about downloading images of manga. *sigh*

Here I was making the assumption that we were talking about something legal - like having a transcript of a book held in hand... Which made no sense as the text in a manga is going to be just as much text on paper as in some other text format.

I found dramanote.com that has transcripts of J-drama

Haha! That's so funny, I was just about to suggest that very site :mtongue: It's organized better at http://dramanote.seesaa.net/

You can find Japanese dialogues for J-drama at D-Addicts :: Subtitles Index and 首页 - 射手网 - Shooter.cn - 与别人分享，别人与你分享

I hope transcripts ain't against the rules...

Thank you, what about transcripts of anime?

You do realize that most anime follow the manga word-by-word right?

Exactly word-by-word. They barely change the dialogue. If you watch Naruto, just get the raw Naruto manga and follow it.

They say the same things.

And some anime are completely different from their manga counter parts, following a different story line and everything.

That just sounds like a bad idea.


And if I understand OP correctly, he is looking for something like a transcript (just the words) of a manga that he could open via Word Document or online.

Japanese anime subtitles - kitsunekko.net
http://animetranscripts.wikispaces.com/

I hope this helps :D