iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

I feel like there's a "rot" in the voiceover industry right now. It's something that's probably always been there, but I think it's been progressively getting worse. There's this strange attitude that can basically be summed up as, "F*ck y'all. I got mine." And I'd like to talk about it. 🧵

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 14h

A few episodes from the end of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and I'm really enjoying it. I can tell that Park Eun-Bin must have spent a lot of time on her portrayal of Young-Woo because that is a tough role to have, especially as the lead, and it's just really engaging to watch.

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Ruka🐬 @sangobouro.bsky.social · 21h

I painted a small picture of autumn. #Amphibia #amphibiafanart

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 17h

Maybe this will finally be the year I make myself watch Pan's Labyrinth...

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Comic Samanthas @comicsamanthas.bsky.social · 20h

Tokyo has a new independent English language bookstore! They've got a good selection of queer books and books on Palestine. Please give them all your money. featherheartbooks.com

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Figuring out my 🕷️ attire for our Halloween event, and so far, it's a kitbash of my character's usual costume plus my variant outfits from two different events. 😅 The overalls having slots to stick sleeves through really helps!

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Related: I wear my prescription glasses on stage, so my colored contacts have no adjustment. I'm going to have to reverse that for next year because it's getting increasingly more annoying to have my face close to the mirror to apply eye makeup because I question my vision otherwise.

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Achievement? Took my colored contacts out while sitting in the train without looking in a mirror and without poking my eyes out.

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Window shopping laughs: A sticker of a poisonous frog captioned "I'm toxic." 🐸

B-Side Label sticker of a red poison tree frog with blue feet and the text "I'm toxic." accompanying it.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 27/09/2026

Google finally updated some of its satellite images of Gaza and my god, it's horrific. The entirety of Rafah has been demolished. The majority of Khan Younis is in ruins. Entire towns completely leveled and erased of the map.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Jenn Odd @jentranslations.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Game devs, this is why it's important to give your translation teams references and allow for time in the schedule for questions from the translators. Help localization help you! igda.org/news-archive...

igda.org

High Quality Localization? Help Loc Help You! – IGDA

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Cassiel SparklePony ✨ Covid is Airborne 😷 @sparkleponycass.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I'd also like to add: if you can, please let them play the game while translating! But also if you do, please pay them for their time playing it, especially if you then demand they all play it for at least 8 hours before you'll answer their nuanced and valid queries about the text. 😫

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Mild example, but my very first LQA job had text along the lines of "Mark is trimming his beard." Except Mark doesn't have a beard. He has a moustache. But the Japanese word ひげ doesn't differentiate, so I can only assume the translator had no idea what Mark looked like when they were translating.

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Playing through a game. Me: "This translation feels like it could have used more polish..." *finds translator in credits, looks them up, sees long list of accreditations* Me: "It's valid to think even people with more experience can do better." Also me: "Dare I critique a senpai's work?'

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

James W @soukoutaigi.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I feel like "actually Japanese game companies just have laws that make it harder to lay people off" usually gets deployed as like a harsh truth, but, like...yeah! They aren't morally better, it's just regulation and worker's rights! You should find that encouraging!

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Hearing for myself what happens when you cheap out on earphones. Not that I need something of particularly high quality, but I can hear a clear difference between these and the ones I'd been using before they finally kicked the bucket. 😅

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Last night, I was invited to play in the Flesh and Blood TCG prerelease for Usurp the Shadow Throne. 0-3, but I had fun. Got lots of advice from the experienced players, and I was told I had built my deck well even if results didn't reflect that. 😅

Prerelease kit for Usurp the Shadow Throne, the latest set in the Flesh and Blood trading card game.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

𝑪. 𝑫𝒂𝒂𝒆́ @christinedaae.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

But that’s why it’s so important now to chase that magic because if we don’t, we’re just gonna get caught in this never-ending cycle of despair It doesn’t mean glaze Japan, for those of us living here. Absolutely not. But it DOES mean making room for the magic to happen.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

𝑪. 𝑫𝒂𝒂𝒆́ @christinedaae.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

But you need to make room for joy! To give wonder a place to land, to find you. Please don’t stop being available to wonder. I know, I know– the train you once thought you was “soooo cool” is just the train now. The temple is just something you walk past on your way to work.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Cassiel SparklePony ✨ Covid is Airborne 😷 @sparkleponycass.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Awhile back my team translated a game demo, and if it did well the full game would be made. And we've recently heard that it's going ahead. The dev had tons of praise for our translation because the players loved it. Most important feedback? Players loved that it clearly *wasn't* AI translation.

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

But seriously, I think a lot of it does stem from repeated exposure. The more used to hearing Japanese you get, the easier it gets to process even when people are speaking faster. Having enough language so you're not tripped up by unfamiliar vocab/grammar also lowers the barrier a bit.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Dr. Wes Robertson @scriptingjapan.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Call for submissions: any manga panels or text from Japanese novels where a character is using an swear word original from English (in katakana is fine).

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

From "The Backlasher" (Volume 1) By Sakumo Okada 『ザ・バックラッシャー』① 岡田索雲

『ザ・バックラッシャー』①
岡田索雲

"The Backlasher" (Volume 1) by Sakumo Okada

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Branching off of this, I think I would like to tell 20 yr old me that a lot of things can come together just by being a pleasant person with a good work ethic. Just by being someone friends will recommend because they believe you're a good fit. Because they believe in you.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Kitty-tama @kittytama.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I've got a ton of work stuff on my plate at the moment, thankfully, and I've been doing my best to invoice for what I can when timing allows, but in the meantime, everyone's support means the world to me. ;___; I also have Ko-fi, for anyone who prefers to use that: ko-fi.com/kittytama

ko-fi.com

Support Kitty-tama

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Kitty-tama @kittytama.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Things are piling up in ways that feel beyond overwhelming, and to be honest, I'm stressing the hell out. Anything and everything helps beyond words. ;__; ahh... I'm deeply sorry for struggling so much. paypal.me/kittytama kittytamasings (Cash app + Venmo) #helpsky #mutualaid

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Impressed that I've been in Japan for over 10 years. Dumbfounded that I managed to get involved with stateside Kamen Rider releases. Proud of all that I've overcome thus far (even if the present situation sucks on multiple fronts).

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Mychal Threets @mychal3ts.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I have a duty to the children to raise my library voice and say, "Free Palestine." It is not too dangerous to say. It is human decency. Palestinian people are worthy of tomorrow. We are human.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

naoko @55naoko.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Be nice to yourself.

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Still slowly watching through "Tomorrow." A few episodes I took issue with, but overall, I appreciate the push to turn the stigma surrounding suicide on its head. Kim Hee Seon's character also reminds me of Ryoko Yonekura's Michiko Daimon (Doctor-X series) which makes episodes a little more fun.

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The other day, one of my castmates (who I'll refer to as Kohai-kun) asked me to call him for a check-in. Apparently, everyone was getting worried about me, and he's probably the one I'm closest to anyway in the company, so it worked out, in a way. I don't know how much it helped me, but

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

𝕶𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖞 𝕯𝖎𝖌𝖌𝖘 クリッシー @krissydiggs.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Did a commission for the bad ass band #halfPastTwo recently. Very happy with how it came out! #Illustration #digitalArt

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Vaguely related to current events: I was planning on covering an Ed Sheeran song for a friend's event this weekend. After Macklemore's statement, I thought about making a pro-Palestine statement before I sang. After Sheeran's statement, I'm looking for another song entirely.

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Related: Basically all Kamen Rider W merch spell his name as "Kamen Rider Double" on boxes and such when written in English. Wキャスト may sometimes appear in headlines to announce that two actors have been cast for a given production (often regarding the lead roles but not necessarily).

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Gigi Murakami 🔪 Queen of Horror Manga @gigimurakami.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Hello! Are there any manga letterer friends available for work? Please DM me!

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Loppi☆ @loppimonblanc.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Currently waiting on a contract renewal confirmation, but if anyone is interested in working with me in-house or on a contract with visa support in the Tokyo area, feel free to reach out as I may be available from November 1st. I've been hesitant to start searching for something else

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

But for real, though! Sometimes you just get that late-night craving. 😭

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Late night musings: Multiple times, I've wondered if studying psychology/counseling would be a good fit for me. Except that present-me is still the one who really needs counseling the most. Does that make me more qualified or less qualified? (But seriously though, I don't think I could handle it.)

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Jean-Karlo @ventcard.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

New TWIG! (I had hoped to make a thumbnail; I literally forgot to. Mea culpa.) This column was a big'un...

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Coincidentally, I started watching a Korean drama on Netflix yesterday titled "Tomorrow" which is about a team that strives to save people who feel suicidal. Definitely a story to be sensitive about, but the timing is surprisingly apt.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

optiMSTie @optimstie.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

It's World Suicide Prevention Day. I've been there. If you need help, PLEASE reach out and seek help. There's no weakness in that. I'm glad I did. We're grateful you're here. You ain't a burden, you ain't alone. You're valued and loved. It gets better, one day at a time. You got this. You matter.

Text on a white background in which we see pictures of arms engaged in a hug, a smiley face, an ear, and two people sitting next to each other.

The text reads:

btw,
a hug is suicide prevention
a smile is suicide prevention
listening is suicide prevention
sitting with someone is suicide prevention
talking about mental health is suicide prevention

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Kitty-tama @kittytama.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I've got multiple projects on my plate, and although I did get paid for one thing today, we're still pretty knee deep in the struggle pits overall. Anything and everything comes in clutch for us--your support means the world. paypal.me/kittytama $kittytamasings #mutualaid #helpsky

paypal.me

Pay Kasey Jordan using PayPal.Me

Go to paypal.me/kittytama and type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal, it's easy and secure. Don’t have a PayPal account? No worries.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Rami Ismail (رامي) @ramiismail.com · 10/09/2026

As it turns September 11th here where I live, I commemorate the 2,997 victims murdered by the hijackers and what would be an estimated 5,000,000 victims murdered by the US's relentless slide into militarism, authoritarianism, fascism, and genocide that started that day. Each lost life was equal.

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Can say from experience as an assistant English teacher and as a proofreader: Editing someone's poor work is HARD.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

James W @soukoutaigi.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

This is not mine but I think the best analogy for this I've encountered, the one people really seem to get in their bones, is "would you rather do an easy homework assignment yourself or edit the work of someone who did it badly"

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Fingers are crossed for a Switch 2 Lite I might be able to afford (but will probably never come).

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I always find it fascinating how different the order of trailers/announcements is between the JP and EN Nintendo Directs. It makes sense because different titles have different cultural impacts, but still, it's really interesting to observe.

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Kevin (ケビン) @ktnguyen.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Finally sat through the last few episodes of Romantics Anonymous. I'm a sucker for this kind of story, and it was so cute. 🥹 I also just like media that makes me think about myself and my situations, even if a lot of it ends up being wishful thinking. 🥲

Visual for Netflix drama "Romantics Anonymous" starring Shun Oguri and Han Hyo Joo.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Ben Diskin @bendiskin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Even at an increase in pay for adapters, a quality script saves money where it counts: during the recording process. When the dialogue isn't thoughtfully adapted, the process grinds to a halt while everyone tries to come up with a quick solution on the spot.

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Reposted by Kevin (ケビン)

Ben Diskin @bendiskin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

This means more time wasted during the expensive part of production where the client is paying for studio hours, recording engineer hours, voice director hours, and actor hours. Don't "fix it in post." "Prepare it in pre."

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