Been thinking about my darling Richeh from wha this autism awareness month, because 1) I am autistic and obsessed with witch hat atelier, 2) I love her so dearly, and 3) regardless of intention I think she is really wonderful autism representation. Here are some of the reasons why!
Sensory needs
When I think of Richeh’s sensory needs I think mainly of food and noise, but I’d argue there’s some tactile and olfactory stuff there with her too. For food, we see in wha kitchen that she’s pretty avoidant of certain foods (aka anything that isn’t sweets or meats!) and Qifrey likes to think of ways he can incorporate more variety into her diet without pushing her - I think mainly of the halfmoon legumes chapter here. In that same chapter there is a panel of her distressed because her hands smell like grass after helping prepare them, which I like to interpret as a sensory aversion to the smell. I also really love how both the girls and Qifrey are very surprised and proud of Richeh for being willing to try new foods, but also insist she needn’t push herself - it’s so sweet to me thats she’s in an environment where she’s understood and allowed to have different needs without being portrayed as an inconvenience. For an example of aversion to noise I think of the quartz sugar crystals chapter in wha kitchen volume 4, where Qifrey is bashing up the crystals and Richeh looks very much the way I do when dealing with loud noises! Squeezing the life out of poor brushbug! I like to think she finds brushbug’s fur a sensory comfort too, since I feel like out of all of the girls she seems to be panelled with him the most (could be confirmation bias on my part!), I know that’s a bit more of a stretch but that’s how I like to see it!
Affect, expression, and bluntness
In my opinion, Richeh generally either has more subdued facial expressions or conveys emotion with different facial expressions compared to the other girls. My favourite example is the panel after she gives everyone their guiding rings - her face is pretty neutral (minus the blush) and she’s hiding behind her hair and nodding, and there’s a little arrow saying she’s overjoyed. It’s one of my favourite Richeh panels, she’s looks so silly, all the panels I’m talking about I’m just gonna attach to this post at the end. When I read her dialogue (outside of particularly tense or emotional moments) I find myself naturally reading it with more of a flat affect/intonation than I do other characters, but I don’t know whether that’s just a me thing. I definitely think that she can be pretty blunt though! She’s unguarded about her opinions and honestly that’s fucking awesome. Maybe not awesome all of the time, I’ll attach a panel I’m thinking of where she tells Tetia her hairstyle is weird and Agott tells her off for being blunt lol
Fixation and attention to detail
This bit is specifically about the quartz sugar crystal chapter in the kitchen spin-off that I mentioned before, because I think she’s just so wonderful in it. Like bro that’s my daughter for real. Anyway, Qifrey crushes up a big pretty sugar crystal to make some gelatin sweets for the girls but Richeh is upset that he has to destroy the original crystal. Thinking about it, that could definitely be interpreted as the autistic tendency to get attached to certain inanimate objects. She gets a little fixated here, and whilst the other girls are making their own crystal sweets in fun new shapes and colours, Richeh makes a perfect replica of the original sugar crystal from memory. She is so strange and I love her so much.
Aversion to change
This is a huge part of Richeh’s early character and pretty much the focus of volume 4. She loves her magic and feels secure in her own style and talents, but is reluctant to expand her magic knowledge out of fear of this changing and causing her to lose the magic that feels genuine and personal to her. I think difficulty with change is a less well known autistic trait, but many of us really struggle with it, myself especially! Volume 4 means so much to me, and regardless of Shirahama’s intention I was glad to see myself reflected in Richeh there.
Other miscellaneous things
I just remembered about her little room!! The cool magic hiding spot she has in that big pot in her room where she escapes to when she doesn’t want to talk or be around people. Need me one of those for real. I think there also some evidence for her stimming, especially that one panel where she’s excited and is pumping her fists up and down in the air with a completely blank expression, that really reads as autistic to me ahaha
I’ve ran out of things to add I think, and I don’t actually expect anyone to read this, it’s mainly for me and I’m sure it’ll sit in my drafts for a while anyway! Disclaimer: I’m not trying to say anything about Shirahama’s writing intentions, I’m just having fun! Read witch hat atelier please! It might be my favourite thing in the world at the moment actually! Oh yeah! The panels! I’ll just shove all the ones I can find below lol
Because I'm autistic and because I love Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen, I page-by-page compared the recent Kodansha USA English release of volume 1 to its Japanese and fan-translated counterparts.
If you've read the official English translation, you may have noticed that some of the big Orufrey moments are.... a bit underwhelming, word-wise. You may have even noticed that the word "wine" is suspiciously missing from the final chapter's WillowGrape Wine recipe, in which wine is kind of an important and obvious factor in it! And you would be correct!
While most of this manga volume is pretty accurate to the original text, there is absolutely a concentrated effort to tone down the more tender Orufrey moments, as well as minimize the alcoholic nature of the final chapter's recipe and related contraptions.
And that's frustrating!
The entire draw of this manga spin-off is seeing these gay witch dads take care of each other and their four daughters in an idyllic countryside setting while also making yummy food that you the reader can try make too. Why is Kodansha USA trying to no-homo these gays?? (Is this a reflection of how bad things are in the USA now?) And while you might say, "But Jade! Qifrey and Olruggio are not actually dating in canon!" — and I would agree with you! But there is nothing straight about these mens' behavior in this comic, and if Qifrey is going to look in Olruggio's direction while tenderly saying his name in Nearly Every Chapter, I expect to read that in English, dammit!
So I'm activating my autism trap card and presenting ya'll with a thorough comparison of every mistranslated and omitted Orufrey or wine moment, complete with discussion and screenshots from the Japanese, fan-translated, and USA English versions. This post is ridiculously long and maxed Tumblr's 30-image limit so chapter 10's discussion is actually in a reblog (sob sob), so I'm putting it all under a cut (you're welcome), and you can be sure that I'll be doing this again if need be for the translated volumes releasing next year.
For now? Let's go.
CHAPTER 1: pg 10
Japanese: フフ...
Fan translated: Heh heh
English version: Ahh...
This is a small moment, but it's important because it's foreshadowing. Qifrey is "airing out" the kitchen, but what he's really doing is sending those delicious smells into Olruggio's room. He's trying to lure him into the kitchen! And that little フフ/heh heh panel is evidence that he's up to something. If you've noticed in the main series, whenever Qifrey is doing something shady or it has a double-meaning, the 'camera angle' focuses on this side of his face with the dark lens.
But the English version obfuscates this by changing フフ to "Ahh..." like, 'isn't that better,' even though it keeps the ellipsis thought bubble indicating that something is up. Why the mixed messaging?
CHAPTER 1: pg 13
Japanese: オルーギオ!
Fan translated: Orugio!
English version: Excellent!
This is the first of many moments where Qifrey will directly say Olruggio's name, and yet the English version will translate it to something else, or drop it entirely. And no, "there wasn't enough room" is not a valid excuse for most of these. Especially when Olruggio's name can (and often is) shortened to Olly.
Look at Olruggio's little smirk at making Qifrey beam happily like that. My God. Kodansha USA/translator Stephen Kohler, why would you take this from us.
CHAPTER 1: pg 14
Japanese: 二人共 今日も一日 お疲れ様でした!
Fan translated: These two people are together tonight. Another day's work well done, you two!
English version: Here's to another long day... ...and a well-earned break!
The omnipresent narrator from the beginning of the chapter is back, and clearly highlighting that 'these two people' are together tonight. And yet the English version removes all that. It may be redundant since we can see they're together in the illustration, but the whole page has that type of text redundancy, like focusing on 'eating that first bite,' or how 'a laugh bubbles up' with Qifrey. And combined with all of the other later omissions, this becomes an obvious trend of targeting these specific types of moments.
CHAPTER 2: pg 28
Japanese: 料理も❓抾❓も相手のことを一番に考えるのは 君の美德だね 半分ずつだ オルーギオ (sorry, I couldn't read those kanji)
Fan translated: Whether you're cooking or performing magic, you always think of others before yourself. It just goes to show your good character. We'll share it, Olruggio.
English version: I've always admired that about you. Whether in your work of in the kitchen... ...You always think of others' needs before your own. All right. Let's split it, then.
The English version has two mistranslations here. I'll start at the top. In it, Qifrey is observing how Olruggio puts others first, and then compliments how it shows his good character. The 'good character' bit is changed to "I've always admired that about you," which at first I thought was sweet! Points for Kohler. But now that I really look at it, there is still some shady translating happening here.
In writing and communicating, what is said last has the most importance. This is how people "bury the lede," by hiding important information in the early part of a speech or amid other sentences, and then distracting them with other stuff.
In that English version top panel, even though Qifrey is complimenting Olruggio, by having it be said first it makes the second speech bubble (and therefore Olruggio's flustered response) be about Qifrey remarking on Olruggio's own behavior, rather than Qifrey's nice compliment about his character. Which changes the meaning of what's going on here. Olly is not flustering because he puts others first, he's flustering because Qifrey is saying something really nice about him, right to his face!
And then of course, in the bottom panel, Qifrey saying Olruggio's name is once again removed.
And I have to say, this bothers me not just because of autistic AcCUraCY! needs, but because he is very specifically saying his name. They are the only people in the room, it's very clear who Qifrey is addressing, and yet here he is once again, putting that man's name in his mouth.
It is intentional.
It is heartfelt.
STOP REMOVING IT!
CHAPTER 3: pg 36 and 37
Japanese: (Olruggio): キーフリー それいらないならこっちに..してくれ (Qifrey): オルーギオ ひとつおねがい!
Fan translated: (Olruggio): Qifrey, if you won't be needing those, send them my way. (Qifrey): One pot please, Olruggio!
English version: (Olruggio): Mind if I grab those breadcrumbs from ya? I'm gonna use 'em as a binder for the patties. (Qifrey): Could you bring that pot over here for me?
This is a sweet segment because it shows how well Qifrey and Olruggio work in tandem in the kitchen. As someone who has repeatedly failed at working harmonically with others while making food, them being in sync in the kitchen is more fantastical than the actual magic.
And once again, Olruggio and Qifrey saying each other's names are removed. The Olruggio panel translation is also a bit misleading because (as you can see in the larger fan-translated photo), it's Qifrey who is controlling that wind spell! Olruggio is not "grabbing" the breadcrumbs from him, it's Qifrey who is sending them to him. It also lends to the back-and-forth of these moments because as soon as Olly's done with that pot, he gives it to Qifrey to use.
CHAPTER 3: pg 41
Japanese: ありがとうオルーギオ 行ってきます
Fan translated: Thank you, Olruggio. We'll see you later.
English version: Thank you, my friend. We'll be on our way now.
We're now at the part of the manga where Qifrey saying Olruggio's name is changed to "my friend" in the English version. Which is a phrase I'll admit I have some Daevabad baggage with, so idk, is this some platonic ray-beaming or is it code for tender feelings for that person you like but aren't ready to date yet because of trauma and societal complications? Is Stephen Kohler a Daevabad fan? So many unknowns. Still counting it as a wrong though.
CHAPTER 4: pg 56
Japanese: (Olruggio): ま... 眩しくて眠れやしない (Qifrey): がんばれ! オルーギオ
Fan translated: (Olruggio): Really... I can't sleep with all this shimmering... (Qifrey): Do your best! Olruggio.
English version: (Olruggio): Hmph. How's a man supposed to get some sleep with this thing sparklin' away over here? (Qifrey): Keep at it... ...my friend.
Qifrey literally made a bouquet of rose-shaped tarts for Olruggio to cheer up his room, so of course the English translation needs to tamp down that gayness by unnecessarily bringing up Olruggio's manhood when he complains about not being able to sleep from the tarts' sparkling. Even though this chapter's cover image is of Olruggio sitting in a field of flowers, pondering quietly as he holds one in his hand. Maybe later chapters will have Olruggio edited so he's sitting 5 feet away from Qifrey.
And again, Qifrey saying Olruggio's name in the bottom panel is changed to "my friend" in the English version.
CHAPTER 6: pg 95
Japanese: いい出来だろ? 家事の分担が大変だなんて思ってたら こんなものは作れねえぜ
Fan translated: Turned out pretty good, right? If I really thought sharing the housework was a pain, then I couldn't make something like this.
English version: Whaddya think? Not bad, huh? Sorry for leavin' you stuck with all the chores these last few days. I figure this is the least I can do.
Of all the mistranslations, this one bothers me the most. Olruggio is a wonderful malewife! He is constantly trying to help Qifrey out with the Atelier chores, in Kitchen and the main series. And yet the English translation changes the entire context of what these panels are saying.
The right panel is Olruggio proud of how good the soup tastes (it's even in a fancy bread bowl!), and yet the English translation downplays it by saying, 'Not bad, huh?'
Then the left panel, with it's sparkly background and close-up on Olly's face, goes further into how if he thought helping out with the housework was a pain, he wouldn't be capable of making stuff like this. Which is an understated way of saying that Qifrey can rely on him for things like this. (and he says it more outright in other chapters/the main series) But instead the English version is treating this soup like it's an apology for not helping out more. It's also really stupid because Olruggio was not making the soup as 'the least he could do' for Qifrey — he made it because he was hungry and wanted to eat it now! He literally admits this a few pages back!
Olruggio is not someone trying to do the bare minimum, he's someone trying to tell his control-freak of a friend that he wants to share in helping out. And the English version disappointingly misrepresents that here.
CHAPTER 10! Has several issues both Orufrey and wine related, and has several comparison segments. But because I maxed out Tumblr's 30-image limit, I can't include it here and so have to post it in a reblog. UGH. 😔 I'll post the link here in a moment.
In the meantime, image credits! The Japanese scans are from Comic-Days.com, the fan scanlations are thanks to Don't Quit Your Day Job, Robot Garden Scans, Brimhats/Nyaruhodou, and Kirbypoyopoyo, and the English version photos are from my own copy.
If chapters weren't mentioned, it's because I didn't notice anything significant enough to comment on. But if you know of something I missed, do let me know! And thanks for reading this far.
I ran out of room in the original post, so here is the complete discussion and side-by-side comparison with photos for chapter 10! There's a lot going on in this one, get ready.
CHAPTER 10: pg 144
Japanese: 柳葡萄酒と合わせるのさ!
Fan translated: You gotta pair it with willow wine!
English version: I wanna slice 'em up and add 'em to some willowgrape!
There's a lot going on with this page, and chapter in general. Olruggio is clearly holding a large bottle of wine with the 'willowgrape' tree illustration in the background in that top panel, but the word "wine" never appears in the English version. This is especially noticeable because the very next panel has Olruggio clearly saying that this drink isn't for kids, and Qifrey laughing about 'ah, so that's why he sat patiently through the lesson.' The word cocktail is used occasionally instead, but since they can be non-alcoholic, it still makes the wording vague.
This page also features yet another name omission, this time Olruggio saying Qifrey's name as he mimics Qifrey's pose and phrase from chapter one: "大人の愉しみはこれからだぜキーフリー!" / "The adults' fun starts now, Qifrey!" / "But now they're asleep, you and I can have some fun of our own!"
CHAPTER 10: pg 145
Japanese: その名も酒水滴! // 酒の酸化を防いでいつでも飲み頃を保ってくれる
Fan translated: I call it the Liquordrop Buoy! // It protects the alcohol from oxidation, and it's preserved for when you want to drink it.
English version: I call it the Spirits Bubble. // …It'll keep whatever's inside at peak flavor. No more worryin' about a good drink goin' off.
This contraption Olruggio modified is specifically for alcohol and to keep it from oxidizing, and yet the English version has the wording vague enough that it just as equally could be used for any kind of drink. Stop your carbonated soda from going flat, maybe? The contraption's name does invoke the alcoholic intention but uses the far more obscure "spirits" label.
CHAPTER 10: pg 147
Japanese: 七色檸檬と山リンゴの 混成 柳葡萄酒
Fan translated: Seven-Colored Lemon and Mountain Apple Willow Wine Sangria
English version: Willowgrape Cocktail with Prism Lemon and Mountain Apple
Here we see Olruggio's completed drink, with it's name on the banner and around the fancy bottle. Again, the word "wine" is missing from the English version and for those playing at home, the kanji to keep an eye on is this one: 酒 (it'll be important for the next page!)
Fan translated: Wine Glass Ring. Alcohol poured into this magic vessel will accumulate in mid-air. It grows longer when you pour into it, and you can't let it go until you've finished the drink. It's also called the Drunkard's Icicle.
English version: Loop Chalice. A drinking vessel contraption. Beverages poured through one side of the loop hang suspended in air on the other. The suspension grows longer as more liquid is poured in, giving rise to its nickname, "the drinkcicle." Though delightful, the chalice has one glaring drawback: it cannot be set back down until emptied.
Important things to note here: 1) the contraption literally has a carving of willowgrapes on it. (because it's for wine!) 2) Did you spy 酒 in the Japanese text version? Good job! Because this contraption is literally for alcohol. 3) The nickname for this contraption is the Drunkard's Icicle because you have to finish the drink before you can set it down, but the English version gave it the more generic nickname of "The Drinkcicle" along with the nondescript "Loop Chalice" name. (which isn't that far from the direct translation of goblet ring, but 'chalice' has ritualistic/symbolic vibes where again, this is just a cool cup for drunks.)
But this matters because in a later volume's chapter involving making parfaits with the girls, Olruggio uses these goblet circlets to show off the layered ingredients and the girls are surprised because they've never seen this contraption before. (and why would they? It's for alcohol!) But these sort of little changes affect the logistics of the story and make it less cohesive. It is also just bizarre for the English translation to go this far in minimizing the alcoholic nature of these devices and this chapter, for a manga that is about adults cooking at midnight. Especially when they keep the panel early in the chapter specifically saying that this recipe is not for kids. Again: Why the mixed messaging?
Anyway, I'm skipping the pages with Qifrey's mountain apple poached in willowgrape wine recipe, because it's all more of the same, but rest assured that just like the others, those pages also omit any mention of wine.
CHAPTER 10: pg 152
Japanese: お前がそう言うんなら そうなんだろうな
Fan translation: If you're the one saying so, then it must be true.
English version: All right. I'll take your word for it.
The context for this panel is that Qifrey's meal—because it was simmered in willowgrape wine, made the apples look red, which is poisonous. When Olruggio questions this, Qifrey quickly reassures him that it's fine and it's just the coloring from the wine. Which leads to Olruggio thinking about it and then saying… this.
This panel scrambles my insides. The fact that this chapter originally released the same month as the main series' infamous Chapter 40, makes me scream. Look at Olruggio's absolute trust in Qifrey! I'm dying. I am slamming my hands on the table, this is the epitome of Orufrey and their heartbreaking dynamic (what does Qifrey's reaction on the next page even mean to people who don't have the context?? It's not like Qifrey looks happy, his expression is like a blue screen of death), and the English version translates it as "All right. I'll take your word for it."
"I'll take your word for it."
As a translation of something meaningful and kinda poetic, it sucks. As a sentence trying to fit the mood of the illustration, it sucks. In terms of accuracy and artistry and being faithful to the original version, it sucks. (As an Orufrey fan, it really sucks.)
I don't even know what else to say. What a way to end this volume.
But wait! There's more!
As a final gift, the end of the book includes ingredient substitutions for the fantastical recipes. Which means that for Chapter 10's Bottled Willowgrape (wine), the real-world replacement is listed as… "red grape juice, for an all-ages, morning-friendly drink."
…..
💀🔪
Anyway, thanks for reading! Now that this is done, I can properly modify my book and cover these terrible lines with something better.
Image credits: Japanese scans are from Comic-Days.com, the fan scanlations are thanks to BrimHats/Nyaruhodou, and the English version photos are from my personal copy.
(Also because apparently the og post won't reflect edits because I reblogged this prior version (??), the missing kanji from Chapter 2 is "魔法器", thank you AskeFinns for being able to read what my eyes couldn't. 💝)
they need to invent a specific word to describe the GRRGHGAHGA RYRURGUGR AURURGRHGR. GGRGGRGRGRHGHAVAGGHRRUGRUGRHRGHRGHRGHR AGHAGHRGHGRHRGHRHA NRURGAHGAHGRHGHR emotion you get when you think about a special interest or hyperfixation too hard. nothing that currently exists gets it
I sure fucking love how this album manages to have both EDM and major ethnic melodies without changing the whole aesthetic EVEN IN THE SPAN OF ONE SINGLE SONG LIKE IT'S CRAZY IT'S INSANE
My dad is obsessed with this because the interlude is made with a bagpipe and it's one of his special interests so every time I'm entitled to the aux cord in the car he turns the volume up when this one comes up
This one is just. Ong. Trans juice slorrp
Crazy ass melody from the pits of hell Arabic interlude more crazy ass melody from the pits of hell
BREAKCORE LET'S FUCKEN GOOOOOOOO
Same as under wonder nights, also can we give electro swing a bit more of appreciation? It's so fucking good. The transition to the first part to the interlude is a bit choppy but it's good. Like so so so good.
I love the whole thing they do here of representing the fog with Arabic melodies because yes. Keep doing it. Let's go. It's so good.
This song is the perfect representation of I was saying about ethnic melodies with EDM. This interlude is the usual Arabic melody AND BLENDS INTO A VIDEOGAME SOUND AND HOW SMOOTHLY TOO before the last part of the song starts
I will add songs every time something comes to mind
