AWAG – Portal

Another World, Another Gender

This web novel is a translation of work done originally in Japanese.  If people are familiar with how I handle translations (information found in the pages of the top menu), they will already know that my translations will not be at all perfect.  I have an understanding of the layout of the Japanese language, but are far better at the spoken words than the written ones.  So these translations are done with considerable analysis and then creative capacity (two words definitive of Luminaeris articles in general).  I can not profess to be providing accurate translations, and so even after reading my work, it may be still worthwhile to check the original.  Inclusively, if anyone feels up to the re-translation of this story in an actually accurate format, I will be perfectly willing to pass this project off if asked (as this is rough to do on my own).  However, anyone with a proven capacity to actually help with either the accurate rendering of translations or other relevant editorial efforts, who actually want to help me with this project, please let me know and we can make that happen too.  Volunteer effort will receive credit for contributions (though if someone asks to volunteer, I will most likely be less willing to pass off the project then as well).  Until either occurs, I hope you enjoy the results of my effort.  Make sure to frequent this portal article during translation, as it will also get constant updates.

Seiren-chan, and her three maids.

The original Japanese story is titled: 『どうやら俺は育つ世界を間違えたらしい。あと性別も』
This story caught my attention as it was pointed to by a friend, who was sad that at this time, only the first 4 out of 136 chapters are translated.  That’s a significant amount missing, and it seems the original author won’t be working further.  The originally translated first four chapters are done using the name “Different World Gender Change”, which is their simplification of “It seems that I’ve slipped into a different world. Also, my gender has changed.”  The first four chapters can be found at another wordpress site, starting with the Prologue (Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4).  The name “Another World, Another Gender” was adapted here not only as a demonstration of creativity, but also an example of intent to have a Localisation Flow to the story stronger than expected, which hopefully will make up for the weaker abilities in translations.

Seiren-chan, living her new life.

The story itself is only slightly hinted at by the title, but it is actually misleading.  Seiren Shikino might have spent almost 18 years of life on the earth as we know it, living the life of a poor orphaned school boy, but was not born either on Earth nor to be Poor, Orphaned, or a School boy.  Seiren was originally born as Seiren Shiya, a rich noble girl of a loving family from a fantasy-like world (think Disney Princess).  At the age of one month, she mysteriously ended up at Earth, and it just so happens to that traversing the border of worlds also switches the person’s gender.  So she lived 18 years of her life as a guy without knowing the truth.  But suddenly one day she is forced to face her own reality, as she is drawn back home by parents who finally found a way to do so.  So now she has to come to terms with everything that’s changed, to face another world and another gender.

The story promotes ideas of disputed fact, how difficult it could be when a person is suddenly forced to realise that everything they knew wasn’t accurate.  It describes psychological strain of accepting change in an overwhelming proportion, and effectively in an instant.  Seiren is torn from everything she knew, including friends, family, lifestyle, environment, world, science, and even gender.. and suddenly has to adapt to an entirely new life.  It invokes impressions probably familiar with individuals who have to move to another home in the more mundane form, and simply changes so much at once, making it feel even more immense in magnitude.  The most interesting part is the psychological factor of “this was you originally”, which is itself unique in concept for stories with dramatic change.  It plays on factors akin to Amnesia stories in this way, for a combination effect.  After all, a strange new world as a whole new meaning if you rightfully know it should have been familiar.  The lack of familiarity still present afterwards has a lot of impact for the story, as this fact is wielded consistently to great effect.  After that, the story does have a lot of visible similarity to Disney Princess stories (as was hinted at earlier), with many of the same common elements, although with an attention for detail clearly targeting a comparatively older audience.

This story spans 5 volumes, with 136 chapters (including the Prologue and Epilogue).  Additionally, very clear because each volume is named after the season it occurs in, the story covers events over a span of just greater than a year.  Because the story is already translated up to chapter four, it is highly recommended to review the Prologue and first four chapters before starting here, as I have no plans to be repeating or re-translating the first four chapters.  As such, the Navigation below begins at Chapter 5.  By chapter 9, there was enough of a community formed that I started to receive some constructive criticism on my submissions.  Considering this is my first attempt at publishing translations for others, it could be said I was just getting my feet wet.  After chapter 9, consideration begun for such supportive input, which hopefully has resulted in better submissions for everyone in future chapters.  Starting chapter 10, the ((double bracket)) addition for translator notes was replaced with colored words that show more details if you hover over it, which includes a few common Romanji translations for words which lose some meaning when converted entirely to English that I felt still needed the English word to go with it. This also distinguishes the difference between the two colors used.  I know this resolution won’t show up well for mobile users, but the story should hopefully still be readable in the end even without the mouse-overs.  Also, it appears after lifestyle changes pulled me away from translations for too long, someone picked up doing translations starting chapter 22.  The translations are done in a way that reminds me of the first four chapters, so it’s mostly some of the classical design of translation work, without the localization edge I’ve used.  Hopefully with it, Seiren’s story will go on.

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Volume 1 – Spring of a New Life

• Chapter 5 – Leisurely Bathing, in a Giagantic Bath
• Chapter 6 – Casual Conversations, During Dinner
• Chapter 7 – Sudden Awakening, with a Scenery of Dawn
• Chapter 8 – Family Gathering, and Somehow Included
• Chapter 9 – Keeping Relaxed, while Eating Breakfast
• Chapter 10 – Abundant Learning, during a Castle Tour (Part 1)
• Chapter 11 – Abundant Learning, during a Castle Tour (Part 2)
• Chapter 12 – Abundant Learning, during a Castle Tour (Part 3)
• Chapter 13 – Good Grief, Reality Problems
• Chapter 14 – Next Step, Exploring Outside (Part 1)
• Chapter 15 – Next Step, Exploring Outside (Part 2)
• Chapter 16 – Next Step, Exploring Outside (Part 3)
• Chapter 17 – Covertly Assisted, Stealthily Studying
• Chapter 18 – Returned Home, Relaxing before Dinner
• Chapter 19 – Fumbling around, with an Evening Dress
• Chapter 20 – Decisions Completed, Home Schooling
• Chapter 21 – Now Then, Future Problems
• Chapter 22 – Noisy Steps, Next Week
• Chapter 23 –
• Chapter 24 –
• Chapter 25 –
• Chapter 26 –
• Chapter 27 –
• Chapter 28 –
• Chapter 29 –
• Chapter 30 –
• Chapter 31 –

Volume 2 – Summer of New Encounters

• Chapter 32 –
• Chapter 33 –
• Chapter 34 –
• Chapter 35 –
• Chapter 36 –
• Chapter 37 –
• Chapter 38 –
• Chapter 39 –
• Chapter 40 –
• Chapter 41 –
• Chapter 42 –
• Chapter 43 –
• Chapter 44 –
• Chapter 45 –
• Chapter 46 –
• Chapter 47 –
• Chapter 48 –
• Chapter 49 –
• Chapter 50 –
• Chapter 51 –
• Chapter 52 –
• Chapter 53 –
• Chapter 54 –
• Chapter 55 –
• Chapter 56 –
• Chapter 57 –
• Chapter 58 –
• Chapter 59 –

Volume 3 – Autumn of New Arrivals

• Chapter 60 –
• Chapter 61 –
• Chapter 62 –
• Chapter 63 –
• Chapter 64 –
• Chapter 65 –
• Chapter 66 –
• Chapter 67 –
• Chapter 68 –
• Chapter 69 –
• Chapter 70 –
• Chapter 71 –
• Chapter 72 –
• Chapter 73 –
• Chapter 74 –
• Chapter 75 –
• Chapter 76 –
• Chapter 77 –
• Chapter 78 –
• Chapter 79 –
• Chapter 80 –
• Chapter 81 –
• Chapter 82 –
• Chapter 83 –
• Chapter 84 –
• Chapter 85 –

Volume 4 – Winter of Old Families

• Chapter 86 –
• Chapter 87 –
• Chapter 88 –
• Chapter 89 –
• Chapter 90 –
• Chapter 91 –
• Chapter 92 –
• Chapter 93 –
• Chapter 94 –
• Chapter 95 –
• Chapter 96 –
• Chapter 97 –
• Chapter 98 –
• Chapter 99 –
• Chapter 100 –
• Chapter 101 –
• Chapter 102 –
• Chapter 103 –
• Chapter 104 –
• Chapter 105 –
• Chapter 106 –
• Chapter 107 –
• Chapter 108 –
• Chapter 109 –
• Chapter 110 –

Volume 5 – Spring of Final Departures

• Chapter 111 –
• Chapter 112 –
• Chapter 113 –
• Chapter 114 –
• Chapter 115 –
• Chapter 116 –
• Chapter 117 –
• Chapter 118 –
• Chapter 119 –
• Chapter 120 –
• Chapter 121 –
• Chapter 122 –
• Chapter 123 –
• Chapter 124 –
• Chapter 125 –
• Chapter 126 –
• Chapter 127 –
• Chapter 128 –
• Chapter 129 –
• Chapter 130 –
• Chapter 131 –
• Chapter 132 –
• Chapter 133 –
• Chapter 134 –
• Epilogue