Ella Donaldson
ドナルドソン・エラ
Freelance Translator JP➝EN
Translating:
The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King
(The Barbarian's Bride)
The Café Terrace and its GoddessesCurrently playing: Spirittea
Recently finished: Stray
About
I'm a JP➝EN translator working mainly in manga translation.
I currently live in the UK, but have lived in Japan for 3 years in total,
and have studied Japanese for about 14 years.
My first year in Japan was a year abroad studying at a Japanese university as part of my undergraduate degree.
My undergraduate degree was in Japanese Studies with French Studies.
After graduating, I completed a Master's degree in Translation Studies, for which I scanlated the first volume of a French comicbook as part of my dissertation project.
I then spent two years working in Japan as a JET Programme CIR, which involved translating city hall forms and documents, interpreting for foreign residents, and creating English versions of event information.
Interests
・ learning languages (as well as Japanese, I currently study French and Chinese)
・ translation
・ anime
・ manga
・ video games (especially rhythm games, otome games, indie games, and RPGs)
・ mobile games
・ music
・ drawing
Work
As of January 2025, I am working/have worked on 5 manga series as a translator - that's 281 chapters, a total of over 610,000 characters.
The series are all listed below.Click the image to read the first few chapters for free*!
*Moebana
Such a Treacherous Piano Sonata
3 Volumes - digital release
First volume published June 2022
Genre: Josei, Romance
Publisher: Kodansha
Kanna Tachibana is a 26-year-old woman who hasn't yet felt the stirrings of physical attraction...that is, until she meets her new charge, the "Prince of Piano" Guy Narisawa Weissenfeld. After listening to his playing, she finds herself unable to stop herself caressing him...?! Will she be able to explore her budding sensuality with a man who has been told he plays with no emotion? And not only that, can she step up to save this irascible performer's career while she's at it?
Moebana
28 chapters - digital release
First chapter published June 2022
Genre: Slice of Life
Publisher: Shueisha
High-schooler Tsukumo Fukakusa is obsessed with an anime about human characters based on flowers. He secretly enjoys looking at the flower arrangements displayed in front of the back entrance of his school. Then, one day, his knowledge of flowers is noticed by the ikebana club, who suddenly recruit him! This otaku, guided by his favorite idol character, enters the world of flower arranging! Thus begins this ikebana youth drama!
The Café Terrace and its Goddesses
Ongoing (186 chapters) - digital release
First volume published October 2022
Genre: Harem, Slice of Life
Publisher: Kodansha
When Hayato's grandmother passed, he planned to sell her rundown café on the shore—not realizing that it was also home to five young women who call themselves her family?! Their desperation to keep the café open convinces Hayato to give it a shot...but even their best intentions might not be enough to make it work! And can he even work with these five unruly women? No matter what, he's got his work cut out for him! A fun new romcom by the author of Fuuka and Suzuka!
The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King
Ongoing (47 chapters) - digital + print release
First chapter published online May 2023
Print version volume 1 published October 2024
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Kodansha (online), Seven Seas (print)
"Just kill me!"
These are the words of Serafina de Lavillant, the strongest female knight in the West. After being defeated in a war with the East, she has become a prisoner of the barbarians! What awaits the captive Serafina is a life of revenge, torture, and humiliation...or so she thought! What she is offered instead is a marriage to the barbarian king?! An intriguing tale of otherworldly marriage is about to begin!
Bakemonogatari
Volumes 19 - 22 - digital release
Genre: Seinen, Fantasy, Comedy
Publisher: Kodansha
A team-up made in manga heaven! The wildly popular Monogatari novel series by renowned bestselling author NISOISIN has now been reimagined into a knockout manga adaptation by none other than legendary artist Oh!Great!
One day, high-school student Koyomi Araragi catches a girl named Hitagi Senjogahara when she trips. But, much to his surprise, she doesn't weigh anything. At all. She says an encounter with a so-called "crab" took away all her weight... "Monsters have been here since the beginning. Always. Everywhere."
Contact
Please feel free to contact me on LinkedIn, Email, X (Twitter), or Bluesky using the icons below.
(Please be aware that I am in GMT +0:00 so if you are in a significantly different timezone, replies may be a little slow).
If you're enjoying my translations and would like to show your appreciation, my Ko-fi page is also linked below! ♡