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The Saga of Tanya the Evil Author Carlo Zen and English Translator Emily Balistrieri

It is for this reason that Carlo Zen does not like the term “loli nazi,” which he has seen the English-speaking audience use to describe Tanya. “When I see the term, I think, 'Hmm, that's strange. How come they think so?' She's certainly not a hero, but she's not that kind of evil. Ultimately, she's a pragmatist.”

“On a gut level, I hate Nazis. It wouldn't do to write a story that shows Nazis doing cool things. If Nazis were in the story, it would make the question of which side is pure evil much more straightforward, but a story about a genocidal war would have to be handled with sensitivity. The Empire in this story is based on a what-if scenario where the German empire unified under the Großdeutsche Lösung ("Greater German solution"), so that all German-speaking peoples came together under one state. If peace had managed to continue throughout the 1910s and war broke out later, during the years between World War I and World War II, how would things be different? In that scenario, there wouldn't be any room for a demagogue like Hitler to come into power. ”

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It is for this reason that Carlo Zen does not like the term “loli nazi,” which he has seen the English-speaking audience use to describe Tanya. “When I see the term, I think, 'Hmm, that's strange. How come they think so?' She's certainly not a hero, but she's not that kind of evil. Ultimately, she's a pragmatist.”

HItler was often described as a "pragmatist". Just sayin' dude.

Anyone notice how Saga of Tanya the Evil has the same plot device as Blackadder Goes Forth? A protagonist stuck battling World War I, and is trying to do everything they can to get out of the frontlines? Only difference is Blackadder's stupidity keeps him from getting away, whereas Tanya inadvertently makes too good of a plan to keep her from being moved to a desk job.

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“On a gut level, I hate Nazis. It wouldn't do to write a story that shows Nazis doing cool things. If Nazis were in the story, it would make the question of which side is pure evil much more straightforward, but a story about a genocidal war would have to be handled with sensitivity. The Empire in this story is based on a what-if scenario where the German empire unified under the Großdeutsche Lösung ("Greater German solution"), so that all German-speaking peoples came together under one state. If peace had managed to continue throughout the 1910s and war broke out later, during the years between World War I and World War II, how would things be different? In that scenario, there wouldn't be any room for a demagogue like Hitler to come into power. ”

The German Empire was just viciously genocidal (look up the Herero and Namaqua genocide) and anti-semitic as it's Third Reich successor. The Nazis and their policies did not exist in vacuum. Often they were merely picking up where the Kaiser and his generals left off. So yeah, still not a tasteful idea, Zen.

But then I don't expected light-novel authors to be radical leftists with an understanding of history as it really is.

I don't get it. Do you find the whole "Saga of Tanya the Evil" series distasteful because the protagonist is on the "evil" side that represents real world WWI era Germany? Are you against any series with "villainous" protagonists?

If you have read the light novels, you would know that the Empire is NOT portaryed sympathetically at all. The whole world hates them and the reader isn't supposed to see them as good guys. Tanya is a sociopath who happened to get placed in this country. She was placed in the villainous nation the whole world would hate specifically so she would be the enemy of everyone and have her limits tested.

Tanya would be the same person trying to get ahead regardless of nation, but it's the fact she's in the empire that makes the series intriguing.

I get that you find WWI Germany distateful (as do I and most civilized people) but it really seems like you're having a knee jerk reaction for political reasons and writing the series off based on assumptions you made.

While I don't think we are suppose to see the empire as good guys we definently aren't supposed to hate them. Remember that they are the defenders in this story with everyone trying to invade them for either selfish reasons or paranoia of them growing too strong.

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It is for this reason that Carlo Zen does not like the term “loli nazi,” which he has seen the English-speaking audience use to describe Tanya. “When I see the term, I think, 'Hmm, that's strange. How come they think so?' She's certainly not a hero, but she's not that kind of evil. Ultimately, she's a pragmatist.”

HItler was often described as a "pragmatist". Just sayin' dude.

omnistry wrote:

Anyone notice how Saga of Tanya the Evil has the same plot device as Blackadder Goes Forth? A protagonist stuck battling World War I, and is trying to do everything they can to get out of the frontlines? Only difference is Blackadder's stupidity keeps him from getting away, whereas Tanya inadvertently makes too good of a plan to keep her from being moved to a desk job.

I can totally see that

Rudersdorf as Melchett is also uncanny though who would be Tanya's Baldrick? Her squad are too competent.

Some people have said that but, Hitler was not one, he constantly took decisions based entirely on his whims and megalomania.