It reads like an ad to me:
I’m willing to believe this is some overly enthusiastic techie who found a product they just like, but I also think it’s too close to ad copy to allow.
- No forward discussing the concept, even a single sentence. Just goes straight to a favored product.
- Manga Translator has a hyperlink. "Google Translator" doesn’t.
- Google Translate is named as "Google Translator" instead of its proper name.
- Manga Translator is presented as an advanced product, while "Google Translator" is not given the same level of puffery regarding its tech. I do think calling it less special purpose is fair, but I also think calling it a last resort for translation is a stretch. (Having fumbled around with paper dictionaries before)
- The article is supposedly about fan translations, and no mention is made of having a someone who is multilingual just translate it manually. That’s not an option for everyone, but if you have some fans fluent in multiple languages, it’s easily one of the better quality options.
- In general, the article is focused on manga translation, which is only one part of the fan translation scene. That would be fine if that was just what they were familiar with, except that just so happens to be what Manga Translator focuses on.
I’m willing to believe this is some overly enthusiastic techie who found a product they just like, but I also think it’s too close to ad copy to allow.