"sama" can change greatly, depending on context.

On letters/invitations/place cards, it's really more like Mr./Ms.

If a classmate is called that in an anime, it's like implying they're royalty to you. Like how I call Contrapoints "QUEEN" or Oliver Thorn "Prince Olly."

If "sama is a suffix for actual royalty, the corresponding titles of "prince," "lord," "sir," "duke," "queen," etc. apply.

If you add "sama" as a suffix to watashi/atashi/ore, etc., then it's like "yours truly" or "ya boi" or "your girl," or "this bitch." A cocky version of "me"

"kun" as a suffix for young boys has a softening effect and can be similar to "chan."

Depending on context, it can be Mr. (like how I call my boy cat "Mr. Flufflebottom" sometimes), boy ("Oh, Danny-boy"), dear, sweetie, etc.

Can also be used for work colleagues, so Mr./Ms./Mx.

Leaving these suffixes as is in Japanese sometimes does work, depending on the context of the scene &the overall tone/theme of the story.

While I default to localizing them into their English equivalents, sometimes I'll leave them if it makes sense and if my client is ok with it

But usually, insisting these suffixes are special and can't be translated is a bit Orientalist and insulting to professional translators.

I read/listen to reviews of my translated work and 99% of the time a line is praised for "good writing" it's bc I localized that line well.

A lot of the hangups over kun, chan, san, sama, senpai, etc. comes from older anime translations that were, frankly, not as good as the translations are today.

I used to be one of those bad translators! I learned and grew, and hopefully the fans can learn and grow , too.

Anyway, brb, gotta go translate a game and omit the senpais bc the story doesn't take place in Japan and my client asked me to remove them anyway.