English equivalent of nakama

So, any idea? I'm struggling to figure the right way to translate this.

Well, the English name of our page on the subject is "True Companions". "True friends" could also work... though I think that, depending on the context, simply "friend" will suffice.

I think that I've also seen the phrase "family of choice"—although, as context allows, I think that "true companions" flows a little better as a phrase.

True companions is a perfectly good phrase. I thought people realized that the lack of translation was just from lazy/incomplete dubbing? We don't have a specific phrase, sure, but it's nowhere near untranslatable.

For fantasy/historical works, "blood-brothers" gets the idea across pretty strongly.

Comrades.

To hell with Communist connotation.

I think that the literal translation is something like "compatriots" or "friends," with the implication that you are all in something together. Given the right context, "my friends" or "my people" (or, less formally, "my peeps") serves exactly the same function.

I've heard "comrades-in-arms" used, which seemed, at least for me, to be free of Communist connotations. Also similarly, "brothers-in-arms".

"Fellowship".

nakama isnt a particularly strong word. it's meanings range from "associate" "company" "fellow" and "co-worker" to "group" "circle of friends" and "partner"

really it depends on what you want out of it. if you want it to be something special like one piece did, then it basically means "comrade" or one of the last three. (and i assume you are basically looking for that kind of meaning, since otherwise you wouldnt ask for the english equivelent of a word from a language you werent writing in)

blood-brothers, as mentioned above is probably closest to the typical usage in fandom and one piece.

Clique.