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#they're slightly different from translations i've seen so far
bisexualrapline · 1 year
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between so many truths and so many lies are we taking a proper look at the world? the difference between fact and fiction between incitement and substance what do i stand to gain? the world’s bullshit but you don’t have to be so open your eyes and see the real world the other side of justice is just another kind there’s no such thing in the world as good intentions, you know they’re not interested in facts if you’re not on their side they’ll kill you, that’s justice now left and right, black and white at the end of a staged play the audience tear into each other seeing blood it’s a war without gunshots material malady if you’re not on the same side, we’re enemies an extreme choice political correctness whenever it suits me but keep my mouth shut when it’s too bothersome for me selectively hypocritical, an uncomfortable attitude interpretation just to fit my mood fact and fiction, whenever it suits me and don’t let my eyes wander from my clique selectively hypocritical, an uncomfortable attitude interpretation just to fit my mood between so many truths and so many lies are we taking a proper look at the world? it is all dirty (am i even clean?) it is all dirty (are you even clean?) between dark questions and blind accusations what are we fighting for? it is all dirty (am i even clean?) it is all dirty (are you even clean?)
극야 (polar night) - agust d (lyric translations from suga: road to d-day)
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notfreetoday · 7 months
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MPW Ep 5 Subtitle Corrections
Masterlist: EP 1 || EP 2 || EP 3 || EP 4
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Y: 釣り合うわけないじゃん Y: 相手はよりによって これだぞ これ Y: There's no way (I) can match up (to him) Y: To this (person), of all people, this!
Ep 5 is about Yoh struggling with his desire to "match up" to Segasaki, and the objective difference that he sees between the two of them. It's different from Ep 2's struggle - which arose chiefly because he felt insecure about where he stood with Segasaki. This time, Yoh's struggle is predominantly with himself - because now he has to face up to his worst fear confirmed - that maybe he really is incompetent. And this time, he has to do it without the aid of alcohol too.
I've seen a lot of people talk about how Segasaki shows Yoh his love in every way but in words, and that that's the reason for their miscommunication - but that's not true. He may not use the word "love" or "like", but culturally these words are not often used anyway. What Segasaki does say however, multiple times throughout the show in fact but most clearly in this episode, is essentially "I like it when you depend on me". It's as direct a reassurance as you can get to the fear of being hated because of his perceived incompetence - but that's just the thing - Yoh's perception is skewed by his self-judgement. So, it's not that Segasaki can't use his words - the problem is that Yoh isn't ready to listen yet. Despite this, Yoh's confidence in his relationship with Segasaki is growing every episode. He might not realize this consciously, but it's right after Segasaki comforts and cares for Yoh at his lowest, that Yoh also drops to what is arguably the most casual speech level he's ever gotten with Segasaki (thus far) - and in response, so does Segasaki.
So, same translation disclaimer applies, Ep 5, let's go! (no twitter space for EP 5 probably because of the fan meets).
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Y: 学生時代から不定期でもらってた単発の仕事も途切れて Y: 完全無職だ Y: あ、せめて、家事ぐらいはちゃんとやらないと Y: Now that the one-off jobs I've been receiving on an irregular basis since I was a student have been cut off Y: I'm completely jobless Y: Ah! At the very least, I have to do something as small as the housework properly.
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Y: だって そういうのがすきなんだよ、俺は Y: But, actually, that's what I like Yoh's explicit use of the personal pronoun "I" here again emphasizes that this is his own opinion. The way this sentence is phrased also gives the impression that Yoh feels a little aggrieved at the whole "your male characters are irritating to male readers because they're too perfect" explanation his editor gave him.
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Y: *そりゃ、ほっといたら描いちゃうよ Y: **お前のせいだ Y: お前みたいなのが ***近くにいるから Y: バーカ Y: *Well I mean, if I'm left to my own devices then I'll end up drawing (him) Y: It's all your** fault Y: It's because someone like you, is (always) around*** me Y: I~diot. *The "aggrieved" feeling is even stronger in this sentence - Yoh is basically saying that he doesn't set out to draw the characters that way - it just sort of happens, and well it's not his fault, because as long as no one (including he himself) is paying attention to what he's drawing, well then, the characters just turn out that way. ** This is the first time that Yoh has referred to Segasaki using the informal pronoun "お前 (omae)" for "you". Depending on the context, it could be considered a rude pronoun, but is mostly just seen as a marker of masculine speech, and thus leans more towards being simply "impolite". It's the same pronoun that Segasaki uses when he speaks to Yoh - but Yoh usually uses the slightly more polite "あんた(anta)" instead, both in his head as well as when he speaks aloud. The switch here emphasizes Yoh's accusation, that this is all Segasaki's fault. ***the phrase here is often used to say that someone is "by your side" or "here for you" and doesn't only refer to physical distance. So, although he's using "omae" and "blaming" Segasaki for his characters turning out looking perfect, these 4 lines actually still sound pretty intimate. Together with how he drags out the word "idiot", this is very clearly Yoh's amae, similar to what we saw in Ep 4. I... will probably write a post about amae as well, because it's so important to their relationship.
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Y: 洋服を着たまま海に溺れるように Y: 暗いものが染み込んで Y: 黒いものを吸い込んで Y: ブヨブヨになった体はずっしりと Y: 重く 重く。。。 Y: It feels as if I'm drowning in the ocean whilst fully dressed Y: The darkness seeping into (me) Y: The blackness pouring into (my mouth) Y: My body, now swollen, sinks heavily down Y: So heavy. So heavy.
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S: なんだ いるじゃねぇか S: 電気も付けねぇで 何やっ S: Oh so you are here S: Not even switching on the lights, what were-
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S: *あちゃ~ これやり直しだな S: *Ahchaa... This needs to be redone then..
*This is just a sound that you make similar to "oh man..." so I'm not sure why it was translated so forcefully as "it's no good"😅 This sentence is another example of soliloquy, or talking to oneself aloud, that is common in Japanese.
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Y: ご飯、ない Y: ごめんなさい Y: すぐ準備する S: *しょうがねぇなぁ ほら立て S: 行くぞ Y: Food... there isn't any Y: I'm sorry Y: I'll make it soon S: *What do I do with you... come on stand up S: We're going
Yoh is really down here because he loses practically all his words. His first sentence is literally "food, none", and when he says I'm sorry he uses the casual (but full) version "gomen nasai" instead of "suimasen" like he usually does. It makes him sound a lot younger than usual, and overall just adds to the kicked-puppy vibe really well. *しょうがねぇなぁ (shouganee naa) - this is a common phrase that literally translates to "there is no way (to deal with this)" or more commonly "(this situation) can't be helped". It's used to express a sort of acceptance, like in a "oh well, it can't be helped, so don't feel too bad" or "well there's no way this could've been avoided, so let's just get on with it" sorta way. Here, the way Segasaki adds "naa" at the end with a rising tone, actually makes it sound a little indulgent - like when you find your puppy made a mess but it's too cute for you to feel upset and you just love it more. (Also, this is a really common way to show affection between characters in dramas/anime - when one character is down in the dumps, another will be like "well what am I going to do with an idiot like you, I guess I have to help, right?")
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S: 葉 とりあえず 口開けろ S: Yoh. In any case, open your mouth first
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S: ごちそうさまでした (gochisousama deshita) S: Thank you for the food This is a standard phrase said at the end of a meal (it's counterpart is "itadakimasu - I gratefully partake" said at the beginning). It expresses gratitude to everyone involved in making the meal possible - from the farmers who grew the vegetables to the person who cooked the meal, and yes, even to the animals themselves. Usually, you would say this to the person who made the meal, or the one treating you to it, but it's Segasaki here who leads the saying of this phrase. This isn't weird at all, given the broad meaning of the word, but it is reminiscent of what a parent would do at home, or a teacher would do in school (Japanese teachers eat with their students in class).
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S: なんか落ち込んでんの? Y: 漫画が とてもだめです* S: You seem a little down about something? Y: My manga is... really bad.* *desu form is back, to give emphasis to this sentence. That said - and I'm really not trying to belittle Yoh here - but similar to the "food, none" phrase earlier, this sentence is just so short and simple that it just makes him sound, well, young. Imagine asking someone "you don't seem to like that person?", and they look at you all serious and say "they're a bad person" - it just sounds unexpectedly young and innocent, and the whole "desu" at the end just tops off the kicked puppy vibes for real. It's why Segasaki snorts a little and smiles.
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S: お前漫画がだめだと こうなんの? S: えっ そんだけ? Y: うん S: ふーん Y: そんだけってなんだよ Y: こっちは 今にも 死にそうな気分なのに
S: So when your manga is bad you become like this? S: Eh? That's all? Y: Mm. S: Hmm~ Y: What do you mean "that's all?" Y: When here I am feeling like I'm about to die soon In case you were wondering, "that's all?" in Japanese sounds exactly as it does in English, so no blaming Yoh here for being all 😟 about it.
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S: ほら* 早く来い S: Now, come here, quickly. *ほら (hora) - I last highlighted this word in Ep 3, but Segasaki actually uses it a lot more that just these 2 instances (not least because Yoh's always avoiding him). It's simply a word used to get the listener's attention, like, "look here" or "now" or "see" or "come on" etc.
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S: 今日はお前がされるがまま*で気分よかったわ S: もっと落ち込め S: Today you did exactly as you were told, so I felt really good S: Be dejected more often *されるがまま - this phrase means to passively go along with whatever the other person says or does to you, without any resistance (it can also refer to letting nature take its course). It's mostly used to describe a negative situation since it usually implies that the person has no free will of their own, but can also be fairly neutral as in "I followed the waiter's recommendations exactly". So, it's quite amusing that in these 2 sentences, negative sounding words are actually meant to be really sweet (just like how Yoh's "I hate you" sounds eh?).
Personally, I also appreciate how this is a callback to Yoh's monologue in Ep 3, when he talks about noticing the way Segasaki looks just that little bit happier when Yoh listens to him. Here, Segasaki confirms it for Yoh (and us), reinforcing to Yoh that he really doesn't mind Yoh depending on him one bit.
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Y: こんなの本物の恋人同士みたいだ Y: あんた* まるで本当に 俺のこと好きみたいじゃん Y: Like this... it feels like we're a real live couple Y: You*... it's as if you really do like me *We're back to Yoh's usual "anta" here for "you", instead of the "omae" he used earlier.
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S: しょうがねぇなぁ S: What do I do with you This is the same phrase as earlier, when Segasaki found Yoh by the laundry machine.
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Oh, the moon is beautiful isn't it? 🤭🤭
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Y: だって 俺の漫画は世間に求められてないわけですし Y: But, it seems like the world doesn't want my manga... The phrase "the world wants/doesn't want" is commonly used when talking about finding one's place in the world/society, and young adults often say this when trying to figure their life out. So yes, not so uncommon a phrase that this sentence sounds ridiculous, but it definitely does sound a little dramatic. Hence Man-san's response.
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M: *甘ったれんな 思い上がんな M: Don't be so *spoiled. Don't think so highly of yourself. *The is the same word, amae, that Man-san used in Ep 4 when she said Yoh was being affectionate with Segasaki. This is another meaning of amae, and it is used in a negative way here, which sort of shows you the complexity of this concept. Underlying it is the message that it's okay to be dependent on your loved ones for your emotional needs, but you still need to take responsibility for your own life.
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M: 衣食住の保障された環境でのんびり描いてて  M: 一回仕事が途切れたぐらいでうじうじ言ってんのか M: 本気で気に食わない Y: 万さん オーバーキルです M: Being able to draw freely without having to worry about your clothes, food or lodging M: and yet acting all wishy-washy the moment something as small as getting your work cut off just once happens M: I really can't stand that Y: Man-san, that's overkill The term Man-san uses to describe Yoh's current living arrangement is the same term that Segasaki used in his not-proposal, so this suggests that by now Yoh has told her everything about how they got together (and I love that Man-san totally does not judge). It's not explicitly talked about in the show, but despite their similar status as Segasaki Otakus, Man-san does often come across as something like a mentor figure to Yoh, or at least someone senior to him in the Manga world. For one, she speaks very casually to him (for a lady, she sounds as rough as Segasaki tbh 😅), even for someone from the Kansai region, and she often gives him advice. Yoh usually speaks to her informally, but in this whole conversation he does shift up to the desu/masu form often, in response to her scolding him, because she's really going at it (even after taking into account her usual speech pattern😅) and well, he's smarting a little at the moment 😂
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M: 世間がどうとかじゃなくて ダヨちゃんはどうしたいの? Y: え? M: ダヨちゃんにとって 漫画って そういうもんだったの? M: もうちょっと落ち着いて 考えな M: Rather than thinking about what the world wants, what do you, Dayo-chan, want to do? Y: Huh? M: Is that all that manga is to you, Dayo-chan? M: Calm down a little more and think about it yea?
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Y: かたじけのうございます Y: I am indebted to you! This is a very very archaic way to say thank you, think like samurai-level archaic. These two definitely live in the world of manga 😂😂
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S: もう体調は戻ったのか? Y: はい おかげさまで* S: また 崩してくれても**いいんだぞ Y: ええ? S: Have you recovered now? Y: Yes, thanks to you* S: It's okay to feel down again for me** too you know Y: Eh?? *Okagesamade - standard phrase you use when someone asks after your health, or when you want to express gratitude for someone else's role in your success/improvement/recovery etc ** 崩してくれて (kuzushite kurete)" - adding "kurete" at the end like this literally means that Yoh does the action of feeling down for Segasaki, rather than just "it's okay to feel down again", which is why Yoh responds in such a surprised manner. As he did before, Segasaki takes what normally is a bad thing and talks about it like it's something good instead. It's his way of emphasizing that Yoh depending on him isn't an inconvenience, in fact, it's something that Segasaki is happy to be on the receiving end of.
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Y: これから自分たちをモデルにした漫画を描きに行きますなんて言えないし Y: そもそも、万さんのところにしばらく通うことを許してくれるかどうか。。。 Y: なんとか説得しないと Y: It's not like I can just say "from now on I will be going (out) to draw a manga based on us!" or something like that and... Y: In the first place, (I don't know) whether or not he'll allow me to go to Man-san's place regularly during this period... Y: I have to find some way convince him.
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Argument breakdown time, things get intense~~
Y: あの。。。 S: ん? Y: 今日 編集部で打ち合わせをすることになった* Y: Um... S: Hm? Y: Today, I have a meeting at the editorial department* *Literally, "It has been decided that today (I) will be having a meeting at the editorial department" - this might sound like an indirect way to say "I am going to a meeting" but it's pretty par for the course when speaking politely. Except, Yoh doesn't use the polite form here like he did in Ep 4, nor does he phrase this sentence as an explanation that he's going to follow up on. Nope, by Yoh's usual standards, this is An Announcement, so it's no wonder Segasaki is immediately suspicious.
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S: はあ? 仕事切られたんじゃねえのかよ? Y: いや そ、その。。。新しいやつ Y: しばらく 忙しくて Y: 場合によっては編集部に泊まりもあるかも S: 昨日の今日で そんなことあるか? Y: たまたま連絡がきたんだよね S: お前 なんか 俺に嘘ついてない? Y: う、嘘じゃない S: いや おかしいだろ 泊りって S: お前 まさか変な仕事じゃねぇだろうな? Y: そんなこと。。。ないよ! S: Haa? Didn't they stop giving you work? [じゃねえのかよ - Segasaki slurs the end vowel here, and adds the end particle "かよ(ka yo)" at the end, which is a rough way to express doubt or surprise, and usually implies some irritation. This, combined with Segasaki's trademark annoyed "haa?" results immediately in a rather flustered Yoh, who stutters a little on the next sentence] Y: No, it-it's... this is a new one. Y: For a while, I'm going to be busy and Y: Depending on the situation, staying overnight at the editorial department... might... be... necessary... [No end particles here - this is still a statement, and would sound stronger if not for the fact that he's hesistating so much] S: And all that just happens today, on this day, just one day after yesterday? Y: ...It just so happened that they contacted me, you see... S: You... are lying to me, aren't you? Y: I-it's not a lie! S: No, it's weird isn't it, to stay overnight? S: You - don't tell me - you aren't doing some kind of shady job are you? Y: There's nothing... of that sort!
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S: 葉 Y: はい S: Yoh Y: Yes (hai)?
Yoh's been making a valiant effort to stick to his story throughout this whole conversation but his tone changes completely and he pretty much gives up once Segasaki points out he's lying. In response - and this is not easy to hear but if you want to, go back to about 19:56 or 19:57 of this episode - do you hear Segasaki's small "tsk", after his sigh and before he says Yoh's name? Clicking your tongue, or "tsk-ing" someone is a very very rude way to express frustration or anger in Japan. We're talking get-into-drunk-fights level of rude, if you do it to a stranger. Amongst close friends and family, you're more likely to draw shock first, since it shows the depth of your anger, but they might still get pissed with you afterward. Here at least, Yoh can tell both from the tsk and Segasaki's tone of voice, that he is Not Happy, so he answers Segasaki with a proper "hai" here too.
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S: ちょっとここ座れ* Y: はい S: 早く S: Come sit here* Y: Yes S: Be quick. *Slurred "r" on the word "suware" - sit makes this sound very very rough. Segasaki doesn't normally do this, so again, this is him angry, and he's going to slur his r's quite a bit more.
S: お前さ 自分の立場わかってんの? S: 分かってねぇだろ 分かってねぇから 泊りで仕事とか言い出すんだろうが Y: え~っとだから 遊びに行くわけじゃないし。。。 S: そうじゃねぇだろ S: ああ~もう S: 金か?なんか欲しいもんがあるなら買ってやる Y: 違くて 少しはさ。。。 Y: 自分が稼がないとって S: 必要ない なんで分かんねぇかな S: お前は稼がなくていいんだよ S: Listen, you - do you even understand what position you're in? S: You don't do you? You don't understand and that's why you can just say things like you'll stay out to work overnight. [This is harsh. Not only is the speech rough, he's still slurring some of his "r"s here, and the ending particle だろうが emphasizes the forcefulness of this statement and Segasaki's frustration - and you can see the effect it has on Yoh.] Y: Umm well... it's not like I'm going for fun or something... [This is indignant, but also nervous - Yoh's speaking a lot faster than usual, and he has to drag the filler words at the beginning out before he can figure out what to say.] S: That's not what I'm talking about is it! [slurred r again] S: Argh I swear - S: Is it money? If there's something you want then I'll buy it for you [more slurred "r"s] Y: That's not it! Even just a little - [This is the first time Yoh uses the end particle "さ (sa)", and just like Segasaki, he's using it to draw attention to what he's saying, essentially the equivalent of "listen!". This whole line isn't rude, but it is direct and it's probably the most forceful Yoh has gotten with Segasaki so far, even compared to their argument in Ep 2 - Yoh might have physically pushed Segasaki then, but he mostly just sounded hurt. Here, he's very tense, but he's cut off by Segasaki biting his ear.] Y: - I should earn some money myself (at least, I thought so) [This is more like how Yoh usually voices his opinion - by "hedging" his sentences a little with "I think" and so on to sound less direct - though he's still using truncated forms here, so he's not quite back to his usual level yet] S: There's no need to. [To self:] Why don't you understand? S: It's fine even if you don't earn anything. [Similarly, Segasaki softens this sentence just a tiny bit by tacking on a よ(yo) at the end]
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Y: でも! S: あのな 俺はお前に漫画の仕事がなくなろうがどうでもいいんだ Y: But! S: Listen to me. I don't care at all whether you lose your manga work or not. [To be fair to Yoh, the phrase "どうでもいいんだ" literally means "it's fine either way" but it tends to feel like "I don't care because it doesn't matter/make a difference to me/doesn't really involve me", so you can see why it triggers him.]
It's interesting to contrast Yoh's reaction here with the above 2 times Segasaki says something with a negative connotation. Of course, Segasaki also sounded a lot sweeter then (though in his defence, he didn't have to worry about why Yoh might be trying to lie to him all of a sudden), but the biggest difference really is in Yoh's mindset.
Y: え? S: 当然だろ S: だから余計なこと*すんな Y: なんだよ どうでもいいって Y: 漫画のこと 分からないなりに 応援してくれてるもんだと思ってたのに Y: あんたにとってはくだらないことでも Y: 俺にとってはすごく Y: すごく大事な事なのに Y: 全然よくない Y: バカにすんなよ! Y: Huh? S: Isn't that obvious? S: So, don't do unnecessary* things [*余計なこと - This phrase is used to refer to the problems that arise from whatever thing/action is in excess, and so has a negative connotation. Yoh is too fixated on the previous line to notice though] Y: What's that (supposed to mean)... "I don't care" Y: I've always thought that manga was something you supported me in, despite not knowing much about it, and yet... Y: Even if to you, it's something trivial Y: To me, it's something that's extremely Y: It's something extremely important and yet... Y: This is definitely not ok Y: Don't look down on me! [word contraction - again, by Yoh's standards, at least when he talks out loud to Segasaki, this is a drop in speech levels]
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Y: 絶対あんたより稼げるようになってやる Y: 漫画で! Y: I'm definitely going to become someone who can earn more money than you! Y: With manga! I think difference between simply "earning more" and "becoming someone who can earn more" is important here - because it isn't about money - it's about competence. Yoh thinks his own worth is calculated in his ability to do things "well", be it in his work or at home. By that measure, Segasaki is worth everything and Yoh is sorely lacking, hence Yoh wants to "become" someone that is, in his mind, worth something. Because if he does not, then inevitably, Segasaki will one day come to disdain him.
There are so many times in this episode that Yoh hears things that should cement their relationship in his head, that he even recognizes as couple-like and accepts without protest - Man-san referring to Segasaki as Yoh's boyfriend, Segasaki losing his whole "man-of-a-few-words" thing and saying more to him in this episode than in any other, verbal confirmation that Yoh depending on him is something he welcomes etc. And yet, Yoh's fear filters all of that out and he hears only what sounds like his own self-judgement in Segasaki's voice. It's no wonder he lashes out at Segasaki like that, though really, who he's really attacking is himself. Afterall, sometimes when we hurt ourselves, we hurt the people who love us too, as we'll see in Ep 6.
(That was quite the arguement though, wasn't it!)
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indristian · 1 year
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A (hopefully) comprehensive guide to german pet names
I've seen a lot of german being included in fanfic (mostly CoD, but I've also seen it in other fandoms before) lately and felt the need to air my grievances about the way I believe German pet names should be used.
There are similar posts by @itsagrimm that touch on how to include German in your fanfics. (sfw and nsfw)
When I say we aren't as big on pet names (or Kosenamen as they are called in German) as English is, I mean it. If you look up german pet names, you might find some pages that have a list of them, but if you were to use them unironically on a native German speaker, they would probably cringe. A lot of them just sound very cheesy to us. So I looked up some of those lists and tried to explain some pet names in this post.
This is mostly ordered from okay to use to "I'd cringe and close the fanfic if I saw them".
If you think you absolutely need to use a pet name, your go-to should be "Schatz/Schatzi" ("treasure"). It's the allrounder of pet names, whether it be platonic or romantic. If the person is dear to you, Schatzi is the word for you.
Similar but with a slightly different meaning (at least in my opinion) is "Schätzchen" ("little/small treasure"). More commonly used in Germany, as far as I’m aware. I think its best usage is when you use it on someone you pity, kinda like a slightly condescending "darling". (Example: "What's got you pouting like that Schätzchen? Was someone being mean to you?") It's also used for children a lot.
"Liebling" ("favorite") is also a good choice for tender moments or casually addressing your partner. As far as I know, it's used more often in Germany than here in Austria.
I've seen the word "Liebchen" ("little love") being used interchangeably with the word "Liebling" and while it may be used like that in some parts of the DACH region, I'd advise to proceed with caution! Firstly, because it's mostly used for women ,and secondly, because here in Austria (at least the part where I'm from), the word is used to describe a fling or a short-term girlfriend. So calling someone "Liebchen" to their face would be a borderline insult. (Imagine me having a "being called a cunt in Australia vs. being called a cunt in America" like moment the first time I read Liebchen being used in a fanfic.)
"Süßer(male)/Süße(female)" ("sweet one") and "Schnucki/Schnuckelchen" ("adorable one" i guess... literally translated it means "baby sheep") are also used more commonly used for women. They can also be used when someone has done something particularly sweet for you or behaves/looks particularly adorable. Although, "Süßer/Süße" has the weird side effect of also sounding like a come-on in most cases, like "Hey Süßer, could you help me out?". (Other examples: "You remembered how I take my coffee? Du bist schon ein Süßer, oder?/You are being a sweet one, aren't you?";[nsfw, because this one is one of the few ones I'd be okay with seeing in aftercare/cuddling scenes] "You were being such a Schnuckelchen crying and begging like that for me.")
Fun fact: a lot of my male friends jokingly call each other "Schnucki". To the point where they pick up the phone with a "What's up, Schnucki?" and the one guy with a girlfriend almost never calls her "Schnucki" so that everybody knows that when he talks about his "Schnuckis" it's about his male friends.
Now, we are descending into cringe territory with: "Liebster(male)/Liebste(female)" ("beloved") and "Herzblatt" ("loved/lovely person", literally "heart leaf"). If you wanna use them, make it dramatic! Otherwise, it sounds weird. They sound old-fashioned, so if your character is waxing poetic about/to their partner like some character on a stage play or being a drama queen, I'd say go ahead and use them. They're bad for casual conversations, though. Btw, "Liebste/r" sounds a bit like the beginning of a love-letter. (Examples: "It's in your hands alone, Liebste, and choosing me over the world is not worth it."; "How could you betray me like that, Herzblatt? You know I don't like chocolate pudding! So, why is it the only flavor you bought?")
We generally have a lot of animal related pet names in German: "Hase/Hasi/Häschen" ("rabbit"/"little rabbit"); "Spatz/Spätzchen" ("sparrow/little sparrow"; "Spatzl" being the Austrian version of it); "Maus/Mausi/Mäuschen" ("mouse"/"little mouse"); "Äffchen" ("little monkey", for when your partner is being a silly little monkey; "Affl" being the Austrian version); "Bärchen" ("little bear", the right choice for big and friend-shaped partners, generally for men). There are probably a lot more, but these are the most common ones, and they are great for casual conversations. These are also among the most common petnames for children, so for the love of God, leave them out of your smut.
Fun fact: There's an austrian millionaire who has the habit of calling his young, beautiful girlfriends animal names, "Katzi/kitten" and “Bambi” being among the most famous ones.
There are a lot of pet names that can be used when talking *about* someone's partner, but saying it to their face sounds weird. "Bessere Hälfte" ("better half") or "Angebeteter(male)/Angebetete(female)" ("beloved", literally it means someone you pray to) are among them. These can and probably will be tricky for non-german-speakers to work with. You'd have to keep the different case forms in mind, and they just sound better if you keep the whole sentence in german and then switch languages. (Examples: "Wo ist deine bessere Hälfte/Where's your better half? They not around today?"; "Schreib deiner Angebeteten lieber mal/Better shoot your girlfriend a text. She'll wonder where you are otherwise.").
And last but not least, here are some pet names you'd better avoid, for different reasons:
"mein Lieber(male)/meine Liebe(female)" ("my love/beloved") ugh... just no. This is the equivalent of your mother using your full name. Paired with a certain tone, this triggers my fight or flight. So do not use it unless your character is in trouble.
"Zimtschnecke" ("cinnamon roll"), "Schnecke" ("snail"; i also have no idea why we say that) or "Puppe/Püppchen" ("doll/little doll") are generally ways to adress someone beautiful. If you use them, however, you're gonna sound like a 60+ y/o man hitting on a girl in her mid 20s. Do not use unless used jokingly ,and the other person is in on the joke.
Personally, I'd say if you are unsure on what the character you're writing would use, just use the English ones or keep petnames out of their vocabulary entirely and make them show their love in other ways. Shortened versions of their partners name are also a very good alternative. Additionally, I'd advise you to pick one pet name and stick to it. Changing it up feels weird.
Feel free to add things or ask for clarifications
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iwillbringyouruin · 9 months
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Radskier dialogue nuances in different languages
So I have been rewatching The Witcher in French recently and some of the changed lines stuck out to me, in the interactions between Radovid and Jaskier in particular. So i figured I'd compile my favourites from the translated versions I've seen so far here and compare their meaning to the original. I've also included some of the German lines since I'm German and I got curious!
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy who speaks a bunch of languages, don't expect overly technical linguistic wizardry here. Also this is not about the voice actors' skill or how well the lines are matched up to lip movements, strictly about the little changes in meaning when you take the translations literally! All meant to be in good fun.
Since this is about the season 3 dialogue, there are spoilers ahead.
This is going to be a long post so buckle up!
Season 3 in general: The way Jaskier and Radovid address one another
English (original): both use "you" which makes sense of course
French: Jaskier uses "vous" (the formal "you") for Radovid and Radovid uses "tu" (the casual "you") for Jaskier until they have sex in episode 4. When they talk the morning after in episode 6, they're both using "tu".
German: both use "Ihr" and the other formal derivatives for one another throughout (Even Geralt and Jaskier address each other formally the whole time. I'm not a fan)
Episode 1: Jaskier and Radovid meet
The dialogue here is generally very close, just two little things between the original and the German version I want to point out.
English (Jaskier): Fuck, I don’t really know what I’m supposed to… Bow? Or curtsy, or… I’ve been holding your hand a long time, so sorry about that.
German (Jaskier): Shit, I don't know if I'm supposed to bow or be polite... I've been holding your hand for too long, forgive me ("bow or be polite"?? HUH?)
English (Radovid): If your time at court’s been staid, you’ve been doing it wrong
German (Radovid): If your time at court has been too calm/quiet, something went wrong ([gay silence])
Episode 2: specifically Extraordinary Things
I've put the different lyrics as rather direct translations in the pictures below. They're also written out in the alt text. The French ones are a little more pointed compared to the original imo, I like that version a lot. I'm not sure how I feel about the German version but the first line did make me giggle.
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Episode 3: Jaskier talks to Vespula about Radovid
I love this scene for many reasons. I have two things to point out about this.
The first thing is that while in the English and French version, Jaskier says that he and Radovid have only met twice, in the German version he says that he and Radovid don't even know each other.
The second thing is that in the English and German version, Jaskier calls Radovid a spoon and he does in the French version as well. However, he specifies Radovid is a "little spoon" here. Need I say more?
Episode 4: the scene in the shed
Ah, the scene of all time. Before the other scene of all time in episode 6. A few things about this one. The first thing is a very small change in the French version:
English (Jaskier, after Radovid admits he's scared): Just saying that makes you braver than you know.
French (Jaskier, after Radovid admits he's scared): The fact you're admitting that proves you are brave
The second thing bothered me more because it isn't really a subtle change. Both in English and French, Jaskier says Radovid has "learned [his] song", but in German he says Radovid "knows [his] song". The German line here isn't saying that Radovid "knows" the song as in he knows how to play it (from hearing and watching Jaskier play it for him once, mind you), the way it's said makes it sound like Radovid has just heard the song before.
The third thing is what they're saying right after the kiss. Unfortunately with the slightly changed lines for Jaskier we don't get the clever connection between Jaskier talking about taking Radovid into the cabin and Radovid asking Jaskier to take him (sexually).
English (Jaskier): I can't take you inside, I'm sorry.
English (Radovid): Then take me here.
French (Jaskier): The cabin is occupied, I'm sorry.
French (Radovid): Then take me here.
German (Jaskier): We can't go inside, I'm sorry.
German (Radovid): Then take me here.
Episode 6: the morning after
The German version is the same as the original here.
English (Jaskier to Radovid): I thought I’d seen through your mask. Turns out there was nothing behind it.
French (Jaskier to Radovid): I thought I had lifted the veil from your soul. But I found nothing but darkness beneath that façade
The subtle differences in the French version on the other hand not only make the pain a little different, it also includes an allusion of sorts to that version of Extraordinary Things with Jaskier talking about Radovid's soul. At least that's how I saw it. Ouch!
Episode 7: the moment where Jaskier finds Radovid at Thanedd
All three versions here make me want to cry. That's all.
English (Radovid): Just let me be there with you. Prove that I’m more than a mask.
English (Jaskier): Maybe.
French (Radovid): Just let me stay with you and show you what is beneath this façade.
French (Jaskier): Why not.
German (Radovid): Just let me be with you and show my true self.
German (Jaskier): Maybe.
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possiblylando · 1 year
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Chainsaw Man Chapter 125 ""Early"" Analsys.
I put Early in heavy quotation marks cause I'm a few (several) hours late to this. 125 is another battle chapter so up until the end we don't get much aside from more characterization of the falling devil.
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Women be shopping post now
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This one dude who's not even screaming he's just going "OWWW" was pretty funny in all honesty. You get your eyes ripped out and all your have to say is ow? Yeah me too honestly.
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So since I wake up pretty later in the day due to having the worst sleep schedule known to man this was the first panel I saw due to my friend posting about it. Anyway I've not really got much knowledge when it comes to cooking or.. What human flesh tastes like.. But I've had ham and apples so I'd say probably a more sweet slightly acidic taste would pair decent? Idk apple names sadly so uhhh-
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Falling's whole attitude here is really interesting because it's completely unlike any other devil we've seen. She's not here to massacre humans. She's just here to cook. Women be cooking post now. So now I'm more interested in what her deal is and why she's like this. She's a full on anomaly.
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Any men out there want to spare some head?? She's so fucking bizarre because just a few minutes earlier she was pretty nonchalantly ripping random civilian's eyes and ears off their bodies.
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I'm assuming they're using some sort of Anti-Material rifle here. Also public safety is back haiiiiiiiiiiiii. We then get a good look at what Falling is able to actually do in combat.
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I'm unsure if this is a specific attack like increasing the gravity at a point to rip things apart of she's just rapidly attacking the building to destroy it and cause the rubble to fall upwards.
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Additionally these tendril whip attacks seem to be her other main form of attack. I think that she's using the wings on her back as weapons instead of creating an energy attack or summoning something. Because later when we see them used again they don't have a uniform shape.
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HE'S HEREEEEEEEEEEEE
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Looks like 126 will be back to some full on chainsaw man blood and guts battle action. So I saw someone point this out on the chainsaw man reddit u/GVmG
Essentially what they're saying is the Chainsaw Man that shows up in 125 isn't actually denji due to the fact he's wearing his school inform jacket despite not having been wearing it previously. Additionally his laugh is different here a "GEH HEH HEH HEH" instead of the usual "GYA HAH HAH HAH". Frankly I think this is a pretty decent theory since the last time we saw Denji as Chainsaw man was during the school attack like 20 chapters or so ago. In it he was wearing his school uniform
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And since I have a Yoshida is Chainfraud man agenda
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This is also the last form of Chainsaw man Yoshida saw Denji as. I may or may not have said it before but Octopods have the ability to mimic certain textures and colors. Their actual ability to do so depends heavily on what their species is. So a general octopus devil would probably have the abilities of all octopods. We also know that Yoshida is now apart of Public Safety from his discussion with Fami. Additionally he knows about Falling's appearance due to Fami telling him and Public Safety being there to try and take her down. So the idea of Yoshida showing up before Denji as Chainfraud man has some weight to it. Especially since we don't see Denji's face in this chapter.
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Notice how this is the only panel we get of human denji before chainsaw man appears. However This entire point could be moot because I could easily see these oddities being written off as 1. We don't see denji's face because it's for the shock factor of chainsaw man appearing. 2. denji put on his jacket because he wants to look cool for the ladies 3. It's a slight translation error with his laugh since it's pretty close to his usual one. So is this Chainfraud man? Maybe. The biggest evidence against it is pretty simple.
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He's able to regenerate from this meaning he's at bare minimum an actual devil. Could be a Fiend or Hybrid (which denji IS). Additionally from a narrative perspective what would the point of Chainfraud man showing up now be? For Denji to see him with he inevitably arrives? Main problem is, How is denji going to deal with Falling. Her regeneration is absolutely insane since she was able to get up seconds after being turned into swiss cheese. I've got high hopes for 126.
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spicebiter · 2 years
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Beauty and the Beast (2014)
Ahhh, it's nice to watch something that isn't horror once in a while.
To be clear, the version I watched was the French version- released in 2014, of course. Initially my movie wheel landed on the version from 1946, but I couldn't find a working video of that particular film so I decided to watch the other release of the same concept that was on my watch list anyway. And I have to say it far exceeds other versions of the tale in my opinion.
To start with it's just lovely to look at. From the costume design to the intricately crafted world that is the Beast's estate I found it so pleasant just to look at this movie, so much so that it's a shame I had to pay attention to subtitles rather than focus on the beautiful sets.
Also, while I haven't seen the movie proper, the French version blows the costume design of the 2017 Beauty and the Beast out of the water without contest. Generally, I have no interest in watching the 2017 movie because I think of live action remakes of animated movies as shitty cash grabs- not to mention unnecessary ones- but seeing the version I did solidifies that decision completely. I know most people were disappointed in the reveal of Belle's iconic dress in the live action remake and I was no different. The 2014 French version shows, however, that this wasn't simply something that had to happen- that Belle's dress could not have looked good when translated to live action. Completely the opposite, really, as even the simplest of the French release's costumes for Belle especially are stunning, and the intricate and regal numbers even more so.
The story is kept simple and quietly romantic. Nothing so incredibly grand to prove love exists in this story so much as the quiet knowledge that it is blooming and growing. Granted, I would have liked more scenes of the relationship between Belle and the Beast, as what there is remains rather subtle and there is slightly more focus on the backstory of how the Beast came to be as he is, but there isn't so little to work with that the story becomes unsatisfying or unbelievable. No second of the two together is wasted and you get a very good read on each character's personality (both in the past and in present, in the Beast's case), showing that although it will not be easy for the two at all times there is most definitely a solid basis for their love to grow from.
Personally, the design of the Beast is perhaps my favorite version I've seen yet. I enjoy the combination of his appearance being closer to a lion's alongside his backstory as a hunter and, well, Prince. Although mildly uncanny- but then, what live action take wouldn't be at least a little?- I have to say I can't properly tell if any of the design is practical effect or if the entirety is CGI. More than likely it's the latter but I can applaud the use of CGI as it doesn't appear over the top in such a way to make it overtly obvious. I also enjoy that the statues on the estate are the hunting companions of the Beast- it's a nice nod to the life he came from as well as something of a satisfying companion to his punishment as, even though he was the main offender, they were all quite brash and aggressive and their actions shouldn't let them off from punishment. In the same breath I do wonder what happens to them in the end, since their statues crumble and it's never shown if they're living or if that was the end of them.
There is imperfection, of course. I feel that, although cute, the 'tadums' (the transformed versions of the prince's pet dogs) are not designed in the most ideal way to fit in with the rest of the movie. They serve their purpose to a point- though the claim that they would be the friends of Belle may be more of an allusion to their later fondness for her and her for them- but their wide eyed look is somewhat disturbing up against the grandeur of the castle they inhabit. And even though it matches more closely to the original fairytale I found the stories of Belle's siblings to be a distraction from the story. It tied in well enough in the end, but only her brothers were truly necessary for the plot to occur as it did and her sisters are just a tad annoying in the end.
This isn't so much a complaint but I do get that sense of ehhh stereotypically French style that's somewhat morose and down-played emotionally to this movie and I feel that is in large part why this movie didn't land well with international audiences especially. Personally, I feel that combined with everything else presented about the film it works rather well, but it does detract from the romance inherent to the story, admittedly. It's something of a double edged sword, in that respect: for the adaptation specifically it works, but for the story it adapts it's not the most traditional approach.
On the other hand, there is something to be said about how period pieces often embody that less than modern idea of less is more when it comes to romance. At its core the story is a fairytale, yes, but it's also a story from a completely different era and the ideals of courting and romantic gestures have changed over time. I'm torn a bit between not being completely satisfied with the romantic tone and it being almost too much when considering these two facets with what can be wildly different standards for grand romance. Either way, I very much enjoyed the film and I'm more than satisfied with its entirety.
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marshmallowgoop · 2 years
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WIP Challenge: Detective conan dub comparison? ouo
Oooh, I'm conflicted about this one...
Since I'm so super passionate about anime dubs, maybe predictably, one of the first Detective Conan projects I ever envisioned for myself was a comparison between the FUNimation English dub for the series and the newer Bang Zoom! Entertainment English dub.
Given that Bang Zoom! dubbed Episode One: The Great Detective Turned Small, which remakes episodes that FUNimation had already dubbed, I put together direct line comparisons for several characters. The video's all edited and subtitled and everything, but I'm waffling on actually going through with this project for a few reasons:
-The editing embarrasses me a bit. I mean it when I say that this was one of my first-ever DetCo projects; the video file is dated February 28, 2021 (and I only started posting Cone in March that year). My Harley Hartwell fancam—another super early project that took me about eight months to bring to fruition!—really got me into video editing, but I had no clue what I was doing here. I'd totally redo the video if I ever made this thing happen; if nothing else, I think I'd like to add subtitles for the more literal Japanese translation, since a large part of my argument is the impact of naturalistic dub scripting.
-The plan was to pair the video with an analysis, but I feel like I've probably already said everything I would say there elsewhere. Heck, this post has gotta essentially be the tl;dr. While it might be neat to have the video with concrete examples, and while I obviously don't at all expect anyone to be super familiar with everything I've ever said (even I'm not!), and while I don't think I can exactly be compared to a "content farm" that just recycles old things in slightly different ways because I'm not making any money from this, I still don't wanna annoy folks by being a broken record.
-I'm super biased! I also haven't seen most of the content that Bang Zoom! has dubbed for the series because I'm so far behind, and they're only dubbing more recent releases. If I do go through with this project, I think it'll have to be after I watch all the Bang Zoom! stuff... and given how slowly I'm going through this series, that'll be a while...
That's probably enough rambling! I have posted some snippets of the video over in the DCMK Fanfiction Server, and while it's badly cut, I don't mind resharing this bit comparing the dubs for Kogoro, Agasa, and Megure!
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Hi! I saw some questions on here asking for advice when it came to QPR/QPP related subjects, so I’m shooting my shot. I'm in high school and I’ve only recently come to terms with me being on the aromantic spectrum. I started to figure it out through a good friend liking me romantically and me being unable to imagine us in a traditionally romantic relationship together, despite liking them back. They’ve considered a lot of our interactions to have romantic intent, while I've seen it as more of something very, very close, but not necessarily platonic or romantic. I realized that I felt QPA towards them and that I genuinely want to be in a QPR with them. As far as I know, they don’t know i’m arospec but they are pretty educated on the subject and most of the labels anyway, so i’m not worried about that. I’m am however slightly worried about them feeling unsatisfied or something because i don’t fit what they expected/wanted romantically. I know that alloromantic ppl can be in and be happy in a QPR, but i need advice on how to ask them if they want to be in a QPR with me. Considering we’re both high schoolers and commitment is scary, how do i ask them without sounding to serious? How do i tell them i’m arospec despite them having translated a lot of our relationship as romantic? Thank you for your help :D
Hi, Anon! That's really awesome that you're figuring out more about how you are and what you want (and don't want).
This ask (link) has some tips for how to ask someone to be in a qpr with you when you're both in high school.
As for telling them you're arospec, despite their assumptions about your relationship, I think there are a lot of great ways to talk about it.
One way is to explain that actions can have different intents behind them, even if they look the same on the surface. A lot of times, people make assumptions about what an action is "supposed to" mean based on the ages, genders, and non-familial status of the people involved.
For example, when a parent lets their 8-year-old sit on their lap, people usually look at that and ascribe meanings like "family love," "affection," "loving parent." But when a 16-year-old lets another 16-year-old sit on their lap, people often look at that and ascribe meanings like, "flirting," "sexual," "dating," etc. But it doesn't have to be. Laps can just be fun to sit on! If everyone involved is okay with the lap-sitting, of course.
So it's all about meaning-making -- what kind of meaning you ascribe to certain actions. Your meaning and your friend's meaning are not aligned. When you talk to them about this, you can gently say something like, "Hey, I know that a lot of times, these kinds of things can come across like they're romantic, but they're not romantic to me. When I do them, I do them from a different place. They're still important to me, and you're still important to me. It's just different."
And then give them time to process that, and time to decide if that's something they can be okay with. They may not be comfortable with certain actions if those actions aren't romantic, and that's okay, but that's something you'll both need to communicate really clearly about, and respect each other's boundaries.
Sending good thoughts your way for this, Anon! Please feel free to update us if you feel comfortable!
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chiropteracupola · 2 years
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(Made up fic title game) "Live Like An Animal" and/or "It Shall Not Come To Pass"
(these notes are translated from my original, rather frantic ones scribbled out at 2am ...so do take the ideas themselves in that context as well)
live like an animal
hm, I think I'll go a little bit against the grain and imagine a hornblower one here? I think I'd like to see him truly snap more, just absolutely go off the rails, and this seems like the sort of title to imply such a story behind it.
now, I've seen stuff slightly of this nature done before, but I think I'd like to go in a different direction, if only because Creatures and Poeticisms are much more in my wheelhouse in a way that the logistical issues of a naval officer suddenly going rogue are not.
lack of control would have to be at the heart here -- some situation where he's trapped just far enough outside of his usual discomfort zone (it's hornblower after all, I really can't call it a comfort zone...) that his usual systems of operation can't carry him. so I'm thinking this is late-series, when he's already struggling under the weight of many an issue as it is.
whether it's rage or grief or even a major injury that forces him into this situation, it's something he's continuing to struggle with even as he has to navigate polite society on land, perhaps having to hid this sort of werewolfery of emotion from Bush and/or Barbara even as his internal structures start to crumble. maybe he's trying to adapt to a new role of some kind, and is trying as best he can to make all the constructions in his head serve him again even as he starts to realize they're built on a foundation of sand.
now, I can't quite figure out just yet precisely whether that werewolfery is a literal one or not, but either way this one is imagery-heavy, putting as much weight to the meat of the transformation and the feeling, perhaps, of being trapped in a body you're becoming less and less suited to as much as to his emotional struggles here. big claws, big teeth, spilt blood, hot breath, the works. decorous decorated war hero by day, rampaging shambling thing by night.
it shall not come to pass
well, that sounds like some kind of foretelling, so we're talking fates and prophecies and such, so this sounds like a good fit for something flight of the heron!
now, I'm not as up on my folklore as I used to be, and unfortunately, most of the knowledge that I've picked up on divination stuff that might match to that area and time period is pretty much all related to foretelling the identity of one's future husband. (although. I'm sure there is a different fic to be had in that idea. hm hm there's an idea to be played with at some other time.)
this is completely conjecture about how this might actually work, but I think someone who's the son of a seer and, out of all the characters, seems to know his way the best around the superstitious side of things, might go about trying to break a prophecy at the root, if he was given a situation where he had enough time to do so.
now, I've got no idea so far exactly how Lachlan goes about doing that, or how much success it'd be possible to have with such a goal, but one thing I'm sure of -- meddling with fate in such a way is almost certain to come with a body count.
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rongzhi · 2 years
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ah the wintertime in northern china douyin is so so nice. i see comments like 'wow people are really just people everywhere' and i see that sentiment a lot but its still really jarring like... did u not see us as people this much that it surprised u that chinese people like to play in the snow? anyways seeing a blog that i followed reblogging it made me irrationally happy and thank you
Hm, it is pretty weird isn't it?
I think there's a little bit of truth to that idea specifically in regards to China, but I also think that these comments would have been made if the video had been depicting any other Asian or non-white country (although a video from Russia probably would have been met with "Russians being Russian" or something like that).
Mostly, I think that the "people are really just people everywhere" sentiment just comes from the fact that (especially white) Americans/Canadians/other western countries simply have no contact with countries and cultures different from their own and do not stray far outside their own bubbles. Therefore, I mostly take these comments to have been made in good faith. Like, one thing I've picked up on from several tags (I've been keeping up with most of them on this particular post) is that a lot of people straight up didn't know that it snows in China, even though most us familiar with China are aware that it snows immensely in northern China during the winter. 🤷🏻‍♂️
I do think MSM has done a truly excellent job of dehumanizing China and Chinese people to westerners, and the lack of mainlander presence on western social media doesn't help break through the anti-Chinese rhetoric, either.
I guess that's why I like to post and translate douyins here! Douyins, especially the silly ones, I think, do a great job of showing people that Chinese people aren't all evil brainwashed communist schemers or whatever the fuck people believe. They're just like people anywhere, good and flawed in the same ways people from other countries are.
Although I think a lot of the douyins I post simply circulate around the Tumblr corners that are already slightly familiar with China (cdrama fandom, mostly), it's also great to see when ones escape containment and become enjoyed by a broader demographic. I've also seen a few posts being reblogged by blogs I follow or know of so yeah, that's pretty cool! 😆
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lov3nerdstuff · 3 years
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Hi Kay!
I just wanted to take a moment and say how deeply moving (and overall comforting) I find your writing to be! I've gone through almost the entirety of your masterlist twice in the past month alone and have found myself returning more often to the pieces of literature/poems your reference sometimes. (Especially that one poem by Benedict Smith! I've read a few more by him because of you and they're just wonderfully lovely 💛 so I'm eternally thankful to you for including it.)
I may be wrong in assuming, but I believe you may have studied/are currently studying a degree involving literature. I hope this isn't too foreward of me but I was wandering if you have any other works of literature that you'd recommend? (I'd love to read anything you recommend from poems to plays 💛) I'm slightly embaressed to say but the works I've read are quite limited to a highschool level and since I'm currently studying Pharmacy, there are very few people who can recommend me such moving works. :)
I also feel like I should apologise for writing such a large ask, so please accept this apology as well hehe 💕🥺
Sincerely,
Bek 🌻
Hey there Bek 💚💕✨
First of all... I'm incredibly sorry for how long it took me to reply to this ask, I know you sent it weeks ago and I'm honestly just ashamed of myself for only replying now! I've been taking a bit of a Tumblr break again, or rather a break from literally everything, and I guess not having written anything in a while made me feel guilty whenever I opened Tumblr, so... All I can say for myself really is that I'm sorry you had to wait so long! Again, I never ever ignore anyone, I promise! It just sometimes takes a while for me to reply 😅🙈
Now, I'm so happy to hear that you've been enjoying my writing! 🥺🥰 Hearing that it's comforting and inspiring to you is honestly such a relief and indeed does make me happy more than I can say 💚 It's so cool that you're checking up on all the references I make aaahhh 🥺🥺🥺 I love it 😁 You're always more than welcome, love! I don't think I could stop including references to literature, culture, history and the science around it even if I tried 😅☺️
And yeah, I did study classics and newer literature as a minor for my undergrad degree 😄 But tbh I still work with literally a lot even now (I'm in grad school for media and cultural studies) even though it's technically not something I've been properly taught ☺️ I'm just a nerd who likes to learn on her own, and with media and culture you can pretty much delve into almost anything you want 😂😅🤷🏻‍♀️
Now, it's not forward at all to ask me for literature recommendations! 😁😃 I truly love recommending stuff!!! I have a few up my sleeve, even though you've probably heard of a few already, for obvious reasons: A lot of what I truly enjoyed reading was something Tom Hiddleston has worked on in one way or another! It's truly a magnificent guideline for picking new literature... Just look up the literary origins of his films/shows/plays and you will be in for quality literature most of the time! I don't think I've ever mentioned it on here, but me reading High-Rise (JG Ballard) because I heard Tom would be partaking in the film adaptation was actually what sparked my love and passion for literature!!! Yep, it's that good. Now on to the recommendations though 😁(This... got rather long):
Plays
Anything by Harold Pinter really, but for obvious reasons you'll find a lot of additionally fun stuff for Betrayal, which is lovely and truly funny if you're in on the kind of humour btw
Medea by Euripides (a classic, but I love it nonetheless... You can find translations in almost every language) ((and pls stay away from Seneca's Medea, because ugh... Euripides is far better AND the og story, as much as anyone can say that for Greek mythology)
La Bohème by Puccini (I know, this is technically an opera, but if you read the libretto it's honestly just like a play... And if you're up for it, the og story is in prose and written by Henri Murger... It's better than the opera, but oftentimes more difficult to find) ((this one is hilarious and basically explains an entire cultural subgroup in the 19th century)
Faust by Goethe (many people hate it, but I LOVE this one!!! It's also been translated into any and every language, and it's so interesting philosophically!!! It's also referenced SO freaking often literally everywhere, and the operas and ballets based on it are always my fave) ((there's technically Faust I and Faust II, but you're good to go just reading the first one)
Anything by Shakespeare, obviously... Though I do love me my Hamlet like every other literature enthusiast (Yes, I can do that one famous soliloquy in act 3 scene 1 by heart as well...)
Poetry
Again, anything Shakespeare for the win, but I LOVE the sonnets and keep a copy of them with me most of the time (Yes, I own multiple copies of the sonnets...) ((My faves are 116 and 91, but there's always so much truth to be found in there!!!))
A lot of the stuff William Blake wrote is amazing, though you have to pick carefully with him if certain religious motives aren't your thing... I love The Tyger, which is an individual poem, and the collection of works called Tyger, Tyger which does have many good ones and a few ones that are a little more on the mediocre side
Do not go gentle into that good night by Dylan Thomas (I know this one by heart as well... It's beautiful, and there's a version of Hiddleston reading it on YouTube, which gives you even more goosebumps than the poem does anyway)
Invictus by William Ernest Henley (same for this one, also read by the one and only) ((I love to read this when I'm feeling down or powerless))
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot (This is another wow piece with many quotable lines and truths... I love it a lot and keep coming back to it! It's also a great example of how literary modernism tried to condense the complexity and passing of time and history into a single frame that had to be intrinsically poetical in nature... As in, this poem could've been a short story in any other period, but modernists loved to make everything a poem so here you go)
Der Zauberlehrling by Goethe (This one sucks in all English translations I’ve found, poetically speaking, but in German it’s such a fun piece! If you’ve ever seen the Disney ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ with Mickey Mouse or listened to the orchestral piece by Paul Dukas, then this poem proves very useful in truly understanding either! But again, the English translation should only be taken for informational value... The German one is also worded hilariously)
Prose
Short edited by Alan Ziegler (This is a collection of short prose forms that honestly is a must for me... I love this book to pieces and have had it for years now! It’s an international anthology, so you’ll find more and less famous authors from all around the world represented with short stories, prose poems, short essays and just curious and interesting snippets of writing! I draw a lot of inspiration from this book)
High-Rise by JG Ballard (As mentioned above, I owe this book part of my personality... I don’t think I would be the same person without having read it. It’s not necessarily full of wisdom, but if you’re interested in a different kind of portrayal of the human condition, then this is the read you need to take a look at)
The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers (This is another piece that changed my perception of literature, even though this is a more ordinary and ‘fun’-value read... It’s one of my favourite books and it’s endlessly entertaining! So if the classics are a bit heavy for you, this one is perfect for casual readers as well! Its value really does lie more in the realisation of how fun literature can be, and the freedom you have as an author... So really, I could recommend everything by Moers, his style is amazing both in the German original and in the English translation. Yes, I’ve read both.)
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (This is comedic gold, stylistic gold and generally a bloody perfect book. Also a ‘fun’-value read, but it also does a magnificent job at showing you what you can do with literature, and how well-developed characters are supposed to be written)
The Penguin Book of the Undead (Penguin Classics) edited by Scott G. Bruce (This book is basically an education on fifteen hundred years of supernatural encounters and how culture wrote, used and perceived them. You get introductory texts for different periods and social groups, explaining how and why ghost stories were written and used, followed by passages of the prime source texts (eg. ancient necromancy shown on The Odyssey). Really, this book is just for cultural history nerds)
The Earthquake in Chile by Kleist (This isn’t necessarily one of my faves, but it has helped me understand what studying literature and culture can do for you. In case anyone remembers my insistence in Wicked Game that you gotta know what a pomegranate symbolises... this novella is such an instance where this knowledge would prove useful. Generally, it gives many opportunities to think about privilege and circumstance)
The Symposium by Plato (You’ll probably not want to read the entire collection of speeches tbh... But the concepts introduced mainly here and in some of Plato’s other work are well worth looking into! For example, the ‘double being’ introduces a concept that in modern fiction is called soulmates... Just sayin’)
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thewidowsghost · 3 years
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The Daughter of the Sea - Chapter 9
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(Y/n)'s POV
It doesn't take me long to pack. I decide to leave the Minotaur horn in the cabin, which leaves me only an extra change of clothes and a toothbrush to stuff in a backpack Grover had found for me.
The camp store loans me one hundred dollars in mortal money and twenty golden drachmas. The coins are as big as Girl Scout cookies and have images of various Greek Gods stamped on one side and the Empire State Building on the other. The ancient mortal drachmas had been silver, Chiron had told us, but Olympins never used less than pure gold. Chiron said the coins might come in for non-mortal transactions - whatever that might mean. He gives Annabeth, Percy, and me canteens of nectar and Ziploc bags full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if we were seriously hurt. It is god food, Chiron reminds us. It would cure us of almost any injury, but it is lethal to mortals. Too much of it would make a half-blood very, very feverish. An overdose would burn us up, literally, Fun.
Annabeth is bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she tells me had been a twelfth-birthday present from her mom. She is also bringing a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she gets bored, and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve. I'm sure the knife is going to get us busted the first time we go through a metal detector.
Grover is wearing his fake feet and his pants to pass as a human. He wears a green rasta-style cap, because when it rains his curly hair flattened and you can just see the tips of his horns. Grover's bright orange backpack is full of scrap metal and apples to snack on. In his pocket is a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knows two songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto Number 12 and Hilary Duff's 'So Yesterday,' both of which sound pretty bad on reed pipes.
We wave good-bye to the other campers, take one last look at eh strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hike up the Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, the Daughter of Zeus.
Chiron is waiting for us in his wheelchair. Next to him stands the surfer dude I'd seen when I was recovering in the sick room. According to Grover, the guy is the camp's head of security. He supposedly had eyes all over his body so he could never be surprised. Today, though, he's wearing a chauffeur's uniform, so I can only see the extra eyes on his hands, face, and neck.
"This is Argus," Chiron tells me. "He'll drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things."
I hear footsteps behind us.
Luke comes running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes. "Hey!" he pants. "Glad I caught you."
Annabeth blushes, the way she always does when Luke is around.
"Just wanted to say good luck," Luke tells us. "And I thought . . . um, maybe you could use these."
He hands Percy a pair of sneakers, which look pretty normal.
Then, Luke says, "Maia!"
White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels. The shoes flap around on the ground until the wings fold up and disappear.
"Awesome!" Grover exclaims.
Luke smiles. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days...." His expression turns sad.
Annabeth stomps down the other side of the hill, after arguing with Percy, where a white SUV waits on the shoulder of the road. Argus follows, jingling his car kees.
Percy picks up the flying shoes and then looks up at Chiron. "I won't be able to use these, will I?"
Chiron shakes his head. "Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air...that would not be wise for you."
I nod, getting an idea, "Hey, Grover. You want a magic item?"
His eyes light up. "Me?"
Pretty soon, we'd laced the sneakers over his fake feet, and the world's first flying goat boy is ready for launch.
"Maia!" Grover shouts. He gets off the ground, okay, but then falls over sideways so his backpack drags through the grass. The winged shoes keep bucking up and down like tiny broncos.
"Practice," Chiron calls after him. "You just need practice."
"Aaaaa!" Grover goes flying sideways down the hill like a possessed lawnmower, heading towards the can.
But before I can follow, Chiron catches my arm. "I should have trained you two better, Percy, (Y/n)," he says. "If only I had more time. Hercules, Jason - they all got more training."
"That's okay. I just -" I stop myself.
"What am I thinking?" Chiron cries. "I can't let the two of you get away without these." He pulls two pens out of his coat pocket and hands one to me and one to Percy.
Looking down at it, I see a teal-colored gel pen. Maybe cost thirty cents.
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"Gee," Percy says. "Thanks."
"Percy, those are gifts from your father. I've been keeping them for years, not knowing you two were the ones I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You two are the ones."
Instinctively I take off the cap, and the pen grows longer and heavier in my hand. In half a second, I am holding a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edged blade, a teal and silver leather-wrapped grip. This is the first weapon that feels balanced in my hand.
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"That sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into," Chiron tells Percy. "Its name is Anaklusmos."
"Riptide," Percy translates.
"I have never seen anyone use that sword that I'm aware of," Chiron says, turning to me. "Yours is named Τυφώνας."
"Hurricane," I translate, surprised that the Ancient Greek came so easily to me.
"Use them only for emergencies," Chiron says, "and only against monsters. No hero should harm mortals unless absolutely necessary, of course, but neither sword would hurt them in any case."
I look down at the wickedly sharp blade. "What do you mean it wouldn't harm mortals? How could it not?"
"Those swords are celestial bronze. Forged by the Cyclopes, tempered in the heart of Mount Etna, cooled in the River Lethe. It's deadly to monsters, to any creature from the Underworld, provided they don't kill you first. But the blades will pass through morals like an illusion. They simply are not important for the blade to kill. And I should warn you two: as demigods, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are twice as vulnerable."
"Good to know," Percy says.
"Now recap the pens," Chiron says.
Percy and I touch the pen cap to the sword tips and instantly Riptide and Hurricane shrink to ballpoint pens again. I tuck it in my pocket, a little nervous because it's pretty easy to lose a pen.
"You can't," Chiron says.
"Can't what?" I ask, slightly confused.
"Lose the pens," he says. "They're enchanted. They'll always reappear in your pockets. Try it."
Warily, I throw the pen as far as I can down the hill and watch it disappear in the grass.
"It may take a few moments," Chiron tells us. "Now check your pocket."
Sure enough, the pen is there.
"Okay, that is extremely cool," I admit.
"But what if a mortal sees one of us pulling out a sword?" Percy asks.
Chiron smiles. "Mist is a powerful thing, Percy."
"Mist?" I ask.
"Yes. Read The Iliad. It's full of references to the stuff. Whatever divine or monstrous elements mix with the mortal world, they generate Mist, which obscures the vision of humans. You will see things just as they are, being a half-blood, but humans will interpret things quite differently. Remarkable, really, the lengths to which humans will go fit things into their version of reality.
I put Hurricane back into my pocket.
For the first time, the quest feels real. I'm leaving Half-Blood Hill. I'm heading west with no adult supervision, no backup plan, not even a cell phone - Chiron said cell phones were traceable by monsters; if we used one, it would be no worse than sending up a flare. I have no weapon stronger than a sword to fight off monsters and reach the Land of the Dead.
"Chiron . . ." Percy says. "When you say the gods are immortal . . . I mean, there was a time before them, right?"
"Four ages before them, actually. The Time of the Titans was the Fourth Age, sometimes called the Golden Age, which is definitely a misnomer. This, the time of Western civilization and the rule of Zeus, is the Fifth Age."
"So what was it like...before the gods?"
Chiron purses his lips. "Even I am not old enough to remember that, child, but I know it was a time of darkness and savagery for mortals. Kronos, the lord of the Titans, called his reign the Golden Age because men lived innocent and free of all knowledge. But that was mere propaganda. The Titan king cared nothing for your kind except as appetizers or a source of cheap entertainment. It was only in the early reign of Lord Zeus, when Prometheus the good Titan brought fire to mankind, that your species began to progress, and even then Prometheus was branded a radical thinker. Zeus punished him severely, as you may recall. Of course, eventually, the gods warmed to humans, and Western civilization was born."
"But the gods can't die now, right? I mean, as long as Western civilization is alive, they're alive. So...even if I failed, nothing could happen so bad it would mess up everything, right?" I ask, feeling rather uncertain.
Chiron gives me a melancholy smile. "No one knows how long the Age of the West will last, (Y/n). The gods are immortal, yes. But then, so were the Titans. They still exist, locked away in their various prisons, forced to endure endless pain and punishment, reduced in power, but still very much alive. May the Fates forbid that the gods should ever suffer such a doom, or that we should ever return to the darkness and chaos of the past. All we can do, child, is follow our destiny."
"Our destiny...assuming we know what that is," I say grimly.
"Relax," Chiron tells me. "Keep a clear head. And remember, the two of you may be about to prevent the biggest war in human history."
"Relax," I say. "I'm very relaxed."
When Percy and I get to the bottom of the hill, I look back. Under the pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus, Chiron is now standing in full horse-man form, holding his bow high in salute. Just your typical summer-camp send-off by your typical centaur."
Argus drives us out of the countryside and into western Long Island, It feels weird to be on a highway again, Annabeth and Grover sitting next to me, Percy on the other side of Grover, as if we were normal carpoolers. After two weeks at Half-Blood Hill, the real world seems like a fantasy. I find myself staring at every McDonald's, every kid in the back of his parent's car, every billboard and shopping mall.
"So far so good," Percy tells Annabeth. "Ten miles and not a single monster."
She gives Percy an irritated loo. "It's bad luck to talk that way."
"Remind me again - why do you hate us so much?" Percy asks.
"I don't hate you two."
"Could've fooled me."
Annabeth folds her cap of invisibility. "Look...we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."
"Why?" Percy asks.
Annabeth sighs. "How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."
"They must really like olives," Percy comments, and I stifle a snort of laughter.
"Oh, forget it," Annabeth grumbles.
"Now, if she invented pizza - that I could understand," I add, in a slightly teasing tone.
"I said, forget it!" Annabeth says, hitting me lightly on the arm.
In the front seat, Argus smiles. He doesn't say anything, but one blue eye on the back of his neck winks at me.
Traffic slows down in Queens. By the time we get into Manhattan, it is sunset and starting to rain.
Argus drops us at the greyhound Station on the Upper East Side, not far from my mom and Gabe's apartment. Taped to a mailbox is a soggy flyer with mine and Percy's picture on it: Have you seen these children?
Percy rips it down before Annabeth and Grover can notice.
Argus unloads our bags, makes sure we get our bus tickets, then drives away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch us as he pulls out of the parking lot.
I think about how close I am to the apartment. On a normal day, Mom would be home from the candy store by now. Smelly Gabe is probably up there right now, playing poker, not even missing her.
Grover shoulders his backpack. He gazes down the street in the direction I am looking. "You want to know why she married him, (Y/n)?"
I stare at him. "Were you reading my mind?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
"Just your emotions," Grover shrugs. "You were thinking about your mom and your stepdad, right?"
I nod.
"Your mom married Gabe for you and Percy," Grover tells me. "You call him 'Smelly,' but you've got no idea. This guy has this aura . . . Yuck. I can smell him from here. I can smell traces of him o you, and you haven't been near him in a week."
"Thanks," Percy grimaces from Grover's other side. "Where's the nearest shower?"
"You should be grateful, Percy. Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod. As soon as I took a whiff inside his Camaro, I knew: Gabe has been covering your scent for years. If you hadn't lived with him every summer, you probably would've been found by monsters a long time ago. Your mom stayed with him to protect you. She was a smart lady. She must've loved you a lot to put up with that guy—if that makes you feel any better."
I soften, looking down a the ground. I'll see her again, I think. She isn't gone.
You will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend, the Oracle whispers in my mind. You will fail to save what matters most in the end.
The rain keeps coming down.
We get restless waiting for the bus and decide to play some Hacky Sack with one of Groer's apples. Annabeth was unbelievable at it. She could bounce the apple off her knee, her elbow, her shoulder, whatever. Percy wasn't too bad either, but I found that I wasn't that great at it.
The game ends when I toss the apple towards Grover and it gets too close to his mouth. In one mega goat bite, our Hacky Sack disappears - core, stem, and all.
Grover blushes. He tries to apologize, but Annabeth, Percy, and I are too busy cracking up.
Finally, the bus comes.
I am relieved when we finally get on board and find seats together in the back of the bus, Me and Annabeth in one row, and Percy and Grover across from us. The four of us stow our backpacks.
I glance over at Annabeth beside me, who keeps slapping her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh.
As the last passengers get on, Annabeth claps her hand onto my knee. "Look!"
An old lady had just boarded the bus. She is wearing a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange-knit hat that shadows her face and she is carrying a big paisley purse. When she tilts her head up, her black eyes glitter.
I see Percy slump down in his seat.
Behind her comes two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. Otherwise, they look exactly like Mrs. Dodds - same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dress. Triple demon grandmothers.
They sit in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle cross their legs over the walkway, making an X. It is casual enough, but it sends a clear message: Nobody leaves.
The bus pulls out of the station, and we head through the slick streets of Manhattan.
"She didn't stay dead long," Percy says, his voice quavering a little. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."
"I said if you're lucky," Annabeth murmurs. "You're obviously not."
"All three of them," Grover whimpers. "Di immortales!"
"It's okay," Annabeth says, obviously thinking hard. "The Furies. The worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."
"They don't open," Grover moans.
"A back exit?" she suggests.
There isn't one. Even if there had been, it wouldn't have helped. By that time, we are on Ninth Avenue heading for the Lincoln Tunnel.
"They won't attack us with witnesses around," I say. "Will they?"
"Mortals don't have good eyes," Annabeth reminds me. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."
"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?" Percy asks.
She thinks about it. "Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof . . . ?"
We hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus goes dark except for the running lights down teh aisle. It is eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.
"I need to use the rest-room."
"So do I."
"So do I."
All three demons start coming down the aisle.
"I've got it," Annabeth says. "Percy, take my hat."
"What?" he says with disbelief.
"You're the one they want. You killed one of them. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."
"But you guys -"
"There's an outside chance they might not notice us," Annabeth says as she glances over at me. "You're a son of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering."
"I can't just leave you," Percy says, looking desperately at me.
"Go," I say, frowning and Annabeth hands him the cap.
The old ladies are not old ladies anymore. Their faces are still the same - I guessed they couldn't get any uglier - but their bodies had shriveled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws; their handbags had turned into fiery whips.
The Furies surround me, Grover, and Annabeth, lashing their whips, hissing: "Where is it? Where?"
The other people on the bus are screaming, cowering in their seats. They see something, all right.
"He's not here!" Annabeth yells. "He's gone!"
The Furies raise their whips.
Annabeth draws her bronze knife. Grover grabs a tin can from his snack bag and prepares to throw it.
Word Count: 3222 words
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amaya-chwan · 3 years
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Therapy Game Restart Discussion: Who is Onodera?
Hello everyone! Hope you are all well~ ❤️💛💜 I've had a headscratcher of an ask/message regarding Onodera, so I figured I'll make it into one big post!
Before I begin this Q&A/discussion post (feel free to comment below if you have any thoughts), I have looked through past chapters to gather the information I will put into this post to support my predictions. Not all chapters are readily available for everyone at the moment as only one volume of TGR is out right now, so I shall put the chapter numbers for your future reference! ⚠️ Also, just a note! These opinions are my personal thoughts, conjectures, and opinions, so please don't think I am saying one idea or speculation is wrong--this is just how I see it, and of course I could very well be wrong! And I also am not fluent in Japanese, so I may have some translation errors!
⚠️ Also, a warning, this will be a long post! Keep reading if you're interested and please let me know your own thoughts!
First, in an earlier ask, I was directed to a translation group that said Onodera is a man. With the help of Google and Google Translate (because I don't understand/speak Spanish), I found that post (dated April this year) and the origin of the picture they used in that post. The image is from Hinohara-sensei's 13th August 2020 tweet here and is also below for reference:
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Now, all I can remember from first seeing that image is "Woow, so pretty! A female character? A love rival? A threat? OH it's the infamous director they're all talking about???"
This image was released around the time chapter 8 was released, i.e. the first chapter we see Onodera in full.
Looking at the image again, I can see how Onodera could be seen as a female or a male. Onodera has long hair, yet no visible breasts. There is no evidence of an Adam's apple, but that could just be because of the turtleneck as part of their outfit. Furthermore, in chapter 13, we see a view of Onodera from behind. There are no "womanly curves" visible in this view of Onodera.
After searching some Japanese blogs, some fans also had the same thoughts: no breasts = possible male, the shape of the face etc. Here are the blogs I found: [1] [2] [3] but most of these are from around chapter 8.
Just about the breast argument: there are a lot of different shapes for breasts. I learnt that when working at a department store selling bras during university. It is possible that Onodera is really flat chested or just has very little breast tissue. Not sure if that's getting too technical now, ahah, but what I want to say is that the lack of breasts isn't a definite yes to Onodera being a man.
Hinohara-sensei also has not explicitly stated throughout TGR so far (ch1-13) that Onodera is male or female.
From chapters 8-12, Onodera is always referred to as 院長 (director) by Shizuma and the nurses at the clinic. No gender-specific pronouns have been used in the story nor by any characters to refer to Onodera when speaking so far (that I have read). So confirming Onodera's gender is just misleading at the present moment.
We do find out in chapter 9 that Onodera's first name is 昌 akira. Akira is a gender neutral name in Japan. It is often given to males, but it is not uncommon for females to have this name. Which, I think, is genius on Sensei's part. It leaves us all thinking!
Q: So Amaya-chwan, what do you think Onodera's gender is?
Just for me as I've been reading TGR the past 1.5 years, I see Onodera as a woman as I have been "encouraged" to see Onodera as one by the little subtleties in the story, and Minato sees Onodera as a female, so I probably am viewing Onodera in Minato's POV.
(Please keep reading on for more insights and answers to questions! Really, this post is long! 😅)
In chapter 9, Onodera's older brother, who is also Shizuma's university professor (and his last name is not Onodera), makes small talk with Shizuma regarding the staff at his placement:
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Shizuma's professor says: By the way, Shizuma-kun, how've you been!? You haven't been bullied, have you!? // The female team here is scary, right~ You know, Nakajou-kun and I were in the same grade...
So here, I'm made to think Onodera's clinic is pretty much all female, including Onodera too.
Fun fact: His professor uses the suffix -kun for Nakajou-sensei, yet Nakajou-sensei is a female and -kun is commonly used for males these days. But, it is also used for females in very specific situations. I'm not too sure what the situations are, but I have heard them used for females before.
In the same chapter (9), while Shizuma is changing out of his scrubs in the men's locker (?) room, Onodera walks in. He is slightly flustered, and kindly reminds her that she's walked into the men's locker room. Her reaction is "Huh? Ahh..." So here, again, I am made to believe Onodera is female.
While no gender-specific pronouns have been used to address Onodera, Minato and Itsuki have referred to Onodera as a female in chapter 13.
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The kanji for "female/woman" is 女. In these two images, Minato refers to Onodera as 上司の女 female superior, and from Minato's story, Itsuki hence calls her 職場の女の人 female from (Shizuma's) workplace. This is the only time Onodera has been referred to as a female.
⚠️ Just a note going forward in this discussion, I will now call Onodera "she/her" as that is what I believe Onodera's gender is at the present moment!
Now, I did get a second ask from an Anon! Here they are below with my responses:
This one is about what's behind Onodera. I think she's a pretty interesting character. I actually think she's a trans woman or a non-binary trans woman. Sensei has been dropping so many hints to that... The name her brother calls her might be her dead name. He complains about her hair and what their father would say. She's designed to have flat breasts, perhaps she's not under hormone therapy, perhaps her "trips" and "days off" have something to do with reassignment surgeries...
She most definitely is an interesting character. I wouldn't say Onodera being transgender is out of the realm of possibility because the story is still ongoing. But regarding her name, I don't know if I'd call it a dead name since it is gender neutral already. Perhaps the kanji for a male Akira name would be different to a female one though?
About the hair comment (ch10), I just thought it was unruly? I honestly didn't think too much of it! What I will add is that the kanji for hair (髪) is used, but the reading is あたま head. Not sure why just yet, so I'll just leave that here as some extra information for the moment.
Not sure what I really think about a) her flat-chestedness and b) her insanely long business trips yet! I figured a) might be a character design, and b) she really is a top-notch veterinarian so she's probably in high demand. But I could be completely off the mark!
Also, I don't know where to add this random bit in from the story, but in chapter 12, we find out that Onodera has been calling one of the staff the wrong name for more than 10 years now. Not sure if this new piece of info affects anything?
But again, that is a very interesting prediction/thought you have about Onodera, and I wouldn't say it's not possible!
She's kind of a female Minato, psychologicallly and in appearance, which brings some challenges. And one more thing that I think hints to that: "I'll make it so your body can never be satisfied by any woman", Minato says to Shizuma. As the last chapter leaves it at that, we don't know exactly what he is talking about. [spoiler?] I haven't seen the Japanese text yet to be sure if he's clear about topping Shizuma.
That was exactly my thought when she was first introduced! That's part of the reason why I think Minato sees her as a threat, especially when he saw her for the first time and was told she is a 美人beautiful person (both in chapter 12). She and Minato definitely share some characteristics, but I find she's a bit more socially-awkward than Minato given her background (Chapter 9 & 10).
For the dialogue, the Japanese lines and the most literal translations I can give are:
今から 静真くんを抱く From now, (I'll) hold/embrace you, Shizuma-kun.
どんな女に出会っても 絶対満足できない体にしてあげる No matter the women you encounter, I will make it so your body definitely cannot be satisfied (by any of them).
Hopefully we'll find out what Minato means by that exactly in the next chapter, which I hope comes to me this week!
But if that's what he's talking about, it's 1. poor Minato being transphobic (besides being biphobic towards his own boyfriend)* 2. poor Minato probably foreshadowing his own fall. If Onodera happens to be a woman with a d**k, she can do whatever Minato thinks a cis man only can do. That's not what will make Shizuma stay by his side. Shizuma will stay by his side because he loves Minato. And that's that. Debunks biphobic myths, debunks transphobic myths. *He's not a bad person, he's got issues
Okay, this is probably as straight-forward as I can say this, but I just want to say that I don't know enough about the issues faced by the LGBTQI+ community. My friends have kindly answered all my questions so far as I don't want to be ignorant or rude when learning more about my friends and the community. I don't want to give off the air that I'm assuming anything since I don't want any misunderstandings. And I am fully aware that I need to educate myself more regarding this!
So about Minato, I'm not completely sure what you mean by number 2. But he definitely has his share of trauma, insecurities, and fears regarding his relationship with Shizuma. Having Onodera as a threat in this story really helps drive Minato's growth. The story is titled Therapy Game Restart, so what I gather from the title is that Minato is going to face another fear/insecurity he has, something deeply-rooted in him, and it's going to get really heavy and complicated, but he will eventually get through it and it will help him heal and grow as a character, and hopefully strengthen his faith in his relationship with Shizuma.
So far, I believe this "fear" is carrying on from +Play More, that Shizuma can be whisked away by a female at any moment.
But yes, Minato has to realise for himself that his and Shizuma's love, relationship, and bond is strong enough for him to not worry about Shizuma leaving him so abruptly. He has to learn to trust in Shizuma more, and TGR is slowly revealing that, especially in chapter 13.
I'll stop here. I have already written long analyses on this series and I think about making them public at some point. But it would be nice to hear from you! Maybe I'm completely wrong in my interpretations! I'm really sorry for being so annoying and maybe using inappropriate language. I really didn't mean to bother you. But I never see anyone making these points. I just want to know if I'm thinking unreasonably...
I love reading different analyses, opinions, story predictions, the whole lot!! So please feel free to ask me or post your own ideas. It's always a welcome thing for me to discuss stories and learn new things! Don't be sorry that you're being a bother or annoying, because it's not a bother at all!
We're all allowed to have our own ideas and opinions about stories, and these ideas will change once something is canon in the story, and ultimately is something we will have to accept too.
So yeah, just my two cents. Thank you for being so patient with my response, dear Anon!
To anyone reading at this point, thank you for reading this far! ❤️💛💜
I shall see you in our next set of takeaways~ As always, stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones! 💜
(2021-05-17: Speedy proofreading is done ahah! And yes, my brain is still so full of 山河令/Word of Honor right now, so I have been VERY distracted! Highly recommend this drama, guys! It's up for free on the official Youku Youtube page! Totally not an endorsement, but I love this drama! AHHHHH!! Gong Jun [Simon] be living on my mind rent free~)
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theangrypokemaniac · 4 years
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There's a sneering attitude that the dub is inherently inferior solely for being a dub, and when I say 'dub' I mean the American one. No one attacks the South American interpretation, funnily enough, or the variety that exist globally.
Why not if foreign languages are so abhorrent?  Do you think it's kewl to hate America?
That's so original you know.
If the moan centres on the dub changing certain things, well that's a pointless stance, because it's impossible to do otherwise.
What's accepted in one country is not always permitted elsewhere, so either you make those alterations or it's never shown. I'd prefer seeing a slightly toned down version rather than have it never reach the West at all.
This is without considering the technical obstacles that a direct translation brings. The words do have to fit the mouth movements, and if they don't, truncation must follow.
America and Japan are different; the population of the former are not going to comprehend the references to the latter's history and culture, which necessitates some divergence from the original to give it mass appeal.
Anime is a branch of entertainment. It has to attract the public's good will to stay in business. If impenetrable, it'll fail, with all the resulting unemployment and finacial losses that brings.
Those in charge of dubbing understandably think they're on safer ground promoting familiarity rather than the strange, but that's not to say Pokémon was stripped of its identity. On the contrary, it was like nothing I'd ever encountered before.
I may have watched Western cartoons then, but the idea of doing so now is silly. I won't give time to any modern animation unless it's Japanese. Growing up on the dub has not produced an ephemeral fan less serious or 'true'.
The 4Kids dub had wit, humour, deep emotion, suggestive comments and flights of fancy. The voices fitted the characters well.
Unlike the current one, where everyone sounds on the verge of vomiting, but then they're clearly working with substandard material on a miserly budget. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear after all.
Dubs can be bad, but the very state of being a dub doesn't confer worthlessness automatically. Considering the work gone into them, attempting to gain your favour, it seems rude not to appreciate the time and energy spent in production.
Knowing a little about history, sub-only fanatics remind me of the kind of folk who opposed an English Bible, because it was too good for the oiks to read the word of God.
Of course it was alright for them, rich enough to be taught Latin, but not so much the ordinary man.
It amuses me how dozens dismiss the dub, but see no hypocrisy in using its evidence to further their ship or anti-ship arguments, so it can't be that revolting.
It's also bizarre that so many hold sacred the sub of a series currently in a frenzy to shed every aspect of its anime and Japanese origins, leaving a vague, rootless ghost, supposedly making it easier to slip down the gullet of the masses.
Pokémon I've seen referred to as a 'gateway drug', as in the anime that introduced a generation to the entire concept. This means the dub. You would not have got enough kids in the late Nineties to read a screen rather than watch it, and even today most would lose interest rapidly.
Where would you be without that dub? Unless you're Japanese, your first experience of Pokémon will have been a dub, and if not the American, the one where you live, which was only made because there was the funds available.
You may have then progressed to watching the sub, but only because that dub stirred love in your soul.
Where would the franchise be without that dub? You think Pokémon would've grown to be a world-wide obsession raking in billions by itself? No, it'd still be a solely Japanese phenomena, and most likely never lasted this long.
Its decades of supremacy rests on the quality of that dub. It sold games and merchandise to kids by the ton, giving an incentive to keep the series going. If you're not a fan from the first wave, then your favourite era would have never existed had it not been financially attractive carrying on.
The team who wrote the first film actually preferred the dub, moved to tears by its emotive use of music, therefore they aren't so precious as the fans.
Where would anime be without that dub? Pokémon brought it to the West. A handful slipped through previously, but made minor impression.
To those who would dismiss Pokémon entirely in favour of more 'worthy' output such as Studio Ghibli, I would say that Pokémon, first the games, then the programme they inspired, must have an integral quality to have caught on in Japan, which isn't exactly short on similar concepts.
To have gained popularity in a crowded market, and so fervently a dub became an option, can only have come about because it held a certain magic.
It was the dub that smashed a hole in the cultural barrier, setting free the tidal wave to engulf the world. In Pokémon's trail followed Digimon, Cardcaptors, Monster Rancher, Yu-Gi-Oh! et cetera.
Without Pokémon, I doubt they'd have been translated, and definitely never broadcast on mainstream television. That came about as channels desperately hunted down anything Japanese to serve as the next craze.
I really appreciated the effort made by 4Kids in converting every aspect of the series to suit American tastes, including changing text on signs, letters and books into English. I assumed this was standard practice until I watched others.
I could never be as involved in them as I was Pokémon because of that block. It was like being denied access to the deeper waters, fenced into the shallows, and implied a rushed dub, with little care shown but to chase the same crowd and money.
If personified, the dub 'n' sub wouldn't be one human being, but rather identical twins: the same to a casual observer, but easy to tell apart by the more attentive.
It's like the games: Red and Blue are versions of a single adventure, but not totally one. Take the dub and the sub the same way. They are parallel dimensions running on separate rails, and beyond reconciliation, and that's before we consider that, sub and dub alike, each generation has only a faint relation to its predecessor, working on its own whims.
Everyone has a favourite, or can like both, and there's nothing wrong in that, but so many are proud of the fact they hate the dub, as if it conveys a revered status of supremacy.
When Disney films are shown abroad, they too are translated, and I'm sure references and jokes are redesigned to make sense to the locals. It's no use selling yourself as a comedy then being surprised when the audience refuses to laugh, having no idea what you mean.
If people prefer that one, for being what introduced them to Disney as a whole, or as a fond memory of childhood, then so what?
I don't mind if their view of a character is minutely at odds with mine, having seen the original, because what they think is canon to their version, so can't be wrong.
I don't go round declaring every Disney dub to be pathetic by its nature, that viewers of them are of a lesser breed of fan for preferring their own tongue, even though more of the world's population understand English than they do Japanese.
If you enjoy one tailored to your country there's no crime in it, just as I like one at least comprehensible to mine. It's not even my culture, but I pick it up mostly.
The choice must be made on which to follow, and this blog runs on dub canon, as that has a claim on my heart. Just because I don't acknowledge what takes place in the sub doesn't mean I'm unaware of it, but it has no bearing on what I write.
The idea that the dub alters things willy-nilly without rhyme nor reason is also mistaken. Often it does it because the original does not make sense.
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In the sub, I know Nanny and Pop-Pop are just a couple of old duffers taken at random and dropped in to a castle, supposedly as James's far away nannies.
Oh yeah, that's a cushy position. You doing a lot of child care from miles off?
Mind you, it used to describe 'em as 'caretakers' on Bulbapædia, as if Nan serves as housekeeper whilst Pop tends to the garden.
That's right. Ma and Pa finally got some work out of this pair of freeloaders.
They're not related, remember? No, no, absolutely not, no way. Of course their style reflects that. They just gave Pop a 'tache, thick eyebrows and a bigger nose, and Nan got a bun and lines in her hair, but there's certainly no connection. Oh no. Such a thing is ridiculous.
They're NOT family. No. Yet Hoenn James still panics they might learn he's joined Team Rocket, spending the whole episode trying to hide the truth.
Why? Who are servants to criticise the son of their employers? Why should their opinion be of any consequence to Hoenn James, especially when his parents, fiancée and butler are cognizant of reality?
Children of aristocrats are usually brought up by governesses, thus develop a stronger attachment to these figures rather than their parents, but that isn't the case here.
James lived with Ma and Pa, not the codgers minding the castle. He would have very little contact with distant employees compared to those who waited on him daily, so why seek out their approval?
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Hoenn James apparently was permitted visits to Nan 'n' Pop, which is strange considering they're not relatives. Why them and not any other house-stters?
That's right, Ma and Pa sent their son to one of their properties without them, entrusting him to the care of two shrivelled pensioners of his size that he barely knew, and who could keel over at any minute. There are no other servants present. Apparently Nan and Pop clean an entire castle by themselves.
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Oh, and they run a makeshift Pokémon sanctuary, but since it's not their home it has to be done with Ma and Pa's blessing, who also have to pay for it, but they're eevul aren't they?
The idea that somehow Nanny and Pop-Pop have not cottoned on to James's occupation by now is risible.
Servants gossip about their masters. I bet the entire household of his home know, and so in turn does the county. That Nan and Pop remain oblivious proves how isolated they are, for no one's thought to inform them.
When it came to dubbing it, they were made his grandparents, removing all the above nonsense. Of course he visits his nan and granddad, it's their gaff and their money funding the place, and it is likely his mother or father would keep James's job a secret, for fear the shock would finish 'em off.
It should do really. If they're not bothered by it that's a sign of where his rapscallion ways were inherited.
They aren't facially akin to Ma and Pa, but display the same additions, so if staff it's bloody lazy, as if nannies have to resemble your parents, but inventing a blood link excuses the slothful characterisation.
Every reference I've seen on Tumblr relating to the coffin-dodgers calls them Nanny and Pop-Pop. Apparently the dub decision is met with universal approval. It does have redeeming aspects then.
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Now the sub writers, rather than ignore this development, took to it too. They aren't exactly bursting with ideas these days and are probably grateful for the lifelines offered.
Remembering James had parents, they forced a likeness between them and Nanny and Pop-Pop. How else do you explain the inexplicable ageing, even when Sinnoh Ma and Sinnoh Pa are younger than Ma and Pa?
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I've also known for years that the sub has this woman as Jessie's foster mother, not Ma Jess, but that's stupid.
I can grasp the idea that Jessie and Ma might have endured extreme deprivation, considering that's what Team Rocket has brought to Jessie anyway, and that they may have lived at the bottom of Mew's mountain prior to Ma's death.
What I find difficult to take in is that social services (or as they're known where I live, the S.S.), however notoriously awful they are, would give a child to a mad bitch in a shack with no running water.
Come on, they have to at least pretend to be concerned for Jessie's welfare.
As Jessie is very young, bereavement can't have befallen her in the distant past, so how can she be happy this soon after becoming an orphan? How could the grieving period be a cherished memory?
If that woman's creaming off the money, why hasn't she fixed the place up by now? Where do the payments go, sniffing glue?
Then there's the depiction. If this is just some daft bint never to be mentioned again, why do they conceal her face? Who cares what she looks like when she's unimportant?
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Here's another figure from Jessie's past. She isn't disguised, and why not when she too briefly appears and is then forgotten?
Who was she?
The only sort of characters they tended to hide were other members of Team Rocket:
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During the early scenes featuring Giovanni, he was enveloped in shadow, adding both intrigue and a sense of menace.
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Madame Boss also got this treatment, even though there was probably no intention to ever feature her in the anime. What's the use in keeping an appearance a mystery if it'll remain masked?
With that pattern, it implies this woman is in the same category, like Ma Jess.
When it came to animation, it definitely was intended to be a foster mother. Not her real one. No.
What did they do?
They gave her Jessie's skin tone and purple hair hanging down her back!
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You know, like Ma Jess?
Any colour would've done. Any at all, and being anime I do mean any colour, but no. The choice was made to give her the looks of the exact person she's not meant to be!
Is it that surprising the dub simplified things?
I don't mind if you like the dub, sub, both, or any from around the world, but I'm tired of the smug condescension, as if we all agree the sub is the only one that counts, and that dub fans are grunting troglodytes, or not 'proper' aficionados.
None of us would be here were it not for the dub. Pokémon would not be here. I think it deserves some respect for how much of a difference it made, to my life and to yours.
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callmekittyc · 5 years
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Chiang Mai Life
Have you ever seen the commercial or ad or whatever that says "Tiny keyboard, Big headache"? Well let me just say that's how i feel about typing these blog posts from my phone. We all know I'm more of a novelist... so that is why I have been slacking. Also I'm on vacation, and this somehow feels a bit like work. So this is for all 14 of my loyal followers, you're welcome. Let me give you an update on things:
1. Holy temples! Chiang Rai is the bees knees!! If you want to see some of the most bizarre, yet detailed oriented, and slightly questionable artwork I highly recommend the White Temple and the Baandam Museum (aka the Black House). Let me break them down for you and ed-u-ma-cate you.
         A. The White Temple: My thoughts, "Do I really want to go to another temple? There's going to be so many tourists... ugh. Guess I'll go." Please excuse my American Millennial slang when I say OMFG! THAT SHIT WAS DOPE AF! Seriously. The amount of time and detail that's put into this is crazy. So this temple got started in 1997 by some master artist that has an odd obsession with all things pop culture and politically questionable. It is a 90 year work in progress! As in, most people reading this will be dead when it's completed. (Sorry for the bluntness) But yea you can see for yourself what I mean by artistically gifted. I only wish they would have allowed me to take pictures of the murals that line the insides of this "sacred place".  Inside you'll not only find a wax figure of Buddha, but hidden gems like Pikachu, Hello Kitty, and even, the attractive Keanu Reeves. If you go to any temple at all, it should be this one because the artwork speaks for itself. I'm slightly disappointed I only paid 2 cents to get in.
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         B. The Baandam Museum is truly one of the most extensive collection of animal bones I've ever seen. "Baan" means house, while "dam" translates to black so it literally translates to Black House. This was by far my favorite "museum" I've ever been to. It probably would seem creepy to most, but the artist lines the walls of 43 structures with animal bones, skulls, skins, and the most detailed woodworking I've ever seen. Bones are assembled in an almost ritualistic way. It's beautiful.
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2. While the title of this post is "Chiang Mai Life", Chiang Rai is where I had my self- actualization moment. I had some seriously deep thoughts in the mountains of Chiang Rai that really has changed my perspective on quite a few things. I also experienced the most beautiful thing in my life. I'm not kidding. I was speechless for the first time. I think everyone has at least one of those moments in their life where the world quite literally stops for you. All is quiet. And you can't think of anything more beautiful. Maybe it's holding a child you just gave birth to, maybe it's experiencing love for the first time, maybe it's jumping out of a plane.... everyone has a moment and I had one. Watching the sunset at one of the highest peaks while the full moon reflected in the background was breathless. It was my moment. My world stopped.
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3. I met this stranger in a coffee shop. An older gentleman i had never seen and will most likely never see again. We had some of the most meaningful conversation and it made me realize several things. Travelers are a whole different people. I'm one of those people. We don't just travel, but we experience. We do things to learn more about the world. We make ourselves uncomfortable and do things others wouldn't normally do. We are wise and infinitely young. We live by doing, not by example. Although travelers are all so different and we each have our own story, we have a commonality in that we are always searching for new knowledge and new experiences. We revel in learning and doing. We love being.
Sorry for the deep thoughts here, but the post is called "Chiang Mai Life"...
4. Going back to Chiang Mai, I decided it's time to start doing. Even if it meant the touristy things, but YOLO and who knows if I'll ever come back to this magical place... so I booked a cooking class, a trekking tour, and a ziplining excursion. I'll break them down for you..
         A. Cooking Class: This was awesome. It was Christmas day for me and I was kind of feeling sad and lonely. Well turns out, I ended up being the only person in that cooking class. I liked it though. The owner was very cool and took me to the local market and explained ingredients to me and showed me how to shop for the best items. We all know I come from a cooking household, but let me just say Thai cooking and ingredients are a brand new experience. Asia has so many fruits, vegetables, and spices I've never even heard of. After the market, I talked to a local about cooking methods, and after using a mortar and pestle for about 30 minutes, I have a new appreciation for pre-made chili paste. I almost boiled my arms because they were noodles at that point. I made 6 items: Cashew Chicken Stir-fry (Gai Pad Med Mamuang), Northern style chicken curry (Khao Soi), Coconut Milk and Chicken Soup (Tom Kah Gai), Spring Rolls, Mango Sticky Rice, and Red Chili paste.
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        B. Trekking Tour: Made for beginners or out-of shape people like me, this little tour was perfect. We started at this phenomenal waterfall in the famous Doi Inthanon National Park. Then we trekked about 3km through the jungle to a hill tribe village, belonging to the Karen people. We passed fields of strawberries, rice, chrysanthemums, and coffee plants. We crossed bridges made of bamboo and even caught a glimpse of an electric green python native to Southeast Asia. After we got to the village, we were able to watch how the coffee was roasted, hand ground and brewed. From there, we went to two pagodas honoring the queen and late King. Our tour concluded with a visit to a hill tribe market overflowing with fresh produce and local honey.
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        C. Zipling: Please see my Google rating for "Jungle Flight Chiang Mai" for a more detailed description. Ha. Kidding. Although the review is way more kickass than this. Ziplining was awesome yet slightly terrifying. I'm pretty sure I've once before mentioned the safety protocols in Thailand... they're non existant. I'm pretty sure OSHA would have something to say. (Harley maybe you shouldn't visit) But damn I'm glad it was questionable because flying through the mountains was exhilarating. Getting slung around on a zipline roller coaster left me squealing with delight! To the losers that said, "I like more extreme sports." You're missing out!
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Sorry if this post was too short but honestly, the experiences have just been so much fun! I don't have any complaints or overly funny stories because I'm living in the moment... Although my instructor for the ziplining course said I need to use my ass more. He's quite right though. Looking at my inflated pancake ass has me longing for a stairmaster and a salad. Damn Northern Thailand and their delicious food... Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year! I promise I've thought about every single one of you.
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gaycey-sketchit · 2 years
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(Gary anon) Legends really open the door for some good angst and drama. XY could probably use a "Legends" too, considering the history. That gen got left in the dust with loose ends. (It's arguably his best one. We'll probably never see that white suit from the poster in any episode, but it's the most recent example we ever got) I see they've casually dropped Brock again, in a series episode this time. Hmm, we're probably won't get another companion return until June. May feels
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(Part 2) like a Paul, Project Mew and Alola month. (Yeah, a short "Where are they now?" montage would be nice if we ever got that) Ah yeah, THAT show. Nothing was ever the same after a certain season, and I say this as someone who still hasn't properly watched it, but eyed everything that went down when the show was live. (I still think the best thing to come out of BW was TRio not being strangled to be in every episode so they're used more efficiently. And any time)
(Part 3) (not dedicated to them where they're not relevant can focus on what needs to focus on) That said, them barely being a presence now is weird. But considering everything else going on, definitely some tough sacrifices being made. (Makes you wonder what will happen to Ash fanon when Journeys is over, doesn't it? Each series feels like it gives birth to a new phase) Sometimes I wonder if it's a miracle that I'm not invested in pairing everyone and everything [romantically] no matter
(Part 4) what I watch. Yeah, it can be fun, but it definitely shouldn't be so stressful that I'm worrying about my safety constantly; over fictional people. (Heh, you're not the only one I've seen said that. As much as some agree that Ash continuing as a main puts his character at risk of another BW situation; Journeys being disjointed at points has let to mixed emotions to the point that I wouldn't be surprised if some end up feeling him beating Leon won't feel "properly earned")
(Part 5) (or "satisfactory" as his other big wins. Not matter how good the fight is) And TRio who knows what will happen to them but they have a better chance of staying than some characters, who feel like they're having their endgames set up in case that's it for them. (I doubt that's the reason since young demographic can found to have subs, not just Japanese) Since fansubs can up end conflicting results; translating something from a different language and making most the audience
(Part 6) of that language understands the original intent since cultural differences don't always mixed well is a tough job in itself, TPCI could potentially provide the 'correct' version of everything since they have direct contact with OLM and other studios. (This isn't the downplay the work of the fans; I just remember a point when anipoke fansubs started developing and how newer subs having similar, but slightly different wording than older ones. Some even having trivia notes)
(Part 7) (for explaining; some official anime subs don't bother with that)
Yeah, that game is intense and has some heavy stuff going on. A lot of material for fanworks. Love to see it.
A Legends game for Kalos could be interesting, yeah! Kalos has sort of been shafted so far--feels like one of those cases of devs having to rush to meet a deadline, leading to some weird bugs (like the Lumiose City issue) and things feeling sort of... unfinished. Or maybe there was some plan for like, a sequel or third version or something that'd elaborate on stuff more that got scrapped. At any rate, it'd be interesting to get a look at Kalos's past, maybe see the aftermath of the war and the ultimate weapon.
It's so good. And the suit is very nice too (that poster is still one of the greatest things Journeys has given us, it was my lock screen for a while). The kid's got style for sure.
Yeah, casual Brock cameo was unexpected but neat!
Makes sense. May's already going to be a very eventful month, it seems.
Yeah, something like that would be nice! Some nice glimpses at how they're all doing and what they're up to.
Yeah, I remember just sort of witnessing the fandom with only a vague idea of what was going on but it seemed like... a lot. And it feels like after the finale the whole fandom just sort of evaporated, I've barely heard anything about it since. From an outside perspective it's weird.
True. Like, I love the TRio, I really do but nearly every episode having to have a B-plot of their plan to steal Pikachu or whatever other relevant Pokemon of the episode... got a little tired. Having their presence be in a way that's less repetitive is better.
But yeah, to this day it throws me to realize there are like... a bunch of episodes they aren't in at all. I got so used to them always turning up. And I kind of miss their presence, though I guess with how much is going on in Journeys it was just... a necessary cut to make.
Yeah, I wonder! It does seem like every series gives us a new phase of how Ash is perceived/portrayed by the fandom. Very curious to see that.
Yeah, sometimes not being super invested in ships in everything is pretty fortunate, because there is. So much discourse. And sometimes things that are... a lot worse.
That's something I'm worried about, yeah. Journeys has been kind of a weird series, and I've enjoyed it but I know it's controversial. And I really hope that when/if Ash and the TRio, beloved as they are, depart from the anime, it's on the best, strongest note it can possibly be.
So it really is just a mystery then. Huh.
Oh, I get that. From what I hear, fansubs have improved a great deal over the years, and I really genuinely have a lot of respect and appreciation for the people doing that, the dedication is amazing and they're just... doing it for free for the benefit of the fandom. But official subs would still be appreciated if that ever happens. IIRC Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution has the option on Netflix to watch it in Japanese with corresponding English subtitles, so maybe there's hope for that? Dubious on that though since Secrets of the Jungle does not. I guess only time will tell.
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