dandaragohan

[dandaragohan]

vol 2′s cover illustration! 

[dandaragohan]

Dandara Gohan updates soon.

[dandaragohan]

bunnies 

[dandaragohan]

Dandara Gohan is up on pixiv comic now!

[dandaragohan]

A simplified chart of the ages of the characters who have appeared as of Chapter 9.

From left to right (birth year, current age):

Inoue Genzaburō (井上源三郎): 1829 (34 years old)

Serizawa Kamo (芹沢鴨): 1832 (31 years old)

Yamanami Keisuke (山南敬介): 1833 (30 years old)

Kondō Isami (近藤勇): 1834 (29 years old)

Hijikata Toshizō (土方歳三): 1835 (28 years old)

Nagakura Shinpachi (永倉新八): 1839 (24 years old)

Harada Sanosuke (原田左之助): 1840 (23 years old)

Okita Sōji (沖田総司): 1844 (19 years old)

Saitō Hajime (斎藤一): 1844 (19 years old)

Tōdō Heisuke (藤堂平助): 1844 (19 years old)

*There are theories that Serizawa was born in 1824 and Okita in 1842, but Dandara Gohan will use these numbers.

Yamaguchi Hajime from the early chapters is Saitō Hajime.

I didn’t bother editing the picture directly because the text would be tiny and hard to read.

[dandaragohan]

[dandaragohan]

Fluffy Egg Souffle (たまごふわふわ tamago fuwafuwa)

The manga actually calls it 玉子ふわふわ, though I’m not sure why it uses 玉子 instead of the more common 卵. Might be a time period thing, or a semantic thing I’m not picking up on.

This is an egg dish with a long history, going back to Tokugawa Iemitsu’s time. It became popular among the upper class for some reason. That’s probably why Yamaguchi’s cookbook lists it as “banquet cuisine”. Nowadays it’s a specialty of Shizuoka.

In its simplest form, tamago fuwafuwa is foamy “fluffy” egg steamed over dashi broth in a clay pot. You can add mushrooms, seafood, or whatever you want to the dashi broth, and seasoning on top (seaweed, or scallions or something similar).

I’m not sure how the egg becomes foamy when you steam it...But it really does resemble the froth you would get from using a frother on warmed milk. If you want to see it, Kodansha has a video showing you how to make tamago fuwafuwa. At the very beginning, you can see just how fluffy it is...

[dandaragohan]

Ch. 1 Notes

(back to the translation)

This is basically the translation with commentary, lol.

NOTE: Yamaguchi Hajime is better known as Saitō Hajime. Yamaguchi was his birth name. And Okita Sōjirō later becomes Okita Sōji. I went with last names so just keep in mind that Yamaguchi is actually Saitō.

Bold numbers indicate the page the text is located on. There are usually two manga pages per pixiv reader page. Go to the actual translations for a guide on what all the brackets, italics, and parentheses mean.

1/23

Alone on a battlefield ridden with despair, what he remembered were the memories from that time…

Yamaguchi: “I’m...alive?”

2/23

Whether it’s eating or risking our lives, our comrades are always right beside us.

3/23

[Bunkyū 2, 11th month, Edo.]

Bunkyū 2 = 1862

The 11th month might be around December because the old system was based off a lunar calendar.

Edo is an old name of Tōkyō.

???: “Hey, Hajime-san, you went ahead and started eating without me!”

Yamaguchi: (Just had to go and say it...)

The original line is「出た…」which I couldn’t find a better translation for. It sort of comes across as Yamaguchi being a bit dismayed or exasperated that Okita spoke before thinking since we know Okita gets on his nerves.

The voice interrupting this blissful time is…?

4/23

Okita: “So mean…Even though we said we’d eat together…”

I’m not actually sure if this is supposed to be ‘you said we’d eat together’ or ‘I said we’d eat together’. Manga is too vague for an amateur like myself...

Okita: “Ah, oh well! Mister, I’ll have shrimp and eel~!”

Yamaguchi: “How many times do I have to tell you to stop following me around…Okita-kun.”

This actually means “How many times do I have to tell you that I want you to stop following me around?” which is way too verbose.

Okita: “You’re so cold~! Weren’t we practicing the sword together earlier? We’re the same age, so it’s not about that…huh? Are you listening to me, Hajime-saan?”

He’s saying that being the same age, it’s not possible that Yamaguchi shouldn’t be cold or distant out of formality. While Okita speaks in the polite form, Yamaguchi spoke using the humble form earlier (I’m not sure if it was sarcasm or an attempt to sound serious about his request for Okita to leave him alone).

5/23

Okita: “Wow, looks delicious~!”

Yamaguchi: (The old man here does good work. Everything is fried just right, and there’s a wide variety, too. This food stand is the best in the area……)

Yamaguchi: “Uh…why aren’t you eating?”

Okita: “Oh, well, I can’t stand hot foods. It’s little embarrassing…Oh! If I remove the coating, won’t it cool off quicker?”

Yamaguchi: “Huh!? With your hands!?”

Okita: “It’s hot!”

Yamaguchi: (Well, obviously! What made you think that would go over well?)

Shopkeeper: “A-are you alright…? I thought it was fried properly…”

Yamaguchi: “D…don’t worry about it, please. He’s always like this…He’s a sort of unusual guy…”

6/23

Okita: “Alright then, let’s eat~…”

The original is itadakumasu. Time to eat/thanks for the food, etc.

Okita: “If you peel the coating off, this is just a regular shrimp! It’s not shrimp tempura anymore! Hahahaha! Thanks for the food – eh!?”

The last line was gochisousama. Thanks for the food, that was delicious, etc.

Okita: “Are you going already? Heey, Hajime-saan!”

Yamaguchi: [I’m not good at dealing with this person (Okita-kun)…We just can’t see eye-to-eye when it comes to our tastes in food.]

Okita

If it’s sweet, it’s good.

If it’s cold, it’s good.

Yamaguchi

Fond of alcohol.

A child of Edo.

(Eats things while they’re still hot.)

For some reason, Japan considers the opposite of sweet foods to be alcohol.

江戸っ子 (edokko) means ‘child of Edo’, a nickname for people who originated from Tōkyō/Edo. They were stereotypically loud, impatient folks.

Okita: “That was delicious, wasn’t it~”

Yamaguchi: “Be quiet. You’re such a weirdo, cut it out.”

Okita: “You’re so mean!”

7/23

Yamaguchi: “What’s really terrible is that over there, isn’t it.”

I...actually have no idea what this means. The original is:「ひどいのはそっちだろう」.

It could be that Yamaguchi saw the daifuku vendor before Okita did and daifuku is what he is calling terrible (ひどい).

Okita: “Hajime-san…Hajime-san! It’s a daifuku vendor! Let’s eat!”

Yamaguchi: “O–ki–ta–kun!”

Okita: “I’m sorry, I’ll treat you…! Huh? I don’t have any money.”

Yamaguchi: “Hey.”

Yamaguchi: [We don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. It was summer when our paths crossed.]

出逢う means ‘to meet by chance’. It’s usually 出会う. I’m not sure what the 逢 character adds to the meaning.

8/23

Yamaguchi: (Why is a strong guy like him killing time by visiting Imo Dojo!?)

Fun fact: The “Imo” in Imo Dōjō means taro root.

9/23

Random Students: “Thank you very much.”

Okita: “Yamaguchi…Hajime-san, was it? I’m Okita Sōjirō. You were really strong. I honestly thought I might lose.”

Yamaguchi: “It’s those who are viciously defeated who should be saying that.”

Okita: “No, I really mean it! Up until now, I’ve never really met anyone with abilities equal to mine…It seems like you could become a lot stronger…How about it? If you want, why not come to our dōjō…”

Yamaguchi: “I refuse.”

Yamaguchi: (So I said, completely without concern.)

As in a ‘I want nothing to do with you’ sort of tone.

10/23

Yamaguchi: [That guy appeared wherever I went.]

Okita: “Ah! It’s Hajime-san! Let’s have a match, just for a bit! Just one point is fine!” 

Kendō matches end based on how many hits you land on your opponent. A full bout goes to 3 points.

Yamaguchi: “No!”

Yamaguchi: [Unfortunately, we ended up taking our meals together under the name of friendship.]

Okita: “Thank you for treating me…Hajime-san, you’re so nice! Ahaha!”

Yamaguchi: “You can stop saying that already.”

Okita: “These really are the best for winter, huh. Yum.”

Yamaguchi: “Though I’d be in an even better mood if it wasn’t you who was next to me…”

Okita: “The person who came up with keeping warm in winter with brazier really was great. The person who thought to keep them warm even in the winter by using a brazier was impressive.”

[4 mon for 1 piece = 80 yen

Okita-kun didn’t even have that much.]

(mon=1/1000 of a kan, both old forms of currency)

Okita: “I’m thankful to whoever thought of it…I hope that person got enough credit for such a thing…”

Yamaguchi: “What’re you talking about?”

Okita: “……”

11/23

Okita: “Hey, you know…Kondō-sensei, right? He’s the young master of the Shieikan Dojo…”

The ‘wakasensei’ or ‘young teacher’ was also the heir/successor. It’s sort of hard to translate, and I’ve seen it translated as ‘young master’ a few times before, so it’s staying.

Kondō: “Yamaguchi-kuun!”

Yamaguchi: (That energetic looking person, huh.)

Okita: “Recently…sensei has become a shut-in…He’s depressed and hasn’t been eating much…”

Yamaguchi: “W…Why!? A hikikomori…?”

Okita: “He was betrayed by the people from Kōbusho.”

Kōbusho was a military training academy.

In this era, the commoners who could follow the way of the sword as samurai was limited. Instructors of the Kobusho taught military arts to the sons of noble families...XXX

Okay, I’m sorry, I have no clue what the entire sentence is saying. This sentence is too long...Japanese tends to omit the subject if it’s obvious what the subject is (sadly, I’m terrible at this). Here is the original line:

その中で最も多くの人が憧れそして狭き門なのが名門の子に武道を教える'講武所の教授職’

Okita: (With Kondo-sensei’s strength, he was unofficially offered a teaching job, but…)

(Past) Kondō: “Yes~! An unofficial offer!”

(Past) Okita: “Young master, congratulations!”

Okita: “He was cast aside because of his social status…”

12/23

Yamaguchi: “It’s not unusual that the efforts we put in, and everything we do, is decided at birth, is it?

Okita: “Well, then I wonder what we even live for…”

Yamaguchi: “Hey, Okita-kun…”

13/23

Yamaguchi: “You can’t be thinking…to increase your skills by fighting me…and assassinate the man who betrayed Kondō-san, are you? Why aren’t you answering? Why are you ignoring me!”

Okita: “But I haven’t even said anything, have I? No way~”

Yamaguchi: “If you intend to kill a person for such a reason, as your friend, I’ll stop you!”

Okita: “Hahaha. You’re so serious, Hajime-san…It was a joke. I wanted to surprise you a little. I won’t do anything that would make sensei even sadder.”

Yamaguchi: (That didn’t sound like a joke at all…)

14/23

Okita: “I just want sensei to be happy, that’s all…”

Yamaguchi: (What’s that all about…)

Yamaguchi: [I’m really not good at dealing with this person. 

Yamaguchi: [I have never once wished for another’s happiness.]

Random Family Members: You’re the second son. You won’t succeed the family. You serve no use.

Yamaguchi: [This person next to me…]

Yamaguchi: “Let’s go to the grocer’s to buy eggs.”

Okita: “Huh? Eggs?”

Yamaguchi: “We’re going to pay Kondō-san a visit. Eggs are a must-have, right?”

Okita: “He’ll be overjoyed! Hajime-san really is nice after all~”

Yamaguchi: “No I’m not!”

15/23

Yamaguchi: (I’m not kind. I just happened to sympathize with Kondō-san, who had been prevented from doing what he wanted to do because of who he is. I’m just a no-good person who wants to be saved by sympathizing with such a person, who always seeks change, struggles, and is betrayed.)

I’m not too sure about the last sentence. It sounds weird. This is it: ずっと変わりたくて もがいて裏切られてそんな人に同情することで自分も救われたがっているだけの嫌な人間だ

Okita: “Ah. I’m not very good at this~…The shell got in…”

Yamaguchi: “Okita-kun, why is the egg in a teacup…?”

Okita: “Eh? We’re giving it to sensei, right?”

Yamaguchi: “Yeah, but when people are in a weakened state, isn’t that way too pungent!? As expected, if you don’t cook you’re useless at it.”

Instead of weakened state, you can also say downcast. It just sounds a little funny in English. Though I guess weakened state also sounds a little weird...

Okita: “Huh, a cookbook? Where did you pull that out from?”

Yamaguchi: 

“It’s popular on the streets.”

16/23

Yamaguchi: “You copy down the pages that interest you in a notebook like this one...It’s a hobby…”

Okita: “Ooh…how diligent of you, Hajime-san…so you like this sort of thing? Then, Hajime-san, please take the lead! I’ll be your assistant.”

Yamaguchi: “That’s fine, but…”

Okita: “Which should we make? Egg dishes are popular, so there are a lot of options…What’s this one?”

Fluffy Eggs

Banquet Food

Soy sauce

Eggs

Sugar

I can’t read the rest since it’s handwritten rather than typed.

Yamaguchi: “Fluffy eggs, huh. You’re the kind of guy who’d write the name down if it interests you.”

Okita: “It says banquet food, so it’s the kind of cooking an important person would eat, right?”

[Fluffy Egg Souffle]

It’s a dish that was eaten by the third Tokugawa Shogun Iemitsu. It is also described in Tokaido Hizakurige. 

Tokaidō Hizakurige was a comic-novel about two travelers on the Tokaidō road.

Yamaguchi: “It’s not that difficult, is it? I’m an amateur at this stuff…I always eat out, after all.”

Okita: “But we can do it if it’s written in the cookbook! By the way, aren’t you the one who wrote it?”

Yamaguchi: “It sounds easy when you say it, but…It says mix until foam rises from the egg…?”

17/23

Okita: “Um, so I ‘take the dashi’…dashi? H…Hajime-san…! Um…it says dashi…what should I do…!?”

I know nothing of cooking terms in Japanese. The original uses the word とる which usually means take.

Yamaguchi: “You’re so troublesome. If it says dashi, it means katsuo. Damn it! How long am I supposed to stir this!”

Yamaguchi: “It’s over there. Use that.”

Okita: “Eh…This!? This is…?…I don’t understand. The katsuo I know is supposed to be fish…I’ve never eaten food with this tree like thing in it…”

I guess Okita has only ever seen shaved katsuo (dried bonito). Apparently that “tree like thing” actually is fish (a type of tuna), it’s just been dried and is rock solid, which is the form it usually came in since the flakes lose their flavor quickly once shaven off the block.

Yamaguchi: “…What’re you doing, standing in a daze. You have to shave that!”

Okita: “If you know, then you do it, please~!”

Yamaguchi: “Alright already, give it!”

Okita: “Wah~”

Yamaguchi: “…After, put the boiled dashi in…Okita-kun, gently pour the eggs in please.”

Okita: “Okay!”

18/23

Yamaguchi: “I said gently…!”

Okita: “Sorry. I’m too rough…!”

Yamaguchi: “A guy like you really is…”

Okita: “I hope it’s delicious~~!”

Yamaguchi: “…We can’t really tell if it’s going to come out…”

Okita: “Eh? A failure…!? Even though we used three eggs already!?”

Yamaguchi: “Yeah, looks like it…my money, that is…”

[In this era, raw eggs cost 20 mon for 1 = 400 yen.]

Yamaguchi: “Lower the flame here…and put…the cover on…”

19/23

Yamaguchi: “A success? Failure…? It…it looks like we did it…?”

Okita: “It’s so fluffy~Let’s taste a bit.”

Yamaguchi: “Okay.”

The じー sound effect means “staaare”.

Yamaguchi: “Hurry up and eat!”

Okita: “Ow!”

Okita: “……Ah, HOT!”

Insert the sound you make when you try to blow/jostle hot food around in your mouth so it doesn’t burn you (though it usually does anyway). I have no clue how to render that sound in English.

Yamaguchi: “Haha, what an idiot.”

Both: “Delicious…!”

20/23

Okita: “This is the first time we’ve agreed with each other, isn’t it.”

Yamaguchi: “Well…so you mean that anyone who eats this would say it’s tasty…”

Okita: “If you keep talking, the fluff will dissolve…”

Yamaguchi: “He’s already gulping it down…It has an even simpler, lighter, and more soothing dashi flavor than than a rolled omelette.”

(?): “Even if you have no appetite this should…”

I think it’s Yamaguchi saying this, but I can’t be sure since the person talking trails off (Okita has a clear polite speech pattern, Yamaguchi is more casual).

Yamaguchi: Then, Kondō-sensei will surely…

Kondō: “Aah…it’s delicious. I’ll eat it…”

Okita: “I…I’m glad…”

This is also a huge expression of relief.

21/23

Okita: “You’ve been losing weight more and more recently. You had me really worried!”

Kondō: “I’m sorry, Sōjirō…I’ll go to the dojo tomorrow.”Okita: “Really!?”

Yamaguchi: (Even though I’m the one who worked hard making it…)

Yamaguchi: [Even though I’m angry at Okita-kun for showing off, somehow I can’t hate him.]

Okita: “Hajime-san.”

22/23

Yamaguchi: “You again?”

Okita: “Hello. Ah, ever since then Kondo-sensei’s appetite has been returning little by little!”

Yamaguchi: “…Ah, is that so. That’s good.”

Okita: “Yup! He even started coming to the dojo again.”

Yamaguchi: “So you don’t need me anymore. Practice can be left up to sensei…”

Okita: “That’s not what I came here to talk about today.”

I have no clue what the next line says:

「脱・厄介者への足がかりになれそうなお話があるんです」

Yamaguchi: “Huh?”

My exact reaction.

23/23

Okita: “It’s called the ‘Rōshigumi’…um…I forgot the details! Anyway, come here for a sec!”

Yamaguchi: “H…hey!?”

Okita: “I had fun with you around, Hajime-san! So please come with me.”

Yamaguchi: “Wha…”

Yamaguchi: (What a selfish guy…!)Yamaguchi:

Get involved with merciless people, I jumped straight into the maelstrom of this era. Thinking back on it later, what happened up until now was only the beginning. At that time I still did not know the significance of it.

[dandaragohan]

Dandara Gohan Ch. 1 Translations

(translation notes)

(what does ‘dandara gohan mean’??)

To read it on pixiv, go here. This manga is free to read online, so please do not repost the manga anywhere. Seriously, you don’t even need a pixiv account to read it. Don’t be a jerk. Also, please do not reproduce my translations anywhere else; they are not always 100% accurate, so I don’t want them going around to parts unknown.

Chapter 1: Fluffy Egg Soufflé

Notes: Pages are numbered according to the online reader on pixiv; there are technically two manga pages per each pixiv page except for the two page spreads. For this chapter, there are 23 “pages”.

Yamaguchi Hajime is better known as Saitō Hajime. Yamaguchi was his birth name. And Okita Sōjirō later becomes Okita Sōji. I went with last names so just keep in mind that Yamaguchi is actually Saitō.

[] = text in boxes

() = text in thought bubbles

“-” = text in speech bubbles

italic = free floating text, usually thoughts or narrative

1/23

Alone on a battlefield ridden with despair, what he remembered were the memories from that time…

Yamaguchi: “I’m...alive?”

2/23

Whether it’s eating or risking our lives, our comrades are always right beside us.

3/23

[Bunkyū 2, 11th month, Edo.]

???: “Hey, Hajime-san, you went ahead and started eating without me!”

Yamaguchi: (Just had to go and say it...)

The voice interrupting this blissful time is…?

4/23

Okita: “So mean…Even though we said we’d eat together…”

Okita: “Ah, oh well! Mister, I’ll have shrimp and eel~!”

Yamaguchi: “How many times do I have to tell you to stop following me around…Okita-kun.”

Okita: “You’re so cold~! Weren’t we practicing the sword together earlier? We’re the same age, so it’s not about that…huh? Are you listening to me, Hajime-saan?”

5/23

Okita: “Wow, looks delicious~!”

Yamaguchi: (The old man here does good work. Everything is fried just right, and there’s a wide variety, too. This food stand is the best in the area……)

Yamaguchi: “Uh…why aren’t you eating?”

Okita: “Oh, well, I can’t stand hot foods. It’s little embarrassing…Oh! If I remove the coating, won’t it cool off quicker?”

Yamaguchi: “Huh!? With your hands!?”

Okita: “It’s hot!”

Yamaguchi: (Well, obviously! What made you think that would go over well?)

Shopkeeper: “A-are you alright…? I thought it was fried properly…”

Yamaguchi: “D…don’t worry about it, please. He’s always like this…He’s a sort of unusual guy…”

6/23

Okita: “Alright then, let’s eat~…”

Okita: “If you peel the coating off, this is just a regular shrimp! It’s not shrimp tempura anymore! Hahahaha! Thanks for the food – eh!?”

Okita: “Are you going already? Heey, Hajime-saan!”

Yamaguchi: [I’m not good at dealing with this person (Okita-kun)…We just can’t see eye-to-eye when it comes to our tastes in food.]

Okita

If it’s sweet, it’s good.

If it’s cold, it’s good.

Yamaguchi

Fond of alcohol

A child of Edo.

(Eats things while they’re still hot.)

Okita: “That was delicious, wasn’t it~”

Yamaguchi: “Be quiet. You’re such a weirdo, cut it out.”

Okita: “You’re so mean!”

7/23

Yamaguchi: “What’s really terrible is that over there, isn’t it.”

Okita: “Hajime-san…Hajime-san! It’s a daifuku vendor! Let’s eat!”

Yamaguchi: “O–ki–ta–kun!”

Okita: “I’m sorry, I’ll treat you…! Huh? I don’t have any money.”

Yamaguchi: “Hey.”

Yamaguchi: [We don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. It was summer when our paths crossed.]

8/23

Yamaguchi: (Why is a strong guy like him killing time by visiting Imo Dojo!?)

9/23

Random Students: “Thank you very much.”

Okita: “Yamaguchi…Hajime-san, was it? I’m Okita Sōjirō. You were really strong. I honestly thought I might lose.”

Yamaguchi: “It’s those who are viciously defeated who should be saying that.”

Okita: “No, I really mean it! Up until now, I’ve never really met anyone with abilities equal to mine…It seems like you could become a lot stronger…How about it? If you want, why not come to our dōjō…”

Yamaguchi: “I refuse.”

Yamaguchi: (So I said, completely without concern.)

10/23

Yamaguchi: [That guy appeared wherever I went.]

Okita: “Ah! It’s Hajime-san! Let’s have a match, just for a bit! Just one point is fine!”

Yamaguchi: “No!”

Yamaguchi: [Unfortunately, we ended up taking our meals together under the name of friendship.]

Okita: “Thank you for treating me…Hajime-san, you’re so nice! Ahaha!”

Yamaguchi: “You can stop saying that already.”

Okita: “These really are the best for winter, huh. Yum.”

Yamaguchi: “Though I’d be in an even better mood if it wasn’t you who was next to me…”

Okita: “The person who came up with keeping warm in winter with brazier really was great. The person who thought to keep them warm even in the winter by using a brazier was impressive.”

[4 mon for 1 piece = 80 yen

Okita-kun didn’t even have that much.]

Okita: “I’m thankful to whoever thought of it…I hope that person got enough credit for such a thing…”

Yamaguchi: “What’re you talking about?”

Okita: “……”

11/23

Okita: “Hey, you know…Kondō-sensei, right? He’s the young master of the Shieikan Dojo…”

Kondō: “Yamaguchi-kuun!”

Yamaguchi: (That energetic looking person, huh.)

Okita: “Recently…sensei has become a shut-in…He’s depressed and hasn’t been eating much…”

Yamaguchi: “W…Why!? A hikikomori…?”

Okita: “He was betrayed by the people from Kōbusho.”

In this era, the commoners who could follow the way of the sword as samurai was limited. Instructors of the Kobusho taught military arts to the sons of noble families...XXX

Okay, I’m sorry, I have no clue what the entire sentence is saying. This sentence is too long...Here is the original line: その中で最も多くの人が憧れそして狭き門なのが名門の子に武道を教える'講武所の教授職’

Okita: (With Kondo-sensei’s strength, he was unofficially offered a teaching job, but…)

(Past) Kondō: “Yes~! An unofficial offer!”

(Past) Okita: “Young master, congratulations!”

Okita: “He was cast aside because of his social status…”

12/23

Yamaguchi: “It’s not unusual that the efforts we put in, and everything we do, is decided at birth, is it?

Okita: “Well, then I wonder what we even live for…”

Yamaguchi: “Hey, Okita-kun…”

13/23

Yamaguchi: “You can’t be thinking…to increase your skills by fighting me…and assassinate the man who betrayed Kondō-san, are you? Why aren’t you answering? Why are you ignoring me!”

Okita: “But I haven’t even said anything, have I? No way~”

Yamaguchi: “If you intend to kill a person for such a reason, as your friend, I’ll stop you!”

Okita: “Hahaha. You’re so serious, Hajime-san…It was a joke. I wanted to surprise you a little. I won’t do anything that would make sensei even sadder.”

Yamaguchi: (That didn’t sound like a joke at all…)

14/23

Okita: “I just want sensei to be happy, that’s all…”

Yamaguchi: (What’s that all about…)

Yamaguchi: [I’m really not good at dealing with this person.

Yamaguchi: [I have never once wished for another’s happiness.]

Random Family Members: You’re the second son. You won’t succeed the family. You serve no use.

Yamaguchi: [This person next to me…]

Yamaguchi: “Let’s go to the grocer’s to buy eggs.”

Okita: “Huh? Eggs?”

Yamaguchi: “We’re going to pay Kondō-san a visit. Eggs are a must-have, right?”

Okita: “He’ll be overjoyed! Hajime-san really is nice after all~”

Yamaguchi: “No I’m not!”

15/23

Yamaguchi: (I’m not kind. I just happened to sympathize with Kondō-san, who had been prevented from doing what he wanted to do because of who he is. I’m just a no-good person who wants to be saved by sympathizing with such a person, who always seeks change, struggles, and is betrayed.)

Okita: “Ah. I’m not very good at this~…The shell got in…”

Yamaguchi: “Okita-kun, why is the egg in a teacup…?”

Okita: “Eh? We’re giving it to sensei, right?”

Yamaguchi: “Yeah, but when people are in a weakened state, isn’t that way too pungent!? As expected, if you don’t cook you’re useless at it.”

Okita: “Huh, a cookbook? Where did you pull that out from?”

Yamaguchi: “It’s popular on the streets.”

16/23

Yamaguchi: “You copy down the pages that interest you in a notebook like this one...It’s a hobby…”

Okita: “Ooh…how diligent of you, Hajime-san…so you like this sort of thing? Then, Hajime-san, please take the lead! I’ll be your assistant.”

Yamaguchi: “That’s fine, but…”

Okita: “Which should we make? Egg dishes are popular, so there are a lot of options…What’s this one?”

Fluffy Eggs

Banquet Food

Soy sauce

Eggs

Sugar

Yamaguchi: “Fluffy eggs, huh. You’re the kind of guy who’d write the name down if it interests you.”

Okita: “It says banquet food, so it’s the kind of cooking an important person would eat, right?”

[Fluffy Egg Souffle]

It’s a dish that was eaten by the third Tokugawa Shogun Iemitsu. It is also described in Tokaido Hizakurige.

Yamaguchi: “It’s not that difficult, is it? I’m an amateur at this stuff…I always eat out, after all.”

Okita: “But we can do it if it’s written in the cookbook! By the way, aren’t you the one who wrote it?”

Yamaguchi: “It sounds easy when you say it, but…It says mix until foam rises from the egg…?”

17/23

Okita: “Um, so I ‘take the dashi’…dashi? H…Hajime-san…! Um…it says dashi…what should I do…!?”

Yamaguchi: “You’re so troublesome. If it says dashi, it means katsuo. Damn it! How long am I supposed to stir this!”

Yamaguchi: “It’s over there. Use that.”

Okita: “Eh…This!? This is…?…I don’t understand. The katsuo I know is supposed to be fish…I’ve never eaten food with this tree like thing in it…”

Yamaguchi: “…What’re you doing, standing in a daze. You have to shave that!”

Okita: “If you know, then you do it, please~!”

Yamaguchi: “Alright already, give it!”

Okita: “Wah~”

Yamaguchi: “…After, put the boiled dashi in…Okita-kun, gently pour the eggs in please.”

Okita: “Okay!”

18/23

Yamaguchi: “I said gently…!”

Okita: “Sorry. I’m too rough…!”

Yamaguchi: “A guy like you really is…”

Okita: “I hope it’s delicious~~!”

Yamaguchi: “…We can’t really tell if it’s going to come out…”

Okita: “Eh? A failure…!? Even though we used three eggs already!?”

Yamaguchi: “Yeah, looks like it…my money, that is…”

[In this era, raw eggs cost 20 mon for 1 = 400 yen.]

Yamaguchi: “Lower the flame here…and put…the cover on…”

19/23

Yamaguchi: “A success? Failure…? It…it looks like we did it…?”

Okita: “It’s so fluffy~Let’s taste a bit.”

Yamaguchi: “Okay.”

The じー sound effect means “staaare”.

Yamaguchi: “Hurry up and eat!”

Okita: “Ow!”

Okita: “……Ah, HOT!”

Insert the sound you make when you try to blow/jostle hot food around in your mouth so it doesn’t burn you (though it usually does anyway). I have no clue how to render that sound in English.

Yamaguchi: “Haha, what an idiot.”

Both: “Delicious…!”

20/23

Okita: “This is the first time we’ve agreed with each other, isn’t it.”

Yamaguchi: “Well…so you mean that anyone who eats this would say it’s tasty…”

Okita: “If you keep talking, the fluff will dissolve…”

Yamaguchi: “He’s already gulping it down…It has an even simpler, lighter, and more soothing dashi flavor than than a rolled omelette.”

(?): “Even if you have no appetite this should…”

I think it’s Yamaguchi saying this, but I can’t be sure since the person talking trails off (Okita has a clear polite speech pattern, Yamaguchi is more casual).

Yamaguchi: Then, Kondō-sensei will surely…

Kondō: “Aah…it’s delicious. I’ll eat it…”

Okita: “I…I’m glad…”

21/23

Okita: “You’ve been losing weight more and more recently. You had me really worried!”

Kondō: “I’m sorry, Sōjirō…I’ll go to the dojo tomorrow.”Okita: “Really!?”

Yamaguchi: (Even though I’m the one who worked hard making it…)

Yamaguchi: [Even though I’m angry at Okita-kun for showing off, somehow I can’t hate him.]

Okita: “Hajime-san.”

22/23

Yamaguchi: “You again?”

Okita: “Hello. Ah, ever since then Kondo-sensei’s appetite has been returning little by little!”

Yamaguchi: “…Ah, is that so. That’s good.”

Okita: “Yup! He even started coming to the dojo again.”

Yamaguchi: “So you don’t need me anymore. Practice can be left up to sensei…”

Okita: “That’s not what I came here to talk about today.”

I have no clue what the next line says:

「脱・厄介者への足がかりになれそうなお話があるんです」

Yamaguchi: “Huh?”

23/23

Okita: “It’s called the ‘Rōshigumi’…um…I forgot the details! Anyway, come here for a sec!”

Yamaguchi: “H…hey!?”

Okita: “I had fun with you around, Hajime-san! So please come with me.”

Yamaguchi: “Wha…”

Yamaguchi: (What a selfish guy…!)Yamaguchi:

Get involved with merciless people, I jumped straight into the maelstrom of this era. Thinking back on it later, what happened up until now was only the beginning. At that time I still did not know the significance of it.

[dandaragohan]

About

Most of this information is the same as the stuff featured on the blog’s about page, with a few additions.

What is Dandara Gohan?

It's an adorable manga by Tonogaya Miyuki about the Shinsengumi and Edo period food. It’s published (for now) on pixiv comic (here) for free! It updates the second Friday of every month. The first volume has recently been published, too. You can find the author's twitter here.

Summary: The Shinsengumi, the ones who dashed through the Bakumatsu era. 'Meals’ were what supported their efforts from behind the scenes. This is a delicious, youthful story of the Shinsengumi depicted through ‘food’!

A very hammy summary, haha.

What does Dandara Gohan mean?

This gave me quite a bit of trouble before I even started translating the first chapter, lol.

だんだら is a word referring to 'broad horizontal stripes of different colors' (jisho's words, not mine). People use it to refer to the Shinsengumi's trademark haori (だんだら羽織 dandara haori), which is usually depicted as sky blue with white 'stripes', though it also came in black and white.

ごはん means 'meal' in this context. So it sort of means 'meals of the Shinsengumi' using 'dandara' to describe the Shinsengumi as a group (like how Americans called British soldiers 'red coats').

About the translations.

Note that my translations may not be 100% correct. I try to make note of lines I had difficulty with in my translation notes posts.

Also please note that I go for readable translations. I try to match the original tone of the Japanese, which requires word changes, switching phrases and ordering of sentences around, and extrapolating. Because it's not a literal translation, what I write may not match the original text completely. If you want to geek out about the original text with me, feel free to message me; I'd be more than happy to oblige.

And if anyone spots errors in the translations, feel free to let me know.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT REPOSTS

Please DO NOT REPOST these translations ANYWHERE. Partly because I worked hard on them, partly because I don't want the manga reposted to hosting sites when you can read it for FREE and LEGALLY online. Partly because my translations aren't that good to begin with. I would call myself a last resort translator, really. My main tumblr is called stiltedtranslations for a reason, ok.

I will stick these translations under a private blog if I see them spread around, and I'll stop translating altogether if I see the manga reposted anywhere with my translations.