idk why I never translated this before. It’s probably available in English somewhere, but here’s my take:
「私を悪夢から呼び起こすのは、誰だ?」
“To wake me from my nightmare… who is it?”
(or, as the new Remake translation put it: “Who dares disturb my slumber?”)
ヴィンセント•ヴァレンタイン / Vincent Valentine
Voice cast: 鈴木省吾 / Suzuki Shogo
神羅屋敷に棲まう自称警備員。
己の罪を贖うため、長年、地下洞窟の棺桶で眠りについていた。
深紅のマントの下に獰猛な魔獣の因子を隠し持つ。
セフィロスと因縁があるようだが、その詳細は謎に包まれている。
A self-proclaimed guardsman who dwells* in the basement of the Shinra Mansion.
To atone for his sins, he stayed asleep in a coffin in an underground cave for many years.
Beneath his deep crimson mantle (cloak), he conceals the presence of ferocious monsters.
He seems to have a fateful connection to Sephiroth, but the details are wrapped up in mystery.
*I found it interesting that they use the kanji meant for animals, not people, when writing the word to dwell (住まう), instead they used 棲まう which is uncommon and threw me for a loop.
I also took the liberty to translate the word 因子, “factor”, as something more like “presence” instead, which makes more sense in English.
[Image above: D. T. Suzuki (11 November 1870 - 12 July 1966) was a Japanese Buddhist scholar and doctor of literature. ]
A message from 23 nights temple Q&A: Part 2 [Part 1]
Next question was, want to know more about Tendai Buddhism and how to do face-to-face learning outside of Japan:
More than 1,400 years after its introduction, Buddhism in Japan was born from the founders of sects in Japanese history and culture. Today, about 13 major sects exist, including the Tendai sect. Of these, three are Zen sects: the Soto, Rinzai and Obaku.
Among them the most representative are, Saicho, founder of the Tendai sect, whose head temple is Enryaku-ji on Mt. Hiei; Kukai, founder of the Shingon sect, who brought esoteric Buddhism to Japan, whose head temple is Kongobu-ji on Mt. Koya; and Dogen, author of the Shobogenzo, a philosophy book said to be a manual for Zen meditation practice and originator of mindfulness. Founder of the Soto sect, whose main temple is Eiheiji Temple.
Buddhism means 'Buddha's teachings'. In the beginning, everything was transmitted orally and it was only after Buddha's death that documents and scriptures were created. All of the Buddhist scriptures that remain today were described by the memory of Buddha's disciples. In the meantime, it underwent various transformations through the views of translators and other factors, and representative gurus from different countries established and divided into sects. The Tendai sect is one of these sects, founded by Master Saicho. Incidentally, my trusted teacher is a Zen monk of the Soto sect, and he says that one should not be confined to a sect. It is because Dogen, the founder of the Soto sect, taught that the Buddha's teaching is one and that we should not be obsessed with sects.
Those wishing to study face-to-face or Buddhist thought outside Japan should visit your local Buddhist temple or Zen centre. You can easily find one by hitting the usual keywords. However, not all are good teachers. It is recommended to search patiently for a teacher or centre that suits you. For international learners, books by Japanese Buddhist scholar D.T. Suzuki are relatively accessible. He wrote on Zen in English and introduced Japanese Zen culture to the rest of the world. He was also a prolific translator of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and Sanskrit literature.
In fact, the teachings of Zen that we are learning are not like there is a holy scripture that says this is the absolute truth, nor is there a founder who says that this is the absolute truth.
And it is best not to decide on a teacher based on sect or culture, but to knock on the door of a person you can identify with. More importantly, he or she may not only be in the temple.
Mystery 03: On page 91, Nagano-san mentioned that Sycamore’s glasses are fake – I want to hear more about it!
Nagano-san told us about the fake glasses. They may look like simple glasses, but there may be more to it than that.
This is my own interpretation, but I think that Sycamore is showing his true self when he reverts back to his original name. Still, it isn’t easy for him, he can’t do that anymore, and even if you were to ask him his true feelings, I don’t think he intends to take back his old name, or take off his glasses.
Back when Sycamore was a child, after he had been separated from young Layton, he read every book that his parents owned, packed up his necessary belongings, and then, one bright afternoon as he watched the floating clouds, he left, thinking “I’m going to buy a pair of glasses”.
Mystery 04: If the Professor Layton series were to continue, what kinds of characters would you like to create?
I’d like to draw comical characters. Currently, I’m into the “Otoko wa Tusrai yo (It’s Tough Being a Man)” series, and I find myself laughing along with Tora-san, as he gets angry, always falling in love with the heroine, then getting his heart broken, and sometimes getting annoyed… But off screen, for everyone watching, he is very entertaining. It is good to have a character like that who can make people laugh.
In “Professor Layton”, when I draw a laughing expression, there are no characters that fit a big open-mouthed laughter. For Layton or Luke, they end up with “Haha” or something tidy like that.
Layton shows a bit of a comical side in this picture.
Some of Nagano-san’s charming characters. This book is full of them, so please take a look!
The “Professor Layton” team animate Nagano-san’s illustrations in 3D, overseen by Suzuki-san. This golden duo create some charming characters.
The Azran Civilisation’s Hidden Door
If you read this book carefully to the end, the Azran civilisation’s hidden door will open, and you will be able to enjoy Nagano-san’s newly-drawn illustrations. Read until the end for details.