I just met up with a former classmate and she reminded me that we actually didn't learn shit in English class so I have a question:
Disclaimer: fluency does not mean "can pass for a native speaker" you can have an accent or have a few odd phrases here and there and still be fluent.
If you didn't have English as a foreign language subject, either because it was your native language or you didn't have English in school at all, feel free to reblog but please don't vote. I intentionally left it out because I knew it would skew the results.
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so..... Am I the only one who heard the reverse-akuma as "kumiko" and think that makes more sense, both for pronunciation and for meaning?
i watched the mlb paris special and tho ii've been off mlb for years now i was pulled back by this
I went to google this after I watched the special last month.
Now... I could try and find out what the exact meaning for the names could be, but instead I'll try to see what the crew would have thought a good re-name for these reverse-akuma could be from the POV of "what would this character name a good version of his power".
Now, commonly, the word "Akuma" means "demon" - fitting for HawkMoths Butterfly, I was a bit annoyed with the choice first when the show aired, but I'm so used to it now, I don't really question it anymore why the crew decided on this name. it seems like looking for simple pronunciation and recognition were at play here.
I find that because our ordinary evil!Gabe has always names things in sly but very direct ways, reverse!Gabriel would probably use babyname sites for inspiration for names etc. - as you do when you have access to the internet and are out of ideas.
Kumiko - Meaning: Companion child; Drawing together; Forever beautiful child
Kamiko - Meaning: Fragrant ocean child, "Little Goddess"
we don't know the exact kanji, so I can't actually say what the real meaning it would be. for example, japanese-names.info lists a similar meaning to both of these, depending on the spelling. to a native japanese speaker, the meaning would probably be obvious and then the reason for picking the name as well, like with the original "akuma"
but, considering how the crew on this show likes to name things - by going for the most obvious solutions, but also mirroring things in this special ep - the first one seems more plausible just by those reasons alone. But also, I feel like even if we didn't consider japanese pronunciation (as is often done in other-language productions, to adhere to local pronunciation so the word/spelling is easier to understand), it seems like it would be easier to pronounce this way in english.
I can only deduce that re-naming the akuma butterflies, they must have found the same search results I did the first time, and just went for it. Or maybe someone in the crew knows more japanese and chinese vocabulary/names than they're letting on in the show-proper.
The only real difference as a person's name, comes down to the differences between the "ku" and "ka" syllibles. I could probably find out more if i go to https://www.romajidesu.com/ and did a deep dive about the different meanings of these two syllables in ordinary words as well.
so.. even if i didn't know much about japanese as a language (i don't know much in any case anyway, besides how to pronounce japanese words and names) imo - sounds like smth the crew would use-just bc it sounds like an almost reversal/anagram of akuma - it's just gotta have that "ku" in there.
The second choice also becomes plausible once you think of the work "Kami" for "god" being the direct opposition to "demon", the original version we see in the actual show. "a small companion" vs "a small god" - seeing it from this POV, both seem possible good meanings, if you start to expand on them like that. + r!Gabe does have the whole angel-theme going on.
I am holding my preference with "kumiko" because I picture that when they made reverse!Gabe, they probably pictured that his version of the akuma would be re-imagined as a companion, rather than something that takes over. But the angel motif on the other side, does feel like it "takes over" as well, just in a different way.
As an aside note, I found it funny how much they'd managed to change reverse!Hawkmoth as Betterfly. Like. Completely different character. Still has Gabriel's face so I want to punch him, but. At least he is interesting and sorta entertaining to watch on screen? I guess? sdfsdfs it's just very entertaining to me, to see Keith (both Halwkmoth/Betterfly's VA) play another completely different version of this character (pancake-Gabe and movie-Gbe I am looking at you)
2nd: I sorta hate the word "akumatized", but you gotta hand it, it sounds better than "kamikotized" - vs "kumikotized" '- I guess would have the same weird effect as "akumatized" the first time you watch it, that it sounds un-natural as a word a bit, but then you slowly grow into hearing it.
anyways.... both are girl names, but kumiko is literally what I heard Keith Silverstein pronounce lol
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hi um i was wondering if you could but my favorite vipper/utauloid on your list 👉👈 their name is Mochizuki Kei and they are themed around and released on Halloween
oh sure !! and thank you for the ask !!!
i was going ot post them last year, and if you look at my last years halloween post under the cut youll see me discussing them there iirc, however i didnt post them as i wasnt sure of how to refer to them , and what their creator is presenting them as and stuff ?
the utau wikia says that kei is just called a transphobic slur by their creator
and shows they rather be refered to with feminine terms
also the fact that they are specifically being described as "becoming" a cool beauty, rather than like, dressing as one, makes me think this is more permanent, like transitioning, rather than crossdressing
ive also had people say that the most accurate translation of the word used to describe their gender is just "trap", which absolutely is transphobic
i think a better translation of "otokonoko" is more like "crossdresser" though ?? calling a character who says they want to be refered to in feminie ways a crossdresser instead is transphobis either way though
which makes it seem like this is like, a transfem character being presented in a transphobic way by their creator to me ??
as such, as a trans person myself, i didnt want to uncritically post about a character who is seemingly being refered to in such a transphobic way without knowing more about them and being sure that what im writing is true
kei reads a bit like grell from black butler to me ig ASDHKJASHDK like, a character who is being called male but says theyre a woman and wants to be refered ot with feminie terms ?? i have no idea what words are used to dscribe grell in japanese though, im only bringing this up as have another example to compare kei to
i could totally be all wrong about this though ???? i know that japanese words for gender do not easily translate to english, as they come from a different culture and society, so the words used specifically within that culture and society need to be viewed within that context to fully make sense, if you get what i mean,, and ik that my views and knowledge of gender as a person living in the uk and being on the (largely american) english-speaking internet are going to be different to those of people living on the other side of the world to me, so i get that my interpretation of kei could be completely wrong
to me in my knowledge though, the fact they want to be refered to with feminine terms and want to "become" a cool beauty seems to be pretty indicitative of them just being transfem, rather than a crossdresser like their creator says
i really cannot be certain though, and i am completely open to being corrected by anyone who knows better, or can give anything on this topic !!
so since i have such doubts about kei, their gender, what to call them, and how they translate from japanese to english, i decided not to post about them ahskjdhjkasdh
tldr: i didnt post kei because to me they seem to be a transfem character being presented in a transphobic way, but i dont know japanese and cannot be sure that is the case, so i chose againt posting them
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YEAH........... YEAH..... LIKEWISE, NO NOTES AT ALL, THAT'S EXACTLY IT... Main antagonist deaths are often treated as "comeuppance," but that would be the ultimate comeuppance for Aoki. As it stands, the only people who actually suffer for it are Ichiban and Jo, and Ichi didn't even do anything wrong. Also please I'm positive there's more to wring out of Aoki and Jo for an essay 😭😭at the very least, I always love to hear your perspective!
"he'd made a social circle for himself where people predominantly liked him for the power and influence" <- incredibly Mine-core of Aoki btw (I also feel the rest applies a little in terms of Mine probably being very quick to write off people who Do care about him as not caring about him, as with Katase, but it's nowhere near the extent of the Arakawas)
Wait actually it's kind of funny... for both Mine and Aoki, I was so sure their endings would go a certain way. Mine and Kiryu'd fight Richardson off together and Ichi'd, I don't know, shield Aoki or hug him so Kume couldn't get to him in the first place, or after that INSANE direct parallel to Arakawa running to the hospital with Masato, he'd miraculously pull through like he did on New Year's. Tormented with visions of the better timeline... With Aoki in particular, it makes me want to tear my hair out because the moment of him choosing to put the gun in the locker was REVOLUTIONARY for the series, looking at the characters he was most heavily based on.
Anyway. Bottom line. These bitches need to hug it out. It was so evil Arakawa didn't hug Ichi at Omi HQ or on the waterfront like bro stop being """manly""" for five seconds you're ruining my life you're ruining your own lives
There'd genuinely be nothing more painful yet more satisfying for an antagonist than being confronted with the consequences of their actions and having to navigate life after having making those decisions, ESPECIALLY when it comes to mending the bonds that- for anyone else- would have shattered long ago. With Aoki being motivated by the want to be loved and appreciated for himself, it would've been nice to see him finally acknowledge that he did have that love and start to better himself as a result (however much he'd be able to while in prison anyway lmao).
The Mine and Aoki comparisons are so real though, I remember joking to myself about it days after beating the game but it just fuels my mental illness every time I think about it ☠️ I LEGALLY AM NOT ALLOWED TO GO OFF ABOUT THE Y7 ENDING I'VE DONE IT TOO MUCH it makes me so mad every time I think about it 😭 ESPECIALLY THE PARALLELS WITH ARAKAWA AND THE LOCKERS UGGGHHH IT COULD HAVE BEEN SUCH AN EPIC CONCLUSION WITH THAT... Arakawa running from the lockers at the start of Aoki's life compared to Ichiban running from the lockers and getting Aoki to the hospital so Aoki can restart life I'm Going To Kill Someone (myself) (in Minecraft)
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