#and sora sounds so generic

[zhongrin]

Damion

Dardanos

Icarus

Janus

Notus - Greek. The god of the south wind

Pollux - Greek. Crown

Zephyr - God of the west wind

Aeolus

Etienne

Kazimir

Yama

Not me googling names for gods (why is there not a website for fallen gods?? I only get angel names and bah.)

hmmm there's gotta be one somewhere in the deep webs, i mean it's the internet- isn't 'sylph' also a wind spirit(?) name? i personally feel like i want to stick to jp names bc of his origin tho 🤔

[seishun-emergency]

switch's vocals are at their peaks in i witch you a happy halloween i need to know what they put in the water for all of them to sound THAT good

[niehuaisang]

do digimon adventure ip holders realize they can make a movie abt the original cast without turning it into some big epic tearjerker? Some of us just want to see jou and yamato stand in the kitchen again

[bmpmp3]

one thing the musical isotope cevio voicebanks have on like any other vocal synth ive seen is how intensely moody and expressive they can be. i thought it was just kafu who had that gritty breathy seething sound but rime and haru are also both great for angrier or more intense emoting

[savepalestineinfamily19]

Hello everyone, I am Mohamed Almadhoun from the northern Gaza Strip, displaced in Deir Al-Balah, and living in a tent with my family.😢��

We lost our home in Gaza and my father and I lost our source of income and now we live on aids.

And this is the story of losing our home:

14-11-2024 one day before our evacuation to the south.

The situation was so confusing, making it hard for us to determine whether we should stay in Jabalia or evacuate to the evacuation zone or the south. The next day, during the evening prayer's final prostration, house of Al-Hasani, across from us, was. hit by sudden shelling. It was extremely difficult; we felt terror-stricken as the lights went out suddenly, followed by a deafening explosion. My heart stopped_ about 10 seconds, and I felt a strong suffocation due to the smell of gunpowder and the dust swirling in the air!

When the terrifying sound ceased, we were shocked by the devastation that befell us. We saw windows and shattering around us, with shards falling from the ceiling. It was a horrifying sight; I saw my little sister covered in blood, women screaming, and I took my sisters and the out the house to check on their safety.

An ambulance was parked on the street to transport the wounded, so my sister and her baby daughter went with them to Al-Awda Hospital. Thank God, our injuries were minor; I had a wound on my head and slight bleeding, as did my niece, who was injured on her face. After our treatment, we returned home to find it completely destroyed; we had lost everything, and nothing was left intact. After that, I decided to talk to my father about leaving for the south. I can't stay here after this horrific experience.

Thanks to your generous support, we've raised €5,081 of our €50,000 goal, covering the initial coordination for evacuation of one member of our family. I’m deeply grateful for your contributions and help in spreading the campaign. However, we still need to secure the rest of the family.

Our next goal is to raise an additional €4,919 by the end of this week to reach a total of €10,000. This amount will cover the costs for evacuation of my yanger brother and I.

Our campaign is verified by Genei Moon and this is their Telegram account @femmeintifada she has a group of verified families from gaza on telegram

Please continue to support and share the campaign. Every share and donation helps reduce their suffering and brings us closer to our goal.

https://gofund.me/68c086c2

@90-ghost @nabulsi @northgazaupdates2 @el-shab-hussein @fairuzvevo @vakarians-babe @sarazucker @fairuzfakhira @a-nautilus-as-pixel-art @13eyond-13oring @baby-indie-blog @just-browsing1222 @sar-sora @sayruq @appsa @akajustmerry @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @feluka @markiplier @el-shab-hussein @sayruq @tortiefrancis @flower-tea-fairies @tsaricides @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @vivisection-gf @belleandsaintsebastian @ear-motif @animenta @kordeliiius @commissions4aid-international @brutaliakhoa @raelyn-dreams @troythecatfish @the-bastard-king @4ft10tvlandfangirl @queerstudiesnatural

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[sharksandjays]

I think something that Dragons Rising is doing so so well is making the ninja cooler.

I know that sounds weird. But listen. The ninja aren't the main characters anymore! Wanna know who the main characters are? Arin and Sora. Two 15 year olds. Two kids, one of which was raised learning about the ninja and how cool they are.

And the thing is, they are cool! But in the older seasons, the ones focused on the ninja themselves, we focus on the flaws (because the whole point of their seasons are character development.) We don't see them as cool as they are because the narration is from their point of view. Everything that they do is just day-to-day stuff. And, honestly, we get desensitized to all the things we'd normally think is cool because to them its normal!

I think my first epiphany of this was back in season 2 i think when Jay, who is generally perceived to be the weakest of the ninja, easily judo flips Darreth like its nothing, and we know that guy isn't the lightest of people. I saw that and went "huh." because if it wasn't him interacting with a normal citizen i wouldnt think anything of it. If it was him sparring with lloyd or something id be like "yeah whatever ninja do that." but it wasnt until i saw it from outside the ninja's perspective that it really made me think wow these kids are cool.

And thats exactly what dragons rising is doing. Arin is the main character. Our narrative point of view is coming from his eyes. We focus less on the ninja's flaws and more on what makes them awesome. We are looking at them through an inexperienced, child based, point of view. When seeing Lloyd do fancy sword maneuvers would have been normal because pshaw everyone does that is now really cool because wow you dont see that every day.

Dragons Rising allows us to go huh. These are ninjas that have been training and fighting for more than 10 years together. They are really freaking COOL for that.

So Arin, i'm behind you kid. I get your ninja fandom too.

[sunshine-scented]

Helloo again, I wanted to thank you for making my last request, i loved it <33 I don't know if it's still accepting requests, if not it's ok you can just ignore it ^^, but if so, I could make a hcs of wukong, macaque and nezha with your wife s/o dragon (again sorry kk i love dragons) pregnant? I imagine dragons are like rabbits and have lots of children, how would they react if your wife wanted more children after she had already given birth to her first child? having nsfw along, sorry if it's too much can just ignore ;w;

Sora!!!! I love these dragon requests so much oh my gosh I'm obsessed!!! (Also, thanks for adding Nezha, now I can finally brainrot about him hehehehehe~)

❀ Dragon Family ❀

: Dragon s/o wants more babies!! Give the big scary dragon her babies!!!!!

: Sun Wukong, Macaque, Nezha x fem!reader

: Fluff and a generous amount of Smut :))

Sun Wukong

• would absolutely agree with you, a hundred percent

• he has so many monkey friends so he's used to taking care of multiple things

• and if it makes his wife happy??? It's already an immediate yes from him

• like, you didn't even have to try to convince him

• he's already planning the names of the babies as you speak

• excited to see more children run around the mountain

• suddenly, he's not so lonely anymore

• sobbing

Wukong carefully set you down on the bed, his lips catching yours in a heated kiss as you wrap your arms on his neck. He trails his hands on your waist and softly starts to grind against you.

You tugged on his hair making him groan and bite your lip as he lets go to stare into your eyes "My beautiful wife" he takes one of your hands and places a chaste kiss on your knuckles "My oh so precious wife"

You giggled at his affectionate behavior making him smile, he leaned in towards your ear biting against your skin, gently pulling it with his teeth making you shiver and moan out his name.

"I'm gonna pump you up with my children yeah? Gonna make you look so full of me, and only me~♡"

Six eared Macaque

• he's a little hesitant to agree with you

• he's not used to taking care of something so...fragile

• and yet you want more??

• that's what he tells himself, yet that look on your face as you ask him over and over again made him double take

• the sight of you kneeling down before him, your hands hugging his waist as you look up at him with those pretty eyes of yours

• heavens, save this poor man

• eventually, he agrees to your requests

• with a small price of all your time tonight~

"Ahn~ Macaque.." you whined as he pinned your hands over your head, his tongue licking your neck and biting your delicate skin against his fangs, a low chuckle was heard from him.

"What's wrong? Isn't this what you asked of me, Darling~?" His suave voice made your knees weak as he picked you up and placed you on the kitchen table, squeezing your thighs and capturing your lips in a sloppy, messy kiss.

He groans at your warmth and how willing you are to give all of your being to him, sends shivers down his spine as he pulls out and stares into your half lidded eyes. He smirked and slapped your thigh, erupting a moan from you

"Shh, quiet now. Our little baby is sleeping, we wouldn't want to wake them up from their precious nap now would we~"

Nezha

• AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

• sorry that's my bad

• anyways, he's similar to Macaque

• he has both the map of the samadhi fire and the jade emperor to protect, both of which isn't an easy job to do as it is

• but you're just so irresistible ♡

• and a huge tease

• surely, you would gladly take responsibility of the absolute mess you made him to be, no?

You started to grind you hips onto his lap, making cute little sounds right beside his ear as you felt him take a breath to try and calm himself down, he's just so adorable

He suddenly grabbed your waist in a tight hold making you gasp as he took the opportunity to shove his tongue inside your mouth in a sloppy wet kiss, you hummed his pleasure as you start to trail your hands onto his chest.

You tugged and pulled on his hair near his scalp making his breath hitch as he pulls away, a string of saliva connecting your mouths "You're playing a dangerous game, (Name)" he breathlessly whispered to you with a furrowed brow.

Yet you licked your lips and started you caress his thigh and leaned in closer to him "I know, I just want to know if you're strong enough to play with me~" you mocked a baby voice on him as he finally snapped, grabbing a fistfull of your hair and pulled your head facing upwards making you moan as he started biting onto your exposed neck.

"Lucky for you, I love a good challenge~"

No I don't have favoritism, what are you even going on about silly

[matenr0u]

Oblivion, the Riku Keyblade: Translation

Oblivion/Bygone Memories

過ぎ去りし思い出Sugisarishi Omoide

Here’s my entry point for a bit of a deep dive into the ‘Riku Keyblade’. I have a few points jotted down about Oblivion, since it’s one of my favourite keyblades, but I’ll start with the name of it.

First it’s important to establish that despite being the Riku Keyblade, it’s actually symbolic of not just Riku alone but specifically Sora’s relationship with him. As the series progresses it gains a level of importance to other characters too, but being a Sora enjoyer I tend to regard Roxas and Xion like two little hamsters that escaped their pen and need to be stuffed back in, so I’m not sure if I’ll overly talk about them.

On to the name: I like the sound of the already established translation, ‘Passing Memories’, but I find ‘Passing’ is a word much too vague compared to ‘Bygone Memories’, so as a personal preference I’ll refer to it with my own interpretation unless someone more fluent in Japanese demonstrates another name that rolls more easily off the tongue.

Anyway, let’s get into the meat of this thing and how I reached this conclusion.

EN: Oblivion

JP: 過ぎ去りし思い出Sugisarishi Omoide

過ぎ去りし = Sugisarishi = Bygone/Long ago/Departed

思い出 = Omoide = Memory/Memories 

過ぎ = Too much/Passed/Past

去りし = Gone

Bygone Memories

Generally you can think of the meaning like, ‘a keyblade representing our shared memories of the distant past.’

Another interpretation more specific to the breakdown of their relationship could be, ‘our fond memories which have been left by the wayside.’

An example of how this phrase is typically used: 

過ぎ去りし日の思い出 

Memories of bygone days

I wonder if the keyblade’s name is a contraction of this phrase.

I don’t get the feeling that 過ぎ去りし思い出/Sugisarishi Omoide implies literally confused/forgotten memories as much as the EN name Oblivion does; moreso a nostalgic, or melancholy, reflection on good times between two people which occurred long ago.

I think both the EN and JP names can be interpreted to suit Sora and Riku’s connection to this Keyblade well, but there’s some nuance I’d like to get into.

忘却 Bokyaku is the term used in the JP name for Castle Oblivion — 忘却の城/Bokyaku no Shiro (Castle of Oblivion) — this word translates much more literally to Oblivion, a state of confusion or having forgot, than 過ぎ去りし/Sugisarishi, which is more like ‘long since passed/departed’. 

For this reason I get the idea that the keyblade was named Oblivion in EN because it sounds badass, still gets the point across, and goes well with Oathkeeper (which also has some liberties taken in the translation, presumably because that too sounds cooler to a western audience*).

There is a similar example within Kingdom Hearts’ usage of the word ‘memories’, too. In contrast to 記憶/kioku which is used for Memory’s Skyscraper — and sounds closer to, plainly, ‘one’s own memory/recollection’ —, the term 思い出/omoide usually denotes a memory or memories shared between people. It has a much more reminiscent tone of fond memories (or, perhaps, a particular memory?) shared with another, which fits well with the purpose of this keyblade and adds a bit of nuance that the EN name Oblivion lacks.

*You can also see this reflected in KHIII Oblivion’s default shotlock, named ‘Bladefury Eclipse’ in EN and ドーンエクリプス/Dawn Eclipse in JP. The JP name is much more meaningful to Sora and Riku and it’s a shame this was cast aside for cool points. ‘Dawn’ is written right there in kana, why didn’t they use it?

Meanwhile the shotlock ステラインセプション/Stellar Inception — which is shared with its sister keyblade Oathkeeper — remains identical in EN and JP.

I have Thoughts about the item required to obtain Oblivion in KHIII, known as Proof of Times Past in EN, but for now I’ll offer a simple translation.

EN: Proof of Times Past

JP: 過ぎ去りし証 Sugisarishi Akashi

Certificate of the Bygone

Or, ‘Evidence of Long Ago’

This one checks out, but some EN players seem confused about this certificate being called Times Past while the keyblade is called Oblivion. Hopefully my translation notes on the JP name shed some light on it.

And the item description:

EN: “A certificate awarded to those who have endured the most difficult trial of them all.”

JP: 「険しい戦いを制した者に贈られる証」

`Kewashii tatakai o seishita mono ni okurareru akashi'

“A certificate awarded to those who have overcome an insurmountable battle.”

Not much to add here either, but as a game dev myself I really enjoy the tiny gameplay detail of Sora literally being rewarded with Bygone Memories for pushing through ‘an extremely difficult conflict’— if you’re familiar with other Sora & Riku centric KH analyses, you can probably see where I’m going with this, so I’ll save that tangent for another day.

That about wraps up this part.

A final note for those who subscribe to the necklace theory: Bygone Memory — as in, a singular fond memory shared between two people long ago that may have since been cast aside, is an equally valid translation of the JP name.

This is just a fun little rant into the void, if I missed anything or made any mistakes, feel free to add on to it.

[deecotan]

I’ve been playing around with omegaverse ZS lovechild concept for a while and now here she is! Her name is Minori, she was born sometime during the Strawhats’ voyage so she was practically raised in the Sunny. She exists in an omegaverse canon-divergent AU where the plotline is basically the same as canon, diverging post-Wano and post-Strawhat Jinbe (similar to Film Red situation). 

Ramblings below: 

I created her with the idea of a lovechild who is different from Aoi, the first ZS lovechild that I created. Aoi is an exuberant, happy-go-lucky person, with a tomboyish appearance and a more “unkempt” look that she imprinted from Zoro. Minori is reserved and quiet, if not somewhat shy, with a more feminine, neater appearance and overall looks that is inspired by Sanji, and by extension, Reiju and Sora. Minori is also set in the canon universe and raised on a pirate ship, in contrast to Aoi who is set in a modern AU One Piece and grew up in a family home. 

I originally planned her to use rapier as her main weapon at first, but then I thought it would be a little weird for Zoro’s kid to choose a different type of sword, so I decided to scrap it. The name and the general color palette of the sword remains the same, though.

Additionally, her name was originally supposed to be “Marisol” since it can mean “sea and sun” in Spanish and also because I want to try giving her a more European-sounding name. I decided to scrap it since it won’t fit with the rest of the Strawhats’ naming custom; most of the Strawhats have easy-sounding names that are easy to pronounce both in English and Japanese (Luffy/Ru-fi, Na-mi, Zo-ro, etc), and most of them only consist of 2-3 syllables. Marisol is 4 syllables long when pronounced in Japanese (Marisoru), so I decided to change it to a simpler name.

My Japanese VA headcanon for Minori is Yui Ishikawa. She has the type of voice that gives off “elegant and sophisticated lady who can kill you” energy especially when voicing Mikasa from Attack on Titan and 2B from Nier:Automata. 

She spends most of her childhood in Thousand Sunny, and then her early teen years to the rest of her life in Sanji’s floating restaurant in All Blue together with her parents, Zeff, and the rest of the Baratie crew. She would then travel to other islands by herself from time to time, sometimes saving people and getting into fights on the way, and send letters back to her parents that tell of her adventures.

Personality-wise, Minori is a calm, collected person. She tends to keep her emotions at bay and rarely overreacts to anything, and likes to solve problems in an analytical way. Deep down, Minori is also a kind and considerate person, and is especially very compassionate towards those who are in need. She has a strong sense of justice, and believes in the notion that the strong must protect the weak. She is also a bit socially awkward, having trouble befriending people normally as they would usually get scared of her first. 

Minori is very inquisitive as a child, often questioning many things and finding solace in reading books. Because of this, she looks up a lot to Robin, whom she thinks is very intelligent and “all-knowing”.  

Because she grows up in Sunny, aside from Zoro and Sanji themselves, she is practically raised by everyone in the crew and so has imprinted some of them as well. She appreciates Robin’s morbid humor, has a slightly extensive knowledge in first aid from Chopper, can differentiate between a good and a bad lie thanks to Usopp, and comes to love music from Brook. 

People would often call her the “Miracle Child” due to the exceptional circumstances during which she was born. She is a child born into a pirate crew, with that pirate crew being the Strawhat Pirates and her parents being two of their strongest members nonetheless, and she is born when Sanji is being held hostage. (I’ll delve into that soon. Later. One day.) 

As a result of spending most of her childhood on a pirate ship, Minori has a much more hardened outlook in life, having learned how to fight and defend herself against enemies. She can be downright vicious when circumstances warrant it, especially when dealing with cruel and powerful enemies. 

She trains swordsmanship under Zoro, and as she grows stronger and more skillful in it, she begins to develop her own fighting style utilizing her enhanced speed, agility, and dexterity, of which she inherits from Sanji. 

Her sword’s tsuba (hand guard) is circular-shaped and has a wave pattern that looks something like this: 

Her epithet “Sword Princess” comes from her exceptional swordsmanship, her fighting style that’s been described as being “elegant”, and her overall wardrobe aesthetic that heavily resembles a princess. 

She is noted to have exceptional beauty, and many people have praised her for it. Sanji has been notable for furiously beating people up if he catches them ogling or talking to her inappropriately. 

Her name written in kanji would be 美緑, consisting of 美 which means “beauty, beautiful” and 緑 which means “green, greenery (the colors of trees and grasses)”. I think it’s an amusingly fitting name for Zoro and Sanji’s child. 

Since she technically exists in an A/B/O universe, she does have a secondary gender as well, which is Beta.

[penofwildfire]

Is it weird that Arin being chill with murder and Sora being a guy who like. Makes puppies and doesn't wanna hurt anyone feels subversive somehow? Like on paper it sounds completely normal, guy who loves being a ninja and is a little too okay with murder and girl who makes puppies out of hard light and isn't great at the ninja stuff. Sounds like pretty generic gender roles even. But somehow when it plays out on screen it feels subversive. It feel abnormal. Idk, maybe it's because Sora is an inventor/engineer like Nya and Pixal so you expect her to also be a fighter like they are, and Arin is a sweet kid who bakes pies so you expect him to be some sort of ✨uwu smol bean✨.

Just something I was thinking about earlier

[kxizoku-ou]

Have you had any thoughts on hybrid versions of the one piece characters? I love seeing what animals people associate with the characters 😅. Also ears and tails are cute

Hybrid Au, my beloved!!! owo I tend to go heavier with the animal research/xeno than just "ears and tails", but yes, I absolutely have thoughts— here's a handful of my favorites/who comes to mind!

. . .

Kaidou — Auroch bull: The now-extinct relative of modern cattle, closely related to Spanish fighting bulls. Bull feels fitting for Kaidou, I think— they're huge, potentially dangerous animals that get screwed over in blood sports or as slaughterhouse bait, and near-universally seen as aggressive because of instincts that are based in self-preservation or protecting a herd. And of course, ending up as a bull hybrid is just what happens to my favs, by now... (@senjuushi)

Judge — Tawny eagle: His "Garuda" theme implies a bird of prey from the start, so it's an easy pick! Described as "opportunistic", with a habit of feeding on carrion (and stealing other animals' prey), yet still "a bold and active predator", tawny eagles fit well with Judge's vibe of regal, pompous, and trying way too hard. They also tend to mate for life... and male birds are known for flashy courtship habits. Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji would be the same species for this Au.

Sanji — Mourning dove: Keeping with the bird theme of his family, but a far less bloodthirsty species. Mourning doves are fluffy, vocal birds that are known for being "prolific breeders". They can be territorial between males, but are also social pair-bonders. Sora would have been a dove too, and Sanji sharing her species is just one more sign that the modifications failed. There's also something very fitting about a "caged bird" theme for his experiences with Germa.

Spandam — Giant panda: Useless animal that would be extinct by now without human intervention. Clumsy, pathetic, and admittedly pretty cute, but not good for much other than existing under careful supervision in a zoo. Of course, Spandam's terrible personality ruins most of the cuteness effect his hybrid species might have— ultimately, he's a needy, spoiled idiot who's eternally dependent on the care of others. And personally, I think he should have a cute, sensitive little stubby tail, perfect to yank on when he's being a brat.

Katakuri — Grizzly bear: Linlin is a grizzly hybrid as well, and the shared species adds to Katakuri's reputation as her "perfect" son. He's huge, powerful, and highly threatening... but would be just as content to gorge himself on snacks and all but hibernate afterward. If it wasn't for his self-imposed standard of perfection, that is. His fucked-up mouth seems even worse on a large predator species, too, which definitely adds to his complex/self-consciousness over it.

Perospero — Red fox: I saw a fanart of him as a fox hybrid on Pixiv, and it convinced me. A smug, sneaky bastard who takes after his mother's carnivore tendencies, but with far less of an intimidation factor to back it up. Annoyingly talkative and far more socially oriented than he wants to admit, as well as capable of being an absolute nuisance when he wants to— all of that sounds very fitting for Peros, I think. And fox whining noises fit his crybaby side.

Cracker — Bushy-tailed woodrat: Prey animals that are described as "vocal and boisterous", and nuisances for "creating general noisy havoc"— seems appropriate for Cracker, an overconfident brat who's far less tough than he acts. Packrats (the overall category) are nest-builders, too, which fits with how he spends so much time hiding in his biscuit soldiers to avoid direct combat. Woodrats also apparently have a foot-thumping tendency; a good match for his clapping!

Pudding — British longhair cat: Babygirl-looking murder machine seems highly appropriate. British longhairs have the sweetest little faces and soft coats, but cats are nature's finest serial killers at their core. Pudding would be perfect as a needy, jealousy-prone kitty who's way too good at playing up the cutesy kitten act to get on people's good sides— right up until a tsundere moment kicks in. Then, she's all puffed-up, twitching tail and poorly stifled purring.

Caesar — Axolotl: Like his pet poison slime thing! Axolotls are apparently "used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate limbs, gills, and parts of their eyes and brains", which feels fitting for Caesar, as does the fact that they're tricky to take care of as pets (and keep getting put in cages by people who don't treat them well, at that). Also, those feathery external gills are cute!!

Queen — American alligator: Lethal fat fuck of a reptile, exactly how Queen should be! Alligators can be lazy and kind of goofy-looking, but they're still dangerous and very strong. The huge, thick tail is also an obvious plus (the "Brachio-Snakeus" trick haunts me). And really, can't you see him sprawled out all lazy, for gator-style sunbathing?

Drake — Rottweiler/Border Collie mix: A strong, intelligent, capable, and work-oriented animal, that would (as a dog-experienced friend put it), "tear a house down to the foundation" if left without enough to occupy it. Drake gives me "beaten dog" vibes, in general, and it feels fitting that his hybrid species could easily have been sweet, if not for the trauma and DEEP psychological issues.

Law — Shorthaired silver tabby: Law is so very catboy-coded. He's a grumpy, fussy kitty who will both claw your arm open if you try to touch him, and could just as easily be reduced to a purring puddle if his guard gets torn down enough to allow it. Cats are highly effective agents of violence (and can be total bastards, when they want to), but also absolute babies. And imagine tiny, angry catboy Law getting scruffed by Rocinante to prevent the aforementioned clawing.

[phoenix-downer]

KH4 First Trailer

This is the first KH4-related translation post I've done (nearly two years late ;lakjsdf my how the time flies), and hopefully there will be many more to come. I'll be focusing on the dialogue and text in the trailer and not so much on the camera angles, character expressions, etc. this time around just because I want to keep the focus on the translations.

Here’s a general key for the kind of analysis I like to do:

JP: Official Japanese Dialogue

EN: Official English Dialogue

TR: My Translation (usually more literal and thus more stilted than the official English version. I’m not using natural-sounding English in order to stick as close to the Japanese versions of the lines as possible for the purpose of analysis)

Notes: things I found interesting, grammatical points, extra thoughts, etc.

One last note: media doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Every work of art must be viewed through the cultural lens of the people who made it. Kingdom Hearts, for all its ties to Disney, is still very much a Japanese game, so it should be analyzed in light of that.

With that in mind, let’s continue.

JP 自分が望む結末ではなかったと絶望するのならー

EN If this isn't the ending you desired—if it brings you despair—

TR If (this) wasn't the ending you hoped for—if (you) feel despair—

Notes: Sigurd is apparently the character saying these next few lines.

The word for "ending" here, ketsumatsu, is an interesting word choice. It is often used in the context of stories (though it also has other uses), which fits really well with how KH4 will play around with the concept of reality vs. unreality. So on a meta level it's like, "If you didn't like how KH3 ended, if you didn't like how Sora ended up, then help him escape Quadratum."

Also, the word the official English version translates as "desired," nozomu, can mean "desire, want, wish for, hope for," and it's an antonym of zetsubō, the word translated "despair." So there's this nice poetic contrast going on between hope and despair in this bit in the Japanese version.

JP 他の世界に退場すればいい

EN then leave this world for another

TR —(then you) should leave for another world.

Notes: This particular word for "leave," taijō, can be used for leaving venues, stadiums, parking lots, rooms, sports games, etc. It can also be used for actors exiting the stage. Take a look at definition #1, which translated states, "Leaving venues, stadiums etc." and #2, which translated states, "Actors etc. leaving the stage" (Source):

I thought that was really interesting, because using a word with these specific connotations makes me wonder if this is more of that meta commentary, this time about how we should direct Sora the character to leave Quadratum if we so desire. Sure, the general sense of "leave" or "exit" is the main meaning here, but I always get so intrigued by word choice and all the connotations a word has.

Also, the phrasing isn't exactly the same, but there is a euphemism in Japanese for the place your soul goes when you die, takai, that uses the same kanji as hoka no sekai that we see in "another world" here, it just uses the onyomi pronunciation instead of the kunyomi pronunciation for "another" hoka/tai and has no no particle.

Googling hoka no sekai brought up a lot of images about parallel worlds and the isekai genre, so that's probably the most accurate connotation given Sora's world traveling adventures thus far, but I still thought that was an interesting tidbit, even if it's a complete reach on my end. Like sure Sora can go to other worlds, but he's still dead, so he's still going to more places where he's dead and can't go home where he'd be fully alive.

JP 選択肢は無限にあるはずだー

EN Your options are endless.

TR (Your) options/choices should be endless/limitless—

Notes: I really like how the English version contrasts "ending" with "endless." You don't like the ending Sora got in KH3? Your options for taking him to other worlds are "endless." The Japanese version has this interesting tidbit too where the speaker conveys an expectation. He says hazu, which means "expected," "should be," "must be." So he expects Sora's options are endless, but it has a slightly different nuance than if he'd just said they are endless.

JP 心は魂に宿り　魂は運命によって在るべき場所へ導かれる

EN The heart resides within the soul which in turn is guided by fate to its rightful place

TR (The) heart dwells in (the) soul, (and the) soul is guided by fate to its rightful place (lit. the place it should be).

Notes: There's not really any difference between the official English version and my translation. It's just interesting to break it down. For whatever reason the "rightful place" of the soul has the verb of existence for inanimate objects (aru) instead of the one for animate objects (iru). Not sure if that's a set phrase or if the soul in this context would be considered an inanimate object (time to go down a rabbithole about animacy in Japanese).

This bit also kinda reminded me of how Xehanort talked in KH3 when he was recounting the cycle of light and darkness. The language has a very "mythological"/storytelling feel to me, which makes sense given whoever is saying these lines is talking about fate, destiny, the nature of the universe, etc. And then the floating text in the darkness also reminds me of the Dive into the Heart sequences with the disembodied voice as well, so it could also be a reference to that.

JP 選択は再び委ねられる

EN The choice is yours once more.

TR (The) choice is left (to you) once more./(The) choice is entrusted (to you) once more.

Notes: Once again, this bit of text seems very meta. It feels like it's addressed to the fans, given how we're the ones who will be controlling Sora in KH4. And of course the image shows his chess piece with his crown symbol on it, so the implication is that Sora's heart will be the one guiding him once more, and his heart will be guided by fate.

JP あなたはこの世界に来て7日間　ずっと眠っていたの

EN You've been asleep since you arrived in this world seven days ago.

TR You came to this world seven days ago (and you)'ve been sleeping (the) whole time.

Notes: I don't love my translation because nanokakan more literally means "a period of seven days," but yeah I think I get the gist across.

Strelitzia refers to Sora as anata here when the norm is to refer to other people by their names in Japanese, even when addressing them directly, so either she doesn't know his name yet or she's being very polite, almost distant. She also ends her declaration with no, likely to indicate she's offering more of an explanation (it also makes her sound pretty cute and feminine).

Also, as I'm going through this trailer again, I'm reminded that Sora doesn't talk at all. He has the battle grunts during his fight against the Darkside, but he doesn't have any dialogue. I just thought that was interesting, because Xehanort commented on Sora not having a voice in Melody of Memory as well. Somehow that also told Xehanort where Sora's heart is located (foreshadowing for this game I suppose). I wonder if Sora will be similarly voiceless at first in KH4 or if he just is for this trailer for dramatic effect because Nomura knows everyone wants to hear him speak.

And then of course I have to mention the significance of Sora being asleep in Quadratum for seven days. Seven has a lot of significance in the KH universe, given how there are seven guardians of light. Seven is also the length of a week, and it's a number that has connotations of wholeness and completion in certain cultures.

JP ここは クァッドラトゥムー

EN This is Quadratum—

TR (This is) Quadratum—

Notes: Not really anything to note here other than the gorgeous graphics, how Sora doesn't look at all like his usual cheerful self (no smile to be found), and the colors in Quadratum seem very warm/brown/earth tones/"real" and not super bright and colorful like in the "main" KH universe.

JP 生者の世界ではあるけれどー

EN It's a world full of life—

TR (It's) a world of living people/the living but—

Notes: Seija is translated as "full of life" in the official English version, but it more literally means "living people" or "the living." So Strelitzia is pointing out that all around them are living people and yet, for her and Sora, it's still a world of death because she and Sora should be dead.

JP 私たちにとっては“死の世界”ってことになるみたい

EN but for you and I, it's similar to an "afterworld," I suppose.

TR —for us, (it) seems like it's "a world of death."

Notes: This is where I wish the English version was closer to the Japanese version. "World of death" or "world of the dead" would've been a closer translation, and I'm not sure why it wasn't used (perhaps to avoid mentioning the dreaded "d" word). I do like the pun-like quality of "afterworld," combining "afterlife" and the oft-used-in-the-KH-universe "world," and since the translators have access to information I don't about the game's lore, I can't say whether crucial lore has been lost in translation, but I wanted to point out the difference here.

Also, the grammar pattern Strelitzia uses here, koto ni naru, indicates something that's outside of her and Sora's control. This being an afterlife of sorts for the two of them was decided by factors beyond their control, in other words. She also uses mitai to indicate her speculation/observation.

JP だがー

EN However—

TR However—

Notes: This is back to Sigurd speaking, and very ominously so.

JP 一度退場すれば元の世界に戻れると思うなー

EN if you do leave this world behind, don't expect to return to the one from which you came—

TR —once (you) leave, don't think (you) can go back to (your) original world—

Notes: This ends on a rather ominous note. Again the word taijō is used here for "leave" much like earlier in the trailer. I remember this dialogue when I first watched this trailer because it was such a wham line. What do you mean Sora can't go home? He can go to other worlds but he can't go home? What will it take to bring him home then? Something pretty drastic from the sounds of it.

Also, I like the formal wording of the official English version. Sigurd sounds like he's from a different time.

Then of course this next bit cuts to Donald and Goofy, searching for ways to find Sora presumably:

JP どこにいるんだろう？

EN I wonder where he is.

TR (I) wonder where (he) is.

Notes: Nothing really to talk about, just that the "I" and "he" is implied in Japanese (Japanese tends to drop pronouns in places they would be required in English because there's enough info provided by context, verb conjugations, etc. to figure out who the speaker is talking about).

JP 手がかり見つかるといいね

EN I don't know, but I sure hope he can help.

TR I hope (we) can find (a) clue.

Notes: A bit of a difference here, Goofy is focused more on finding a clue in Japanese whereas in English he's hoping "he" (Hades, presumably) can help.

JP おい

EN Hey!

TR Hey!

Notes: Hades' Japanese VA has a very distinctive voice, and so right from this word you know it's him a;lsdkjf and he's as snarky and blunt as ever lol.

JP どこへ行くんだ

EN Just where do you think you're going?

TR (Just) where (do you think you)'re going?

Notes: I love the sass and snark of the English translation, and it captures the vibes of the Japanese version well (Hades uses ~nda at the end of the sentence to indicate he wants more information out of them). They found Hades, but now they'll actually have to deal with Hades...

And that's what I have for now! I am curious about what promo material will be released next and what new tidbits we'll have to speculate on. Fingers crossed we get more info around the anniversary this year!

The Japanese trailer is here.

The English trailer is here.

[deepdrownlamentt]

hello lola ^^ t'is i :3 may i ask for general relationship hcs w hoshiguma, texas and dusk? ty <3 glockforcer's u lovingly. get glockforcer'd NERD <3

↬ dusk, hoshiguma, and texas dating hcs

content warnings: brief mentions of drinking/alcohol

note: WELL WELL WELL. LOOK WHO WE HAVE HERE. HOW DOES REVENGE TASTE. anwyays i hope u like it ദ്ദിᐢ._.ᐢ₎ i hope u dont get pot 9 swaltered

↬ as DUSK's partner, you've earned the vaguely-coveted privilege of being one of the rare guests she'll accomodate, if not the only one. initially she may scold you for even knocking at her door despite inviting you over, but she's grown to expect your distinct way of rapping at her door, even letting out a little sigh through her nose as you step inside — you took far too long. are you trying to force her to go outside?

↬ a lot of your dates will be of the more unconventional kind, too. occasions where she leaves her room are few and far between, after all. dusk even has a tendency to call anything involving you willingly being nearby — accompanying her back after a mission, or hanging out in her (if you're lucky, even your) room — a date of some sort.

↬ of course, dusk often spouts something or other about how fortunate you are to even watch her paint, let alone spend so much time with her... but the long silences that stretch out between you, punctuated only by the sounds of your breathing, the flick of her brush against paper, the occasional frustrated sigh — stop moving. i have to get your eye right...

↬ ...well, she would be lying if she said she's anything short of fond of them.

↬ HOSHIGUMA is as steady and constant a lover as her shield is a barrier in battle. she wouldn't exactly call herself a creature of habit, but she has a tendency to go looking for you soon after she clocks out from work. her duty is to the lgd, to rhodes island — but her heart belongs to you, as cheesy as it is.

↬ she's very observant when it comes to you, too. she has a tendency to remember some of the smallest details, like how your expression shifts when you're upset or what outfit you wore on a date a few months back. she's just as dependable as she is to her coworkers, but of course, her coworkers aren't privy to the promises she makes to you between kisses, or the way she smiles as she steps into place beside you, one hand on your waist.

↬ on that note, she seems very much like an actions-speak-louder-than-words type of person. she won't be too touchy if you don't want her to be, but that doesn't stop her from offering to carry your bags every time she catches you running errands, or snickering as she helps reach for an object on an annoyingly-high shelf.

↬ one of hoshiguma's favourite things, though, is to rest her head against the crown of yours, whether it be while standing next to you, or while you're wrapped up in her arms. she'll press a kiss to your cheeks, your eyelids, the corner of your lips, the scent of alcohol light on her breath. did you miss her? she had a long day today — couldn't turn down the offer to go drinking with the rest. don't worry, though — from now until the sun rises tomorrow (and the day after that, and after that, and...) she's nothing but yours.

↬ true to the "ice queen" nickname that exusiai gave her, TEXAS isn't necessarily the type to be overly forward with her affections. that doesn't mean she forgoes them entirely, of course — she'd just very much prefer it if she didn't hear exusiai and sora cheering her on from the next room over.

↬ she seems very much like the type of person to not bring up the fact that she's in a relationship until she gets caught calling you her partner, or saying a soft, love you too when you call her while she's at work. she's pretty casual when it comes to other aspects of her relationship with you, too. she'll gladly hold your hand in public, press little kisses to your cheek, wipe away bits of food stuck to your face with her thumb, and the only change in her expression will be the hint of a smile, or the slightest tinge of a blush on her cheeks.

↬ taking you out on drives is an absolute must. it's an important part of the date routine — she'll come pick you up and let you choose the radio station from your spot in the passenger seat. even if you haven't decided on what to do yet, the sight alone of you sitting next to her, your eyes tracing the lungmen skyline as the car rumbles past, is enough for her.

↬ and — don't tell the girls, she'll say amusedly — it's nice to take a break from the sound of gunshots, and explosions, and raucous laughter sometimes. no matter what kind of trouble you might drag her into, she's confident she can pull you both out of it... and as a reward, she gets to watch how your hand shyly inches closer to hers, or feel how your breath stutters as she offers you a taste of her chocolate by pulling you into a kiss.

[eustasskiddsprosthetic]

Yuhh so Sabolaw but Sabo is aromantic?

(I'm so sorry if I depicted being aromantic inaccurately! I read 1 article and 1 reddit thread so please correct me on anything!! But back to the narrative!!)

These two idiots first meet in medical school and even though they only knew each other for at most two months before Sabo dropped out, they knew that they were soulmates. They just click in a way even they don't understand.

They find it easy to stare out into the sunset and not say anything. Sabo felt comfortable leaning on Law's shoulder and asking him—a diehard doctor/surgeon—if medicine is right for him.

Law, in turn, would reassure his silly blonde friend that he would succeed no matter where he went. It was a matter of deciding where he wanted to go, when and how. Law was the one to fill in Sabo's drop-out form, except Sabo's signature and press send on the email.

Post Sabo dropping out and swapping degrees, their favourite activity is sending little letters to each other's dorm rooms in university. They write these really long letters detailing how their week went and whatever they find interesting.

Sabo would go on about his new degree and Law would bitch about his uncle. They could just as easily text each other, but they would rather not use their phones too often. Besides, they found letter-writing intimate. It forced Law to keep his handwriting neat.

At first, Sabo thought it was a romantic sort of crush. It was nice because it was the first time he felt such warmth for someone. When Sabo told Ace this, Ace noticed something a bit... not romantic.

He asked if Sabo wanted to kiss Law and touch him sexually and Sabo immediately said no. He got heart flutters whenever Law wrote back but they were not exclusive? It's the same heart flutters when he attended Luffy's highschool graduation or when he picked up an autographed copy of his favourite writer's book... Hmm.

It really is not personal. Sabo tried to reason. Sabo never had crushes on anyone and personally found the concept rather silly. People fall in love? He knew a good working relationship needed more than just that but why did everyone focus so much on... What? Love?

Sabo doesn't get it. He thinks it's strange but he would be upset if Law rejected him. At a certain point, Law said he was pursuing a relationship with someone and Sabo did not feel jealous or scorned or anything like that, really.

"Will we still be friends?" Sabo blurts out. They meet up occasionally. They text for that.

"Why, of course," Law replies easily. "A relationship's just one part of it. It just means I have more to write about in our letters, beyond my uncle and Sora."

"That's good."

Law pouted.

"I mean our letters!" Sabo clarified. Law huffed. Law really hated his uncle and loved Sora and he was afraid Sabo thought he was boring. "Please don't ignore me! I'm sorry for the mixup! Law!"

But on a more serious note, Sabo found that reassertion of friendship more reassuring than he thought it would.

Sabo very confidently concluded the thing he's feeling is a platonic crush. He needed to workshop what it means but he liked the way it sounded at least. It has the intensity of feeling but also complete lack of romance he feels towards Law.

It wasn't romantic but Sabo cared about Law. Law was up there on the list of people Sabo considered important, second to himself and brothers. Sabo valued Law's opinion, not just of his personal character but of everything in general. Law's happiness was his own.

So it damn near devastates Sabo to see that one day, long after graduation when they started working...

It started with an unreplied text. And then an unreplied letter. And then a growing pile of unreplied letters...

They still met up. Law was busy, Sabo knew. Being a doctor was busy enough but a surgeon? Insanity. There was a reason why he dropped out of medical school!! But Sabo supposes something is wrong.

Law looked away more, almost to the point where they barely looked each other in the eye nowadays. Sabo knew Law still listened to him but he would suddenly blush, get jumpy and fuss over stupid things. Sabo wished he knew how to comfort his distressed friend, his precious soulmate whom he would do anything for.

[gulava]

Not really one to articulate what I’m thinking the best but I did want to discuss this at base level at the very least because it’s a feeling I’m quite familiar with. I didn’t think as much into it when I was a kid myself. Probably because I felt it was only natural to want the things Sora and Riku did. I wasn’t happy, after all.

Sora and Riku going to the play island to “get away” from their home as far as they can go is REALLY sad...and Riku saying the adults won’t let them go alone until their older hints to me more than just “wishing for independence”. It makes me wonder just WHY they want to be independent at such a young age- not to say it’s uncommon for kids to think this way in general but bare with me and remember what I said at the start.

Like not to say this to me is a red flag that something happened to Sora and Riku that made Riku want to get Sora and him out of there and is part of why Sora is interested in leaving as well but...yeah, it’s exactly that. Why is it that Sora and Riku want to leave their hometown (world, whatever) this badly? Because we know why Kairi wants to stay, why Kairi feels the way she does. Trauma, grief, a need for connection, something to hold onto, something to go back to when things get too scary or hard to deal with. Makes perfect sense!

But what started to seed the desire to leave for the other two of the Destiny Island kids and what made it their very goal at the start of KH1 and what makes them keep choosing to leave it despite any of the nostalgia surrounding it and an idealized wish for simpler and peaceful times?

We see Riku in flashbacks telling Sora that one day they’ll get away from all this and go on real adventures and stop being treated like kids which...strangely now sounds more reassuring rather than some “macho” talk from a little kid. It really sounds like he’s reassuring Sora he’ll get them out of there and then you realize...this is right after the meteor shower promise where he vowed to protect Sora, externally. What do I mean by “externally”?

The thing is we already see Riku in BBS knowing he wants to protect Sora and that he knows he can’t do it best by them both staying there so...what caused things to sprout this way? Why would Riku be so dead set on protecting Sora if there wasn’t something that could actually hurt him? It’s not just loving someone that makes you think stuff like that at such an age, it’s seeing the people you love being hurt. And how else would it make you feel as a child to be utterly incapable of doing a thing about it? Seems like your self-esteem would take a hit, over and over again. Same if you were being hurt or were hurt and couldn’t protect yourself or had to rely on someone else to do it for you. You’d probably try to overcompensate for what you think you’re missing.

Why would Kingdom Hearts spend time establishing healthy (albeit not perfect but practical) connections between these two and adult characters in their life that they only met once they leave the island? Why is Riku’s main adult support Mickey and Minnie rather...rather than his parents? Why is Sora’s main adult support Donald and Goofy rather than his parents? Why do Sora and Riku learn so much more from the adults they meet on their journeys than the ones at “home”. Terra and Aqua gave them hope that they could leave one day and a reached out hand to help make it happen. You can go on about how you think Kingdom Hearts is bad at writing relationships or whatever but it certainly has intention, even if the intention evolves as a series is going- such is the very nature of writing. Things evolve before your very eyes and older things seem different under new lenses.

And be it trauma, abuse, and/or neglect...even if by the end of the series, this isn’t brushed upon as obviously as I put it in favor of focusing on the traumas we’ve gotten to seen happen, I still believe it remains an important part of the overarching narrative and adds another layer to why Sora and Riku wanted to leave in the first place. And it’s part of why I don’t think they’ll live on the Destiny Islands in the end. They own phones now, after all. They can call their parents any time, if they wanted. But I hope they don’t.

[beginningobserver]

One Eighth Plan Day countdown.

Part 4 of 6 - Lui ⨉ Sora

You know that I love all 12 characters, but I have a lot of trouble with the older six (Taichi-Yamato-Sora-Mimi-Koushiro-Jou) because I am too used to and attached to their young juniors (aka the 02 group). So I have to resort to people who are more into them or at least specialized in them.

I think the idea of Sora helping Rui with the egg sounds cute. Kudos to @seventeenlovesthree for that idea ✌😗

Sora is the kind of person who helps more with small things and emotional support, and she might just make Rui see her as a sibling figure. Pretty sure Sora would understand his struggles like no one else and offer him a hand.

Also get a proper real mom figure as well...

She gives him tips from time to time to help him hatch the DigiEgg properly and to better understand the feelings of the digi and peeps in general.