#kenka suru hodo naka ga ii!?

[tl-notes]

Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon S2 Episode 5 Notes

Better late than never! Hopefully I’ll catch up with these before next week’s episode hits.

私は、種族全体の目的よりも自分がやりたいことをやっているエルマに、興味がありました。

当時の私、そんな感じでしたし。

What Tohru is saying in these shots is a little different in the Japanese:

“I had an interest in Elma, who was doing what she wanted to do instead of advancing the goals of the species [her faction]. Since that’s how I was at the time, too.”

That is, for the first sentence, Tohru is saying Elma wasn’t interested in the broader dragon goals, not Tohru herself.

Then in the second sentence, instead of a wishy washy “I think that’s how it was?” Tohru says that she was like that too, hence her interest.

So it goes from like:

 “I was interested more in Elma than in faction goals, because she was acting freely. I think, anyway.” 

to more of a:

“I was interested in Elma because she was acting freely, not bound by faction goals. That’s what I was like too, after all.”

Not sure if it really counts as a translation note, but since I had some questions about it, here’s a few words on the Tohru/Elma disagreement scene.

Tohru thought Elma was like herself: acting not according to what dragon (or human) society asked of them, but according to their own personal set of values. Elma, by allowing herself to be placed in the position of “god” by the humans, had changed that; she locked herself into permanently being a (large, important) cog in the human society. From Tohru’s perspective, she’d lost the one person she felt kindred with, her fellow “free actor.” She doesn’t particularly care what happens to the humans, hence the 私が言いたいことはそういう話ではない (“That’s not what I’m trying to talk about”) when Elma says she’ll just stop the wars from happening: that’s all well and good, but it doesn’t solve Tohru’s issue.

Hence Kobayashi’s response: both grand (involved the fate of nations), and petty (Elma got “trapped” by food, and Tohru’s initiation of the fight was for personal reasons).

喧嘩するほど仲がいい kenka suru hodo, naka ga ii

This is one of those sayings that is often a giant pain in the butt to translate, because it’s not an odd concept in English, but for whatever reason* there is no common pithy saying for it like there is in Japanese, so it’ll almost come off less smoothly. 

The idea is that, in order to “have a fight” with someone, you have to already have an established relationship that’s at a certain level of closeness.

Two strangers? Why would you even have a reason to fight, who cares. Two acquaintances? Why deal with it, just smile and nod and go on with your day. Two close friends though? You probably care enough to want to convince them of whatever it is, and/or you don’t want to have to hide your real thoughts/feelings around them like you might around, say, just random coworkers or something—meaning more chances for friction.

*My theory on this is that it comes from the same place as the “wow Japanese people are so polite” stereotype and stuff like honne/tatemae as discussed in a previous episode’s notes: in a situation where two strangers/acquaintances might get into a shouting match in the US, in Japan there’s a comparatively higher chance they just tatemae it up to prevent direct conflict and end the situation early—hence less likely to “have a fight” per se. As always this stuff is just on a continuum though.

What do you call these “clouds” left by planes as they fly? In Japanese, they’re called 飛行機雲 hikoukigumo, lit. “airplane clouds.” And they’re not a season word! 

Officially, anyway. 

However, they are heavily associated with summer, to the point where you if you google around to find out if they are a haiku season word, there are a whole bunch of sites to tell you no, they’re not, stop asking. That doesn’t mean they’re not a great way to tell the audience it’s summer anyway, though! 

If you’re curious as to why the summer association: how long vapor trails like this remain visible depends heavily on how humid the air is. More humidity, longer trails. And Japan has very humid summers (and very dry winters!).

If you’ve heard the song Tori no Uta, the OP to Air (also animated by Kyoani), hikoukigumo is the very second word in the lyrics—no coincidence given the heavy summer theming! If you haven’t heard it, I suggest giving it a try.

“Candy shop” here is 駄菓子屋 dagashi-ya, which is a kind of store that specializes in very cheap varieties of “candy” (maybe more accurately snack foods?): dagashi. If you’re seen/read any of the series Dagashi Kashi, you’re familiar with this variety of snack. 

Dagashi is so called because, back in the Edo period, quality white sugar was super expensive and not something commoners could typically eat. Cheaper brown sugar was, though, so you ended up with different terms for stuff made from each: the expensive 上菓子 jougashi and the cheap 駄菓子 dagashi. 

Later, in the Showa period after WW2 when the average person was able to afford a bit more, the term stuck around but more generalized, referring to a wide variety of cheap snacks. These snacks are not necessarily always sugary, and they often have some sort of gimmick so it wasn’t “just” a piece of candy—toys attached, or games/puzzles, or requiring some interesting way to eat/drink them. If you grew up with Dunkaroos: that kinda thing.

Similar to “penny candy,” dagashi was/is cheap enough for children to afford several different varieties of with just a bit of change from their parents, and small stores specializing in them—dagashi-ya—sprung up all over the country, quickly becoming a popular spot for kids… and, not too long after, a symbol of childhood nostalgia. 

They’ve been on a big downtrend in the last few decades however. The spread of convenience stores as a competitor for snack buying is often cited as one reason, while a greater variety of ways for kids to spend their playtime now (video games etc.) is another.

You’re probably aware, but of the many reasons to bow in Japan, to show humility when making a request is a big one. 

Of note here is that Tohru doesn’t push Ilulu’s head down, which other characters in other shows might have done here, but just lightly reminds her: yeah okay you’re a dragon talking to a human, but you’re the one asking—act like it. She does, and her sincerity is rewarded.

The word here is ぱねぇ panee, which is a heavily abbreviated form of 半端(では/じゃ)ない hanpa nai, ~lit. “not halfway/half-done/half-assed.” 

hanpa ja nai→hanpa nai→hanpa nee→panee

It’s used probably how you’d expect: describing something intense af.

(I’m mostly just bringing it up because I love super-shortened slang like this!)

The phrase for “like” here is 気に入った ki ni itta, which is basically to have an interest in something/someone, to take a liking to, to say something is a favorite, etc. When said of another person, there’s typically an air of the speaker considering themselves in a higher position. It generally isn’t “like” in a romantic sense.

Take’s “hey that’s my line,” comes from the fact he’s (in his mind) in the position of power and was judging her on whether he’d try to kick her out of the job. You can tell he was thinking of it as “I like the cut of your jib. I guess you can stay.” kind of thing.

Normally a new employee would not say this about their new boss/job, even if they did like it, though a boss/senpai could of a new employee, hence the “what?”

Notably, Ilulu used “like” earlier in the episode to refer to Tohru as well. In that case it was 好き suki, which is a more literal “like,” with the various implications that may or may not have. Personally, it strikes me as a little odd to translate them both as “like” in the same episode.

And that’s it for episode five! I’m

[supergenial]

[translation and lyrics] ケンカするほど仲がいい！？by ななひら & mega

Extremely, extremely, extremely cute song, the cutest in the album for sure. This time around Nanahi and Mega have finally taken over the world but they have some slight ideological differences on what direction they should take it. Will their friendship prevail or will their perversions and selfishness get the better of them and lead to betrayal? Of course their friendship prevails, I already said it’s a cute song, not that Nanahi doesn’t try her hardest to piss off Mega with her rudeness. Anyway, very cute song about friendship and making up, lyrics down below and see you soon.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ケンカするほど仲がいい！？

(kenkasuru hodo naka ga ii!?, do we get along well enough to fight!?)

vocal: nanahira & mega music and lyrics: キノシタ

[toki wa nisen XX nen, kono sekai wa nanto nanahira, mega no futari ga shihaishite shimatta no datta...!!] [haahahahahaha] ikkuyoo! [sanhai!]

"the year is 20xx, the world is finally ruled by nanahira and mega...!" "haahahahaha" here we go! "let's go!"

[fu... yatto shihaisuru koto ga dekita wa ne! megachan! ima kara kono sekai wo watashitachi no te de tsukuri kaeru no yo! kawaii doubutsu ga takkusan iru shiawase na sekai ni shimasho!] [ee? nanahira paisen, dou kangaete mo onna no ko tachi ga kyakka ufufu shiteru you na haaremu tengoku ni shita hou ga shiawase desho?! iya, sou ni kimatteru! iron wa mitomemasen yo?!?!] [haa!?]

"fu... we've finally done it, we're the rulers megachan! from now on we'll shape this world with our own hands! we'll fill this world with lots of cute animals to make everyone happy!" "ee? nanahira paisen, it'd be much better if we just got a bunch of girls to ufufu them up isn't a harem heaven were true happiness lies?! no, don't even answer, I won't accept anything that contradicts this simple fact!" "haa!?"

[nanitten no? dou kangaete mo kawaii doubutsu ga takkusan sunderu hou ga shiawase ni naru kimatteru desho?! sou! usagi!! usagi chou kawaii jan! tteka arupaka mo iru janai! megachan mo suki desho? arupaka!! hai jaa kimarineee!!]

---^^^ simulatenous bickering vvv---

[eeee?! majisuka onna no ko tachi no hareemu kuukan no hou ga zettai iidesu tte!! gyaku ni kawaii doubutsu te tatoeba nani ga arun suka!?!? aa arupaka... arupaka wa iissunaa... neko mo... sorenara ari danaa... tte nande hade ni kimeterun sukaaa!!]

what the heck are you on? no matter how you slice it living with lots of cute animals is the true path to happiness how can you not see it?! I know! rabbits!! Aren't they the cutest!? though alpacas are also the best! mega-chan which ones do you love most? alpacas!! ok it's decided!!

"eeeee? getting together with a lot of cute girls in a private room is an absolute necessity what the heck am I supposed to do with a bunch of animals I'm not into that freaky stuff!?!?!? ah, alpacas... alpacas are good though.... and cats... also ants... wait what the hell are you deciding on your own!!"

kitsukai nante iranai! uso mo tsukeya shinai (Because believe you!) dakedo kizutsuketari shinai! datte datte kimi to isshoni ga tanoshii kara!

no need to hold anything back! or to lie to each other (because I believe in you!) let's not get at each other's throats! since / since we have so much fun together!

[demo yappa haaremu no hou ga...] [yosshaa! sore ja harikitte ikkuyoo!]

"though I'd really like that harem..." "Alright! prepare yourself!"

sonnara paati! torima paati! hora ne nakanaori!! yappasa iu jan? meccha iu jan? kenka suru hodo naka ga ii! dakara fiibaa! torima fiibaa! sekai wa uchira no mono!! nankasa iijan? sugoku iijan? dakara toriaezu kyuusen da kyou wa sa? mou kangaeru no yametoko!

for now let's party! forget and party! see we've already made up!! we can just talk it over? simply talk? and so any time we fight we just make up! isn't this good? isn't this great? so let's just stop fighting for now for today? yeah let's just stop!

[anoo kitsuitan desukedo, atashira de sekai hanbun zutsu waketara otagai suki na sekai ni dekirun janaissuka? doko ka no geemu no maou mo yuusha to sekai hanbun ko shiyou to koushou shitemashitashi...]

"hey so I've just noticed that we could just split the world in two and then we can both have our ideal worlds? it'd be like we're in a game where the hero and demon lord negotiate a truce”

aa! sore iiwane! kore de watashitachi dake no usagi tengoku ga tsukureru wa? ... tteiuka yoku shitteru wane. megachan anmari geemu toka shiranain dato omotteta! chotto nega kurasou dashi... ah] [haa?!]

"ah! that's pretty good! wait so I'll be left to make my rabbit heaven on my own? ... Wait I know what you're trying to do. You just want to hole up and play videogames on your own, you ought to stop being such a basement dweller- ah" "haa!?"

[douiu imissuka! negakuraitte sore tada no waruguchi janaissuka! ii naoshitemo imi naissu kara ne?! toiu ka ima no hanashi no nagare nekura kankei nee!! nande waruguchi itta yo neeee?!?!]

---^^^ simulatenous bickering vvv---

[gomen gomen! sonna fukai imi wa nai wa yo! chootto nega no hou ga kurai no kanaa to omotte takara...! aa, eeto tsumari ne... sono... uwaaan!! gomennasaaaai!!!!]

"the hell did you mean by that! calling me that just shows you think extremely lowly of me I think you're the one who doesn't want to make up and hang out with me?! and since when am I basement dweller!! why'd you have to be so ruuuuuuuude!?!?!?"

"sorry! sorry! don't look too deep into it! I just thought it was the ideal environment to play games alone so... ahh, ehh, what I meant was... uhm... uwaaa!! I'm so sorry!!!!!!!!"

toki ni wa butsukaru koto mo aru! warai au hi mo aru! (don't worry!) dakedo kimi wo wakatteru yo douzo douzo kore kara mo yoroshiku shite ne!

from time to time we'll butt heads but there's also the days where we just laugh (don't worry!) but you already know how it is please please from now let's be with each other!

sonnara paati! mata mo paati! hora ne nakanaori!! yappa sa kiku jan? hora are jan? usagi arupaka no nakama! dakara fiibaa! torima fiibaa! sekai wa uchira no mono!! nanka sa iijan? sugoku iijan? dakara toriaezu kyuusen da kyou mo sa? mou kangaeru no, yappa yamenaai!

so let's party! once again party! see we've already made up!! did you hear? did you see that? it's our rabbit and alpaca pals! so let's feel the fever! flare like a fever! because this world is ours!! isn't this good? isn't this great? so let's stop fighting for today? yeah let's stop thinking, that stuff is bad!

[kyou koso wa kecchaku wo tsukeru wa!!]

let's settle this from today onwards!

kitsukai nante iranai! uso mo tsukeya shinai (Because believe you!) dakedo kizutsuketari shinai! datte datte kimi to issho ga tanoshii kara!

no need to hold anything back! or to lie to each other (because I believe in you!) let's not get at each other's throats! since / since we have so much fun together!

[mou kono shinryaku gee yame ni shimasen...?] [so, sore ga ii wa ne...]

"so uhm, shall I stop playing this game then...? "uh, no that's ok"

sonnara paati! torima paati! hora ne nakanaori!! yappasa iu jan? meccha iu jan? kenka suru hodo naka ga ii! dakara fiibaa! torima fiibaa! sekai wa uchira no mono!! nankasa iijan? sugoku iijan? dakara toriaezu kyuusen da kyou wa sa? mou kangaeru no yametoko!

for now let's party! forget and party! see we've already made up!! we can just talk it over? simply talk? and so any time we fight we just make up! isn't this good? isn't this great? so let's just stop fighting for now for today? yeah let's just stop

tl note: paisen means senpai backwards

[kanjani8-argentina]

egetsunai

Letra y música: Ozakaki Taiikuu.

yossha koko kara ageteku Boruteeji yahoo chou genki chou genki ni tenpenji shippe Dekopin baba Choppu teggyu kabe Don nage Kissu Disqualifying foul wa shitakunai seiseidoudou mashoumen kara kakan ni mukiae aa da koo da yaiyai yakamashiwai Wonderful da hora ittare Shibutani Hey! Hey! koko made kaze kuru kurai ni aoi de mii! Hey! Hey! Put your hands up in the air! kore ga oretachi no henseifuu da kiryuu wo tsukande nottekoi saikou de egetsunai moriagari I get tonight kakattekoi yo nan datte sou sui mo Sweet mo zein de egetsunai High Tension I get you now hitofu de egaita futatsu no en wa daidanen ni natte rankiryuu wo koete yukunda kare kore oretachi nannenme? sou iya kenka mo shitotta naa kenka wo suru hodo nagai irashii yattaro ka? hona Biito kure okke okke toriaezu omaera sagare tadaima yori Kanjani∞ Freestyle Rap Battle wo oimasu mazu wa Ohkura Versus Yasuda Yo! are? Yasu doko ikimashita? aa soko ka suman miehenkatta korokoro ka Town Peeji ashimoto ni shiitaru ka korokoro kamigata kaete bakkari de heya mo kitanai "oshibori" no koto mo "teshibori" tte iushi "chuuka ryouri tte nan ryouri" to ka mou Nihongo mechakucha subete ga chirakatteru amaenbo jikka kara denaose ama e Go oi Ohkura nanja Ookora? kare no okazu ni tendon tte nanyanen itsumade tatte mo kui hatteru iji tabemono no koto ni nattara Crazy ore no kamigata maneshite kinpatsu ni shita koto atta kedo an toki hometatte ore dake ya omae no Fansaa wa somosomo amai Nishikido ya Shibuyan no Fansaa minarae fudan naka no ii futari deshita ga Bacchibachi no Batoru deshita saa dondon ikimashou tsuzuite no Batoru wa Shibutani Versus Yokoyama "kyou wa sakenomanzo" tte iuta hi mo ore ga sasottara sugu nomushi wasuremonmo naorahen naa Saunaa ikisugite nobasetenchau ka menkyoshou no saihakkou wa nanakaime rougo ga shinpai Have a nice day! Dorama no genba de hitomishiri eiga no genba de hitorikiri iya iya iya choi mate choi mate hitomishiri wa omae ya shito neta mo Pii! on de Fan ni wa todoitenaku Geemu wo Toire ni otoshite naku ato kuehen kuse ni youke tanomu naa ore ga nokorimon kautatten nen shotaimen no hito no omae jya shizuka ni shiharu omae no namae wa Shibutani Subaru nenchoukumi no futari no niramiai susamajii mono wo kanjimashita ne saa iyo iyo saigo no Batoru desu Nishikido Versus Maruyama furitsu machigau yopparatte Kisu ma demo kojin no shigoto wa Kuuru Kyara? jibun no heya ni jibun no Posutaa hatteta jiten de itai yo na? Paper driver denwa kowai wa omae no joshuseki fuan ga ippai ittai koto ga aru nara oi nanka iu te mi Maruyama! Yo! ano... a... Ryochan... omae wa sono... oi Maru doushitennen? iya... datte Ryochan kowainenmon omae no kata toshiue yakara ittare! iya ya! ore konnnan de konnnan de kenka to kashitakunainen ore minna de nakayokushitetai nen mo datte orera mukashi kara zutto issho ni yatte kitetan yanka yakou Basu de nishi to higashi nankai mo oufukushita Guriin ja no kippu haraimodoshite uita karada de meshi katta sou yatte tesaguri no mama mo ga ita sore ga sore ga oretachi no keiken atai yaro? oretachi jishin ga henseifuu da kiryuu wo tsukande nottekoi saikou de egetsunai moriagari I get tonight kakattekoi yo nan datte sou sui mo Sweet mo zein de egetsunai High Tension I get you now hitofu de egaita futatsu no en wa daidanen ni natte rankiryuu wo koete yukunda.

Kanji: Blog | LJ