#saito kun

[jjaydazo]

they live in my head rent free.

insert he likes her riding him joke here

They belong to @semisolidmind

bonus:

[tomopri]

hey, saito-kun — would you still love me if i killed someone for you?

[mirai-e-jump]

Animage August 2024 Issue Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger ft. Main Cast & Suit Actor Interviews (translations below)

Publication: July 10, 2024 (between episodes 19-20)

Iuchi Haruhi x Hayama Yuki x Suzuki Miu Saito Ryu x Soma Satoru x Miyazawa Yu

-The newest purple warrior is a wonderful big brother-

"Since Miyazawa-san joined, has there been any changes in the atmosphere on set?"

Hayama: So far, Satoru-kun's been the one pulling us along as the oldest, but now he's here and helping us from a different approach, and I feel as though we've gained an older brother that we can rely on. I feel that the atmosphere on set has become much more tense.

Suzuki: When the five of us are together, we become noisy like a bunch of students, as we're always excited all the time (laughs). In a good way, for the times when Zawa-kun says, "I'm gonna do this here," he snaps into it an instant. When we're having fun, he does his best to enjoy the same atmosphere as us, and it makes me think, "We've got a wonderful big brother."

Saito: I feel that the atmosphere has become more tense, but I also feel that BoonViolet is really cool and strong, and that he's caused everyone's competitive spirit of "I can't lose" to start emerging alittle. Of course, we get along well.

Iuchi: Up until now, I used to watch the scenes of the other four and think, "That was good just now, I wanna steal it," but now that Yu-kun's here, I feel like I have more opportunities to learn. Sakito himself is completely different from the characters that have appeared in Boonboomger so far, and since Yu-kun's also had work in stage plays, things like his vocalization, the way he stands, and the way he moves are completely different from anything I could've imagined. I'm always learning whenever we're together

Suzuki: Zawa-kun, what's with the face? (laughs).

Miyazawa: I'm just happy.

Iuchi: It's because everyone's praising him.

Suzuki: What do you want to do about this?

Miyazawa: Hmmm, wanna go out for yakiniku after this?

All 5: Yeah!

"(laughs). How about Soma-san? He was the oldest until Miyazawa-san joined."

Soma: Only in appearance though, right? (laughs). I'd really rather not play the oldest character.

Suzuki: All you ever say is, "I don't want to be the oldest."

Soma: That's right. I don't really like being called the oldest. That's why I was grateful that he immediately took my place.

Miyazawa: I don't think I've taken your place. Please keep on being the oldest (laughs).

Hayama: Satoru-kun's also been the one leading us so far.

Soma: You think so?

Suzuki: It's more like Satorun looks out for everyone.

Iuchi: Right. He's something of a motherly figure.

Suzuki: I feel that Satorun is like a motherly big brother, while Zawa-kun's a big brother with some off vibes.

Miyazawa: Praising me will get you higher grade yakiniku.

Soma: Will each of us get two servings?

Miyazawa: Hang on, I'm the one footing the bill (laughs).

Soma: Let's go for four! (laughs).

"Did Miyazawa-san adjust to the team right away?"

Miyazawa: Joining a finished team itself was fine, as it's something that usually happens on the set of a regular drama. However, my only concern was that since we'd be working together for about a year, what if one of the five members had a personality that I don't get along with?

All: (laughs).

Miyazawa: But, on the day of my costume fitting, Ryu and Miu-chan came running over to me and asked, "What's BoonViolet like?"

Suzuki: Yeah, it was the first time we met the one playing BoonViolet.

Miyazawa: When I first greeted the five of them, I thought, "These guys are truly wonderful people!," and I still have that impression now. I can feel that everyone's having a good time, and I'm also enjoying the energy that I receive from them.

-The unanimously agreed upon person who has no gap between themself and their role is…?-

"Out of the six of you, who would you say has the biggest gap between them and the role they play?"

Miyazawa: Someone who's as far away from their role as possible you mean.

Suzuki: What should we do?

Hayama: Let's all point them out.

All: Ready, and, go!

(Iuchi-san points at Hayama-san, Suzuki-san points at Soma-san, and the other four point at Iuchi-san)

All: (burst out laughing).

Saito: Haruhi.

Soma: It's Haruhi.

Miyazawa: It can only be Haruhi.

Iuchi: Wait, what do you mean?

Hayama: You're a fool!

All: (laughs).

Iuchi: Wait, wait, hold on, who are you calling a fool? (laughs).

Hayama: Taiya himself is the leader of the other five members as BoonRed, however, the more I got to know the person named Iuchi Haruhi-kun, the more I found out that he wasn't all there.

Suzuki: Right, right.

Miyazawa: Haruhi's making an unhappy face (laughs).

Hayama: For the most recent episode, I told him, "We're going to film this now," but he had forgotten what it was about. I really feel that the gap between him and Taiya is huge (laughs).

Miyazawa: It was almost unanimously Haruhi.

Iuchi: No~……

Suzuki: Something like that happened before, didn't it?

Soma: The pepper mill incident.

Miyazawa: Yeah (laughs). I heard that for Miu-chan's birthday, everyone got her a pepper mill.

Suzuki: Yeah, I received it from everyone.

Miyazawa: When we were talking about it, I casually asked, "Haruhi, do you know what a pepper mill is?" He replied, "I know. It's a machine that squeezes out milk, right?"

Hayama: What the hell were you talking about? (laughs).

Iuchi: It's because it had "miru" in it (laughs).

Miyazawa: I said, "Did you give Miu-chan a pepper mill without knowing what it was?" He replied, "No?" I then asked, "Do you know what oatmeal is?" He said something like, "A fully automatic milk dispenser."

All: (laughs).

Hayama: Just like that, huh? (laughs). That's not it!

Iuchi: I thought "oat" meant "automatic," but I would've never guessed it was a food. (*the loanword for auto and oat are the same)

Soma: I guess "mill (miru)" takes over as "milk (miruku)" every time, huh?

Suzuki: Sure seems like it (laughs). Well, to put it simply, he's an idiot.

Iuchi: No!

Miyazawa: He himself didn't want to talk about this story publicly, but I will.

Hayama: He's cute, isn't he?

Suzuki: So cute.

Iuchi: My secrets are being revealed one after another……I'm not an idiot! Please treat me well (laughs).

"(laughs). Suzuki-san was pointing at Soma-san, while Iuchi-san was pointing at Hayama-san."

Suzuki: I'll be honest, I've been watching Haruhi-kun for a long time, so I've grown accustomed to seeing him like that (laughs). Of course, there's a gap between him and Taiya, but it's become established that it's apart of him. Genba often doesn't put everything he's thinking into words, but Satorun's the opposite and talks alot!

Soma: That's for sure (laughs).

Suzuki: Even when everyone else wants to take a short nap during film breaks, Satorun seems to have the type of body that prevents him from sleeping, so he'll wake us up by starting "Soma Satoru Radio."

Miyazawa: We're like, "It's begun today as well."

Hayama: He'll do it at random.

Miyazawa: Satoru-kun will sometimes talk to us in a strange way, right? He's like, "Where'd you put the engine now?"

Suzuki: That! I know what you're talking about!

Iuchi: That's true. I was also torn between choosing Satoru-kun, but I thought it had to be Yuki-kun.

Suzuki: (Looking at Hayama) Hey, don't look so happy!

Saito: He's got a face that says, "I love it."

Iuchi: Just like what everyone said about me, the more I talked to him, the more I saw different sides of him. I got to know Yuki-kun through filming, and I realized that he's far from the cool Chasshiro. However, Chasshiro himself is a character with a pretty big gap, so I think he fits the role very well.

Miyazawa: I think I know what you mean about Yuki's gap.

Hayama: It doesn't upset me. (In a bold tone) Thanks.

Suzuki: We don't mean it as praise. It's just a question of if there is or isn't a gap (laughs).

Iuchi: Be careful not to give Yuki too much praise (laughs).

"On the other hand, who would you say is the one with the smallest gap?"

Suzuki: What do we do? Have everyone point again?

Iuchi: I guess so.

Soma: Ready, and, go!

(All of them point at Saito-san)

"Amazing, it was unanimous (laughs)"

Iuchi: He also pointed at himself.

Saito: When I first received the proposal and saw Jou's setting, I thought, "It's me."

All: (laughs).

Saito: It was so much like me that I thought, "Is it really a role?," even my manager asked me, "Was it written for you?" (laughs). I've also admired heroes since I was little, and the fact that he's abit clumsy is a good fit for me. I have a strong sense of responsibility, like how I was always class president during my school years.

Miyazawa: You were?!

Hayama: And the class didn't fall apart?

Saito: It was properly kept together! (laughs).

Miyazawa: Did you ever say (slang) stuff like, "Wassup!" with everyone?

Saito: I've done that, and was told off for it (laughs). Also, for some reason, I was popular with the mothers in my community, and at my high school graduation, I took lots of pictures with the mothers of my classmates.

Suzuki: You did?!

Soma: Not with your classmates?

Saito: I thought I'd be asked by my classmates, but I was approached by mothers, ones who I didn't know, and they'd asked me, "Can I bother you for a picture?" The fact that I was popular among those in the parent age group feels abit similar to Jou.

Suzuki: Jou's hot blooded and loud, while Ryu-kun's the same way, he can't even whisper.

Saito: That's true.

Suzuki: It's not that his natural voice is loud or anything, it's just that his voice is always loud. Even when he shouldn't be speaking so loudly, his voice is so clear that I wonder if he's talking to someone 10 meters away (laughs).

Saito: That's why I can't keep secrets.

Iuchi: In a roundabout way, I think that's a good thing.

Miyazawa: It's kind of adorable, isn't it? Jou's friendliness is just like Ryu-kun's. He normally calls out to me with "Zawa-nii," but when he comes into my personal space he's like, "Zawa-nii, Zawa-nii."

Saito: I'm sorry (laughs).

Miyazawa: No, no! I think it's a really good thing. I don't know why, but I think it's really wonderful that he's developed this kind of personality, it's like I could forgive him regardless of if he's Jou or Saito Ryu.

Suzuki: No matter what he does, you can't hate him.

Soma: It's like, "Because it's Ryu."

Suzuki: That's it.

Iuchi: I was going to say that.

Saito: I'm so happy!

-A film overloaded with special elements-

"We'd also like to ask about the film, what was the most memorable scene from either the script or filming?"

Miyazawa: I feel that the real thrill of the Super Sentai series is when the six of us are able to accomplish something together. When I read the script, I realized that kind of scene with Sakito hasn't happened in the main story yet, so I was really looking forward to filming it.

Hayama: It wasn't my scene, but I was impressed by the fact that Mira plays an active role. Surprisingly, Mira playing an active role in battle hasn't been depicted in the main story yet.

Suzuki: Tell me about it! I'm always paired up with someone.

Hayama: I felt that it was refreshing, and as Chasshiro I thought, "I can count on her."

Suzuki: I was also very happy to feel the growth of Mira in the scenes with princess Nicola. If you've been watching since the first episode, I think you may feel alittle emotional when you see her, thinking, "That Mira is……"

Saito: I remember thinking it'd be very interesting from the moment I read the script, not only because of Mira's growth, but also because of the resurrection of the Kurumaju and our special self introductions. Especially for the self introductions, I was so excited I thought, "Wow, now this is a film!"

Soma: When I first opened the script, seeing that "HIKAKIN-san is here!" really surprised me.

Miyazawa: Yeah, you're right!

Soma: In the main story, it's often stated that, "This is the main character of this episode," but in the film, there are moments when the focus is on each character. That made me happy, everyone had their own highlight, and I think we worked very hard on those areas.

Iuchi: When I found out that HIKAKIN-san was going to perform, I became uneasy. I've been watching HIKAKIN-san's videos ever since I started watching Youtube as a kid. Because of that, there was a kind of tension that felt different from usual, but I tried my best not to let it show. On set I told myself, "I don't know this guy, so I shouldn't be nervous."

All: (laughs).

Iuchi: Nevertheless I was still conflicted about my performance, as I felt like the person I admired was right in front of my eyes. Along with the appearance of extravagant guests, the film is full of action scenes, and the amount of information on screen and the camera work is something that's unique to the film. Make sure you go to the theaters and see it! _

The Great Space Invasion Running Team Hashiriyan

They've made numerous planets their territory and have attacked people to collect the negative energy "Ghassolin" generated from human screams. The first to arrive on Earth, the newest target of the organization, are the "Sanseaters" Decotrade, Itasha, and Yaiyai Yarucar, the three on site supervisors.

In an attempt to make the Earthlings scream, the Sanseaters create monsters called "Kurumaju" out of wedding dresses, saunas, koinobori, and all other kinds of things on Earth. However, the three of them are so harmonious, that it's hard to believe that they're evil, and they're not afraid to do anything out of the ordinary, such as showing themselves off on TV shows or getting involved with the abilities of a Kurumaju. While comical villains that are hard to hate are sort of a standard in the Super Sentai series, the Sanseaters have quickly gained the passionate support of fans.

The Sanseaters will also appear in Boonboomgers film, which will be released this Summer. Not wanting to lose to Demon Thunder, the Hashinriyan Catching Captain, they challenge the Boonboomgers in order to take all the credit! The Hashiriyans and Boonboomgers, come witness the greatest battle of all time in theaters!

Ogura Toshihiro (Decotrade) x Miyazawa Yuki (Itasha)

-The Sanseaters way of naturally being out of sync-

"What were your first impressions of the Sanseaters, and what are you conscious of when playing Decotrade and Itasha?"

Ogura: I thought of the Doronbo Gang from "Yatterman" and Team Rocket from "Pokemon," and various other trios from popular anime that people may remember. In any case, I decided to just be cheerful and have fun.

Miyazawa: However, I never would've imagined that one of them was a car! (laughs).

Ogura: Yeah, there's one person who can't move so freely (laughs). Yaru-chan's got a bad mouth and will make your heart race.

Miyazawa: Yaru-chan, who'll just give it to you straight.

Ogura: He doesn't hold back, so if we're not careful, we could get hurt (laughs).

Miyazawa: (laughs). Still, thanks to Morohoshi Sumire-san's voice, he's simply adorable. When I play Itasha-chan, I try not to get knocked down, I try to survive in the story (laughs), and I'm making an effort to make her a beloved character.

Ogura: I may be conscious of being there naturally, without being bound by any form. It's like we're acting normally, but something seems to be alittle out of place.

Miyazawa: We're living at full power, at full speed.

Ogura: Yeah, we're enjoying life (laughs).

"Please tell us your impressions of each other's performances."

Ogura: Miyazawa's reaction to the performance is genius and interesting! I've never worked so hard with someone on a performance before, and I've been making suggestions and consulting with her on the spot, but her reactions are so funny. Sometimes I can't see what's going on at the set due to visibility, so when I watch the broadcast, I realize, "So this is the reaction she had!" It's really amazing, and I just feel like I need to go along with her.

Miyazawa: As for me, I also find Ogura-san's out of nowhere jokes very funny, and I find myself being like, "I'll do that too!" (laughs).

Ogura: I guess it's mutual. We may have some synergy.

"What are some of the fun parts about playing comical characters like Decotrade and Itasha?"

Ogura: That I don't have to be cool (laughs).

Miyazawa: That's right (laughs). We'll leave looking cool to the members of Boonboomger.

Ogura: Still, regardless of how people see us, we don't really intend on screwing around.

Miyazawa: Yeah, we're living seriously.

Ogura: We’re just being serious and following the script, but they’ve got alittle bit of something going on, you know? (laughs), in terms of their setting, we play an attractive role.

Miyazawa: That's right. In case you were wondering, they're good looking.

Ogura: While the Captains are fighting hard beside them, the Sanseaters are doing their best in their own way.

"What are the most memorable scenes that you've filmed so far?"

Miyazawa: I was surprised when we went to a sauna (episode 4).

Ogura: You don't go to a sauna in a costume...normally.

Miyazawa: At the time, I thought I was going to die (laughs).

Ogura: Also, I think we've been doing alot of cosplay lately. I don't know where they get their costumes from (laughs), but they seem to prepare outfits that suit the situation.

Miyazawa: Weren't the school uniforms our first cosplay? (episode 8).

Ogura: Yeah, that's right.

"At that time, they were costumes to trick all the Boonboomgers, except Taiya, and lock them in cages."

Ogura: Even though their faces are left unchanged (laughs), they think it's suitable to look like that.

Miyazawa: Surprisingly, the Boonboomgers were also fooled by the uniforms (laughs).

-Becoming beloved characters through the power of many people-

"Please tell us some of the highlights of the film."

Ogura: There's a part where the used Kurumajus appears. It made me think about all the monsters that've been created up until now. Alot of them appear, and I thought it was a gorgeous, cinematic experience right from the start.

Miyazawa: The circuit was also amazing, wasn't it? It was my first time being at one.

Ogura: Fuji Speedway, right? And, our car will also make its appearance there.

Miyazawa: Right, The Sanseater Car.

Ogura: I don't know how the completed footage is going to turn out, but we drove it hard, so I'm looking forward to seeing where it appears.

"The Sanseaters have also been seen riding the Boonboom Killer Robo in the TV series, so they're fortunate to have so many vehicles."

Ogura: That's right. We weren't even told that we were going to be riding in a Robo.

Miyazawa: The cockpit is much more luxurious too. It also has properly installed seat belts.

Ogura: Right. Normally, we don't have a fixed base, just a corner of a factory somewhere with some pots and a stove lined up (laughs). I didn't think they'd make a cockpit for us. It was incredible.

"The scene of them flying out of the blown up Boonboom Killer Robo in episode 14 also became a hot topic among fans."

Ogura: Now that I know we won't get hurt even if there's a big explosion, I think we'll be fine no matter what the situation is (laughs).

Miyazawa: We were promised that we wouldn't be leaving the show over something like that (laughs).

Ogura: The next morning, it was like nothing had ever happened (laughs). Relating to the Robo, I'll never forget the Bon Odori (episode 13).

Miyazawa: Yeah, we got the audio on the morning of the shoot.

Ogura: We had to come up with the dance within the same day (laughs).

Miyazawa: I was wondering if we'd have a choreographer or something, but all we had was the interesting audio (laughs). We came up with the choreography on the spot, didn't we?

Ogura: We were like, "What do we do? What do we do?" (laughs).

"That was quite a terrific story (laughs). In general, for your performance, do you often leave it up to someone else?"

Miyazawa: We leave most of the movements and acting up to them. If we overdo things, they tell us, "Hold on, stop" (laughs).

Ogura: Generally, things go bad atleast once (laughs).

"The Sanseaters should be proud that they haven't lost in popularity to the Boonboomgers, but how do you feel being loved so much by the fans?"

Ogura: It's thanks to the script that we've been able to enjoy acting, and I think the Voice Actors Suwabe Junichi-san, Mizuki Nana-san, and Morohoshi Sumire-san have added alot of charm to our performances.

Miyazawa: I would've never expected Mizuki-san to be the Voice Actor for Itasha-chan, it really surprised me.

Ogura: We have meetings in advance, but we also have the desire to, "Do something natural and appropriate for the situation," so we'd start adlibbing with Yaru-chan on set. The Voice Actors will see this and make it more interesting by doing things like inserting words where we haven't said them, or by adding a performance that's appropriate to the scene.

Miyazawa: We'd think, "They even put something in here."

Ogura: Yeah, I'm often surprised when I watch the broadcasts. I think it's really wonderful, and thanks to that, they've made our characters memorable to both the eyes and ears.

"Filming for the TV series will continue, but do you have any ideas for what you'd like to do as the Sanseaters in the future?"

Miyazawa: Someday, I'd like us to become friends with the Boonboomgers.

Ogura: Yeah! Once at the very least.

Miyazawa: I'd like to get to know them alittle better, it'd be fine even if it's just for one episode or something.

Ogura: That could be interesting. If that does happen, it'd make it harder to fight them in the next episode.

Miyazawa: Also, I'd like to do more cosplay.

Ogura: We've done quite abit so far, no? (laughs).

Miyazawa: You know, we get our cosplay costumes fit every single time (laughs). I'd be happy if we got something like a ski resort episode.

Ogura: Skiing?! I guess it'd have to be the right season.

Miyazawa: Just like Christmas and Halloween, there's tons of events in Japan (laughs).

Ogura: Neither of those events originated in Japan though (laughs).

"We're looking forward to seeing more cosplay in the future! Finally, please give a message to the fans."

Miyazawa: I'd like to continue to play the role of the cute Itasha-chan, and for the three of us to live happily together. I know I'm abit inexperienced (laughs), but please continue to take care of me.

Ogura: This isn't some wedding announcement (laughs). I'm happy to hear that everyone is enjoying what the three of us, including Yaru-chan have done together. However, it really wasn't only our efforts, but also those of the Directors, Scriptwriters, Staff, and Voice Actors that created characters that were so well received. As the three of us continue to work together, we'll do our best!

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki Drama CD - Shimabara Disturbance Track 3 English translation

To no one in particular... Suzuki Shogo > Sasaki Yoshihide. Also I keep spelling the latter's name wrong.... ehehe. (¬‿¬)

Anyway, here's track 3! enjoy!

Hakuoki Drama CD - Shimabara Disturbance Track 3: Feminine Things/Womanly matters [raw is 「女らしいこと」 Iuno what to put this as]

Translation by KumoriYami

Sen: Then, I'll go get Chizuru-chan prepared. Everyone, please wait here. Let's go, Chizuru-chan.

(door opens and they go)   Hijikata: But when Saito said that he had something to say to me, I thought it would be for something. I didn't expect it that he wanted to put Chizuru in a kimono.

Okita: If you're feeling dissatisfied, why don't you go back? Chizuru-chan won't be happy with someone saying something like that.

Hijikata: Hey, who said that I was feeling dissatisfied or annoyed?

Okita: Areh? Do you want to see it that badly? As expected, Hijikata-san is inwardly quite passionate. Chizuru-chan should really be staying away from you~

Hijikata: You bastard, aren't you going to nitpick me for whatever I say?!

Nagakura Forget it, Hijikata-san, just calm down. Chizuru-chan was really beautiful then, so of course you/I'd [no subject] want to see her like that again.

Toudou:....

Saito: What's wrong, Heisuke? You have a strange expression on your face again.

Toudou: Eh? An, no.

Nagakura What is it, Heisuke? You don't want to see Chizuru-chan like that again?

Toudou: How would that be possible?! I was... only, I don't her to be shown in public like that.

Nagakura: Huh? What do you mean?

Toudou: It's nothing!   

Harada: This is something that everyone's looking forward to! Right, Saito?

Saito: Why are you asking me?

Harada: If you weren't interested, you wouldn't have made such a proposal, right?

Nagakura: That's right! I was really surprised when Saito made the suggestion.

Saito: This wasn't because of my own desires. However, I simply thought that she'd be happy if she could wear women's clothes.

Okita: Eh~ I'm a bit surprised Hajime-kun would say that. You should want her to be happy.

Harada: Her life's been quite miserable, and even Saito wants to cheer her up.

Saito: Th-That's.. I just really don't want her to be/feel sad…

Okita: For you not wanting her to feel sad, that almost sounds like a confession of love.

Saito: Uh! It's nothing like that! Don't joke about that.

Heisuke: Geh! [just an audible sound the way it sounds]

Saito: Heisuke, what's wrong?

Toudou: Co-Could it be that Hajime-kun is interested in Chizuru…?

Saito: Ah! No! Souji! Souji, this is all your fault for spouting such nonsense!

Okita: All I did was say was what I was thinking. It was just Hajime-kun who had such a panicked reaction, right?

Saito: Such a thing...!

(door opens)  

Sen: We've kept you waiting! She's finished changing now! Come on, Chizuru-chan! Don't be shy! Hurry, hurry!

(footsteps) 

Toudou: Guh~! Chi...Chizuru...!!

Nagakura: Wow! you really are beautiful! No matter how many times I see you, I'll never get used to it/tired of it.

Harada: It's a different kimono than last time, but it suits you very much, Chizuru.

Okita: Don't be shy, and raise raise your head. What a truly rare and beautiful transformation.

Hijikata: This is already the second time, why are you still nervous? The clothes suit you very well, so it's fine to be more magnanimous and generous/honest and forthcoming.

Okita: Hehe, you haven't turned your head around, why don't you say a compliment?

Saito: I'm trying to calm my emotions, please don't talk to me.

Nagakura: What's wrong, Heisuke? Your mouth is opening and closing like a goldfish's.

Toudou: Ca-Calm down, me... I've obviously seen her before like this, so why I am so nervous? Speaking of which, isn't Chizuru more beautiful than last time?

Okita: Haha, Heisuke's face has become quite red~

Harada: Why is Saito, who isn't even looking at Chizuru, blushing?

Saito: Didn't I say not to talk to me?

Sen: Even though you all probably have much to say, please come over here. The room's been prepared.

................

Nagakura: Ah~! Fancy food, delicious sake and beautiful women~! What's not to like? This must be what the heavens are like!

(footsteps)

Nagakura: Ah, you want to pour some sake for me? Sorry, Chizuru-chan!

Toudou: Ah! There's no need for you to do that, Chizuru! You don't need to pour sake for Shinpachh-san!

Nagakura: What are you doing, Heisuke? Are you going to stop me from drinking?

Toudou: I don't mean that! You can always pour the sake yourself!

Nagakura: You… there's obviously such a lovely person here, wouldn't it be a waste to not let her pour me sake?

Toudou: It'd be a waste to pour sake for Shinpach-san!

Nagakura: Ha? What do you mean by that?

Harada: Well, calm down you two. You're troubling Chizuru. Today's banquet is for Chizuru, so we should enteertain her properly. Right, Saito?

Saito: Why are you asking me that!

Harada: Didn't you organize this? You said that you wanted Chizuru wearing a beautiful kimono.

Saito: Sa-Sano! Don't say anything unnecessary!

Harada; What part of this is unnecessary?

Saito: Yukimura, don't worry. It's nothing. Don't ask anything about this. Ah, the Vice-Commander is looking over here. He might have something to say to you, so you should go over there. [Saito speaks very quickly here 😂]

(footsteps)

Okita: There was no need to send her away. Because Chizuru-chan's so beautiful, you've become shy and unable to say anything? Just it that way.

Saito:....Stop talking nonsense/stupid things.

Harada: Well, she is very beautiful so being shy is understandable.

Toudou: Eh? Sano-san is feeling shy?

Harada: As a man, even I'd feel shy when being stared at by such a beautiful woman.

Okita: When Sano-san says such a thing, why does it feel like a lie…

Harada: Why? I'm definitely not lying.

Okita: Because you don't seem shy in the slightest. Have you always been deceiving girls/women like this?

Nagakura: What?! Could this be Sano's trick to deceiving girls?

Harada: Don't twist what I said! Although it's not really obvious on my face, I'm a human, so I also get shy.

Okita: Hm? Alright then.

Harada: In any case, you're the dishonest one, Souji. If you think she's beautiful, why don't you give her a compliment?

Okita: I praised her for having her "beautiful transformation".

Harada: Exactly how is that a compliment?

.......

Toudou: Ha....

Okita: What's wrong, Heisuke? Are you jealous that Hijikata-san is monopolizing Chizuru-chan? If you want, I can help you by killing him?

Toudou: While it's true that I'm upset with him monopolizing her, I was just thinking that she really looks like a girl like this.

Nagakura: What are you saying, Heisuke? Regardless of how she looks, Chizuru-chan is a girl.

Toudou: That's not what I mean! While she is very feminine, she usually has to dress as a man. Whenever I think about that, I always feel…

Harada: That's right. We're the only ones here today, so there's nothing to worry about. I also want her to have the opportunity to act as a girl would.

Nagakura: A girl/woman... ? What do they usually do?

Harada: What? What's with that look that appears as if you're staring at some strange creature?

Nagakura: Even if you say that, I don't know what they usually do. Isn't it really just cooking, washing/laundry, and sewing?

Toudou: In that case, isn't that what Chizuru usually does?

Okita: Just doing some chores.

Toudou: Ha... Seriously, she really is usually just doing chores/odd jobs.

Okita: What about playing ball/with a ball? Girls in the neighbourhood often play with it/them.[I think this is "ball" here in Japanese. the CN I have is more literally "hit the ball" and the audio sounds like 'mari toka']

Harada: That can't be done indoors, right?

Okita: Then what about ayatori or origami?

Toudou: It's true that many girls play that, but that can be done at headquarters.

Harada: Anyway Souji, you've been doing nothing but list children's games.

Okita: Hehe, that's because I've seen the neighbourhood children play them. Does Sano-san have any good ideas?

Harada: Nn, it's true that identifying what a woman does is difficult. Should we ask that geisha named Kimigiku teach her something/how to dance?

Okita: But even if she came to the dojo to teach, I don't know if that child likes dancing.

Nagakura: That's right, rather than what a girl/woman might do, isn't it better to let Chizuru-chan do what she wants?

Okita: Then why don't I do some training with her?

Harada: If Souji's conducting the training, Chizuru will probably die.

Okita: Ah, but I left my sword when I came in, so there's no way that can be done now.

Harada: In the first place, you can't let Chizuru hold a sword with that appearance.

Okita: Then, what about taijutsu? I'm not very good at that.

Todou: Ah, with that sort of appearance, how could Chizuru practise taijutsu?

Toudou: At least change it to a method that involves blinding the eyes with sand or something like that.

Harada: Why are these only for attacking?

Okita: It can't be helped. This is about what Chizuru-chan wants to do.

Harada: Wouldn't that make Chizuru seem like an aggressive/belligerent woman?

Okita: Wouldn't that be surprising? A cool Chizuru-chan.

Toudou: That wouldn't cool. Chizuru should be cu....

Harada: Eh. You can't say she's cute even if she's not in front of you?

Toudou: Kuh! Shut up! Cu-Cute. Chizuru is very cute!

Okita: Hehmm. Since Heisuke said that out loud, Chizuru-chan is looking over here.

Toudou: Uah! It's nothing! Sorry, Chizuru! It's really nothing!

Okita: You're just complimenting here, so there's no need for you to panic this much. In fact, people will be suspicious of you saying something bad about her.

Toudou: Ggh!

Saito: Souji! Stop teasing him.

Okita: It's too much to blame me for doing this, isn't Sano-san gilty of committing the same crime?

Harada: I'm not teasing him.

Toudou: Ah... I feel so tired now.

Saito: Let’s get back to the original point. What should be done to make Yukimura happy?

Okita: What does Hajime-kun think would be good? From the very beginning, you were just listening without saying a word and not expressing your own opinions.

Saito: Although I've been thinking about this for a while, I haven't been able to think of anything.

Nagakura: Apart from training with a sword, what other thing can be done to make Chizuru-chan happy? And that be done indoors and isn't dangerous?

Okta: How about everyone singing children's songs together? A group of adults singing children's songs would be very interesting and exciting.

Harada: That'd be so exciting, that I wouldn't want to imagine that, though it's true that you can't do that at headquarters.

Okita: Just imagine Hijikata-san singing a children's song. I might end up laughing so much that my face would get cramps.

Nagakura: The only one who can probably sing children's songs without it feeling out of place with is Kondou-san.

Toudou: In the end, Souji just wants to tease Hijikata-san.

Okita: That isn't the case. If we try this, maybe he'd say "that makes recall the happiness from my childhood."

Nagakura: Indeed, he might say that…

Harada: Calm down, Shinpachi! Are you really going to sing?

Saito: Nn. If she's happy, it would be a small matter.

Harada: Saito, you calm down too! If you suddenly say "let's sing children's songs" Chizuru will get confused!

Nagakura: That’s right. Do you have any other good ideas....

Okita:....

Saito:....

Toudou: What exactly does Chizuru like?

Harada: If you think about it, we have no idea about what Chizuru likes.

Okita: Hm, she didn't talk much about herself.

Toudou: What can we do to make Chizuru happy?

.........

Hijikat: Hah.... hey, you guys! What were you talking about

Okita: Something that is to be kept secret from Hijikata-san.

Hijikata: What did you say?!

Saito: No, it was nothing like that.

Okita: Hm, as expected, asking her would be the fastest way. Come here, Chiruzu-chan.

(footsteps)

Toudou: Ah! Idiot! Souji!

(stops)

Toudou: It's nothing, Chizuru! We're not talking about you! Ah!

(Chizuru falls) [or that's my assumption since it sounds like she runs into Heisuke while something metallic falls down]

Toudou: So-Sorry, Chizuru.

Hijiakta: Ha, seriously, what are you doing? Are you alright, Chizuru? Here, your hairpin.

(Hijikata givers her the kanzahi)

Hijikata: Hah... Your hair, which had been done up into a bun, is all messed up. Can you call Osen? She can help you with your hair again.

(door opens and closes after Chizuru leaves)

Hijikata: Hey, Heisuke, why are you so panicked? Did you do something that you're ashamed of?

Toudou: It's not like that! It's just that she suddenly came close that I panicked. We were talking about asking Chizuru about what a woman/girl would do.

Harada: We got sidetracked halfway though.

Hijikata: Things that women do?

Okita: It's quite pitiful that she always has to wear men's clothes, so we just wanted to do something for her. But it appears that Demon Vice-Commander-san doesn't think that.

Hijikata: Did I say that?

Okita: Then exactly what will Hijikata-san do for Chizuru-chan?

Hijikata: Oh. You're asking what to do... Overdoing will instead make her feel concerned. Just let her do whatever she wants.

Toudou: But...

Hijikata: In any case, wouldn't it be better if you all paid more attention to her? Regardless of how beautiful the kimono is, it's boring to be left alone.

Okita: Hm...

Hijikata: What? If you have something to say to me, just say it.

Okita: How are we supposed to react when you say such an ordinary thing?

Hijikata: You bastard, no matter what I say, you're going to find some fault with me, aren't you?!

Harada: Hah... it's going to start all over again.

----to be continued----

havent started track 4 yet and while i do hope to get a start on it today... im not sure how likely that'll be since i'll be on the road waaaay later today and i get incredibly nauseous while in a car... and am usually feeling that way hours after exiting said vehicle.

Suppose I could just post track 5 and 6 any time though.... 😅

[braveandsnipe]

i think the boonboom cast tweeting about their gatchas is the most i’ve been invested in actor “news”

iuchi: whenever i find a gatcha for boonboomger i pull it, but why does pink never come out?

by the way, the two below were given to me by ryu and yuki-kun 😊 thank you!!!

i’m not sure whether to wear it or decorate it, but which one do you prefer?

saito: by the way, it came out in the order of: red, pink, orange, and black. i thought i could get a full set, but when i spun it a fifth time, and an orange came out 🚜

[nih-nih]

Some EXE drawings ~

Saito-niichan before becoming Rockman. My headcanon is that he grows up faster than Netto. When Netto can say the first word, Saito can already talk in full sentences as he is no longer a normal child.

Netto-kun~

[kuroi-ririn]

Satou Takuya J:COM Interview (short ENG translation)

Original interview: 声優・佐藤拓也ロングインタビュ(Please excuse any mistakes/errors, as I am not a professional translator. I'm just doing this to practise my Japanese reading skills! If there are errors, feel free to let me know. You may read this through GDocs as well.)

On IDOLiSH7, the 1st Live Concert, and Tsunashi Ryuunosuke

― You play Tsunashi Ryunosuke from TRIGGER, who are a group from the hit series IDOLiSH7, a series which has seen success through several media like games, concerts, movies. What are some of your fondest memories of the series, now looking back at it?

SatoTaku: Ever since I was little, I thought, “When I become a seiyuu, I want to sing lots.” However, I never in my wildest dreams would have ever imagined that I would sing at a huge venue such as the MetLife Dome (currently the Belluna Dome). 

SatoTaku: Well… All of the cheers were so powerful that it felt like the venue was shaking. It was such a big deal, I couldn’t even bring myself to sleep the night before the 1st [IDOLiSH7] Live.

― It makes me nervous just thinking about it…

SatoTaku: Of course it would.

SatoTaku: Honestly, when the IDOLiSH7 members started singing, behind the scenes, I was completely overcome with thoughts like, “Am I really going out there and singing, now?!” But once I went out on stage, I was able to feel the support and everyone’s expectations [of us] through their voices. I felt it all while on stage. It hit me like a tonne of bricks, I shudder just thinking about it.

― How does one even get over those kinds of nerves and all the pressure?

SatoTaku: When I perform with TRIGGER, I’m together with Gaku and Tenn. When I’m with the two who play them, Hatano Wataru-san and Saito Souma-kun, their presence is always reassuring.

SatoTaku: But still, even more than that, I found strength in Tsunashi Ryunosuke, the character I play. In those times, I think to myself, “Ah… Honestly, I’m really nervous… Tsunashi-san, how is it that you can stand on [a] stage [like this]?”

(note: The original wording is 拠り所. To me, it has a bit of a deeper nuance... it feels more like "foundation/something that keeps you grounded")

― [That 1st Live] was the first time Satou-san had to step into Tsunashi Ryuunosuke’s shoes. Did it feel like being taught a thing or two from the idol you played?

SatoTaku: That’s right. He’s one of the three top idols in the story, so he always has to be on the top of his game while performing on such a big stage. Because I had Ryuunosuke to help me, I felt like I was able to stand on stage properly.

SatoTaku: During that time, I remembered something that Ryuunosuke said during the first part of the story, “I… I don’t need to be loved by everyone. I want people to love my singing, my dancing– the me who is a part of TRIGGER.” I thought, “I need to be like that. I wish to be like that.”

(note: this is from Part 1 Chapter 18.2)

SatoTaku: When I’m on stage, I simply act as Tsunashi Ryunosuke. To the people who are watching the concert, they are there to see TRIGGER, they probably want to see Tsunashi Ryuunosuke. So, there’s no need for Satou Takuya to be there. With that in mind, it makes me feel more at ease and concentrate on the performance.

― It seems that Tsunashi Ryunosuke has taught you some really impactful things.

SatoTaku: That’s definitely the case. Ryuunosuke’s lines that I mentioned earlier are those which describe his own pride as an idol. However, they also guide me as a seiyuu. 

SatoTaku: For me, I don’t need to be loved as Satou Takuya. To make people love the characters I play, and the work that I’m in– as a seiyuu, that’s what makes me the happiest.

[ecargmura]

What I'll Be Watching And Reviewing For Spring 2024!

I can't believe it's going to be April next week. Is it just me or is 2024 moving super fast once January ended?

The anime I've picked for Winter 2024 were either hits or misses, so I just hope that my picks for the upcoming season will be more hits than misses.

Here are what I will be watching and reviewing:

Grandpa and Grandma Became Young (Jiisan Baasan Wakagaeru) - I think this looks adorable and has a very unique concept.

Wind Breaker - Cloverworks animating a deliquent anime? That cast list is incredible from Yuma Uchida to Yuichi Nakamura? How can I say no? I just hope it's better than Bucchigiri because Bucchigiri is really disappointing...

Whisper Me A Love Song (Sasayaku You Ni Koi Wo Uta)- I want to try watching actual yuri!

A Condition Called Love (Hananoi-kun To Koi No Yamai)- After watching A Sign of Affection, I want to watch more shoujo romance! Plus, Kana Hanazawa voices the MC!

Astro Note - I'm a sucker for Soma Saito and if he's the lead for this anime, I'm watching! Also, there's a poodle.

Tadaima Okaeri - My most anticipated show for this season. It's BL, but it's a monumental one as it's going to be the first ever omegaverse anime! It's going to open door for many potential omegaverse animes in the future (I pray for Kiraide Isasete to get an anime adaptation).

Boukyaku (Oblivion) Battery - I'm also a huge sucker for sports anime. Second, Mamoru Miyano AND Toshiki Masuda as the leads? I'm so ready.

I'll also be watching the new Demon Slayer season, but I won't be reviewing it episodically as I already have seven anime I'm reviewing and I reviewed the third season after watching the entire thing, so I want to keep that pattern going.

I think this will be a good season! I think the ones I picked out will be ones I will enjoy! What Spring 2024 anime will you watch? Is there anything you believe I should watch?

[aesthethief]

Togachako in Chapter 394

I need to get this out of my chest, so it's best to just dump it here.

This panel here says:

「お茶子ちゃんと出久くんみたいに正しい事ゆわれて言われておしまいだから。」

The breakdown is as follow:

お茶子ちゃん (おちゃこちゃん) : Ochako-chan

と (to) : and, with, if, when, promoted pawn (shogi)

出久くん (いずくくん) : Izuku-kun

みたいに / 見たいに (mitai ni) : similar to ~, like

正しい (ただしい / tadashii) : right, just, correct, righteous, honest, truthful, proper, straightforward, perfect

事 (こと / koto) : thing, matter, fact, circumstances, business, reason, experience

言われて (ゆわれて / yuwarete) : to have been told (passive form of 言う /ゆう)

おしまい (oshimai) : the end, closing, being done for

だから (dakara) : so, therefore

My translation would be:

"I was told that being like Ochako-chan and Izuku-kun is the right/correct/proper way, that's why I'm through with it."

This sentence can be interpreted in a lot of ways. You are entitled to your own interpretation as much as I am to mine, so don't limit your perception because of this post alone.

To put in more context, Toga utters that sentence right after this page that explains how she couldn't ask her past crush who resembles Izuku, Saito, to give her his blood because he would say that she's not human and he would think she's not cute.

Translation:

「出久くん好きだった人に似てたの。斉藤くんって言うの。血ィちょうだいって言えなかったの。だって人間じゃないって言われちゃうから…‼︎カァいくないって思われちゃうから」

"Izuku-kun resembles the person I used to like. He was called Saito-kun. I couldn't ask him to give me his blood. Because then, he would say I'm not human...!! Because, he would think I'm not cute."

Breakdown:

好きだった人 (すきだったひと / suki datta hito) : The person that (I) liked

に (ni) : particle, in this case, to indicate location of action

似る (にる / niru) : to resemble, to be similar to; the て-form + いた indicates past progressive tense, and い in いた is usually silent in Japanese

って言う (っていう / tteiu) : called

の (no) : feminine speech to indicate emphasis

血 (ち / chi) : blood, consanguinity

ちょうだい (choudai) : a way to make request, indicating familiar relationship

言う (ゆう / yuu) : to say, to call; potential form is 言える; negative potential is 言えない; past tense ending of い-adjectives is ~かった

だって (datte) : because, but, after all, even, too

人間 (にんげん / ningen) : human being, man, person, character (of a person)

じゃない (janai) : to not be (am not, is not, are not), casual form of じゃありません

言われる (yuwareru) : passive form of 言う

ちゃう (Chau) : casual form of ~てしまう; in this case, indicates an event has been completed with negative feelings

から (kara) : In this case >> it means because, since

カァイイ / 可愛い (かわいい / kawaii) : cute, lovely, adorable, charming, pretty; Kaaii is kawaii but with a little lisp

~くない (~kunai) : negative form of い-adjectives

思う (おもう / omou) : to think, to consider, to believe; passive form is 思われる (おもわれる / omowareru)

Toga is opening up to Ochako about her sorrow, and "I was told that being like Ochako-chan and Izuku-kun is the correct way" is her saying how love should be like in society's eye. It's putting love in a box and constricting it in the way that rejects people like Toga, labeling them not "human". Other forms of love that can't be accepted by the "norms" is considered hideous and improper.

This experience of being discriminated against is what the queer community has to face every day. So yes, that line is Horikoshi calling out against heteronormativity through Toga. It further proves to anyone who is still not convinced that Toga's story arc, as a whole, is queer allegory.

It could also be taken as how Horikoshi perceives shonen most cliché ending: the male protagonist always ends up with the female love interest. If memory serves me right, he said something along the lines of not wanting the manga to end like a typical shonen (if anyone has the screenshot of this interview, would you be so kind as to send it to me, pretty please?), so it's not too far-fetched to assume that way. Though, truth be told, I still have doubts that he would follow through with that. So, let's wait and see.

Interestingly, after Toga told Ochako that her expression of love would make her crush think that she's not cute, Ochako chose to keep calling her lovely and cute.

Translation:

Toga:

「私。。。カァイイ？」

"Am I... cute?"

Ochako:

「世界一」

"Number one in the world / the cutest in the world."

Breakdown:

私 (わたし / watashi) : I, me

カァイイ 、可愛い (かわいい / kawaii) : cute, adorable, charming, lovely, pretty (Toga says it with a lisp)

世界一 (せかいいち / sekaiichi) : best in the world

Ochako, bless her heart, understands Toga and everything that makes her her, albeit a bit late. Toga has always wanted acceptance and she gives her that wholeheartedly, symbolized by telling her what she has longed to hear. And it was done genuinely, not just to please her. She remembers Toga always wanted to talk about romance with her, hence she is using that to connect with her. She tells Toga her story, her parents, her motivation to be a hero, her crush on Izuku, and her desire to stop Toga, saying that those are what makes her her.

Translation:

「これが私！だから今私はここにいる！」

"This is what I am! That's why I am here!"

Breakdown:

これ (kore) : this; pronoun that's equal to nouns, meaning it can be subject, object, or indirect object

が (ga) : indicates subject

私 (わたし / watashi) : I, me

だから (dakara) : so, therefore

今 (いま / ima) : now, the present time, just now, soon, immediately, (one) more

は (ha, reads as wa) : topic marker particle

ここ (koko) : This place, area, or part

に (ni) : in this case >> location of a person

いる (iru) : to be (of animate objects), to exist

From my understanding, she is saying that her experiences shaped her, therefore she can be the hero she is now, the hero who's fighting for everyone's smile. For that reason, she doesn't fight Toga the way a hero is supposed to fight villains, because she has seen Toga's tears and she hates that. She wants to stop her from crying as much as wanting to stop her from killing the heroes. So, she lets Toga see her the way she is while readying herself for another stab yet doesn't try to defend against it, hoping Toga to understand that she can trust her.

And it works out.

Toga pours her heart out, letting herself be vulnerable in return, letting Ochako to "touch her sorrow" (as she says it). She says she has had enough of how people always told her that the correct way is "to be like Ochako-chan and Izuku-kun", that's why she joined the league of villains since it was the only place where she could live as she "likes".

In response to that, Ochako expresses her regret.

Translation:

「ずっとサインを出してくれてたのに気づくのが遅くなっちゃった」

"Even though you've been giving me signs all along, I noticed them too late."

Breakdown:

ずっと (zutto) : continuously in some state (for a long time, distance), throughout, all along, the whole time, all the way

サイン (sain) : In this case >> sign

を (wo) : indicates direct object of action

出す (だす / dasu) : to send, to submit; ~て form is 出して

~てくれる (~te kureru) : to express something was done for you

~ていた (~teita) : past progressive tense

のに (noni) : in this case >> although, in spite of, even though

気づく (きづく / kiduku / kidzuku) : to notice, to recognize, to recognise, to become aware of, to perceive, to realize, to realise

の (no) : nominalizer >> if attached to verb, the verb is treated like noun

が (ga) : indicates subject/object

遅くなっちゃった (おそくなちゃった / osokunachatta) : show, (to become) late, too late; ちゃった is the past form of ちゃう, which is the casual form of ~てしまう (used to indicate that an action or event has been completed, often with unintended or undesirable consequences)

What's even more interesting is that she also says this.

Translation:

「敵連合の代わりにはなれないけど…あなたの笑顔が素敵だと伝えなきゃと思ったの」

"I can't be a substitute for the league of villains but... I thought I have to tell you that your smile is lovely."

Breakdown:

敵連合 (ヴィランれんごう / viran rengou) : league of villains

代わりに (かわりに / kawari ni) : instead of, as a substitute for, in exchange for, in return for; ~の has to be attached if it's noun

なる (naru) : to become, to be, to play a role; potential + negative is なれない

けど (kedo) : but, however, although

あなた (anata) : in this case >> you

の (no) : in this case >> possessor

笑顔 (えがお / egao) : smiling face, smile

が (ga) : indicates subject

素敵 (すてき / suteki) :lovely, dreamy, beautiful, great, fantastic, superb, cool

だと (dato) : from ~であると, used to nominalize the quotation clause

伝える (つたえる / tsutaeru) : to convey, to tell; attached with ~なきゃ, short for ~なければ, which is used to convey "must", "have/has to"

~と思う (~とおもう / ~to omou): to think, I think; past form is ~思った

Since we know that the league of villains is like a safe place for Toga, Ochako's wording makes it sound like she wants to be someone whom she can express her love freely to, someone whom she can be herself with. With this sentence, added with how Toga has expressed her love to her many times and how words like "cute" and "lovely" symbolize acceptance to Toga, Horikoshi wants the readers to know that Ochako doesn't shy away from Toga's feelings.

I remember seeing this quote, "Love is when you give someone else the power to destroy you, and you trust them not to do it", and think that it really fits them so well and perfectly. So, I think that whatever ending Horikoshi may have for them, it won't negate the love, in whichever form, they have for each other.

[emeraldthelynx]

Roleswap (Again)

Canon Netto meets my Roleswap AU Lightman.

(@dunedragon started these Nettoverse shenanigans, and I'm just jumping on board.)

"Please let me start from the top-"

"I can explain it!"

"No, Lightman!"

"Why not? You stutter too much!"

"No I don't!" Netto just blinked in slow confusion.

"Uh, Papa? What happened?" he asked. Papa leaned back, and let out a breath of air.

"I'm honestly not sure, Netto. We were working on an experiement here at the lab to prove the Beyondard theory, and, well, this happened." he said. Netto stared at the other two. Rockman appeared with his hologram, and was just staring at the blue-hoodied lookalike.

"I think that one is me." he whispered. Netto turned his head towards the other Navi hologram. That Navi looked a bit like Rockman, but he was orange and had a bandana thing instead of a full helmet. He looked at Netto with cyber-blue eyes, and blinked. They went wide.

"Awesome…" he breathed. The human Rockman looked down at the ground, and started rubbing behind his head.

"Well, I guess which one of us… You know… Is different in this world." he said. He was a lot more soft-spoken than Rockman, and that was saying something! Navi-Netto bounced around, grinning.

"Awesome, awesome, awesome! Saito, that's a human me!" he said. Saito sighed, dragging a hand down his face.

"I know, Lightman." he mumbled. Lightman kept grinning. He whirled around, waving his arms around in excitement.

"You have to tell me what your favorite food is! Please, please, please!" he said, talking a mile a minute. Netto gaped.

"No way… How could you not know?!" he exclaimed. Lightman glared at him, and stuck out his tongue. Rockman gave Netto 'the look.'

"That was very insensitive, Netto-kun." he said. Netto frowned.

"Sorry…" he trailed off. He glanced at Lightman again, and pointed at himself. "I'm Hikari Netto, and that's Rockman. My favorite food is curry!" he said. Lightman's grin stretched across his face.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed. Saito sighed, a very long-sufferieng sigh. Now that was definitely Rockman-like. He looked at Rockman.

"Do you want to know?" he asked. Rockman shrugged.

"I think I just want to try everything." he said. A look of relief spread across Saito's face.

"Me too." he said. He took out his PET. It looked just like Rockman's, except it was orange and white. "I wonder if there's a chance of getting in contact with Ebisu and Breakman…" he mumbled. Netto blinked.

"Don't you mean Enzan and Blues?" he asked. Saito stared at him with a very odd, and slightly uncomfortable look. Lightman gaped this time.

"Wait, does this mean that everybody is swapped with their NetNavis here?" he asked, looking slightly incredulous. Netto imagined a Navi Enzan for just a moment, and started to snicker. Lightman started to snicker too. Probably thinking about human Enzan.

The image of a human Blues came to mind, and Netto started to laugh even harder. How would he even manage all that hair? Papa scratched his cheek.

"And we've gotten off-topic again…" he mumbled. Rockman shuddered.

"Two Nettos, both with short attention spans." he said. They'd never get things sorted out at this rate!

[ichilemonwritruoo]

Number 27 with Haruka and Hub for the drabble prompts please!

Hi there thank you so much for the drabble request! So sorry this was a month late but I finally got around to it! Thank you for your patience!

27. “You’re always safe with me, love.”

Haruka knew her son had been through a lot. He was only thirteen years old and twelve of them had been spent as a navi being forced to keep a secret from his twin brother. Not only that but he was the world’s savior, twice over. Realistically she knew it was bound to have some effect on him.

It was early in the morning about 5am. Haruka was an early riser, liking to leave her chores for the morning. She often did this so she could see her husband if he was able to come home around this time. 

She didn’t miss the door to the twins room opening or the stumbling and unsteady feet. The feet carried downstairs and then she heard the quiet shifting of the refrigerator door opening. 

Haruka gently sat down the laundry she was currently folding and headed down the stairs. She was met with her oldest son sipping a glass of water. His flushed cheeks and unsteady grip on the cup did not go unnoticed. 

“Hi sweetheart.” 

Saito seemed startled, his eyes scanning until he caught her face. His body relaxed slightly. “Hi Momma.”

“It’s unlike you to be up this early. Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah I’m okay thank you.” Saito replied as he finished his cup of water and quietly sat it in the sink. Haruka didn’t miss the small wince on his face as he rubbed his chest. 

Chest pains. 

“Are you sure sweetie? Wanna talk about it?” Haruka offered as she leaned against the counter. 

Saito hesitated for a moment before turning around to face his mother. “I…had a nightmare.” 

“What happened darling?” 

Saito paused before looking up at her. “Did…did I ever tell you about…when me and Netto-Kun fought the Alpha virus?” 

Haruka looked thoughtful. “Not really, but I remember that time period….your twin brother was heartbroken without you” 

“Well…I dreamed about what happened…you know when I sacrificed myself and overloaded myself…except for I wasn’t fast enough. And…and I had to watch as my systems wouldn’t load and Netto-Kun he…he didn’t make it out safely…” 

“Oh sweetheart.” Haruka gasped. She gently embraced her son. “I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s okay Momma…” Saito accepted her hug and sighed into her embrace.

“I can only imagine how awful that must have been….and unsettling. Nightmares are fragmentations of the mind often twisted into our fears or worries. It wasn’t real and please know honey that you are always safe with me, love. I may not be a world class net-battler like you but I am mother who will protect her family” 

Saito smiled as he exhaled. “Thank you Momma….Can we stay like this for a little bit longer…?” 

“Of course honey. For as long as you want.” Haruka squeezed her oldest boy tighter, driving all the love she could to wrap her son in a protective embrace.

[otaku-republic]

< NEW  BLCD (Yaoi Drama CD) Releases >

★ Ecchi Wa Shuu-7 Kibou Desu! by Pesotarou cv. Kumagai Kentarou, Shirai Yusuke ★ Virtual-Kun Wa Otonari-San Kara Nigetai by Aki Chihaya cv. Hirose Yuya, Masuda Toshiki

★ Nayamashii Kare Utsukushii Kare cv. Ono Yuki, Saito Soma ★ Kimi Iro Ni Kegasaretai by Sagano Hiwo cv. Kumagai Kentarou, Saito Soma ★ Yoake no Uta (Lullaby of the Dawn) vol.2 by Yuno Ichika cv. Uchida Yuma, Kawanishi Kengo ★ Koboreru, by Moriyo cv. Hatano Wataru, Saito Soma ★ Oredake No Senzoku Alpha by Hoshikura Zozo cv. Terashima Junta, Yamanaka Masahiro

[mirai-e-jump]

TV Life, 7/19/2024 Issue (No.14) ft. Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger Cast Members (translation below)

Publication: July 3, 2024

Iuchi Haruhi x Hayama Yuki x Suzuki Miu Saito Ryu x Soma Satoru x Miyazawa Yu

Iuchi: Sakito grew up in space, so there's something awkward about the way he keeps his distance from people.

Miyazawa: He basically acts by himself. That's why he doesn't spend much time together with everyone. He'll often go and help them out when they're in a tight spot though.

Iuchi: Still, it's amazing how Yu-kun's able to express his awkwardness so accurately. I'm sure this is how I'd be if I were in space my whole life and didn't know anything about Earth.

Suzuki: He's different. Mira's good at closing the distance between people, and yet even I felt overwhelmed, or rather overpowered by his intimidating presence.

Iuchi: That's why I've become much more motivated to do some muscle training. I'm sure there'll be alot of scenes of me standing next to Sakito from now on, so when that happens, I'm afraid I'm going to "lose" because of my appearance (laughs).

Hayama: He's a good stimulant, don't you think? For me, I'm glad to see Violet, a character closer to the color blue join us, as there's already so many bright, reddish colors in Boonboomger (laughs).

Saito: Black's the only one that's neither (laughs). Still, Sakito's cool just from a visual standpoint, isn't he? I've thought that way ever since I first saw the makeup artist doing his hair.

Miyazawa: Ryu and Miu-chan ran over to me and said, "What's Violet like?" (laughs).

Suzuki: We were like, "Oh~!"

Saito: That's right. We were like, "So cool!"

Miyazawa: Both of them said, "So cool!," but as I looked at them, all I could think of was, "They're so cute~" (laughs).

Saito: His purple extensions are nice too. Haruhi said, "Isn't that unfair?!" (laughs).

Iuchi: I wanna wear some too (laughs).

Soma: His character and appearance are both striking. In that sense, although their personalities are completely different, he and Genba may be similar in some ways. Also, for me personally, it was a weight off my shoulders when Zawa-kun (Miyazawa) became the oldest character (laughs).

Miyazawa: In my mind, Satoru's character is the oldest.

Soma: No, absolutely not, that's not possible (laughs).

Iuchi: Still, you two might be abit alike. They've consciously taken away the feeling of being our seniors and made it easy for us to talk with them. That's why they're more like having kind big brothers around.

Miyazawa: You guys just mess around with me though (laughs).

Suzuki: Zawa-kun's being teased the most now, isn't he? It used to be Satorun (Soma).

Soma: That's why I'm doing the teasing now.

Hayama: That's fun too, right?

Soma: It's fun. Zawa-kun takes care of "cleaning up" for us (laughs).

Miyazawa: I mean, all five of them are silly, aren't they? I was put into the group chat, but even there, they were just posting silly comments……multiple times. The next day I was like, "Someone say something in response!" (laughs).

Suzuki: Everyone's just doing whatever they want (laughs).

Hayama: Still, the atmosphere on set has become tense due to Zawa-kun. Everyone's trying not to lose to him.

Saito: I'm looking forward to the story from now on. How will Sakito interact with the other five? There's still alot we don't know about him as a character.

Miyazawa: I think it'll become more apparent in the future that he "has another side to him."

Iuchi: With the addition of Sakito, the relationships among the other five will probably change, and in a good way, we have no idea what the future holds, so I hope you'll continue to watch over us! _

Q: What's something you'd like to have the "Cleaner" resolve?

Iuchi: I'd like him to "clean up" the oil that accumulates in my stomach. I like yakiniku and ramen, and often go out to eat with everyone after filming. However, I'm weak with oil, and always get an upset stomach when I eat too much of it (laughs).

Hayama: Do you clean drains? I'm a cleanly person, so I clean my place atleast once a week. However, I tend to skip the areas that use water, only doing them about once a month…I'd like you to clean them on my behalf (laughs).

Suzuki: Mira's always showing her legs, so I'm working hard on muscle training every day. However, there are times where I just can't be bothered. I'd like you to take care of this "troublesome spirit of working out"!

Saito: I always fall asleep as soon as I get home. This is why I always put off cleaning…Some days it's clean, but on average it's pretty dirty, so I'd like you to clean my entire room (laughs).

Soma: Because of my thin chest, I want to build muscle. I like to move my body, but I'm the same as Miu-chan, and there are days where I'm not motivated to work out, so I'd like to have those feelings taken care of.

Miyazawa: I wish there was something I could do for all the things the five of them said (laughs). Speaking of, I was recently taken out to play futsal by Satoru. I've been wanting to go out and play it for a long time, so I was finally able to "clean up" that desire!

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Japan Girl’s Fest - Hakuoki Drama "One Night's Promise" Eng translation

Found another drama with Hijikata and Kazama that's much shorter than the last one I posted... this one is from the ライブビデオ JAPAN乙女Festival in 2011!

Also this post is to make up for last week... I think?

Hakuoki ライブビデオ JAPAN乙女Festival drama "One Night's Promise"

Translation by KumoriYami

Hijikata: I thought I had just finished my work, [but] it's already midnight. It seems that headquarters is pretty quiet at night.

???:……

Hijikata: Who's there?!

Saito: It's Saito. I'm sorry for startling you.

Hijikata: Don't scare me like that. Is there something wrong?

Saito: I wasn't able to sleep, so I went to the dojo.

Hijikata: Ha, you seriously are an idiot for kenjutsu.

Saito:...Thank you. I'll take that words as a compliment.

Hijikata: Seriously, it can't be helped that you're an idiot for kenjutsu. Hurry up and get to bed so you don't cause problems for work tomorrow. Well then.

Saito:...Vice-Commander, what are you doing/where are you going this late at night?

Hijikata: Ah... I can't sleep. I just want going to walk around headquarters to get some fresh air.

Saito: Please wait. Because you're the Shinsengumi's Vice-Commander, I hope you will consider the circumstances and think twice about going outside alone [technically "without a companion" but that sounds weird...].

Hijikata:....You have a point....

Saito: I also can't sleep so I'll accompany you.

Hijikata: You don't need to be worry, it'll be fine.

Saito: I sincerely apologize. But this is something that I can't compromise on.

Hijikata: Ha… Okay, I get it. I give up. There's really no helping it, let's go.

Saito: Yes.

Okita: Areh, Hajime-kun, what are you doing in a place like this?

Saito: Why are you over here?

Okita: I just finished my patrol and was thinking of heading back after getting some fresh air. Areh? Hijikata-san is here too. I was thinking that there was a suspicious people around here, I never thought it would be Hijikata-san.

Hijikata: Hey, let's run away, Saito.

(crowd laughs)

Getting caught up with this guy will only make this rare warm evening breeze feel disgusting.

Okita: Hold it, Hijikata-san. Where are you going?

Hijikata: I’m not going anywhere. I'm just taking a stroll.

Okita: Then I'll also go.

Hijikata: Just hurry up and go to sleep. If you can't get up early tomorrow morning, you're the one who's going to get in trouble.

Okita: Hm~ Hijikata-san and Hajime-kun are able to stay up late yet I can't, that feels super unfair~

Hijikata: You bastard... can't you do something bout your mouth?....Just do what you want!

Okita: Hehe, yes, yes, I'll do as I like~!

....

(in a back alley)

Okita: Hey, Hijikata-san~ I'm getting tired~

Saito: The Vice-Commander has something important to do here. Please head back if you're going to disturb him.

Okita: Ah something important is it~ but all I see is him going on a pointless stroll.

Saito: He definitely isn't wasting time, this is an important way for Vice-Commander to pass the time.

(crowd laughs)

Okita: Heh~ it turns out it was a diversion. Then wasn't that enough of one?

Hijikata: Hey! You tow! Can't you be bit quieter? Seriously, it's a moonlit night, and yet there's no elegance to it.

Kazama: Elegance is it, you're saying that doesn't suit you at all.

Hijikata: You are... Kazama Chikage!

Kazama: I thought there would be stray dogs barking in the middle of the night, and it turned out to be you guys. Could it be that you don't even time to sleep in the Shinsengumi. You don't even have time to sleep while working for the Shinsengumi? You must be having a hrad time.

Hijikata: You bastard, what /What are you doing here?

Kazam: What am I doing? Why do I have to tell you tht?

Hijikata: Heh, our job is to maintain the public order in Koto. If we encounter a suspicious person in front of us, we need to send him back to where he came.

Kazama: Maintaining the public order in Kyoto.... Hahahaha, your dog-like nature hasn't changed at all. Ah. Well, it's fine to just keep licking the boots of the Shogunate.

Hijikata: Licking boots?! We're doing this because we have ambitions! You have no right to tell us what to do.

Kazama: Your ambitions? They're probably all pointless things anyway.

Hijikata: Hmph, you keep saying that you have great ambitions, but all you do is kill people people to be rewarded. After all, humans are creatures controlled by petty desires.

Okita: Hijikata-san, there's no point talking to him, just cut him down.

Saito: You guys, get ready.

Kazama: Hahahahaha, I was feeling bored, so this as tonight's entertainment is perfect. It's just as well, I'll be your opponent.

Hijikata: Take your hands off your swords, Souji, Saito.

Saito:……Why?

Okita：I can't back down so easily after being made fun of like that.

Hijikata: They say the weakest dogs bark the loudest. Listen, Kazama. I'll let you off today. But in return, you'll have to closely watch us with your own eyes from now own. The Shinsengumi's ambitions.

Kazama: Hm... You want me to witness that with my own eyes?

Hijikata: Yeah. Though if you still can't admit it to that, then-

Kazama: Then at that time, I will cut down all of your so-called great ambitions.

Hijikata: Fine. Then I'll just say one thing. Humans are creatures that are full of greed. As you say, it's true that the Shogunate and the world is full of corruption. But even so, as long as the Shinsengumi exists, we will fight for what is important to us. Don't forget that.

Kazama: Is that all you wanted to say? Isn't this what they mean when they say the "howling of the losing dog".

Hijikata: Just say whatever you want! The next time we meet… I'll cut cut you down.

Kazama: Those words, I'll return them to you.

....

Okita: Hijikata-san, why didn't you do anything?

Saito: Souji, the Vice-Commander was reaffirming thorough him that the Shinsengumi must never bring shame to ourselves as warriors before the Shogunte or the world. We must engrave that in our hearts.

Okita: Hm~ what a serious pain. Anyway, I'll just cut down the enemy in front of me, so I'll leave the rest of the problems to Hijikata-san.

Hijikata: Hmph, I thought you'd say that. It's fine if you do that, but just focus on looking forward without looking back. You too, Saito. Under the Makoto flag, keep heading forward.

Saito: Yes.

Okita: Yes~ yes. Oh, it's already dawn.

Hijikata: Our regulations say that weren't supposed to be out at night, so what the hell were we doing? [???]

Okita: Ah~~ (yawns) If I can't wake up today, it'll all be Hijikata-san's fault.

Hijikata: You were the one who insisted on following us!

Saito: Vice-Commander, since this is a rare opportunity, why don't we go enjoy the morning sun.

Hijikata: Ah, right. It looks like we'll have a beautiful sunrise.

---end---

[codenamesazanka]

There's not as much level of hate in JP spaces because they read the original dialogues in the way as intended by the author and not the shitty localised version by a biased translator. Idk if you are on twitter but the translator has ruined the last 2-3 chapter translations. And also when Tomura escaped AFO's control and when Hawks lost the quirk. And that's why JP fans understand the themes better than the English fans.

Not gonna say Caleb Cook has never gotten anything wrong, but I generally think he gets it right more often than not. I've seen when fans try to correct the translations, and sometimes the nuance is captured, sometimes not at all. And as if fans can't be biased as well.

I distinctly remember when English-speaking fans tried to claim that Dabi in chapter 306 was saying something along the lines of 'the exposure of Endeavor's abuse was not enough for people to care'. That was completely wrong. Caleb's translation of Dabi saying 'he didn't go far enough/Endeavor needs more bullying' was the correct one. I know this because I took a look at it myself. However, my translation could be flawed too. So I look to the Japanese tweets that quoted that sentence saying things like “Dabi-kun, are you taking lessons from demons (in sadism)?" or "You've tortured your family enough... stop it," or cheered him on, wanting to know what horrible moves Dabi will think of next. What the author intended here was to show Dabi wants to completely break Endeavor's spirit and soul, but English-speaking fans point blank said 'no, that's not how I want it'.

Meanwhile, English-speaking fans are very eager about Caleb's translation of Yoichi saying Shigaraki was groomed to be full of hatred, or Shigaraki telling AFO that he knows AFO groomed him. The original japanese is actually "that was how he was raised/brought up," and "that was how you raised me/brought me up". With context, yeah, Yoichi and Shigaraki is saying that AFO raised him up in a negative way, he was raised in malicious conditions - 'groomed' is indeed one possible translation, but I personally think that word is loaded with connotations that makes it more charged than the original japanese. I would've gone with 'brought up', maybe 'trained'.

I'm not defending Caleb here, exactly. I think he did a disservice when he translated Toga's line about Saito thinking she's not human as 'Saito will think I'm a freak'. The gist is the same - Saito will be repulsed by her - but for me, 'not human' better fits the context of Toga's life's journey to be seen as normal, as a regular human being. I have no idea what he was thinking when he translated Spinner's 'Shigaraki-tachi' (Shigaraki and the others/Shigaraki's group) as only 'Shigaraki' when Spinner woke up Kurogiri.

For the most part, Caleb's just trying to capture the feel of things, then make sure it's convey in a natural sounding manner. Lots of potential for disagreement in the process. As someone once puts it, you are guarantee to fail when translating, so what you're doing is deciding how to fail. And failure also means different things to different people.

Caleb gets things right, and gets things wrong. From my observations, English-speaking fans think Caleb gets things right when the translations fits into their pre-existing conceptualizations and never question it; and English-speaking fans think Caleb is so terrible he should be fired when translations don't fit their pre-existing conceptualizations. Where does the bias come from? Trick question, it's in everyone.

So is the hate because Caleb's translation isn't accurate and people misunderstood bnha's themes? I gotta say, not really. Is the hate because people have a vision of what bnha should be like in their head, and get angry when canon goes a different path? I think this is more likely. I don't think it's the whole reason. But its contribution is there.

Whether or not this is the reason why Japanese fandom spaces seems - to me - to have less hate than English speaking fandom spaces, I don't know. Like I said, maybe the hate levels are the same because I'm just looking at the nice things that floats at the top as I wade through Japanese fandom, but haven't dive down into the deep sea hate, while I enter a submersible to be crushed by the high pressure hate every time I return to the English speaking fandom.

Thanks for the ask!

[tofueggnoodles]

Extreme Bath Log Disk 1 – Track 3: Genjo Family’s Evening

Click here to listen to the track on youtube.

Click here for translations of previous tracks.

Summary: Goku spent the evening playing video games with his friends from school, Tokito and Saito. Kubota arrived to fetch Tokito home and deliver a piece of news from the neighborhood association. The Genjo family discussed their participation in a local event meant to both celebrate Tanabata and revive the shopping district.

--------

(Music playing in the background. Someone knocks at the door.)

Goku (munching on something crunchy): Yes?

Saito: Excuse me! (slides the door open)

Goku: Oh, Mikawaya-chan!

Tokito: You came just at the right time, Sabu-chan!

Saito: I’m neither Mikawaya nor Sabu-chan! I’m Saito, the seventeen-year old handsome heir of Saito Liquor Store, Saito Kazuo!

Tokito: It’s probably because Mikawaya or Sabu-chan is a more likely name for a deliveryman for a liquor store [that we keep calling your those].

Goku: What is it, Saito? Are you done with work for today already?

Saito: When I arrived at the Genjo residence for my last delivery, I heard that you guys were hanging out on the second floor. I thought I’d come up and say hi. Oh! Isn’t this a new title from MGS? [MGS: Metal Gear Solid - thanks @hokuton-punch !]

Tokito: Have you gotten through this one too?

Saito: I’m in the midst of collecting the trophies. This is the second week.

Goku: Seriously? That’s just like you. Ah, how do I get past this field?

Saito: Okay, could you please call up the map?

Goku: Right.

(The gaming console emits a beep as he calls up the map.)

Saito: Here and here, there are some mercenaries standing guard. This here is the shortest route, but it’s easier to advance by taking a longer path and take down the enemies one by one in close quarters combat.

Tokito: See? That’s exactly what I said.

Goku: Eh? But I’m bad at taking cautious actions, even in video games.... Ah, I'll just give it a pass!

Tokito: Eh? Do I have to be the one to play through this part again? Also, I’ve told you not to touch the controller while eating potato chips, Goku. It’s sticky all over!

Goku: I don’t mind since it’s my controller. By the way, since Saito’s here, let’s play Bomberman or Marica. [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/MaricaShinjitsuNoSekai]

Saito: Whichever game it is, I accept the challenge!

Tokito: Oh, you’re sure raring to go, Mikawaya!

Saito: It’s Saito!

--------

(Sounds of insects chirping.)

Goku (from upstairs): Ah! Who left a banana here?

Tokito: It was you.

Saito: I’ll go ahead of you guys, okay?

(Goku groans in frustration.)

Hakkai: Whenever Saito-kun joins in, it gets even livelier than usual. I hope they’re not disturbing Tenpou at his work.

Sanzo (slurps noisily at his tea): It’s a regular occurrence. He’s probably used to it after living here for many years.

(The doorbell chimes.)

Hakkai: Coming! Who is it?

Kubota: Hello. I’m from Kubota Laundry.

Hakkai (slides the door open): Ah, good evening Kubota-san.

Kubota: First of all, I’m here to hand these over: the empty food containers** and Mr. Genjo’s laundered clothes. [Kubota, Tokito and Tenpou address Sanzo as go-inkyo, lit. Mister Retiree, which does not sound as reverential as go-inkyo, so I decided to go with ‘Mr. Genjo.’]

Hakkai: Sorry for having you come here just to deliver them. I could’ve gone over to your place to retrieve them myself.

Kubota: It’s no trouble. I’m passing around these bulletins from the neighborhood association anyway, so I took the opportunity to stop by.

Hakkai: I appreciate your efforts. Tokito-kun’s upstairs, you know.

Kubota: Thanks for having him – he’s always visiting you. I hope he’s not too much of a nuisance. I’m also here to fetch him home. Tokito, it’s time to leave.

Tokito (from upstairs): Okay! Gimme a minute!

Hakkai: That’s right – the homepage that Tokito-kun made for us is amazingly popular. Sorry for having him do this without compensation.

Kubota: We’re in your debt too. The macaroni salad was very delicious. Those piquant black peppers really go well with beer. The two of us polished it off in an instant.

Hakkai: I’m glad to hear that. The salad is also popular among the members of this household.

(A door slides open upstairs.)

Goku: See you tomorrow.

Tokito: Yeah. (runs down the stairs) Sorry for the wait, Kubo-chan.

Kubota: We’ll be taking our leave then, Genjo-san,.

Tokito: See you!

Hakkai: Good night. (closes the door)

Hakkai (to himself): Genjo-san, eh? At any rate, ‘Genjo Hakkai’ sounds considerably pretentious as a name. Well, at least it’s far from being as odd-sounding as ‘Genjo Gojyo.’

--------

(Gojyo sneezes. In the background, there are sounds of water being splashed and dribbling down the floor.)

Gojyo: Really. Why are all the customers middle-aged men and old geezers whenever it’s my turn to man the attendant’s booth? Even if the changing room is not visible from here, at least the sight of some beautiful women in after-bath yukata would cheer me up. [yukata: light cotton kimono worn in the summer or used as a bathrobe]

(A bell rings as the door slides open.)

Gojyo: Ah, welcome– oh, it’s just the old man from the grocery store.

Old man: So the eldest son’s manning the attendant's booth today. Looks like you’ve been putting in a decent amount of work recently. Here’s the key for safekeeping. (walks away after putting the key to his locker on the counter)

Gojyo: What a let down.

--------

Goku: Ah, it’s hot! A cold drink of milk is best after a bath! Eh? Are you going out, Gojyo?

Gojyo: After a full day of working, I now have to leave for my part-time job. (yawns)

Sanzo: Those were all easy stuff, so don’t let them get the best of you.

Hakkai: Ah, since everyone’s gathered here, could I have a bit of you time? There’s something I’d like to consult you regarding the bathhouse.

Goku: Consult?

Sanzo: Did something happen?

Hakkai: No, it’s not that. A short while ago, bulletins announcing the outcome of the neighborhood association meeting has been circulated. Here’s our copy. (places a piece of paper on the table)

Gojyo: Mmm, what’s this? ‘Araiso Shopping District?’

Sanzo (reads from the bulletin): ‘Tanabata Festival: Decision on the Event to Hold?’ [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata]

Goku: Eh, so they’re going to organize a festival.

Hakkai: Even though they say it’s a festival, rather than food stalls at the temple or all-night folk dances, apparently the event they’re going to hold is a three-day stamp rally throughout the shopping district. [https://en.japantravel.com/guide/introduction-to-stamp-rallies/46627]

Gojyo: What’s that?

Hakkai: Ever since a large-scale shopping center opened in front of the train station, the businesses in this shopping district have been having a tough time in various ways. They’ve been talking for a while about holding such a community-based event to earnestly promote the shopping district and regain the customers.

Goku: Let me see.... (reads from the bulletin) ‘During the three days of the event, each shop in the shopping district is to provide the customers with original free services or freebies associated with Tanabata.’

Sanzo (continues reading): ‘Regarding items associated with Tanabata, foodstuffs, novelty mahjong score sheets **, games or events – anything is fine.’ Hah. That’s an awfully sloppy description.

Hakkai: That’s because the chairperson of the neighborhood association is fairly sloppy person herself.

Goku: The chairperson is that person, right? Granny Sharak, grandpa’s senior who runs the long-established Japanese-style confectionery store?

Gojyo: If you call her Granny to her face, you’ll get a hundred energetic lashes from that wild old woman.

Hakkai: Our bathhouse is quite a long-established business among the shops in this shopping district, so we’ll have to participate in this event. Father can’t afford to make Sharak-san lose face as well.

Sanzo: That woman’s harshly made me accompany her on her rounds of heavy drinking since the old days.

Gojyo: But, we’re running a bathhouse. What sort of Tanabata-related service should we offer?

Hakkai: That’s what I’d like to get everyone’s advice on.

Goku: Hm-mm.... how about setting up some bamboos by the bathtubs? [for the customers to hang colorful pieces of paper on, after writing their wishes for the year on those pieces of paper]

Gojyo: If those sharp leaves were to become loose and fall, they’d cover the whole surface of the water and no-one would be able to move in the bath.

Sanzo: The customers would probably be pleased – if they were pandas.

Hakkai: Decorating the interior of the bathhouse is a good idea by itself... hmm, but exposing the customers’ bare skin to bamboo leaves in the bathhouse is a bit risky.

Goku: Then, since we’re running a bathhouse, how about handing out hot spring steamed buns? [onsen-manju: buns stuffed with azuki-bean paste sold in towns and resorts of hot springs]

Hakkai: Wouldn’t it be a false representation to call those ‘hot spring steamed buns?’ [since the Genjo bathhouse does not use a hot spring as their water source.]

Gojyo: Would anyone be delighted to eat steamed buns right after coming out of the bath?

Sanzo: They would be, at least somewhat.

Gojyo: Damn old geezers with a sweet tooth should just keep their mouths shut.

Sanzo: Keep my mouth shut, you say? I’m the owner of this bathhouse, you good-for-nothing!

Gojyo: You're one to talk! Haven’t you gone into retirement a long time ago and left the running of the bathhouse completely to Hakkai?

Sanzo: Hah?

Gojyo: What is it? Bring it on!

Goku: Jeez, what are you guys doing? Stop fighting and think seriously over this Tanabata event!

Hakkai: Goku has really become dependable, hasn’t he? For the time being, since we need to report what we plan to do for the Tanabata event to the neighborhood association in one week’s time, let’s come up with something until then. The two of you, please lend your support for a bit as well, okay?

Gojyo: Yeah, yeah, I got it.

Sanzo: Hmmph.

Hakkai: Well then, I need to get back to work. Please be careful when putting out the fire**, Father. [I listened to this for a few times before concluding that in Hakkai’s absence, Sanzo probably has a tendency to set things on fire when lighting up a cigarette or something....]

Goku (sounding excited): Tanabata Festival, huh? I’m sure looking forward to it....

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(Round brackets): actions and sound effects. [Square brackets]: translator’s notes or clarifications. Double asterisks **: Stuff I am not sure with. Suggestions for improvements and corrections are more than welcome.