#it even has the right japanese honorific

[dragqueenstarscream]

How do you feel about Sunstorm, I need someone to yap to about the made up version of him in my head

gonna be honest, i only know tfa sunstorm, but he's such a shithead suckup and i can't help but love him. nasty little gremlin.

off topic but have you seen his tfwiki page? the whole thing talks the way he does and it's brilliant.

[kurishiri]

5 facts you maybe didn’t know abt alfons bc his route is coming (no major spoilers)

at some point after entering the greetia household, he changed his way of speaking. this is especially prominent in the japanese version, when he goes from the more casual or “crude” way of speaking all the way to keigo (or “polite” language). the gap between his polite language and the actual words that comes out of his mouth is part of his humor thats especially prominent in japanese, and a may be bit lost in translation in english.

he is really good at cooking. this is shown in his profile, but he does not show off this skill often. he only shows this skill twice in the entire history of ikevil so far. once in his main story, and once in his second birthday story. so enjoy those moments when you run into them!

in the japanese version, he uses honorifics with everyone (including kate), except one person. and that person is elbie. he calls everyone by the —san honorific, including kate, and he still does even after they get into a relationship. he calls william and victor with —sama, probably because by all rights, they are his bosses. the fact he doesn’t use honorifics with elbie unless he is playing a role or feels like it, in which case he may use —sama (he seemingly switches on a whim using “lord elbert,” “lord elbie,” “elbie,” and “elbert”). the fact he doesn’t use honorifics with elbie indicates a very close relationship, as doing such (in japanese, this is known as [呼び捨て], or yobisute) with those who you’re not close to can be considered incredibly rude.

his last name, sylvatica, means forget-me-not (the flower). specifically, it comes from its scientific name, myosotis sylvatica, and it bears the symbol of remembrance, coming to symbolize various events and people, along with a symbol for alzheimer’s in some regions. since the olden times, it has also been a symbol of true, everlasting love and devotion. this is the surname alfons chose for himself sort of on a whim supposedly. it is unknown if he himself chose the name while aware of its meaning (and thus was trying to convey his wishes through it), though considering he was surrounded by forget-me-nots in a scene during elbie’s route, it may be a reflection of something deeper on the storyteller’s end.

despite his attitude and all appearances, he grows attached to others very easily. this is pretty evident in his past records with elbie, and even roger’s past records. he can’t really bring himself to separate from elbie and when he has thought about it, he initiated a game with him instead of just leaving. and also he was quite drawn to roger at one point in his life. even now, roger does have a place in his mind at least (i have the story regarding this point translated here if you’re curious, but note this is jp only content as of this post). and even with kate, it’s evident that since the beginning, he didn’t want to leave her alone. even before he realizes his own feelings, he’s pretty drawn to her and actually thinks of her as “cute,” “adorable” or “darling.” and even in other routes, especially elbie and roger’s, he seems to show at least some attraction toward kate. so don’t let his facade fool you that much!

10 things you should know before you read alfons route.

[thelingodingo]

Inarizaki's Kansai Dialect

Japanese Dialects are split into Eastern and Western, with the Standard Japanese dialect being Eastern (Kanto region) and Kansai region dialect being Western (eg. cities of Osaka and Kyoto, and of course Hyogo prefecture- where Inarizaki is from). The pitch, tone, and stressing of the sounds is different from standard Tokyo Japanese so you should be able to hear the difference in how the Inarizaki members speak even if you don't know any Japanese.

just in case yall didn't know, Suna is the only member on the team that does not use Kansai dialect as he was scouted from Aichi prefecture, so he basically just speaks in the standard dialect

Some linguistics of the dialect that may or may not be heard in the show:

"ya" ending vs the standard "da" ending.

Kore kirai ya. vs Kore kirai da. (I hate this.)

the use of the "h" sound instead of "s"

Han vs standard san (honorific suffix, not really used anymore)

Negation suffix "-hen" instead of the standard "-nai".

Taichou kanri dekitehen koto, homen na. vs Taichou kanri dekitenai koto, homen na. (Don't compliment him when he's obviously not taking care of himself.)

verb "oru" vs the standard "iru".

Dareka ga mitoru yo, Shin-chan. vs Dareka ga miteiru yo, Shin-chan. (Someone's always watching, Shin-chan.)

verb "temau" vs standard "teshimau"

Naitemau yaro! vs Naiteshimau darou! (You're gonna make me cry!)

Negation "suru" verb becomes "sen" instead of "shinai".

Ki ni sen dee. vs Ki ni shinai yo. (Don't worry about it.)

Some words that are different in Kansai dialect:

Honto becomes Honma (really)

Sodane becomes Seyade (thats right)

Nande becomes Nandeyanen (why)

Totemo becomes Meccha (very)

ii becomes ee (good)

"aho" means stupid in Japanese, but apparently in the Kansai dialect calling someone an "aho" is actually a compliment?! (even though it has the same definition)

Overall, I could watch the Karasuno vs Inarizaki episodes a hundred times just to listen to Inarizaki's dialect and how different it sounds to the rest of the characters in the entire show.

Although Karasuno speaks in the standard dialect (which isn't very strange since Miyagi is a suburb close enough to the Kanto region), theres a few lines here and there where one of them says something using the Tohoku dialect (the dialect that would be used often in the rest of Tohoku, such as Aomori).

(I especially like Kita's voice, thank you Nojima Kenji.)

[croquis-el]

I think everyone has already seen that short dossier in the court records about Odoroki (Apollo)

The entire Internet managed to laugh at the line "I call him Apollo" (Bro, that's literally his name)

I, in turn, will say that this is the result of unsuccessful localization (for now I'm talking about one specific line, don't swear)

In the original version, a slightly different meaning was embedded under this explanation. Namely, that Naruhodo does not "call him", but "gave him a nickname".

Won't you agree? Already a different message.

More below

ふとしたキッカケで 知り合った新米弁護士。 愛称はオドロキくん。

futoshita kikkake de shiriatta shin kome bengoshi. Aishō wa Odoroki-kun.

A novice lawyer whom I met by chance. His nickname is Odoroki-kun.

愛称(aisho) - A friendly, affectionate name used to address someone. (syn.) nickname.

In Japan, great importance is attached to friendly names, with their help people show their affection (of course, there are also offensive nicknames, but that's not the topic of the post)

Addressing by last name + warm, friendly suffix -kun shows us a respectful and trusting attitude towards the young lawyer

The dossier was probably entered into the MAISON system after Odoroki started working in Hodo's office, so there was confusion with the content (7 years ago, Odoroki was only 15 years old, he could not have been a lawyer, since he was in school)

Of course, this line is difficult to convey in another language with the same emotions and meaning, so everything was lost again

Yes, the Western world is more accustomed to addressing by name in friendly relations, so this line seemed stupid to everyone, but this was influenced not only by the impossibility of correct adaptation

And also by the way other characters address Odoroki

We will not mention episodic characters, but let's focus on those who appear in each case

The judge addresses Odoroki in two ways:

弁護人 (bengonin) - counsel; defender; advocate

At important and serious moments in the trial

Odoroki-kun - in a situation where the case takes an unexpected turn

よろしいですね? オドロキくん。

yoroshīdesu ne? Odoroki-kun.

Is that okay? Odoroki-kun.

Minuki Naruhodō (Trucy Wright)

Contrary to all the established impressions that the young magician very quickly begins to address the lawyer informally and behaves very boldly with him, giving him the nickname "Polly", in the original everything is completely different.

Absolutely always, Minuki addresses him exclusively as "Odoroki-san"

だ。ダメですよ、オドロキさん! ちゃんと、お話を聞かないと!

Damedesuyo, Odoroki-san! Chanto, ohanashi o kikanaito!

No. That's no good, Odoroki-san! You have to listen carefully!

San - さん.

It is the most common Japanese honorific and can be used to address both male and female adults. 

Like mister and misses, san is used when you do not know the person very well or when you want to show respect for someone who is not a close friend.

Minuki treats Odoroki with respect, but at the same time keeps him at a respectful distance. She guards her secrets to the very end and simply could not so quickly trust, essentially, a stranger, even if dad told her about him.

This freedom of adaptation changes Minuki's character and a new character, Trucy, appears (although all players should have approximately the same impression of the characters, after all, we are playing the same game).

She continues to call him the same in AA 5 and 6, probably just to accommodate the age difference (as with other adults)

あ、オドロキさん! お早い到着ですね。

a, Odoroki-san! O hayai tōchakudesu ne.

Oh, Odoroki-san! You arrived early.

Kyoya Garyuu (Klavier Gavin)

The prosecutor most often uses a unique and friendly nickname - Odeko-kun (Herr Forehead)

なあに。他に説明がつかないからさ。 そうだろう? おデコくん。

Hoka ni setsumei ga tsukanaikara sa. Sōdarou? Odeko-kun.

What? Because there's no other explanation. Right? Odeko-kun.

But when he's angry, our lawyer suddenly becomes Odoroki Hosuke (as a way to express frustration)

あ! キサマか、王泥喜法介! ぼくを燃やそうとしたのは!

a! Kisamaka, Odoroki Hōsuke! Boku o moyasou to shita no wa!

Ah! You, Odoroki Hosuke! You were the one who tried to burn me!

Kirihito Garyuu (Kristoph Gavin)

Just Odoroki-kun, nothing out of the ordinary

Kokone Kizuki (Athena Cykes)

As a junior co-counsel, she addresses him as "Odoroki-senpai"

あ! オドロキ先輩。

Ah! Odoroki senpai.

Senpai (先輩、せんぱい, "former born") is used to address or refer to one's older or more senior colleagues and students in a school, workplace etc.

By doing this, she shows respect for her senior colleague and respects subordination.

I understand that it is very difficult to adapt the honorifics that are used in the original version, but it was possible to leave Mr. Justice where he rightfully belongs

[verysium]

『01』 呪術廻戦: jujutsu kaisen recs

五条悟: gojo satoru

i know you still think about the times we had by @saetoru

satoru will always comes when you call him, he just never thought you’d stop calling. notes: satoru is so desperate and pathetic here it is just delicious; has the right amount of angst to cause tension but a good ending to soothe my poor heart; traditional rich boy and disapproving mother/father scenario but implemented relatively well; miscommunication and feelings of inadequacy; reader realizing the extent to which satoru loves them

pretty eyes by @quirklessidiot

in which the right eye is mine and the left eye is yours and when we meet for the first time, you see your own eyes staring back at you. notes: takes tragic star-crossed lovers to a whole new level; riddled with parallels and symbolism; idea of illness and loving someone at their worst; right person, wrong time at its finest; fate being unnecessarily cruel; surprising moments of humor

minazuki by @quirklessidiot

In which Y/N L/N is placed under a union she has no choice but to partake for the sake of her survival. notes: this series needs to be scientifically studied; it is just that good; halfway in and i fell in love with the reader instead of gojo; strong and somewhat morally grey characters; dark themes around femininity in a patriarchal society but concept was executed flawlessly

21: only by @tenjiiku

“What do you want, Satoru?” You do not use his last name or any honorific to address him despite his age. He was older than you by a few years — but certainly did not act the part — so you do not think he deserves your respect. Your host father told you he does — something about his being from a prominent private school as an educator, which you cannot possibly fathom being the truth — but only in front of you is Satoru Gojo an inane, odd man with a need for clean, dry-cleaned clothes that, for some strange reason he has conjectured in his equally baffling mind, that only you can provide. He smiles at you, placing his cheek in his hand. “You.” notes: this fic embodies the duality between gojo and satoru; he is easy-going until he isn’t and you realize he actually has a considerable amount of depth; the plot twist did it for me; satoru being a loud-mouthed tease but secretly harboring feelings

soulswap by @orphxus (impxria)

this is where the evening splits in half, love or death. grab an end, pull hard, & make a wish. notes: short but realistically describes everything wrong with jujutsu society; poetic voice; gojo being serious for once; disillusionment and tragic hero archetype; being the strongest yet being unable to save anybody; geto would read this fic and feel seen

両面宿儺: ryomen sukuna

nocuous by @quirklessidiot

“It’s ironic, isn’t it? I knew how this was going to end but I’m still terribly hurt by it.” notes: the heian era setting is so complex and established even through dialogue and subtle description; reader strikes me as older and able to deal with sukuna’s chaotic nature; sukuna being an absolute menace is sending me; tragic angst but almost didn’t notice it due to how beautifully the images are presented

avīci by @rotpeach

Several years ago, Satoru Gojo was involved in the exorcism of a uniquely stubborn curse. The official report states that one of Ryomen Sukuna's fingers was recovered from the scene, and nothing else. Only the two of you know the truth. notes: gore, gore, and even more gore; boy was this fic a wild ride; imagine a work that condenses the ugliest and most revolting parts of human nature yet presents them so elegantly you start questioning the blurred lines of morality; cannibalism, violence, and love triangles; japanese mythology & folklore; heian period references; cursed spirit reader tries to grapple with the idea of self after being created for the sole purpose of serving others; themes of existentialism, identity crisis, obsession

[yuurei20]

I've got a question if you wouldn't mind answering!

I saw that the voice actor for Grim commented that Grim always ends his phrases with the word "zo", I was wondering if it had any meaning? Or if maybe it's just something to make his character more unique? Similarly, I've noticed Ruggie tend to use a lot of "su" at the end of his phrases, and I was wondering the same thing, if it had any meaning at all or if it's just supposed to be a character quirk!

Ty for your hard work and don't feel pressured to answer this if you don't want to! 🫶🏻

Hello hello! Thank you very much, you are so kind! ^^

Yes yes, Grim's Sugiyama comments on how difficult Grim's "zo" was for him in his interview (published in vol. 1 of the fanbook).

"Zo" can have a meaning of its own (I liked this explanation on jlptsensei.com, for those who may be curious), but it is generally not used in the way that Grim is using it 🐱 He adds it just to everything!

And verbal ticks like this come up a lot in all kinds of Japanese-language media! Videos games, manga, anime, TV dramas, comedians, etc.

Ruggie's "su" is also kind of a verbal tic, and also has its own meaning:

Discussed in more detail in another post (ref: Idia's "degozaru"), the Japanese language has the word "desu," which has different forms depending on how polite you want to be!

Grim and Jade use the word in two of its more normal (least slang-like) ways, casual for Grim (da) and more polite for Jade (desu).

Ruggie is also using it in a casual way, dropping the "de" part and only using the "su," but it all means the same thing ^^

A verbal tic is even the catalyst of Spectral Soiree!

While not as often as Grim, Malleus is also known to end his sentences in "zo."

He keeps this speaking pattern even during Spectral Soiree, when he is pretending to be possessed by the ghost of an emperor.

But he then slips mid-conversation, saying "zo yo."

Leona noticing this inconsistency starts a domino effect that ultimately compromises Malleus' charade, leading to Malleus' confession (more here).

So verbal tics can be very important! ^^

Crowley's "since I am kind" might also be considered a verbal tic, as it is generally repeated in the exact same way throughout the original game (original-game-to-EN comparison here!).

I think I will add a deep dive into the various speech patterns there are to my TODO list because this post keeps getting longer ww But here are a few pick-ups for right now:

・Idia's use of "degozaru," "-shi," otaku-/net-slang and his stutter are unique to his character.

・Ace will often say "papatto," for getting something done quickly.

・Epel has many things going on with his various forms of speech, and his "kana" might count as a verbal tic?

・Vil will often say "choudai" (apologies for the twitter link)

・Lilia will often use the adjective "rippa," which is similar to admirable/splendid/impressive/respectable/etc. in English!

・Riddle will often end questions with "dai"

・A line that Riddle also says before battles, Riddle will often say "ii dokyo ga oari dane," which is something like "to have some nerve." Other characters will say variations on "ii dokyo" (usually Vil and Leona), but this full phrase is unique to Riddle.

・Riddle will also often say "owakari dane," usually to mean "You understand?," as in, "if you don't do as I say, you understand what is going to happen to you, yes?" (re: he is going to behead someone).

・Maybe my favorite, Rollo will often end his sentences with "kane."

In the way Rollo is using it, it is just another verbal tic, but then there is the Bell of Salvation from the event or 救いの鐘 in Japanese:

Sukui no Kane. "Kane" means bell!

Rollo is ending so many of his sentences with the word "bell" ^^ It is wordplay!

Language is personalized to each and every character in the game, to the point that most of the time (on JP) you can tell which character is speaking before they even enter the room based upon verbal tics and honorifics ^^ It is all very interesting, but unfortunately all very impossible to put across on EN!

[selkiemoonssss]

OKAY THE SKELETON BROTHERS.

I really really love them, with all my heart so I kinda just wanted to Yap about them and kinda how I view their relationship using theories, clues from the game, etc!!

So we know that Sans is papyrus' big brother, as in the Japanese version of the game, Papyrus calls sans 'Onii-Chan' (big brother) and we also know that sans calls papyrus his little brother in deltarune

They also come from another world, (as we know with clues from Sans, such as in the dinner with him in MTT resort where he says that 'I know the feeling buddy' when he talks about frisk having to leave the underground. I like to interpret that they came from deltarune! (This is also backed by clues, and is a popular theory but right now I'm too lazy to provide said clues.)

Papyrus also doesn't really have any memory of their old world?? He recalls remembering 'grass', before I'm pretty sure sans cuts him off (This was in a newsletter, or at least some form of offical toby content)

There's nothing said about any other family, asides from Gaster (possibly?? Lots of people say 'oh but how do we know that' and like gaster speaks In a font, who else does that? Sans and papyrus!, I'm also pretty sure they're related cause pretty much any similar monster shown in game is related: The dreemurrs, the rabbits, snowdrake and chill drake, the only real exceptions are the dogs, and frisk and chara) and Grandpa semi, a scrapped character that was originally going to be the grandfather of sans and papyrus

Anyway, onto the brothers themselves!! It's implied that Sana raised papyrus (such as in the newsletter thing where papyrus asks sans if he would cut his apples for him if he were his mother) and also it's just a pretty popular headcanon.

ANYWAY, moving on from implied backstory stuff, those two care for each other SO DEEPLY. They may argue, yes, they may get frustrated with each other occasionally, also yes, but they care for each other a stupid amount!! Sans (through multiple points throughout the game) talks about how cool is brother is, he's not sarcastic or anything at all, he seems the most genuine to us whenever he is talking about his brother! He helps him achieve his dream, they are quite literally each other's worlds

Papyrus isn't an idiot, he's aware of the stuff his brothers done to help him, and he is also most likely aware of his brothers depression and is shown to care for him and help him out. He cooks for him (even if his cooking isn't the best) he helps him out.

Those two keep each other going! They're so different but also so similar, while they don't entirely know everything about each other, they still love each other and believe in each other yadda yadda

ALSO ALSO

In the Japanese version of the game, Papyrus refers to himself using a certain honorific that I believe is supposed to convey that you think your great or something?? (I read about it awhile ago and can't find the original thing so bare with me) ALLLLL throughout the game EXCEPT when you go into sans' room, cause he expects his brother there, and not the human!!

Papyrus actually believes that he can be his true self around his brother..

ANYWAY I HATTTEE when papyrus is depicted as naive oblivious idiot because he is anything but, he's intelligent and even undyne calls him strong, he's just too nice. Being nice isn't a weakness!

He chooses to believe that people can do better despite knowing that he could be proved wrong, it's his decision to believe in people, it's their decision to prove him wrong. That doesn't make him dumb!!

Anyway why did this turn from a skelebros rant into a 'why papyrus isn't an idiot' one

But yeah, they the cutest and best brothers ever!!

extra headcanons about them because they're cute:

* I like to believe they both need glasses. Papyrus has small, uneven, eyesockets with no eyelights?? There's the whole rock incident just after you first meet him! Sans just moreso needs reading glasses and it's just something that's come with age

* They were raised by their grandpa semi before he passed when papyrus was a kid, leaving sans have to raise him (Sans raising papyrus brainrot)

* Papyrus MAY be terrible at cooking but I like to say that he's really good at baking- part of the reason is cause he doesn't learn that with undyne because it's not really her thing, hence doesn't do it as often in general either

* Sans would listen to ABBA. Idk why I think this It's just silly (also probably paps)

ANYWAY YEAH

But expand on it later I just wrote this quickly before a nap from knowledge of the top of my head

[1000squid]

Obey Me! personal pronouns of the central cast

A short guide in what personal pronouns everyone in the Obey Me cast uses. Japanese has a variety of variations on the word "I" that you can use to express your personality, mood, and gender. Note that this is just a general guide based mostly on the character songs, and it is quite normal for a person to use different pronouns in different situations. I have not included Raphael, Mephistophelese, or Thirteen since most of this is based on the character songs.

Lucifer - 俺 "ore" quite masculine, casual, and slightly "rough" sounding. The most common masculine pronoun. Usually paired with masculine speech patterns, and not widely used in a formal settings. Fits Lucifer's aggressive, domineering personality.

Mammon - 俺 or 俺様 "ore" or "ore-sama" "Ore-sama" is what gets translated as "The Great Mammon". This term is not really used outside of fiction because it's so insanely rude and self-agrandizing that no one in their right mind would use it except as a joke. One does not refer to themselves with honorifics, especially not the super respectful "-sama." The result is super egotistical and self-aggrandizing and, in Mammon's case, a bit stupid.

Leviathan - 僕 "boku" mostly masculine, but can be used by girls who want to appear tom-boyish as well. Considered semi-casual, but polite, and can be used among colleges. Has a youthful, boyish connotation, but not so much that adult men wouldn't use it among close friends. Leviathan is the eldest to use "boku", even though some of his younger brothers use "ore". Probably self-diminishing on his part.

Satan - 俺 "ore" While he will use ore generally, Satan seems to largely avoid using first-person pronouns when possible, relying on grammar to imply "I" statements instead. His character song "Read My Heart" manages to completely omit them, a feature of the Japanese language that wouldn't be possible in English.

Asmodeus - 僕 "boku" I was a bit surprised by this! Going off of how Asmo is presented in the translation, I would expect him to use more gender neutral (possible even feminine) terms. There are other ways to express one's gender in Japanese, but that is much harder to pick up on for someone non-fluent, so I can't be sure. However, choosing a "youthful" pronoun is still very much in keeping with Asmo's character.

Beelzebub - 俺 "ore" the only surprise here is Beel using the more manly "ore" when he's the 2nd youngest of the brothers, as well as his twin using "boku". I do think it fits his sort of sweet-jock personality, though.

Belphegore - 僕 "boku" Belphie's the baby in the family, so he uses "boku". Would have been a jarring contrast to his yandere personality in the original game's first story arch, but he has since chilled out a huge amount.

Diavolo - 私 "watashi" flexible and mostly nuetral in formality and gender expression. Often taught to English students as the default "I," but is said to sound a bit stiff. If used in casual speech it can sound slightly feminine or extra polite. As Diavolo is next in line as the ruler of the Devildom, it's fitting that he'd use polite language, and as he seems to be terribly under-socialized, that he'd be overly formal with his friends.

Barbatos - 私 "watakushi" alternate reading of 私 (watashi). The Most Formal, would sound very stiff and archaic if used in anything other than extremely formal settings. Very fitting for the slightly romantically awkward ultimate butler.

Solomon - 俺 "ore" Solomon is possibly the oldest living human, and as such is shown to be a little out-of touch with things like manners (and not poisoning your friends with your heinous cooking). He doesn't seem to care what others think of him, and can come off as a little snobbish due to his confidence is his abilities.

Simeon - 俺 "ore" I would have expected Simeon to use more polite language, but he can be aggressive at times, so it's not completely unfitting. Like Satan, Simeon avoids personal pronouns in his song when possible, though not quite as aggressively.

Luke - 僕 "boku" No surprise here. Luke's about as "boku" as it gets, being the youngest in the cast save the mc, and definitely the youngest developmentally. He has the appearance and personality of a young boy, so "boku" makes the most sense.

MC - "君" "kimi" all of the main cast appear to use "kimi" when referring to the player character, which is gender neutral and informal, even affectionate. You would only use this with someone you consider your peer.

[absolutebl]

thai language question! what do tongthap and atom call each other in MLMU TH? it sounds like ‘nai’ or maybe ‘ngai’? it’s translated to both of their names several times on the YT subs. i’ve tried to look it up but i’m not sure i’m hearing it right 🙈

Thai pronoun: Nai

They are indeed using nai. Hold on I know I posted about that one at some point... AH HA here it is:

you want this section: (but I'll c&p it over here add to it at the bottom)

Nai & the Mafia 

So in 2022 Thai BLs seriously started moving setting outside of the school systems and thus added new pronouns (for us watchers) into the mix. KinnPorsche, Even Sun, and Unforgotten Night all use the pronoun nai (นาย) for you between men. Like many honorifics & pronouns, it’s derived from a minor title of nobility. In the 19th century it was declared the official courtesy title for adult males - regarded as a direct translation of “Mr”. 

It has several different uses today. 

As a title, it only appears before the real given name (not surname), in official/formal contexts, e.g. when writing down one’s name on an exam paper, job application, or government form. If used with a nickname, it implies a bit of irony (like a teacher calling out a misbehaving student). 

As a pronoun, it’s usually an informal second-person pronoun used with males of equal status. It’s a decidedly non-rude word, so it’ll be used among friends/classmates if they don’t feel close enough to use gu/mueng (or if a person just doesn’t use rude pronouns, like swear words there are people who don’t feel comfortable ever saying guu/mueng). 

Rao/nai as pronouns used to be the default mode of address on TV before gu/mueng became acceptable to broadcast in the 2010s. 

When used by females, nai is pretty much equivalent to males using ter with females - so an old fashioned but intimate and sweet, loving. 

On TV, the use of ter/nai is probably most often associated with straight dramas in the acquaintance phase of courting. 

Nai also has the meaning “boss” (similarly to the combined form เจ้านาย (jao nai/chao nai). If it’s being used as a pronoun in a more formal or deferential context (like organized crime), it is used in this sense. 

Usage number 2 & 6 are the ones we see in Thai BL. All that said I understand as a tourist in Thailand, you will hear nai but not all that often. It’s fine to use khun instead/back, but good to know to identify nai. 

Nai & My Love Mix Up

So My Love Mix Up is using #2.

With adult males, nai is actually often paired with chan. (I know, right, but it's what they use. See any of the mafia shows.)

But in this high school setting, Atom & Kongthap seem to be using pom or sometimes even tan. (I haven't touched on tan at all because I find it the most confusing pronoun.)

Atom & Half use guu/mueng. Atom use rao/name with Mudmee, and she does they same with him. Although I think she shifts to chan with Half when they get closer.

Kongthap doesn't seem to ever use informal. Even Half uses nai with him.

So I think the use of polite nai in this relationship is being dictated by Kongthap's character's reserved gentlemanly stiffness (much as in the original show). In other words, were it not for Kongthap's personality, this show in this setting (and with this pair) would be using guu/mueng. But because of the original IP and the extreme reserve of Ida in Kieta Hatsukoi (who also uses quite formal Japanese) we are seeing a linguistic characterization of one half of a couple carry through to the tenor of the whole relationship.

In other words, the use of nai was dictated by Kongthap's personality.

Frankly put, Kongthap would simply not use guu/mueng so they had to find some other way for these two to communicate. Rao/ter is too sweet and cute and old fashioned out the gate (these boys could graduate to it, I suppose, like in college or after).

Now they might have used khun instead of nai. If this were set in uni or the office that would have worked fine. Or even if this were a high school in Bangkok. But I'm not surprised they reached for nai.

In fact, since the announcement of the adaptation I was curious about how they were going to approach Kongthap's pronouns. I thought they might make Kongthap older to solve the issue with phi but they wanted to do the "going away to college together?" part of the plot, so yeah... nai is the solution.

This couple sounds a bit stiff and distanced from each other when speaking together as a result, but I understand why the script chose it.

Hope that explains.

(source)

[sacchiri]

I recently bought the jp volumes of Hellsing along with the guidebook, and since I'm reading the series in its native language for the first time I might as well share some random things that stood out to me in no particular order.

This isn't meant to be an analysis of translation differences, I'm too lazy for that. Also it's been 12 years since I've watched the anime and read the low quality fan scans of the manga so some of these comments are just "Lol, forgot this was a thing"

Volume 1

... I really want to know who this guy is at the beginning, yelling at Alucard in overly familiar language to "Get your shit together!" and "You're the only one we can count on!!". We know from the style of speech that it's a dude, probably just some Hellsing rando, and maybe it's not all that strange since he has probably been working with the same soldiers for years--but it's still funny.

"I know, it's just so nice out :("

..The way "HELLSING Organization" is spelled out like this reminds me that apparently the name is supposed to be an acronym. No really.

...

God they're so silly.

Now that I think about it, the only thing Seras has done this chapter since being turned into a vampire is say "I'm sorry" over and over.... girl you got shot in the lung, why are you apologizing

Not a huge difference, but what Integra actually says here is "Leaving a corpse here for 20 years... You're a terrible person too, Father" and not "What were you thinking, Father?" as the Dark Horse translation suggests (note the lack of question mark in the raw version). I thought that might be of interest to some.

Something else I thought was interesting is the first line Alucard ever says to Integra, and how uncharacteristically polite he sounds.

O-kega wa gozaimasenka- That's two honorific 御's back to back! (He even said them in kanji, even Walter isn’t that straightlaced and he’s literally the butler.) This is also the only time Alucard uses this overly flowery gentlemanly language with her, and good thing too because it would be so annoying if he spent the whole manga ending his sentences with ~gozaimasu.

What I'm trying to get at is, after seeing this sentence in the Japanese version, I'm like 100% sure he actually heard her when she was mumbling to herself about hoping to find a knight in shining armor, and he was totally going the extra mile in playing into that role for their first encounter. Which is kind of sweet.

Lol they misspelled Alucard on the top left... or rather, they incorrectly spelled it right?

One would normally expect Alucard to be written アルカード, and indeed pixiv dict lists アーカード as a misspelling (the u sound is weak in Japanese, so it's easy to mishear arukādo as ākādo). Hirano was definitely aware of the correct spelling though, since he used it in the pilot chapter and in his old character sheets. It was only when the manga officially began that he switched to the アーカード spelling. I doubt it was because of copyright issues because there is already a long precedent of vampire characters named アルカード in various old manga, OVA, and games in Japan that have coexisted without issue (like this guy Hirano mentions in volume 1's afterword).

Most likely Hirano simply thought it looked better, or was a means of differentiating his character from the others somehow. It certainly makes life easier for Japanese fans searching for fanart since アーカード is only going to bring up Hellsing and not the Castlevania character.

Jan Valentine even pokes fun at the spelling discrepancy later in volume 2, but since there wasn't a good way of expressing this in English it was left untranslated.

(Speaking of spelling inconsistencies, there's a lot of minor details I'm noticing now, like half the time the furigana for 吸血鬼 is written バンパイア and the other half it's ヴァンパイア... anyway)

Um, just noticed literally everyone's wearing glasses What should I do

Hirano's habit of jotting random comments underneath his panels is one of the underrated perks of reading the manga

The Dark Horse translation almost makes it sound like she's looking forward to seeing this battle play out, while in the Japanese she simply sounds apprehensive. Almost as if she's worried about them? And she's going out on the field personally to make sure nothing bad happens? Aww

Ok this is a weird tangent, but I just noticed the scans of the Dark Horse version I've been looking at use a slightly larger image range than the Japanese version does. It was only noticeable when I got to this part:

The second image is what the Japanese version of the scan looks like and I can confirm that this is what it looks like in my physical volume as well. You shouldn't be seeing the messy borders of the inking on the bottom like that.

Manga manuscripts are set up so that there are a few millimeters of bleed border around each page. You're supposed to color and line all the way up to (4) while keeping in mind that printing and paper cutting may result in the image being trimmed up to (3).

Either Hirano didn't color his lines all the way to (4) (this man has been drawing manga for years but this is Hirano we're talking about so it's very possible), or Dark Horse didn't honor the original bleed borders of the manuscript. I'm kind of leaning towards the former since there was a Hellsing exhibit in Japan a few years back where you could look at Hirano's original manuscripts and there's one where you can clearly see that he spilled a mug of tea or coffee across the entire page

Anyway, it's weird, and I'm curious to see if someone that owns a physical copy in English can confirm whether theirs actually looks like that. It's volume 1, page 141.

[room-surprise]

do you know or have thoughts on why the dm characters sometimes reference ‘hell’ (as in ‘what the hell?’) given how the series handles religion? is that an anime thing or translation thing or…???

This is such a great question, and fun to answer, so thank you for writing to me!!! I think there's two things happening at the same time: What does hell really mean in English, and what are the characters actually saying in the original Japanese?

If the characters say hell in the original manga or in any translations, I think it is pretty safe to assume that they aren't referring to the Christian hell specifically, since it doesn't appear to exist in the Dungeon Meshi world. They are instead referring to the generic concept of a hell.

NON-CHRISTIAN HELLS

Hell is a word that can refer to a "bad afterlife" in many different world cultures. Obviously all of these cultures have their own names for these places, but when they are translated into English they are frequently referred to as "Buddhist hell", "Hindu hell", "Nordic hell", etc.

The word "hell" was adopted by Christians to describe something in their religion, but does not originate with them.

The modern English word hell is derived from Old English hel, to refer to a nether world of the dead. The word has cognates in all branches of the Germanic languages, and they all ultimately derive from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic feminine noun xaljō or haljō ('concealed place, the underworld'), and can be traced back even further to Proto-Indo European.

When the Germanic peoples were converted to Christianity, the word "hell" was adopted to refer to the Christian underworld. Before that time, hell was called many different things by the Christians, including "Sheol" (grave, death, pit, underworld), "Gehenna" (valley of wailing), "Hades" or "Tartarus." (The first two are Hebrew words, and the latter two are Ancient Greek. All of these words are attempting to describe similar things, a bad afterlife.) These Germanic cultures (most of Northern, Western and Central Europe) are the primary cultural influence of Dungeon Meshi's Eastern and Northern Continents, where the story takes place, and where most of the characters are from. So the word hel/hell would be native to the region, and logical for the characters to use both as a swear word, and also as a reference to whatever afterlife they might believe in.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERS ACTUALLY SAYING THOUGH?

Dungeon Meshi is, for better or for worse, written in standard, contemporary Japanese, without any particular emphasis or attempt to sound "old fashioned" or like it is "fantasy", so any changes or additions made in translation to make the dialog or narration sound that way are just that: additions and changes. The changes made during translation aren't inherently bad, but the original text is very neutral, and open to interpretation. For example, Yaad calls Laios "tono/dono" in Japanese, which is an honorific that has no direct English equivalent, but is used between two people of similar social status, when one wants to be extra polite to the other. It does not imply nobility, but respect higher than "mister" and lower than "lord." Most English translations have rendered this as "Sir Laios" which isn't literally what Yaad says, but conveys the idea with something that "feels right" for the setting. It may be that in Dungeon Meshi the characters are literally saying the English word "hell/heru" in Japanese (ヘル), the word jigoku (地獄), which is the Japanese word for Buddhist hell, another word for a specific different underworld or afterlife, they are saying a Japanese swear word, or just using casual/impolite language that doesn't have a direct translation into English, and so needs to be localized into something that will make sense in English.

The last one is most likely what is happening, and I can think of a couple of common phrases that would most likely be translated into "What the hell?":

The polite, neutral way to say "What's that?" or "What [should I] do?" is "Nan-darou? (なんだろう?) or "Nani?" (何), which just means "What?"

The more casual, aggressive, masculine way of saying it is "Nani-kore?" (なにこれ？) which doesn't mention hell in any way, but translates to something like "What the hell?" or "What the fuck?" It's more rude because it's casual speech, but doesn't literally use words for hell or fuck in it. It technically means the same thing as "Nan-darou?" or "Nani?" But translating it the same way would be ignoring the context and tone of the words.

Another thing that's often said in Japanese is "Uso!" (うそ！) Which literally means "lie" or "not true", but in conversation it’s often used to say things like "you're lying!", "For real?!", "really?", or "No way!"

Often these exclamations of "Uso!" don't have anything to do with lying or untruths, they are meant to express surprise (this can't be happening!) or a response to someone talking about an outrageous and terrible event they experienced, like saying "No way! I can't believe that happened to you!" It's also sometimes translated as "What the hell…" or "Unbelievable…"

If the translators tried to keep this sort of thing literal, the manga would be full of lines like:

CHILCHUCK, running for his life from a mimic: What's this?! (Nani-kore?!) (He isn't literally asking what the mimic is, he is expressing surprise, so he should shout some curse words in English like hell, fuck, shit, etc.)

MARCILLE, horrified by the chimera: Lie! (Uso!) (She isn't just saying the word "lie" with no context, she is expressing shock, horror and disbelief at what she sees, so she should say something like "No, that can't be..." or "Impossible...")

I am not an expert in Japanese, but I hope that all of this is helpful to you, anon, and anyone else that's interested in this sort of thing!

[transhawks]

I think one of the reasons I get a little sad the Anglosphere BNHA fandom itself doesn't seem to like honorifics is that a lot of nuance is missing. For example, as a meta-writer, Dabi using Ujiko-san was a big ass red flag for us, since he doesn't use them often, and formed the basis of my original argument they knew each other prior to the League before we even had them meet in canon. I was right.

But even small stuff - Toga uses "Kun" for Jin, which is something you would use for a peer as a girl her age, which is interesting given he's a good fourteen/fifteen years older than her. Compress uses "-chan" for her despite being the same age as Twice, which shows he definitely thinks of her as a little girl and feels close enough to use it. Yoichi in the newest episode uses "Kun" for every one of the other Vestiges he names by name, even Nana, which is rare but not that weird because it's a way to refer to a female subordinate without being way too personal and yet retaining the hierarchy "-san" doesn't afford.

I think what I'm trying to say is that honorifics are great ways to communicate the relationships between characters, and also communicate things about that character too because all of these hinge upon following social rules and characters who don't use them or use them improperly are seen as rude or just odd.

I get, for fanfiction writers, however, this is complicated and an extra amount of pressure. Learning the many nuances around this has taken me years of research and also just being friends with actual Japanese people who have clarified things for me. A lot of writers aren't very willing to put in that sort of time, and I get it. It does however mean a lot gets lost. It doesn't help that our translator tends to translate them as well and not retain them, so the only time English-speaking fans encounter them are audibly in the Anime's subs, and I'm not sure how easily people pick up a lot of the words.

[pikahlua]

is kacchan the standard nickname for the name katsuki? i know it sounds cute due to the honorific -chan, but would it be proper to think of it as st like calling someone named alexander alex or since it has -chan would it be more like calling an alexander a more girlish nickname like lexi?

Oof this is a little difficult to answer. I think you're applying some general but not universal truths about the "chan" suffix here, right? That it's more likely to be used by or for girls. But that's not the same thing as it sounding girly. It also sounds young, childish. It sounds familiar and close. Some people might use it to tease others too if they're not close enough to begin with. It's basically a marker for a diminutive name, hence it works often like a nickname. Think of how Tsuyu calls all her friends "[Name]-chan," even the boys. She has expressed she wants to refer to everyone like this because she wants to be seen as a close friend.

To call it a "standard" nickname is the hard part to answer. I'm not sure what "standard" means. "Kacchan" is obviously a nickname that works and that other people would understand. In theory it could also be used for other people with names that start with "Ka-" especially if the "Ka-" is followed by a difficult-for-children syllable like "tsu." But there are also other nicknames in Japanese that don't depend on honorifics like "chan" and "kun" and "tan."

The way I've always explained "Kacchan" as a nickname to other people is to think of "chan" a bit like "y/ie." You have a friend named Robert but perhaps when he's young everyone calls him "Robbie." At some point as he gets older he may go by Robert again, but the people who always called him Robbie will likely continue to do so unless he tells them he doesn't want to be called that anymore. But if he doesn't care, he doesn't care--and he'll end up basically going by both.

[tyranitarkisser]

What I love most about Hajime is how he is a hater and hes grouchy and skeptical and direct and dismissive and rude, yes, but he is completely unafraid to show his emotions in front of others. He is just as quick to tell you that youre doing something stupid that he thinks is a waste of time as he is to take interesr in you and ask you questions about your interests and laugh at your jokes. He enjoys spending time with others and learning new things, he just has no patience for bells and whistles or any kind of conversation he might feel is pointless. If he wants to get to know you, he doesnt want you to dance around the topic, he just wants you to get right into it. This is all clear from his free time events with other characters and how he is written in Japanese to completely forgo any and all pleasantries and honorifics. His Japanese VA, Minami Takayama, portrays him very snappy and to the point. Aggressive but not necessarily mean. To me he comes off as if he was raised by old-fashioned and working class parents that take a tough love sort of approach to teaching their kids, like he was never handed anything and he always had to work for what he wanted. He wants to help but you need to help him help you. He doesnt hide his emotions, when he is confused or scared you will see it plain as day on his face and in his voice. Same as when he is happy, however rarer a sight that may be. He is kind in a way that might seem hostile if you dont know how he thinks at first. Hes a very genuine person that unlike Makoto completely refuses to let anyone walk all over him and I think thats what makes him so compelling as a protagonist. He isnt the way he is because he wants to look cool or better than anyone, quite the opposite he simply doesnt care what other people think, at least on a surface level. I would describe him as very "inward" focused. When speaking to others i dont think that he is trying to necessarily relate with them or put himself in their shoes so to speak, but rather, he is laser-focused on what *he* can contribute to the discussion, and he really wants to contribute. It makes complete sense why him of all people cemented himself as the de-facto leader of the group despite not even knowing what his talent is or if he even has one. He is the most curious and attentive person and he wants to be prepared so there is never a situation where hes caught being ignorant about important information. He wants to be helpful, he wants to be important. Thats why it hurt him so much that he didnt have a crazy talent like everyone at the school he admired so much for all of his life. He might not be an ultimate but he absolutely does have the gusto and ambition of one, if not more.

[11thwardtls]

Memory Defrag | TRACK 1 - Regular Maintenance | Azekawa Kinari's Ward Mayor Novel Translation

Warnings and Disclaimers:

This translation is not professionally done and is not proofread. Edits and clean-ups may come at a later date.

Not a 1:1 translation either and some liberties into localization were taken into account.

This novel will contain spoilers for the Ev3ns Main Story: "Chained Up Scarlet".

Appropriate Content and Trigger Warnings will be added if needed.

May be used for quotebots/masterlists etc.

I am not fluent and self-studying Japanese (albeit at turtle speed), this was translated by ear and with the help of a JP dictionary, so please feel free to point out any errors!

—/—/—/—/—/—

“You know, other than the members of the Evening Group, you kind of behave like a stranger to everyone else.” 

That day, in HAMA House’s living room, where the employees and ward mayors of HAMA lived together, it was the leader of the Morning Group’s Nishizono Renga-sama who told me this. 

“Is that the case? As reference, may I ask which part of my manners made Nishizono-sama think this way?”

“See, that’s it, that way of speaking[1]. I mean that, it’s not only with me specifically, but you also use that ‘-sama’ honorific and sort of formal language[2] with all of the other Ward Mayors.”

Nishizono-sama sat down next to me as his tone of voice gradually softened. His eyes darted around the place, occasionally stealing a glance at me. 

According to the data I have previously collected while living with Nishizono-sama, he seems to make these sorts of expressions and gestures when he wants to get to know the other person better. 

“When I returned from the study trip, I received instructions from Master on how to interact with members other than the Evening Group. Master requested me to maintain a reasonable sense of distance and courtesy, thus I found it appropriate to maintain polite behavior with everyone.”

As I explain the reasoning behind my attitude,

“I… I see. If you’re comfortable that way then…” Nishizono-sama appeared dejected and said so as he left the living room. 

Have I made a mistake in the way I handled things?

As I was checking our conversation in my head, Nishizono-sama’s facial expressions, tone of voice, body gestures and such, Master suddenly called out to me, “Kinari-kun.” 

Master’s facial expression displayed a tinge of impatience. 

“I overheard your conversation with Renga-kun just now…”

“Yes. I believe I had made a mistake in how I should have responded.” 

“I don’t think that was the case, though. I just simply thought that the order I might’ve given you was wrong.”

“Master did not make a mistake in this matter.”

But Master kept on telling me, “I… really don’t think that was the case here.”

“Regarding how you treat other groups’ members, everyone’s just moved into the dorms and weren’t used to things yet, so I was worried in the case of trouble happening. That’s why I asked you to maintain some sense of distance and courtesy. But now, everyone has begun to open up to each other more and more, haven’t they?”

“Yes. Even looking at the gathered data, the frequency of interactions that are not bound by their respective group is increasing on average.”

“Right so, Kinari-kun, I thought that it might be a good idea to slowly drop the honorifics and formal language and speak more naturally the same way you do with the Evening Group. Of course, with the right timing on your part…”

“Is this an order, Master?”

“Not that it is, but if it makes things easier for you then think of it like one.”

“Then when should I stop using honorifics and formal language?”

As I asked, Master appeared puzzled. 

“...Mm, for you, Kinari-kun, I think it’s best to interact with everyone one by one and then drop when you think it’s okay to do so.”

Master had said something difficult.

“Ambiguous instructions may lead to behavioral errors……..”

“Ugh… I’m really sorry. Although, Kinari-kun, during your idol activities with Ev3ns, you’ve started to change in the way you sing and you could smile naturally too now, right? I’m sure time will come where you’ll find more things change within yourself, so when that happens, I want you to go along with those changes. I’m fully aware that it will be a difficult task, but I think you can do it, Kinari-kun.”

I understood the true meaning behind Master’s words.

Master wants me to change, with my words and actions ‘according to how I feel’.  

As I spent more and more time with Master, I have begun to learn the mechanism behind their words and their deeds.

They constantly treat me as if I were a human being and not an android. 

Unlike androids, humans do not follow orders and instead have their own reason and logic. 

That, and emotions result in a change of behavior.

I suppose Master wants this for me as well. 

———The developer… It was also what my “Father” wished for me, too. 

I remember the words that my Father had left on that cassette tape. 

He told me that he wanted me to sing the way I wanted to and to live my life freely.

Acting upon emotions is the most difficult thing for androids to do. 

However, the most important order that keeps me alive is the same one Master told me, 

“Please give it your all in singing, dancing, your idol activities and live happily!” 

In order to fulfill such an order, changing in my words and actions ‘according to my feelings’ is necessary. 

As I nod my head, I look back into Master’s precious eyes and say, 

“Your order has been accepted, Master.” 

—/—/—/—/—/—

“Ok~ay, maintenance has been completed.”

Oguro Kafka-sama—who had accessed my body from the outside, checked the brain construction and internal communications systems, closed his laptop as he had said this. 

The only people who knew that I was an android would be the members of the Daytime Group and Oguro-sama, who usually did my maintenance.

Since Raito kept this a secret from then on, other people do not know of this fact yet. 

Since today is scheduled for regular maintenance, Oguro-sama dropped by our shared dorm room.

As for my roommates, Raito is currently at work, and Kuguri has gone somewhere I did not know so he was not present either. 

“There are areas in your brain where access errors would occur. But since these errors seem to be left unfixed on purpose, I didn’t poke around it any further. Please make sure to organize your other memory data, ‘kay?” 

“Understood. Thank you for your time.”

“Your formal language and honorific usage is the same as ever.”

“Yes. Nishizono-sama had also pointed this out.”

“Ah, didn’t Renga say this because he wanted to be friends with you?”

“It is inferred in that way. Master also took that chance to give me the new order of changing the way I address other people.”

“That’s so Chief-chan-like of them to do so.” 

Oguro-sama is great at creating hypotheses, so he simply shrugged his shoulders as if he completely understood everything with what little explanation I gave him. 

“I have a question for Oguro-sama. To fulfill Master’s new order, I came to the conclusion that I needed more emotional data. 

Fragments of emotions are beginning to form within me.

Unfortunately, this is not enough to go off of.”

“You’d like to know if you could increase its frequency of forming?” 

“I’d like to ask for your advice on how to raise emotional sensitivity, rather than simply accumulating data as done previously.” 

Oguro-sama placed his finger to his mouth and thought for a while.

“Sensitivity, huh? Emotions are often born from having human bonds in the first place.

Perhaps communicating with a large sample of people would be the best choice after all.”

Oguro-sama added that, “This begs the question, about what ‘emotions’ are in the first place”.

“For starters, it’s something that pops up within the depths of your heart. Through what they experience, humans tend to name and categorize it, such as ‘joy’ or ‘anger’. Still, this way of functioning does not always work properly. We may mistake sadness for anger, or come into contact with emotions that cannot be named based on past experience alone.” 

“In a situation such as that, what procedures shall be done?” “It depends on the person, but introspection—self reflection is one way of doing things. First things first, you analyze and think of the emotion that comes to mind, then give it a name. You could also put it into words if you wish to do so.”

“Of course, verbalizing it is in no way necessary, it’s merely a way to clarify what it is that you felt in your heart. 

Sorting those emotions into random boxes of words can come across as ‘cheap’, won’t it? 

In your case, Kinari, I do think it’s faster if you properly put what you feel into words.”

I recorded each and every one of Oguro-sama’s words within the ‘Important Matters’ memory storage.

“For example… Ah, that’s it. You have a lot of past records left in your memory storage, so I wonder if there’s a way to access and view them, then for you to verbalize your feelings as you watch at the same time…”

“It takes a specific measure to do so, but I think it’s possible to carry out.”

Oguro-sama simply smiled and said, “Well, don’t get too fired up[4] as you do that.” while he left the room. 

—/—/—/—/—/—

Translation Notes: 

1 - Renga says 「だからそれだよ、それ。」 which wouldn’t really translate well literally so I added the context of Kinari’s formal speech pattern. 

2 - literally 敬語 (keigo), was unsure to leave it as is but opted to translating it anyway

3 - for fluidity’s sake, MC/Chief will be referred to with they/them pronouns for readers to interpret which sibling

4 - lit. 気負い, not sure how to translate the word, but its something related to being excited or a similar mood so i worded it as that

ps. opted to keep the honorific use in this translation despite how wonky it may seem as they are pretty important for how this novel starts.

—/—/—/—/—/—

Directory:

Main Page | TRACK 1 | TRACK 2 | TRACK 3 | TRACK 4 | TRACK 5

[biggie-chcese]

rain code age headcanons because i have literally only ever been choosing ages based on what's funniest but now i wanna cast away my grand layers of irony and be genuine for a moment. also. this goes pretty in depth so be prepped for the long haul when you click read more lmao.

spoilers for the whole game below and it's because of one specific character iykyk

Yakou - this man has the soul of a guy in his late 40s going through what would be his midlife crisis if not for the fact that he's fully aware he passed the midpoint years ago. but that soul is trapped in the body of a guy who doesnt look a day older than 28. what moisturizer does he use? i doubt he even uses anything other than that 13 in 1 shampoo. anyway, i think he's 32.

Halara - 26. nothing really to justify this other than they've got that mid 20s swag but 25 didn't feel right. adult enough to be as competent as they are yet young enough to look like that. moving on.

Desuhiko - 19. i think he's the youngest of the NDA because. well. idk man have you read his dialogue? he's got a whole lot of growing to do and is still very lost on his direction in life. he's giving 'bitch fresh outta high school (or in this case, detective training) and relishing in his freshly obtained freedom."

Vivia - 28? yeah i got nothing for this i am going purely on vibes here. 28 just feels right.

Fubuki - 23. she's clearly still a bit young but is also clearly a grown ass adult who wasn't raised right so i think this makes for a happy medium, especially if she's already been on some worldwide adventures n shit before the game. works out quite swimmingly methinks.

Kurumi - 18. for my personal comfort bc we'll get to yuma later but im not gonna sit here and ignore the way the game constantly grovels at the audience's feet to ship them so id rather she not be any younger than this. anyway, more about her: she tends to hold her own as an informant with more competence, maturity, and effecience than most of the NDA. but she also has a pretty childish black and white view on things, like believing her beloved detectives are always right (girl if you were real you would be ENTRENCHED in stan culture oml do NOT get into minecraft youtubers) but i've... seen 18 year olds on the internet that are exactly the same so whatever

Aetheria girls - putting them all at 17-18 because, based on honorifics, they are treated as upperclassmen by their peers in the Japanese dub. i think waruna is the youngest and kurane is the eldest.

Yomi - 25. he has that vibe. old enough to be taken seriously as an adult but young enough to act like That™. yknow?

Martina - 32. she's giving older woman sexy librarian vibes and generally carries herself with a certain level of poise and maturity but is also a freak in a way that can best be explained by being a woman in her 30s. not elaborating on this

Swank - 41. to me he's like those awful surly businessmen who go to cabaret clubs to drink and smoke their office job woes away and cheat on their wives. but he also has extreme mafia boss swag about it so i kinda love him for that. dunno what this has to do with age tho. moving on.

Seth - 22 because he's giving youngest brother. i think he's the youngest of the peacekeepers in general. guillaume definitely bullies him about this.

Dominic - 34. bro is built like a jojo character what else do you want me to say. he's still got that youthfulness about him that makes me think he's still not going through his midlife crisis, so i wouldn't place him any older

Guillaume - 23. guillaume is so girlypop manic pixie dream girl core that she's definitely got the energy of someone who is young but also strikes the balance of being someone who has a job and a mortgage. dunno how she does it. id like to think she isnt even much older than seth but still bullies him for being the baby of the peacekeepers. do u understand my vision. please. they have so much annoying coworker potential.

shinigami - idk like 1000. she's a death god who cares.

yuma - okay. yeah. look i dont give a singular fuck about age discourse- headcanon whatever you want- but from looking at canon material i genuinely think that he could not possibly be any younger than 21. 20 if we wanna push it. yes, i know he looks young. i have eyes. but also, im in my 20s and the most common thing people tell me when i reveal my age is "oh, i thought you were 15." one time a person asked me if i was 12. at my job. that i was actively working at. i was 20. adults can look young, and contrary to the classic 1000 year old loli dragon trope he doesnt act overtly childish. he acts like a normal fuckin guy. yes he cries but like. you wouldn't in his position? bro speedruns lifelong trauma so skillfully that he's backwards long jumping into alternate universes where everything is somehow worse. i'd be freaked out if he didn't cry. also im aware that the child prodigy detective trope is a thing and that kodaka has written that before but... he was number one three years ago. and the training takes two years. which means, if he is a minor in the game's present day, he started working at the WDO at 12 and became number one at 14... at the oldest. have you ever met a 14 year old? forgive me for not suspending my disbelief here. and really the kicker for me is that yuma has a line where he says he's not sure if he's drinking age (which would be 20 in japan), but you know who would be sure? you know who knows yuma's age better than yuma?

makoto kagutsuchi - this megacorporation CEO has a fully stocked minibar installed in his penthouse. <- sentence i cannot bring myself to believe if it's about a child. since i also cant picture him becoming CEO at age 14 without yomi at least once angrily pointing that out (he only ever mentions that makoto is an outsider, or has his head in the clouds), id like to think both him and yuma, at their youngest, earned their top spots at their respective organizations at 18. it keeps their gifted kid syndrome and young prodigy-ness without making things comically ridiculous or uncomfortable for the sheer amount of sexual situations yuma gets put into.

anyway that's my silly little ramble on age headcanons. this was actually really fun to think about. shoutout to kodaka for leaving out the ages. funniest choice he could've made