#ruka is a tall half japanese girl

[dragonpigeons]

Ruka and Momo.

They are Shizuka’s best friends in high school.

Ruka is the energetic tomboy of the gang and she has a perpetually filling stash of snacks on the go at all times. She’s very athletic and strong, possessing a natural affinity for sports and physical prowess for battle. She hates math and regularly forgets to do her homework, mainly because she prefers to play videogames in her free time. This prompts regular scolding from Shizuka, though Shizuka is also very giving of her time to help Ruka with her studies so she doesn’t fail her classes. Shizuka met Ruka in the first week of high school when the latter caught the former feeding a biscuit to an ‘invisible being’. Despite being a non-Stand user, Ruka was very laidback about the whole thing and readily accepted that Shizuka had an invisible pet of sorts, even asking to feed it too, much to Shizuka’s pleasant surprise.

Momo is a very beautiful girl, invoking an air of mystery and grace. She’s very into the occults and the practice of reading the stars. Often being asked out by her fellow male peers, she turns them down with a look that suggests she is seeing beyond their corporeal forms into the unknown. She gives the impression of an otherworldly medium connecting the world of the living and the spirits, and indeed she does possess the ability to sense and communicate with beings of the non-physical realm. It is thanks to this ability that she believed Shizuka had nothing to do with the harm inflicted upon the latter’s aggravating bullies (at least not on purpose; Shizuka had no idea what Rick even was and therefore had no control over him). Momo is a non-Stand user but she can sense a Stand’s presence with her mysterious powers. Shizuka became friends with her during middle school.

The three remain best friends for life even when they part ways after high school.

[ryuu-to-sobakasu-hime]

Ryuu to Sobakasu no Hime (Belle) Novel | English Translation | Chapter 2

**This is a machine translation. I put it together by extracting text page-by-page from a .pdf version of the Japanese novel, and running it through Google translate. I have only minorly edited some of the more confusing lines to make it more read-able. It is still a very rough translation, but it’s good enough to understand what’s going on. If there is anyone out there who wants to properly translate the novel, I am more than happy to edit it, if you’ll contact me.**

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Chapter 2: Suzu

"Buhaa!"

I got up from a thin futon and took a big breath.

That made me almost hit my head against the low ceiling. This is a shabby attic in the countryside, with rafters supporting the roof approaching just above the bed. "Ah, ah .... ah ..."

It's morning. The sunlight is dazzling. The feeling of the glittering world up to that point remains. I close my eyelids because I want to reach for the residue. Certainly I was standing at the tip of the whale's nose and singing. Wearing gorgeous costumes, singing freely. When I open my eyelids, in front of me is a smartphone on the sheets with the display turned off. On the dark surface, you can see yourself illuminated by the sun. The faded pajamas I've been wearing since I was in junior high school. Messy hair from sleeping. Half-open eyes.

And the freckles scattered on my cheeks. It makes me very depressed. I sigh. Then, I heard my father's voice from the first floor, "Suzu? What's wrong?" I feel impatient. Of course, this isn't a soundproof room, it's just a miserable 7-year-old girl's room. The only way to prevent the sound from leaking out is to wrap it in a futon. Was my voice louder than usual? If so ... The cold sweat of regret floats on my back. "No, it’s nothing ...!"

I hurriedly reply that while crawling on all fours off the bed. What if he’s suspicious and comes upstairs? No, I don't think he’ll come. I changed into my uniform and went downstairs. I didn't see my father. He may be preparing to go to work. He opened the porch and left the window down to let in the cool morning air. He lightly cleaned the living room and dining room and cleaned up the magazines left on the table. While boiling the water, I put the flowers in the garden in a vase and placed it next to the photo frame in the kitchen. He puts a tea bag in a mug and pours hot water. Steam with the scent of black tea boils. My mother is still smiling in the picture frame today.

I'm eating rice. I was sitting on the porch, drinking tea. Dad, who wore a dark blue T-shirt on his tanned skin, came out to the garage with a backpack containing work tools on his shoulders. "Suzu, I’m leaving." I replied, keeping my mouth on the mug. "... Okay" "What about dinner?" "... I’m fine."

"... I see. Then, I'll go." Dad must have been in trouble. I could understand without looking. The engine of a four-wheel drive vehicle starts. After backing up, it turns back and goes down the slope. The sound of the tires travelling across the pebbles slowly drifts away.

I wonder how long I will not make eye contact with him. How long has it been since I stopped talking properly? I wonder how much time has passed since we stopped eating together. There was a notification sound. A balloon pops up on the screen of the smartphone. "Belle is the best beauty created by the virtual world "U." Languages ​​around the world are translated instantly.

"Very unique and rare song" "Belle's song is full of self-confidence" "The most notable presence in 3 billion accounts"

The text balloons went up one after another, competing for the lead, and in a blink of an eye filled the area around the bell icon. But I have no joy, no sense of accomplishment, no sense of exhilaration. No matter how much attention Belle gets, it doesn't matter. With my mouth in my rimmed mug, I shut myself in my shell. The balloon with one comment swells up significantly. It is one of the functions of balloons to enlarge and display the comments that attract the most attention.

Of the tremendous number of comments, the one that attracted the most attention was "Who is she?" I don't think most people in the world know about it, but Shikoku and Kochi are proud of their rich climate, where the steep mountains that cover them, and of the beautiful blue shining clear streams that flow through the valleys. More than 150 years ago, we produced a number of people who dramatically reformed the long-standing feudal society of Japan, which is also one of our prides. The daylight hours are top class in Japan. Alcohol consumption is also top class. Perhaps because of that, my city’s personality is clear, and is said to be friendly and cheerful. But even in such a situation, some people are dark and are always looking down. One of them is me. My house is in the corner of a village with about 30 houses on the slope of a mountain.

A river called the Niyodo River runs ahead of me, and is connected to the opposite bank by a subsidence bridge. A subsidence bridge is a bridge without balustrades, and is designed so that it will not be washed away even if the river rises and the bridge sinks. I cross it every day unless this bridge sinks. The flow of the Niyodo River is still quiet and blue today. Occasionally tourists come by rental car and take a number of pictures on the subsidence bridge, saying that it's beautiful. It's a nice village, isn't it? They do not know the truth of the area. With the school bag on my side, I go down the stone steps and walk on a steep slope. A neighbor's grandmother who was sweeping and cleaning used to call out to me, "Oh, Suzu-chan, good morning," and so on. But not now. The shutters of many homes are tightly closed.

The number of people who live here gradually decreased as they died or moved to the city. There are many such settlements in the Niyodo River basin. It is said that it is near here that a sociologist coined the term "marginal village" long ago. I've been told many times since I was little that adults say that the number of people has decreased surprisingly compared to the village’s peak population. It is at the forefront of a declining population, declining birthrate and aging society, faster than anywhere else in Japan. That is an unmistakable fact. There is a stop at the end of the national highway after going up the slope. The rusty timetable at the bus stop only shows times in the morning and evening.

It's not yet time. After a while, the bus came. I sit in the usual seat at the back of the bus. No one else is in the bus. Passing through the stops one after another. No one is on board. While the bus is shaking, I dimly look at the bulletin board near the driver's seat.

"This bus route will be discontinued at the end of September.”

I live in a place where no one wants to live. It stands right next to a steep cliff approaching the rough sea. I reach the end of the bus route and transfer on to a train.

High school and junior high school students in uniforms from other schools come in little by little at each station. The closer you get to the center of the city, the less visible the floor is, and the two-car train fills up with customers. An announcement in the car tells me the name of the station I should get off at. I see many students of the same uniforms on the way to school. Together we climb a gentle slope. I am one of them. That gives me a lot of peace of mind, maybe.

The summer sunshine is dazzling. Last fall, the brass band was playing in front of the symbol tree in the courtyard. Many students surround it and listen to it. The announcement of the brass band is always popular. It's not just about playing. All players take steps as they perform. It's a lively and fun dance. All the instruments have the steps perfectly matched, yet the performance does not get twisted or shaken. I and Hiro-chan (short for Hiroka) also listened to it from the veranda on the 2nd floor of the gymnasium. When the first song ended and the second song started, a slender tall, beautiful girl was holding the alto saxophone in front of her. She came out. She shook her long, loosely waved hair and played her solo without any disturbance, taking attractive steps from side to side.

"……Cute."

I instinctively say it aloud. Luca-chan - her full name is Ruka Watanabe – I am sighingly fascinated by the lively beauty of her. I can hear the voices of other girls watching on the same balcony.

"Luka-chan is the princess of our school, isn't she?"

"She’s slim and has long legs.”

"Even if she wears a uniform, she look like a model."

They nodded together, saying, "Right~?”

Hiro-chan has a voice that only I can hear next to me, "The jealousy of kids who are neither thin nor slender...,” turning the pages of her book. The girls' voices can be heard continuously.

"Luka-chan naturally acts as a coordinator for everyone."

"I'm sure everyone will come together like Ohisama," Hiro-chan frowned at the back of her silver-rimmed glasses. "They’re annoying. In that respect, Suzu is like the opposite of Luka, so it's easy for no one to come near us."

"Hi- Hiro-chan…"

"Hmm?"

"You have a poisonous tongue, I wonder if you can be a little kinder....."

"A poisonous tongue? Who?" At that time, a loud voice that interrupted the performance echoed in the courtyard. "Why don't you join the canoe club?" Everyone looks back. "It's Kamishin!" "Kamishin has arrived!"

Kamishin – full name Shinjiro Senzu - has a canoe paddle in his hand and a banner with "CANOE" written on his back, and appears randomly.

"Oh, senpai. What about the canoe club?"

"Wow! Stop, Kamishin!"

"Don't enter, that's it." He chased the boys, and then laughed and ran away. Then, he turned around and headed for the group of girls.

"Hey, why don't you do canoeing?"

"Kya ~~~!" The girls scream seriously and run away.

"Oh, hey, let's do some canoeing!"

"Dangerous, run away~"

He is serious, but the reaction around him makes the Kamishin look like a weirdo. He’s like a beast that jumps into beautiful women and rampages.

"Hey, canoe ..."

Watching the girls run away, I feel like defending the hard work of Kamishin.

"It's amazing to start a canoe club by yourself, isn't it?"

"But he's the only one in it."

"I wonder why.”

"I wonder~”

Hiro turned her eyes to Luka, who seemed to be anxious about the hustle and bustle while playing. Luka stiffened and turned her back to Kamishin as if she didn't want to see him. Hiro-chan does not overlook the gesture. She closed her book and turned her stern eyes to Luka. “You’re being looked down on.”

We left the gymnasium and wandered around the school. Chorus club, biology club, light music club, dance club. Various club activities. The activity was appealing to each. As I crossed the glass-walled corridor, I heard the cheers and applause of the girls from somewhere.

10N1 was held at the one-on-one outdoor basketball court. It is a solicitation performance of the men's basketball club. A ball is thrown into the court for the next game. You can see a boy in a hoodie who catches it with a lean hand.

"Ah ..." The game starts. Shinobu-kun, full name Shinobu Kutake, slowly dribbles and watches the situation. The opponent's senpai is raising his right hand as a checker, being wary of the jump shot. Shinobu lowers his hips. Shinobu tries to pull out with a low dribble, but the opponent's guard is tight and he withdraws. When he thinks he has stopped Shibobu, he suddenly shoots a jump shot from a short motion.

He’s fast. The senior hurriedly reached out with his fingers spread out, but he couldn't reach Shinobu. The previous move was a feint. The ball drew a beautiful arc and passed through the goal net. The girls lined up in the corridor on the 3rd floor gave an enthusiastic applause. But Shinobu doesn't even smile. His coolness is attracting attention from girls in school. Before the applause stopped, the court had already moved on to the next game. Shinobu-kun, while measuring the timing, dribbles low to push the defense away. As if to say that you can't win even with power. If you forcibly cut in and pull out the senior in a blink of an eye, you will definitely go to the layup. There is a pleasant sound of the ball slipping through the goal net. Again, the girls' applause echoed on the walls of the school building. I told Hiro-chan,

"........ Shinobu-kun, I didn't think he would be that tall."

He’s my childhood friend.

"He was your childhood friend?"

"Ohon. Actually, I've been proposed to by Shinobu-kun."

"Seriously? What?"

"[Suzu, I'll protect you], he said.”

"When was that?"

"When we were 6 years old."

"....... Even if such an ancient story is spoken…"

Astonished, Hiro sighed. Another goal was scored. In the applause, Shinobu-kun, who finished the game, went out of the court alongside his senior without even smiling. Shinobu-kun, my childhood friend. He’s no longer within my reach.

I came back from school and crossed the subsidence bridge. I was with Shinobu from kindergarten through the lower grades of elementary school. After that, Shinobu moved to the city and we were separated. He was in my high school and we became classmates again. But it isn’t like it used to be. At that time, I didn't expect to become a child who is always looking down like I am now. There is a reason why this happened. I saw the quiet stream of the Niyodo River. Yes. That is an ancient story. A white bird passed low on the surface of the water.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dcx2NedPVBEdbfQaU-WC0pJMRmn20ASn7HSC0KY9R7E/edit?usp=sharing ~ Google Doc of the English-translated novel.

ryuutosobakasuhime.wordpress.com ~ English fan-site for Ryuu to Sobakasu no Hime where translations, scans, and other content is posted.

[littleeyesofpallas]

Revolutionary Girl Utena - Name Games

[有栖川] Arisugawa [樹璃] Juri

The name Arisugawa is a little hard to make relevant sense of.  The individual kanji read as [有] “exist” or ���posses”/”have,” [栖] which isn’t really used in modern Japanese but has Chinese roots meaning “to roost” or “to inhabit” or “to stay,” and finally just [川] meaning “River,” a super common element of family place names.  On the most literal level this sounds like “to make nest on/in a river” which could describe an act of futility, relating to Juri’s relationship with Shiori.

However Arisugawa [有栖川] is also a real Japanese surname, and the Arisugawa-no-miya [有栖川宮] family is a branch of the Japanese Imperial family.  Prior to the dissolution of imperial power in Japan, the Arisugawa-no-miya family were one of four royal families poised to take over the imperial throne should the imperial family ever fail to meet the requirements to rule.

At first I had trouble finding any overtly meaning in the uses of this particular name for this character, but I think this might be referenced in how Juri is positioned as being one of the more eligible and worthy among the duelists; she consistently bests her opponents in combat but loses due to extenuating circumstances.  Next to Utena, Juri is the next in line to become a prince.

The name Juri [樹璃] on the other hand has some much more readable meaning to it.  [樹] can read as either “Tree” (both the plant as well as the branched shape, like in a diagram or a data structure) or “Timber”/”Lumber” which specifies trees as a source of wood as a commodity (rather than as a plant), or wood cut and processed for construction. (and again not in reference to the living plant.)  And [璃] means “glassy” but is also points to the compound word Ruri [瑠璃] which is “Lapis lazuli” the precious stone.  There are a few meanings to take from this, but they come in conjunction with related characters so we’ll come back to it in a bit...  But for now, Juri’s name reads broadly as,

“Nest on the River, Lapis Timber”

[土谷] Tsuchiya [瑠果] Ruka

Tsuchiya [土谷] means “Earth Valley” is in some ways I think meant to read as the opposite of Arisugawa [有栖川]; Where as a river location is on the water and prone to the instability therein, a valley is a stable cradle in the earth.  Alternatively a valley might be evoked here as where a river sits.

More importantly, [瑠] you might notice is the other half of the compound Ruri [瑠璃] for “Lapis Lazuli.”  And [果] means “Fruit” both literal and metaphorical, which in turn can be translated as “Result” or an “Attained State.”  (In some religious contexts this can also refer to “Enlightenment.”)  So his name reads,

“Earth(y) Valley, Lapis Fruit”

[高槻] Takatsuki [枝織] Shiori

[高] means “Tall” or “High” but also “Most High”/”Maximum” and figuratively this can be used to mean “Expensive” i.e. a “High Price.”  And Keyaki [槻] is the Japanese name for the “Zelkova Tree.”  The Japanese Zelkova is generally an ornamental plant, commonly used in urban landscaping, and as a bonsai tree.  The name here pretty clearly describes Shiori as a “Tall Tree” but also an “Expensive Ornament.”

In the name Shiori [枝] means “Branch,” “Limb,” or “Bough,” and [織] means “Weave” or “Fabric.”  I can’t quite tell if the imagery being evoked here is of tangled branches, “woven” together; or of a cloth hung on the far branch of a tree, out of reach.  In the later case her full name would almost read like,

“High Tree, Branch Fabric“

...which adequately characterizes Shiori’s unattainable romantic status for Juri; the same status with which she knowingly torments Juri, knowing that she is the object of her desire.

All together, the trio all share marks of some rarity, between the Expensive Zelkova and the Lapis Lazuli, and of tree symbols; Timber, Fruit, and Branches.  Ruka is named directly in relation to Juri as a kind of alternative and matched pair; he is the chance for Juri to attain some kind of closure.  He wants her passion to achieve some kind of fruition because he sees Juri’s fruitless love of Shiori, and resents Shiori for taking advantage of it.  In its own way Juri’s name shows that she is never meant to come to fruition (at least not in the confines of the plot of the story) because she isn’t a living, flowering, fruiting tree, she’s just Timber/Lumber.

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