I wasn’t able to get the quality I wanted on a WMV file, and those tended to have very low download numbers, so I’ll probably leave it off from now on.

MEGAUPLOAD SPECIAL NOTE: Since MegaUpload automatically streams videos on MegaVideo, and I can’t find a way to make it stop, I’ve messed with the file extensions so that these files aren’t recognized as videos. After you download them, just change the “_avi” or “_mp4″ to “.avi” or “.mp4″ and everything should be fine.

The two full-length episodes will be coming with all due speed, but in the meantime I hope you like the bonus features. In addition to the chibi gag story above, the disc also came with a promo for the feature length movie currently showing in theaters across Japan: “Showdown in England’s Tennis Fortress”.

Movie Promo: 47.89MB (AVI)
MF: Full
MU: Full

And since I’ve already been asked, I should probably announce: Yes, I will be subtitling this movie when it’s available on DVD.

I mean… How could I not? I haven’t been able to stop laughing at the promo for days…

Yes, Skinner has ordered a copy.

She has, alas, been too crazy busy and full of insomnia to do any subtitling recently (counter to her wishes, being unable to sleep for over a month does not increase one’s ability to accomplish things), and that release date is very soon after her anticipated move to a new apartment that she has not yet found so no one can make any promises for our subtitling schedule being any clearer…

But of course we want to subtitle it.

We’ll see.

You will probably get new, subtitled TeniPuri in September.

As a sidenote, I was particularly impressed with Gackt’s eyes in this video.

“Kimi no Tameni Dekiru Koto” by Gackt ["What I Can Do For You"]
Downloads from MediaFire and MegaUpload
	AVI (Xvid) 71.02 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
	WMV 52.41 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
	MP4 (H264) 65.47 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
	MP4 (PSP) 23.66 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
As always, please support the artist: [DVD]

*****************************************
LYRICS
*****************************************

“Kimi no Tameni Dekiru Koto”
(What I Can Do For You)

いつまでも君だけは変わらないで側にいて
僕の腕で抱きしめた時から
この予感に気付いたから

Itsumademo kimi dake ha kawaranai de soba ni ite
boku no ude de dakishimeta toki kara
kono yokan ni kizuita kara

Forever unchanging, I’ll be by your side and yours alone.
Ever since I held you in my arms,
I’ve known this would be true.

あどけない笑顔に見せた君に
涙の理由を聞けなくて
僕のつかんだ手を振りほどいて…
そっと背中越しに声をかけた

adokenai egao ni miseta kimi ni
namida no wake wo kikenakute
boku no tsukanda te wo furihodoite…
sotto senaka-goshi ni koe wo kaketa

You showed me that innocent smile,
And I couldn’t ask what caused your tears.
You shook off my hand when I caught yours,
Hid behind my back and I softly called out.

「もう大丈夫だよ」と、何度も繰り返して
小さくふるえてる君に
そんな言葉しか言えないけれど

“mou daijoubu da yo” to, nando mo kurikaeshite
chiisaku furueteru kimi ni
sonna kotoba shika ienai keredo

“It’s all right now,” I said, over and over again.
You were tiny and trembling,
And that was all I could say.

いつだって君だけは変わらないで側にいて
僕の腕で抱きしめた時から
この予感に気付いたから

Itsudatte kimi dake ha kawaranai de soba ni ite
boku no ude de dakishimeta toki kara
kono yokan ni kizuita kara

But any time at all, unchanging, I’ll be by your side.
Ever since I held you in my arms,
I’ve known this would be true.

なにげない話の中で
君の見せた笑顔が嬉しくて
僕は少し恥ずかしそうに微笑う君を
離さないまま呟いた

nanigenai hanashi no naka de
kimi no miseta egao ga ureshikute
boku ha sukoshi hazukashisou ni warau kimi wo
hanasanai mama tsubuyaita

While we talked without a care,
The smiling face you showed me was so glad.
And, though your grin was flustered,
I kept you in my arms and whispered.

「もう大丈夫…」なんてことしか言えないけど
その涙がもう消えるなら
僕が君のピエロになるから

“mou daijoubu…” nante koto shika ienai kedo
sono namida ga mou kieru nara
boku ga kimi no PIERO ni naru kara

Perhaps “It’s all right now,” is all that I can say,
But if it would stop your tears,
I would play the fool for you.

いつだって君だけは変わらないで側にいて
僕の腕で抱きしめた時から
この予感に気付いたから

itsudatte kimi dake ha kawaranai de soba ni ite
boku no ude de dakishimeta toki kara
kono yokan ni kizuita kara

Any time at all, unchanging, I’ll be by your side.
Ever since I held you in my arms,
I’ve known this would be true.

手にした笑顔の数より
涙は多いかもしれないけど
～そばにいる～
それが僕の、君のためにできること

te ni shita egao no kazu yori
namida ha ooi kamoshirenai kedo
~soba ni iru~
sore ga boku no kimi no tame ni dekiru koto

The smiles that we take in hand
May be outnumbered by the tears, but…
I am by your side
Because that’s what I can do for you

いつだって君だけは変わらないで側にいて
僕の腕で抱きしめた時から
この予感に気付いたから

itsudatte kimi dake ha kawaranai de soba ni ite
boku no ude de dakishimeta toki kara
kono yokan ni kizuita kara

Any time at all, unchanging, I’ll be by your side.
Ever since I held you in my arms,
I’ve known this would be true.

いつだって僕だけは君を離したりはしないから
僕が君を守ってみせるから…

itsudatte boku dake ha kimi wo hanashitari ha shinai kara
boku ga kimi wo mamotte miseru kara

No matter when, I and I alone will never let you go
I’ll see you safe and sound.

この予感に気付いたから

kono yokan ni kizuita kara

I know it will be true.

[Original Japanese lyrics, music, and performance by Gackt (Crown Records). English translation and Japanese romanization made for educational purposes without authorization or approval by Skinner in association with Impetuosity Productions.]

********************************
TRANSLATION NOTE
********************************

Japanese 101 Particle of the Day: “kara”

から (prt) (1) from (e.g. time, place, numerical quantity); since; (2) from (originator); (3) because; (4) out of (constituent, part); (5) through (e.g. window, vestibule); (6) after; since (following te-form verb); (P)

I generally understand the usage of “kara” by identifying the word it follows as a kind of starting point, whether locational, temporal, material, causal or what have you.

We’ll address the rest of the refrain in a bit, as I took rather a bit of poetic license with that one, but you’ll notice that he ends it with “kara”. That particular construction was how I derived the mood of the translation, almost in its entirety. The lyrics depict a man who is giving a reason. He is not, I think, making a confession so much as he is defending a position. That’s not to say he’s particularly using logic. His statement seems to be, “I will stay by your side because that’s what I’m going to do.”

This should not be confused with the usage in the line “boku no ude de dakishimeta toki kara”. That’s marking a starting point in terms of time, not a cause of action. The “reasons” for the singer’s behavior are noted in the lines:

kono yokan ni kizuita kara
(loosely translated, “I knew it would be true” or “I know it will be true” depending on context. Literally, “I noticed a premonition of this”.)

boku ga kimi no PIERO ni naru kara
(“I would play the fool for you”. Literally, “I will become your clown/pierrot”.)

itsudatte boku dake ha kimi wo hanashitari ha shinai kara
(“No matter when, I and I alone will never let you go”. I feel that’s literal enough.)

boku ga kimi wo mamotte miseru kara
(“I’ll see you safe and sound”. Literally, “I will show you that I will protect you.”)

Each one of these stands at the end of a refrain or verse, which one could read as either justifying a statement that it follows or stating a cause for a fact that is implied. The only statement of intended action we get is simply, “I will be by your side”. This sentiment is remarkably without expectation. One strongly gets the feeling, especially in combination with the video, that the object of his affections has either told him to leave or doubts that he’s someone she wants to commit to. The resulting statement comes across (to me) as, “I can tell that I’m going to be there for you for the rest of our lives, so that’s just how it’s going to be.” Depending on my mood, I sometimes hear a silent, “Deal with it,” appended.

That expression above is where I base the very loose translation of “kono yokan ni kizuita kara”. In that refrain, he identifies a “sense” or “feeling” (yokan, generally translated as “premonition”, but I rarely find that it’s a suitable word to use in the English rendering). This seems to refer to the first statement, that the speaker would always be by the addressee’s side. Since this is a general statement that he makes, covering everything he is able to do for her, I take this to refer to his entire understanding of his intentions, emotions, and courses of action. The “kizuita” links back to the second line of the refrain, where he identifies a time: “beginning with the time when I held you in my arms”. One assumes this is the scene he describes in the verses throughout the song. From that point on, he “had the sense” of how he would feel and behave. The formulation “I know it will be true” is based on how I’m used to hearing this sentiment expressed in colloquial English. IE, “No, I will — I know it. I’ve known it since that day…” etc.

My worst habit both as a writer and as a translator is “overwriting” things that are better left as simpler statements. Oh, how often my beta checker has told me to just cut some artistically rendered phrase because it’s confusing and only makes sense in my head… At any rate, this song would have been killed by overwriting. The feeling is so straightforward, bare and unadorned that it seemed only right to render it as directly as possible, with as little concern as I could manage for stylized language, rhythm matching, or other such bits of polish. If you read the presentation as a bit awkward, I’ve done this on purpose. That’s its own kind of poetry.

Thank you for watching!!

What this means for you:

1) An excellent series is available in its entirety, should you choose to watch it. All the translated episodes are available on the D-Addicts tracker as well as on the Ikemen Subbing LiveJournal Community (membership required to see downloads). [Recommended with the following caveat: This show is about a young man who becomes a street fighter while dealing with life-crushing bullying and gang violence. It does contain several graphic fight scenes.]

2) After November (read: NaNoWriMo) is over, Skinner will be finishing translation on the Prince of Tennis “Message in a Bottle” special and her two super-secret Prince of Tennis side projects, one of which is no longer a secret. Please look for them with only a modicum of delay.

Unrelated to Holyland, Skinner has also upgraded her typesetting skills and is very excited to start producing prettier subs for all the adoring fans of Prince of Tennis (and everything else we do) out there.

So, please enjoy a video from the man who may well have the best voice of all the J-Rock and J-Pop acts I follow.

“Redemption” by Gackt [for FF7: Dirge of Cerberus]
Downloads from MediaFire and MegaUpload Split Files may be joined with HJSplit
	AVI (Xvid) 109.62 MB	MF: 001/002 MU: Full
	WMV 52.72 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
	MP4 (H264) 41.12 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
	MP4 (PSP) 22.52 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
As always, please support the artist: [CD] [DVD]

*****************************************
LYRICS
*****************************************

“Redemption”

静かに宙に還る貴方の姿を
what else can I do besides avenge you?
涙が枯れるまでずっとみつめていた

shizuka ni sora ni kaeru anata no sugata wo
what else can I do besides avenge you?
namida ga kareru made zutto mitsumeteita

As you returned so peacefully into the skies,
what else can I do besides avenge you?
I kept searching for your trace until my tears ran dry.

溢れる哀しみは消せない傷跡に
忘れはしないと誓った

afureru kanashimi ha kesenai kizuato ni
wasure ha shinai to chikatta

The flood of my grief became an unfading scar.
I swore then that I would never forget.

折れた翼を羽ばたかせすべてを消してみせよう
いつの日か終わりを迎える最後の鐘が鳴り止むまで

oreta tsubasa wo habatakase
subete wo keshitemiseyou
itsu no hi ka owari wo mukaeru
saigo no kane ga nariyamu made

Let me soar upon these broken wings
And watch as I strike all this down
Whenever it may come, I’ll march toward my end
Until the last bell’s song fades away

you told me
live as if you were to die tomorrow
feel as if you were to be reborn now
face as if you were to live forever

震える指で紅い涙をなぞった
I had nothing to lose, nothing truth
儚い思い出が闇に堕ちてゆく

furueru yubi de akai namida wo nazotta
I had nothing to lose, nothing truth
hakanai omoide ga yami ni ochiteyuku

I wiped away crimson tears with trembling fingers
I had nothing to lose, nothing truth
My fleeting memories fall into the darkness

最後の微笑が浮かんでは消える
温もりだけを残して

saigo no hohoemi ga ukande ha kieru
nukumori dake wo nokoshite

As one last smile rises up, it disappears
All that remains is your warmth

優しいだけの言葉ならいまの僕は癒せない
果てしなく続く戦いにこの身をすべて捧げるだけ

yasashii dake no kotoba nara
ima no boku ha iyasenai
hateshinaku tsuzuku tatakai ni
kono mi wo subete sasageru dake

Words of pure kindness uttered now cannot heal me as I am.
I can only offer all of myself to this neverending fight.

いつかはこの宙に誰もが還るから
別れの言葉はいらない
make it up

itsuka ha kono sora ni daremo ga kaeru kara
wakare no kotoba ha iranai
make it up

Everyone will return to this sky in time.
There is no need for us to say farewell.
make it up

折れた翼を羽ばたかせすべてを消してみせよう
いつの日か終わりを迎える最後の鐘が鳴り止むまで

oreta tsubasa wo habatakase
subete wo keshitemiseyou
itsu no hi ka owari wo mukaeru
saigo no kane ga nariyamu made

Let me soar upon these broken wings
And watch as I strike all this down
Whenever it may come, I’ll march toward my end
Until the last bell’s song fades away

優しいだけの言葉ならいまの僕は癒せない
果てしなく続く戦いにこの身をすべて捧げるだけ

yasashii dake no kotoba nara
ima no boku ha iyasenai
hateshinaku tsuzuku tatakai ni
kono mi wo subete sasageru dake

Words of pure kindness uttered now cannot heal me as I am.
I can only offer all of myself to this neverending fight.

REDEMPTION

[Original Japanese lyrics, music, and performance by Gackt (Crown Records). English translation and Japanese romanization made for educational purposes without authorization or approval by Skinner in association with Impetuosity Productions.]

********************************
TRANSLATION NOTE
********************************

1) The lyrics above represent exactly what was written in the liner notes for the “Red” DVD collection. I made two alterations for the video: the last line, “REDEMPTION”, is repeated, and the line, “live as if you were to die tomorrow” is clearly proceeded by the word “to”. I’ve added that to the subtitles, but left it out here. Both Sumeria and several sources on the internet have suggested that, likewise, “nothing to lose, nothing truth” should be “nothing to lose, nothing to lose”; however, the text “nothing truth” appears on the screen at that point (freeze-frame is awesome), and I only would have contradicted that if I were absolutely certain it was wrong. After listening to the song about a hundred times in close succession while typesetting, I am now absolutely certain that “truth” is not wrong. There’s a subtle but noticeable difference in pronunciation between what he says there and when he says “to lose” a moment before.

2) With regard to the following:

溢れる哀しみは消せない傷跡に
忘れはしないと誓った

afureru kanashimi ha kesenai kizuato ni
wasure ha shinai to chikatta

The flood of my grief became an unfading scar.
I swore then that I would never forget.

My first impression of these two lines was that they sounded like separate statements, musically. However, there’s no punctuation, and they do make a coherent single sentence when taken together: “I swore upon that unfading scar that I would not forget my overflowing grief.” After much deliberation, I decided to maintain the lyrical interpretation of my first impressions, since mood and one’s experience of listening should not be divorced from the text in a musical translation. I added the word “then” to the second line as a way of linking the oath back to the previous line, with the scar as its focus.

3) The second refrain:

優しいだけの言葉ならいまの僕は癒せない
果てしなく続く戦いにこの身をすべて捧げるだけ

yasashii dake no kotoba nara
ima no boku ha iyasenai
hateshinaku tsuzuku tatakai ni
kono mi wo subete sasageru dake

Words of pure kindness uttered now cannot heal me as I am.
I can only offer all of myself to this neverending fight.

I believe the implication of the second line (hateshinaku [...] dake) is that sacrificing himself completely is the only possible means to heal. I was never quite satisfied with any of the formulations of this line I came up with in terms of expressing that point.

4) Now, a technical note. As mentioned above, this was the video I used in the “Subtitles for Newbies” panel to give an audience member a chance to try typesetting a video. If you’d like to see the results, I saved a few seconds as a sample video: [MF/MU]. This was also the video that caused the inexplicable VirtualDubMod crash on stage, where the program froze up completely and would only close by stepping in with Task Manager to end the process. In making the sample file above, I was able to determine that the reason for the crash was that Avery Lee’s “subtitler” filter for VirtualDub doesn’t like to process the Wingdings font my brave volunteer chose. The “TextSub” filter (VSFilter) by Gabest does this just fine, if you ever have a need to use Wingdings on your video.

Thank you for watching!!

“With You” by Kimeru
Downloads from MediaFire and MegaUpload Split Files may be joined with HJSplit
	AVI (Xvid) 116.23 MB	MF: 001/002 MU: Full
	WMV 47.87 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
	MP4 (H264) 46.71 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
	MP4 (PSP) 25.91 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
As always, please support the artist: [CD] [CD+DVD] [DVD]

*****************************************
LYRICS
*****************************************

“With You”

Please be with you もうすぐ 月夜と交代
太陽ありがとう すこしだけ休んでくれて
僕らを熱くもやして そのあとナビゲーション
恋のゴールまで

Please be with you mou sugu tsukiyo to koutai
taiyou arigatou sukoshi dake yasunde kurete
bokura wo atsuku moyashite sono ato NABIGE-SHON
koi no GO-RU made

Please be with you. Very soon, day will change to moonlit night
My thanks to the sun. Now, please take a moment to rest
After we’ve burned bright, we’ll navigate our way
As far as passion’s goal

きらきらとできることなら そのままぶつけたい欲望
この頃は内に秘めても バカみるだけみたい
きらきらとウェイクでいいよ お互い導こうよ
快感は1人よがりじゃなければ summer time great memories

kira kira to dekiru koto nara sono mama butsuketai yokubou
kono goro ha uchi ni himetemo BAKA miru dake mitai
kira kira to UEIKU de ii yo otagai michibikou yo
kaikan ha hitori yogari janakereba summer time great memories

I yearn to shine when we can shine, and as we do, blow everything away
To hide that inside now, we’d only be playing fools
So let’s wake up and shine, leading each other along the way
If the delight you want can’t be found on your own
We’ll have great memories of the summer time

幻想 … 現実
あ~どうでも今夜いいじゃないと思わせる
あなたはwoman like a wizard
魔女ってことさ

gensou … genjitsu
a~ dou demo konya ii ja nai to omowaseru
anata ha woman like a wizard
majo tte koto sa

Illusion … Reality
Whichever tonight is, that’s fine — to make me feel this way,
It must be you: woman like a wizard
Enchantress mine

Please be with you もうすぐ
決めたい そうささやかせて
間違えないで騙されないで 明日へとつながる魔法の人だから
この僕を選んだ君こそ ほんとのセレクター

Please be with you mou sugu
kimetai sou sasayakasete
machigaenaide damasarenaide asu heto tsunagaru mahou no hito dakara
kono boku wo eranda kimi koso honto no SEREKUTA-

Please be with you. Very soon,
I want to choose. Oh, whisper to me
Please don’t mistake me, and please don’t be deceived
For you’re the one whose magic will bring us to tomorrow
Really, it’s you who’ve taken me. The true choice is in your hands

一途さを見せるのも 隠すもテクニックアイテム
いつの日かタイミングきたら その時はBOMB 僕らは

ichizusa wo miseru no mo kakusu mo TEKUNIKKU AITEMU
itsuno hi ka TAIMINGU kitara sono toki ha BOMB bokura ha

Sometimes, you show you’re certain, sometimes you hide away — it’s all about technique.
Someday, when the timing is right, that day, we’ll be a bomb. That’s what we are.

あ~どうでも今夜いいじゃないと思わせる
あなたはwoman like a wizard
魔女ってことさ

a~ dou demo konya ii ja nai to omowaseru
anata ha woman like a wizard
majo tte koto sa

Whichever tonight is, that’s fine. To make me feel this way,
It must be you: woman like a wizard
Enchantress mine

太陽があとすこし
すてきな会話のロスタイムくれるよ
二人をどこか 見たこともない
真夏の夜の夢につれてってくれるよ

taiyou ga ato sukoshi
suteki na kaiwa no ROSU TAIMU kureru yo
futari ga dokoka mita koto mo nai
manatsu no yo no yume ni tsuretettekureru yo

The sun has only a bit further to go
We’ll lose track of time in sweet nothings
And somewhere, where no one can see,
I’ll whisk you away to a midsummer night’s dream

Please be with you もうすぐ 月夜と交代
太陽ありがとう すこしだけ休んでくれて
僕らを熱くもやして そのあとナビゲーション
恋のゴールまで

Please be with you mou sugu tsukiyo to koutai
taiyou arigatou sukoshi dake yasunde kurete
bokura wo atsuku moyashite sono ato NABIGE-SHON
koi no GO-RU made

Please be with you

[Original Japanese lyrics and music by Komuro Tetsuya. Performance by Kimeru (Crown Gold). English translation and Japanese romanization made for educational purposes without authorization or approval by Skinner in association with Impetuosity Productions]

********************************
TRANSLATION NOTE
********************************

I may have mentioned once upon a time that I like to take English in the original Japanese lyrics and fit it sensibly to the English translation as it originally appears.

… … …

Sometimes one glance at a set of lyrics is enough to know that won’t work. However, this is why every translator has a poetic license.

“summer time great memories” transforming into “We’ll have great memories of the summer time” is perhaps my most egregious change, but not the most telling or interesting example. I’d have to give that to the line:

“一途さを見せるのも 隠すもテクニックアイテム”
[ichizusa wo miseru no mo kakusu mo TEKUNIKKU AITEMU]

Literally, “To show your wholeheartedness and to hide it are both technique items.” However, English doesn’t easily convey the same meaning for “item” implied here. [アイテム(P); アイタム(ik) (n) (1) item; (2) something that one "just has to have"]. Essentially, “Showing wholeheartedness and hiding it away are both required techniques [implied: in romance].” The presentation of two opposites as such, especially in the context of the surrounding song, sounded to me like the singer was someone practised in seduction recognizing a similar skill in the object of his affections. She, as he does, knows when to do which in order to cause some desired effect. This understanding became: “Sometimes, you show you’re certain, sometimes you hide away — it’s all about technique.”

Probably the only line that rivals that one for level of change was turning, “I’ll give you ‘lost time‘ in the form of fabulous conversation” into “We’ll lose track of time in sweet nothings”, but I’m not sure what more I can say about that decision. It seemed like the right thing to do.

Thank you for watching!!

“Everything” by Arashi
Downloads from MediaFire and MegaUpload
	AVI (Xvid) 95.86 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
	WMV 56.74 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
	MP4 (H264) 42.97 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
	MP4 (PSP) 23.34 MB	MF: Full MU: Full
As always, please support the artist: [CD] [DVD out of print]

*****************************************
LYRICS
*****************************************

“Everything”

通り雨が近づく　街の匂いは切なくて
アスファルトに残した　影はいつもと違って見えた

tooriame ga chikazuku machi no nioi ha setsunakute
ASUFARUTO ni nokoshita kage ha itsumo to chigatte mieta

The air grows heavy in the city when the rain draws near
The shadows left on the asphalt look different than they usually do

変わり続ける空は　揺れる心映す様に
足早に世界は廻り続けてる

kawaritsuzukeru sora ha yureru kokoro utsusu you ni
ashibaya ni sekai ha mawaritsuzuketeru

As if the ever-changing sky reflects the trembling of my heart,
The world keeps on swiftly turning round

赤から青に変わるシグナル　戻ることの出来ない旅の途中で
明日を信じて進みたい
この夕立の中で一人　振り返り立ち止まることもあるけど
何も恐れはしない

aka kara ao ni kawaru SHIGUNARU
modoru koto no dekinai tabi no tochuu de
ashita wo shinjite susumitai
kono yuudachi no naka de hitori
furikaeri tachidomaru koto mo aru kedo
nanimo osore ha shinai

The signal changes from red to blue
I can’t turn back from my journey now,
And, believing in tomorrow, I want to go on
All alone here within the evening rain
I could stop to look back,
But there’s nothing that I fear

雨上がりの窓から　見える夕暮れの向日葵
夕焼けに染められて　朝日を待ち続けているんだ

ame agari no mado kara mieru yuugure no himawari
yuuyake ni somerarete asahi wo machitsuzuketeirunda

From the window, after the rain has stopped,
I see the sunflowers in the twilight
Bathed in the tones of evening’s glow,
They keep waiting for the morning sun

何が大切なのか　時に見失いそうだけど
ゆずれない思いを抱え歩いてゆく

nani ga taisetsu nano ka toki ni miushinai sou dakedo
yuzurenai omoi wo kakae aruiteyuku

What is it that really matters?
Though sometimes they fall out of sight,
The feelings that we’ll never surrender
We carry as we walk along

あざやかな青に染められた　未来は果てしない夢を描いた
渇いた心 潤して
限られたこの時の中で　強く胸に思いを刻み込んだ
陽はまた昇ってゆく

azayaka na ao ni somerareta mirai ha hateshinai yume wo egaita
kawaita kokoro uruoshite
kagirareta kono toki no naka de
tsuyoku mune ni omoi wo kizamikonda
hi ha mata nobotteyuku

A future, dyed in brilliant blue, marks out an endless dream
And revives my dried out heart
Within this one brief moment,
I’ve etched that feeling deep in my heart
The sun goes on to rise again

この長い坂を越える時 その先に何が見えたとしても
後悔はしたくない　光灯し続け 明日を照らして

kono nagai saka wo koeru toki
sono saki ni nani ga mieta toshitemo
koukai ha shitakunai
hikari tomoshitsuzuke ashita wo terashite

As I clear this long, uphill path,
No matter what I may see before me,
I want to have no regrets,
Keep the light shining to brighten tomorrow

赤から青に変わるシグナル　戻ることの出来ない旅の途中で
明日を信じて進みたい
走れ走れ!　夢に手を伸ばすのさ　叫べ叫べ!　声の続く限り
心の感じるままに

aka kara ao ni kawaru SHIGUNARU
modoru koto no dekinai tabi no tochuu de
ashita wo shinjite susumitai
hashire, hashire! yume ni te wo nobasu no sa
sakebe, sakebe! koe no tsuzuku kagiri
kokoro no kanjiru mama ni

The signal changes from red to blue
I can’t turn back from my journey now,
And, believing in tomorrow, I want to go on
Run on! Run on!
While you reach for your dream
Cry out! Cry out!
As long as your voice will last
As long as that’s what your heart feels

[Original Japanese lyrics by 100+, music by Asari Shingo. Performance by Arashi (J-Storm, Inc./Johnny's Entertainment). English translation and Japanese romanization made for educational purposes without authorization or approval by Skinner in association with Impetuosity Productions]

********************************
LACK OF TRANSLATION NOTE
********************************

I really enjoy pointing out little idiomatic things that don’t translate properly, or interesting uses of grammatical structure, so I looked very hard just now to find one, but alas I fear this is a fairly straightforward pop song. I will, however, declare myself open (as ever) to questions if I made a translation choice you don’t understand, or that you disagree with.

That said, there was one line that I played with longer than the rest to figure out a translation I liked:

“限られたこの時の中で”
[kagirareta kono toki no naka de]

The verb describing the time set out in this song is “kagiru”: 限る 【かぎる】 (v5r,vi) to restrict; to limit; to confine. So, literally, this line reads: “Within this time that has been limited,” implying something similar to one’s childhood days or a perfect summer — it comes with an inherent end point. No matter how much you might want it to last forever, it can’t, and often shouldn’t.

I went with “Within this one brief moment,” inspired (credit where it’s due) in great part by the musical Camelot. The songwriters there had already made an English statement that was better than anything else I could imagine.

Don’t let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
That was known as Camelot

– “Camelot (Reprise)”, lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner

It’s fascinating how a literal dream is a near-instantaneous flash of activity in the brain during REM sleep that seems to last for minutes or hours of experience, while an entire set of experiences like childhood or summer camp or high school or the duration of a play’s rehearsal and performance can feel like a contained instant rather than a span, even as you’re in the moment and certainly when it’s over.

Herein end my musings. Thank you for stopping by!

[begin shameless plug]

“The Phenomenology of Ikari Shinji” has been picked up again, as well as one of our new submissions, “Subtitles for Newbies”. One of our other new submissions, “Socks and Bandages: How to Look Like a Boy”, has been added to the Wait List. Of course, we will also have a table in the Artist’s Alley where Sumeria will have prints of her work available and I will (apparently) be doing calligraphy on silk by commission. This wasn’t expected, but it seems to be the case. We’ll be at Table H01, right by the exit. Unless I’m mistaken, this is very nearly the same location we’ve had every year we’ve had a table at Otakon.

Official summaries of these and our other panels are available on our Panels page. If you’re planning to come to Otakon, we hope to see you there.

[end shameless plug]

I thought I’d get some input from the gallery as to what characters would make interesting examples. I’ve posted a poll on my LiveJournal, which I am reposting here.

Please note: these questions apply to characters that are portrayed as ukes both in the canon works and in fanworks. We’re working with a very particular character quality that causes a character to be viewed in an uke position by fandom, and a character’s existence on this list is not equivalent to an assertion that this character is the uke in a canon yaoi relationship. Any commentary about how so-and-so is not actually an uke will be ignored (or deleted, if it proves to be inflammatory).

If you want to vote but aren’t sure you understand the poll, please comment and I’ll be happy to answer any questions.

Thank you for your opinions! Even if you pick from the lists here, please feel free to include other options in your comments.

[Original Japanese text by Kishimoto Masashi, published in Weekly Jump. Script by ohana, courtesy of mangahelpers, with additions by me noted in curly brackets. English translation and Japanese romanization made for educational purposes without authorization or approval by Skinner in association with Impetuosity Productions]

[PAGE 1 - Killerbee poses in front of a wall with the shadows of eight tails.]

491　人柱力監禁！！
491 jinchuuriki kankin!!

The Hosts Confined!!

SPLASH TEXT: {フン…やっと作者もオレ様を扉絵に出しやがったか。仕方ねえ…クールなライム聴かせてやるぜ！！}
fun… yatto sakusha mo ore-sama wo tobirae ni dashiyagatta ka. shikata nee… ku-ru na raimu kikaseteyaruze!!

Hmm… so the author finally put me on the front page, huh? Got no choice… I’ll let you hear some cool rhymes!!

[PAGE 2 - In Myoubokuzan with Naruto and the frogs]

SPLASH TEXT: 目指せ九尾のコントロール！！
mezase kyuubi no kontoro-ru!!

Aim to control the Nine-tails!!

[The Scroll Frog is attempting to go down Naruto's throat. This looks painful.]

SCROLL FROG: “コラ！もっと大きゅーに口を開けー！！”
“kora! motto ookyu- ni kuchi wo hirake-!!”

“C’mon! Open your mouth wider!!”

NARUTO: (thinks) “なんで口から…　ヌルヌルして気持ちわり～”
“nande kuchi kara… nuru-nuru shite kimochi wari~”

“Why through the mouth? He’s all slimy~ Ugh, gross…”

SCROLL FROG: “蔵入りさせる気あるんかあ！？”
“kurairisaseru ki arun kaa!?”

“You wanna let me store myself, or what!?”

[Fukasaku kicks the Scroll Frog the rest of the way into Naruto's mouth. That doesn't look too pleasant, either. After a look of shock, Naruto collapses to his knees.]

NARUTO: “うおえ～～～”
“uoe~~~”

“Ugh…”

FUKASAKU: “蔵入りOKじゃ！　これから木{ノ}葉へナルトちゃんを戻すけんの！”
“kurairi OK ja! kore kara Konoha he Naruto-chan wo modosu kenno!”

“Storage OK! Next up, we’ll return Naruto-chan to Konoha!”

[PAGE 3]

NARUTO: “タコを探せばいんだよな…　どこに{居}るタコなんだ？もっとヒントとかねーの？”
“tako wo sagaseba in dayo na… doko ni iru tako nan da? motto hinto to ka ne- no?”

“I should look for an octopus, right…? Where is this octopus? Are there more hints or anything?”

GREAT ELDER: “はっきりはせんが　ある孤島じゃ…　人々は近づかん　生物達の楽園…
ワシからしたら楽しそうなリゾートじゃ”
“hakkiri hasen ga, aru kotou ja… hitobito ha chikazukan. seibutsu-tachi no rakuen… washi kara shitara, tanoshisou na rizo-to ja”

“I cannot say clearly, but a on particular solitary island… one men do not approach. A paradise for living creatures… speaking for myself, it seemed to be a pleasant resort.”

[Naruto happily pictures a tropical paradise that is inexplicably populated by squirrels as well as birds and butterflies, and has grapevines near its palm trees.]

GREAT ELDER: “そこでタコがお前に協力してくれるはずじゃ…　とにかく導きがあるじゃろう”
“soko de tako ga omae ni kyouryoku shite kureru hazu ja… tonikaku, michibiki ga aru jarou.”

“There the octopus shall work together with you… Whatever the case, you shall have guidance.”

NARUTO: “オッス！”
“ossu!”

“Got it!”

FUKASAKU: “ほんなら戻すで”
“honnara modosu de”

“I’ll get you back, then.”

[PAGE 4 - Naruto appears in his seat at Ichiraku, startling Teuchi and two older ninja sitting to either side.]

TEUCHI: {“うおっ！！”}
“uo~!!”

“Whoa!!”

BOTH NINJA: {“!?”}

NARUTO: “あ！…戻った…”
“a! …modotta…”

“Ah! I’m back…”

TEUCHI: “どこ行ってた！？急に消えたと思ったらまた急に出てきやがって！”
“doko itteta!? kyuu ni kieta to omottara mata kyuu ni detekiyagatte!”

“Where did you go!? After I thought you’d suddenly vanished, now you’re suddenly appearing!”

NARUTO: “ちっとねー”
“chotto ne-”

“Just out for a bit.”

NINJA 1: “おお！ナルトか！”
“oo! Naruto ka!”

“Oh! Are you Naruto?!”

NARUTO: “？”

NINJA 2: “こんな所で会えるとは思わなかった　あ！そうだサインくれサイン！うちの子に書いてやってくんねーかな お前のファンでよ”
“konna tokoro de aeru to ha omowanakatta. a! souda, sain kure, sain! uchi no ko ni kaite yattekunne- ka na. omae no fan de yo.”

“I never thought I’d meet you in a place like this. Ah, that’s right! Can I have your autograph? Could you write it out to my kid? He’s a fan of yours.”

[T/N: 1) There's no way to tell here if he's talking about a male child or a female child. I picked "he" at random. 2) The word used for "autograph", as a noun or a verb, is the English word "sign" written in katakana as "サイン" (sain).]

[PAGE 5 - Naruto looks taken aback]

NARUTO: “…サイン…？”
“…sain…?”

“…autograph…?”

NINJA 1: “木{ノ}葉の英雄　奇跡を起こす少年　うずまきナルト！　うちのほうにも{一}枚頼む！”
“Konoha no eiyuu, kiseki wo okosu shounen — Uzumaki Naruto! uchi no hou ni mo ichimai tanomu!”

“The hero of Konoha, the boy who does miracles — Uzumaki Naruto! Could I please get one, too?!”

NARUTO: “…”

NINJA 1 “…どうした？ダメか？”
“…doushita? dame ka?”

“…What is it? I can’t?”

NARUTO: “いや…オレってばそういうのに慣れてねーからよ　サインなんて{持}ってねーし”
“iya… ore tteba sou iu no ni naretene- kara yo. sain nante mottene- shi”

“No… I’m just really not used to that kind of thing. I don’t have any autographs on me.”

TEUCHI: (thinks) “…最近じゃ奇跡の少年なんてもてはやされちゃいるが…　{少し前}までは
まったく逆だったもんな…　無理もねーよ”
“…saikin ja kiseki no shounen nante motehayasarechairu ga… sukoshi mae made ha mattaku gyaku datta mon na… muri mo ne- yo”

“…You’ve been throwing praise at him recently, calling him the Miracle Boy, when not so long before, it was exactly the opposite… What do you expect?”

TEUCHI: “お客さん　サインの前にラーメン食わしてやってくんねーかな”
“okyaku-san, sain no mae ni ra-men kuwashite yattekunne- ka na”

“Sir, do you think you could eat your ramen before {dealing with} autographs?”

[T/N - He addresses the ninja literally as "Customer"]

NINJA 1: “あ…ああ…”
“a… aa…”

“Ah, yeah…”

NARUTO: “やっと食えるってばよ！”
“yatto kueru ttebayo!”

“I’m finally gonna eat!”

[Outside a building labelled with the kanji: "Lightning"]

SPLASH TEXT: 雷影の{招集}から三日後
Raikage no shoushuu kara mikkago

Three days after the Raikage’s summons

[PAGE 6-7 - The five kages and Mifune are gathered around a table, each with a second. Tsunade has Nara Shikaku, the Tsuchikage (Oonoki) has a ninja I don't recognize, the Raikage (A or E-... there is an extended note about this after the chapter) has his personal assistant, Gaara has Temari, the Mizukage (Terumi Mei) has Ao, and Mifune has a gentleman whose identity and nature are unknown. Perhaps a samurai?]

E-: “皆早かったな…”
“minna hayakatta na…”

“Everyone got here fast…”

GAARA: “急を要する状況だからな”
“kyuu wo yousuru joukyou dakara na”

“Well, the circumstances require swift response.”

OONOKI: “しかし{綱手}姫よ…　…お前はもうええのか？　この機会に若いもんと替わればええものを… お前も歳じゃぜ！”
“shikashi Tsunade-hime yo… omae ha mou ee no ka? kono kikai ni wakai mon to kawareba ee mono wo… omae mo toshi jaze!”

“But Tsunade-hime… Are you all right now? You should’ve taken this chance to put a youngster in your place… You’re old, too!”

TSUNADE: “アンタに言われたかないね　両天秤じじい！！”
“anta ni iwaretakanai ne, Ryoutenbin Jijii!!”

“I won’t be told that by you, Grandpa Have-It-Both-Ways!!”

[T/N - "Ryoutenbin" was given some time ago as Oonoki's epithet; literally, it means "Both Scales" in the sense of being asked to weigh two options and deciding to try to take both.]

TERUMI: “ダンゾウの件はさておき　{綱手}様が火影に戻ってこられて安心しました”
“Danzou no ken ha sateoki, Tsunade-sama ga Hokage ni modottekorarete anshinshimashita.”

“Setting aside the matter of Danzou, I’m relieved that you’ve returned to being Hokage, Tsunade-sama.”

MIFUNE: “あいさつはこの辺{に}して　さっそく会議を始めるでござる”
“aisatsu ha kono hen ni shite, sassoku kaigi wo hajimeru de gozaru.”

“Leaving our greetings with that, let us begin the meeting without delay.”

[PAGE 8]

MIFUNE: “まずは八尾と九尾の人柱力の事…　そして敵の本拠地と戦力などの情報についてだ”
“mazu ha hachibi to kyuubi no jinchuuriki no koto… soshite teki no honkyochi to senryoku nado no jouhou ni tsuite da.”

“First, {we will discuss} the hosts for the Eight-Tails and the Nine-Tails… then we will concern ourselves with intelligence on matters such as the enemy’s headquarters and military strength.”

TSUNADE: “敵の本拠地らしき場所はウチの者が突き止めている　ただ罠かもしれん…もう少し情報を集まるしかない”
“teki no honkyochi rashiki basho ha uchi no mono ga tsukitometeiru. tada wana kamo shiren… mou sukoshi jouhou wo atsumeru shikanai.”

“My men have discovered a place that seems to be the enemy’s headquarters. It may simply be a trap… we’ll need to gather more intelligence.”

E-: “こちらも偵察部隊を編成して情報集めを行っているところだ　各里の情報を迅速に照らし合わせていくほかない”
“kochira mo teisatsu butai wo hensei shite jouhou atsume wo itteiru tokoro da. kakusato no jouhou wo jinsoku ni terashiawaseteiku hokanai.”

“We have formed a reconnaissance team and have them on intelligence gathering as well. We’ll need to compare information promptly.”

TERUMI: “なら情報を統括する部隊を連合で別に組織しましょう”
“nara jouhou wo toukatsu suru butai wo rengou de betsu ni soshiki shimashou.”

“In that case, let’s organize a separate unit for pooling our information as part of the alliance.”

OONOKI: “それがええじゃろ！　で…人柱力共はどこに隠す？”
“sore ga ee jaro! de… jinchuuriki tomo ha doko ni kakusu?”

“That sounds fine! Now… where should we hide the two hosts?”

TSUNADE: “隠すう！？”
“kakusuu!?

“Hide them!?”

E-: “何だ！？”
“nanda!?”

“What!?”

[PAGE 9]

TSUNADE: “ナルトもビーも大きな戦力だぞ！！隠してどうする！？？”
“Naruto mo Bi- mo ookina senryoku dazo!! kakushite dousuru!??”

“Naruto and Bee are both tremendously powerful in battle!! What will hiding them do!??”

OONOKI: “ワシもそう思ったが　今回の戦争はその二人が敵の目的じゃぜ　もしもの事を考えて出陣はさせん… 前の会議でそう取り決めた”
“washi mo sou omotta ga, konkai no sensou ha sono futari ga teki no mokuteki jaze. moshimo no koto wo kangaete shutsujin ha sasen… mae no kaigi de sou torikimeta.”

“I felt the same, but in this war those two are our enemy’s objective. Considering what might happen, we can’t allow them on the front lines… That was agreed at the previous meeting.”

TSUNADE: “敵は　うちはマダラだぞ！　戦力を出し惜しみして　勝利の鍵を失ったらチャンスは二度とない！全ての戦力をぶつけーーー”
“teki ha Uchiha Madara dazo! senryoku wo dashioshimi shite, shouri no kagi wo ushinattara chansu ha nidoto nai! subete no senryoku wo butsuke—”

“The enemy is Uchiha Madara! If we’re unwilling to bring out our military potential and lose the key to victory, there will never be a second chance! Bring all our force to bear—”

GAARA: “今回はその二人を守る戦争　火影一人が勝手言ってもダメだ　多数決で決める”
“konkai ha sono futari wo mamoru sensou. Hokage hitori ga katte ittemo dame da. tazuuketsu de kimeru.”

“This war is to protect those two. Whatever you may decide to say as the Hokage alone, it will not avail you. We decide by majority vote.”

TSUNADE: “この若造が！ナルトはな”
“kono wakazou ga! Naruto ha na”

“Why, you punk! Naruto would–”

GAARA: “あいつの事ならよく知ってる…　　仲間のためなら無茶をしすぎる…　だからこそだ”
“aitsu no koto nara yoku shitteru… nakama no tame nara mucha wo shisugiru… dakara koso da.”

“In his case, I know perfectly well… He would push himself unreasonably, if it’s for the sake of his comrades. That’s exactly the reason.”

[PAGE 10]

TSUNADE: “…”

MIFUNE: “戦力を問題にする前に…　…五影がまとまらなければ　それこそ勝利はないでござろう”
“senryoku wo mondai ni suru mae ni… …Gokage ga matomaranakereba, sore koso shouri ha nai de gozarou.”

“Before we make an issue of military strength… If the Five Kages cannot settle themselves, that itself will prevent a victory.”

SHIKAKU: “私も皆に同感です {綱手様…}”
“watashi mo minna ni doukan desu. Tsunade-sama…”

“I’m in agreement with the others. Tsunade-sama…”

TSUNADE: “チッ…　もういい…”
“chi-… mou ii…”

“Tsch… Fine then…”

OONOKI: “へらず口のナメクジ姫は健在だな…　元気になった証じゃぜ”
“herazuguchi no namekuji-hime ha kenzai da na… genki ni natta akashi jaze.”

“The smart-mouthed Slug Princess is going strong, eh… There’s some proof that you’re in good health.”

E-: “八尾　九尾{の}隠し場所を決める　異論はないな火影”
“hachibi, kyuubi no kakushi basho wo kimeru. iron ha nai na, Hokage.”

“We’ll decide where to hide the Eight-Tails and the Nine-Tails. No objection, right, Hokage?”

TSUNADE: “分かった…　さっさと次へ進めろ！”
“wakatta… sassato tsugi he susumero!”

“I understand… but move it along quickly!”

E-: “フッ…隠し場所は決めてある…　とっておきの場所だ　”暁” のメンバーの出ていない
ここ雲隠れにある場所が妥当だろう”
“fu-… kakushi basho ha kimetearu… totteoki no basho da. ‘akatsuki’ no menba- no deteinai koko kumogakure ni aru basho ga datou darou.”

“Hm… I’ve picked a hiding place… the very best location. I’d say a location here in Kumogakure, which has produced no members of Akatsuki, would be reasonable.”

[PAGE 11 - A picture of a boat on its way]

E-: “ビーと一緒に修行にはげんだある孤島だ”

“Bi- to issho ni shuugyou ni hagenda aru kotou da.”

“It’s a solitary island where Bee and I would work on our training together.”

[We join Naruto and Yamato's conversation on deck.]

YAMATO: “そうかタコがねエ…”
“sou ka. tako ga nee…”

“I see. An octopus, is it…?”

NARUTO: “極秘任務で楽園の孤島に行く事になったから　これは導きなんだってばよ！予言通りだ”
“gokuhi ninmu de rakuen no kotou ni iku koto ni natta kara, kore ha michibiki nanda ttebayo! yogen toori da.”

“And since we got top secret orders to go to this paradise island, this must be to guide me! It’s just like the prophecy said.”

YAMATO: (thinks) “ナルトの奴…　まだ感づいてないようだな”
“Naruto no yatsu… mada kizuitenai you da na.”

“It looks like Naruto still hasn’t noticed.”

CLOUD NINJA: “そろそろ陸に上がる準備をしてください”
“soro soro riku ni agaru junbi wo shite kudasai.”

“It’s almost time to go ashore. Get ready.”

LEAF NINJA: “おお　島が見えてきたぞ”
“oo shima ga mietekita zo”

“Oh! You can see the island now!”

NARUTO: “ホントだア！”
“honto daa!”

“You really can!”

[An island appears behind the clouds]

[PAGE 12 - The island is covered in sharp mountains, littered with the corpses of animals, claw marks, and bones.]

[PAGE 13 - Naruto is rather shocked.]

NARUTO: “ら…　楽園…？”
“ra… rakuen…?”

“Pa… Paradise?”

CLOUD NINJA: “木ノ葉の”死の森”みたいなもんです…　こっちのほうがちょっと過激ですが
なに安全ですよ…　生物達はこちらから何もしなければおとなしいもんですから…　ただ一つ…”
“Konoha no ‘shi no mori’ mitai na mon desu… kocchi no hou ga chotto kageki desu ga. nani anzen desu yo… seibutsu-tachi ha kochira kara nanimo shinakereba otonashii mon desu kara… tada hitotsu…”

“It’s like Konoha’s ‘Forest of Death’… though our version is a bit extreme, you’re safe here… From this point on, the animals are all well behaved if you don’t bother them… Just one…”

YAMATO: ただ一つ何ですか？”
“tada hitotsu nan desu ka?”

“Just one of what?”

NARUTO: これのどこが楽園じゃー！！デカじいちゃん仙人のアホー！！”
“kore no doko ga rakuen ja-!! deka jii chan sennin no aho-!!”

“What about this is a paradise?!! Big Grandpa Sage is a moron!!”

[Tentacles reach up from the sea behind the boat.]

CLOUD NINJA: “ここの海岸に{住む}…”
“koko no kaigan ni sumu…”

“Living along the coast here…”

NARUTO: “！　アー！！タコの足ー！！　　さあタコ！！オレを導いてくれってばよオ～～～～！！”
“! a-!! tako no ashi!! saa tako!! ore wo michibiite kure ttebayo-o~~~~!!”

“Ah! An octopus leg!! C’mon, octopus!! Lead me on my way~~~!!”

YAMATO: “ナルト…こいつは…”
“Naruto… koitsu ha…”

“Naruto… that’s…”

[PAGE 14 - A giant horror from the deep dwarfs the ship.]

SPEAKER UNKNOWN: “イカだアーーーー！！”
“ika da-a~~~~!!”

“It’s a squid!!”

[PAGE 15 - Naruto looks confused, while the Cloud Ninja cowers in fear.]

NARUTO: “え！？”
“e!?”

“Huh!?”

CLOUD NINJA: “でたーア！！！こ…こいつだけには気をつけないといけないって言おうとした矢先に出たー！！”
“deta-a!!! ko… koitsu dake ni ha ki wo tsukenai to ikenai tte iou toshita yasaki ni deta~!!”

“It’s here!!! J-Just when I was about to say the only thing you have to be careful of is that, there it is!!”

YAMATO and LEAF NINJA: “なにーイ！！！”
“nani-i!!!”

“What?!!!”

NARUTO: “1　2　3　4　5　6　…”

YAMATO: “足数えなくても見りゃ分かるでしょ！ナルトやるよ！”
“ashi kazoenakutemo mirya wakaru desho! Naruto yaru yo!”

“You can tell by looking, without counting the legs! Naruto, get to it!”

NARUTO: “でも一応確かめないと…イカなら10本…　タコなら8…”
“demo ichiou tashikamenai to… ika nara juppon… tako nara hachi…”

“But I have to check just in case… If it’s a squid, there’ll be ten legs… if it’s an octopus, eight…”

[The squid grab Naruto]

NARUTO: “うわー！”
“uwa-!”

“Wah!”

YAMATO: “ナルト！！”
“Naruto!!”

[PAGE 16 - Killerbee, transformed into Eight-Tailed Beast form, grabs the squid.]

KILLERBEE: “イカはすっこんでろ　以下省略！！！♪”
“ika ha sukkondero. ika shouryaku!!! ♪”

“Cut out, squid, and I’ll cut this short!!! ♪”

[T/N - The pun here is actually on the word "squid" -- イカ (ika). The phrase literally means: "Leave the area, squid -- what follows is omitted (or "abridged")!!!", where "what follows" is also pronounced "ika" (以下). Basic, run-of-the-mill pun.]

NINJA: “何だアー{!!?}　もう一匹ダジャレ喋りながら出てきたアー！！”
“Nan da-a~!!? mou ippiki dajare shaberi nagara detekita-a~!!”

“What!!? Another one’s here, talking in puns!!”

[PAGE 17]

NINJA “もうむちゃくちゃだアー！！！”
“mou muchakucha da-a~!!!”

“That’s too much!!!”

[Naruto counts from his place in the squid's grip.]

NARUTO: “4　5　6　7　8　…　タコだア！！　今度こそタコだア！！”
“4-5-6-7-8… tako da-a!! kondo koso tako da-a!!”

“4-5-6-7-8… It’s an octopus!! This time, it’s an octopus for sure!!”

YAMATO: “タコ…　なのか？”
“tako… nano ka?”

“This… is an octopus?”

CLOUD NINJA: “キラービー様ア！！”
“Kira-bi- sama-a!!”

“Killerbee-sama!!”

YAMATO: “キラービー？じゃあ…この…”
“Kira-bi-? jaa… kono…”

“Killerbee? Then… this is…”

KILLERBEE: “遅せーじゃねーか　ばかやろー　このやろー！！”
“ose-jane-ka, bakayaro-, kono yaro-!!”

“What took ya so long? Hey, ya fool! Hey, ya tool!!”

[T/N - Literally, "Aren't you late?"]

SPLASH TEXT: 遭遇！八尾{と}の共同生活スタート！！
souguu! hachibi to no kyoudou seikatsu suta-to!!

“They meet! Here starts life together with the Eight-Tails!”

**************************************
EXTENDED NOTES

On the Names of Cloud Ninja:

The pronunciation of the Raikage’s name, “エー” (E-), sounds like the name of the English letter “A”, and the letter “A” is often considered to be his name. It also sounds like a sound one might make to agree with something, a sound to stall for time to think, and a common pronunciation in Kansai dialects of the standard adjective “良い” (ii) — and I don’t consider that list exhaustive. It’s just what I know off the top of my head. Likewise, several other major ninja from Kumogakure have names whose sounds resemble English letters: Jei => J, Shi- => C, and the Raikage’s brother (the Eight-Tails’ Jinchuuriki) is often called “Bi-”, which resembles the letter “B”. The interesting thing about all of these names is that these names aren’t strictly letters. Each pronunciation chosen could also represent a reasonably common Japanese word, consistent with the established naming schemes throughout the manga.

“Bi-”, as we know, could also be “Bee” — short for “Killerbee”. Animal names are one of the very common sources of character names in the manga: “Itachi” is a weasel, “Iruka” is a dolphin, “Sasori” is a scorpion… the list goes on. Similarly, “Jei” could be the word “Jay”, as in a bird, as well as the letter “J”. “Shi-”, like Sakura, could be a tree. “Shii” is the Japanese word for a beech tree. E-, as mentioned above, could be several things, including a Kansai pronunciation of the adjective “good”, which would fit nicely with several other Kumogakure ninja who have been named after adjectives: Samui – cold with respect to weather, Darui – sluggish, Omoi – heavy, Karui – light.

I strongly suspect that these characters are not supposed to be named after English letters. It’s more consistent with established naming schemes on the whole for “Shi-” to mean “beech” and “Jei” to mean “Jay”, as well as for “E-” to fall into the strong pattern of adjective-names seen in this village as the Kansai pronunciation for the adjective “good”. That said, I don’t think the letter pattern is accidental, either.

It’s a given that Kishimoto-sensei tends to pick matching names for groups. The most famous examples are the Sound genin – Kinuta, Abumi, and Tsuchi – who are named after bones in the ear, and the Sannin – Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru – whose names are from a Japanese story. But in Hidden Rain, the genin Jiraiya questions are named Yuudachi and Ryuusui – Sudden Shower and Running Water. Hinata means “in the sun”, while Hiashi refers to the position of the sun and Hizashi to rays of sunlight. Teuchi, the name of the owner of Ichiraku, means “making noodles by hand”. The majority of them aren’t names that would be normal in real life, but naming characters after themed terms is fairly prevalent. Ranma did it, Magic Knights Rayearth did it, and so did Dragonball (which has been a noted influence on Kishimoto-sensei).

However, Cloud is the only village we see with names that could be English letters, which means it’s probably on purpose. Of 26 letters in the English alphabet, 7 (D,F,N,R,V,W,X) don’t have common homonyms among Japanese words. 3 (H,M,S) have innuendos that would negate them as possible character names. I’m on the fence about P – it could represent the vegetable “Pea”.

That leaves 15 letters with identifiable homonyms, eleven of which have not been used in other character names: E (ii – “good”), G (jii – “old man”), I (ai – “love” or “indigo”), K (kei – “punishment”, “group”, among others), L (eru – “to hunt” or “to carve”), O (oo – “large”), Q (kyuu – 9 or “emergency”), T (one pronunciation, chii, could mean “natural disaster” or “lichen”), U (yuu has a large number of homonyms, and is also a real name), Y (it’s a stretch, but “wai” is an exclamation as well as a pronoun), and Z (zetto, which is close to a word for an isolated island).

If I wanted to narrow this down further to ones that are likely rather than possible, I’d eliminate E, G (both too common in conversation), L (I’ve only seen one name that might be a verb), O (again, too common), Y, and Z (all matches for zetto actually have a long o sound on the end – zettou – so it’s a stretch as well).

Including the ninja in Cloud, that leaves nine likely names (maybe 10 if you add P/Pea) that are homonyms for letters: A,B,C,I,J,K,Q,T,U. That four out of nine show up in one village and none anywhere else is interesting to say the least, especially when three of the ones used are at the beginning of the alphabet.

Given that Kishimoto-sensei has a tendency to use naming schemes, I can see three options:

1) He named them after animals/trees/adjectives, and the ones he picked matched English letters by accident — but only here, and not anywhere else in a story with lots of characters and lots of places.

2) He named them after letters, and all the letters he picked had easily identifiable homonyms, even though there’s at least a 43% chance that any random letter would not have a homonym.

3) He specifically named them after letter/homonym pairs in order to make a pun that may make sense to a native speaker but definitely doesn’t translate.

Without some kind of official statement from the author, which I don’t have on hand, the question of whether those names are primarily intended to represent words or letters is not something I can speak on decisively. From a simple standpoint of looking things up in a dictionary, they’re essentially both. My preference is to think that they’re a pun, using names that are “words that sound like letters” (as opposed to using names that are “letters that sound like words” – I know I’m splitting hairs! Please forgive me!)