Picture Perfect Amanene Coloring (^o^)

Spy x Family volume 15 omake chapter translation

Volume 15 of SxF was just released in the Japan, and along with the new illustrations I posted about the other day, a 2-page bonus/omake chapter was also included, featuring Henry and Martha. I created translations of the pages, and big shoutout to @rafaron1223 for using his superior editing skills to put my translations into the pages 😃

Also, for those who haven't seen, Martha is on the cover of volume 15.

I like how the inner cover of young Martha for this volume matches the inner cover of volume 14 (young Henry).

Japanese Linguistic Observations in Spy x Family - part 5

Part 5 - Translating humor and wordplay

Translating jokes from one language to another can be difficult, especially when the humor revolves around wordplay that's only apparent in the original language. Luckily for a comedy series like SxF, most of the humor relies on concepts that are universal to all languages, but there are the occasional jokes that require creative translation in order to get the same effect in English. What I think is the most well-known example of this kind of joke in SxF is from chapter 26, where Yuri tells Anya that "knowledge is power" during their tutoring session.

The Japanese phrase for this is 知は力 ("chi wa chikara"). Anya mishears this as ちわわぢから ("chiwawa jikara"), which means "chihuahua power," which is why we see the image of a muscular chihuahua in her thoughts. This results in Yuri calling her チワワ娘 ("chihuahua girl") from then on. Obviously this joke would be lost if translated directly, so Casey Loe, the official English translator for the SxF manga, got creative with making it work in English. He cleverly utilizes the English expression, "the whole enchilada," which sounds enough like "swole chihuahua" for Anya to believably mistake the two. This translation also makes it so that Yuri calling Anya "chihuahua girl" later on makes sense.

But unfortunately, because a series can have different companies working on the localization of its anime versus its manga, inconsistencies between the two often come up. In this case, the anime team translated this joke completely differently, and less effectively in my opinion. You can see from the below screenshots that they had Yuri use the word "unleash," which then led to Anya associating a (muscular) dog without a leash as powerful (?) Again, this translation was a stretch in my opinion and not as good as the manga version. This also makes it so that translating Yuri's nickname for Anya as "chihuahua girl" won't make sense.

But what's interesting is that, many months and episodes later in season 2, they stayed consistent with that translation and had Yuri call Anya "stupid leash girl" in episode 28.

Despite my dislike for this translation, I have to give them kudos for remembering it all that time later and not just directly translating it as "chihuahua girl." Though it makes me wonder if they'll stay consistent in season 3 where Yuri will be referring to Anya as "chihuahua girl" once again.

A further complication is that, not only do these kinds of inconsistencies exist between the anime and manga translations, but they also exist between the different streaming services that stream SxF with English subtitles throughout the world. I only have access to the subtitled version from Hulu, which is where my screenshots are from, and I think other streaming services in the US like Crunchyroll, Amazon, Netflix, etc, use the exact same subtitles. So when I refer to "the Hulu subtitles" throughout this post, I mean other major US streaming services too. However, I'm not totally sure if they all do share the same subtitle script, so if anyone who has these services could confirm, that would be great! However, @tare-anime informed me that Muse Asia's English subtitles for SxF are completely different! For example, they translated the above joke more closely to the original, by using the phrase "puppy power" and keeping Yuri's nickname for Anya as "chihuahua girl."

There are further differences with Muse Asia's translation as well, for example, they directly translate Anya's names for Loid and Yor, "chichi" and "haha," as "Father" and "Mother" instead of "Papa" and "Mama."

(thanks again to Tare for the Muse Asia screenshots!) This is different, not only compared to the Hulu subtitles, but also the official English manga as well, both of which have Anya consistently use "Papa" and "Mama."

Tare also let me know that Disney Plus in Asia, another service that streams SxF, has yet another version of the English subtitles! And these are only the subtitled versions for the US and Asia - if SxF is streamed with English subtitles in other countries, I wonder if those are different as well. That means there's at least 3-4 different English subtitle scripts for SxF, with different ways of translating certain things, like what I described above. This could make things confusing for someone without any knowledge of Japanese who reads the English version of the manga and watches the subtitled version of the anime on one or more streaming services...if they read the first few volumes of the manga with the "swole chihuahua" translation, then watch season 2 of the anime, they're gonna be confused about why Yuri calls Anya "stupid leash girl." There's other more minor inconsistencies too, like how the Hulu subtitles have Yor call Anya "Miss Anya" all the time, but the manga doesn't.

I'm sure there's some licensing reasons why there isn't one official English subtitle script that all the streaming services can use, and why they don't consult the manga translations, especially for the more difficult-to-translate parts. It seems like wasted effort for so many official English translations to exist for the same thing.

But anyway, back to the translations of jokes in SxF, another one that stood out to me occurred in chapter 23. During the scene where Loid is asking Anya about a name for Bond, he explains how dogs have trouble discerning the sounds of consonants. The phrase he uses for this is 子音の聞き分け("shiin no kiki wake"), which means "distinguishing consonants," with "shiin" meaning "consonant." However, there's another word "shiin" with the kanji 死因 that means "cause of death." This is what Yor thinks he means - 死因の聞き分け ("shiin no kiki wake"), which means "determining the cause of death." So in her thoughts, she imagines asking Bond if he prefers death by blood loss (失血死) or by being crushed (圧死), and when he shakes his head at both, she says "you're not good at these distinctions, are you?"

This is a difficult joke to translate, so Casey got a bit loose by having Loid use the word "plosives" instead of "consonants," and then having Yor mishear it as "explosives." He then changed up Yor's dialogue by having her say that Bond prefers C-4 explosions over other methods of death.

While I don't think the translation of this joke worked as well as the previous one (I feel like Yor wouldn't know about C-4 explosions?) I couldn't come up with anything better myself, lol. It just goes to show how translating things as closely to the original as possible isn't always the best choice…but oddly, that's what the Hulu subtitles did! For some reason they opted not to even attempt to rework this joke for English, and kept both Loid and Yor's dialogue as exact translations. This results in an exchange that makes no sense and will leave people wondering how Yor could mistake Loid's "can't tell consonants apart" as "can't tell causes of death apart."

However, there are some cases where the wordplay works similar enough in both Japanese and English that the joke can be translated without too much modification. An example of this is in chapter 59 where Becky asks Yor how she was able to "get" Loid…"pierce his heart" as she puts it. Yor thinks she means this literally, to which she replies that she wouldn't hurt Loid.

The Japanese version is very similar, with Becky using the verb 射止める("itomeru") which means "to shoot down" (with an arrow). However, it has a figurative meaning too, which is "to win" as in "win someone's heart." Yor thinks Becky means the literal meaning of shooting down, so she says that she wouldn't shoot Loid and that she doesn't even use a bow and arrows.

The Hulu subtitles translate it more or less directly, having Becky say "shoot an arrow through his heart" and keeping Yor's "I don't use a bow and arrows" that the manga omitted. Rare case where I think the anime translation worked better than the manga!

In the case of this joke, the concept of "shooting someone's heart" to mean "winning someone's heart" is universal in both English and Japanese, so little reworking was needed. This also helped keep consistency with Yor's tendency to associate otherwise benign concepts with violence due to the nature of her work.

I'll wrap up this post with what I think is the most commendable translation of a joke so far in the manga: how Casey translated the names of the guest characters at the ski resort in chapter 94.

Their names are puns in Japanese as well, and Annie over on Twitter already did a great breakdown of how each of the wordplay in their names was translated, so definitely check out that thread here. Since this chapter has yet to be animated, I'm really curious how the anime translators will handle this…since it seems like they don't reference the manga, they'll probably either translate the names literally or come up with their own pun names, and either will unfortunately lead to the same kind of inconsistencies between the anime and manga translations that I touched on earlier.

To summarize, humor can be a very culture/language specific thing, so it's up to the translator to make sure the same feeling is conveyed in their translation even if they have to essentially make up their own jokes. With that said, it's a shame that there isn't collaboration between the translators of the anime and manga to ensure consistent translations across the franchise. So I hope this post helped shed light, not just on how some of the jokes in SxF were conveyed in Japanese, but also on why some things in the English version of SxF seem inconsistent between the anime and manga.

<- Return to Part 4

Going insane because my first thought at their similarities is that they could have gotten along in a different context, but without that context (Teru being an exorcist and Hanako being dead) they wouldn't even be similar.

Well, seems like something that was just a theory before has come very close to truth...

Because of this major revelation, I wanted to take a deep dive into what we know about Donovan so far and how hints throughout past chapters could indeed indicate that he can read minds. While we still don't have concrete proof for this other than Melinda's word, I don't believe there's anything that discredits this idea, either. In fact, many things throughout the series support it.

First we have Loid's encounter with Donovan way back in chapter 38. I always found it strange that we never got insight into Donovan's thoughts throughout that whole exchange. We always get to know what characters are thinking, even without Anya's mind-reading support. It's not an uncommon storytelling mechanic in general after all, especially for manga. Yet, Endo chose not to give us any insight into what Donovan was thinking. I figured this was simply to avoid spoiling anything about what his exact plans and motives are for future stories (also why Anya was absent for this). But now it seems like this could have also been to hide the fact that he can read minds. If he can read minds, certain things he said during that exchange take on a more ominous meaning. For example, what he said below about how people can never truly understand each other.

It's been a headcanon of mine that the reason why Anya, and perhaps Donovan, were given mind-reading powers, stemmed from the desire for world peace...the idea being that if people could read each other's minds - in other words, always know what others are thinking and feeling, sympathy and understanding would abound.

We learn later on that Donovan had ideas like this even as a kid when he made a similar comment during his debate competition speech. He said that it's impossible to know the true intentions of others so people will forever doubt each other, thus war is inevitable.

We also have the little detail in today's chapter that Donovan did not have the scars on his head during Melinda's flashback (of course, he didn't have them as a kid in chapter 99 either).

Now this is totally my theory, but if we take Melinda's words as the truth, without any misunderstanding, then sometime in Donovan's adult life after he married and had a child, he was experimented on and was given mind-reading powers, perhaps by force but most likely by choice. Now that he has these powers, his laments about people not being able to understand each other are no longer true, at least not for him. Perhaps the experiments done on Anya were preliminary tests that he put together to perfect the mind-reading implementation science before actually doing it to himself. Again, totally just speculation, but not out of the question.

Then we have Demetrius...we learned in chapter 93 that Anya has trouble reading his mind.

If we put that together with Melinda's comment in today's new chapter, that Demetris also took note of Donovan being able to read minds...

...then perhaps Demetrius conditioned himself to think in ways that would make it difficult for his mind to be read, specifically to thwart the "alien" that's impersonating his father. I mentioned last time that I don't think Donovan is actually an alien, and that this description is the only explanation Melinda could come up with to explain his mind-reading powers. If this is true though, it really does make the Desmond dinner scene all the more telling...that throughout all those panels without dialogue, Donovan was absorbing the deepest inner thoughts of his family members (and again, no insight into his own thoughts, just like in chapter 38).

But if the "Donovan can read minds" theory holds true, then the most disturbing idea of all is that Donovan knows that Twilight is a spy. He knows that he's the target of Twilight's mission, and that Twilight seeks to thwart him. Not only that, but depending on what he's read of Damian and Melinda's minds, he knows that they're fond of Anya and Yor, respectively - people who are close to Twilight. Mind-reading powers in the hands of a child are one thing, but in the hands of a shrewd and power political figure...I'm both excited and anxious to find out what Donovan's next move will be!

so, i was watching a good girl's guide to murder and i got some comments to make. i have wanted to read the books for some time, but haven't been able to... so i was excited for this show honestly

it is good, i liked it really but it was frustrating at times.

for example when she goes inside the bell's house 1- without gloves 2- goes around the house and room without being cautious of the windows (literally made eye contact with the fucking neighbour) 3- when you search for something in a plush, you can feel it's insides to know if it is there or not so you decide if it is really the better choicr to open it !!! but also if it's something she was opening all the time then is better to search were is opened (there will be a place come on!) instead of stabbing it without any care.

it got to my nerves that most of the time she assumed andie was dead, when there was never a body and especially after learning she was related to a dealer! but when it got to me the most was in the hotel.

yeah, when the receptionist say's that he saw andie some weeks ago it's obvious he isn't taking it seriously, but she shouldn't just erase the possibility, i would have at least grabbed 1 more of those this with the guests names that had data from after the disappearance and searched if the names were again or maybe even the same phone number!

also when they are in the hotel and try to make a distraction for the receptionist but it doesn't look like she makes sure if there are cameras or not... such an amateur.

i'm sure i had more things here, but i can't remember right now...

about the resolution of the case i have to say i was expecting elliot to be involved, but not like that... when the girl wasn't andie i was truly shocked. and i was happy my theory of sal being murdered was right, since they never discussed the idea in the episodes before i thought the story wouldn't go that way.

tho when she starts getting everything down i was like ??? yeah, he killed sal, but that doesn't answer everything! but i'm happy she took the initiative again and solved it. even if some important parts were only because of luck.

but well, i did like it, not the best mystery but it's a good watch.

thoughts on beast!dazai

i have been thinking again recently about beast!dazai and that he was just a kid when he got to see the memories of the og!dazai, so it makes sense that he became so obsessed with saving oda.

just think about it, he was younger than 16, feeling lonely and he has these "vision" of someone that understands him and is by his side, someone he has a connection to and that genuinely enjoys his company and he too does enjoy being around oda (the only adult we have seen treat him like the kid he is)

oda is the closest person he has to a friend and all of it is an illusion of a future that isn't his to live and he knows the ending. oda dies and changes his life (the life of the og!zai) and there is no way to thank him, to show how important oda truly is to og!zai and him.

thanks to oda's words he knows he can find something akin to happiness, find something to appreciate and make life, even if it's just a little, worth

his only way of showing gratitud is trying to manipulate his reality to a universe where oda can live his life by his own principles, pursue his dream and find some kind of value in what he does and his life.

this decision is so full of love for his friend and that makes it so sad, because he abandons entirely the possibility of happiness to give him a life to live.

and the only thing he has to treasure are memories that aren't his. oda isn't his friend in the beast au and he makes it clear that he considers dazai his enemy

as much as he yearns for his frienship with oda, it isn't his, he will never be the other dazai. and that was his choice, because he was just a kid that wanted to do something good for someone that was important for him and abandoned a part of himself as the price.

I've been thinking a lot about Hakubo lately because of the season's annoncement and the importance of flowers for him.

His youngest appearance is him watering lotuses showned by the only thing he could have called his family

Flowers crowns have always been associated with Sumire in his life.

They are also always showed next to the Kannagi statuettes. He even brings flowers to Sumire's when he is not able to hold them for too long.

It's the first things he offers to Aoi, having the whole boat filled with them, to calm her after bringing her into an unknown place. Knowing that Sumire used to love them a lot and not understanding why she doesn't seem pleased with this offering.

Hakubo also spared the children who were weaving flowers baskets, creating the school rumor and tradition because of it.

He is the mystery confirmed to have been assigned by Sakura who is clearly associated to flowers (hence the Cherry tree in this chapter guiding Sumire to make them reunite)

Flowers are a leitmotiv throughout Hakubo's whole arc especially compared to any other mysteries which don't have any flowers in their boundaries, his being the only one with so many in it. (Yako's doesn't have flowers when it's under her command)

I just think it's so sad that he can't be in contact with something that has been present his whole life and reminds him of the only person important to him.

"I like it. The look on people's faces when they decide to stop holding back"

In case you don't remember that iconic line from Tsukasa, allow me to make sure you never forget it.

The way that both Tsukasa and Amane love people and each other is such a beautiful and intriguing concept and I need to yap about it: Tsukasa loves people no matter what, no ifs or buts; he embraces the ugliness within them and cherishes it like it’s something precious. What he hates about Amane is also what he loves because he wouldn’t be Amane without all his flaws (honestly, that's surprisingly mature coming from Tsukasa)

Tsukasa is basically saying that he likes seeing people at their worst, and he likes knowing that someone would feel comfortable enough to be that vulnerable around him. He personally saw Amane at his rock bottom, overcome by rage and insanity, but he still loves his big brother more than anyone else in the whole world. It is such a sincere and powerful kind of love which you can only give to a few people in your life and it would break you if it went away.

Understanding this makes you see how alike the twins really are, because Hanako does the same. Hanako is a lot more careful when it comes to love; he has been hurt and lost people in the past and doesn't want to experience that kind of anguish ever again, so he tries to keep it under control. We saw how he tried (and failed) to keep his distance with Nene only to end up caring about her even more than he previously did. The nail in the coffin for him was when he tried to move on to the afterlife and take her best friend with him, only for her to find a way to reach him and stop his plan completely. Oh, furious and confused didn't even begin to cover how he was feeling then, but this was the face he was making as he told Nene that she was childish and too idealistic for her own good

He embraces and looks at her like all her flaws are something precious he needs to protect. Barely 30 minutes before this, he told Aoi that he loved everything about Nene, and now here he is, seeing her at her worst; desperate, naïve, stubborn and reckless, but he couldn't be more smitten if he tried. He knows her better than anyone, better than he knows himself and his own feelings; what a vulnerable thing it is to be perceived, to be seen and loved for who you are.

Circling back to the twins, here's another thing I've noticed. Hanako, throughout the story, gradually got more comfortable around Tsukasa (mainly because the initial shock of learning that his brother was close to him this whole time wore off but there's more to it). Encounters with him didn't leave him in a near catatonic state anymore, they even fight together in perfect sync whenever they need to team up; a very low bar, I admit, but it's a start. Hanako's relationship with Nene actually greatly improved his relationship with Tsukasa, in the sense that he could understand where his brother was coming from better. Obviously, Hanako's relationship with Nene is different from the one he has with his brother; what I meant was that Hanako was able to feel what it was like to love someone so intensely again which brought him closer to his brother for better or worse. He loves Tsukasa so much, but recently, he was forced to confront the source of tension between them that drove him to murder, making their relationship do a full 180 and end up right back where they started. Can't wait to see more of how their relationship will progress after this hellish arc is over. And on that note, I'll see you all on the 18th, toodles

akutagawa giving rashoumon to atsushi to fight with but its animated like a magical girl transformation