Let’s read between the lines (animation)!

Let’s read between the lines of an animation character!
～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆
This is a new column for animation lovers.
Let’s read between the lines of an animation character!

Animation title: My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ[Tonarino Totoro] in Japanese)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Animation character(for today’s lines): Mei Kusakabe, Satsuki Kusakabe, Mr.Kusakabe(father)

Today’s lines: (today’s lines are a bit long but let’s try it!)

メイ: ほんとだもん！　本当にトトロいたんだもん！　ウソじゃないもん！
Mei: Honto-damon! Hontoni, Totoro, itandamon! Uso-janaimon!
[parallel translation]
Mei: (that’s) True! Totoro was really (there)! (It is) not a lie!

お父さん: うん。お父さんもサツキも、メイがウソつきだなんて思っていないよ。
Otosan: Un. Otosanmo Satsukimo, Meiga Usotsuki da nante omottenaiyo.
Father: Yes. Satsuki and I don’t think Mei is a liar.

お父さん: メイはきっと、この森の主に会ったんだ。
Otosan: Meiwa kitto, kono morino-nushi ni atttanda.
Father: Mei met the forest spirit for sure.

メイ: あっ！穴、なくなっちゃった…
Mei: A! Ana, nakunacchatta..
Mei: Ah! A hole is gone..

サツキ: また会える？　私も会いたい。
Satsuki: Mata aeru? Watashimo aitai.
Satsuki: Can (we) see (Totoro)? I want to meet (Totoro),too.

お父さん: 昔は、木と人は仲よしだったんだよ。
Otosan: Mukashiwa, kito hitowa nakayoshi-dattandayo.
Father: In the old days the woods/trees and humans are good friends.

implication:
Mei tells her father and her sister Satsuki that it is true that she saw Totoro on the wood/tree. Mei is a four-year-old, adorable girl and Satsuki’s younger sister. Mei could see Totoro on the wood but when she took her father and Satsuki there, they couldn’t see Totoro anymore. Mr. Kusakabe, Mei’s father tells her that she met the forest spirit. Satsuki says,”I want to meet Totoro, too.”
Why did Totoro disappear? Why couldn’t they see Totoro? What would it imply?
Their father mentions the relationship between the forest and humans.
What do you think about the relationship now compared to the past?
I guess the scene implies that now it is harder to see the forest spirit compared to the past when the nature and human beings are in a good relationship.

#Today’s lines have many casual forms and baby talks.
I will introduce some of them and translate them into standard forms next time.
#()means that the word, mostly the subject is omitted in Japanese.
#If you have any request, please feel free to ask me.
Thank you for your reading!

Let’s read between the lines (animation)!

Let’s read between the lines of an animation character!
～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆
This is a new column for animation lovers.
Let’s read between the lines of an animation character!

Animation title: Princess Mononoke (Japanese: もののけ姫[Mononoke-hime])
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Written by Hayao Miyazaki
Animation character: Ashitaka (アシタカ)

Today’s lines:
生きろ。 — [ikilo]
そなたは美しい。 –[sonatawa utsukushii]

Ashitaka says this lines to Mononoke-hime.

meaning:
生きろ — Live! or Be alive!
そなたは [sonatawa]* — you
美しい [utsukushii] — beautiful

implication:
生きる [ikiru] is a verb of “live”.

Imperative form of 生きる [ikiru] is normally 生きなさい [ikinasai], but here Ashitaka says the word to Mononoke-hime strongly. It sounds like not just an imperative form in this case. Rather, Ashitaka pours his soul into his words, encouraging Mononoke-hime to live longer.

He adds, “you are beautiful.”
Is it only because Mononoke-hime looks beautiful?
Mononoke-hime was raised by the wolves which hate humankind deeply and lives with the Forest Spirit in the forest. He implies that Mononoke-hime has something beautiful in her mind/spirit he admits or accepts.

What do you think about this lines?

*) “Sonata” is an old word of “anata”. “Sonata” is mostly used in historical fictions/novels.
It sounds loftier or politer but now we don’t use it in normal conversations. Instead, we use “anata”.

#If you have any request, please feel free to ask me here.
Thank you for your reading!