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!

Welcome to the room of interesting trivia! vol.3

@@@@@ようこそトリビアの部屋へ@@@@@
Welcome to the room of interesting trivia!

Today’s theme is “Emoji” – 絵文字.

Do you think a symbol on a map called “Chizu Kigou” (地図記号) is common in the world?
The answer is no. It’s because there are unique/particular places in different circumstances. In Japan, Geospatial Information Authority of Japan(国土地理院 – Kokudochiriin) decides Chizu Kigou (a symbol on a map). They occasionally advertise for ideas in public. In particular, the symbol of Japanese “Onsen” (温泉) is a unique and popular symbol in the world. Japanese onsen is hot spring, mostly natural hot spring in Japan. We have many Onsen(natural hot spring).

How about “Emoji” (絵文字)?

Do you know Emoji is originated in Japan?
E (絵) means picture and moji (文字) means character. So, Emoji means a character made by a picture. Japan has had Emoji culture since old times. For instance, it is said in 江戸時代(Edo jidai)- Edo period(1603-1868) Emoji has been already used in engravings.

Now, Emoji has spread in the world by various kinds of technology, such as mobile phones. In Japanese Keitai denwa (携帯 電話 – mobile phone), we have had already adopted various kinds of Emoji as a character in the early stage and Japanese people have used it among Japanese mobile phones. At the beginning, it was limited by the model of the mobile phones.

Long afterwards, Google was very impressed by the Emoji culture and adopted Japanese Emoji to Unicode 6.0 as a common character in the world. In fact Emoji is recognized as a Japanese culture.

Now, you can find various interesting or cute emoji here and there. Today I show you some examples of Japanese Chizu Kigou including Onsen. At least, the symbol of Onsen is adopted in mobile phones! – to be continued next time..

Onsen

Jinjya (shrine)

Otera (temple)

Byouin (hospital)

Keisatsusho (police office)

Koujou (factory)