I got a response to a chapter that brought up my use of Japanese phrases in the story. Speaking and understanding fair Japanese myself, I often forget that not everybody is familiar with the language. So, here's a list of commonly-used phrases in the story.
Most of the Japanese phrases used in the story are used to show formality of a character's speech, or to denote a particularly phrase, meaning, or sentiment that I feel is more Japanese than it is Western. There's not really a Japanese phrase or word that's used that's particularly necessary to know; where it is necessary to know what's being said, I've tried to translate it for the reader within the text around it.
Japanese - English meaning
Persons, Titles and Honorifics
senpai - senior, as in upperclassman; used for male and female; can be used alone or as an honorific attached to a name
kouhai - junior, as in underclassman; used for male and female; can be used alone or as an honorific attached to a name
sensei - teacher; can be used alone or as an honorific attached to a name
onii-chan/nii-chan - one's older brother when addressing said brother (o is added for more formality)
one-chan/ne-chan - one's older sister when addressing said sister (o is added for more formality)
ani - one's older brother when speaking with someone outside the family
ane - one's older sister when speaking with someone outside the family
kare - man; colloquially, boyfriend
kanojo - woman; colloquially, girlfriend
musuko - son
musume - daughter
otou-san/otou-chan/tou-san/tou-chan - father
okaa-san/okaa-chan/kaa-san/kaa-chan - mother
-san - formal honorific, usually reserved for someone worthy of respect
-kun - familiar honorific, used traditionally for young boys; Rise uses this for almost all men of her age bracket, due to her youthful personality
-chan - familiar honorific, used mostly for girls; also used between family members, and intimates for women and men
-tan - a babyish form of the familiar honorific "-chan"
-sama - very formal honorific, usually reserved for someone worthy of respect (specifically, more respect than the -san honorific)
Phrases
(domo) arigatou (gozaimasu) - thank you (very much)
domo arigatou gozaimashite - thank you very much (for something, such as a gift or action); also used with same meaning, but more respectful, as to an elder
konnichiwa - a greeting; hello during any time of day
konbanwa - good evening, or hello during evening hours
ohayo (gozaimasu) - good morning (formal), or hello during morning hours
sayounara - goodbye
oyasumi (nasai) - good night (formal)
suimasen/sumimasen - pardon me, excuse me, I'm sorry
gomen (nasai) - I'm sorry (more formal or polite)
daijoubu - it's all right, it's okay, don't worry about it; also, are you okay?
ja mata ne - see you later; some shortened variations (ja, ja mata, mata ne) are more colloquial
ie he youkoso - welcome to my/our house/home
irasshaimase/irasshai - welcome (as in, to my store); also, welcome back
tadaima - I'm home
okaeri (nasai) - welcome home (more formal or polite)
douzo yoroshiku - nice to meet you, somewhat formal
ojamashimasu - sorry for intruding; usually said when entering someone else's house, to be polite, regardless whether you mean it or not
Objects
rakuen - paradise
ryokan - hotel, inn; the Amagi Inn is a traditional ryokan
ohashi - chopsticks
gyudon/gyuudon - beef bowl, a common rice-and-beef dish; Aiya's specialty and one of Chie's favorites
obento/bento - a boxed lunch, sometimes quite elaborate (like from the Amagi Inn restaurant)
kotatsu - a table equipped with a heating element underneath; very comfy for cuddling in the colder months! :)
futon - a sleeping pad used as a bed
jinja - shrine
genkan - a usually-cement porch used for changing into and out of one's shoes prior to entering a house, school building, shrine
agari kamachi - a usually-cement step used for changing into and out of one's shoes prior to entering a house or apartment; smaller than a traditional genkan
ougi - a folding fan; Yukiko's weapon of choice
kunai - fighting knives; Yousuke's weapon of choice
kakebuton - a blanket for use with futon or kotatsu
ichigo - strawberry
koto - a wooden string instrument
korokke - croquette; Souzai's specialty is beef croquettes
kimono - a formal Japanese dress; worn by both men and women
yukata - a lightweight, one-piece Japanese dress, less formal than kimono; worn by both men and women
Pet names (NOTE: Nicknames or pet names - like "honey" or "sweetie" and the like - are not common in Japan, but for plot's sake, my protagonists do have pet names for each other)
hime - princess; Yousuke calls Chie this with frequency, though only in private
koinu - puppy (kanari no koinu specifically means "pretty puppy"); Chie calls Yousuke this on occasion, usually to be cute
kimi - affectionate variant of "you"
anta/anata - affectionate variant of "you"; used by a wife to a husband; old-fashioned (Note that using "ăăȘă／Anata" when addressing strangers/acquaintances can be considered rude, especially if addressing someone of equal or higher social status, and is generally not done...though older people will lapse into this.)
Miscellaneous
kuma - kuma in its literal translation means "bear" in Japanese; Kuma the character uses this word as a closing in most phrases, though for no real good reason
gaeru - frog ("kero" is Japanese onomatopeia for the sound a frog makes)
arashi - storm (Yousuke's name for his bicycle)
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If you've got a question about the story, drop me a review or an email! Hope you keep reading! There's lots more fun stuff to come!
19 September 2009
08 September 2009
Q: Why are there still Shadows, if this takes place after the True Ending? [POSSIBLE GAME SPOILERS]
Question:
Reviewer Lady Cheshire asked why the TV World is still filled with Shadows, if the story takes place after the game's True Ending.
Answer:
My short answer to Lady Cheshire was that "the peace of a human heart does not last forever, and it was of no small significance that Shadows were found in Yukiko's Castle." A somewhat cryptic version of the answer also comes out in Chapter 29 (posted 9 September 2009), but the TV World (Mayonaka) will be featured in more detail in the fourth arc of the story, and more questions will be answered at that time.
[GAME SPOILERS] - rollover to read
When the team defeats Izanami at the end of the game, they learn that the TV World is basically a reflection of human hearts. When humans hide the truth of themselves, their hidden selves become Shadows; and when they reject themselves, their Shadows become restless.
Since no person can remain completely at peace with him or herself, those Shadows have slowly come back into existence. Kuma mentions in Chapter 29 that there have always been Shadows and that there will always be Shadows...but as long as a person is willing to accept their true selves, the Shadows will remain relatively peaceful.
[END GAME SPOILERS]
A Shadow remains a part of a person even after he or she faces the true self. Chie is learning that as she becomes more of a well-rounded adult, and her Shadow will definitely continue to play a part in the evolution of her character.
Reviewer Lady Cheshire asked why the TV World is still filled with Shadows, if the story takes place after the game's True Ending.
Answer:
My short answer to Lady Cheshire was that "the peace of a human heart does not last forever, and it was of no small significance that Shadows were found in Yukiko's Castle." A somewhat cryptic version of the answer also comes out in Chapter 29 (posted 9 September 2009), but the TV World (Mayonaka) will be featured in more detail in the fourth arc of the story, and more questions will be answered at that time.
[GAME SPOILERS] - rollover to read
When the team defeats Izanami at the end of the game, they learn that the TV World is basically a reflection of human hearts. When humans hide the truth of themselves, their hidden selves become Shadows; and when they reject themselves, their Shadows become restless.
Since no person can remain completely at peace with him or herself, those Shadows have slowly come back into existence. Kuma mentions in Chapter 29 that there have always been Shadows and that there will always be Shadows...but as long as a person is willing to accept their true selves, the Shadows will remain relatively peaceful.
[END GAME SPOILERS]
A Shadow remains a part of a person even after he or she faces the true self. Chie is learning that as she becomes more of a well-rounded adult, and her Shadow will definitely continue to play a part in the evolution of her character.
03 September 2009
Q: Why "Kuma" and not "Teddie"?
Question:
Reviewer zero-damage asked why I used the name Kuma and not Teddie, which is the name that Kuma was given in the North American version/translation of the game.
Answer:
While I did play the North American version of the game (because my Japanese is just not that good yet - those kids talk fast!), I prefer the Japanese version. Perhaps because I'm a snob when it comes to my own culture...but also because I enjoyed the Japanese portrayal of Kuma/Teddie quite a bit.
In writing the story from a Japanese woman's (Chie's) perspective, I thought that it would add a little more diversity to my story if I used more Japanese-centric language and references. As much as I liked Teddie in the North American version (and I very much did), there was something much more childlike and charming about the Japanese version's Kuma.
Kuma the character in the game is very innocent, even (or especially) in speech patterns, which can admittedly be a little cloying after a while. Plus, I just liked referring to the character in such a straightforward way with the name "Bear" ("kuma" meaning "bear" in Japanese).
Other than that, there's no real significance for me using "Kuma" over "Teddie." The Teddie naming convention is actually a very clever way in the game of making the translation effective. He does look a lot like a big teddy bear, after all.
Reviewer zero-damage asked why I used the name Kuma and not Teddie, which is the name that Kuma was given in the North American version/translation of the game.
Answer:
While I did play the North American version of the game (because my Japanese is just not that good yet - those kids talk fast!), I prefer the Japanese version. Perhaps because I'm a snob when it comes to my own culture...but also because I enjoyed the Japanese portrayal of Kuma/Teddie quite a bit.
In writing the story from a Japanese woman's (Chie's) perspective, I thought that it would add a little more diversity to my story if I used more Japanese-centric language and references. As much as I liked Teddie in the North American version (and I very much did), there was something much more childlike and charming about the Japanese version's Kuma.
Kuma the character in the game is very innocent, even (or especially) in speech patterns, which can admittedly be a little cloying after a while. Plus, I just liked referring to the character in such a straightforward way with the name "Bear" ("kuma" meaning "bear" in Japanese).
Other than that, there's no real significance for me using "Kuma" over "Teddie." The Teddie naming convention is actually a very clever way in the game of making the translation effective. He does look a lot like a big teddy bear, after all.
What it's all about
I decided to put together a blog where I could answer some questions about my Persona 4 fan fiction story, "1 More Chance!" The story is posted both at Fanfiction.Net, in the Games > Megami Tensei section, and on my website, Bonusparts.com, in the KINK section.
"1 More Chance!" is an M-rated story, which means that it contains material that is considered "mature." According to the ESRB, "Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language." There is no intense violence or gore in my story, but there is plenty of sexual content and some strong language.
About the Story
"1 More Chance!" follows the heroes from the game Shin Megami Tensei Persona 4, five years after the "True Ending" of the game. While I don't know if it's absolutely necessary for you to have played through the entire game to understand what's going on in the story, if you haven't (or if you don't want to be spoiled for some important parts of the game), you probably don't want to read the story just yet. Specifically, the story is told from the point of view of one of the supporting characters, a young woman named Satonaka Chie (Chie's her first name, and Satonaka is her family name; that's just how Japanese names work). It's about her rekindling the friendships of her youth, finding love, and - perhaps most importantly - finding herself.
The story is currently around 400 pages in length, so it's by no means a small undertaking if you want to start in on it. A fair amount of that story space is dedicated to a young woman engaging in activities of a sexual nature, so if you're not into that, you shouldn't start the story at all.
Why this blog?
Every week, I'll take a look at one or two questions that come up from reviews or direct messages/emails that I get from readers. Sometimes the questions may be fairly thought-provoking, and sometimes they may be pretty inconsequential to the story itself. But I thought this would be an easy outlet for me to talk about the story and its myriad facets.
If you have a question about "1 More Chance!" or any facet of the story (characters, motivations, background), just ask about it in your review or direct message/email to me. I can't promise that I will get to everyone's questions...but I think there are few enough right now that I can answer most of them over the next several weeks.
Oh, and I won't be spoiling anything in the story, meaning that I won't be giving away any plot points before their time. If I do happen to answer a question that might spoil someone who hasn't read the story yet, or who's still in the middle of the story so far, I'll be sure to mark it as such and blank it out somehow, so you don't accidentally stumble on a plot point that will be important later.
So get reading, and send me those questions!
"1 More Chance!" is an M-rated story, which means that it contains material that is considered "mature." According to the ESRB, "Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language." There is no intense violence or gore in my story, but there is plenty of sexual content and some strong language.
About the Story
"1 More Chance!" follows the heroes from the game Shin Megami Tensei Persona 4, five years after the "True Ending" of the game. While I don't know if it's absolutely necessary for you to have played through the entire game to understand what's going on in the story, if you haven't (or if you don't want to be spoiled for some important parts of the game), you probably don't want to read the story just yet. Specifically, the story is told from the point of view of one of the supporting characters, a young woman named Satonaka Chie (Chie's her first name, and Satonaka is her family name; that's just how Japanese names work). It's about her rekindling the friendships of her youth, finding love, and - perhaps most importantly - finding herself.
The story is currently around 400 pages in length, so it's by no means a small undertaking if you want to start in on it. A fair amount of that story space is dedicated to a young woman engaging in activities of a sexual nature, so if you're not into that, you shouldn't start the story at all.
Why this blog?
Every week, I'll take a look at one or two questions that come up from reviews or direct messages/emails that I get from readers. Sometimes the questions may be fairly thought-provoking, and sometimes they may be pretty inconsequential to the story itself. But I thought this would be an easy outlet for me to talk about the story and its myriad facets.
If you have a question about "1 More Chance!" or any facet of the story (characters, motivations, background), just ask about it in your review or direct message/email to me. I can't promise that I will get to everyone's questions...but I think there are few enough right now that I can answer most of them over the next several weeks.
Oh, and I won't be spoiling anything in the story, meaning that I won't be giving away any plot points before their time. If I do happen to answer a question that might spoil someone who hasn't read the story yet, or who's still in the middle of the story so far, I'll be sure to mark it as such and blank it out somehow, so you don't accidentally stumble on a plot point that will be important later.
So get reading, and send me those questions!
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