sing a little

Just spell out what I like. (And Purpose of obtaining English.)

[cloud0818]

This is getting a little complicated, so let's organize it and put it here!🕵️‍♀️To make it easier for me to find it :D And this post will be updated as needed.

Reading KHR in Japanese - Beginning

Character's personality from Japanese

Tsuna

Mukuro

Xanxus

Byakuran

Nana

Giotto and Simmon

Explain the Japanese person pronouns

Basil

Hibari

First / second person pronounce

Honorifics titles and Suffixes

Calling by Attributes (1) Family

Calling by Attributes (2) Companion

What they call everyone in second person

10th generation of Vangola

Different nuances between English and Japanese

What is called "Bucking-Horse" in Japanese

[cloud0818]

Maybe it would be RKDD manga spoiler for anime fans. But I was surprised:

I just found out now from RKDD anime quiz, Milo'slittle brother Theo's hair accessory is killer whale, that means Shachi...

Was it already suggested at this point? He still alive in 2nd chapter?

[cloud0818]

Anime of RKDD was so great and I feel their respect for Original mangas and Amano Akira.

One of indicates of it is Opening. The manga is many pays homage to SHERLOCK HOMES. Following suit, the opening pays homage to many famous mystery works. So there are many scenes in opening we hadn't seen in manga.

This was a hot topic of discussion among viewers. There are some Japanese works, I try to compile it.

1 : The Inugami Curse (Series of Detective Kosuke Kindaichi) by Seishi Yokomizo

This is one of poplar mystery novel series in Japan. Especially "The Inugami Curse" is most famous one. It has been visualized many times.

There is a women in left side of picture and her body like wrapped in brown flowers. There is a same body on the other side, but there are no heads there. One of the most striking scenes in this work which the head of the corpse is placed on top of flower doll. This work has the eeriness of a horror so I don't use picture of this scene here. If you have interest, please Google this "犬神家 花".

Or maybe you can feel somehow from this picture. It is one of the filming locations for this work.

2 : Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

It's a mystery work that is too well known. Murder in the train isn't happened on manga, well, at this time.

3 : Any Old Port in a Storm (Series of Columbo)

This picture by Colombo official Youtube (season3, episode2). It's very clear how faithfully it has been reproduced.

4 : The Case of the Murder on D by Edogawa Ranpo.

This is a mystery novel by one of Japan's leading writers. It's also the first work in which the famous Japanese detective Kogoro Akechi appears. On my research, it seems there isn't translation book to English. Nearly 100 years have passed since the publication of this work, so copyright has expired. Therefore, we can read it for free on a well-known in Japan and conscientious site. (It can also view other old works on this site, but all are in Japanese only.)

That's all! I think the anime is very wonderfully done. I can't wait to the 2nd season!

[cloud0818]

Hi, sorry for a random ask :')

First of all, I'd like to thank you for all of your analysis so far. They're all very interesting and insightful.

So I was inspired by your Reading KHR in Japanese and went and reread some arcs in both English and Vietnamese (my mother tongue) and I find it interesting in how Kyoya addresses Fon in the Vietnamese translation.

While in English there aren't many pronouns that indicate the relationship between 2 speakers, Vietnamese has a lot of them. And Kyoya, throughout the series, used "ta" as a first pronoun and "ngươi" as a second pronoun, which indicates a bit of arrogance and dismissiveness, as well as superiority, and he uses them toward almost all characters, even for Dino and Reborn, except for Fon and only him.

For Fon, there are 2 version of pronoun set that I found, "tớ" - "cậu" and "tôi" - "anh", the former from the online copies, and the latter from the official translation, and of course they have completely different meaning. While both sets of pronoun are slightly polite and indicate some familiarity, the first one is used between friends or those in a same age, whereas the second one used toward men that are slightly older than the speaker, not too old to be the speaker's father, but old enough to be their brother.

This had been bothering me for the longest of time because of how unusual it is, and I'm curious if the Japanese version correlate with either set, or this is just a mistranslation or a localization.

Thank you in advance 😥🙏

Thank you for your very interesting question! And I'm sorry for the delay in answering.

First, in Japanese, Kyoya uses the same first person for everyone. It's general and neutral with no specific personality. Surety, there is a sense of nobility, but it's more strongly influenced by his other words than by the power of the words them own. Few people use this first person on a daily life in reality. This may make him appear put on airs. However, as can be seen from the fact that Mukuro and Shoichi or Tsuna when speaking with adults also use this first person, the word itself still doesn't have a strong meaning.

It's formal enough to be used for superiors and seniors, but not for business partners. It's polite, not too much. It also has a pure nuance as it may be used by young children. So it's not feel strange if people with opposite personalities use it. When used by Mukuro, it's emphasized formality and when used by Shoichi and Tsuna, it's emphasized purity. When Kyoya uses it, it can be taken either way because of what he says and does. Sometimes it's felt elegant, sometimes it's felt childish.

About the second person pronounce, he uses the same one for Fon as he does for others. There is no sense of intimacy or closeness in their conversation. It's no different than how he speaks to Reborn. Once there was a fairly shallow reference to Fon and Kyoya's mystery relationship in the comic, but at least it doesn't show in their conversations. They are together for their own benefit. It's not meant to be negative, at least there is no specific bond.

Kyoya uses different second-person pronouns for Dino than others. But it probably from his personality rather than expressing his feelings toward Dino or their relationship. In many case, the way we speak changes depending on emotions or relationship with the person we are speaking to. So we can sometimes know what they think of others by the way of speaking. But in his case, if anything it is more a manifestation of his character and nature. He doesn't care who they are. It's shows very clearly that he really has no human interest in anyone.

There are several types of personal pronouns in Japanese, but they doesn't have special meanings on them own. In the extreme, it's either formal or casual. It rarely changes with the level of intimacy. The same personal pronouns often have completely different nuances, so a word by itself is more just a means of composing a sentence than a meaningful.

I focused on English and Japanese, but Vietnamese is very interesting. Thanks for sharing great information!

[cloud0818]

Where do you go to find the KHR manga in Japanese?

I'm a native Japanese! So I can read with original language. And also that's why my English is a mess :D

It's seems common for Japanese living abroad to order Japanese books. I have no experience with this yet, but I googled it and find some options. Thank Google always.

If you want to read KHR in Japanese, you have the option of registering for the Japanese version on online retailers. Many of them can be shipped internationally. Also you can read in e-book. Below are a few sites. All of these are major and I have confirmed that they can ship internationally if it's paper books. Click on the URL to access KHR!

Amazon

Kindle Unlimited

Honto

Rakuren books

U-NEXT (it can also watch Anime)

e book Japan

Also you can also get all volumes as a set, official fan books, illustration books or novels. (I heard that not all of what is published in Japan is also available overseas.)

Or "少年ジャンププラス" (website/appstore/Google play store) is Japanese(original) version of "Manga plus". This is an official application by the publisher and you can read many of past works including KHR. You can read the works for free by watching the ads or playing games.

This is also officially operated by Shueisha. It seems you have to use a billing system to read KHR in this. But it can read as an e-book. I'm not sure if it's same today, but I have been informed that it can be read from abroad.

ゼブラック (website/app store/Google play store)

But perhaps these may not be accessible from abroad. I don't have access to MangaPlus because I live in Japan. Also, shipping costs may be high and you may need a credit card that can be used in Japan. If you need any explanation or help with the Japanese language, I will be able to assist you. And I'm sure there are other ways besides these. I hope this helps you!

[cloud0818]

I love the linguistic analyses for the khr characters!!! When you get a chance, could you do Gokudera and Yamamoto please?

Thank you so much, I appreciate it! And I will write about them :)))

Before the post it, let me give you brief introduction here. Both aren't very unique, and middle school students-like. Also their speaking can be described as contrasting. Gokudera is rough and Yamamoto is soft.

Gokudera uses honorifics only for Tsuna and Reborn. It's not too formal, but his choice of words can sometimes be too polite. And he's crude to everyone except for them. His speaking is aggressive and badboy-like. But it's not felt cold or dignified because his emotions tend to show in his tone of voice. Also he gives terrible nicknames to people he doesn't like in particularly.

Yamamoto's speaking shows his optimistic and brightness. He doesn't change the way of speaking much to his enemies, but is a bit more polite to older people. It's the collapsed honorific used in Japanese club activities, where hierarchical relationships are often emphasized. This is honorific but less formal and more friendly. He sometimes unique saying which is sometimes referred to as "Yamamoto-like" in cannon.

Please wait for more detailed postings about individuals! Thank you.

[cloud0818]

The character who avoid others and take alone, like Kyoya Hibari, in many cases they have dark background/past. But as the story progresses, someone gains their trust and they are able to open up. But he isn't. Never. He sometimes thinks and speeches in a way that one would not expect from a teenager, but we don't feel darkness in it. On the contrary, he is the guy who causes hives because he gets too swarm right before the last chapter. And the readers are dismayed by him in late official popularity ranking. "You're still doing this? Leave me alone anymore." (I love this comment, it's so funny I can't help but laugh even I feel sorry for him.)

[cloud0818]

Reading KHR in Japanese (8)

In Japanese, we can get a person's character and personality by the way of speaks. How about:

Hibari

First person : "Boku"

Second person : "Kimi" / ("Anata")

On the whole : Elegant, Noble, Childlike

His way of speaking is a very elegant. The endings of words are soft and the language is not abusive or rough. If you ignore everything about him and just read the letters, he even seems kind and easy to depend on. He is polite but never uses honorifics. We can feel nobility by his speaking. It also has an impression of sophistication and leeway.

But he sometimes chooses the words like a child. The way he speaks is the same, he remains calm as usual, but only one word somewhere is like a child. He often puts things in a nutshell which makes him seem more like a picky spoiled child. But even in such moments, it doesn't forget nobility. Somehow it keeps. How interesting he is.

And that childlike choice of words is also a bit unique. Sometime it can be a bit old-fashioned, or isn't used much in daily life. It's not childish rather than that's like child might say. And it's not feel wierd when such words into his noble way of speaking. Mx.Amano often makes him choose such words like those loopholes. Like, the words a little strange, but if it's say by Kyoya Hibari, it make sense.

Let's take a closer look🐤

His speaking is very emotionally stable. He isn't upset or at a loss for words. He never uses vulgar words even when he is angry. Well, he chooses his words more like a child when he is angry. Or it's closer in nuance to "expressing displeasure" than anger.

He uses "Boku" as first person. It is very classy, but at the same time it is very compatible with him because it sometimes used by children. Japanese often has no subject or objects, but he uses them precisely. Well, when if someone says "Don't fight," to him,he just says "No. or "Why?". (And this refusal is actually quite childishly worded as well.) He often talks or battle with adults, which makes him look more childlike.

He doesn't atempt to call people names as the second person. (But rather than, he doesn't like to refer to anyone in particular in conversation.) The only one who he has done that is Roll. Btw, much softer and gentler when he talks to Roll. And then, he mostly calls people by their full name if it is absolutely necessary.

He uses "Kimi" as a second person pronoun for everyone. But he calls Dino "Anata". Well Idk why. This is a polite expression, so it's not sense of discomfort he uses it to adults. Conceivably only Dino didn't attack the school among adult who Kyoya needed to call by second person pronounce. Or maybe it was Mx.Amano's particular.

Also he uses their full name, or "He", "That person" as third person. In Japan, rarely people use personal pronouns equivalent to "He/She" in daily lives. "That person" is sometimes used, but it doesn't have a good nuance. At least, it has distance impression.

Also he calls Reborn "baby". In Japanese, there are two ways to refer to a baby. And he uses the less common of the two. It is more likely to be used to refer to "existence of the baby" itself rather than to the baby as an individual. At least, it's rare for this call to be made in front of the baby themself. (To begin with, the word is rarely used in any setting.)

Again, there is a nuances he doesn't like to talk about people in the first place. When he refers to someone, he does so in a roundabout way anyway. Finish with the minimum required. Even the way he speaks shows that he is attempts to keep people at a distance and away from him.

His speaking can only be described as "Kyoya Hibari-like". The balance between nobility and very unique choice of words makes a way of speaking that is uniquely his own. His words would be too unique to translate. He has strong-willed and sincerity to belief. And also has clear boundaries between himself and others (well, of course he is).

[cloud0818]

Reading KHR in Japanese (7)

In Japanese, we can get a person's character and personality by the way of speaks. How about:

Basil

First person : "Sessha"

Second person : "Onushi"

On the whole : Old-fashioned, Polite, Solid

Well, I see that there are already a few words here that need some explanation. He is one of the most unique way of speaking characters in the cannon. Let's talk about the overall impression first, leaving the too complicated Japanese explanation for later.

He uses honorifics even children and people close to his age. His speaking is very polite, soft, and dependable. He may seem a bit reserved, but we can feel it is based on his calmness. He appears to be mature, but it sometimes appear youthfulness that is appropriate for his age. Especially against his enemy, he uses dashing words or second/third person pronounce. It never rough, but there is a pure impression. But that never detracts from his politeness.

And here comes the unique part. Let me explain each of the old-fashioned words he uses.

拙者/せっしゃ (Sessha)

This is his first person. It was mainly used by Japanese samurai and not used today. The original meaning includes humility. But, this isn't as strong because of the high status of the samurai. In Basil case, he uses it because he likes it, regardless of its status or history.

お主/おぬし (Onushi)

This is the second person pronoun he uses. This differs from era to period in the status of the person to whom it is used. In his case it doesn't give the impression of rough or rude. When Tsuna first met Basil, he was surprised that used this second-person pronoun in modern times.

殿/どの (Dono)

This also second person, he uses this as suffix the person's name. Like, "Sawada-dono", "Gokudera-dono". It's very respectful. It's used extremely limitedly in modern times. At least, it's not used in everyday life.

親方様/おやかたさま (Oyakata-sama)

He calls Iemitsu by this. And Samurai don't use this. This is mostly used in traditional Japanese jobs. For example carpenters, sushi chefs, and sumo wrestlers. These jobs require extremely advanced skills. So, it's necessary to apprentice oneself to someone and learn the skills under that person for many years. This is used to call the master or boss. It's still used today, but to a much more limited extent. And Basil, he adds "Sama" to this. Since this is already an honorific title, there is no need to add "Sama," which is also an honorific title. It makes his speaking more unique.

The shortest way to describe his speaking is "samurai-like". But there is a little different from the typical "samurai" way of speaking. There is a sincerity and youthfulness in there. He speaks the same way to friends as he does to boss. But we don't feel rude or distant because his speaking combines politeness and friendliness.

I guess Iemistu have taught him some "Japan-like" Japanese. He is more old-fashioned in the words he uses than in the way his speaking itself. So it's unique but fit in fine with the story or other characters. People around him use modern Japanese. But he doesn't question them or himself and retains his own style. Including this, his speaking has also pure impression.

When he speaks we pay attention to these words. But in simpler way, we can know he is a polite, soft and strong-willed young man by his speaking.

[cloud0818]

Hello!! Thank you so much for your inside about Japanese language, it's so interesting and useful!! I'm no good with the language but I was curious to know how they call the Earth flames in japanese! I know the sky ones from how they pronounce them in the anime but I was curious to know the japanese sounds of the earth flames! Thank you so much!!

Thank you for your request! I'm so glad you enjoyed my post.

First of all, it's called "earth" in English, but in Japanese it's used to refer to the surface, land, or ground of the earth. There doesn't seem to be a corresponding word in English. They are the words "大地/だいち (Daichi)," and it's used in contrast to "sky".

Let me explains how they were expressed in Japanese! From left to right, kanji, hiragana(kanji's readings), and pronunciations are listed in this order.

Enma

大地/だいち (Daichi)

In his case, although there is no official explanation, but it's called "Daichi" because he is the boss. And It's also called "重力/じゅうりょく (Juryoku)" because of its nature. It means gravity.

Adel

氷河/ひょうが (Hyouga)

It means glacier. The nature is called "凍結/とうけつ (touketsu : freeze)".

Kouyou

森/もり (Mori)

It means forest. 🌳

SHITT・P!

沼/ぬま (Numa)

It means swamp/marsh/bog. (In Japanese these can be referred to collectively by "Numa".) The nature is called 発酵/はっこう (Hakkou : fermentation). In her self-introduction, she introduced her special skill as "Hakkou". Since it is pronounced the same as the Japanese words for "eight" and "luminescence," so classmates took it in a variety of ways. (Btw, Gokudera drew the correct answer.)

Rauji

山/やま (Yama)

It means mountain. 🗻

Julie

砂漠/さばく (Sabaku)

It means desert. 🏜

As we can be seen from these, the motifs are phenomena that occur in nature. Therefore, it corresponds well with the weather. And only those nature are described that are evident in cannon. Also, it's not clear what Kaoru's ability are. It must to painful to be attacked by drills.

I hope these will be of some help to you!

[kiralushia]

thank you so much for this!! It’s sad we have an unnamed flame among the Earth flames though... I have another curiosity! I (and my friends) spent a lot of time trying to figure out the name of Simon Cozzato (what was the name and surname) but we figured that it’s a full name with no surname? The author did the same with Superbi Squalo that’s a whole name too. Is it correct? So he can be called either Simon or Cozzato, or the full name? (We referenced to the chapter when Cozzato introduced himself to Giotto and Giotto said he knew about the “Simons” ?) Also, as an italian I need to point out how cute Amano-sensei created the two families being Vongola (Clams) and Cozza (Mussels) and the second one became a name (Cozzato, but it’s not a real italian name!). Coming from south Italy (Naples) we literally live with clams and mussels !!

[cloud0818]

It was my pleasure! And I love that shellfish fact so much.🌊

Well, wow. In Japanese, Giotto said he knows "Cozzato". Also his descendants Enma's lastname, "Kozato," is pronounced very similarly. So, I have always thought of Simmon as a first name and Cozaato as a last name.

And the information that Superbi Squalo is full name is his full name may not be due to Mx.Amano. That is maybe in-game information for derivative products.

I think a reader asked that question(Is Squalo full name? ) in the bonus section of the book. But the question was not answered, just talk about illustrations. (This is a common occurrence. Perhaps it is a manifestation of Mx.Amano's obsessive nature to characters) Or I have also seen a theory by reader that Superbi is a middle name.

Mx.Amano's love and commitment to their characters is very strong. So, little information has been revealed in cannon.

New information may be added through animations or games etc. But mostly Mx.Amano would not intervene. Therefore, it often depends on the person whether they takes that information as official or not. They really care about their characters. For this reason, many people don't believe in sources other than Mx.Amano, even if it's official. Only Mx.Amano can make use of unique characters as they are, without business.

They are too much of a mystery🌫

[kyokosasagawa]

Heyo! Just noticed something that I'm intrigued by--you refer to Akira Amano with very gender neutral pronouns and titles. In the west we are under the impression that Akira Amano is a woman due to their Wikipedia article.

Has information regarding their gender identity changed in the past ten years? Or was the western fandom simply mistaken?

[cloud0818]

Hi! Thank you for asking!

It was a surprise to me that Mx.Amano's gender was identified when I saw the Western fandom for the first time. But, I could not find the source of this information/photo.

Or there is no mention of their gender or a photo of them on the Japanese Wikipedia. And in Japanese, there is no need to refer specifically of gender. Like, she/he. So their gender is much less discussed in Japan. Many fans call them "Amano-sensei". This is a gender-specific honorific title at all.

They are also rarely seen on the public stage, even sentences about themselves. And we can see their comments in their comics, and their writing is extremely neutral. They don't even use the first person. The content is often seasonal or everyday life things, and they rarely talk about themselves. (Their writing is always very bright, gentle and soft. They love cats😺)

So, for me, I think no need to identify it until it was directly mentioned by Mx.Amano. At least, it's not for me to refer about them unless they break that consciously neutral stance. Whatever their gender identity is, if they don't want it, I don't need to know.

[kyokosasagawa]

Fascinating! I didn't know that at all. It's very possible, even, that the entire western fandom was misled by a possible fake picture. Who knows?

Thank you so much for your reply, I'll use gender neutral pronouns for Amano-sensei from now on.

[miyanoai]

I actually looked this up in recent months and while I can’t remembering where, I did read that that photo we all know of Amano was, in fact, a stock image. I also don’t know how it came to be that the Western fandom believed them to be female, however, there are hypotheticals that can be made. One is that it is usually females that will take on a pseudonym so they can be taken more seriously as a writer and not judged on their gender (though it’s extremely common for ANY mangaka to keep their identities a secret). The other is from the sheer amount of female fan service in the series. It’s clearly drawn with focusing on “hot boys” in mind, despite being a shounen. This, of course, is still no real indication but could have been part of the reason why it was assumed.

[cloud0818]

Interesting!!

As you point out, most men and women use pen names in Japan. And the name "Akira" is a common name for men, but it's also used for women rarely. And interestingly, the same Kanji with a different reading can also be a common female name. Whatever it's a beautiful name.

When had the event for the current work, the editor appeared, not them. That editor is well known, Mx.Amano appeared only in writing. The sentences was read by a proxy.

Everything their name, words, and do has no gender specific elements. And they don't even have their own SNS accounts. They are thoroughly hidden about themselves. I have supported them for many years, but I know nothing about them, their faces,voices, or gender. But I like that about them!

[cloud0818]

Hello!! Thank you so much for your inside about Japanese language, it's so interesting and useful!! I'm no good with the language but I was curious to know how they call the Earth flames in japanese! I know the sky ones from how they pronounce them in the anime but I was curious to know the japanese sounds of the earth flames! Thank you so much!!

Thank you for your request! I'm so glad you enjoyed my post.

First of all, it's called "earth" in English, but in Japanese it's used to refer to the surface, land, or ground of the earth. There doesn't seem to be a corresponding word in English. They are the words "大地/だいち (Daichi)," and it's used in contrast to "sky".

Let me explains how they were expressed in Japanese! From left to right, kanji, hiragana(kanji's readings), and pronunciations are listed in this order.

Enma

大地/だいち (Daichi)

In his case, although there is no official explanation, but it's called "Daichi" because he is the boss. And It's also called "重力/じゅうりょく (Juryoku)" because of its nature. It means gravity.

Adel

氷河/ひょうが (Hyouga)

It means glacier. The nature is called "凍結/とうけつ (touketsu : freeze)".

Kouyou

森/もり (Mori)

It means forest. 🌳

SHITT・P!

沼/ぬま (Numa)

It means swamp/marsh/bog. (In Japanese these can be referred to collectively by "Numa".) The nature is called 発酵/はっこう (Hakkou : fermentation). In her self-introduction, she introduced her special skill as "Hakkou". Since it is pronounced the same as the Japanese words for "eight" and "luminescence," so classmates took it in a variety of ways. (Btw, Gokudera drew the correct answer.)

Rauji

山/やま (Yama)

It means mountain. 🗻

Julie

砂漠/さばく (Sabaku)

It means desert. 🏜

As we can be seen from these, the motifs are phenomena that occur in nature. Therefore, it corresponds well with the weather. And only those nature are described that are evident in cannon. Also, it's not clear what Kaoru's ability are. It must to painful to be attacked by drills.

I hope these will be of some help to you!

[kiralushia]

thank you so much for this!! It’s sad we have an unnamed flame among the Earth flames though... I have another curiosity! I (and my friends) spent a lot of time trying to figure out the name of Simon Cozzato (what was the name and surname) but we figured that it’s a full name with no surname? The author did the same with Superbi Squalo that’s a whole name too. Is it correct? So he can be called either Simon or Cozzato, or the full name? (We referenced to the chapter when Cozzato introduced himself to Giotto and Giotto said he knew about the “Simons” ?) Also, as an italian I need to point out how cute Amano-sensei created the two families being Vongola (Clams) and Cozza (Mussels) and the second one became a name (Cozzato, but it’s not a real italian name!). Coming from south Italy (Naples) we literally live with clams and mussels !!

[cloud0818]

It was my pleasure! And I love that shellfish fact so much.🌊

Well, wow. In Japanese, Giotto said he knows "Cozzato". Also his descendants Enma's lastname, "Kozato," is pronounced very similarly. So, I have always thought of Simmon as a first name and Cozaato as a last name.

And the information that Superbi Squalo is full name is his full name may not be due to Mx.Amano. That is maybe in-game information for derivative products.

I think a reader asked that question(Is Squalo full name? ) in the bonus section of the book. But the question was not answered, just talk about illustrations. (This is a common occurrence. Perhaps it is a manifestation of Mx.Amano's obsessive nature to characters) Or I have also seen a theory by reader that Superbi is a middle name.

Mx.Amano's love and commitment to their characters is very strong. So, little information has been revealed in cannon.

New information may be added through animations or games etc. But mostly Mx.Amano would not intervene. Therefore, it often depends on the person whether they takes that information as official or not. They really care about their characters. For this reason, many people don't believe in sources other than Mx.Amano, even if it's official. Only Mx.Amano can make use of unique characters as they are, without business.

They are too much of a mystery🌫

[kyokosasagawa]

Heyo! Just noticed something that I'm intrigued by--you refer to Akira Amano with very gender neutral pronouns and titles. In the west we are under the impression that Akira Amano is a woman due to their Wikipedia article.

Has information regarding their gender identity changed in the past ten years? Or was the western fandom simply mistaken?

[cloud0818]

Hi! Thank you for asking!

It was a surprise to me that Mx.Amano's gender was identified when I saw the Western fandom for the first time. But, I could not find the source of this information/photo.

Or there is no mention of their gender or a photo of them on the Japanese Wikipedia. And in Japanese, there is no need to refer specifically of gender. Like, she/he. So their gender is much less discussed in Japan. Many fans call them "Amano-sensei". This is a gender-specific honorific title at all.

They are also rarely seen on the public stage, even sentences about themselves. And we can see their comments in their comics, and their writing is extremely neutral. They don't even use the first person. The content is often seasonal or everyday life things, and they rarely talk about themselves. (Their writing is always very bright, gentle and soft. They love cats😺)

So, for me, I think no need to identify it until it was directly mentioned by Mx.Amano. At least, it's not for me to refer about them unless they break that consciously neutral stance. Whatever their gender identity is, if they don't want it, I don't need to know.

[cloud0818]

Hello!! Thank you so much for your inside about Japanese language, it's so interesting and useful!! I'm no good with the language but I was curious to know how they call the Earth flames in japanese! I know the sky ones from how they pronounce them in the anime but I was curious to know the japanese sounds of the earth flames! Thank you so much!!

Thank you for your request! I'm so glad you enjoyed my post.

First of all, it's called "earth" in English, but in Japanese it's used to refer to the surface, land, or ground of the earth. There doesn't seem to be a corresponding word in English. They are the words "大地/だいち (Daichi)," and it's used in contrast to "sky".

Let me explains how they were expressed in Japanese! From left to right, kanji, hiragana(kanji's readings), and pronunciations are listed in this order.

Enma

大地/だいち (Daichi)

In his case, although there is no official explanation, but it's called "Daichi" because he is the boss. And It's also called "重力/じゅうりょく (Juryoku)" because of its nature. It means gravity.

Adel

氷河/ひょうが (Hyouga)

It means glacier. The nature is called "凍結/とうけつ (touketsu : freeze)".

Kouyou

森/もり (Mori)

It means forest. 🌳

SHITT・P!

沼/ぬま (Numa)

It means swamp/marsh/bog. (In Japanese these can be referred to collectively by "Numa".) The nature is called 発酵/はっこう (Hakkou : fermentation). In her self-introduction, she introduced her special skill as "Hakkou". Since it is pronounced the same as the Japanese words for "eight" and "luminescence," so classmates took it in a variety of ways. (Btw, Gokudera drew the correct answer.)

Rauji

山/やま (Yama)

It means mountain. 🗻

Julie

砂漠/さばく (Sabaku)

It means desert. 🏜

As we can be seen from these, the motifs are phenomena that occur in nature. Therefore, it corresponds well with the weather. And only those nature are described that are evident in cannon. Also, it's not clear what Kaoru's ability are. It must to painful to be attacked by drills.

I hope these will be of some help to you!

[kiralushia]

thank you so much for this!! It’s sad we have an unnamed flame among the Earth flames though... I have another curiosity! I (and my friends) spent a lot of time trying to figure out the name of Simon Cozzato (what was the name and surname) but we figured that it’s a full name with no surname? The author did the same with Superbi Squalo that’s a whole name too. Is it correct? So he can be called either Simon or Cozzato, or the full name? (We referenced to the chapter when Cozzato introduced himself to Giotto and Giotto said he knew about the “Simons” ?) Also, as an italian I need to point out how cute Amano-sensei created the two families being Vongola (Clams) and Cozza (Mussels) and the second one became a name (Cozzato, but it’s not a real italian name!). Coming from south Italy (Naples) we literally live with clams and mussels !!

[cloud0818]

It was my pleasure! And I love that shellfish fact so much.🌊

Well, wow. In Japanese, Giotto said he knows "Cozzato". Also his descendants Enma's lastname, "Kozato," is pronounced very similarly. So, I have always thought of Simmon as a first name and Cozaato as a last name.

And the information that Superbi Squalo is full name is his full name may not be due to Mx.Amano. That is maybe in-game information for derivative products.

I think a reader asked that question(Is Squalo full name? ) in the bonus section of the book. But the question was not answered, just talk about illustrations. (This is a common occurrence. Perhaps it is a manifestation of Mx.Amano's obsessive nature to characters) Or I have also seen a theory by reader that Superbi is a middle name.

Mx.Amano's love and commitment to their characters is very strong. So, little information has been revealed in cannon.

New information may be added through animations or games etc. But mostly Mx.Amano would not intervene. Therefore, it often depends on the person whether they takes that information as official or not. They really care about their characters. For this reason, many people don't believe in sources other than Mx.Amano, even if it's official. Only Mx.Amano can make use of unique characters as they are, without business.

They are too much of a mystery🌫

[cloud0818]

Hello!! Thank you so much for your inside about Japanese language, it's so interesting and useful!! I'm no good with the language but I was curious to know how they call the Earth flames in japanese! I know the sky ones from how they pronounce them in the anime but I was curious to know the japanese sounds of the earth flames! Thank you so much!!

Thank you for your request! I'm so glad you enjoyed my post.

First of all, it's called "earth" in English, but in Japanese it's used to refer to the surface, land, or ground of the earth. There doesn't seem to be a corresponding word in English. They are the words "大地/だいち (Daichi)," and it's used in contrast to "sky".

Let me explains how they were expressed in Japanese! From left to right, kanji, hiragana(kanji's readings), and pronunciations are listed in this order.

Enma

大地/だいち (Daichi)

In his case, although there is no official explanation, but it's called "Daichi" because he is the boss. And It's also called "重力/じゅうりょく (Juryoku)" because of its nature. It means gravity.

Adel

氷河/ひょうが (Hyouga)

It means glacier. The nature is called "凍結/とうけつ (touketsu : freeze)".

Kouyou

森/もり (Mori)

It means forest. 🌳

SHITT・P!

沼/ぬま (Numa)

It means swamp/marsh/bog. (In Japanese these can be referred to collectively by "Numa".) The nature is called 発酵/はっこう (Hakkou : fermentation). In her self-introduction, she introduced her special skill as "Hakkou". Since it is pronounced the same as the Japanese words for "eight" and "luminescence," so classmates took it in a variety of ways. (Btw, Gokudera drew the correct answer.)

Rauji

山/やま (Yama)

It means mountain. 🗻

Julie

砂漠/さばく (Sabaku)

It means desert. 🏜

As we can be seen from these, the motifs are phenomena that occur in nature. Therefore, it corresponds well with the weather. And only those nature are described that are evident in cannon. Also, it's not clear what Kaoru's ability are. It must to painful to be attacked by drills.

I hope these will be of some help to you!

[cloud0818]

Reading KHR in Japanese (6)

In Japanese, we can get a person's character and personality by the way of speaks. How about first generation.

Giotto

First person : "Ore"

Second person : "Omae"

On the whole : Genuine, Strong-willed

His speaking is similar to Hyper Tsuna. Well, it's more correct to say that Tsuna similar to him. Of course, Giotto is more gentle and mature. He is always calm, if he gets emotional, his speaking is undisturbed.

When he sent the letter to Simmon, he began with a humorous greeting. It appears to be a letter that Giotto, as an individual, typically sends to close friends. But such softness is disappear when he write about recent developments and struggles as the boss of Vongola. He confides his concerns to Simmon in the letter, but we don't feel his weakness by this. It is clear that he has taken it seriously.

Simmon

First person : "Ore"

Second person : "Kimi" / "Omae"

On the whole : Gently, Strong-willed

He speaks even gentler than Giotto. And he's also looks a bit modest. Ennma's lack of confidence makes his quiet impression, but Simmon's calm makes him quiet. Also he says things once and for all. As G described him as stubborn, he has strong will. So, behind his softness is a strong conviction, and we can tell from the way he speaks that he is faithful and sincere to it.

He went to the battlefield to help Giotto, knowing it was a trap. He was extremely calm when Daemon's men came to attack his family. And he didn't speak like be felt angry or intimidate them. Rather, he speaks in a way that makes his will heard by the Family and their enemies.

Let's take more cues from the way they spoke when they first met and when they made their "vow".

When they first met, their way of speaking is youthful and soft. There is never roughness in them, but lightly. They are just like close friends, and seem to be age-appropriate.

When they made a "vow," we can see many things. It's not as light or youth as when they first meet. They are the bosses, speak on behalf of the organization. Their speaking is full of responsibility. They think about "what I can do for his family". Their subject is "We" or "My family", not "I".

When they speak as individual or friends, they do so with an atmosphere of lightness and softness, as when they first met. But when they speak about the family, they don't speak as individual but as one who bears the family. And they have very few opportunities to speak as individuals in late story.

But at the same time, it can feel there is a strong sense of trust in friends. Simmon's motivation was always Giotto, not Vongola. He went to battle field and continued to fight, for his friend. And Giotto, he decided to start a family by Simmon's words. And when Simmon decided to live in the shadows, Giotto trusted him and accepted his decision. They always believed in friends who shared their will. And they speak with strong convinced about their friend, no matter how far away they are.

Their speaks is not similar. Perhaps their personalities differ in several ways. But they have common things that they have faith, they have trust, and they will do everything in their power to protect their friends or people. If their situation were reversed it equally makes us feel that they will be their best for each other.

They are both calm. But relatively, Simmon is more stable and Giotto is more passionate. Also maybe because of their era, both are formal and solid. Even discounting age, it's more sophistication impression than Tsuna and Enma. So we can see that Tsuna and Enma are very similar to Giotto and Simmon, but they aren't same. It's different individual. It have very little information about guardians, but that is also true with them.

[cloud0818]

What called "Bucking-Horse/Bronco" Dino in Japanese

The other day I learned that the nuance of Dino's nickname is completely different between Japanese and English. (Thanks to everyone who gave me opinion!)

He is called "Bucking-Horse"or"Bronco" in English. But in Japanese, he called "跳ね馬/はねうま(Haneuma)". Let's look the nuances and meaning of this.

This is a long, detailed, and difficult explanation. If you don't need to understand them, scroll all the way down to the colored letters at once!

First, it was coined by Mx.Amano. And it uses very Japanese usage that is not commonplace. Moreover, these are unique to the Japanese language, at least not in English. Therefore, it would be very difficult to translate it while preserving its nuances. Put it straight into the translator, it will be "vaulting horse" or "leaping horse".

It is made from two words. When broken down, it becomes "跳ね/馬". Let the "馬" play somewhere else, because it means exactly the same as the English "horse🐴". In other words, the problem is "跳ね". It corresponds to "Buking". This encompasses a variety of matters that need to be explained.

This is the really difficult part.

I'm not a qualified Japanese teacher. And these explanations don't correspond to all Japanese words. Therefore, please consider this explanation only to understand the Japanese nuance of his nickname. Even if you can't understand this too difficult Japanese, I will summarize the nuances of the Japanese at the end. And if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! Cause Idk either! :)))

Let's start with a simple point first. The same pronunciation has a different meaning if the Kanji is different. Therefore it's important to decipher the meaning of Kanji.

The kanji is "跳." For now, I will focus only on Kanji. The original meaning of this kanji is "to jump up high with one's feet". And it still has a similar meaning today. "跳" mean Jumping or Bouncing. And the "ね" is added to this make it the original form of the verb.

This will be most difficult! Japanese has no equivalent to the English be(auxiliary) verb. In Japanese, the verb itself can be transformed into a form with a negative or presumptive or some meaning. Conversely, the verb original form alone is not often used. At least, "跳ね" haven't meaning as action. If you want to use this as a verb, you need to add something letters. In other words, "跳ね" is a verb. It does not express personality or character. However, it does not represent action. Horrible.

Are you tired? Let's take a moment to break, watch the horse we let go to play. Cute. 🐴

I just want to explain in details, so don't worry if you don't understand. Incidentally, native speakers also doesn't understand these in detail either. We use them somehow. I also researched it for this explanation :D Well so, what exactly it have mean?

Briefly, the word "跳ね馬" itself doesn't mean anything. And I call it "nickname" for convenience, but strictly speaking, it is slightly different from a "nickname" in Japanese. Take breathe. Let me explain both of these!

First, if it isn't a nickname, what on earth is it? This is common in Japanese works and there is no corresponding English. AGAIN. Let's rely on the dictionary,

"A commonly used name that is not a real name".

"This is named to a person of achievement or accomplishments as a sign of awe and respect."

Well done!

Let me give you one example. There was a man who was active in Japan when the country was still decide the ruler with force. He was called the "one-eyed dragon" by his enemies and the people. Because he had an eye patch over one eye due to an illness. And he is called the "Dragon" in recognition of his strength. (There are various theories.) They aren't like a friendly nickname. And he has a real name, so if we are friend with him, we don't say "Hi one-eyed doragon! Let's go outside!" do we?

It's exactly the same as "跳ね馬". This is not just a nickname, but one that he has come to be called by because of his ability. And it took hold and became one of the designations used to refer him. Then, let's say goodbye to the dragon here. Thank you very much.

It is precisely what I have described so far that surprised me about the difference in nuance from English. In other words, this nickname which has no meaning of his personality at all in Japanese, but has a rough and wild feel in English.

Well, even if the words themselves don't have meanings, we can still get the little nuances. At least there is no impression of wildness or roughness. Rather, it seems light and nimble. However, this is about as much as can be read from words alone.

So, let's take a hint from the novel about the events that led to Dino's being called a "跳ね馬". This isn't written by Mx.Amano, but still official. It is the story of he gets Enzio and whip and out of his previous shell. And he was child but then, he was called "跳ね馬" for the first time.

He used his whip and tmturn the tables single-handedly against a large group of adults. Incidentally, his tattoos are set to have arisen at this time. Anyway, at this time,one of enemies described him as a "跳ね馬". Let's see how he was represented then.

Agile movements like a wild animal and a whip that can kill with a single blow.

Witnessing Dino's supple and lively movement, mutters "*He is like*跳ね馬……" unconsciously.

(Some parts are abbreviated and brief additions are made.)

At this time he was still a child. With agile movements, they run across the narrow battlefield, dodging gunfire from all directions. With his sharp whip and brilliant movements, he overpowers adults much larger than himself. The figure must have looked like a horse leaping in the wilderness. Cavallone's symbol is the horse, but it isn't mentioned in the novel. Whatever, he must have become the Boss in many ways at this time. Also, horse's tail is like a whip 🐎

We are finally here!

Well, it was hard work for us! Thank you for reading this far :)))

In other words, there is nothing rough or wild impression about his nickname in Japanese. He isn't like rebellious, uncontrollable, rampaging horse. And this nicknames means admire and not shows his personality or character. It's a description of his fighting figure, which is nimble and vibrant. In Japanese, it can't judge about him from his nickname. What we can glean from this is that he is a competent and respected to.

Btw, it call him "Unless-Dino" before he becomes the boss or when he is unable to demonstrate his ability to do so. (I don't know if this English translation is correct, I couldn't find it :( )

Well, actually, there are quite a few difference nuances here as well. In Japanese, called by a very cute and affectionate word. This have certainly a bad mean. But it's one of the most mildest and cutest of swear words. It is the kind of language would use to describe the bad parts of a beloved being. I really love Mx.Amano's word choices.

[cloud0818]

hi! sorry for the random ask. ^^ okay first of all, thank you for all your analyses so far, they're super interesting and helpful, and i'm looking forwards to read more of them!

that said, would you consider adding plain text when you use small text? especially when you strik the text too on top of it. small text (and striked through text) like that makes it hard for some people to read it, or makes it unreadable altogether, so it makes your posts inaccessible for those people. i add plain text in my reblogs of your posts, but it's always best and the most accessible when the orginal posts themselves are already accessible. another option is to just stop using small/striked through text if you wouldn't mind and would rather do that, as it's easier and less time consuming.

i hope this doesn't come off as rude or entitled or anything! i really appreciate the hard work that obviously goes into your posts, but i'm aware some people just aren't aware of accessibility issues, so i thought i'd give you some food for thought. absolutely do with that what you will, and feel free to answer me privately if you want!

Hi! Thank you for your impression and advice!! I'm new to Tumblr, so such advices really helps.

So far I have used it in small topics, but from now on, let's give them confidence as the main topics :) Also, I will correct past posts.

Another step closer to becoming a Tumblr professional. Thank you so much, again!

[cloud0818]

RKDD Spoiler episode 95

I DON'T BELIEVED RKDD IS END NEXT WEEK.

Please........

Until now, RKDD has been faithful to the original *or derivative* Sherlock Holmes. So Milo is probably alive, and if not, there will be new enemies. In Japan, it has been said since last week that Rkdd is end soon, because will be episode '96'. But it could be a new chapter!! Hopefully....

Well, my emotions are not stable, but I want to say this chapter isn't everyone's face even more beautiful than usual? And I love the first page, it looks like a movie. The composition is always so incredible.

If it ends in here, I can only assume there is another reason. But also I'm big fan of Mx.amano, so I also feel that if they are enough with it, that's all that matters.

Indeed, this chapter was very important. Confronting Milo for the first time and much became clear. However, the feud with House of Moriarty has not gone away. Their siblings, Ron's family, about Blue, and more... also a still mystery.

Can Ron have a voice...... And finishing with Toto's monologue is exactly same as auberge. (In other words, a new chapter!)

I like it like Mx.Amano that all but the culprit will come back alive. I am relieved. But Shachi..... Btw, I also don't know what happened to Milo, whose face I really liked.

I have been looking forward to the update more than ever this past week, but it looks like I will suffer this week as well.