#ph guidebook

[omnis-lacrima]

Pandora Hearts Official Guidebook 24+1 Full book scans!

Scanned and edited by me.

Download HQ scans: Scans

[lilyginnyblack]

Please Tell Us, Mochizuki-sensei Section Two (About Her Job) - 24 +1 Last Dance - English Translation

Hey guys! Sorry this took forever and a day to get up. I haven’t been on Tumblr much lately, but I have been working on translations and such. I’m almost done with the translation of the “Which Character Are You Like?” Personality Quiz/Game in the 24 + 1 Last Dance Guidebook/Fanbook. I’ll have the translation up for it soon! :) In the meantime, here is the translation of the Second Section of the Mochizuki-sensei + Fans Q&A part of 24 + 1 Last Dance. Enjoy! :D

Please Tell Us, Mochizuki-sensei! – Section 2 (About Mochizuki-sensei’s Job) – English Translation

Q1: What was the push that made you think, ‘I want to be a manga-ka.’? (P.N. Sudon)

A: The push was probably the comment ‘You are very good at drawing, maybe you will be a manga-ka in the future?’ written by my teacher in the graduation album from my pre-school days. Even now I remember how strangely convinced I was at that time, [thinking,] ‘Ah, I see. When I get older I’ll become a manga-ka.’ And my older sister drew manga and that had a large impact on me.

Q2: What was the impetus that gave birth to Pandora Hearts? (P.N. クリ☆オネ)

A: I don’t know how far back I should go…I think the origin of Pandora’s origin was born from my higher up [saying], “Why don’t you try drawing hardboiled fiction?”* From there, the fantasy elements slowly started to increase, and it changed into a story that incorporates Alice in Wonderland, Mother Goose, and other such literary materials in it.

Q3: Please tell me: When did you start drawing manga? (P.N.やまきβ)

A: I recall drawing manga-like stuff when I was a first grade elementary school student. When I was in my early school days, I collected items of my favorite video games characters, and around the time I became a high school student, I drew manga of characters that my classmates chose.

Q4: How do you create stories? (P.N.ありす)

A: The very first thing I do is decide on the twists and conclusions of the story compositions.** And then, from there, I think about what developments are necessary to finally reach those points.

Q5: Mochizuki-sensei, have you ever cried when drawing manga? (P.N.のら)

A: Since I often become heavily invested in my drawing while working on the storyboards, there [are times when] I have cried.

Q6: Mochizuki-sensei, if there is any music that you listen to when you are drawing your works, could you please tell me what it is? (P.N.メガネスキー)

A: While I am working on storyboards, I listen to nothing but soundtracks (because, if there are lyrics, they get jumbled up with the dialogue in my head). The music Kajiura-san composed for Pandora has helped me out on numerous occasions. Truly, [that music] is sacred. Once I am finished working on the storyboards, and start drawing up the draft, I continue to play music that will, somehow or another, not make me sleepy.

Q7: About how long does it take [to complete] a single color page picture? (P.N.キラノ)

A: If I am all done with the line art then, if I have the whole day, I can usually finish painting it. But, I have a really difficult time working on line art…so depending on the situation, there are times were [working on the line art] rather than working on the painting takes up more time.

Q8: The outfits are beautiful and I like them a lot, are there any books that you refer to for references? (P.N.＊ゅき＊)

A: There are tons of Victorian Era books that [can be used] for references. However, my standard is to draw whatever clothes I like [that make] a silhouette that I like.

Q9: What are your references for the buildings in the background? (P.N.眠気覚まし)

A: I search through the net and books that I have on hand and chose buildings that are the closest to the image(s) I have imagined. I don’t limit the references I use to a [specific] country.

Q10: What was the most memorable part of the serialization of this work [PH]? (P.N.みや)

A: It would probably have to be that an anime was made. I had the pleasure of gaining many valuable life experiences and I had many, many truly wonderful meetings [because of the anime]. The thing that surprised me the most during the process of turning the manga into the anime was “Gothic-Action-Fantasy” being written down as the genre description. I said, in shock, “I...I see---!”

Q11: When you’re drawing a person, which part do you start drawing from? (P.N.くろてふ)

A: Frist is the outline and from there the nose -> eyes or mouth.

Q12: Mochizuki-sensei, do you have any art supplies and the like that you favor? (P.N. 亮)

A: For triangle rulers I like Staedtler. For mechanical pencils – Dr. Grip. They don’t cause friction when you temporarily stop drawing.

Q13: Please tell me the number of the tones that you mainly use! (P.N.息吹春)

A: I often use Deleter #41 for things like human shadowing [shading] and what not. J-Tones tones #J-520, J-515, and etc. are very useful because they are easy to use in a variety of scenes. When these two tones of J-Tones went out-of-print I seriously cried.

Q14: When drawing the manga, what do you pay careful attention to? (P.N.あらのん)

A: I pay careful attention to character expressions.

Q15: Mochizuki-sensei, are you a dog person? Or are you a cat person? (P.N. 繰々璃)

A: I was a dog person, but since my assistant began owning a cat, it has affected me and seems to have converted me to a cat person. Cat cafes are heaven.

Q16: Is there anything that you, Mochizuki-sensei, are really into right now? (P.N.可愛いモノ大好き♪♪♪)***

A: The soy milk nabe my assistant(s) made for me was extremely delicious, so I’ve asked them to make it for me countless times! It’s a mass dropping of lettuce!

Q17: Why is your avatar always that of a cat with a pink moustache? (P.Nなっつん.)

A: Since the nickname of my real name is a name often give to cats, I instantly decided that my self-portrait (avatar) would be that of a cat, but since I didn’t like that it was turning out so cute, I added the moustache onto it.

Q18: Which is more your specialty, male characters or female characters? (P.N.めい)

A: I think neither reach a level which could be called a specialty. If we are talking about which one I like or hate, I like them both. When I’ve drawn nothing but males, I start wanting to draw females, and when I’ve drawn nothing but females, I start wanting to draw males.

Q19: I am a college student who dreams of being a manga-ka. I would like some words of advice when it comes to practicing [drawing] pictures. (P.N. han-el)

A: I think that, first, you should start by trying to imitate/copy the photos you like. Since I think that drawing pictures is ‘observing,’ I believe it is important to form the habit of closely observing every object of the things that hold your interest.

Q20: When drawing, what scene was the most difficult [for you to do]? (P.N.西東東)

A: It’s not limited to a scene, but rather the last chapter. Since it exceeded more than 100 pages of panels that were drawn with rich energy**** & contained nearly the full cast of characters, I honestly thought I was going to die. There was a time when I thought, ‘When it comes to the last chapter, playing Kajiura-san’s music (Oz’s theme song and so on) will surely have me drawing with a heavy heart…dejected.’ But when I started [working on the chapter] – it was havoc. I had no revel in sentimentality. I don’t even have recollections of some parts [of the process].

Q21: What are your feelings now that the series has been finished for a while? (P.N.しろくろ兎)

A: I’ve found that my work has increased after [the serialization] wrapped up, oddly enough. Though, it still doesn’t quite feel like it is over yet. I’m relieved that I was able to completely and fully depict Oz’s story. But, of course, it is sad too.

Notes:

*Check out the wiki page. :)

**This is referring to kishotenketsu, which ‘describes the structure and development of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese narratives’ (from the wiki page). You can read more about this in more detail on the wiki page. It seems very similar to the usual story structure diagram kids learn about in school in the US (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, conclusion, and so on).

***The fan wrote ブーム (bu-mu) or “boom.” There is the SFX “boom,” but this was referring to the word “boom” as in an explosion of a fad or something like that. In this case though, the Japanese word has, rather recently, taken on a slightly different meaning, with it referring to a fad on a more personal level. In the way of something that has caught your interest and which you are have your own personal “boom” with. For example, I recently watched Buffy and so now I’m still on a Buffy boom right now, so if someone were to ask me this question, I would say that I was currently really into Buffy.

****The Japanese used here was カロリーが高い（かろりーがたかい）(karori- ga takai), or ‘high in calories.’ I figured this was not meant to be taken literally, since it was taking about comic book panels, so I did a bit more digging and found that the word can also mean something like ‘rich in energy,’ which just makes a lot more sense.

[lilyginnyblack]

Please Tell Us, Mochizuki-sensei! Q and A Section from 24 + 1 Last Dance (Part Three - English Translation)

This section contains Questions 15 to 21. For Part One (Q1-7), click here. For Part Two (Q8-14) click here. Enjoy! :D

Please tell us, Mochizuki-sensei! - Part Three (Q15 ~ 21)

Q15: The Will of the Abyss (White Alyss), does her body hold more of a human condition? Or is it more of a Chain? (P.N. 米ポン菓子)

Since her situation is one where the Core of the Abyss is contained within her, she has become closer to a Chain rather than a human.

Q16: In an honest fight without Chains, who would be the strongest character? Please tell me for both the males and females. (P.N.紅楓 ) A: Males: #1 - Levi, #2 - Oswald, #3 - Break (※ For both Levi and Break, this is talking about when their bodies were in top physical condition [as opposed to when their bodies were dying/rotting away]). Females: #1 Echo, #2 Lotty, #3 Mary 

Q17: Out of all of the characters, which one would be the most popular [with the girls/guys]? (P.N. 鴎)

I think it would be Gilbert. Then it would probably be Vincent and Oswald.

Q18: Is there any character who transformed or grew in a different direction from the one you had exepected or guessed they would go in when you were drawing them? (P.N.ユキツネ )

Before the fanbook, I did talk about “there being a character who has already ended up avoiding one of their planned death flags,” and that character is Lord Barma. The development that I had been thinking about, and which I had planned when the serialization first started, was that during Lord Barma's betrayal [scene] he ended up killing Sheryl. And then Lord Barma, around about the last chapter, as the wreckage overtook him, would have said “Sheryl...I'm coming to you now...” He was then supposed to have smiled and died. But, well, when I tried going through and writing that story I went, “Huh, even if Sheryl doesn't die the story can go on, right?” and it turned out like that. So, Lord Barma didn't exit [the story], rather he was able to liven up the situation with a grand gag. I'm quite glad.

Q19: Mochizuki-sensei, if you could freely make a contract with a Chain, which one would you choose? (P.N.凌愛)

I would like to try horse backing riding, so I would want to contract with Eques!

Q20: Mochizuki-sensei, out of all of the characters, who would you like to become pals (master and servant relationship, good friendship, etc. etc.) with? (P.N.マリア)

I would become Gil's master and have him do everything and wait on me hand and foot. If he came during crunch time with a delicious dinner, then the morale of my assistants would go up!

Q21: Mochizuki-sensei, please tell me: which character is the hardest to draw and which one is the easiest? (P.N.まえり―)

The hardest is Jack and the easiest is Oz. It is difficult to draw the inner self* and to choose expressions for a character who can't understand their own sense of self. And Oz as well, before he met with Elliot and Leo, he was hard to work with.**

Notes:

*She is talking about like his “inner face.” In Japan you have the face that you present to the outside world and to strangers, to people you don't know all that well, this is your “outside face.” And then you have your “inside face.” Your “inside face” is the face that you show to those who are close to you and that you know well. In this way, Jack was all “outside face.” He had no “inside face,” not even for himself.

**The Japanese used was 動かし辛い（うごかしづつらい）(ugokashi tsurai), which means that it was hard for her to “move” his character – to manage him and get him to progress and change.

[lilyginnyblack]

Thx for all your translations, you are amazing! Out of curiosity, who is Break's dearest in 24+1? I think it is either sharon or reim but who is it actually?

Break’s Dearests are: Sharon, Shelly, and Gilbert

And you are very welcome! :)   I’m honestly not that amazing though! ><

[lilyginnyblack]

Levi - Levi’s Dearest, Story, and Fan Comments - English Translation

Levi

“Good! Good! It's gotten interesting!”

The Glen from 100 years ago and Alice's father. Within his his jovialness there is a callous side that peeks out, and his personality is elusive.* Being fond of change, he conducted an “experiment” to see what change providing the Core of the Abyss with his child that he bore with Lacie as [the Core's] vessel would have on the unchangeable Baskervilles. After his life span as a human ended, his existence became only that of his consciousness, and from within Leo's body he observed the story (= the future of the world).

Dearest

The Object of His Insatiable Curiosity

Jack Vessalius

Levi verified Alice's birth and left future affairs to Jack. He harboured a strong interest in Jack's actions, which he could not surmise based on common knowledge [common sense/etc.].

Levi's Story

You're selfish too.

After he lost Elliot, Leo was stricken with grief. ** Levi was the one who accurately pointed out his [Leo's] present condition: what should he do as “Glen” and what should he do as “Leo,” and promoted his [Leo's] firm resolution.

Fan Comments:

I love you. (P.N.みゃび)

Drooping eyes of justice (P.N.グチ)

The peculiar eroticism and beauty that Levi has is wonderful. Especially his beauty, it's just too much! If he were right in front of me, I wouldn't be able to look him in the eyes!!! (P.N.フジもと)

I like that he is a caring older brother!*** (P.N.あせび)

Mr. Levi taking care of little Oswald and Lacie is just too cute...!! I want an older brother like Mr. Levi~~!! (P.N.レヴィ親衛隊)

I think that one being faithful to their interests is syonomous with a certain sense of sincerity. I like Levi, who without any regard for death or sin, sticks to his views. **** (P.N.しじめるだ)

I love you, please marry me. (P.N.レイ)

I love Mr. Levi's easy-going sense of aloofness! (P.N.ばん)

Please be happy!!! (P.N.蝉しぐれ)

Since I love reading, I would certainly like to read the novel [he] finished writing! (P.N.レヴィ)

His devil-may-care smile is irresistible!***** (P.N.おさ)

Though there are several Glen Baskervilles, to me, you are Glen. (P.N.テトラポット)

His mysterious aspects are cool. (P.N.オギヤ)

I love his appearance and colors the best. They really give a good sense of a fantasy character. (P.N.ニーズヘッグ)

Notes:

*The Japanese is literally something like “no place to grasp onto,” similar to our “hard to grasp” in the sense of mental understanding of someone or something – so something hard to understand or something that changes so much you can't get a good hold on it.

**The Japanese is literally more like “weakened in sadness.”

***The Japanese they used means “helpful (in terms of taking care of people).” Other translations often used “caring” since that tends to be more natural in English usage when it comes to describing someone who is “helpful (in terms of taking care of people).” It can also mean something like “service-minded.”

****The word that I translated as “views” can also mean “opinions, claims, assertions, contentions, etc. etc.”

*****Another possible translation is a “fearless smile,” but I thought “devil-may-care smile” fit Levi more and is likely more of the nuance the fan was going for. :)

[lilyginnyblack]

Character Profiles (The Jokers) from 24 + 1 Last Dance

The Kings (Oz, Leo, Elliot, Rufus, Oscar, Isla Yura, and Zai) can be found here. The Queens (Alice, Sharon, Echo, Noise, Ada, Lotty, Lily, and Sheryl) can be found here. The Valets (Gil, Break, Vincent, Reim, Cheshire, Dug, and Fang) can be found here. And the Jokers (Jack, Oswald, Levi, Lacie, Alyss/The Intention/Will of the Abyss, Arthur, and Miranda) can be found under the Read More. Enjoy! :D

Jokers

Jack Vessalius

Profile:

Age: 25 years old Height: 180 cm

Likes: Women, climbing trees, Lacie

Dislikes: Having his true nature be seen through

Strengths (Specialties/Forte): Songs/poems, dance, piano, making music boxes, seeing through lies

Weaknesses (Difficulty dealing with): The customs of high class society

Mochizuki-sensei's Comment: Though I had serveral ideas for Jack's last moments, him appruptly disappearing while still not realizing anything was, I think, the most “appropriate.”*

Oswald

Profile:

Age:  Unknown (Physical Age – 27 years old) Height: 184 cm

Likes: Afternoon naps, sunlight filtering through the trees, Lacie's song

Dislikes: Noise

Strengths (Specialties/Forte): Being able to fall asleep anywhere

Weaknesses (Difficulty dealing with): Betting/gambling, tomatoes, brewing tea

Mochizuki-sensei's Comment: On the one hand, even though he is the last boss, he is a character that, while I was drawing him, I wanted to say multiple times, “Don't push yourself...” You've done enough.**

Lacie

Profile:

Age: Unknown (Physical Age – 25 years old) Height: 165 cm

Likes: Singing, pestering the other person who has taken her interest***

Dislikes: Bugs that walk in a meandering way, bugs that have lots of legs

Strengths (Specialties/Forte): Reading her brothers emotions

Weaknesses (Difficulty dealing with): Cooking, sewing

Mochizuki-sensei's Comment: I drew her with the intention of her being “just as incredibly selfish a person as Levi.” But, if she wasn't there, Jack wouldn't have survived and the story wouldn't have begun.

The Intention of the Abyss

Profile:

Age: Unknown (Physical Age – 14 years old) Height: 150 cm

Likes: Jack, Cheshire, sweets, Alice, Oz

Dislikes: Glen, Vincent, Gilbert

Strengths (Specialties/Forte): Dance

Weaknesses (Difficulty dealing with): Bitter things

Mochizuki-sensei's Comment: She is the person who understood Jack in the end. Though he didn't realize it himself, I think it is specifically because he felt something that he offered his own body to the Core.

Levi

Profile:

Age: Unknown (Physical Age - 32) Height: 178 cm

Likes: Reading, hunting, appreciating the fine arts

Dislikes: People who do nothing but curry favors.

Strengths (Specialties/Forte): Swordsmanship

Weaknesses (Difficulty dealing with): Boredom

Mochizuki-sensei's Comment: He was a person who seemed to be enjoying themselves (having fun) until the end...I wanted him to feel bad at least once, but he ended up enjoying most of the things, so it was impossible...

Arthur Barma

Profile:

Age: 30 years old Height: 176 cm

Likes: Alone time

Dislikes: Himself

Strengths (Specialties/Forte): Nothing in particular.

Weaknesses (Difficulty dealing with): Jack, Miranda

Mochizuki-sensei's Comment: Caught between a little sister who likes collecting heads and a friend who is trying to destroy the world, it truly is a horrible life. I'm sorry Arthur.

Miranda Barma

Profile:

Age: 26 years old Height: 165 cm

Likes: Collecting heads

Dislikes: Things that aren't beautiful

Strengths (Specialties/Forte): Chopping off heads

Weaknesses (Difficulty dealing with): Crowded places

Mochizuki-sensei's Comment: A lady in love who falls for Oswald the moment she lays eyes on him...upon writing her like this, she was a total danger, wasn't she. Vincent really has no luck with woman does he...

Notes:

*Mochizuki-sensei says 一番「らしい」（いちばん「らしい」）(ichiban 'rashii'), ichiban means “the best/number one/etc.” and rashii is often viewed as a grammatical structure, it is often added to words to give the sense of “like, -ish, appropriate for, seemingly, appearing, typical of, etc.” I went with “appropriate” because it was the way of translating this grammatical structure in a way that would sound the best and sound the most natural in this kind of sentence.

**Mochizuki-sensei says もう無理すんな...お疲れ様です（もうむりすんな...おつかれさまです）(Mou muri sunna...Otsukaresama desu). Mou muri sunna can mean a few things (though they all relatively share the same kind of meaning) : “Take it easy!/Take care!/Don't work too hard!/Don't push yourself!/Don't be so hard on yourself!” I went with “Don't push yourself!” because that was the meaning that came into my mind the moment I was reading the sentence. I also think you can see Oswald pushing himself, especially towards the very end, when he was trying so hard to go through with his plan (of killing Lacie). It also fits the best with Mochizuki-sensei's otsukaresama desu in the next sentence.

Otsukaresama desu doesn't have any definate English translation (like, there is no direct translation, no ringo means “apple” type of direct translation). This kind of set phrase to show appreciation for “hard work” (even when it doesn't necessarily positively affect you, or you at all) is something that doesn't really exist in English.

Yesterday I had one of my Japanese friends use it. It was during my language exchange, so the two Japanese women I meet up with are middle aged stay at home moms who have little kids that they are raising. One of the women went to a photo studio to get a commeorative picture of her daughter, since her daughter turned three this year, one of the special birthdays in Japan that corresponds with the special day in November called Shichigosan (or literally, 7-5-3). Parents will get pictures of their kids dressed up and looking nice on their 3rd, 5th, and/or 7th birthdays (usually a parent only chooses one of the ages to do this and with age corresponds with boys or girls all depends on the different regions and whatnot). Anyway, she got the commeorative photo now, even though it is only July, because it will be very busy and crowded in November (though, on the actual day (Shichigosan) she is going to dress her daughter up in a kimono again and take her to a shrine for some photos and such). 

Her daughter got fussy and difficult when it came to wearing the dress she picked out and the wig that she had to wear for the photo and such. My friends parents and parent-in-laws came to the photo studio too and so she felt like super worried and stressed out because she had to keep in mind taking care of her daughter and getting her to cooperate and also make sure she didn't keep her parents and parent-in-laws (especially) waiting too long.

After she told us all that, my other Japanese friend told her otsukaresama desu and asked me how I would say that in English in that situation and I was just like... “I honestly don't know?” Because we don't really have a set phrase for that type of situation. Everyone would probably respond differently and say something different depending on who they were talking with, the exact nature of their relationship with that person, and the actual details of the event itself that they were talking about.

In this way, Mochizuki-sensei is using this phrase here. She is saying “You worked hard. You did enough. So you can rest now.” I shortened that though to a simple, “You've done enough.” I think it conveys, and goes well with, the feeling she had of wanting to tell Oswald “Don't push yourself...”

*** Think of it more in the way “breaking [someone’s] balls/taking the piss/mickey [out of someone].” I wanted to use “breaking balls” as the translation, but I figured it was too colloquial for a guidebook profile. 

Mochizuki-sensei uses the same word 困らせる（こまらせる）for Vincent towards Gil, but I think that is meant in more of the actual pestering way (like when Vincent did things like in that one anime omake where Oz, Gil, and Break were all saying like dokidoki inducing phrases and then Vince just climbed up onto the balcony with cake and was like “GIIILLL!!!” that type of pestering.) 

But with Lacie, it more implies her mocking the other person who has taken her interest (like we see her do in that sketch omake in the Pandora Hearchu Booklet, where she has Oswald send Jack a picture of Yura via LINE or when, in the other Pandora Hearchu comic, she tells Oswald that he should punch Jack in the face too). Stuff like that.

[lilyginnyblack]

Q: Who is the character you would like as your best friend?

1st Place: Elliot Nightray -”I...I don’t really care though.”

2nd Place: Oz Vessalius

3rd Place: Alice

4th Place: Sharon Rainsworth

5th Place: Xerxes Break (Kevin)

(Not shown above, 6th ~ 10th Place)

6th Place: Gilbert Nightray

7th Place: Echo

8th Place: Lotty

9th Place: Reim Lunettes

10th Place: Ada Vessalius

[I voted for Ada! I debated between her and Sharon, but I chose Ada in the end, because I think we have more in common (interest wise). Who did you guys vote for?]

(Not shown above, fan comments)

Elliot:

Because I will be able to make a friend who doesn’t lie. (P.N.みこと)

I want to offend him so he says “Shame on you!!” (P.N.うみもち)

I feel like I would be making an awesome friend. I would like to try doing a four handed performance with him. (P.N.まこと)

I would like it if we both went to a cat cafe together! (P.N.千コ)

Since he likes competition, he seems like he would make a great rival! (P.N.Cherie)

Oz:

I want to gang up together with Oz and tease Gilbert! (P.N.はまじ)

Because I feel like he will never backstab or do things to try and hurt the other person [in the friendship]. (P.N.なつかっぱ)

His intuition is good, so when you are feeling down and are consumed by worries, he seems like the type who would come join you and support you. (P.N.マッブ)

Alice:

She’s cute, cool (stylish), and simple things make her happy!* I want to pat her head!! (P.N.ぱす)

I want to let her eat a lot of meat everyday!! (P.N.まつりばやし)

I want to pat her head！！ (P.N．サトウ)

Because I think we would have a lot of fun together due to her frank personality (P.N.さとど)

She’s cute, friendly, and straightforward. (P.N.春日)　

Notes: *The Japanese that was used is 愛でたい（めでたい）(medetai), and it can mean “joyous or happy,” but in the sense of a “joyous occasion,” in the case of a person, it can mean “naive” or “simple.” It can be used in a sarcastic or negative way, but here that is obviously not the case. So, I did some more digging and one Japanese person explained that a person who is described as being medetai can also mean that this person gets happy from the small things (like being able to eat a lot of cake or something, that was the example that person gave). So, I decided to translate it as “simple things make her happy.”

[lilyginnyblack]

Translation modification:

I modified the translation of this part of the Jun Mochizuki and Chizuru Kobayashi interview (the one dealing with Gil’s feelings for Ada). I got a better sense of the word that was used and so, I modified the text to reflect that. It is under a Read More, so the edit should change for all reblogs and whatnot.