Hi Chibi. I got a question about the new chapter. In the last scene where Dabi remembers killing Snatch and his words to him, what exactly does he say in Japanese as he tears on his skin? From his expression I'm sorta torn whether that was a genuine statement or just a mockery of Endeavour. Could you maybe help me to clarify this?
I hope you don’t mind me replying to you AND address some phrases Dabi said that others might not fully understand. <3
Important: This post is not meant to criticize or point out mistakes. There was never a mistake in anything. I just wanna do translation comparison, and analyze dialogues in Japanese and English for the readers to understand. And also for myself because I enjoy translating! Each person has their quirk to everything, especially in literature/art. <3 Thank you mangastream’s translation team for your hard work on chapter 191!
1. “Break a leg out there! But don’t go kickin’ the bucket!”
I’m fluent in English, but I’m not a native, therefore statements that I don’t fully understand come up often. I really hope I’m not the only who had trouble understanding this “don’t go kickin’ the bucket” line. I had to go back to read the Japanese version to understand, and I would love to do a commentary on this.
I admire the translator for using and combining two slang expressions s smoothly. I had to look up “break a leg” and “kick the bucket” to understand because I rarely heard or even use “break a leg” even if I understand what it means. Additionally, even if people were to understand base on the context, this line undeniably is complex, using slangs.
Objectively, I want to say it’s too wordy in this situation.
In the original Japanese version, his speech is much easier to understand, even to non-Japanese that understand the language and native-Japanese speakers. I’ve asked my friends in uni.
また話せる機会がくるだろう そのときまで。。。
mata hanaseru kikai ga kuru darou / sono toki made
E (literal): Another time to converse will come, until that time
My translation: We can talk at some other time, until then…
精々頑張れ死ぬんじゃねえぞ。seizei ganbare shinun janeezo
E (literal): If only you could do your best not to die.
My translation: Do your best not to die!!!
Bunny Girl Hero: How about telling yourself that!
I understand this is just my own version to the translation and the translator is not wrong. But I would want to keep the dialogue simple, straight to point but enhance to mood, not to STAND OUT from it. Since my goal is to make translation my career, I followed and learned from VIZ official translation. They are always more simple (swear words, slangs, slurs…etc) compare to fan translation online, because it’s translated so that young teenagers from middle school can easily read.
2. “I thought so hard about it I went crazy”
This one is the answer to the ask, and also an analysis of Dabi’s line.
Japanese fans speculated this line means Snatch reminded Dabi about something, and that indeed he used to think, thought, about the “family” topic.
However, it’s meant to be an open statement like that. I truly believe we’re not supposed to fully understand what he means, but it will make us think and try to analyze what exactly does Dabi means.
One fan also says the blood under his face probably holds some meaning, but never specified.
Original Japanese means exactly the same as the English. He thought about it so much, he went crazy.
Since you mentioned the grandparents in one of your recent answers I began to wonder what Yuuri's relationship to his in laws is like. Are they all happy with the arrangement their sons found themselves in and what are their feelings towards their grandchildren?
I still have yet to flesh out his relationship with most of his in laws, but here’s a quick run through!
Victor - while I know there are a lot of fan hypotheses, for the purposes of this AU he has no close living relatives and this is explicitly stated. It’s part of why he’s so lonely pre-canon, and also why he’s filthy loaded from a massive inheritance. A major part of this AU that I hope to get to share more of is him really opening up to and getting used to having extended family he cares about.
Yurio - As previously mentioned, Yurio’s grandfather moves to Hasetsu after his marriage, which means he’s no longer living alone and freaking Yurio out, and he can spend his days relaxing in the hot springs and playing with his increasing number of great grandchildren all of whom he adores. While he gets along very well with Toshiya and Mari, he enjoys spending time with Hiroko best, especially given his not so great relationship with his blood daughter.
Yurio’s mother will make a brief appearance in this AU, just once at their wedding in Russia. She has some choice words to say to Yurio about his bride and the kind of relationship he’s entering into, and that’s all she can really say before Yuuri and Victor block access and make it clear that she’s not welcome if that’s how she’s going to act. She doesn’t turn up again, but Phichit keeps tabs on her to make sure she can’t ever bring harm to their family.
Phichit - Phichit’s an only child too in this AU, and his parents get along very well with the Katsukis and are very pleased with the arrangement. They trust Phichit to make his own decisions and have always just given him the tools and resources to do so, but their only concern was that they weren’t sure if giving up his many ambitions to pursue an early marriage + kids was something that he’d be happy with in the long run. Turns out the very nature of the poly relationships allows him to have both, which is why the parents are happy ^ ^; They’re both very busy with running their company (they’re filthy loaded, and Phichit doesn’t get his business sense from nowhere) so they can’t spend as much time visiting their grandchildren as they’d like, but they always hold very grand feasts whenever they’re in Bangkok.
Minami - I think I mentioned this in a previous ask too, but other than Yurio’s grandfather, Minami’s family will probably play the biggest role in this AU among the in laws after the Katsukis. Minami’s parents are both canonically doctors, rather famous ones in their region who also own several hospitals.
Minami’s older brother was also in med school at the time of canon, and is a successful doctor at the time of Future!Verse. An omega who specializes in omega prenatal care, Minami’s older brother becomes Yuuri’s primary physician after transferring into the Hasetsu area. He is…quite a character, short af but abrasive and aggressive enough to be an omega who made it out of an alpha-dominated med school and he’s fiercely protective of Yuuri and his right to make his own life decisions.
Minami’s parents (an alpha woman father, a beta woman mother) are also used to their relationship being criticized in the eyes of society and achieving success regardless and are both extremely supportive and helpful in giving advice to Yuuri and co. They’re honestly overjoyed to have grandchildren because their eldest says he’s married to his job and they were sure Minami would never get over his obsession with Yuuri (boy do they have stories). HOWEVER, both they and older brother will nag and embarrass Minami mercilessly when they don’t think he’s doing the best he could be at taking care of his family’s health, and while they’re ridiculously tender towards Yuuri, they also won’t hesitate to drag any of the husbands away for a vicious lecture if they think they need it…
This post has been added to the YOI Future!Verse ABO AU Useful Asks Compilation post ^v^)b
Simply put - yes, he could support himself with figure skating, although not purely by competing. The majority of his earnings would come from sponsorships, endorsements, ice shows, contracts, and royalties.
Victor is definitely the highest paid skater of his time. Besides the big sponsorships that can cover a portion of costs, he’ll have magazine shoots and interviews, be invited to ice shows, and have endorsements in various fields (such as sportswear, jewelry, and food).
Training Cost
This post does a great job of explaining the cost to compete, and mentions how skaters need some way to support themselves - whether that be ice shows, a job, or a bit of funding from skating federations in certain countries. It’s not just coaching fees and equipment (boots and blades), but ice time, travel costs, choreography fees (although Victor does his own choreo), music composition fees, costumes, physical therapy, consulting a nutritionist, dance instruction, day-to-day expenses....
It’s only the very top athletes or the very promising ones that companies are interested in sponsoring. For those top athletes in countries that care for figure skating, they'll likely get good contracts at some point.
Lucrative sponsorships help to cover a chunk of training and travel costs. ANA covers Yuzu’s travel costs, is his biggest sponsor, and is listed as his skating club. Mizuno and Lotte are also large sponsors -- you’ll see him wearing Mizuno’s athletic clothing and sporting Lotte’s logo on his official Japan jacket. Amino Vital is the sports drink you see Yuzu with at the boards.
I'm not exactly sure how the Russian federation works when it comes to letting their skaters sign deals (another thing I've been attempting to hunt down with little luck) but there shouldn't be a cap to the number of sponsorships a skater can accept as long as the skater works things out between the companies and it doesn’t affect their skating. I don’t follow any Russian skaters super closely and wasn’t around in the days when Plushenko and Yagudin were the stars, so if someone follows/ed their daily life, feel free to reblog and add info, or send an ask/message. I believe the JSF allows only 5 TV commercial contracts per year, but they don't have a cap on the number of magazine shoots, interviews, or endorsements.
Making Money Through Skating
Victor would be contracted for ice show tours during the off-season. He’s popular enough where he’ll receive multiple tour offers and decide:
1.which offers he’ll take,
2.if he’ll show up for just one city in the tour, or
3.simply not accept any offers for performances.
He can afford to decline in order to recover from the strain of the past season and focus on training for the next one. Most skaters love doing ice shows because of the fun and fulfilling atmosphere, and for the chance to interact with fans who support them, so there’s a good chance that popular/successful skaters will perform in at least a few shows over the off-season.
To reference a few real-life skaters, when Daisuke Takahashi or Mao Asada were listed on programs for a show, stadiums would fill up and tickets would sell out FAST if there wasn’t a lottery already in place. Yuzuru will get multiple offers every summer and decide what works best with his training schedule. He loves ice shows, but knows to let his body heal and not strain it too much prior to the start of another season. Plushenko would do all sorts of ice shows during the off-season -- even to the point of ignoring his federation. There are one-time shows that appear in a city for a couple of performances, and long-standing tours that go around the country for a few weeks, so popular skaters have some flexibility here. Japan in particular is a favorite country for many skaters because of the enthusiastic, informed audience and good contracts. I have no doubt that popular tours such as Stars on Ice (Canada, U.S., Japan), Fantasy on Ice (Japan), as well as others throughout Japan, North America, and Europe would sell out with Victor’s name on the program.
With his talent, Victor might even offer his services by choreographing some younger skaters’ programs or doing some coaching for camps and classes. Misha Ge did a little of both while competing.
Of course, every time a skater wants to participate in an exhibition or other such event, it has to be approved by their country’s skating federation. However, regulations in the ISU general handbook ensure that skaters are not unduly constricted from participation and no more than 10% of their earnings are to be taken by their federation.
Examples of Earning Off-ice
To bring real examples of what a skater as popular as Victor might do for TV programs and commercial deals:
skating on an iceberg (Shizuka Arakawa),
laying down on a custom mattress, (Yuzuru Hanyu with Tokyo Nishikawa’s &Free)
skating in collaboration with a major film (Daisuke Takahashi with Studio Ghibli’s “Omoidase no Marnie”/”When Marnie was There”)
All you have to do is look at Plushenko licking lolly pops, Patrick Chan and his ice wine, and dental fairy Yuzuru to see the varied forms that endorsements can take on.
I’d imagine Victor gets asked to feature in occasional photoshoots for Russia’s equivalent of An-an or Men’s Non-no (fashion magazines targeted to the 20-30s demographic). With his striking looks, high-end brands may ask him to model their seasonal lines for a couple of magazines.
“This year’s [Tommy Hilfiger/Banana Republic/Prada] winter fashion!”
model: Victor Nikiforov
“Our new line of jewelry for that special someone this holiday season”
model: Victor Nikiforov
In addition to advertisements, he’ll also have had interviews and articles in various magazines, and been the subject of multiple short documentaries for local TV stations. I would venture that Victor has a few photobooks, an autobiography/biography, and at least one documentary DVD of his own-- all of which bring in royalties.
“A Young Hope Blooms Forth,” “Road to the Olympics,” “Spirit of the Legend” “Platinum and Gold” ...I can come up with a dozen likely titles for programs that TV stations could have aired over the years of his career. Furthermore, it seems he’s been to the Olympics two or three times, and Olympic fever always means more interviews, offers, and special collaborations.
A Few Extra Real-life Notes
I want to point out a skater who’s known for his high-end fashion: Johnny Weir. His family was humble, he doesn’t have Victor’s legendary record of golds, and he wasn’t the highest paid skater when he was competing (that would be Plushenko, Yuna, and Mao). However, he was such an icon and the media latched on for better or worse. Where Victor has a penchant for choreography, Johnny has one for costuming and fashion. He’s a middle-of-nowhere-small-town boy who loves pretty things and grew up to be fabulous on and off the ice. It’s not like the stuff he wears is cheap, but he’s a conscientious spender. Now that he’s turned pro and does commentary for nbc, it seems he’s relatively well-off.
It was mentioned in an interview* that fans would send Johnny expensive gifts in the mail -- like Chanel handbags -- because they knew he couldn’t afford them at the time. This isn’t limited to him. Denis Ten once received dog toys for his pet, and Yuzuru has received clothing. If a skater is well-loved, the fan base might send stuff that a skater wants but can't afford to splurge on or justify buying.
(*Caution that the interview, especially the second part, has traces of homophobia.)
Many skaters are from affluent families - the sport is one of the most expensive in the world - but there are plenty of skaters who start from poorer conditions and make it to the top through a combination of support, sacrifice, hard work, and grasping at opportunities. For a more drastic example, all it takes is a look at Plushenko’s life story to see that starting out with near nothing money-wise doesn’t mean a skater can’t rise to the top.
Tying It All Together
Victor doesn’t have much of a life outside of skating and Makkachin, so after the usual costs that come with competing and daily life, he’s likely saved quite a sum over the years. Perhaps Victor only splurges when it’s worthwhile. A condo and designer furniture are purchases that last for a long time-- and the times he’ll need a good suit are infrequent enough where he would be able to keep their condition for at least a year. He might buy several coats and a collection of suits which last him years. Good clothes, good personal products, and a few good books every now-and-then for his expansive library…
One must remember that he’s been competing internationally since he was at least 13 years old, and likely starting to earn enough himself to cover most costs from the time he was winning Euros at 18. Ten more years of success, with five of those being literal golden years, and he’s at the point where he can ship half of his stuff across the world without worrying too much about his bank account. He seems in touch with economics enough to know how to spend and save money (“if only the euro was down~”), and while we see him furnishing a room at the start of his stay in Yutopia, we have little comparison for spending practices during the rest of his time in Hasetsu, have no comparison for prior years, and this year is the first he feels like he’s living. Of course he’ll go all-out to start this new and exciting chapter.
For all that YOI tells us that he’s a Living Legend and shows us the kind of media attention he receives, Victor’s lofty image is deconstructed throughout the season so we see him as a lovable person rather than an icon. Watching his personal life while focused around Yuuri’s journey means we don’t see exactly how much of the face of figure skating he is, and as a result it’s easy to forget all that it entails.
roseofenglandstuff replied to your post: It gets really tiring when it’s been 18 minutes of...
Sherlock? ��
Lol, I’m waiting for the new season to be on Netflix so i can watch that. No, it was an anime but I’ve now found out what was being called “episode 01″ was just a prologue, which makes the confusing scenes less jarring
I grew up in the 90s and roller blades were considered old fashioned already. This is 80s at the very least xD
lol true! Rollerblades were definitely first visibly around in the 80s, but they didn’t get international retail distribution / competition inclusion / all that good stuff until the beginning of the 90s, which makes sense, because I grew up in Canada (also in the 90s *old people on tumblr highfive YEAH*), so the 90s was when they really got big where I lived, all the cool kids had them, etc. (I lived on an unpaved road so they wouldn’t have done me any good and I WAS SO SAD let me just tell you)
Mostly they just made a hilarious ‘era’ contrast with the rollerskates in the artwork, ngl :D
Love the house and of course the new comic. Poor Viktor xD Chris had it coming. One question though, who cleans this huge house? With how much they all travel I doubt they could do it alone. D=
LOL Thank you~! ^ ^
Yuuri wants to clean it. And he refused to move into it if they needed to hire maids which is what Victor initially wanted to do (”There’s 5 able-bodied adults here, if we can’t clean it ourselves it means it’s too big!”), so Phichit offered a compromise by buying a small army of cleaning robots ^ ^;
(I mean yeah guys, assuming “canon” YOI is set more or less in 2016ish, they move into the house approx 6 years later so...the Future haha)
I love your new pictures of Victor and Phichit when they're older. They aged so well <3 Since you mentioned the triplets a few times, will we get to see them when they're older?
Thanks! :’D I’m actually pretty proud (gasp! how rare) of how those turned out, just in terms of showing visual and hopefully realistic aging ^ ^
YUP I have a few things in the works with the triplets ^ ^ They’re around a LOT.
Glad to see you're back, I really missed your YoI artwork. I've gone through all of them several times by now and I absolutely love them. One question to the ABO AU. We see Yasha wearing a team Japan jacket in the newest post, does that mean all of their kids take on Yuuri's nationality? Is that regulated by laws or did the parents decide? What about the nationalities of their fathers? Could they hold more than one citizenship?
I only took one week off, I usually assume the vast majority of my followers neither keep track of my exact posting schedule nor particularly notice my absence, though my anxiety often screams at me that everyone will hate me and get bored of my work if I ever take any time off ^ ^;
All of the kids are dual citizenship (with the exception of Yuuji who’s only Japanese) until they’re 18 (technically unless they don’t report cough). Tbh I gave Yasha the Japan jacket bc I was in a rush and it was easier to draw than Russia >.>; I feel nationality becomes a bit more relevant when they’re representing countries in international competitions, but they’re not there yet so I’ll leave it vague for now. All the fathers currently keep their original citizenships as they haven’t permanently settled in one location but rather live in several.
