So, in the most recent behind the scenes video (vol. 11), Atsuki mentioned that Segasaki and Yoh's meeting takes place 5 years ago. I've been trying to figure out the timeline of everything and think I've got it (deductive reasoning under the cut)
We know from the show itself, the BTS and the manga artist:
5 years ago: First meeting
3 years ago: Proposal
Just over a year ago: Yoh pulled Man-san into the Segasaki Fandom
4 months ago: Started living together (around Mar/Apr)
We also know from the weather reports/contextual information that:
Proposal was on a day where "it was unusually hot for the season" - Either Spring or Autumn
Ep 1 ends/Ep 2 starts with the start of the rainy season - ~ May/June
Ep 3 - Rainy season is ending - ~End of July/Start of August
Ep 4 - 6 - Summer ~July/August
Ep 7 - Very hot weather, with a Typhoon - Summer Typhoon ~August
When was the Proposal?
To become a meteorologist in Japan, the usual route is to study related subjects at university (4 years), and then take the national licensing exam (which has a pass rate of about 4-5% btw). This exam can be taken whilst in university too.
We know that during Segasaki's proposal, he was pretty confident about getting a high pay, so it's likely he already had a job offer by then. The academic year in Japan starts in April, and the average Japanese university student will began preparing to enter the job search (yes this is An Annual Event, like the great migration š ) around June of their 3rd year. After internship, interviews etc, job confirmations and contract signings will usually come around Sep/Oct of their 4th year. So, my guess is that Segasaki completed the licensing exam sometime before he started his job search, probably did pretty well during his internship and interviews, and so was pretty confident that he'd get signed even before he received any confirmation. This puts his proposal to around the end of his 3rd year to before Oct of his 4th year. Given that the day of the proposal was unusually hot, we're probably looking at Spring, aka Mar/April/May, which fits with the end of his 3rd year/early 4th year.
When did they first meet?
So, if they met 5 years from "now", then that would be 2 years before the proposal, putting Segasaki at the end of his 1st year/early 2nd year. Given that Segasaki is Yoh's senior in university, and the clothes they're wearing, I'm guessing this is sometime in April, ie the start of the new academic year. Thus, Segasaki has just started Year 2, and Yoh has just started Year 1.
When did they start living together?
Since they are 1 year apart in terms of school years, then it is likely that Yoh graduated 1 year after the proposal, which leaves us with an additional 1 year after his graduation where he was likely living alone/wherever he was during school, before he moved in with Segasaki. This was the time he introduced Man-san to Everyday Weather (the shot of him is so tight you can't really tell if he is in Segasaki's house or not, but if my math is math-ing right, then he probably isn't).
I have seen a lot of discourse in the English-speaking fandom surrounding Segasaki's apparent dismissal or trivializing of Yoh's desire to pursue his manga, and most of it is negative. His comments about wanting Yoh to remain dependent on him, or that Yoh does not need to earn money are seen as patronizing or controlling at best and oppressive at worst. It appears that Segasaki does not understand nor respect Yoh's need for independence, and that is what strains their relationship.
But what if I asked you to consider that Segasaki's behaviour is actually an invitation to Yoh to reinforce their relationship? And what if I told you that Yoh's withdrawal from Segasaki constitutes a rejection of that invitation, and it is that rejection that strains their relationship instead?
Of course, the end result is the same - a strained relationship - and in reality there is never one side wholly responsible for this. The point of this is to simply challenge the cultural notion that a successful relationship is the coming together of two equally independent individuals, as opposed to the co-creation of a relationship formed by two interdependent individuals.
"If only you could stay drunk forever..."
"It's okay to feel down again for me too you know"
- Segasaki, Ep 4, Ep 5
This isn't about Segasaki wanting to keep Yoh is helpless and dependent on him, but about wanting Yoh to be able to be true to his feelings and express his own desire for affection honestly, without having to hide behind "I hate you" or rejection.
Or, let's try and talk about how Segasaki and Yoh reinforce their relationship through the use of amae (featuring a brief mention of tatemae/honne) who am I kidding this is not brief at all
First: Cultural Context
The way people conceptualize and make meaning of the Self differs between Western and East Asian cultures, and this plays into the differences we see in the basis for our self-esteem, the personal attributes that we value, and even what constitutes the behavior of a mature individual. Broadly speaking, Western cultures tend towards the Independent Self Construal (whereby the Self is a distinct entity separate from others) whereas East Asian cultures tend towards Interdependent Self-Construal (whereby the Self is connected to and defined by relationships with others). Thus, in the West, expressing one's individuality is very important for one's self-esteem, and being able to communicate clearly and confidently is valued and a sign of maturity. Conversely, in the East, one's ability to integrate and become a member of the group is prized, and contributes significantly to one's self esteem. In order to be seen as a mature individual, one must learn not only to read a social situation but also how to modify one's behavior in order to respond to the changing demands of that situation, with the ultimate goal being to maintain group harmony.
tl;dr - In East Asian culture, behaviors and attitudes that emphasize interdependence and promote group harmony actually play a big role in reinforcing relationships and one's membership towards the group.
Segasaki is an expert at this - his "public mode" that Yoh refers to actually shows us how good he is at social interactions. This is the Japanese concept of tatemae/honne (crudely translated as public self/private feelings) - which I could link to a bunch of articles for you, but I'm going to suggest you check out this 9 min street interview instead. At 6:41, one of the interviewees comments that another is sunao, or "honest" (we'll cover this later too) and at 6:49 specifically talks about how reading situations is important as an adult. Segasaki reads the room well, but most importantly, he reads Yoh well.
Yoh is not good at this, at all. In Ep 6, we see that he does not integrate well with the group, and he doesn't realize how he might appear to others when he stares and sketches from afar. Yoh does not read the room well because he doesn't pick up on social cues and does not adhere to social norms (I'll point these out in Ep 6's corrections). He cannot read Segasaki, and especially cannot read Segasaki's amae, or his attempts at reinforcing their relationship. Part of this is because his low self-esteem causes him to withdraw from Segasaki's affection as a means of self-protection, and so he valiantly tries to deny his feelings for Segasaki. As Man-san commented in Ep 4, Yoh is not sunao - he has difficulty with being true/honest about his feelings, even to himself.
Sunao is another term that usually pops up when talking about feelings/relationships. It can be used to describe one's relationship with oneself, as well as the relationship with another/group. With oneself, it is usually used to mean "being honest/truthful/straightforward/frank/open-minded about one's feelings". With another person/group, it is usually used to mean "to cooperate/listen/be obedient, or "to be humble/open-minded". In essence, the word encompasses an ideal virtue that is often taught from early childhood - that we should treat both ourselves and others with humility and honesty, because that is how we accept ourselves and stay in harmony with other. This is what becoming an adult, or gaining maturity, means (not gaining independence, as adulthood is often equated to in the West - do you see a running theme here š). Of course, that's actually really hard to do, so you'll often hear children (and immature adults too) chided for "not being sunao" (this can therefore sound patronizing if you're not careful). We'll revisit this in a little bit.
Second: What is Amae?
Amae is a key component in Japanese relationships, both intimate and non-intimate. It happens every day, in a variety of different interactions, between a variety of different people. But it is often seen as strange or weird, and those unfamiliar with the concept can feel uncomfortable with it. This stems from the difference in self-construal - because independence is tied so strongly to an individual's self-image in the West, it is very hard to fathom why behavior that emphasizes interdependence could be looked upon favorably. It is telling that every possible English translation of the word "amae" carries a negative connotation, when in Japanese it can be both negative or positive. The original subtitles translated it as "clingy", for example. Other common translations include "dependence", "to act like a child/infant", "to act helpless", "to act spoiled", "coquettish", "seeking indulgence", "being naive" etc.
From A Multifaceted View of the Concept of Amae: Reconsidering the Indigenous Japanese Concept of Relatedness by Kazuko Y Behrens
*Note - the word "presumed" or "presumption" or "expectation" or "assumption" used in the above definition and in the rest of this post, can give the impression that all of amae is premeditated, which adds a calculative component to this concept. Whilst amae can indeed be used in a manipulative manner (benign or otherwise), it is not the case for every single situation, and often amae that seeks affection is often spontaneous and without thought, precisely because the situation allows for it to appear organically. This is the amae that Segasaki and Yoh most often exchange - so think of these assumptions and expectations as "unconscious/subconscious" thought processes.
Third: Amae Between Segasaki and Yoh
Yoh shows a lot of amae when he is drunk:
He whines, buries himself into Segasaki's embrace, refuses to move or let go of him, and keeps repeating "no". In these interactions, Yoh wants Segasaki's affection, but instead of asking, he does, well, this, and he presumes that Segasaki will indulge his behavior. Leaving to get some fresh air might not be as obvious - but it is a form of amae as well, because Man-san is his guest, not Segasaki's, and he shouldn't be leaving Segasaki to entertain her. The expectation that this is okay, and that neither of them will fault him for it, is what makes it amae.
Segasaki obviously enjoys indulging Yoh when Yoh does amae, because he recognises this as Yoh's request for affection from him. It's not that Segasaki enjoys Yoh in this drunk, helpless state; it's not even that Segasaki feels reassured by Yoh's requests for affection. Segasaki knows Yoh likes him, and recognizes that Yoh is struggling with those feelings. That Yoh is actually able to do amae to Segasaki is what delights him the most, because it is something that requires a lot of trust in Segasaki and a willingness to be vulnerable in front of him. This is how amae reinforces relationships - when a request for amae is granted, both the giver and the receiver experience pleasant feelings.
That said, an amae request can also be perceived negatively - if amae is excessive, or if the person responding feels they are obligated to do so. In Ep 5, Man-san chides Yoh for his amae - the fact that he expected to do well from the beginning, and became upset when he failed. He told her about his unemployment, presuming that she would comfort him, but alas.
Segasaki also does amae - but unfortunately Yoh misses many of his cues, and so neither of them really gain pleasant feelings from the interaction (ok so maybe Segasaki does, but I will argue that is more because Segasaki also enjoys it when Yoh obeys him - see @lutawolf's posts for the D/s perspective on this!).
Did you catch it? Segasaki wants Yoh to pass him the Soy Sauce, which, clearly, he is capable of getting himself. He tells Yoh to feed him, because he wants Yoh's affection. And the real kicker - he asked for curry, and expected Yoh to know he wanted pork. In all these interactions, Segasaki presumes that Yoh will indulge him and do for him things he can do himself perfectly well (and even better at that) - this is what makes this amae. But look at Yoh's reactions:
Yoh just stares between the Soy Sauce and Segasaki, between Segasaki and his food, and then just at Segasaki himself. He doesn't recognise any of this as amae, and in the case of feeding Segasaki makes the conclusion that this is somehow a new slave duty he's acquired. And therefore, he does not gain pleasant feelings from it.
In Ep 3 we see a turning point in Yoh's behaviour - his first (sober) attempt at amae (the argument in Ep 2 is debatable - it's not amae from Yoh's POV, but Segasaki responds as if it were, with a head pat and a "when you get drunk, you talk a lot don't you?").
Here, Yoh wants to express his desire for Segasaki's affection, but he can't bring himself to say it aloud. Instead, he dumps bedsheets on Segasaki's lap, as if the bigger the scene he makes the greater the intensity of his desire he can convey. It is the presumption that Segasaki will understand him that makes this amae. And then, we get this:
Not only a happy Segasaki and a sweetly shy Yoh, but also a Yoh who's emboldened by Segasaki's response, and who finally, for the first time, reciprocates touch, and considers the possibility that Segasaki might actually like him.
With every episode, Yoh gets more and more comfortable with doing amae towards Segasaki, because Segasaki picks up on his cues and always responds to them. In Ep 5, Yoh's amae comes out naturally, triggered by the stress of his unemployment, and we see it in all those moments he sounds and acts like a child, and as I mentioned, Segasaki spends the whole episode reassuring Yoh that his amae is welcomed, and that Segasaki likes responding to it. If you've been wondering why the relationship between Segasaki and Yoh can, at times, feel somewhat parental in nature - this is it. It's because Segasaki sees the contradiction between Yoh's childlike insistence that he does not like Segasaki and his desire for Segasaki's attention and affection, for what it really is - Yoh's struggle with accepting himself. When Yoh is able to be sunao, he does amae naturally, and Segasaki responds to him in kind.
Now, all we need is for Yoh to recognize when Segasaki does amae, which will likely happen soon, given that Yoh has grown with every episode.
UtsuKare proves that bittersweet, angst with happy ending is still the top position in the genre I like. Especially if the story is executed with the right portion. This series immediately entered the top ranks of my favorite BL dramas.
Do you want a drama that is told from POV of first person? (Unreliable narrator tho) bittersweet problematic relationship with frustrating sexual tension? But precisely because it's problematic that this couple can be together.
Adapted from a novel by award-winning author Nagira Yuu. Utsukushii Kare consists of 3 volumes which was released 7 years ago.
This 6-episodes drama covers stories from volume 1.
Due to the overwhelming enthusiasm for this series. They will be working on a follow-up series of Utsukushii Kare in movie format. Based on the story in second volume, Nikurashii Kare.
I was going to put up a masterlist of my translations and then decided I might as well compile a list of all the Guardian éé novel translations that I know of, so theyāre available in one place for your convenient reading. :D This also includes links to some meta posts and name/honorific discussion.Ā ā„ to my fellow Guardian fans.
Thanks to Yume https://chocolatemix.wordpress.com/ for give permission to use their translation Original Video link https://www.bilibili.com/video/av26263269/
Fan Trailer of Heaven Official Blessing [Engsub]
subtitle by me
English Translation by Yume
actually Iāve done this few months ago, just too lazy to upload it.Ā
this is kinda an interest check, i guess. no promises since i have so little free time right now and my chinese isnāt that great, but weāll see how things go.Ā
question: which scenes from the prequel should i work on first?
A) prequel chapter 7: how wang jiexi became tiny herbās captain and āthe magicianā (note: iām already more than halfway done this, currently at about 5500 words, so this will probably get published first no matter what tbh. for comparison, the chapter 1 that i translated was only about 1500 words long.)
B) summer days of blue rain: all or almost all appearances of yu wenzhou, huang shaotian, wei chen, and fang shijing in the early days, plus possibly some original content. (note: of these options, this will probably take the longest to finish, at least a month but probably more like several months)
C) more scenes focusing on ye xiu and su muqiu (i have two in mind at the moment: when Glory opened its first server, and a scene between ye xiu and su mucheng after su muqiuās death. possibly might do more)
reblog if you want more ppl to see this (and give me more motivation haha). also if you have other suggestions feel free to let me know (but again, no promises)
The Summer We Were Fifteen (QZGS bonus prequel chapter)
QZGS author Butterfly Blue also wrote several prequel chapters to QZGS in a collection calledĀ āThe Summit of Gloryā (å· å³°č£č).Ā
I wanted to try translating all of it, but itās a hefty 92k words longā¦ However, this first chapter, featuring a fateful encounter between two siblings and a runaway, was short enough for me to manage. I hope you guys like it!Ā
(Iāll make a separate post with links to the rest of the chapters, and if thereās interest, Iāll do detailed recaps of them.)
One time, when Chen Guo was bored, she secretly made some calculations: if she charged Ye Xiu according to the Internet Cafeās usual fees, then Ye Xiu would be paying twice the salary he gets.
this was the first time she had seen anyone utilize the Internet Cafe employee benefits to such a level.
Whoever said trash, stand where you are! let me teach you how to spell trash! a bunch of level 33 players and you''re afraid of a tiny level 27 Blade Master? If I'm trash, then what are you? Maybe you're non-recyclable trash?Ā Completely worthless trash? Thatās right! Iām talking about you guys! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14 pieces of trash running nice and orderly! Are you all lining up waiting to be put in the dumpster? But wait! Did you forget that you were non-recyclable? Have some awareness! You should just dig a hole to bury yourself in there! Stop polluting the environment. Every second you exist
