Translations of Arakawa-sensei's messages
Hello, everyone. On fm_alchemist, bob_fish shared some screencaps of the new sketches from Arakawa-sensei. Well, they're technically a few months old, since they surfaced sometime late last year, but I still say they're new as they haven't been released anywhere else. bob_fish was looking for someone who could translate the messages on the pics, and since I felt like practicing my Japanese (which, I fear, is growing rusty again - and no, I am still not good or fluent in it, though I hope to be), I decided to try translating them.
My Japanese isn't that good (but I have an electronic dictionary to help me out), so please bear with me. :) I'll translate the pics one at a time, and to the best of my abilities. If I may have made any mistakes, please correct me.
Oh, and also, the messages read pretty much like a stream-of-consciousness piece. Sentences may not be related to each other, okay?
As of 2/18/2011, 7:15 pm, Manila time, I'm done translating all the messages.
2/19/2011, 10:30 am, Manila time (GMT +8): I added some clarification re: "lovers," because people have been asking.
Okay, here goes!
Team Mustang
Between the superior and subordinate, they go equally well as family, lovers and whatnot.[1]
Especially since they fought together, there exists a bond that was born amongst them.
But, going over things again, I see that Roy is overwhelmingly popular!
He'd prefer that Ed give him back his 520 cenz soon.
Xing
Just like Buccaneer, who had to make an exit from the story, I received warm messages [for Fu], and now I feel like relaying [these messages] before his grave.
Live on and return to your country. Do your best, for Ran Fan's sake, for Ling's sake.
Sending an automail expert to that country is a must.
...Mr. Garfield?
Briggs
Aside from these messages, fan letters have continued to pour in, and Scar fans are surprisingly many. However, this is not reflected in the regular popularity polls! Most of his fans must be the shy type, huh?
Also, Kimblee is surprisingly popular!
"He respects others' opinions. Also, he won't stand for twisted actions[2]," someone wrote. Makes you sound like a really good person, huh, Kimblee...
Homunculi
I got the feeling that the homunculi, who openly thought that humans stink, are popular. Envy was very popular from the very start. Envy?! Everyone feels sympathy for Envy?! As such, I and you, dear reader, are opposed. I'd flare up and hatefully make comments such as, "Damn you!"
I got a message for Greed: "He's such a hunk!" Such good words! Thank you very much!
Risembool + May
Surely, May has learned how to make an apple pie from Winry. This is a picture of "a tremendous attack for Al!"
With regard to Winry, I laughed at the many messages saying something like "It must be troublesome to take care of Ed, isn't it?" How little confidence she has in our protagonist![3]
Ed and Al
Because Al was so happy after getting his body back, I was happy that I could draw a scene of him eating.
I was really happy to know that all of you readers were as happy as I was that Al got his body back.
Ed and Al are moving here and there but this planet is round, so they'll most likely meet on opposite sides as the world turns.
"A circle is a link. Destiny is a circle."[4]
Here and there as the world turns - everyone, please eagerly anticipate the day that we can meet again!
Last pic
Thank you for the enormous number of messages!
It was a fortunate and happy time, reading all those messages one by one.
With regard to leaving messages for each character, I would've liked to express my gratitude and pay tribute [to them], but I wasn't able to do so, and I'm sorry for having to omit some characters.
Really, for the main characters to be like this...[5]
And so, for each character to be honored to have this many fans, the Fullmetal Alchemist characters are very lucky people indeed!
Translation Notes
[1] I presume that this is referring to Roy and Riza, unless Arakawa-sensei intends to pair up everyone in Team Mustang. I was going to translate this as "they're equals when it comes to family and love," but the word "koibito," which means lover, was specifically used. I am not so sure about the translation of this one, so I could be wrong.
[2] This part baffled me at first. But then again, perhaps whoever wrote this thinks of Kimblee as Affably Evil, and respects Kimblee's code of honor, however twisted it is. XD (Sort-of Kimblee fan here, but I gotta admit that he really has a twisted code of honor.)
[3] Not sure about the translation of this sentence...
[4] This seems to be a quote, so there should probably be a better translation out there, but this is the best that I could do. Basically, the quote involves some wordplay. Both 円 and 縁 are pronounced as "en," though the former means "money" or "circle" (in fact, this is the kanji for "yen" as in the Japanese currency), while the latter means fate, destiny or a connection. I suppose this quote is about things coming full circle, as they should be.
[5] Not sure about the translation for this one. Also, it's implied that "like this" = to be so well-loved
***Re: "lovers"***
I would just like to clarify that I got the translation for "lovers" right. The specific word used was "恋人" (koibito), which means "lovers." What I am not sure about is how the sentence should be worded.
Here is the sentence:
上司，部下の間にも，家族恋人等に負けず劣らずな。
上司 = superior
部下 = subordinate
間 = between, space between, connection
家族 = family
等 = et cetera
負けず劣らず = Actually, this is my first time encountering this word. Basically, it means "neck to neck," "equal" or "as good as."
So, if I'm not mistaken, the sentence would basically be saying that Roy and Riza are compatible as family, lovers, etc.
Here's an alternative translation and interpretation by parkstar:
Even while superiors and subordinates, they're evenly matched as friends or lovers etc.
That's a bond born between people who've fought together.
Though every time I look, it's the Colonel that's really popular, huh!!
He wants to hurry up and get those 520 cenz back from Ed asap, y'know.
"The focus of the entire blurb is on "rank"-- the idea that even though their ranks are unequal in the military, they're equal as friends/lovers/whathaveyou because they all share a bond born between those who face war together. BUT that said, it's still the Colonel that's popular, LOL... and then there's a joke about how he wants to become fuhrer still and get those 520c back. At first I was confused by why she used "however" in the 3rd sentence but realized she was making a joke about ranks of all sorts, both in the military and meta popularity. (At least, that's what I assume that's about.)"
"I hate to say it, but I don't think the "lovers" is referring to Roy/Riza... I think it's more of a reference to the people they all are outside of the military, beyond rank. So in the military, Mustang may outrank Havoc, but they're equal as lovers. (Not with each other, but to their respective hypothetical lovers, one isn't better than the other... er, I guess you could view it as them being lovers together if you really wanted to too, though...)
Hahaha, I just realized she might be talking about what a playboy Roy-boy is, too!"
My Japanese isn't that good (but I have an electronic dictionary to help me out), so please bear with me. :) I'll translate the pics one at a time, and to the best of my abilities. If I may have made any mistakes, please correct me.
Oh, and also, the messages read pretty much like a stream-of-consciousness piece. Sentences may not be related to each other, okay?
As of 2/18/2011, 7:15 pm, Manila time, I'm done translating all the messages.
2/19/2011, 10:30 am, Manila time (GMT +8): I added some clarification re: "lovers," because people have been asking.
Okay, here goes!
Team Mustang
Between the superior and subordinate, they go equally well as family, lovers and whatnot.[1]
Especially since they fought together, there exists a bond that was born amongst them.
But, going over things again, I see that Roy is overwhelmingly popular!
He'd prefer that Ed give him back his 520 cenz soon.
Just like Buccaneer, who had to make an exit from the story, I received warm messages [for Fu], and now I feel like relaying [these messages] before his grave.
Live on and return to your country. Do your best, for Ran Fan's sake, for Ling's sake.
Sending an automail expert to that country is a must.
...Mr. Garfield?
Briggs
Aside from these messages, fan letters have continued to pour in, and Scar fans are surprisingly many. However, this is not reflected in the regular popularity polls! Most of his fans must be the shy type, huh?
Also, Kimblee is surprisingly popular!
"He respects others' opinions. Also, he won't stand for twisted actions[2]," someone wrote. Makes you sound like a really good person, huh, Kimblee...
Homunculi
I got the feeling that the homunculi, who openly thought that humans stink, are popular. Envy was very popular from the very start. Envy?! Everyone feels sympathy for Envy?! As such, I and you, dear reader, are opposed. I'd flare up and hatefully make comments such as, "Damn you!"
I got a message for Greed: "He's such a hunk!" Such good words! Thank you very much!
Risembool + May
Surely, May has learned how to make an apple pie from Winry. This is a picture of "a tremendous attack for Al!"
With regard to Winry, I laughed at the many messages saying something like "It must be troublesome to take care of Ed, isn't it?" How little confidence she has in our protagonist![3]
Ed and Al
Because Al was so happy after getting his body back, I was happy that I could draw a scene of him eating.
I was really happy to know that all of you readers were as happy as I was that Al got his body back.
Ed and Al are moving here and there but this planet is round, so they'll most likely meet on opposite sides as the world turns.
"A circle is a link. Destiny is a circle."[4]
Here and there as the world turns - everyone, please eagerly anticipate the day that we can meet again!
Last pic
Thank you for the enormous number of messages!
It was a fortunate and happy time, reading all those messages one by one.
With regard to leaving messages for each character, I would've liked to express my gratitude and pay tribute [to them], but I wasn't able to do so, and I'm sorry for having to omit some characters.
Really, for the main characters to be like this...[5]
And so, for each character to be honored to have this many fans, the Fullmetal Alchemist characters are very lucky people indeed!
Translation Notes
[1] I presume that this is referring to Roy and Riza, unless Arakawa-sensei intends to pair up everyone in Team Mustang. I was going to translate this as "they're equals when it comes to family and love," but the word "koibito," which means lover, was specifically used. I am not so sure about the translation of this one, so I could be wrong.
[2] This part baffled me at first. But then again, perhaps whoever wrote this thinks of Kimblee as Affably Evil, and respects Kimblee's code of honor, however twisted it is. XD (Sort-of Kimblee fan here, but I gotta admit that he really has a twisted code of honor.)
[3] Not sure about the translation of this sentence...
[4] This seems to be a quote, so there should probably be a better translation out there, but this is the best that I could do. Basically, the quote involves some wordplay. Both 円 and 縁 are pronounced as "en," though the former means "money" or "circle" (in fact, this is the kanji for "yen" as in the Japanese currency), while the latter means fate, destiny or a connection. I suppose this quote is about things coming full circle, as they should be.
[5] Not sure about the translation for this one. Also, it's implied that "like this" = to be so well-loved
***Re: "lovers"***
I would just like to clarify that I got the translation for "lovers" right. The specific word used was "恋人" (koibito), which means "lovers." What I am not sure about is how the sentence should be worded.
Here is the sentence:
上司，部下の間にも，家族恋人等に負けず劣らずな。
上司 = superior
部下 = subordinate
間 = between, space between, connection
家族 = family
等 = et cetera
負けず劣らず = Actually, this is my first time encountering this word. Basically, it means "neck to neck," "equal" or "as good as."
So, if I'm not mistaken, the sentence would basically be saying that Roy and Riza are compatible as family, lovers, etc.
Here's an alternative translation and interpretation by parkstar:
Even while superiors and subordinates, they're evenly matched as friends or lovers etc.
That's a bond born between people who've fought together.
Though every time I look, it's the Colonel that's really popular, huh!!
He wants to hurry up and get those 520 cenz back from Ed asap, y'know.
"The focus of the entire blurb is on "rank"-- the idea that even though their ranks are unequal in the military, they're equal as friends/lovers/whathaveyou because they all share a bond born between those who face war together. BUT that said, it's still the Colonel that's popular, LOL... and then there's a joke about how he wants to become fuhrer still and get those 520c back. At first I was confused by why she used "however" in the 3rd sentence but realized she was making a joke about ranks of all sorts, both in the military and meta popularity. (At least, that's what I assume that's about.)"
"I hate to say it, but I don't think the "lovers" is referring to Roy/Riza... I think it's more of a reference to the people they all are outside of the military, beyond rank. So in the military, Mustang may outrank Havoc, but they're equal as lovers. (Not with each other, but to their respective hypothetical lovers, one isn't better than the other... er, I guess you could view it as them being lovers together if you really wanted to too, though...)
Hahaha, I just realized she might be talking about what a playboy Roy-boy is, too!"