Suzaku Ibun: Mount Koku Arc, Pt. 5
Happy Spring Season Premiere Week, everyone!
I don't know if I've mentioned this recently, but I love the future. Remember when you used to have to wait 3-5 years for an anime series to get released on dub-only VHS? Or when you had to spend an hour downloading a single fansubbed episode? Or bootlegs! Please tell me the rest of you remember the magnificent anime black market of really, terribly subtitled bootlegged DVD box sets?
And now? Legal, simulcast anime delivered straight to my television, a mere 6-12 hours after it's aired in Japan! God bless you, Digital Age. You've made being a nerd so very much easier (not to mention affordable).
So far Spring 2014 looks like it has the potential to be something special. But then, I thought that last year and a lot of the shows turned out to be a bit disappointing down the stretch, so we'll see. Fingers crossed that the rest of the season will live up to the promise of its premieres. Either way, we get more Mushishi, and no season featuring Mushishi could be considered a bad one. ^_^
Oh, right-I didn't just come here to talk like an old person. I'm aiming to get the Koku Arc wrapped up by Sunday, so I figured I'd sweep in today with Part 5, then finish everything up with Part 6 this weekend. So let's do that, shall we?
--------
Hikitsu: You’re a rude lot.
Tasuki: Says th’ bastard who shoots people on sight!
Tasuki: REKKA... SHIN’EN!
*flashes red*
It's a song of ice and fire, you guys!
-!!
Hikitsu: Hmph... This is pointless.
Tasuki: N-nothin’!?
You: Tasuki! Behind you!
*flashes white*
*swipe*
Tasuki: Whoa!
Tasuki: That was clo~se...
Tomite: You dodged it?
Tasuki: ‘Course I did! Don’t you dare underestimate th’ Lightning-Quick Phantom Wolf!
Tomite: ...Next time I won’t miss!
Tamahome: There won’t be a next time!
Tomite: What!?
Tamahome: Take that!
*swipe*
Tamahome grabbed and struck Tomite all in one motion-
But the Genbu warriors stood there as if nothing had happened.
Tamahome: Wh-wh-wha!?
Tamahome: What the hell are you!?
Chiriko: I was afraid of this.
Chiriko: Both of you, please be careful!
Chiriko: They do not have corporeal bodies!
Tamahome: What!?
Tasuki: What’re you talkin’ about?
Tomite: Our bodies perished a long time ago.
Tomite: But our souls chose to stay behind.
Tomite: There’s no way we’re going to let you people destroy our resolve.
Hikitsu: All thieves are fated to die here.
Hikitsu: You’d best repent your foolishness on your way to the underworld.
Tasuki: N-no fair! Real men are s’posed t’fight with their flesh-’n’-blood fists!
Tamahome: ...So you’ve got no bodies at all.
Tomite: Now you truly see our devotion to the Priestess of Genbu!
Tamahome: Dammit... We gotta find some way to break through their defenses!
You: Wait...
Tasuki: This ain’t the time fer waitin’! These guys’re attackin’ us!
You: Please, wait!
Tasuki: ...Wha... what’s with you?
You: Let me do the talking.
You: Honored Genbu Warriors, please listen to what I have to say.
Tomite: Are you volunteering for target practice?!
Hikitsu: ...Wait.
Tomite: Wh-what’re you saying!?
Hikitsu: Speak your piece.
You: And you’ll listen to my story, please?
Hikitsu: Whatever you’re planning, it cannot destroy us.
Hikitsu: In that case... we can at least hear what you have to say.
You: ...Thank you very much.
You: No matter the cost, I have to summon Suzaku.
You: If I don’t, then a lot of people are going to die.
You: If I don’t, then I won’t be able to save... my dear friend.
I knelt before them and bowed my head.
You: I beg of you. I’ll do whatever it takes.
You: So...
You: Please grant me the precious item that you have been protecting.
Tomite: Could you be... a priestess?
You: Yes, sir... I am the Priestess of Suzaku.
Tomite: What are you trying to steal from us?
Tomite: You should at least know what it’s called.
Hikitsu: The Priestess of Suzaku, hm...? In that case, you may be qualified to bear the Shinzaho.
Tomite: Hey, Hikitsu!
Hikitsu: However... you can say it as many times as you like, but it does not prove that you’re the priestess.
Hikitsu: Are you prepared to die for this?
You: No, sir, I am not.
Hikitsu: And why is that?
You: Because it’s my mission to live and summon Suzaku.
You: There’s no way I can die before I do that.
Hikitsu: ...Undergo a trial. If you endure to the end, we’ll let you pass.
Hikitsu: If you fail, you die.
You: ...Understood.
Hikitsu: Since you’re not prepared to die, you won’t do it?
You: Because I’m prepared to survive, I will do it.
Mitsukake: Wait! What are you planning to do!?
You: Mitsukake, thank you. But it’s fine.
Mitsukake: But...
You: I’ve been thinking about it all this time. You’re all so resolute. I want to live up to that, too.
You: Is this really all I have to do-just sit back and let you guys keep me safe?
You: I’m not strong enough.
You: Because I’m not dedicated enough.
Hikitsu: Tomite, if you would.
Tomite: Oh… Right.
Tomite: You’re really okay with this?
You: Yes, sir.
Tomite: ...Okay, then.
A cold chill started spreading through my body.
*crackle of ice*
He froze me little by little, from the feet up.
You: Ur… ngh...
...Ice was crawling up my body.
Tasuki: Tch... I can’t watch this! REKKA-
Chichiri: We’ll stand by no da.
Tasuki: Wh-what’s with you!?
Chichiri: Those weren’t empty words. Our priestess is truly prepared for this no da.
Chichiri: I believe in her no da.
…..
Tasuki: ...Okay.
=screen goes white=
Finally my entire body was frozen.
Tomite: She’s frozen solid...
...I could just barely hear his voice.
Tomite: Hey... Are we really gonna kill her?
Hikitsu: The fate that awaits a priestess is harsh one.
Hikitsu: Even assuming she is the Priestess of Suzaku, if she would die from something like this, then-
Hikitsu: Then letting her die here would be a mercy.
--------
Translation Note:
I would like to take a moment to comment on the word 覚悟 (kakugo) which dictionaries will translate as “resolution,” “readiness,” “preparedness,” etc., but which has a very long connotation of “I’m so dedicated to this cause/person/thing that I’d do anything for it.” And freaking everyone is tossing this word around in this sequence. So I ended up translating it about eight different ways, including “resolve” and “dedication.”
--------
That's all for now! I'll be back sometime this weekend with the end of the Koku Arc. Until then, enjoy your (hopefully) nice weather, and try not to OD on anime pilots.
Cheers,
Dee ~_^
I don't know if I've mentioned this recently, but I love the future. Remember when you used to have to wait 3-5 years for an anime series to get released on dub-only VHS? Or when you had to spend an hour downloading a single fansubbed episode? Or bootlegs! Please tell me the rest of you remember the magnificent anime black market of really, terribly subtitled bootlegged DVD box sets?
And now? Legal, simulcast anime delivered straight to my television, a mere 6-12 hours after it's aired in Japan! God bless you, Digital Age. You've made being a nerd so very much easier (not to mention affordable).
So far Spring 2014 looks like it has the potential to be something special. But then, I thought that last year and a lot of the shows turned out to be a bit disappointing down the stretch, so we'll see. Fingers crossed that the rest of the season will live up to the promise of its premieres. Either way, we get more Mushishi, and no season featuring Mushishi could be considered a bad one. ^_^
Oh, right-I didn't just come here to talk like an old person. I'm aiming to get the Koku Arc wrapped up by Sunday, so I figured I'd sweep in today with Part 5, then finish everything up with Part 6 this weekend. So let's do that, shall we?
--------
Hikitsu: You’re a rude lot.
Tasuki: Says th’ bastard who shoots people on sight!
Tasuki: REKKA... SHIN’EN!
*flashes red*
It's a song of ice and fire, you guys!
-!!
Hikitsu: Hmph... This is pointless.
Tasuki: N-nothin’!?
You: Tasuki! Behind you!
*flashes white*
*swipe*
Tasuki: Whoa!
Tasuki: That was clo~se...
Tomite: You dodged it?
Tasuki: ‘Course I did! Don’t you dare underestimate th’ Lightning-Quick Phantom Wolf!
Tomite: ...Next time I won’t miss!
Tamahome: There won’t be a next time!
Tomite: What!?
Tamahome: Take that!
*swipe*
Tamahome grabbed and struck Tomite all in one motion-
But the Genbu warriors stood there as if nothing had happened.
Tamahome: Wh-wh-wha!?
Tamahome: What the hell are you!?
Chiriko: I was afraid of this.
Chiriko: Both of you, please be careful!
Chiriko: They do not have corporeal bodies!
Tamahome: What!?
Tasuki: What’re you talkin’ about?
Tomite: Our bodies perished a long time ago.
Tomite: But our souls chose to stay behind.
Tomite: There’s no way we’re going to let you people destroy our resolve.
Hikitsu: All thieves are fated to die here.
Hikitsu: You’d best repent your foolishness on your way to the underworld.
Tasuki: N-no fair! Real men are s’posed t’fight with their flesh-’n’-blood fists!
Tamahome: ...So you’ve got no bodies at all.
Tomite: Now you truly see our devotion to the Priestess of Genbu!
Tamahome: Dammit... We gotta find some way to break through their defenses!
You: Wait...
Tasuki: This ain’t the time fer waitin’! These guys’re attackin’ us!
You: Please, wait!
Tasuki: ...Wha... what’s with you?
You: Let me do the talking.
You: Honored Genbu Warriors, please listen to what I have to say.
Tomite: Are you volunteering for target practice?!
Hikitsu: ...Wait.
Tomite: Wh-what’re you saying!?
Hikitsu: Speak your piece.
You: And you’ll listen to my story, please?
Hikitsu: Whatever you’re planning, it cannot destroy us.
Hikitsu: In that case... we can at least hear what you have to say.
You: ...Thank you very much.
You: No matter the cost, I have to summon Suzaku.
You: If I don’t, then a lot of people are going to die.
You: If I don’t, then I won’t be able to save... my dear friend.
I knelt before them and bowed my head.
You: I beg of you. I’ll do whatever it takes.
You: So...
You: Please grant me the precious item that you have been protecting.
Tomite: Could you be... a priestess?
You: Yes, sir... I am the Priestess of Suzaku.
Tomite: What are you trying to steal from us?
Tomite: You should at least know what it’s called.
Hikitsu: The Priestess of Suzaku, hm...? In that case, you may be qualified to bear the Shinzaho.
Tomite: Hey, Hikitsu!
Hikitsu: However... you can say it as many times as you like, but it does not prove that you’re the priestess.
Hikitsu: Are you prepared to die for this?
You: No, sir, I am not.
Hikitsu: And why is that?
You: Because it’s my mission to live and summon Suzaku.
You: There’s no way I can die before I do that.
Hikitsu: ...Undergo a trial. If you endure to the end, we’ll let you pass.
Hikitsu: If you fail, you die.
You: ...Understood.
Hikitsu: Since you’re not prepared to die, you won’t do it?
You: Because I’m prepared to survive, I will do it.
Mitsukake: Wait! What are you planning to do!?
You: Mitsukake, thank you. But it’s fine.
Mitsukake: But...
You: I’ve been thinking about it all this time. You’re all so resolute. I want to live up to that, too.
You: Is this really all I have to do-just sit back and let you guys keep me safe?
You: I’m not strong enough.
You: Because I’m not dedicated enough.
Hikitsu: Tomite, if you would.
Tomite: Oh… Right.
Tomite: You’re really okay with this?
You: Yes, sir.
Tomite: ...Okay, then.
A cold chill started spreading through my body.
*crackle of ice*
He froze me little by little, from the feet up.
You: Ur… ngh...
...Ice was crawling up my body.
Tasuki: Tch... I can’t watch this! REKKA-
Chichiri: We’ll stand by no da.
Tasuki: Wh-what’s with you!?
Chichiri: Those weren’t empty words. Our priestess is truly prepared for this no da.
Chichiri: I believe in her no da.
…..
Tasuki: ...Okay.
=screen goes white=
Finally my entire body was frozen.
Tomite: She’s frozen solid...
...I could just barely hear his voice.
Tomite: Hey... Are we really gonna kill her?
Hikitsu: The fate that awaits a priestess is harsh one.
Hikitsu: Even assuming she is the Priestess of Suzaku, if she would die from something like this, then-
Hikitsu: Then letting her die here would be a mercy.
--------
Translation Note:
I would like to take a moment to comment on the word 覚悟 (kakugo) which dictionaries will translate as “resolution,” “readiness,” “preparedness,” etc., but which has a very long connotation of “I’m so dedicated to this cause/person/thing that I’d do anything for it.” And freaking everyone is tossing this word around in this sequence. So I ended up translating it about eight different ways, including “resolve” and “dedication.”
--------
That's all for now! I'll be back sometime this weekend with the end of the Koku Arc. Until then, enjoy your (hopefully) nice weather, and try not to OD on anime pilots.
Cheers,
Dee ~_^