Translation Tools

June 24th, 2004

This is my list of go-to translation tools:

NJStar Communicator which allows me to type in kana or kanji from my keyboard

Jim Breen’s WWWJDIC Server, Translate Words Page, which allows me to type (or cut and paste) kanji directly into the box and get definitions. (Beware, though – this ONLY translates kanji well. It is seriously less good at hiragana and doesn’t account for most alternate forms of words.)

and

Jim Breen’s WWWJDIC Server, Multiradical Kanji Lookup. Since I don’t have a kanji dictionary at work, this page is invaluable. It allows me to find kanji I don’t already know, just by clicking on the radicals that make up the character.

And while I’m on the subject, I also frequently use Jeffrey’s Japanese-English Dictionary Server. This is a romaji translator, i.e., you put in the romaji spelling of a Japanese word (or an English one) and get the equivalent in the other language. My recommendation is to set the Japanese text image color to “black” and don’t use the in-line function. If you play around with this site, you’ll see what I mean.

When I’m at home, I use the NTC’s New Japanese-English Character Dictionary for kanji lookup. It’s pretty nifty, once you get used to it, I think.

and

Sanseido’s Concise Japanese-English Dictionary. This book is worth its weight in gold, I swear. Not only does it include common usage of any word, but frequently has idioms and slang, as well. I strongly recommend this book, especially if you’re reading manga that has unusual, or technical, terminology.

Anyway – there’s my “secrets” to translation, in case you ever wondered. ^_^

Posted in Now This Is Only My Opinion | 2 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Free Soul

June 23rd, 2004

Running in Josei monthly Feel Young, Free Soul is the story of a young manga artist, Keito. Having seen a photo of Yamaji-sensei, I can safely say that her protagonists look remarkably like herself (and gee, Keito’s a manga artist – how amazing! ^_^)

Free Soul is actually two stories – the story of Keito’s creation, a manga about Angie, a black jazz singer from New York, and Keito’s own story, as she meets and falls in love with mysterious, sexy Niki.

Angie’s story in some ways is the more compelling – we see Keito create her, bringing her to life, making her strong and real, until her story is as real as Keito’s, while Keito herself remains a little distant from us, even as she tries to find connection between herself and the people around her. Her affair with Niki is intense, but not entirely fulfilling, since we can see that Niki isn’t the kind of person that will stick around. Of course, eventually Niki breaks Keito’s heart and leaves, but in doing so, pretty much becomes more real to us as a person.

The end of Free Soul was both good and bad. Niki comes back abruptly, somewhat unrealistically, admitting that she realized that she loves Keito – but you know, it never felt right to me. Keito, for her part has grown enough that she doesn’t just collapse into Niki’s arms, but is willing to see how it pans out. So the girl does get the girl, and the protagonist grows slightly more real, but the ending didn’t satisfy me, somehow.

I think when I’ve had a chance to see it all collected into one volume, I’ll be able to assess the story as a whole. (I missed the first few chapters and had to play catch-up through the rest of the story…)

Nonetheless, as yet another seriously decent Josei Yuri manga, complete with happy ending, Free Soul has got to be high on the list of any serious Yuri fan. ^_^

Posted in Yamaji Ebine | 1 Comment »


Events: Off to Anime Next!

June 18th, 2004

I and a few other Yuricon folks will be spending our weekend at Anime Next.

We hope you’ll join us for the Yuri panel at 3:00PM on Saturday, in Panel Room 2 – but if you can’t get to that, then you can find us in the Dealer’s Room.

Drop by, say hi, buy some great Yuri manga and doujinshi, sign up for the Yuricon Mailing List and chat about you’re favorite yuri manga and anime!

Next week, I’ll have more Yuri reviews for you!

Posted in Events | No Comments »


Drama CD: Maria-sama ga Miteru 2

June 17th, 2004

Well, we’re still a few weeks away from the premiere of the second season of Maria-sama ga Miteru, but since I’m totally addicted to the continuing non-adventures of these girls, I keep feeding my habit with non-anime outlets.

This month, along with my regular dose of Margaret, for the chapter du mon, I splurged and purchased the second Drama CD for the series. This second CD completes the first arc of the anime, ending with Yumi becoming Sachiko’s petite soeur.

To be honest, nothing in this CD stands out as distinct from either the anime or the manga. On the whole, I liked the manga version of the end of this arc best, but the Drama CD was pretty much exactly like the anime – nothing taken away or added. If you’re audially fixated like I am, and want to be able to hear the voices anywhere you go, then definitely buy the CDs. If you’re happy with the anime, then the CDs will add nothing to your pleasure.

The manga still differs a little, and I think it’s a little closer to the novels in the fact that the characters more openly express their feelings, at least to themselves. You’ll never hear Rei say that she loves Yoshino in the anime, but you can read it in the manga or novel. I’m interested to get the Yellow Rose Revolution arc CDs and see if she says it there.

As for extras, there’s still no bonus track with the seiyuu, which disappointed me – I would have liked something similar to the Koi Shimai CD bonus tracks, but instead one gets fun stand-up plastic dolls of, this time, Yoshino and Shimako. I can only assume that if I purchase all of the upcoming CDs, then I’ll have the whole cast. (I suppose I can then make my own little scenarios…but I was never any good at playing with dolls that weren’t carrying guns. lol)

So, the ratings for the second CD are the same as the first, no change. Because I cannot bring my computer everywhere I go, it’s nice to have the option of hearing Yumi, Sachiko, Sei and the rest, whenever I want them. Like, now, at work. ^_^

In the meantime, I will wait with baited breath for the “Forest of Thorns” arc in the manga and Drama CD, so we can once again wallow in a young Sei’s lesbian angst. ^_^

Posted in Drama CD, Drama CDs & Audiobooks, Maria-sama ga Miteru | 2 Comments »


Drama CD: Koi Shimai 2

June 15th, 2004

It seems only moments ago that I reviewed the first Koi Shimai Drama CD, but actually, it was already over a month ago.

The second CD picks up where the first left off. A new student teacher has come to school – Hiiragi Touko. As befits a good anime/manga lesbian, she arrives on a motorcycle and has an indescribably sexy voice actress. In fact, Hiiragi-sensei is voiced by Park Romi, the seiyuu that so brilliantly voices Aikawa Maki in Air Master.

Haruna and Chika are happy enough being together, but they have never really talked about their feelings. When Touko-sensei shows an obvious, and wildly inappropriate, interest in Chika, Haruna withdraws into herself and watches Chika pull farther and farther away from her.

Touko-sensei flirts with Chika, takes her for rides on her bike – she’s openly dating Chika and doesn’t hesitate to tell the girl that she finds her attractive. Chika can’t help herself; Touko is too sexy to ignore. She confides in her friend Akiho that she is concerned because Haruna isn’t fighting for her and seems to be creating distance between them.

Akiho confronts Touko-sensei about the situation. She accuses Touko of trying to break Chika and Haruna up, but Touko only responds with a counter-accusation, that Akiho is really jealous of Chika, of the attention she gets from Haruna, because she wants Chika for herself. Akiho is just projecting that jealousy onto her, Touko. Because this strikes close to home, Akiho is sobered, but she still feels that Touko-sensei should leave Chika alone.

Crisis looms when Chika spends a quiet moment with Touko-sensei. When Touko begins to seduce her, Chika can’t stand the pressure and runs away. She falls down a small cliff and twists her ankle, until Haruna comes running after her (egged on by Akiho) and slips down beside her. While waiting for help, the two girls have a honest talk – about how Haruna was feeling jealous, but powerless, and how Chika doesn’t want anyone else but Haruna. By the time Akiho and Touko-sensei find them, the two are reconciled.

After Chika politely rejects Touko-sensei, Akiho confronts Touko again and Touko tells her this story: When she, Touko, was in high school, she fell in love with another girl. They spent time together, but never really discussed their feelings, so she lost her lover when they graduated. As soon as Touko saw Haruna and Chika, she knew that they were exactly the same – and she didn’t want them to lose each other they way she had lost her lover. So she forced the issue. Akiho rightly thinks that Touko’s full of crap and lets her know it in no uncertain terms, at which point Touko asks Akiho out. ^_^ Akiho concedes so far as to “allow” Touko to hang out with her while she’s substituting at the school. I kind of like to think of the two of them as a couple – just because. ^_^ (My gut sense was spot on, as we learn in a third drama CD, Hatsukoi Shimai.)

Meanwhile, Chika is spending the night at Haruna’s and Akiho’s house, in Haruna’s room. Akiho very matter-of-factly enters and basically tells them to just sleep together already, but they argue about who will sleep where, eventually, awkwardly, deciding to share the bed. While laying in bed, holding hands, Chika asks Haruna directly what her feelings are. Haruna, in a stunning display of stupidity, says that she loves Chika like a sister, but more than that (from which the whole series draws it’s name – Koi Shimai, i.e., “love sisters.”) Chika seems happy with it, but I thought it was a copout. And no goodnight kiss. Bleah. I’ll just sit here and imagine Akiho sneaking out afterwards to go out riding with Touko and end up making out in a quiet spot somewhere. ^_^

On the whole, it was a well-done CD, and Park Romi is sexy as hell as Touko, but the ending was, IMHO, lame. A real kiss wouldn’t have killed them.

On a more amusing note, as a bonus track, all the seiyuu discuss their school years – about half went to all-girl schools and talked about same-sex crushes they saw or experienced, but the common thread was that they couldn’t think of anything to say – it was actually pretty funny. :-) The seiyuu for “Girl C” was excellent – telling all the girls who were listening who loved another girl to go for it and not give up! Yay “Girl C”! ^_^

The ratings are basically the same as the first CD – there were some sexy moments with Touko, but then end was a bit naff, so we’ll drop the overall down a point to a 7. But the Yuri definitely stays up at a 10 for this one.

In conclusion – a nice addition to a Yuri-focused Drama CD collection and very well voiced. ^_^

Posted in Drama CDs & Audiobooks, Hatsukoi Shimai, Koi Shimai | 4 Comments »