Rurouni Kenshin - Tales of a Meiji Swordsman Translator's Notes Intro: ROURENSU WA USOTSUKI DESU. (Lawrence is a liar.) I don't understand much Japanese. Maybe twenty, thirty words at best. Most of this translation borrows liberally from Maigo-chan's Ruroken Translations and the Glenat French translation of the manga. However, I know enough Japanese to distinguish a few words, and I know enough to realize that Glenat didn't go for a completely accurate translation. (Doesn't stop it from being damn good, though.) The point behind my pet project was to see if I could make a translation as accurate as possible while still making the dialogue reflect the character's personality. And, yes, it's a pet project. I might continue it in the future, I might not continue it in the future, I haven't decided firmly yet. Depending on time/resources, I figured I'd probably continue this until I'm done with Volume One, which I have completed. (I do have up to Volume Seventeen, but that's in French and touches up on the artwork. I'm buying the Japanese manga when I'm not buying DVDs, English GNs, or individual issues. Or food. Can't forget food.) WHERE THIS CAME FROM After reading the French version, I was wondering if anyone out there had done an English translation, a la Ranma 1/2 Project. Yes, I stumbled upon one. After flipping through the pages, I was wondering why the translation looked so familiar, when it occurred to me: This one was taken and translated directly from the French version. NOT a good first impression. Especially since I figured that the French edition edited out a fair amount of artwork to implement their sound effects. (Later I discovered, to their credit, that they actually incorporated the Japanese kana into some of their onomotopaeia, resulting in their superfunky FX. I also should've read the page more carefully, because it says _right there_ that it's taken from the French version. ^_^; Go visit it anyway. Like I said, the French translation doesn't stop it from being damn good, and he's got more stuff than I do anyway: Link removed. Trust me, you won't regret it.) So, I resolved to buy a copy of the Japanese manga, do a translation of my own using the French and an English text translation (I saw Maigo-chan's translation and used it as a base without permission, gomen!) and post it for some of the world to see. Three months later, I bought the manga. One more month and a few tens of lost Jedi Knight Lightsaber matches later, I decide to get my lousy butt in gear and work on translating. One more month and a few hundred hours watching my brothers play Deus Ex on their machines on top of THAT, I finally finished the first chapter. From there on, the others came faster. As mentioned, the objective was to create a set of dialogue that would define the characters while staying as close to the literal meaning as possible...and I hope you like it. ROMANIZATION: Romanization is pretty standard, with the one exception of extended vowels. I'll romanize extended vowels ("ou," "uu," "ei") in whatever I think looks better in Roman characters. It's not going to be consistent, which is why you get names like "Koujiro" instead of "Kojiro" or "Koujirou." And that's why I have the "Hitokiri Battousai" (with the extended "ou") as opposed to "Battosai." (And if ANYONE suggests "Batthowsai," I will whack them with the wrong side of this sakabato.) CHARACTER NOTES Kenshin: He's supposed to be formal and overly polite. I tried to convey as much by using an older-feeling dialect. (See how Viz translates Kuno as an example of what I'm getting at.) His trademark "oro" uses a different font, simply because the font I use for the rest of the dialogue doesn't look comical enough. Battousai: I think the best word I can use to describe the Hitokiri Battousai is "terse." His word choice is fairly blunt, impatient maybe. He's also a great deal more arrogant than Kenshin would ever be. Kaoru: Cute and spunky. I tried to give her a tomboyish hint when she spoke. Dunno how well it came out. You'll notice that when she's _serious_ serious, she sounds a bit different from her normal self. Yahiko: Bratty and spunky. He's got a fair amount of rude language in him, but there isn't much in the way of swearing. Also makes liberal use of the word "ain't," because we all know that it's not proper grammar. ^_^ Sanosuke: Kinda laid back. Occasionally, omits pronouns and stuff (e.g. "Doesn't sound too bad..." instead of "It doesn't..."). A fair amount of swearing, but not excessive (I hope ^_^;). Like Kaoru, when he gets more serious he sounds a bit different speechwise. Megumi: Megumi is a BITCH to write. Her outward personality changes so often that I've got a few problems trying to figure it out. I guess the best way of describing the overall feel is "exaggerated." She has her arrogant, bitchy mode (around Kaoru); her smoother, foxy mode; the entire damsel-in-distress gig from her entrance; a dramatic side; and so on. Hopefully it'll settle down later. Tsubame: Very shy, withdrawn, even after her manga arc is up. Kihei: Actually, according to the manga, his name would be romanized as "Kihe-" or "Kihee." Maigo-chan and Glenat both reromanized it to "Kiheh," the same way people turn "Youko" or "Yoko" into "Yohko." *shrug* Anyway, he's supposed to be soft-spoken at first, and delves into the self-assured later on, with a sinister tint. And he gets REAL evil towards the end of the first volume. Gohei: Glenat and Maigo-chan change this to "Goheh." Japanese romanization would be "Gohe-" or "Gohee." Again. This man's supposed to sound brutish, like the street thug he is. Chizuru: Maigo spelled it 'Chitsuru,' the manga transliteration would be 'Chidzuru,' and Glenat called her 'Chizuru.' I went with the last one--rolls off the tongue easier, looks nicer, and is close enough for jazz. ^_^; She is, more or less, a carbon copy of Kaoru (or is it the other way around? This bonus chapter was done before the series...) and is written as such. Jin-ei: I've always imagined him as one of your usual smooth-toned, playful villains, so his voice is somewhat Joker-ish, though not too much. Kanryu: In both the Japanese and English dubs of the anime, Kanryu has this REALLY ANNOYING, squeaky "high society" voice. I am trying to emulate that as much as possible, and I hope the way I write him grates on you at least a little bit. ^_^ Aoshi: Very calm, collected, and businesslike. A touch on the rude side, unless defending the Oniwaban-shu's honor, in which case he's even more rude. Beshimi: I like to think of his voice like that of your stereotypical imp--playful, fiendish in a cute sorta way, with a darker undertone. Hannya: Smooth, refined. Until he starts losing it, that is. Hyottoko: Loud and brash. Shikijo: Like Hyottoko, but without the bug in his ass. Bonus 2 characters: I kept most of them with the same characterizations as their counterparts in the story as we know it. Nishiwaki has a dash of Kanryu in him (or, rather, Kanryu has a dash of Nishiwaki in him), as per Watsuki's instructions. Hey, they even look a bit similar. Raijuta: Half-savage, half-refined. He'll speak something resembling poetry at one point, but will start growling threats on a dime. Or maybe it's a fatigued translator who can't decide on which one he's aiming for. ^^; Yutaro: Sounds like Yahiko, almost. A little more on the domestic side, since he was actually raised with a family. JAPANESE NOTES: ********** VOLUME ONE ********** "Rurouni": There is no such word. ^_^; According to Watsuki, you can't find the word in the Japanese dictionary. (Thanks again, Maigo-chan!) It's derived from "ronin," and it can more or less be translated to "wanderer" or "vagabond." Since both Maigo-chan and Glenat translate it to "vagabond," I figured I may as well do the same. "Kamiya Kasshin Ryu": "Kamiya" is the last name, obviously. (For those wondering, "Kamiya" is "Kami"--God--and "ya"--valley.) "Kasshin" comes from "Ka(tsu)," meaning "active," "living," and so on, and "shin," or "spirit," "heart," or something. Glenat translated it as "living spirit," and I used "active heart" and reinterpreted it. Voila, "beating heart." And "Ryu" means "School." "Kaoru-dono": Seen in other places as "Miss Kaoru," it just didn't feel formal enough. ^_^; Given how "-dono" is a fairly high-ranking suffix, "Lord-" or "Lady-" seems a bit more appropriate. So I either translated it as "Lady Kaoru" or "Milady," wherever it seemed appropriate. "De gozaru": In the Japanese manga, Kenshin tends to end his sentences with the phrase "de gozaru" and various conjugations thereof. This, as I understand it, is a form of "desu," roughly translating to "so says this humble person." Since I couldn't fit all that in, I translated it to "my pardons," a condensation of "my pardons for saying so." I put it in for every single time he states "de gozaru" in the manga, so that people can understand JUST HOW ANNOYING his politeness can be. ^_^ However, after volume one, I will be translating it differently. (See notes for Volume 2.) "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu": "Hiten" could be the school founder's family name, I dunno. It breaks down to "Hi"--ascension--and "ten"--Heaven. "Mi" could be "govern" or "honorable," and "Tsurugi" means sword. Hence, "Ascending Heaven Governing Sword," or "Sword of Divine (from Ascending Heaven) Justice (from Governing)." And, again, "Ryu" means "School." Nowadays, I think "Transcending Blade of Justice" sounds better and is just as accurate. Oh, well... "Sakabato": To be more accurate, it can be romanized as "Sakabatou." According to Maigo-chan, it's translated to "reverse blade," but I decided to keep it to its Japanese name. Hey, you don't see people translating "katana," "daikatana," or "wakizashi" all the time, right? "Kenkaku Keikan": "Kenkaku" = Swordsman. "Keikan" = Police, IIRC. And they're federal officers. Hence, Federal Armed Forces Division. "Ni-no-tachi": Let's go through this one by the kanji... "Ni": Two. "No": Denotes property. "Ta": Large. "Chi": Blade. "I": Negatory statement. So, "Two's Large Blade Not." I'd wager it means "No need for two hits." ...which, come to think of it, is what Rika Takahashi said, isn't it? "Chesuutou": Ujiki's attack, which is a transliteration of the English word "Chest." Since I had no clue why he'd be shouting "Chest" while attacking, I just put in a generic battle scream. ^_^; (He also screams "Chest" in the anime, just to mention it.) It has since been noted that perhaps "Chest" is the actual name of the sword technique, which would make sense. But why in English? Why "Chest?" What other possible attacks does the Jigen Ryu have? Imagine Ujiki shouting "Prostrate!" or "Gonads!" or something. Oro, indeed. "Zanbato": Looking at the kanji, it means "Horse Slaying Sword," which makes sense as it's meant to kill mounted men. Seung Mina uses one in Soul Edge/Soul Blade/Soulcalibur. Don't believe me? Check out her profile! (Once again, it can be romanized as "Zanbatou" to be more accurate.) "Tonzura-sha!": In the bonus chapter, these kana show up while Kenshin runs off with Chizuru. It looks like a sound effect, but it isn't. As I was unable to just type over the thing like I normally would've, I just slapped my translation--"gotta go!" or "run away!"--next to the happy couple. ^_^ "Ouch!": That's the actual sound effect in the Bonus Chapter, untouched. ^_^ ********** VOLUME TWO ********** "De gozaru": I plan on mentioning this on the page, but I may as well mention it here, too. After considering alternative options to "My pardons" while writing a fanfic based around RK...sorta, I decided that "I say/ask" or "you say/ask" would be a much better translation for Kenshin's famous "de gozaru." Not only can it be slapped on the END of a sentence (as opposed to "my pardons," which had to be put on the beginning), it was shorter and less awkward to say. "Ryu Sou Sen": Ryu=Dragon. Sou=Scale/shell. Hence, "Scales of the Dragon." "Do Ryu Sen": Do=Soldier. Ryu=Dragon. Hence, "Dragon Soldier Strike." "Ryu Tsui Sen": I think the "Tsui" means "dart." Could be wrong, though. "Shin no Ippou": Shin=heart. Ippou=One Side. "Battou-jutsu": Battou=Sword drawing. Jutsu=technique/spell. And since the entire point behind doing a Battou-jutsu was to increase the speed of the sword, I translated it as "Quick draw technique." "Battousai": The "Battou" in "Battousai" is the same as the one in "Battou-jutsu." The "sai" is the kanji for "master." Thus, his name as a Hitokiri is "Master of the Quick Draw." I would SO not want to see someone condense that into an English name. Here's my attempt: "Drawlord the Assassin." How's THAT for a laugh? HA HA ha...I kill me. Yeah. "Sou Ryu Sen": Sou=double/twins. "Twin Dragon Strike." (Note: "Sen" actually means "Flash," literally. I was too lazy at the time to look it up. ^^; Now that I think about it, though, "Dragon Soldier Flash" and "Twin Dragon Flash" have a bit of a hentai tint to it. ª_ª) ************ VOLUME THREE ************ "Ken-san": This is how Megumi addresses Kenshin. Shortening someone's name and saying "-san" seems to be a term of affection (c.f. Excel Saga- I'z-chan addressing Pedro as "Pe-san" after he sleeps with her[*], and an explanation as to why Kaoru is so ticked off at that name in the anime). So I figured "Kenny" would work out well. [*] For those of you not familiar with Excel Saga: Pedro is a South American construction worker. I'z-chan is the nickname of the Great Will of the Universe (Japanese name is Daimaru no Oo[something] Ishi), which is, in fact, a floating blue ball of stars with feminine hands. Give it a try sometime. "Okashira": I know, it was actually mentioned in the previous volume, but THIS is where it starts getting its main airtime. It's not the title I'd think it was, but I left it in anyway. Lazy bastard. :P It translates to something like "boss" or "leader" or whatever. I presume the 'O-' that precedes it is a formality, since I'm pretty sure the Shura arc in the anime has her being called the "Kashira" of the pirates. "Kenshin-gumi": "Gumi" or "Kumi" (using the same kanji) is the appendix for a large group of people, whether it's a team (like the Kenshin-gumi, obviously, or the Shinsen-gumi), a class (In one ep of Urusei Yatsura, Ataru's classmates make up a girl named "Kumino Otoko," a play on "Kumi no Otoko"--"Guys of the class/group/etc."), or whatever. "Hyottoko": I keep mentioning this, and I'll mention it again here. Hyottoko is "Hi"--fire--and "otoko"--man, NOT "Hyo" and "otoko." My bad. "Tanto": The Japanese equivalent of a dagger. Shorter than a wakizashi. Bonus chapter notes: "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu": There is a single kanji change--the "Mi" as we know it is now (or then) "Mi," the number three. "Mitsurugi," then, means "triple sword." This is probably because, as they mention, one sword stroke of this school can take down three people at a time. "Kamiya Kasshin Ryu" has a one-kanji change as well, but it doesn't affect the definition whatsoever. *********** VOLUME FOUR *********** "Kenbu": Ken = sword. Bu = dance. Simple enough. "Kaiten Kenbu": Kai = Enter. Ten = Heaven. Hence, "Heaven's Gate Sword Dance." Aoshi's final statement: The original statement in Japanese--"I have no flowers to place on your graves. But I will"--has a double meaning. You see, Aoshi talks about how he wishes for the Oniwaban-shu to have "the flower of the title, 'the strongest.'" In other words, he plans on killing Kenshin. (As if that weren't obvious. :P) Since I didn't use the word "flower" when called upon--didn't fit--I just used "I have nothing to grace your graves with" instead. *********** VOLUME FIVE *********** "Yahiko-chan": In MB's release of the anime, they translate this to "little Yahiko," which is a fairly accurate translation. Problem is, it doesn't make sense for a girl that's two years younger and several inches shorter than Yahiko to call him "little." ^^; I went with 'dear,' since that's kinda baby-talkish, too. Now, if I were only doing the Spanish translation, where Tsubame would call him "Yahiquito..." "Men": Head shot. Since it look like the English word, I keep reminding people what it means in this context. It's fatiguing, and it shows in later chapters. ^^; "Dou": Torso shot. The second of the three main striking locations in kenjutsu. "Kote": Forearm shot. The third striking location, presumably used to disarm your opponent. This wasn't used in the manga, but I figured I might as well fill you in anyway. :P "Shinko Ryu": "Shin": True. "Ko": Old, classical. Hence, "True Classic School." The name implies that it's the only classical kenjutsu school out there, which of course is what Raijuta's aiming for. ENDING NOTES: It's been a year since I started on that first chapter, and a few months before I established the site that became what it is now, and things have changed. Part of it is that what was once my older brother's computer and peripherals is now mine, meaning I can do what I want, when I want. Part of it is that I've gotten into the groove I need to do this kind of thing, where I feel I know the characters inside and out. Part of it, a small part, is that my audience has changed from the few friends I originally planned on sharing it with to the rest of the Internet which I decided to aim for, and I feel a little obligated to work on this for them. It's not a chore; no, it's something I enjoy doing in my free time. And I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy putting it out. That...should be it for now. I hope you enjoyed reading the translation and I'd sure appreciate some feedback! Any questions, read the FAQ before e-mailing me. Meanwhile, I'm outta here. ^_^ Lawrence lawrence@sandwich.net http://pomi.sandwich.net/ CREDITS: Rurouni Kenshin: Originally published by Nobuhiro Watsuki in Shounen Jump. Shounen Jump copyright Shueisha, 1994-1999. Translation into English (dialogue): Maigo-chan (maigo@uclink4.berkeley.edu) Translation into English (Watsuki-chan no FREETALK): Serizawa Kamo http://members.fortunecity.com/serizawa Translation into French (Watsuki-chan no FREETALK): Wako Miyamoto Olivier Prezeau courtesy GLENAT Scanning, editing: Lawrence Chu (lawrence@sandwich.net) Special thanks to: Spamdini (spamdini@hotmail.com) --for inspiring me and for being the first person to introduce the Ruroken manga to the English- speaking world out there. The Iron Sysadmin Kesseki --for generously supplying webspace (jrenken@sandwich.net) and repeatedly raising my disk quota upon the demand of Yours Truly. The #improfanfic crew --for your support and eagerness to read through this stuff. Watsuki --For giving us Ruroken. This site and volume translation is dedicated to the memory of James Chu, who originally introduced me to anime and manga, shared my enthusiasm of Ruroken, was always helpful, generous, and encouraging and an overall really great older brother. You will be missed sorely, 'niichan.