Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: Anime Review

Better Than I Expected

When I first started watching “Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai,” which I mentioned before in saying that “haganai” as a nickname had to do with reading “wa” as “ha” (though in this grammar role it is NEVER pronounced anything other than “wa”), I expected simple zany comedy. It became more than that.

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Ni no Mai wa Gomen Da: Won’t Repeat The Same Mistake

I’ve read the phrase “ni no mai wa gomen da” before (二の舞はごめんだ). This hails from the Japanese expression, “ni no mai o enjiru” (二の舞を演じる), which basically reads “dancing the same dance twice” and means “making the same mistake twice”. So, the top phrase means, “Not gonna make the same mistake.

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Sugoku Hayai: Incredibly Fast

凄く速い

Most casual viewers of anime and learners of Japanese are familiar with the word sugoi (すごい), roughly equivalent to “tremendous”. However, as a matter of grammar, it’s not good to write “sugoi hayai”. That’s hayai (速い) for the adjective “fast”. The reason’s simple: “sugoi” is an adjective too. It doesn’t mesh.

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Fukushima Daiichi: Shocking Disaster Relief Micromanagement

My Most Cynical Suspicions Confirmed

The Japan Times has published an article regarding a post-mortem on the Japanese government’s handling of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. I have every sympathy for the people who were scrambling to resolve the problems on the ground. I have less for the political paranoia that got in the way.

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Mouretsu Uchuu Kaizoku: Early Bird Review

“Bodacious Space Pirates” 

I’m not sure whose idea it was to translate the title as “Bodacious Space Pirates,” and perhaps it’s from the Japanese studio, but that’s OK. “Mouretsu” usually stands for something more like marauding, or at least that’s what I’d use. Episode 8 just aired, and it’s a really good show.

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Itsumo: Always, Without Exception

何時も(いつも)

While “itsudemo” was about something happening “anytime”, “itsumo” is all about something being always true, being the norm, and so forth. Again, I’ll use a brief example from a video game just to help absorb the usage.

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Tiger & Bunny: Anime Review & Opinions

My name is not "Bunny-chan". It's BARNABY.

An Impressive Show

Long story short, Tiger & Bunny is an unlikely “bromance” anime viewed through the “Amerikomi” (American Comic Book) superhero genre. Superheroes capture crooks and save civilians live on HeroTV, all sponsored by major corporations. Yet a strong current of real heroism animates the show itself.

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Dokodemo: Anywhere You Are

何処でも(どこでも)

Dokodemo (anywhere) is a kindred spirit of itsudemo, a companion that frequently appears in similar contexts. The “doko” represents “What place?” and the “demo” represents “regardless,” so it means regardless of location. That is, anywhere.

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Itsuka: Someday, Maybe Far Away

何時か(いつか)

Just like I mentioned with nanika, the “ka” in “itsuka” demonstrates uncertainty. That’s because it’s part of a word, not a particle at the end of a sentence. In a way, “ka” always projects uncertainty; we just usually interpret it as asking a question.

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Only 5% of Tsunami Debris Cleared So Far

According to the Japan Times, only 5% of the debris in the Tohoku region from last year’s tsunami has actually been disposed of (generally meaning incineration). Apparently even debris outside the Fukushima area has a radiation stigma attached to it. The junk’s in the way of reconstruction – literally. Details here.

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