Shiki – Together With Japan

Grammar in Anime: B Gata H Kei

J Sensei — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:48:55 +0000

Small Words. Big Trouble.

Sometimes it’s simpler for me to point something out in anime and, in so doing, give it context. Today’s subjects are the words “kata” (型) and “kei” (系). When playing second fiddle in a compound word, “kata” -> “gata”, but “kei” remains the same. (That’s because “H Dei” would be really, really awkward to say.)

The anime this is from is a quirky semi-romantic comedy with a lot of sex jokes. A quick viewing of the opening theme (which all but anime newbies will know as “the OP“) explains the context of the kata/gata part: various girls are being rated according to their breast sizes. (^^;) I expect this would be A-cup, B-cup, C-cup, etc. So, our heroine is a B.

The “H Kei” part is from the girl having a revved-up sex drive and is on a personal mission to lose her virginity. Her problem is that she’s squeamish about actual physical contact and relationships, which is where most of the humor comes in. Her lust is willing, but her inner maiden is not. Quite a quandary, isn’t it?

So how do we actually translate these words? As it often is, we first need to understand what the words do in their own language before mastering what they do in ours.

Things vs. People

At its most basic, “kata” covers things and “kei” covers people.

A “kata” fundamentally represents the physical shape of something. That is why, in the industrial world, such-and-such kata generally represents a model or pattern. A “kataban” (型番) , or kata + number, usually reaches English as a pattern number. Similarly, “katagami” (型紙) – the same “gami” as in “origami”, so kata + paper = pattern paper for making dresses.

“Kei”, on the other hand, addresses groups, systems, and lineage. Have you ever heard the term nikkei? The kanji is 日系, with “sun/ Japan” and “kei”. This means of Japanese descent. Keizu (系図) is kei + map, meaning a genealogy. A direct descendant is a chokkei (直系), straight/ direct + kei.

What we’re really learning here is that the exact English words used may vary, but there is a much bigger difference between how the words are used in the Japanese language. There is no reason for confusion. A “kata” refers to a physical characteristic (in this case, breast size); a “kei” refers to the group that the heroine belongs to, namely “H” – for hentai, pervert, deviant, and so forth. (^^;)

I didn’t watch the whole show myself but it did have its silly laughs. For a mature audience, of course.

At some point animators got lazy and made the kanji on the shoulder "hyaku hyaku" instead - during the actual show.

Bonus: The Hyaku Shiki

Another word similar to those two is shiki (式). This one gave me some trouble before I was even working professionally because fictional robots using such a name don’t seem to correspond to American naming conventions. That’s right! They don’t! This actually sounds more like it’s British. After all, Japanese civilization has been in touch with lots of British naval culture for a long time.

So, we could call the “Hyaku Shiki” from Zeta Gundam, back in 1985 and a video game classic, the “Type 100” because it isn’t using “kata” for “model” in the name. Even so, there’s no way a translator would get a free hand in real life. You translate names as you’re told to and that’s the end of it.

Incidentally, the “shikigami” uses the same “shiki” as above. Actually, the term “shiki” usually relates to equation, formula, and ceremony; I view this as being all related to procedure. Put another way, a mathematical formula is a ceremonial rite of a very different kind. These are methods used to get from point A to point B, but since they’re not models or systems, they’re another kind of classification, whatever that turns out to be. – J

Shiki: Living Dead vs. Dead Living

J Sensei — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 20:03:34 +0000

I “Get” Shiki Now.

What I needed to understand about this show was the contrast it creates: living dead more alive, emotionally, than the living, and through their existence, living who are more dead, emotionally, than any walking corpse.

I’ll leave the rest under spoiler tag. I have just finished watching ep. 14.

show

The point being, Dr. Ozaki (Toshio) has been turned by events, step by step, into a stone cold man whose only emotion is fakery intended to ease the minds of his nurses and keep buying him time. Even this nearly broke him in the end; he was at the “one more night and then I give up,” but of course, drama demands it play out.

I’d seen various ways for the village to be saved from destruction brought up, and written out, so I really don’t know if the humans have any “chance” here, but Toshio’s descent into a very black darkness is quite a statement on humanity – and how these living dead, their dark sides unleashed, are considerably more “alive” in an emotional sense.

Irony all around, both from the God of this work of fiction, and from the author, I think.

Shiki, Ep. 10: Or, The Reason To Watch This Show

J Sensei — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 01:34:19 +0000

It Took Ten Eps For A Masterpiece.

Not that I’m going to spoil except in the spoiler space, but this is a show that has been accused of starting slowly. This is not wholly without merit. Although we, the viewers, know better, the villagers either suspect nothing, or believe that there is some sort of epidemic that must be kept quiet to prevent panic, and so forth. Only our main character, Natsuno, is tipped off early on that something different is at work here.

Anyway, the bottom line is that the climax that takes place in episode 10 is simply not something that a normal story could have produced. In one blow, every bit of foreshadowing, building things up, creating tension with characters who know that there is no magic solution that will save everyone, and so forth, is justified in spades.

But, I shall say no more outside of spoilers.

What Happened: show

Since the beginning of the series, the first victim of the “mysterious illness” that Natsuno (usually called “Yuuki-kun”) knows personally, Megumi Shimizu, has been after him since “rising” from the grave and becoming a vampire, albeit we should not depend on “the rules” of vampires to apply perfectly. Having dug up her grave, and encountered a different vampire, Natsuno knows the truth, and so do a couple of other young villagers, for all the good it does them.

Having knocked out a vampire attacker out cold (but not “dead,” as it turns out), Natsuno half-buried the body. In daytime, he returned to find the grave neatly set exactly as it was before they had dug up Megumi’s grave. Certain that both sides were now aware of each other, and having no way to take on the number of vampires on the other side, Natsuno essentially adopts a Castle Mode, determined to protect himself and his family as long as possible. He tells Akira and Kaori to not tell anyone that they have permission to enter their house, hoping that this protects them in the meantime.

A child vampire manipulating a Geisha doll had arranged access at Natsuno’s own house with Natsuno’s far too trusting father. (In this show, the “shiki” require permission to enter a dwelling.) His brother is outraged when the room where the child had been given shelter, and then disappeared from, is covered with religious symbols. Indeed, later on when Natsuno gets a literal tap on his window, remaining silent while holding a wrench, he listens as the figure at the window – he knows it’s not Megumi (“Shimizu” to him) by the silhouette – goes to the front and tests the front door, finding it unlocked. See, when Natsuno’s family had moved to this village, his father was very impressed with the fact that this was a place where people didn’t have to lock their doors.

Nice, unless a vampire is coming to kill you.

Now, the immediate background to this is that Tatsumi Kanemasa, a “daywalker” who functions as the field commander for the vampires, summoned the newly turned and declared that Natsuno must die. Of course, Megumi is very cross about this. Furthermore, Tatsumi prevents her from being the one to go after him. She wants Natsuno bad, and it’s not just because she had a crush on him in life. It’s simple, really; only a low percentage of those killed actually rose from the dead. If Natsuno was drained, there would be no guarantee at all that he would rise, though Tatsumi seemed to think that the odds were higher than normal.

So, she operated on this logic:

If “Yuuki-kun” wasn’t going to make it into everlasting undeath, then at the very least, SHE would be the one to get her fangs into him.

It’s funny. The metaphor writes itself.

So, Natsuno wanted to capture the vampire after him and expose them to all of the villagers. Anyway, not that the viewers had seen this part before, and so it comes as something of a surprise, but the part that catches Natsuno completely flatfooted, and blows his mind away, is that the soft, intimate voice beyond the window is from his deceased best friend, Tohru.

The wrench slips from his grasp.

Tohru is the one person who Natsuno cannot raise a hand against, even in undeath. Knowing it may mean his own demise, Natsuno opens the window all the same, and Tohru makes a grab at his right arm. The two stare at each other, and Tohru breaks off and runs away, ashamed of himself.

It is then that Megumi, who is knowingly defying orders, comes across the crying Tohru, having anticipated he would be the one to receive the order. She’s quite fine with letting him be and going to take Natsuno herself. Punishment or not, this is the depth of the emotion she has, even though she knows how truly frightening Tatsumi is, how he would think nothing of murdering his “own” kind in broad daylight, given a reason to.

Natsuno chases after Tohru to a place that both know well, what appears to be a tiny shrine. Here, Tatsumi arrives, introducing himself properly, as they had not properly met before. Really, it was nothing personal, but Natsuno was a threat to Tatsumi’s kind, to their existence. Just like the doctor, Toshio, Natsuno had realized their existence. Unlike the doctor, Natsuno was causing them so much grief that he be eliminated here and now. Stating he had no obligation to just let himself be killed, Natsuno pledged to run with all his might, which Tatsumi thought was just fine, but there stood Megumi in his path of retreat. Actually, Tatsumi wasn’t all that broken up about it because he knew Megumi would disregard his orders anyway. Megumi was very pleased at having the opportunity to take the kill.

Yet that was not to be.

Suddenly, a hand moved around Natsuno’s mouth from behind, pulling him back with supernatural strength. Tohru had captured him, and it was Tohru’s fangs that struck home.

In this moment:

The pure diabolical delight of Tatsumi.
The pure agony on Megumi’s face.
The pure despair of Natsuno.

Ten episodes. One scene. One resounding climax.

Rating: 10/10. I won’t say that for what preceded this, which I found interesting, but which many would have found slow-developing even as it got interesting, but this is nothing less than a horror masterpiece.

Largely, I don’t really care what happens after this, I will still consider this a show well worth watching. Next week should include info about the background so that we might have some clue as to the why of what’s taking place, which I certainly want to know, since there is a backstory to it that we don’t know yet. (Those who have not read the novel, anyway. I have not.)

But, I write these words for people like one friend of mine who watched two episodes and quit because it wasn’t moving fast enough. Also, for people who will never watch the show, or who genuinely don’t care about being spoiled.

Really, it’s not what happened that impressed me, it’s not even why, it’s how, and making the moment count. I respect that as a writer.

Anyway, those are my thoughts about it. Sorry that they are a little late, I have been a bit ill with a cold, but I hoped this would be interesting as an issue of culture, and not just entertainment.