☆ SYNCHRONICITY

niconico indies; 拝啓ミザリー (haikei misery; dear misery)

aleator — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:13:02 GMT

Original upload

Lyrics: Death Ohagi
Music: Death Ohagi
Sung by: Kogeinu and Nodoame

Translation (singable)

Just how much longer am I going to keep wishing for; I've even stopped moving on
I know so well it won't come true no matter what I do; I still reached out to you

"I'm not reaching you now," I said under my breath
Loud enough, so that you'd hear it well
All you did was just smile sadly right back at me
I thought I had once known you before

And I am helpless as the day goes by me; nothing I can do
While I keep making you my reason, always, time and time again
But even in my dreams I find there isn't anything that I can change at all
And if I turn around
There's just a pair of broken wings and only pain that's here to stay
You are the one who made me who I am; I owe this much to you:
I will accept all this someday
So we can meet again with joy

Changing so fast before my eyes, so quickly I can't catch up is "someone so precious to me"
I know so well it won't come true no matter what I do; I still made you a promise

In the passing days I could not find
Anything I could keep hoping for
Even though I say I have become much stronger
All I've done is let rust grow on me

However much I wish for them to come true, all these dreams, not one has been made real
All I can hope for is that they will for once, light a flame in my heart
I know that when the light goes they will for sure, reach you there far away, far away
They will, someday...

And I am helpless as the days go by me; nothing I can do
But I'll stop making you the reason, always, time and time again
I'll show you in my own failed dreams; I'll hold you, tighter than before and won't let go
Dear my misery

With just a pair of broken wings, even with pain that's here to stay
You are the one who made me who I am; repay this debt I shall:
I will accept all this right now, so we can laugh together

Someday at the end, at the very end
When I say goodbye to you, that moment in time

All the times I've seen, always in my dreams, somewhere I wished for, wanted to be there-
Let's go to see, just two of us together now
Dear my misery

---

Notes
1. A couple of Death Ohagi's comments (found in the song download zip):
- If you could read the title as "Dear Misery"...
- If you were to replace "you" (in the song) with your complexes, trauma, some other unfortunate situation...that is, if you replace it with your miseries I think it would get the message in the lyrics across.
I hope in this world where there's probably more misery than happiness, you can live smiling for even just a little longer.
2. The lines correspond to the lyrics exactly. I tried to match the number of syllables/notes and accenting so the phrasing is a bit awkward in parts...but it's a pretty close translation, and definitely right on the syllables (might need to experiment, I can't think of a good way to indicate the accenting). I should probably do a more accurate (to the meaning) translation as well...I had a bit of poetic license with some lines (mostly rearranging/adding a bit of extra meaning but not so much of changing outright).
3. I was inspired by Le Ton beau de Marot (Douglas Hofstadter) to attempt a syllabically(?) accurate translation ahahah. And because I'm also a nut about getting the accenting right when a song is translated...yeah. It's a pity I couldn't seem to make it better to sing (using more open vowel sounds at the ends rather than -ed and other stopping sounds)...
4. DIYAH MAI MISAHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

vocaloid; 崩壊歌姫-disruptive diva- (houkai utahime; diva of destruction)

aleator — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:24:51 GMT

Original upload
Original lyrics

Lyrics: MachigeriitaP
Music: MachigeriitaP
Sung by: Hatsune Miku

A constructed absolute sanctuary (area) remains a dark and closed off mother
Not even the light (warmth) of the sun can reach it, the garden of Cocytus

These memories are made-up fakes
Data (a world) sent through a plug
Created (birthed by) hands of taboo
Where has the ultimate weapon (queen) disappeared to?

The mind's signals (feelings) that flow in will change everything
It will reconstruct (evolve) her into the "Ultimate Weapon II" (princess) that will only destroy
My power, which can touch only her,
Makes the second hand of the stopped clock move forward again.

The rosary in her eye socket will become stronger as she hates
She does not even know what "Di-Va" (the brand) she has been branded with means

In her noise-filled mind circuits (brain)
Someone starts to whisper
Enumerating the words of salvation
They said,"there is no salvation"

Is there any meaning to destruction?
The surface of the world rots, unable to do anything
Light pours into the collapsed sea of the moon
"Even though it's such a lovely world."

The tears that flow are stained black
The world that has been completely changed declares (sings) the prelude to destruction
Turning it back to a world where nothingness and despair blooms
Burning away in the flames of purgatory, and turning to ash.

---

Notes
1. The first line contains a huge pun that I can't translate directly into English. There is a bracket indicating the pronunciation of "mother", which makes the entire line sound like "A constructed absolute sanctuary (area) remains dark and closed off", while if you ignore the bracket and read the kanji alone, it becomes "A constructed absolute sanctuary (area) is a dark and closed off mother". Kind of clumsy translation, but hopefully the meaning's clear...
2. Cocytus doesn't seem to have anything to do with a garden.
3. "Light pours into the collapsed sea of the moon" ...idk what this means man, it just sounds pretty.
4. The song's universe is the same as that of Test-tube Princess's.
5. PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC PDAC I can't get enough of this game

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

vocaloid; フキゲンワルツ (fukigen waltz - sullen waltz)

aleator — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:22:24 GMT

Original upload
Original lyrics

Lyrics: OSTER project
Music: OSTER project
Sung by: Hatsune Miku

Hey, listen, there's someone I like
It's a love so round and pretty like a glass ball, but...
Hey, are you angry? You're speaking so harshly
If we keep playing around like this, the scratch wounds aren't going to heal

We don't have the slightest ill will
Not at all, but why am I crying?

Just an honest heart and pretty-sounding words
Aren't enough to make things go well, I know, but I don't understand!
Even though I'm such a weakling, I try to pretend to be strong
In front of me, you hum
A sullen song

Today again, there's a tense mood in the air
I'm walking just behind you, notice me!
Our fingertips suddenly touch, and there's the faint smell of your hair
Together with a quickening heartbeat, a strange feeling came over me, so

In surprise, I flinched and from my hand
The glass ball slipped and fell

The chiffon cake at 3 o'clock was more bitter than usual
The broken glass pieces were coloured by my tears
I laugh uselessly as usual
Strung along by you, I hum
A sullen song

I try to leave all the sadness and pain behind
Someday, maybe I can sing next to you, with you
While smiling,
A sullen song

---

Notes
1. I had the hardest time translating "フキゲン". I can't find an English word that describes it perfectly- it's basically the state of being in a bad mood, not feeling happy, that sort of thing. I was going to use "uncheerful" but that's such a strange word. "Glum" is weird too. "Sullen song" has alliteration so I used it...
2. Took a lot of liberties with the language and phrasing, lol. It's mostly line-by-line, but not entirely direct, plus I took a stab at guessing a bunch of pronouns. And the punctuation. Yes.
3. "Together with a quickening heartbeat" - this line bugs me so much. :I

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

vocaloid; 嘘つきベティ (usotsuki beti - liar betty)

aleator — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:42:12 GMT

Original upload
Original lyrics

Lyrics: 花うさぎ (Hanausagi)
Music: PolyphonicBranch
Sung by: Kagamine Rin

A pair of rings just like that girl's
I can't remove it, I can't take it off, until when?
Holding her right hand with mine
Tightly, so we can't be apart.

Red pedicure, her fingertips are cold
Spinning round and round in a pair of shoes
I don't want to think the same things as everyone else
I feel most secure this way

I love you, I love you

Laugh, laugh, allow
Open my mouth, my tongue tip's cut
Laugh, laugh, allow
Open my mouth, roll my tongue

A crying face, fake tears, liar Betty
The sugar cube I crunch on is sweet
My right tooth hurts

It's a secret that I talked to that girl
I won't say, forever, when will that be?

Even though we walked in step
I stumbled and kicked off my shoes
I can walk barefoot, can't I?

Not here, not here, why
When I'm alone, even someone's gaze is terrifying
Not here, not here, why
When I'm alone, I want someone to look at me, if nothing else

A crying face, fake tears, liar Betty
The milk tea I'm stirring is warm
It slips from my hand and spills

---

Notes
1. No I have no idea what's going on
2. Yes it's PDAC again
3. My play count for this song is 191 at the time of posting
4. "Laugh, laugh, allow" - in the original, "warau, warau, allow" which rhymes, but I'm not clever enough to find an English word that rhymes...
5. A lot of pronouns are omitted, so I'm really just guessing a lot of them.
6. "Two rings" - written as トゥリング and I've no idea what that is, but it sure sounds like "two ring" and seems to work that way. Same with トゥシューズ, which sounds like "two shoes" and seems to work that way too.

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

vocaloid; The Beast.

aleator — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:18:03 GMT

Original upload
Original lyrics

Lyrics: スペクタクルP (SpectacleP)
Music: スペクタクルP (SpectacleP)
Sung by: Hatsune Miku

From outside the window, I continued to watch the pieces that people built
I couldn't even build a door
Because of my young pride

In Beauty and the Beast, the prince was
changed from a human, by a magic spell,
into an ugly beast.

I cast a spell upon myself
and changed from an ugly human into a beautiful beast.

"I kept a secret. I didn't want to hurt anyone."
When the castle I'd built for only myself was finally done, it was filled with emptiness

You appeared one day, and had everything I'd ever wanted
I realised you'd easily jumped over the bricks I'd stacked up.

"It's so cold in here it's sad. You've always been lonely, haven't you?"
I was scared, I left, I decorated, I measured
I panicked, I messed up, I insulted, I ran away!

I was envious that the pieces that people built remained stacked up
I built a castle in loneliness
My pride locked the door

I had a beautiful face and an immortal body
I thought I could do anything alone.

"I kept a secret. I didn't want to lose anything."
A resident finally appeared in the castle
I was bewildered by my first love

"Cut out the sympathy, you wouldn't understand."
I grabbed, I bit, I complained, I struggled
But even so you picked me up and held me!

I watched the people's love and continue to avoid the most important thing
This body, so familiar with loneliness
I wouldn't forgive it for melting in the sunlight

So, for thinking that I needed other people all the more
Was something I couldn't forgive.
I tried to endure it for half a century
...it was an excessively happy time for me.

"I kept a secret. I knew it was love."
The castle's resident disappeared quietly
The feelings I'd been afraid of welled up in me

"I kept a secret. I'd wanted an eternal love."
All I'd received was the eternal part
For the first time, I roared for someone else

"I opened the door,
I clung on, I grasped, I laughed, I built things
It would have been great if I could've loved..."

The shadow of the warmth that I'd received
Did not forgive my lonely castle
This body, shackled by my own self
Would never allow me to end

I sprinkled love among the people
Spinning tears forever
Until the day I can meet you once more
I'll wait, no matter how many millenia it'll take

---

* italicized portions are written in the PV but not sung

Notes
1. For a more elegant non-direct translation check out Nano's utattemita! There are some parts where our translations don't agree, but it's probably because I'm doing it wrong lol. (/handwave...) Anyway just listen to it because I can't stop. /LOOPS FOREVER
2. "I decorated" - okay I've no idea what this is supposed to be but I don't know of any other meaning for this word
3. "Spinning tears forever" - there is this word 紡ぐ that appears throughout the lyrics in various parts. I've used different words for them because I can't think of an English word that can be used in a similar way. These show up in "the pieces that people built", "I laughed, I built things" and so on. Imagine it as "spin" as in "spin a yarn", "spin a tale", that sort of thing...tl;dr language is confusing.
4. Elegance what is elegance I don't know what elegance is someone ban me from attempting to make elegant translations

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

vocaloid; ジュゲムシーケンサー (jugemu shiikensaa - Jugemu Sequencer)

aleator — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:51:28 GMT

Original upload
Original lyrics

Lyrics: ぼーかりおどP (noa)
Music: ぼーかりおどP (noa)
Sung by: Hatsune Miku

Romaji

jugemu, jugemu
gokou no surikire
kaijarisuigyo no
suigyoumatsu unraimatsu fuuraimatsu
kuunerutokoro ni sumu

tokoro ga dokkoi!

kono mama kono uta ga
tsuzuku to omottara
oomachigai desu yo!

jugemu, jugemu
gokou no surikire
kaijarisuigyo no
suigyoumatsu unraimatsu fuuraimatsu
kuunerutokoro ni sumu

tokoro ga dokkoi

kore yori nagai namae nante
shiranai shi
deatta koto mo nai yo
motto mijikakute taisetsu na namae wo
shitteru yo

kimi wo shiawase ni suru tame
kumitatemasho koi no shiikensu
me no mae no botan wo osu dake de
happii no geeji ga agatteku
sankaku to batsu wo hachi kai
maru to shikaku darake tentekomai
higashi no hou no arashi mitai na
renzoku mo tama ni kuru kara
ki wo tsukete!

kimi to shiawase ni naru tame
kumitatemasho ai no shiikensu
tataku basho wo tama ni machigaetara
happii no geeji ga sagacchau!
saigo made akiramenaide
zenbu no botan wo hoorudo shitara
haato no katachi wo shita kakushi botan ga
detekuru kara mayowazu oshite ne
ryoute wo waza to fusagu you ni shimashita
kimi no kuchizuke wo matteimasu!

jugemu, jugemu
gokou no surikire
kaijarisuigyo no
suigyoumatsu unraimatsu fuuraimatsu
kuunerutokoro ni sumutokoro
yaburakouji no burakouji
paipo paipo paipo no
shuuringan shuuringan no
guurindai guurindai no
ponpokopii no ponpoko
nanchatte!

Translation

Jugemu, Jugemu
Gokou no Surikire
Kaijarisuigyo no
Suigyoumatsu Unraimatsu Fuuraimatsu
Kuunerutokoro ni Sumu

Tokoro ga Dokkoi!

If you think this song will
Continue like this
You're terribly wrong!

Jugemu, Jugemu
Gokou no Surikire
Kaijarisuigyo no
Suigyoumatsu Unraimatsu Fuuraimatsu
Kuunerutokoro ni Sumu

Tokoro ga Dokkoi!

A name longer than this,
I don't know it
I've never met someone like that either
Shorter, more precious names,
I know some

To make you happy
Let's assemble one, a sequence of love
Just by pressing the buttons laid before your eyes
The happiness gauge increases
Triangle and cross eight times
Circle and square all over, scramble scramble
Like a storm from the east
Barrages sometimes come along, so
Be careful!

To become happy with you
Let's assemble one, a sequence of love
If you hit the wrong places sometimes
The happiness gauge will go down!
Don't give up till the last
If you hold all the buttons
A hidden button in the shape of a heart
Will appear so don't hesitate to press it
Keeping both your hands tied on purpose
I'm waiting for your kiss!

Jugemu, Jugemu
Gokou no Surikire
Kaijarisuigyo no
Suigyoumatsu Unraimatsu Fuuraimatsu
Kuunerutokoro ni Sumutokoro
Yaburakouji no Burakouji
Paipo Paipo Paipo no
Shuuringan Shuuringan no
Guurindai Guurindai no
Ponpokopii no Ponpoko
Just kidding!

---

Notes
1. This is a song that was submitted to the second song submission contest for Project Diva AC and was eventually added to the game.
The first time I saw someone play the EXTREME beatmap (wasn't reading the lyrics) I thought it was just terrible design, and put off playing it for a long time...until I saw the lyrics and understood that it was arranged that way on purpose. I recommend watching a video of the game for this.
A more in-depth explanation, mostly borrowed from the DIVA Arcade @wiki:

me no mae no botan wo osu dake de/happii no geeji ga agatteku (Just by pressing the buttons laid before your eyes/The happiness gauge increases) - on the first line, an arrow is drawn with the square and triangles, then the chain moves upward.

On happii no geeji ga agatteku(The happiness gauge increases) the triangle markers ascend from bottom left to top left. In comparison, in the next stanza, on happii no geeji ga sagacchau! (The happiness gauge will go down!) triangles markers are again used, but they're descending from centre to bottom left.

On NORMAL/HARD, on sankaku to batsu wo hachi kai (Triangle and cross eight times) the map shows 4 triangles and 4 crosses. On EXTREME, the map shows 4 triangles, 4 crosses, then 4 triangle/cross double notes to make eight of each.

Right after that, on maru to shikaku darake tentekomai (Circle and square all over, scramble scramble), there really are only circle and square notes. And because it's not easy to hit, there are people who really have to scramble for the right buttons. (...me for instance. At the moment of typing.)

On tataku basho wo tama ni machigaetara (If you hit the wrong places sometimes) is mostly circle markers, but there are other buttons randomly mixed in. (Probably the idea here is that you'll get confused and hit the wrong buttons instead. Speaking from experience.)

On the last syllable of zenbu no botan wo hoorudo shitara (If you hold all the buttons), there really is a hold for all four buttons. But if you keep holding it and don't move, the game'll close shop on any mode other than NORMAL.

This one is pretty obvious, but on haato no katachi wo shita kakushi botan ga... (A hidden button in the shape of a heart...), the circle markers are arranged in a heart shape.

On EXTREME, on the line ryoute wo waza to fusagu you ni shimashita (Keeping both your hands tied on purpose), you have to chain up squares while holding the triangle and circle buttons. Also, the squares are arranged in a heart shape.

This is one of the best songs to play if you want to show off, if your skills are somewhere in the intermediate EXTREME level (i.e. you're not good enough to clear PoPiPo yet). The probability of having the game close shop on you on the first time (if you try playing it without any idea what the map looks like) is probably around 99%, what with its nearly unreadable placements and high BPM. (If you manage to sight read the entire thing, tell me so I can congratulate you on graduating from being human.) On the other hand, if you watch play videos a few times (with button sounds), it becomes really easy. But to someone who's never played the game before, it makes the game look absolutely terrifying.
Also, it's ridiculously earwormy.

2. The rest of the song is in reference to this. In short, it's a recitation of an extremely long (fictional) name. (No wordplay intended.) I don't think there's any point in translating the name itself, and the last part is probably just a load of nonsense anyway.
3. Tentekomai!

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

drrr!!; drlv!! comic anthology; the scene only god can forgive - kawakami masaki

aleator — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:06:24 GMT

神のみぞ許される光景 -　川上真樹

Back to DRLV!! contents

---

P1

1:

When the three of us - Shizuo, Izaya and Shinra - were just high schoolers...

2:

Shizuo:
Strip rock-paper-scissors?
Why are we using that to fight?

3:

What's he thinking of doing with strip rock-paper-scissors?

4:

Izaya:
My, so cold...
You don't know the origins of strip rock-paper-scissors, do you...
Ignorance is scary, so scary...

5:

Origins?

Izaya:
Alright, I'll tell you.

P2

1:

Izaya:
...to start with, strip rock-paper-scissors originated in the Nara period, before the fusion of Shintoism and Buddhism.
It was a game played by the god-summoning saniwa and a god.
At some point in time, it became associated with baseball and got turned into the form it takes today.
Don't you think the fact that such a culture-heavy game was swept away by a word is too thoughtless?

*Please be blown away.

2:

Wait, wait, what are you saying, Izaya?

(Aren't you an atheist to begin with?)

Shizuo:
Gods...

The fusion of Shintoism and Buddhism?
Game?
That's not true!
There's no way he'd believe all of...

4:

Shizuo:
I- I know, yeah, that's the game, right? Yeah...

You knew!? And it's wrong!!

P3

1:

Izaya:
Heheheh...so, shall we do it?
And whoever's completely naked will have to do a forfeit.

Shizuo:
For- forfeit!? A god won't ever need to do......

Oh! That's a good point! If you keep going you might get it!

2:

Izaya:
Well, that.
Gods are omnipotent, you know? They won't lose.

3:

Shizuo:
Ah, yeah, I- I know...

Crap~~~!
He buried the trap!

4:

Shizuo:
And what was the forfeit again...I know this!

I'm interested in that...

5:

Izaya:
I'll tell you if the time comes...isn't it more interesting that way?

What kind of devilishly difficult request will he make......?

6:

Shizuo:
Y- yeah...

Izaya:
I'll be the winner, though......

Izaya's confident...does he have something planned...?

P4

2:

Shizuo:
You can't take anything from your upper half off any more.

He- he's losing~~~

3:

Izaya:
...alright, this is where the fanservice ends.

Shizuo:
Aah? It's like you haven't been doing your best...
(Service?)

Even if you try your best now, rock-paper-scissors is luck, there's no relation...

4:

But Izaya wouldn't be so confident for no reason.
He seems to have a plan, a strange, brilliant, evil plan that no one's thought of...

P5

3:

Izaya:
Ah, this one's rock, this one's scissors, and this one's paper ♪
Shizu-chan's rock, so I use paper. Shizu-chan loses!

4:

Shinra:
Are you a kid!!

5:

That's too much! You can't fool even Shizuo with that...

Shizuo:
I~~za~~ya~~

See, he's getting angry...

Izaya:
...it's descended.

P6

1:

Izaya:
I am a god descended.
Strip rock-paper-scissors was once a game with gods.
Gods are omniscient and omnipotent. This hand sign is a power given only to the gods!

2:

Ow ow ow ow! This is chuunibyou at its prime!

There's no way anyone would be so idiotic as to be fooled by such grandiose...

3:

Shizuo:
It's the work of the gods---!!!

There's an idiot here--!!

P7

1:

Shizuo:
...I see! This completes the jigsaw puzzle of strip rock-paper-scissors!

Shinra:
Those pieces are wrong! And because you're forcing them together the picture also has other things mixed up in it!!

2:

Izaya:
Come on...
Let's continue...

4:

Shizuo:
Hah!
Even if Izaya summons a god, he's still human!

5:

Shizuo:
Because he's human, the chances of winning are fifty-fifty!
I can still win!!

What sort of reasoning is this...!

P9

1:

Shizuo:
Shit...

2:

Izaya:
Heheh...

3:

Nononononononononono!!
This is bad, isn't it!!

4:

Shizuo:
S- so what was the divine forfeit for losing a game...
Was it kowtowing?
E-rrr...

Has he not realized the strangeness of all this yet!?

P10

1:

Izaya:
...what are you saying, Shizu-chan?

2:

Izaya:
It's a game with the gods.
It wouldn't make you do something so tasteless, right?

3:

That's definitely a lie!
Because it's Izaya,

It might be standing in the schoolyard or walking through the school corridors in this state...

...just the thought of it is disgusting.

4:

...what's this?

What's this? Izaya's serious face...

I've probably seen it before...

P11

1:

Strip rock-paper-scissors was originally a game with the gods...

It's true that Onigokko and Kagome Kagome were actually other things that turned into games.

So should I not deny the possibility that strip rock-paper-scissors is the same...?

2:

If so, what kind of forfeit will the gods give...

3:

Is it some form of worship, or something else...

P12

3:

Shizuo...

5:

Shizuo:
Izayaaa!!

What a simple child...

Notes:
1. The artist has a Wikipedia article. This is his blog.
2. This was quite hard to translate, so there are probably inaccuracies here and there, and a bunch of translator's notes that you might want to read to better understand what's going on:
3. The origin of 野球拳: I guess the sudden "baseball" mention up there was a bit stark, but I couldn't think of a way to Westernize it. "Yakyuuken", or strip rock-paper-scissors, is oddly made up of "baseball" and "fist" put together. I was lazy and searched for an explanation in English, which may or may not be correct - see here (NSFW image?). Maybe I'll look up an explanation in Japanese sometime.
4. Gods: Actually I don't know if it's one god or many gods. There's no indication, unless I'm missing it...and it sort of gets on my nerves.
5. 神仏: "Shinbutsu" can mean "gods and Buddhas" too, but since Izaya mentions something about fusion and I can't imagine what would happen if gods and Buddhas fused, I guess he means the fusion of the religions instead.
6. 神が降りてる: Honestly I wasn't sure how to translate this - from some searching, it seems to be used as in "a god has descended in the form of (person's name)". Summoned...perhaps. The first time Izaya says it, it's rather like summoning.
7. Chuunibyou: See this. It's a phrase that seems to be popping up very often recently.
8.1. Onigokko: I don't have the time right now to do a proper reading or translation of the information I've found regarding the origins of Onigokko, but perhaps I'll do it sometime. Links: one and two. There's more than one suggestion as to where and how the game arose, but the two I've seen are 1. originated from a ritual/game in the Heian period and 2. a festival that crossed over from China. Trivia: there are more than 250 variants of Onigokko and even one variant you can play with Nintendo DSes.
8.2. Kagome Kagome: This is actually more sinister than Onigokko, from what I've found. Here's the English Wikipedia article, but to be sure, I poked around Japanese sources. The Japanese article has more information about possible interpretations of the song - "kagome", for example, might mean "the eye of the cage" (I've heard of this explanation before) or "cage woman" (a woman holding the cage, and the caged bird is a child, which opens up other possibilities for interpretation...). And there are sayings that the song is really used to summon spirits, or curse the child in the centre...the bottom line is - no one knows for sure. And the song has slight variations from region to region, too.
9. Itai: Shinra says/thinks this a lot. Literally, and officially, it means "painful", but when he uses it to refer to Izaya, it's for his grandiose...declarations that sound very much like the result of a strong attack of chuunibyou. He uses it near the end to refer to Shizuo though, with a different meaning that I'm honestly not 100% sure of, but I guess it means "simple", or something to that effect.
10. The title: it may or may not have to do with The World God Only Knows. I am quite twitchy about the exact meaning of the title here, since I'm not entirely sure...it might be "can be forgiven for" rather than "can forgive".
11. There are a lot of things here that I'm not clear about, so I'd really appreciate any clarifications on anything I've expressed doubt over!

P69-80
DRLV!!/デュララブ!!　- デュラララ!!　アンソロジーコミック

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

drrr!!; drlv!! comic anthology; reflection time! - akai higasa

aleator — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:16:54 GMT

反省TIME! -　赤井ヒガサ

Back to DRLV!! contents

---

P1

1:

Killkillkill
Killkillkill
Killkillkill

2:

Izaya:
Ahaha, Shizu-chan's violent as usual.

From long before, this guy's only given me bitter memories.
The accumulation of that, my accumulated grudges...

3:

Shizuo:
Dieee Izaayaaa!
I'll kill him today!!!

4:

...or so I'd thought...

......but...

P2

1:

Shizuo:
Why am I being all buddy-buddy with him and polishing someone's helmet right now?

3:

Izaya:
Wow, look at this Shizu-chan, it's like a mirror!

Shizuo:
That's amazing, Izaya! Not even a professional can rival such a careful job!

P3

1:

Shizuo:
--did you think I'd say that!!

2:

Izaya:
That was dangerous. What are you doing, Shizu-chan?

Shizuo:
Shut up!! This is your fault, you started it first!
Coming to Ikebukuro again...

3:

Izaya:
But who was it who saw me and attacked as usual, and knocked Celty's helmet flying just as she was passing by?

Shizuo:
Ugh...

4:

Izaya:
Naah our schoolmate was scary, he got mad, that Shinra.

Shinra:
(Violence towards Celty?)
I'm not going to forgive you till you make it shine.
(If you refuse, we're not going to help you with any work in the future, OK?)

Shizuo:
I'll kill him...I wanna kill him now!
But...

P4

1:

Shizuo:
If this goes on, I'll be setting a bad example for not just Shinra, but Celty too...!!

Celty:
(Eh, I don't really mind...)

Shizuo:
Resist it, don't get mad, just for now!!

2:

Izaya:
Shizu-chan has such few friends...
(Poor thing, he can only communicate with non-humans...)

Shizuo:
Shut up!

3:

Shizuo:
And why are you escaping!!

Izaya:
Hm?

4:

Izaya:
No way- that's not it.
I was just going to buy you some juice, since you're working so hard!
(suspicious grin)

Shizuo:
That's definitely a lie!

5:

Shizuo:
Oi, hold it right there Izaya!

Izaya:
Hahaha, see you---

6:

(Irritated because he wants to chase but can't)

P5

1:

Shit...that bastard Izaya ran away...

Shizuo:
Tch!

2:

When this is done I'll kill him for sure, that bastard should get prepared...

4:

Shizuo:
Whoa, cold!!
What're you doing!!

Izaya:
Ahahahaha!

5:

Shizuo:
I- Izaya!
Why did you come ba-......

6:

Shizuo:
Eh?

P6

1:

Izaya:
I told you, didn't I? I said I'd buy juice for you.
Here.

2:

Shizuo:
Wha-......

3:

You mean...
He was for real---

...and I suspected him......
I guess I shouldn't...have......

5:

Shizuo:
I-
Izaya.
J- just- just this once,
Th- th- thank yo-......

P7

1:

(AWOL)

2:

Shizuo:
Haaa!!?

Izaya:
--So...

3:

Izaya:
That juice is in exchange for work.
So, work hard on your own, Shi-zu-ch-a-n ☆

P8

1:

I TAKE EVERYTHING BACK!!!

2:

Shizuo:
IIZAAAYAAA

3:

Shinra:
Aa-ah, I came to see how they were doing and it's really come to this.
I wonder why they can't get along.

4:

Shinra:
It can't not be said that they're actually getting along well like this, though.

5:

The next day

Shinra:
Here, polish it again.
(No mercy.)

---

Notes:
1. The artist has a Wikipedia article. This is his blog. ...yes, the art style jump is...rather huge, is it not? Or is it just me? I was wondering if they were the same person, but Wikipedia says so...I guess this makes her one of the bigger names contributing to this anthology.

P25-32
DRLV!!/デュララブ!!　- デュラララ!!　アンソロジーコミック

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

touhoku earthquake & tsunami

aleator — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 09:58:38 GMT

To anyone needing translations that are related to the Touhoku quake:

I am here!

I thought about it for a while, and decided that the best way I can possibly help in my busy situation is in my capacity as a translator.
I won't make any promises, but I will try as much as possible to translate as fast and as accurately as I can, particularly if it's urgent. Even if it's not something personal (e.g. breaking news, blog posts, etc.), feel free to link it to me if it's important and I'll go through it for you!

Note:
My languages in order of descending proficiency are: English, Mandarin, Japanese
Translations from Japanese will probably be faster than translations to Japanese.
I'm also not extremely confident about translating to and from Mandarin since I haven't been using it regularly in a while, but I'll do whatever I can.

Do PM me or comment if you need anything.
If you'd like to keep your message private and don't have an LJ account, email nomimushi@gmail.com and I'll get back to you from there.

Helpful translation links:

Twitter hashtags - #honyaquake #jishin_e #jishin_kor #jishin_kr #jisin_kor #jishin_esp
24/7 Hotline for non-Japanese speaking victims

Other links:

Useful Twitter hashtags - #jishin #jisin #genpatsu #311care #hinan #j_j_helpme #anpi #jisin #kizuna #hinan #kibou #jpquake #CNN #BBC
Planned blackout group information (for people in Kanto and Touhoku areas, 16th March to 21st March)

Kizuna project EN / JP
PayPal donation links

drrr!!; drlv!! comic anthology; ikebukuro vending machine lullaby - hiiragi yuuichi

aleator — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:44:21 GMT

池袋自販機ララバイ -　柊裕一

Back to DRLV!! contents

---

P1

1:

Shizuo:
You're showing yourself to me...that means it's okay to kill you, right?
Izayaa.

2:

Izaya:
I've got to hand it to you...let me go,
Shizu-chan.

3:

This is bad this is bad this is bad...!
I'm going to be killed...!

P2

1:

I'm gonna...!!

2:

The man most feared among vending machines,

Heiwajima Shizuo.

3:

If he gets mad, he throws anything with unnatural strength.

Vending machines aren't excluded.

P3

1:

Next to me, there used to be Itou-senpai.

Box:
Strike~
One more for you!!

(Mum-! I struck it lucky-!)

Box:
He'd give kids extras.
Haha, Itou-san was a nice guy.

2:

But even that Itou-san...

3:

Vending machine:
Itou-sa-n!!

4:

No...no way!! I don't want to be scrapped like Itou-san was!

Shizuo:
Like I'd let you go.

6:

Uh---wait wait wait!

Stop stop au--gh!
Au-----gh!!

P4

1:

Th- th- th- th- that was dangerous-----!!

3:

Shizuo:
Just go and die!!

4:

Go die!! Die for me!!

And then make Shizuo calm down!

P5

1:

He dodged it-----!!

2:

Shizuo:
Wh---y won't you be obedient and let me kill you, I wonder?

U- uwawawaaa-----!!

4:

Shizuo:
Then, can you dodge this? Izaya-kun.

5:

Wait wait wait!
Wait!! Hey wait!!

I-...if I talk he'll understand, if I talk...

6:

Ah-----!!

P6

2:

Shizuo:
Simon!

3:

Shizuo:
Whoa!

4:

Izaya:
Oh!?

5:

Simon:
Both of you, fighting bad.
Eat sushi, become friends!

6:

...saved.

P7

1:

I'm saved-----!!

2:

Thank you...
Thank you Simon...

You're an angel!!

3:

The next day

4:

Shizuo:
I couldn't kill that Izaya...
So irritated...I'll definitely squash him into the size of an aluminium can...

5:

Shizuo:
The size of this canned coffee.

P8

1:

(SOLD OUT)

3:

Shizuo:
Oi, vending machine...
You're called a vending machine because you automatically vend stuff, right?
And because you're all sold out you're an automatic non-vending machine, so you've got no complaints if I break you, right?

4:

Oh- oh no!!
I dumped everything back then......

5:

Shizuo:
I'm gonna scrap yoouuaaargh!!

Vending machine:
Gyaa-----!!

(Scrap end)

---

Notes:
1. The artist has a Wikipedia article. This is his blog.
2. Itou-san was called Itou-san, presumably because of the Itouen brand. I thought that was pretty cute - presumably, the main character of this piece is called Onicoke or something similar?
3. ...what's a common translation for "参った"? I've the feeling I know, but it's slipped my mind...

P33-40
DRLV!!/デュララブ!!　- デュラララ!!　アンソロジーコミック

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

drrr!!; drlv!! comic anthology; crow of a daydream - takatou reiko

aleator — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:03:39 GMT

白昼夢のカラス -　高透レイコ

Back to DRLV!! contents

---

P1

1:

Sometimes I know when I'm dreaming.

2:

Talking about things that would be unbelievable in real life, being in awfully real streets...

Standing in places I wouldn't go to in reality, and other things.

3:

And sometimes, people I know appear in that weird place.

Something like this.

Shizuo:
Sorry for calling you out so suddenly, Izaya-kun.

P2

1:

Shizuo:
But there's something I can talk to only you, as my close friend, about.

No no no no today's dream is extremely eccentric.

2:

Shizu-chan's a humble, nice young man.
And he's my good friend.
It's unbelievable, isn't it-

3:

And even so, he's wearing his usual battle uniform (bartender suit + sunglasses) (LOL)

Shizuo:
What I wanted to say is, actually I...

This is already comedy, isn't it?
Today's dream is a comedy!

4:

Shizuo:
...am in love with a woman.

Hah?

5:

Did he say love?
He said love!?
It doesn't fit him at all!

(pfft, gross!)

Ahahahahahahaha,
What are you saying, Shizu-chan!

P3

1:

That person's the onee-san working at the bread shop on the way home from school.

She always says I'm getting injured, and gives me milk, and smiles so wonderfully.

2:

AHAHAHAHAHYAHA

3:

Hold- wai- school!?
You go to school like that?
Please stop it already!

If I say this is amazing my sides are gonna die!

4:

Shizuo:
But she already has a husband.

Here it comes!!

5:

Izaya:
Someone's wife?

Shizuo:
I thought of giving up lots of times. Even if I like her I don't think anything will ever happen......but...

Izaya:
Here come the swamp!

P4

1:

Shizuo:
It's one-sided, but I really like her so I couldn't let go.
It's the first time I've liked someone so much.

2:

Shizuo:
Izaya-kun, what should I do?

No no why are you asking me!

3:

Eh- there's no need to think, it was definitely the married part that takes the cake!

Whichever route you pick, it'll undeniably be a tragic dead end, Orihara Izaya promises you that!

And even so you can't give up and eagerly head for the battleground. You've got guts, Ikebukuro's strongest!

P5

1:

This is it, right?
You're telling me to kindly give you a nice push in the back, right?

2:

Nah- I'd really like to see it-
Shizu-chan, beaten to a pulp, having lost all faith in people, despairing away in a corner and all...
I want to seeeee!

P6

1:

Izaya:
You could steal her.

2:

Shizuo:
Steal...?
So, steal her?

3:

Izaya:
Your first love.
No one can blame you for such an innocent thing, because it's beautiful and romantic.

3:

Izaya:
So it's alright to be true to yourself - tell her how you feel!

5:

Shizuo:
True to myself......
I see...!

Thank you Izaya-kun, I feel braver now!
In any case, love will always come with obstacles!

6:

Izaya:
Yeah, yeah-
That's the rule (LOL)

7:

Today's dream is a good one.
Shizu-chan trusted me.
To think I can observe the ugliness of people poisoned by love, through him......!

8:

The besttt!
Humanity's evils are the best!
Weakness is the best!
My ought-to-be-loved humans are the best!

I'm the best to have the best dream ever!

9:

............wait, a dream?

P7

1:

Shizuo:
It was really a good idea to talk to you, thanks.

2:

Shizuo:
Izaya-kun?

3:

Dreams. Those are revealing of desires in one's unconscious, fantasies of things I want......

Izaya:
Did you know, Shizu-chan?

4:

Izaya:
In dreams- it seems like you're going through one long story, but actually each story is 6 seconds long, and you just go through them over and over.

5:

Izaya:
Anyway I'm tired of hearing you talk.

Shizuo:
It's time to fight, Izaya-kun!

Izaya:
Listen to me when I'm talking!

P8

1:

Izaya:
I'll make it easy for you to understand, monkey-brain: this is a dream, so you're saying only nice things to me.
The person you like is also my own fantasy.

2:

Izaya:
Anyway it's unbelievable that we're good friends!
Come now, Shizu-chan, throw road signs and vending machines at me!
Come on, what's wrong?

3:

Shizuo:
What are you talking about. No way, Izaya-kun.
(No way-)
There's no reason I can uproot road signs- and if I do that, I'll get arrested.

5:

Shizuo:
It's impossible to do that with human strength to begin with.
Izaya-kun, that's such an extreme joke-

Don't you do that all the time, that kind of joke......

6:

Even though you're Heiwajima Shizuo!

P9

1:
You're contradicting yourself!

2:

Shizuo:
Eh......

3:

Izaya:
Heheh.

4:

Shizuo:
Izaya-kun......why?

5:

Come on now, go back to the normal Shizu-chan.

Shizuo:
Unless......
Did I drive you to madness.........!

P10

1:

Shizuo:
I'm sorry, I'm sorry Izaya-kun!!

2:

Shizuo:
I didn't think about your feelings and I- I just kept on going about love...!

What is this person saying-!?

3:

Shizuo:
I'm not worthy of being your close friend like this-!
(I'm sorry Izaya-kun----)

(Help me mister policema-n!
There's a pervert here--)

Izaya:
Don't call yourself my close friend, it makes me nauseous!

P11

1:

-- A few hours later

2:

Shizuo:
Didn't I tell you not to come near 'Bukurooooo!

3:

Shizuo:
Iiizayaaaa!!

4:

Izaya:
Aah......this is it, this is it.........

5:

Izaya:
Reality love!
Pain is the proof that I'm alive!

6:

Shizuo:
Eat thiiis---!

Mikado:
Ah!

Izaya:
Gladly!

P12

1:

Mikado:
Er- Izaya-san, why are you so suicidal today?

Izaya:
.........Mikado-kun?
It's a problem if you misunderstand-
I'm just confirming a natural phenomenon!
I'm not being suicidal★

3:

Izaya:
I'm just confirming the reality that is pain-PUGYAA

(That person's rather tough...)

Mikado:
Confirming his masochistic tendencies?

4:

It was a dream that seemed to awaken his masochistic trait.

---

Notes:
1. I don't know much about this artist, but her site is here. Her Pixiv account is here, but it doesn't contain much as of the moment of typing.
2. P4 panel 2: Izaya's thought is "どうしたもこうしたもないーっつーの！" which is really a random expression that is something like "for goodness' sake!" (for my own reference)
3. This piece is easily one of my most favourite out of this book fffff

P49-60 (text-only)
DRLV!!/デュララブ!!　- デュラララ!!　アンソロジーコミック

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

drrr!!; drlv!! comic anthology; the rampage of orihara izaya - furusawa kou

aleator — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:13:50 GMT

折原臨也の暴走 -　古沢コウ

Back to DRLV!! contents

---

P1

1:

Izaya:
Hey hey-

2:

Izaya:
Namie-
Lookie lookie-

3:

Izaya:
If I do this and say WELL☆I☆NEVER! (masaka - is there a better way to translate this?)
what do you thi-

4:

Namie:
You're noisy!!
I'm in the middle of a phone call with Seiji!!
Shut up!!

5:

(Namie is scary
Made Izaya cry)

Namie:
Ah Seiji...
No, there was just a distraction.
Yes sure, leave it to me.

P2

1:

Meeting

2:

Izaya:
Hey.

3:

Izaya: (*FABULOOUUUSSS* *WITH SPARKLES*)
Long time no see, Kida Masaomi-kun.

4:

Mikado:
Ki- Kida-kun...!!

Masaomi:
Don't say anything, Mikado...

P3

1:

Izaya: So, who's that?

2:

Masaomi: This is just my friend...

3:

Izaya: (*FAAAABULOOUUUSSSS* *WITH ROSES*)
I am Orihara Izaya.
Nice to meet you ☆

(4: Masaomi buries his face in his hands.)

P4

1:

People love!!

2:

Izaya:
These streets
still contain so many things even I, an information broker don't know
Born,
disappearing

3:

Izaya:
People I want to know-
I want to know more about them.

4:

Izaya:
People lo-

5:

Izaya:
.........?
That's not right.

P5

1:

Izaya: (trying out different poses)
People
love!!

People
love!!

People
love!!

People
love!!

2:

Izaya:
People
love!!

Celty:
Can I come out now...?

P6

1:

Iza-iza and Shizu-chan

2:

Shizuo:
Dieee!!
Izayaaaaa!!

3:

Izaya:
Telling me to die, and all- no way, Shizu-chan.

4:

Izaya:
Thanks for always giving me such an excessive welcome,
but unfortunately I don't have that sort of interest.

5:

Shizuo:
Hah?
Interest...?
What interest.

6:

Izaya:
Eh?
Ah.

P7

1:

Karisawa:
Shizu-chan definitely likes Iza-iza, right-
Something like boys in love?

Yumasaki, Celty, Kadota:
No, just no.

2:

Izaya:
...or so,
I heard from somewh-OOF

4:

Shizuo:
Wasn't it denied three-to-one?
Don't say gross things, just die.
(No way.)

5:

Izaya:
That's stupid, Shizu-chan.

P8

1:

Izaya:
Deciding things so easily based on majority vote isn't good, you know?
The truth might be buried in the minority.

2:

Although the person himself has denied it...

3:

Izaya:
Un- unless!!
This violence is the way Shizu-chan shows his love...!? Like Saika!?

4:

Izaya:
I see now, but I'm sorry, Shizu-chan.
Even if you hurt me with your attacks, I can't hear your words of love.
I love all of humanity, but Shizu-chan is the only excepti-GYA

---

Notes:
1. Once again, an obscure artist...so obscure, in fact, that I cannot find anything at all. Not even just a title of something s/he's drawn before. There's someone fashion-related who has the same name (and I doubt is the same person)...pity, because I like this artist's sense of humour. I can't not laugh every time I read this one.

P149-156 (text-only)
DRLV!!/デュララブ!!　- デュラララ!!　アンソロジーコミック

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

drrr!!; drlv!! comic anthology; heartful bokko school days - naoe

aleator — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:02:29 GMT

ハートフルボッコスクールDAYS - NAOE

Back to DRLV!! contents

---

P1

1:

box:
From the time I, Kishitani Shinra, entered Raijin High, I observed that the man called Heiwajima Shizuo...
...was of a never-before-heard level of simple-mindedness.

2:

Shinra:
(A bump?)

3:

Shinra:
That's amazing, Shizuo!!
You actually got a bump!!
What happened!?

Shizuo:
I slipped.
...on a banana peel.

Shinra:
Uwah, what an idiot!

P2

1:

Shinra:
Your body is stronger than a regular person's, but it can be said that your head's as hard as an idiot's, huh-?

Shizuo:
...What are you trying to say...

Izaya:
Ahhahahahahahaha!

2:

Izaya:
A-h, that was interesting!
You actually slipped on a banana peel!

3:

Izaya:
A full turn, even!

Shinra:
He made a full turn...

4:

Shizuo:
Orihara Izaya!!!
So- so you were really the one behind it...
Are you prepared...

P3

1:

Izaya:
Here.

(Name Mine)

2:

Shizuo:
......What's this...my textbook?
(I thought I'd lost it...)

Shinra:
He wrote his name as "Mine"...

Izaya:
I borrowed it.
Didn't you notice, stupid?

3:

Shizuo:
Yooouuuu-
I'll kill yoouuu!!!!

Izaya:
Ahahahaha, see you later-!

Shinra:
He's fast!

4:

Shizuo:
Shinra!! Give me sesame and salt!! For exorcism!!

Shinra:
Sesame and salt won't help, will it?

box:
And so, it became normal to see Izaya make fun of the simple-minded Shizuo.

P4

1:

Shizuo:
Kill kill kill kill kill

Shinra:
Aa-h...This is really what it means to explode at the next touch.
It'd be good if he didn't snap in the middle of class, though...

2:

Shizuo:
Kill...

Shinra:
......Hmm? What happened?

3:

(Big brother.
Have a rest.
Here's a pudding.

Heiwajima Kasuka)

4:

Shinra:
Shizuo...?
(Are you okay?)

P5

1:

(Blonde hair suits you!
Shizu-chan)

Shinra:
What's that!?

2:

Shinra:
There are drawings on his textbook...
...hm?

3:

(Big brother, I'm going to become an actor.)

Shinra:
Izaya drew those, didn't he. He looks like the real person...him too...

4:

Shinra:
Eh...ah...
...Huh?

5:

Kasuka:
But the person I respect is you,
Big brother.

Shinra:
Unless...

6:

Shinra:
No way, he's too much of an idiot!

7:

Kasuka:
Big brother,
Actually, I...

P6

Kasuka:
If...

P7

1:

?:
Don't be rash, Heiwajima-kun!! This is the fourth floor!!!

2:

?:
Kyaaa!
Uwaah!

Shizuo:
Iiizaayaa-

Shinra:
Hm, well, he seems fine.

3:

Shinra:
Well, better to let sleeping dogs lie.
Now I can finally concentrate on class.

Teacher:
Ah, Kishitani. Go and bring Heiwajima back.

4:

Shinra:
...Pain and suffering.

5:

Shizuo:
I'm not gonna let you go any more.

P8

1:

Shizuo:
To do that to Kasuka...

(brush: I don't get it)

2:

Izaya:
E-h?
It was just a bunch of doodles.
What're you getting so worked up about?

3:

Shizuo:
Shut uppp I'll kill you!!!

Izaya:
Scary, sca-ry!

4:

Izaya:
But,

5:

Izaya:
I'm so envious...

P9

1:

Shinra:
He's on the roof even though he jumped down...!!

Shizuo:
Ah.

2:

Izaya:
Didn't I tell you...
Actually, I...

3:

Izaya:
When I was 3 my parents died then my grandpa and grandma died too and then my cousin and second cousin and relative and big brother and big sister and little brother and little sister and the pet dog and cat and goldfish all died one after the other!
I was alone with no relatives and felt so lonely-!!!!

4:

Shinra:
There's not a single truth in there!!!

P10

1:

Shinra:
Shizuo isn't be so stupid as to believe all of that...

2:

Shizuo:
For real?

3:

Shinra:
...right...?
He's that stupid!!!

P11

1:

Shizuo:
Izaya...You've been lonely...but even so I said didn't care...No, but I don't actually care now...

Shinra:
Uwaah...he obviously believed all of it...is he trying to gain Shizuo's sympathy...?

2:

Shinra:
Huh!!! Izaya's at a loss!! His joke fell through entirely...!!

3:

Shizuo:
...Well if there's anything, go tell Shinra.
I might help you a littttttle...

Shinra:
Hold it right there!!!
(Don't pull me into this!!)

P12

1:

Izaya:
...Alright, I'll leave it to you then, Shizu-chan!

Shizuo:
Stop calling me that!!!

2:

(See- you-)

Shizuo:
......Hey, Shinra.

Shinra:
Hm?

3:

Shizuo:
I should probably...be a little nicer to that worm, huh...

paper:
If you press my hair whorl I'll explode!

Shinra:
...Yeah?

box:
After this, Shizuo and Izaya's relations became the worst they could be, but...

4:

box:
That's another story...

?:
It's Heiwajima Shizuo!! Aim for his hair whorl-!!

Shizuo:
Why!!?

---

Notes:
1. NAOE is the artist of Seki-shin (click the picture that has NAOE on it to read). S/he's another of those artists that I have a lot of trouble digging up any information about - this is the only thing I've found. (It doesn't help that "Naoe" is a real name and common screen-name.) This makes me a little sad; I do like NAOE's art and sense of humour a lot.
2. What Kasuka was about to say before he exploded is what was on the note Izaya stuck on Shizuo's back.

P117-128 (text-only)
DRLV!!/デュララブ!!　- デュラララ!!　アンソロジーコミック

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

drrr!!; drlv!! comic anthology; a peaceful night in ikebukuro - ukawa ami

aleator — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:49:15 GMT

池袋の平和な夜 -　宇川あみ

Back to DRLV!! contents

---

P1

1:

Celty:
The emperor of evil, who's thrown the world into disarray...
It's time to fight...!!

2:

Celty:
Let's go!!
It's the final battle!!!

(The emperor of evil has appeared!)

Shinra:
Celty-
Sorry to disturb your fun, but there's work from Izaya.

P2

1:

Celty:
Ehh...but I'm in an important situation right now...!

Shinra:
It looks like Izaya's also in an important situation now too.

2:

Shinra:
He says if you don't come quickly, it'll fall apart.

Celty:
What will!!?

3:

Celty:
...I guess I've no choice.
I'll come back soon!

Shinra:
Ah.

4:

Shinra:
Wait, Celty, that's...!

5:

Shinra:
(Ah-...)

P3

1:

Izaya:
So, Mikado-kun.

2:

Izaya:
Celty's coming soon, so just put that on and wait.

Mikado:
Haah......

box:
Ryuugamine Mikado (15), who was roped in as he was passing by

3:

Mikado:
Erm...
Is there any meaning to putting this on?

Izaya:
If you find something you don't know at your meeting place, you'll be surprised, right?

4:

Izaya:
To surprise a dullahan, who usually surprises people.
I just want to try it.

Mikado:
I hope I'm allowed to laugh...

5:

Izaya:
Come on, hurry up Mikado-kun!

P4

1:

Rice cooker ->

2:

Izaya, Mikado:
Pot Rider

3:

Mikado:
Wai-
Ce-, Celty-san!!?

Celty:
That voice...Mikado!!
What's wrong!
What happened!!?

Mikado:
I'm about to ask you the same question!
Are you changing your image!!?

Celty:
Eh!!?

P5

3:

Celty:
WHAT IS THIS

Mikado:
You mean you didn't notice!!?

4:

Celty:
It was a little heavier than usual and hard to wear but...

Mikado:
Shouldn't you have felt there was something wrong right then?

Celty:
I was in a hurry, so...

5:

Izaya:
I've lost...you, as a dullahan, has exceeded my imagination...

Mikado:
Izaya-san, can you take that off already?

6:

Celty:
Ah, right, Izaya!
It's your fault...!!
Anyway, what happened to you?
What fell apart?
Was it your brain?
Am I too late?!!

Izaya:
It's alright, my brain is still intact.

P6

1:

Izaya:
It's my shoulders that are going to fall apart~ I haven't done so much shopping at Ikebukuro in a while.
So send me home.

Celty:
If that's so, go get a taxi!

2:

Izaya:
Ehh-? Isn't it scary to let a random uncle know where I live?

Celty:
Are you a girl!

3:

Celty:
I don't have so much time!!
I'm just about to enter the final battle with the emperor of evil!!

Mikado:
You mean that exists in present-day japan!!?

(Extraordinary!!)

4:

Izaya:
I'll be paying you, in any case.
Ah, can I take a photo?

Celty:
I'll cut you up.

5:

Masaomi:
Oh hey-
Isn't it Mikado, what are you doing?

Mikado:
Masaomi.

P7

1:

Masaomi:
Huh.

2:

Masaomi:
It's the pot rider-!!!

(Hello, urban legend)

Celty:
I'm going home.

4:

Shinra:
Ah, it's great that you're back.
Really, carrying a pot out...there's a limit to how careless you should be!

Celty:
Shinra...

5:

Celty:
If everyone calls me the pot rider from tomorrow on, what should I doooo...

(Headless rider -> Pot rider)

Shinra:
Do- Don't be so depressed about it!

P8

1:

Shinra:
Even if that happens...even if you become a pot...
My feelings towards you won't change.

2:

Celty:
Shinra...!

3:

Celty:
Thank you, I'm happy, Shinra...!

Shinra:
Celty...!!

4:

Shinra:
He- hey, Celty?
Today, let's just...

5:

Celty:
Defeat the emperor of evil!!

Shinra:
Of course!

---

Notes:
1. Try as I might, all I've been able to find about this artist is that she drew a manga called "BLACK&WHITE" in GFantasy magazine. I don't even know if it's Ukawa or Ugawa...
2. I'm unsure if the artist intended anything to do with this, but "okama" can also be used to refer to a gay/effeminate man. This is particularly meaningful(?) if you replace the word "pot" in the line "Even if that happens...even if you become a pot..."

P89-96 (text-only)
DRLV!!/デュララブ!!　- デュラララ!!　アンソロジーコミック

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

drrr!!; drlv!! comic anthology; she loved a human. - gouto sora

aleator — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:29:07 GMT

彼女は人間を愛していました。　- 轟斗ソラ

Back to DRLV!! contents

---

P1

1:

The girls dreamt of becoming human.

P2

1:

They liked their older brother very much.

2:

Mairu:
But Iza-nii likes humans.

Kururi:
Humans.
Like.

3:

Mairu:
So we're going to become perfect humans.

Kururi:
Please.

Mairu:
If we do that,

Mairu, Kururi:
You'll play with us, right?

P3

1:

He liked humans.

2:

Worrying, suffering, being angry, crying - he liked that sort of human very much.

3:

Izaya:
So, for the sake of seeing the side of humans I love the most,
I'll do anything.

4:

Izaya:
Even though I love humans so much,
Why is it that,
humans don't love me?

P4

1:

The boy wished to be human.

2:

Even if it meant breaking his body,
The fighting doll covered himself with wounds every day.

3:

Shizuo:
This power, these feelings.
Of all humans, I'm the only one outside of this world.

4:

To be unable to hurt.

To not break things.

Shizuo:
If I were human,
Would you have loved me more?

P5

1:

She loved a human.

2:

Unable to kiss, gaze at him
cry, or smile

3:

I, without a head,

4:

Was loved by him, a human.

P6

1:

Shinra:
It's alright if you don't change.
It's alright if you don't wish for anything.
It's alright,
If you don't want to become a human.

2:

Shinra:
I love you the most,
The way you are now.

P7

She won't change. She will be here.

For 10 years,

Or 50,

Or 100,

She will be here, with him, who loved her.

P8

She loved a human who could change.

---

Notes:
1. Gouto Sora is the artist of the Tokyo Mono Harashi: Karasu no Mori Gakuen Kitan manga. Here is his blog.

P61-68 (text-only)
DRLV!!/デュララブ!!　- デュラララ!!　アンソロジーコミック

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

drrr!!; drlv!! comic anthology; floating city new ikebukuro - takagi kanako

aleator — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:14:47 GMT

水上都市　新池袋 -　高木かな子

Back to DRLV!! contents

---

P1

1:

Shinra:
Celty, wanna play this game?

2:

Shinra:
My friend's acquaintance's acquaintance made it.
It's based on the "headless rider".

Celty:
Me!?

P2

1:

box:
A.D. 20X0
Due to the sea level rising and the ground sinking, Tokyo sank into the sea.
People created colonies on top of buildings to live.

Celty:
Oh!? It's a common theme, but it looks interesting.

2:

Shinra:
It's a fishing game.

Celty:
Fishing!?
In here!?

3:

Shinra:
You fish from on top of buildings.

Celty:
The main character looks so lonely!!

4:

Celty:
!!
I caught something!

5:

Celty:
What...it's just driftwood.

(Driftwood
GET!
RELEASE!)

6:

Celty:
Got it!

7:

Celty:
...Driftwood again...

(Driftwood)

8:

Celty:
Another one!!

9:

Celty:
And another!!

P3

1:

Celty:
I'm only getting rubbish!

(I'm sick of this-)

2:

Shinra:
Here, let me.
Don't throw away the driftwood.

3:

Shinra:
If you collect and tie them together, you can go to the next colony.

Celty:
You should have told me earlier!!

(Raft, GET)

5:

Celty:
There are people here!!

Shinra:
If you go to the fishing shop, you can sell your items.

6:

Celty:
Eh!? That shopkeeper...

P3

1:

Izaya:
Welcome. This is where you can buy and sell items.

Celty:
Orihara Izaya!!!

Shinra:
He's rather well-known-

2:

Celty:
Wait...if Orihara Izaya is here, does that mean he's also...

3:

Celty:
He's really here!!

Izaya:
What would you like to buy?

Celty:
Shizuo's being sold in the shop!!?

(Animal bone fishing rod
Steel fishing rod
Wooden fishing rod
Heiwajima Shizuo
World map
Information about tomorrow's weather)

4:

(Heiwajima Shizuo, GET)

Shinra:
You attach him to the end of the line.
He's the fishing hook.

Celty:
Ehh!?

5:

Celty:
This looks terrible...
I can't show this to Shizuo.

(First Colony)

P4

1:

Celty:
Oh, I got something.

2:

Celty:
...Why did he bring that back!!

(Road Sign
GET!
RELEASE)

3:

Shinra:
That's a good thing in this game.

Celty:
Eh?

Shinra:
Let's sell it to the fishing shop!

4:

Izaya:
I'll take it for 5000 yen, but...
Don't you have anything more interesting that this broken road sign?
You're not suited for this.

Celty:
Well, I'm sorry!!

P5

5:

Shinra:
If you sell things like this,
they become part of the streets.
(The goal is to become the king.)

Celty:
I see...but isn't this not a fishing game......?

6:

Shinra:
Ah, the next one's coming, Celty!!

Celty:
If it's not a fish, don't make look like a fish!

P6

1:

Shinra:
Ah, awesome!!

Celty:
!?
Is it something good!?

2:

Shinra:
"Equip" it!!

Celty:
"Equip"?
Alright!
What happens?
What happens!?

3:

Shinra:
Nothing really?
I just wanted to see ♥
(So pretty ♥)

Celty:
It's become harder to move!!!
(And it's embarrassing.)

4:

Celty:
What the!?
This is so surreal!

Shinra:
Oh yeah! If you wear this your "luck stat" goes up!
You might get something rare.

Celty:
Really!!

P7

2:

(The Headless Rider's Head
GET!
RELEASE)

Celty:
My head!!!

3:

Shinra:
Wait!
It'd be better if you didn't "GET" it.

Celty:
Why!?
It's my head!!

4:

Shinra:
If you look at it closely, you'll see.
There!!

(...or so you thought, but it was really a cursed mannequin's head)

Celty:
Uwah!!
Some sense of humour this is!!!

5:

Shinra:
If you take it, it'll stick to you and you can't take it off.

Celty:
So I'll release...
That's so violent!!

6:

Shinra:
Isn't it interesting? You can fish up a lot of other cosplay goods.

Celty:
It seems like a rather tiresome game...

P8

1:

Celty:
What is it this time...

2:

(Black Motorcycle)

Celty:
Eh...!?
Shooter!!!

3:

Shinra:
Isn't that great, that's really rare!!
If you "equip" that...

Celty:
"Equip"!!

4:

Shinra:
The "White Motorcycle" appears and hunts you down!!
If he catches you, it's game over!!

Celty:
Uwaaaaa!!!

P9

1:

Shinra:
Ah, it's out now!!

Celty:
Uuh...

box:
In this manner, Celty was sucked into the mysterious game.
And then-

2:

Celty:
With this, the final floating city "New Ikebukuro" is done...
All that's left is the ending...

3:

Celty:
Augh-
It took such a long time to get here...!!
But I'll become the king now!!

4:

Simon:
You helped us a lot.
Please become our king.

Celty:
Here it comes!!

P10

1:

Simon:
Izaya-sama!!!

Izaya:
It's alright, it's just a game.

2:

Celty:
Huuuh!?
(Is it a bug!?)

3:

Celty:
Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

box:
After that, no matter how many times she tried, she always got the same ending.

4:

Izaya:
Even I would have to say it's a stupid game.
The transporter must be surprised.

(The person who made it ->)

---

Notes:
1. Takagi Kanako is the artist of Teriyaki Western.
2. Suijou toshi - literally, city on water.

P15-24 (text-only)
DRLV!!/デュララブ!!　- デュラララ!!　アンソロジーコミック

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

drrr!!; drlv!! comic anthology; uzazaza!! - mochi

aleator — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:58:23 GMT

ウザザザ!! - もち

Back to DRLV!! contents

---

P1

1:

Shizuo:
Ah.

2:

Tom:
What's wrong, Shizuo?

3:

Shizuo:
...I seem to have forgotten my phone.
Tom:
Huh? Where?
Shizuo:
Probably at home.
I left it to charge.

4:

Shizuo:
I can't quite calm down.
Tom:
Are you going to get it?
Shizuo:
Nah, a day without should be fine.

5:

Izaya:
Heh.

P2

1:

Izaya:
So careless, Shizu-chan.

2:

Namie:
So?

3:

Namie:
What are you going to do with that phone?

4:

Namie:
I don't think there's any information worth selling in it.

Izaya:
Because Shizu-chan doesn't have many friends.

5:

Namie:
Planning to grab hold of his weaknesses?

Izaya:
No, not that. Namie thinks of such scary things-

6:

Izaya:
I just want to make Shizu-chan mad, that's all.
(camwhoring with Shizuo's phone)

Namie:
Is that your camwhore pose?
It's really effective.

P3

1:

Izaya:
Let's start with changing all the names in his address book to look like mine.

Names:
Tomhara Izaya
Orimon
Kasukani Izaya
Shinizaya...

Namie:
Ah that's nice.
I'll also change your name in my address book to look like Seiji's.

2:

Izaya:
Of course, I have work for you too.

Namie:
What's this...beads?

3:

Izaya:
Don't girls do this a lot?
Decorating their phones.

4:

Izaya:
Turn Shizu-chan's phone into a deco-phone.
Make it as cute as possible for him!

Namie:
Why am I doing this...
I can't really do decoration.

P4

1:

Namie:
Except for Seiji.

Izaya:
Awesome! I didn't expect something in 3D!
I underestimated you again!
It's not beyond you to make a phone a platform for your brother!
This is why I love people!

2:

Izaya:
Thanks Namie.
If he finds it being charged in this state he'll be surprised.
He'll come and pay it back.

Namie:
It's obviously your handiwork.

3:

Izaya:
It's fine,
If Shizu-chan comes for revenge.
Because I'll give it to him then.

P5

1:

Shizuo:
IIIII
ZAAAA
YAAAA

2:

Shizuo:
I'll kill you!!

Izaya:
That was fast, Shizu-chan.

P6

3:

Izaya:
I've been practicing.
My autograph.

4:

Shizuo:
DIE!!!!

Namie:
He has too much time on his hands...

---

Notes:
1. Mochi is the artist of Cuticle Detective Inaba.
2. Uza = uzai = annoying = essence of Izaya
3. P2, panel 6, "camwhore" - no idea how to translate this smoothly. I know what it means, but English is so clumsy about it..."camwhore" comes the closest, oddly.

P9-14 (text-only)
DRLV!!/デュララブ!!　- デュラララ!!　アンソロジーコミック

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

drrr!!; drrr!!x7 colour page

aleator — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 06:39:23 GMT

In a dance hall, there were two dancing shadows.
A white shadow, and a black shadow.
"Celty......you're really beautiful."
The white shadow extended his hand to Celty, who was wearing a dress made of "shadow".
"Thank you. Shinra. I love you."
A beautiful woman, with nothing above her neck. From that neck, a dignified, beautiful voice sounded.
"Eh!? That's the first time I've heard your voice!? -but anyway it doesn't matter! Let's just dance!"
Ignoring the details, Shinra took Celty's hand and began to dance.
At some point in time, waltz music had started to play, and both of them moved gracefully to the rhythm, enchanting the atmosphere around them.
"Ah, ah......Celty. If I could hold your hand like this, I wouldn't mind if we kept on dancing forever."
"Me too, Shinra."
Seeing Celty being shy as if she were blushing all over, Shinra, still dancing, pulled her closer and held her tightly.

"Celty I love......mmmmnnnmnm?"
He woke up.
"......so it was a dream."
Realizing he'd dozed off at the computer table, Shinra, disappointed at the discovery that it had been a dream, stretched his body.
Then, his dance partner in the dream, wearing black pyjamas, appeared from the direction of the bedroom.

"Good morning. Did you just wake up?"
Seeing the words on the PDA, the underground doctor forgot the disappointment from waking up, and smiled widely at Celty.
"Hey! I just got up. This must be synchronicity! It was nice to wake up."
"Is that so......I had a weird dream. We were dancing."
"!?"
Reading the words, Shinra's eyes widened.
-- Is it really turning out to be synchronicity!?
"This is the miracle of love, Celty! Let's continue the dream now-"
To Shinra, who was ecstatic at the synchrony of their dreams and trying to hug Celty, the next words appeared.

"It was dojousukui."

"......ya, yasugibushi......!?"

---

Notes:
1. Dojousukui: this is what it looks like. Yasugibushi is the song that accompanies the dance - there's a bit of information about this here.
Now, imagine Shinra and Celty dancing this.

More about Dojousukui/Yasugibushi (read: I got distracted by Wikipedia):
Yasugibushi is a folk song from Yasugi in Shimane prefecture.
Dojousukui, which is known for that hyottoko face, is danced to this. It's actually about scooping iron sand for making Yasugi steel.
Even though "dojou" can mean mud, it actually refers to the dojou loach, which get caught in the process of scooping.

Requested by hachen.

DRRR!!x7
Colour page

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

drrr!!; drrr!!x9 raijin middle snippets

aleator — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:40:56 GMT

warnings:
serious spoilers
(especially the second one)

12 years ago; Raijin middle school; 1st year, class 3

"Hey you, want to join the biology club? Or rather, make one?"
"Sorry, but I'm not interested."
To the bespectacled boy's question, the other boy answered bluntly.
That was the first conversation Kishitani Shinra and Orihara Izaya ever had.
This was in the classroom after the entrance ceremony, and after everyone had introduced themselves.
After they'd been dismissed, friends from the same elementary schools spoke to each other, and in the atmosphere mixed with hope and worry about their new school lives, only these two were surrounded by a somehow strange air.

There were students from Raijin elementary, but none of them spoke to Izaya.
Izaya didn't feel particularly lonely, and even thought this should be the case.
It was true that he was an especially good student.
However, it can't be said that one is a model student just by being especially good at their studies.
He appeared gentle, and had some popularity with girls - but he went through school life in a withdrawn state, one step away from everything.
Later, an elementary schoolmate from the same level would laugh and say of him,"He was like an alien. He was a good guy, anyway." In reality, there were a lot of people who had similar impressions of him, who would say "He was a good guy, anyway" but it could have been that they thought it was expected of a top student. *
He wasn't hated by the boys and girls, but he wasn't particularly liked either.
During afternoon breaks and such, other students would talk in the classroom, or play in the courtyard, but since Izaya would always be in the library, he gave people the impression that he was a loner.
On class outings, when they split classes, he'd always be "the leftover one", but even so - when that happened, all the other classes would say,"Eh, is Izaya alone!? Come to my class!" "No, come here!" and it would be decided with rock-paper-scissors. This curious presence, was Orihara Izaya in his elementary school days.
And, Izaya himself enjoyed being a step away from his surroundings.
He knew he was a top student.
However, he didn't think the people around him were idiots, and didn't look down on them.
He liked the place for group activities that was known as school.
His classmates around him laughed with each other, fought with each other, bullied each other, and cried from the bullying - he liked to watch all this happen.
But if he were to get too far into it, he wouldn't be able to see as much.
If, in a cinema, there were two choices of seats - a seat at the back where, besides the whole of the movie, one could also appreciate the audience's reactions, and another seat right at the front where it'd be hard to see but easy to become completely absorbed in the images, the elementary school student Izaya was the type who would, with all certainty, choose the former.
As such, being singled out in such circumstances was something he actually wanted, and was enjoying watching his classmates form groups, but -
The person who interfered with his enjoyment, was a bespectacled boy with an innocent smile.
The boy, who, during self-introductions, called himself Kishitani Shinra.
"Dad got tired of Mum and divorced, and I'm now living with my dad, three people in all." He spoke in a breezy manner about his heavy family situation, and this was the impression he left behind.
Thinking about this, Izaya tried to return to observing the class, but -
"It's alright if you aren't interested. Let's make a biology club."
"......"
Izaya thought the boy with glasses, talking to him without giving up, was a little annoying.
Then, he realized he rarely thought that way of other people, so he became interested in the boy called Kishitani Shinra instead.
"You're Kishitani-kun, right?"
"Shinra's fine. ......erm, sorry, what was your name again?"
"......it's Orihara Izaya."
"Ah, right! Orihara-kun! I'll call you Orihara-kun, but you can call me Shinra."
At Shinra, who was speaking willfully in a strange direction, Izaya, amazed, replied.
"Why would you ask someone whose name you don't even know to set up a biology club?"
"Because the teacher said so just now. In this school, you can set up a club as long as you have at least two people."
"No, I mean, why me?"
It was probably because he was alone in class.
But that was something that was better not said directly.
Interested in what sort of reply he'd get, he asked the question in order to hear a forced reply, but-
What he got back, was something he didn't imagine.
"You like to watch living things, don't you? Just the type for biology."
"Ha?"
He didn't remember saying that in his self-introduction.
He thought for a moment that he'd been mistaken for someone else, but it seemed there wasn't any student who'd said something like "I like biology".
Seeing Izaya frown, Shinra asked instead.
"Huh? You said it during your self-introduction, right?"
"What?"
"Come on, it was "I like to watch people with different jobs.""
"......"
He liked to watch people.
He knew he liked to observe people, but if he were to say "my hobby is observing people" in his self-introduction, he wouldn't be thought of in a good manner, so he tried to say it in a way that seemed like a hobby yet wasn't a hobby, but he didn't think he'd there would be someone who'd say "join the biology club" to him.
"How is that related to the biology club?"
"Humans are biological!"
"......"
In the boy who simply declared "humans are biological", Izaya became interested again. It was true that "humans are one of the kinds of living things on Earth" was something he heard often those days, and there were probably other students who liked that phrase.
But, if someone were to mention that in relation to biological observation, then clearly something was wrong with him.
Slightly lost, Izaya shook his head at the boy.
"I'm sorry, but I'm really not interested in the biology club."
"I see, then I don't have a choice."
He gave up so simply that Izaya was caught off-guard.
"I'll ask you again tomorrow. It seems like there isn't a time limit for applying to form a club, anyway."
"Hold it. Don't you think I'm going to give you the same answer again?"
He stopped Shinra to ask, not just for the sake of exposing the joke.
Besides the curiosity, there was a kind of "strangeness".
He wanted to confirm what it was, but - at this point, Izaya still couldn't understand what that strangeness was.
"How about the day after?"
"Won't it be the same?"
"Please. You can be the president."
"Why are you giving me such a troublesome position?"
Izaya continued to retort calmly. It was the result of saying unimaginable things to a person one's only just met, but Izaya rarely had this sort of conversation with anyone.
"Anyway, can't you just ask someone else? Like a friend from elementary school."
At this, Shinra answered, looking surprised.
"Do I look like someone who has friends?"
"......sorry. You don't."
"Too bad! There's actually one!"
"Hmmm. Should I hit you?"
Ignoring the words Izaya said with narrowed eyes, he spoke quietly.
"Nah, but, that friend's in another school. So I don't have any friends in this school."
"You don't seem like you can make any more here. My condolences. Or should I say, serves you right?"
Izaya was a little surprised at himself saying these words.
That his stance of "not being attached nor separated from other people" that he had carried all through elementary school would be so simply destroyed, was something he hadn't expected.
He wondered if students from other elementary schools were like this, or if this boy, Kishitani Shinra was special, so he asked.
"Well, but, isn't there at least one other person who likes biology?"
"Hmmm. But there was a reason I asked you, that is, if I were to find someone who really likes biology, and wants to do things, it'd be a problem for me. I'd like to do the least work possible, something like keeping sea monkeys."
"? What. Is it not because you like biology?"
This school didn't require club activities. If they didn't have any drive, the students could simply make it a going-home-club, but why did he want to make a club at all?
The question came up in Izaya's mind, but before he could ask, the answer came from Shinra's mouth.
"No, actually, I don't really want to do club activities...... . Someone I like said "I've been thinking of this since you were in elementary school, but you have too few friends. How about doing club activities?"...... . It's still one-sided love, but I don't want to be disliked, so......"
".......over the fact that it's one-sided, I didn't think there'd be a person who'd care so much about you."
"You're speaking really frankly to someone you've just met. On top of that, there's something in "a person who'd care so much about you" that I'd like to correct, but, that's fine. Anyway, I thought you'd not particularly feel like doing anything even if you joined the club. Come on, can't we find tsuchinokos together?"
"That isn't a biology club activity, is it?"

In that manner, Izaya declined on the day of the entrance ceremony, but-
He had become interested in the strangeness of the human called Kishitani Shinra, and from the next day onwards, focused on "observing" him.
In addition, he made contact with people from Shinra's elementary school in a natural manner, and investigated him.

"Heeeh, that elementary school......isn't it the same as Kishitani-kun's?"
"Yeah, that's right. Ah, Orihara-kun, are you in the same class as Kishitani?"
"Yeah."
"Isn't he weird? I don't know what he's thinking at all."
It was an answer that he'd expected, but he continued to talk anyway.
"I don't want to say it since it sounds like I'm talking bad about him, but he doesn't seem to have many friends."
"Or rather, he doesn't have-......ah, there was Shizu-chan."
"Shizu-chan?"
A girl's name, probably. This was perhaps the "person who cares about Shinra" he was talking about yesterday. So Izaya thought.
However, that this was not the case, was something that the boy's next words told him.
"There was this scary guy called Shizuo...... . He's super good at fighting, gets mad quickly, but even though everyone tries not to go near him, only Kishitani can go near him and say things like "Let me dissect you!", you know? I don't get it."
"I see."
"Although, that scary guy did talk to Shinra properly...... . But he's really scary, you know? He threw the teacher's desk!"
-- Threw?
-- Ah, he's probably exaggerating the idea that he overturned the desk.
"I see, thanks. It'd be good if they caught such a dangerous guy soon."
Izaya thanked him lightly, and left the corridor.
He would never have dreamed that he would eventually engage in battles with that "dangerous guy" in the future.

After that, he continued living the same life he had in elementary school, while keeping an eye on the human called Kishitani Shinra, but -
One day, he suddenly understood.
Nothing told him so.
As if he had remembered something forgotten, it flashed by in his mind.

The fact that Kishitani Shinra was his opposite.
He didn't look at almost everyone else.
To bring it to the extreme, Kishitani Shinra did not have any interest in humans.
Just as he liked to watch humans -
Shinra had no interest in them.
-- If so, what is it?
-- What does he live to see?
He, who had been watching people, first noticed that "strangeness".
When he noticed it, a new question formed in his mind -
At the point, one month after the entrance ceremony, he said this to Shinra.

"About the biology club - if I can be vice-president, I'll do it, okay?"

He wanted to know why Kishitani Shinra didn't have any interest in humans.
As he hid that twisted passion in his heart -
The first biology club of Raijin middle school was born.

---

12 years ago; the last day of the summer holidays; Raijin Middle School; Biology room

"So, I think betting on baseball is bad, you know?"
"You're still saying that? I'm amazed."
How long has this conversation already continued?
Izaya, feeling a little bored of it, glared at the club president.
There was a reason he became the vice-president of the biology club and bought out the responsibility for taking care of the plants for the summer.
It was for the sake of turning the biology room, which he stayed in for fixed periods of time, into a place to gamble on baseball.
Ordinary students who claimed to want to see the carnivorous plants came to the biology room; however, most of them didn't come for the plants but rather to see Izaya, who was their bookie for baseball betting.
On top of the excuse that they wanted to appreciate the plants, the teachers didn't find out, so work was proceeding well, until - on the last day of the summer holidays, that is, today, Kishitani Shinra, who happened to be the biology club president, happened to see what was going on.
Then, he went on, stubbornly trying to persuade Izaya to stop.
It can't be said that the president - Kishitani Shinra, had a sense of justice.
Izaya knew that too.
It was, if anything, for the sake of showing "the target of his one-sided love" that he was on the side of good.
Izaya, feeling some kind of irritation at this Shinra, continued to stubbornly refuse, but-
Shinra, at this Izaya, wasn't angry or sad, and only calmly continued to persuade him.
"Shinra, are you an idiot? It's just like you haven't got any freedom of thought, like a puppet who's only trying to show his family that he's good."
"If the strings are held by people I care about, I'm fine with being a puppet."
"It's useless talking to you."
Really irritated, Izaya fell silent after that exchange, but-
When the silence was broken, it wasn't by Izaya or Shinra - it was by a third person, a boy who quietly opened the door to the room.
"Izayaa......"
The boy whispered quietly. Shinra, smiling, raised his hand.
"Hey, isn't it Nakura-kun. Did you come to see the carnivorous plants?"
Ignoring his schoolmate's greeting, the boy with a mole under his eye (nakihokuro) moved closer to Izaya.
"......what's up? Betting's already closed for today, you know?"
Just from those words, it was obvious that Nakura was someone who frequently engaged in "baseball betting". Shinra's expression didn't change, but his gaze shifted between Izaya and Nakura.
"Hey......I'm begging you, lend me some money."
Nakura, with a somehow hollow gaze and quivering lips, walked towards Izaya.
"I don't lend money."
"Then, that, money that I've betted up until yesterday, return it to me...... . It's bad, like this, my dad'll find out I took money from his wallet......"
"That's your own fault, isn't it? I've never forced you to gamble even once."
At Izaya's cold smile, Nakura's lips quivered strongly for a moment, then-
He took out a knife from his pockets, holding them in his palms, which were quivering as well.
"Is that for real? Nakura-kun."
Izaya narrowed his eyes, searching, while Nakura, teeth chattering, spoke.
"Take it out, means take it out, give it, give......give it back!"
He probably didn't know what to say. In a state where he could only attempt to articulate something, he moved closer, knife in hand, towards Izaya-
"To tell the truth, I can't think of there being any point to return you the money. I know. There haven't been a lot of times you've stalked people who won money, haven't there? I get complaints, you know."
In the next moment after Izaya said this, Nakura rushed at him.
"Just...just give, give it back already......raah!"
"......what an idiot, really."
Izaya, panic rising in his eyes, reached for a chair nearby to counter the attack, but-
Between the completely panicked two, Shinra suddenly jumped in.
"Watsugubo"
He'd probably wanted to say something like "wait".
But, despite the sudden interruption, Nakura didn't stop at all.
The shock to his stomach, that produced the strange yell "watsugubo"-
As a side effect, blood spilled in the middle of the biology room.
Then, seeing that the knife he was holding was covered in blood, Nakura's face turned white.
"Ah......eh? N-, n-, n-, no, I, wanted to scare, Izaya, was all-"
Nakura, not wanting to know what he had done, lips quivering even more than before, shook his head violently.
"Not me, not, I'm not, not my fault, I, ah, ahhhhhhhhh!"
He threw the knife down and ran out of the biology room.
Izaya ran to the side of the fallen Shinra, shifting his gaze to Shinra's belly, which had taken the knife's attack.
It wasn't a wound so big as to cause his internal organs to spill out, but due to the blood seeping out, Shinra's clothes were stained with a growing patch of red.
"Wait, I'll get an ambulance-......"
When Izaya took out his cellphone - which was a rare object at the time - from his bag, Shinra grabbed his hand.
"Before that......get me......the rubber tape......in the toolbox."
"Eh?"
"......because......I should stop the bleeding......first."
"......okay."
Izaya passed the rubber tape to Shinra, who gave instructions as if he were used to them, even though he had been stabbed in the stomach.
As he used a special method to close up the wound expertly, Shinra smiled at Izaya.
"Haha, I guess I'm not cut out to be a hero."
"Isn't it better if you don't talk?"
At Izaya's words, Shinra, blushing a little, continued, mumbling.
"If I become a hero......I thought the person I like would praise-......ugh!"
"Oi oi......"
"I'm fine, it's not a wound that I'll die from so soon. It seems my organs are safe, and miraculously, it looks like it didn't even reach my peritoneum......ugh!"
Watching Shinra continue to talk with his face blue, the feeling that leapt into Izaya's heart was-
Envy.
He held the pride that he was someone who observed humans, imagining himself as a human one step above his surroundings.
However, different from himself, Shinra was, in the sense of the phrase, existing in a different dimension.
If not out of a sense of justice, nor instinct, but "for the sake of being approved of by someone", was it so easy to stand in front of knife so readily? It can be said that love is blind, but in Shinra's case, it was obvious that he was not running on the same track as everyone else.
Including his own self, one could think of his standards as being completely different from humans'.
As Izaya was also worried at the time, he couldn't tidy his feelings well, but when he thought about it later, Izaya's analysis of Shinra was that "it's as if he's seeing people while being in another dimension himself".
Most of all, unlike Izaya, it wasn't because he liked humans.
However, even so, Izaya was envious.
Away from the humans around him, away from himself, in a completely different dimension, the boy from his level.
Looking at him - his hand, about to press the button on his phone to call an ambulance, stopped.
"......hey, Shinra."
In front of his schoolmate who was moaning in pain from the stab wound, Izaya asked in a small voice.
"Can you say......I stabbed you?"
"Owowowow......eh?"

"In exchange for that......for the rest of my life, I'll make that Nakura regret this."

---

Notes:
1. These were originally for my flist - whoever wanted some details on the content of x9, so I did them pretty quickly. There are probably errors and omissions of a few words here and there, along with awkward sentence structures I didn't fix. Also, the words that should have been italicized...aren't. Yeah. Awkward sentence structures.
2. To give you an idea of how spoilery the second snippet is, if you haven't already read the book: the book takes up to that point, on page 308, to reveal the details of this event, and hints repeatedly that it turned out differently. If you read this before the rest of the book- quite a lot of the tension and heartwarming(?) from reading this portion goes away.
3. These are just the first and last mentions of the events from 12 years ago. There are probably 2 or so more such flashbacks in between.
4. Oh yeah oh yeah. I was a bit twitchy about using the word "human" too much, but that's what was written...I think it shouldn't be thought of as the species, but rather- you could try substituting "person" or "people" and it should still have approximately the same meaning. That is- I don't think it's supposed to be so jarring. It is a little weird, but not that weird.

* Had a bit of a problem parsing this sentence, may go back to fix it later.

DRRR!!x9
1: P164-176
2: P302-308

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

vocaloid; 野良犬疾走日和 (norainu shissou biyori - Weather on a Stray Dog's Dash)

aleator — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:46:10 GMT

Original upload
Original lyrics

Lyrics: BosuhashirazuisoidearuitekitebokurawotasuketeP (aka BosuketeP)
Music: BosuhashirazuisoidearuitekitebokurawotasuketeP
Arrangement: BosuhashirazuisoidearuitekitebokurawotasuketeP
Sung by: KAITO, MEIKO

Eyes open, morning mist and
The sound of the sun resonating around
When it whispers "just run", is
A stray dog's feet and dust

That which blows is the southern wind
Whose voice is it which grazes my ears
Running ahead without any doubt
Sometimes while being chased by something

The million streets reflected and passed by in its eyes
Were like the world in its dreams so long ago before it was born.

Running, running, my dreams only in my heart,
The scenery I can't reach* blinds my eyes.
If I were with the blue, blue floating sky,
It feels as if I could run anywhere...

Shadow-creating black clouds and
The sound of the crow** resonating above
When it whispers "keep running" is
A stray dog's feet and

That which beats down is a sudden rain shower
Whose tears are those that flow
Running ahead even when shivering from cold
Sometimes while being chased by something

If it strains its eyes there is just the darkness ahead of this widening road
That's like the ending of the fairytale it seems to have heard before.

Running, running, my thoughts only in my heart,
Words I can't approve of kill my throat.
The place where the high, high floating sky breaks off
Is something I feel like I've seen...

Somehow, please let the clouds clear and let tomorrow's sun shine,
For this stray dog that has seen loneliness, give it happiness on its continued journey***

Loneliness and sadness in my arms****,
The song I can't hear seeps into my heart.
Rather than rest my tired body
I'd rather run until I fall apart

Running, running, my dreams only in my heart,
The scenery I can't reach blinds my eyes.
If I were with the blue, blue floating sky,
It feels as if I could run anywhere...

* More literally, "where my hands can't reach". ****

** The kanji for this is just "bird", but it's sung "crow".

*** These two lines read like a prayer.

**** Meaning "in my embrace". See Notes 2.

---

Notes
1. I really like this song. I also really like this producer's P-name. (Spread out: Bosu-hashirazu-isoide-aruitekite-bokura-wo-tasuketeP = Boss-didn't-run,-he-walked-quickly-to-save-us-P) A lot of comments on his videos are from people who just want to mention his name.
2. I'm honestly not good enough to be entirely sure, but I'm very certain he intentionally used the human body parts "hands" and "arms" as opposed to a more canine equivalent.
3. Some of the words aren't repeated in the original lyrics, but they're sung double, so might as well translate double.
4. PRONOUNS. There aren't any, so I inserted "it" and "I" wherever I thought they fit, so it would sound more natural (, help me sing it, and save me from a gigantic migraine with sentence structures). Don't read it word-for-word, since I really took a lot of translational liberties with this. I'm only hoping the transitions between the "it" and "I" sections sound natural.
5. "Eyes open..." "Shadow-creating..." - these stanzas are intentionally (on my part, at least) confusing. If I were to explain, it would result in a literary discussion...probably.
6. I love love love the lyrics for this a lot. I could probably go on and on about his use of particular words and ideas, but I think I will spare you...

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

durarara!! no subete; if we could start over (meet again) in a dream

aleator — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:35:02 GMT

Raira Academy - after school

After the end of lessons, Kida Masaomi's voice rang out in the classroom. "Really, when it comes to Mikado, he's really a pouty pure-hearted lecher. I'm contradicting myself but don't worry about it......yeahhh!"
As he spoke, he used a red chalk to draw a large heart around the words on the blackboard "Class representative Ryuugamine Mikado" and "Sonohara Anri".
"Hey! Stop! Masaomi! Why do you think our names were written on the board in the first place!"
"It's a good luck charm, a good luck charm! If you leave it like this till tomorrow morning, you'll become popular, you know? You become an official pair with Anri, and then I'll have a reason to take her from you. Walking into a church bearing a cross, putting that cross on you and then taking Anri away......how's that? Like in the climax of a movie, Anri will fall in love with me too!"
"I've said it a lot of times before, but I think you should stop talking based on your spinal reflexes."
"Men should have spines! Mikado!"
"I don't get it! Isn't it going to cause trouble for Sonohara-san as well!"
To these two who were talking as usual-- "Did someone call me?"
Mikado, panicking, turned towards the voice that came from the window.
Anri, who was cleaning a blackboard, turned off the switch on the cleaning machine, and saw Mikado turn around.
"! I- it's nothing! It's just Masaomi writing strange things on the board again!"
As he said so, he started to use his sleeve to wipe the board.
The heart still remained, but he successfully managed to make his and Anri's names unreadable just in time.
"Is that so......"
Anri said, and turned back to the cleaning machine, and started cleaning the second blackboard.
After confirming that the sucking sound around Anri had started again, Mikado glared at Masaomi.
"What are you going to do about this. My uniform's covered in chalk."
"That's because you rejected my good intentions, Mikado. Have you forgotten about what happened in elementary school? Someone spread rumours about you and a female childhood friend, and you cried out of embarrassment, right?"
"The one who spread the rumours was you, wasn't it?"
At Mikado, who was staring unimpressedly at him, Masaomi laughed and continued to speak.
"I did it for your sake, you know. You were interested in her, weren't you?"
"I wasn't."
"You were."
"I said I wasn't!"
It seemed like this conversation that was typical of elementary schoolchildren would continue, but Masaomi turned his line of vision to Anri, smiling evilly.
"......but, you're interested in Anri, aren't you?"
"......!"
Masaomi smiled boldly at Mikado, who had tensed up once again, and kept talking.
"From here, if you got married to Anri and I stole her from you, it'd be the most moe development!"
"Er, married......"
"The already-married Anri......the love between two people of different status - I as a prefect, she as a class rep......and the fact that class A is enemies with class B!"
"They're enemies?"
Ignoring Mikado's riposte, Masaomi continued talking with greater passion.
"Just like Romeo and Juliet! At the end, Anri and I tragically drink the poison called love and gain eternal happiness in heaven! The end!"
"Ehh!? Hey, not only is it a self-declared a lovers' suicide pact, but it's also no longer a tragedy, what's this supposed to mean!?"
"If you don't like it, you can live with Anri and be happy!"
"This and that are different things---"
"---"
"---"
"---"

♂♀

A number of months later - Anri's apartment

While she lay sideways on her bed, Sonohara Anri thought about this memory.
In truth, she'd heard Mikado and Masaomi's conversation - all of it.
However, she didn't know how to react - she only pretended to not hear and continue cleaning the blackboard.
Even now, she didn't know how she could have reacted.
Thinking that she was both low and a coward, in the end, she could only keep thinking, and couldn't make the first step.
Her eyes fell on the romance novel lying open on her bed, and she thought of the characters in it.
To her, reality was like a picture in a frame, something like the events in a book.
However, right now, as she thought about the past - one of those "pictures in a frame" had disappeared.
Kida Masaomi dropping out of school of his own will.
In the face of this fact, the feelings of loss and helplessness ate at Anri. There was one thing that she realised, and it made her sad.
It was - how precious Kida Masaomi and Ryuugamine Mikado were to her.
What could she have done?
She understood that there wouldn't be an answer, and even if there was, she couldn't do anything now, but-
Even so, she kept thinking.
While, in the expanding reality within the picture frame, she held a "dream" similar to the fiction known as a romance novel.
Today, she continued to watch reality as well.
She decided that when Masaomi returned, she would speak all of her heart.
While she remained unaware that that was one "answer" - Anri quietly closed her eyes, breathing softly as she fell asleep.
While she dreamed of a someday, where the three of them would laugh together again.

---

Notes:
1. The verb in the title is written as 再開えたら, which, as far as I know, is not a valid word- but 再開 means something like "to start again", and read with the furigana, it says あえたら, which should mean "if (we) meet again".
2. Masaomi's lines were pretty hard to translate. He says a lot of strange things. "帝人と来たら本当にむっつりスケベな純情野郎だぜ" for example. I...tried. (although with a bit of a mess in order of adjectives.)
3. "both low and a coward" - two words were used to describe herself here, 卑怯 and 臆病 - both of which can mean "coward", but the first seems to be more negative, something like a person who hits below the belt to prevent himself from getting hurt. (I believe Simon used this to describe Izaya in episode 24 shortly after hitting him.)

デュラララ!!ノ全テ
P154-155

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

durarara!! no subete; celty is here! the new fairy legend

aleator — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:03:33 GMT

An excerpt from Kishitani Shinra's secret diary

[ Wasn't Celty, to me, a substitute for a mother? As a mother and not a lover, she has been with me for 20 years, am I still not sick of it?
......Even though Dad says it that way, I think it's different.
It's true that from the time I was aware of myself, my mother was no longer around. Even though that father obviously tried his best to love me, it'd be a lie to say I wasn't lonely.
However, I think what I wanted from Celty was not a maternal figure. I wonder what I thought when I saw Celty's head for the first time, when I was 4. My memories of that time are now faint, so half of it is my imagination...... . I think at first, it had a great impact on me. Because a headless woman was walking. I hadn't been used to the dissection images that were related to Dad's work yet, so I probably cried out and ran away. I'll admit that.
However, when I realised I could communicate with her, the original impact on me became a great uplifting force. Me, who could come into contact with such an amazing being, can't be anything other than special......uplifting, like in a candy commercial.
Yes, Celty was special. She was gentle and filled with human kindness - and yet, she made a wall between herself and humans. That was was probably the reason I couldn't consider Celty a maternal figure. But it couldn't be helped that I wanted to break down this wall.
To me, Celty was a princess shut in a tower. I guess I had the childish thought that I was the knight who would save her. Nah, there wasn't any reason for me to think that way, but it was something like that. It was kind of a lofty ambition, but my youth, to me, consisted of me trying to reach her.
But, when I reach the top of the tower, I have the feeling I can......touch Celty, without a wall in between. So, we've only recently gone steady. Aah, from here on, what sort of love will continue, what sort of love will be formed, I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of infinite possibilities. We'll probably keep on changing even from now on. But, If there's one thought that hasn't changed since the time I was a kid --- ]

"What are you writing? Shinra."
"Hey Celty, it's my secret diary!"
"......The one in which you think of what to make me cosplay?"
"Ah, that's good too! What costume would be nice, next! How about you be a maid and I be a butler!"
"......Normally, at this time, one would be thinking of who's the master......"

As he continued the conversation as such, Shinra, in order to not let Celty see, stealthily added the final line to the entry.

[ It's that I am happy today too. ]

---

Notes:
1. "aware of myself" - I always have problems translating this without making it sound weird. It refers to the time when you're conscious of...well...being you. The transition between being a helpless baby and a not-so-helpless little kid.
2. "lofty ambition" - 青雲之志. Shinra's known for using well-known sayings/phrases hahah.
3. Shinra's not my favourite character, but if I were to choose one DRRR!! character to take the place of, it'd be him. It's probably not much of a stretch to consider him one of the most, if not the happiest character in the series.

デュラララ!!ノ全テ
P153

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

durarara!! no subete; ikebukuro shinra's tornado park

aleator — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:45:42 GMT

"I-ZA-YA-KUU-N. I-'M GO-NNA- CRU-SH YOUUUU-!"
That low voice echoed throughout the park, and in the next instant - a vending maching flew into the air, tracing a parabola directly towards a man in a black coat.
The vending machine, which in a way was a symbol of good governance, turned into a chunk of violence and attacked a man - Orihara Izaya.

From one end of the park, Kadota, watching the scene from afar, shook his head and said, "It's started again, huh?"
It seemed that Izaya and Shizuo had been waiting for different people - by some chance, they found themselves in the same place, noticed each other at practically the same time, and turned the Ikebukuro park into a battleground without any warning.
Next to him, Yumasaki, who had been watching, smiled as he spoke.
"Kadota-san, you were in the same school as those two, right?"
"......Yeah."
"Karisawa-san isn't here to force her BL fantasies, so, was there never an occasion where those two helped each other as rivals to stand up against a great evil?"
"No there wasn't."
He answered in less than a second, and sighing deeply, continued.
"I can't even say they were rivals. From the day of the entrance ceremony, they'd been trying to kill each other. It seemed a student had seen Shizuo get hit by a truck, and because he still appeared at school the next day, the word that Shizuo was a monster spread. ......I thought at first that Izaya, who had caused a truck to hit someone, should be feared more, but that information didn't spread."
"A typical black curtain type, huh?"
"He's good at not making enemies. Even though he sometimes is on the receiving end of grudges, he carefully avoids anything that will direct hostility to himself. ......See, just like that-"
"Eh?"
Following Kadota's line of vision, Yumasaki saw Masaomi watching with a complicated expression Izaya and Shizuo's battle at the park entrance.
"Oh, isn't that Kida-kun?"
"With regards to that incident, it's not strange to think Kida would stab Izaya. But it didn't turn out that way. ......The anger directed towards Izaya, was directed towards himself. Izaya had controlled the direction of his anger."
"! That is, Accelerator's Vector Change! Izaya is a Psychic, right!"
"Shut up."

As he watched the fighting in the park, Kida Masaomi thought of his past.
Under the wildly blooming sakura, Shizuo's angry yelling reached his ears.
-- If I had as much strength as Heiwajima Shizuo...... . Maybe I could have done something differently then.
He'd realized that when he couldn't save someone precious to him, Izaya had been doing something in the background.
But in the end, the one who couldn't save her was himself. An anger comparable to the hate he felt towards the human called Orihara Izaya rose in him, directed at himself.
-- Heiwajima Shizuo's really amazing.
Feeling envious of Shizuo, who was able to direct his animosity at Orihara Izaya without hesitation, Masaomi left the area.
While he held an uncertainty that he might be able to make the first step one day.

"Well, the two of them would start fighting when they met, practically every day then...... . Even though there were people like Shishizaki-sempai who could stop their fights, I guess there wasn't a reason for them to be able to get along......Once, a barrel filled with gasoline and chemical fuels was found in the school you know, and the students who had good sense realised that it must have been something Izaya brought in to blow Shizuo away."
"He's a dangerous person, huh."
"In between the two of them, there was that guy Shinra. In a way, that guy was pretty amazing, so they said. Because he could stand between Shizuo and Izaya and laugh, and say random things. Even the seniors had to take their hats off to him......"

"I'm sorry, Celty. It looks like Shizuo and Izaya are brawling in Ikebukuro, could you go stop them for me?"
"Why me?"
"Er, that guy Izaya, it seems he was there waiting for people from the Awakusu-kai, and if I'm a friend of those two I should do something. I have work to do now, so please, Celty. Although you can forget about it if you really don't want to."
"Really...... . You're in quite a spot of trouble. Isn't it a problem if anything happens to you, while you're being a friend of those two?"
At Celty, who shrugged and showed him the words on her PDA, Shinra smiled and shook his head.
"That's not true. It's not actually a huge problem to stand in between the two of them. See, isn't it safe in the eye of a typhoon? And also......"
"And also?"
"I didn't have many friends. The only ones I can call my lifelong friends are only those two. I'm actually a little happy to think of myself as one of them. Though of course, I'm happiest to be close to you, Celty."

Thinking of that conversation, Celty, who had reached the park and was now in front of the ruin Shizuo and Izaya's fighting had caused, sighed deeply in her heart.
-- Just what is the eye of the typhoon. ......isn't it a tornado.
Thinking of this, Celty imagined Shinra exclaiming "Wow, I'm flying!" while laughing, swept up by a tornado - and with a Shinra-like calmness, stepped in to mediate.

However, in the end, Celty alone could not stop them, and it becoming a riot that dragged in Simon and the observers Kadota and company-
That, is another story altogether.

---

Notes
1. "Accelerator's Vector Change" "Psychic" - a reference to Toaru Majutsu no Index/A Certain Magical Index. ...which I don't watch or read, I just had to look the term up because it was so suspicious coming from Yumasaki...
2. Shishizaki-sempai...I think he was mentioned in Shizuo Gaiden. Not much info, but if anyone can stop Izaya and Shizuo's fights...
3. "friend of those two" "one of them" "close to you" - these are all different translations of "miuchi", which is like a close circle of people around you, relatives, friends, gang members- that sort of thing.

デュラララ!!ノ全テ
P156-157

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

durarara!! no subete; izaya surprise ☆ confidential report?

aleator — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:44:36 GMT

"Regarding the investigation that was requested by Sakazaki-sama, I will give a report of what I have found up until now.

Orihara Izaya, 24 years old. In the event that he uses another name, there is a possibility that he will make the false claim of being 21 years old. His family members are his grandparents Orihara Torakichi and Natsu, his parents Orihara Shirou and Kyouko, and a pair of twin sisters named Kururi and Mairu.

Both parents worked in a trading company, and appeared to be posted overseas frequently for long periods of time. The family was rarely together. His parents didn't have a problem with the company, and their work was not a factor that contributed to the formation of the twisted human known as Orihara Izaya. Although there is the possibility that the lack of contact with his parents that might have been one of the main causes.

Even though it's a regret of mine to have to use the subjective word "twisted" to describe him, I've known a number of people who give me a similar impression, and it's probably possible to objectively judge a person to be twisted."

(some content omitted)

"There are no records of him undergoing corrective guidance during the time he was in high school, but he created a lot of trouble in middle school. The corrective guidance was in relation to the injury of a fellow schoolmate called Kishitani Shinra. I don't know what happened between them, but because Kishitani Shinra did not submit a damage report, the matter was settled with mild punishment.

As of now, he is an information broker with many ties with different organizations. On the surface he appears to be a financial planner, but the probability that he does that sort of work is low. Normally, an information broker obtains information from customers and women in the night entertainment business and gives the information to the police and crime syndicates, mostly, and as some work on the sidelines, but in his case, he laid down a private network within such information brokers, in the middle of which he stands. While he appears to have dealings with the Awakusu Company, I do not have any idea what the content is about in general. From here on, the investigation would have to proceed into dangerous territory, and as such there is a problem with continuing-----"

"......that's what it was kind of like. Although he went on for longer afterwards and attached these materials and phone numbers."

"You've worked hard, Sakazaki-san♪"

"Please stop calling me by that fake name already."

"Ohh, scary."

Izaya, turning his eyes to the "report" handed to him by Namie, smiled and shook his head.

"Well well, even though it was fine to have you pretend to be Sakazaki in order to test the investigation skill of the private eye who opened business the other day......I'm a bit disappointed. That he was only able to pull up this much. I thought he'd be able find more things like something new I don't already know, and my past."

"Perhaps you don't have that deep a past?"

"Whoa, that bites. So, shall I show this self-proclaimed detective that there are people who top the top, by making more requests to real detectives?"

In front of them, Izaya's phone rang with its mail tone.

"It was a good thing that it wasn't outed that you don't only have connections with the Awakusu Company, but also with the Asuki Group, huh?"

"......what's up with this guy?"

Looking at the mail he received from a man called Tsukumoya Shinichi, Izaya shrugged cheerfully.

"Well, in this world, there are people who top the top. That, and I never gave this guy the mail address for my phone. I don't even know what he looks like."

In front of Namie, who was glaring at the screen in surprise, Izaya smiled most happily for the day.

"Really, life won't let me feel bored. So......I really, really enjoy living."

---

Notes:
1. My interest in Tsukumoya Shinichi has just increased 2039481203948092384-fold.
2. I can't find a suitable word for corrective guidance (does that term even exist?). It's something like guidance, while not to the extent of rehabilitation or...yeah...it's just some kind of corrective activity that you'd dish out to troublesome students.
Thoughts re: lack of correction in high school - either he directed all his attention to Shizuo who never got sufficiently injured/smart enough to complain, and/or he managed to hide everything.
3. "top the top" - sorry, I couldn't help it. Even though I think it sounds very stupid when I read it now. It vaguely reminds me of a Chinese phrase, "天外有天", that has pretty much the same meaning- there's always someone better. Someone better than the best, but using the word "best" here is way too extreme.
4. (some content omitted) is really in the original as (中略), so nothing is missing here.
5. Different brackets were used for the report section and Shinichi's mail, so to make the distinction between those and the conversation parts, I used italics.

デュラララ!!ノ全テ
P152

If you spot any translation errors or have a better way of phrasing things, please let me know!

translation requests anyone?

aleator — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:34:02 GMT

Yeah so I figured I might actually be helpful this way. Instead of haphazardly translating random things..!

What would you like to see translated?

I just have a few guidelines/notes for this:

1. Japanese -> English, or Chinese -> English. I should be able to do Japanese -> Chinese, but why would you......?
2. Non-personal translations please- I don't want to translate things that aren't really significant.

Actually, I'll probably just be sort of direct here about what I feel like translating:

a. DRRR!! novels (specific snippets, if you know what you're looking for)
b. Vocaloid lyrics
c. Comics from Pixiv (original works (non-fandom) only)
d. Internets (this is sort of hard to define- things that exist as part of Internet culture? IDK the Internet is the fandom I'm perpetually in love with, so yeah.)

And what I don't feel like translating (not on request, anyway):

a. Doujinshi/manga (from scans)
b. Anything concerning celebrities

I might accept other things. If it's especially short I might just do it anyway.

3. I may or may not accept, and might take a while about it, depending on whether I feel like translating or not, so no guarantees!
4. No guarantees on accuracy either..! I'll try my best to stick as close to the original's meaning as humanly possible, but yeah. I'm not even sure sometimes.