Adventures in {mis}translation
and cultural subtext
Featured
PSYCHO-PASS: PROVIDENCE According to Japanese Twitter (Updated)Everything we know about PSYCHO-PASS: Providence without actually having seen it. Information is pulled from tweets by Japanese viewers, official promotional materials, interviews with the director and writers, etc. Enjoy. *UPDATED*
Great Aso (大阿蘇)The poem ‘Great Aso’ (Ō-Aso) was written by Miyoshi Tatsuji in 1937 but reads as though it were older. Like much of Miyoshi’s poetry, it’s a long form, free verse poem written in a highly literary style that recalls classical Japanese.
Language – Yeon・En (縁)A look at the concept of ‘yeon’ / ‘en’ (縁) and the notion of ‘fateful connections.’
Episode Breakdowns
Snowdrop EP01 – Lost in TranslationWe’re back with another deep-dive into a new series: Snowdrop. As dramas go, it’s about as different as you can get from TotNT in terms of genre, setting, premise, etc. but requires just as much cultural contextualisation, if for entirely different reasons. Consider this your guide to all the easter eggs, historical context, and cultural/linguistic ...
Tale of the Nine Tailed EP03 – Lost in TranslationThe saga continues: part three in a series in which we pick our way through all the (mis)translations, humour, and cultural subtext that dropped from the fan-subbed version of TotNT. Thank you so much to everyone who bought us coffee – this one’s for you. Contains spoilers.
Tale of the Nine Tailed EP02 – Lost in TranslationBack by, possibly not popular, but certainly very enthusiastic demand: our continued adventures in (mis)translation and cultural subtext. Buckle up and settle in for another monster post because, wow, a lot happened in this episode. Contains spoilers.
Snowdrop
Snowdrop – DS : EP16 Scene 87Obviously, this scene wasn’t deleted — but it was pared down (and oft-mentioned in the Blu-ray bonus content) ㅠ ㅠ
Snowdrop – DS : EP14 Scene 61-63Here it is, the Guitar Scene that D+ posted a thumbnail for, disappointing viewers everywhere when the scene never appeared in the episode. How I wish..
Snowdrop – DS : EP14 Scene 3-8Originally, the scene at the top of EP14 in which Soo-ho confronts Gang-mu about trying to pull a double-cross was longer and included an expanded version of the EP14 bonus scene (the FB to Warsaw). And there’s a twist..
Tale of the Nine Tailed
Tale of the Nine Tailed – Helpful LinksA round-up of web links to official TotNT content by tvN, King Kong by Starship, and more.- Tale of the Nine Tailed EP03 – Lost in TranslationThe saga continues: part three in a series in which we pick our way through all the (mis)translations, humour, and cultural subtext that dropped from the fan-subbed version of TotNT. Thank you so much to everyone who bought us coffee – this one’s for you. Contains spoilers.
Rain or Shine
Rain or Shine – Lee Junho ‘Just Between Lovers’ KStyle Interview (translation from Japanese)「Just Between Lovers」2PM’s Junho “Each of the members is cheering me on in their own way”
Rain or Shine – Iconic LinesA roundup of some of the most iconic lines from Rain or Shine (JTBC 2017). Contains spoilers.
Rain or Shine – Lee Kang Doo (Lee Junho)“If I think that things can’t get any worse from here.. it’s just bearable.”
Language & Culture
- Language – Yeon・En (縁)A look at the concept of ‘yeon’ / ‘en’ (縁) and the notion of ‘fateful connections.’
Korean – Indebtedness (빚, 신세, 은혜)A look at three concepts of indebtedness that exist in Korean.
Diagonal Translation and the Limitations of SubtitlingEver get the sense there’s a disconnect between the subs you’re reading and what’s happening on-screen? This post takes a look at what drops out and why, some common mistakes, and creative solutions.