何時も（いつも）

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

In Tales of Rebirth, a new party member, the happy-go-lucky Tytree, believes himself to be an adequate survivalist as well. When the party finds that a raft necessary to go down a river to Sunnytown has been wrecked by a mysterious storm that broke out in clear weather – clearly the work of an enemy Wind Force user – they head into the forest to gather lumber and mushrooms for consumption.

Tytree - Killer Chef

During this time, Tytree is approached by a rogue. The main character overhears the conversation itself: the rogue wants Tytree to poison the party’s food, offering to hand him his sister back. (The abduction of his sister was Tytree’s prompt for joining the party, and he has a clear “siscon”, or Sister Complex, always doting on her, working at the same factory and so forth.)

The main character, Veigue (think “vague”), doesn’t want to believe that Tytree would actually do it; he doesn’t seem that kind of guy at all. As Veigue leaves, the party healer, Annie, comes by and spots Tytree holding the vial of poison, but we don’t see anything after as the scene switches.

Once Tytree explains that Veigue (controlled by the player) has gathered mushrooms that include poisonous ones that inflict an uncontrollable laugh, he takes the “good” mushrooms and heads back to the hostel to prepare dinner. Two other party members arrive and approve of the lumber having been gathered. Annie finally arrives as well.

Annie comes to express that “Tytree was acting strangely”. The following is the response by Mao, a young monk/ force user:

Mao: “Tytreeがおかしいのは、いつもの事でしょう？” (“Tytree ga okashii no wa, itsumo no koto deshou?”)

Or put in English, “Isn’t Tytree always acting strange?”

Annie retorts that’s not how she meant it but nothing comes of it. At any rate, we’ve just seen how itsumo (いつも) is used. 

If something is “itsumo no koto”, it’s a constant thing, something that happens all the time. In other words, Tytree is always a doofus, so that’s not news. (Again, not what Annie meant, but oh well!)

So if someone wrote:

いつもそばにいるよ　(itsumo soba ni iru yo)

This would suggest “(I’m) always by (your) side.” or “I’m always right beside you.”

The Rest Of The Story

Consider this spoilers for anyone who wants to play the game, on PSP let’s say, and has no idea, but it’s not really much for spoiling.

Veigue has lingering suspicions and at the last moment, does not eat the mushroom stew, which Tytree himself eats.  When three rogues attack the camp, and then retreat to the forest for a confrontation there, the leader believes Tytree has gone through with the poisoning. Tytree attempts to deny it, and Annie cuts in, remarking that the vial she him hold must have been the poison.

Suddenly, Tytree starts laughing maniacally, and people start thinking he really did do it. Annie tries to say something about his having accepted the vial, but… then she starts laughing uncontrollably. Mao and even the last party member, the solid as a rock ex military beast-man, Eugene, start laughing as well. The rogue leader decides the poison went to their heads and attacks, sparking a battle with various debilitating status effects on everyone except Veigue (if he’s in the party – it’s 4 max in-battle).

Once the battle is resolved – as the rogues aren’t that tough – the poison has subsided. Annie is finally able to say that she saw Tytree throw the vial away immediately. So Mao asks, what was in the meal then? Annie remarks that she could be wrong but, she thought it tasted like the poison mushroom that inflicts laughter. Eugene picks up a deep red mushroom and says that’s the only poison mushroom in the area… and Tytree goes, wait, wait, isn’t it this one, the red one with spots? No, Eugene replies, that’s an edible, good-tasting mushroom completely fit for consumption.

In other words, Tytree got his bush-craft wrong and accidentally poisoned the whole party with a pot of stew filled with poison mushrooms.

Tytree vociferously apologizes to the annoyed party but, since no one was really hurt, all is quickly forgiven. Tytree promises to do better next time, and Mao suddenly realizes mid-sentence, “…Wait, you’re gonna try again!?”

Tytree replies that “失敗は成功のもとって言うだろう?” (shippai wa seikou no moto tte iu darou?), a Japanese idiom making this read like, “They say ‘Failure breeds success’ right?”

So yes, Tytree is “itsumo okashii”. ^^;  Both in the senses of being strange and amusing.

- J

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

An Impressive Show

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

Story & Premise: The core pairing is Kotetsu a.k.a. Wild Tiger, an idealistic “hero” with old-fashioned notions and a long, long list of fines for property destruction in the course of saving lives. In recent years his rankings have fallen, but he has to put up with sponsor requests because someone has to pay his fines and keep a roof over his head. This culminates in being paired with Barnaby Brooks Jr., who violates “hero” tradition by combating crime under his real name. The pair share a similar power – 5 minutes of greatly enhanced strength, speed, and endurance – and get along famously poorly.

Barnaby is younger, smarter, and reeks of competence, whereas Wild Tiger is something of a goofball. Kotetsu receives a new armored suit to go along with Barnaby’s, complete with new corporate sponsor logos, and has to ride in a sidecar while Barnaby does the cool motorcycle driving. To top it off, Kotetsu plays off his partner’s name and the pointy ears of the suit (see picture at top) to dub him “Bunny,” which really, really annoys him.

Plot W/O Spoilers: Trust between the two goes through several stages of rising and falling. Barnaby has a tragic past and a revenge-oriented mission; in another universe he might have put on a Bat cowl. Kotetsu has a young daughter who lives with her grandmother and a long list of broken promises due to his ever-busy life as a “hero”. Yet through the show’s camp, brilliant action scenes, and ratings-hungry HeroTV spectacles, it manages to not only hold interest, but be itself, build at its own pace, and create an ever growing mythos.

The other “heroes” of HeroTV make a lot of difference. We slowly delve into their stories and find out, in a well-paced sequence of episodes, what makes them tick and where and how they shine. People who were once costumes and stage names – to us real-life viewers, not just the citizens of the city – turn “real” before our very eyes. All have their flaws, but we know them through their deeds; they truly, genuinely care about the lives they save. (Even Barnaby, whose on-the-surface emphasis is saving lives to earn “points” and his Hero Ranking.)

The plot thickens as someone’s going around and killing bad guys instead of capturing them, very against the hero code, and the criminal organization involved in the deaths of Barnaby’s parents raises its ugly head. Any more would spoil, and you don’t want to be spoiled. The intended pace of exposure of information is important for full enjoyment.

Production Values: The show’s production values are very high. Sound, color, sharpness, Japanese voice acting, and overall scripting and feel are all top notch. The show simply leaps out at you. You never feel like the studio is letting you down; you can enjoy the show on its own merits, ride its foibles and great hits, and appreciate it for not being a one-trick, one-tone pony. I really enjoyed watching this show.

Trivia: One thing to point out: it’s not just about the superhero stuff. All the “heroes” above are NEXTs, essentially the Tiger & Bunny world’s version of comic book mutants. You know, like the X-Men. These powers are simply applied to heroism or, as the case may be, criminal endeavors. Some people are causing havoc because their powers have awakened and they don’t know how to control or use those powers productively; others are genuinely mean and nasty people. In the end, it’s the human factor that makes the difference, and that’s clearly the theme of this show.

Rating: Let’s say 9.5/10 with excellent entertainment value, and the only reason I can’t give it a 10 is because some of the late show plot, I could see coming. And some I couldn’t, and I really enjoyed a few “Oh! So THAT’S IT!!” moments as things came to their big climax.

Incidentally, what finally sold me on this show – and I was a late arrival to it – was that it makes comfortable viewing for young adults. It’s not a “kiddie” show at all. It’s mature in a good way, treats itself and its viewers with a lot of respect, and feels like a high quality effort.

Bonus Points: You know, the corporate logos, especially prominent in the opening sequence, are at least partially from real companies, like Bandai, Softbank, etc., which are most definitely getting privileged advertising space in the process.

何処でも（どこでも）

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

So, playing on an example used in a previous post:

何処でも会える(Dokodemo aeru)

This means, “We can meet anywhere.” It means that there is no special restriction on location.

Delivery anywhere!

One of the fun little running jokes in the anime version of “Persona 4″, currently airing in Japan, is a “dokodemo demae” (どこでも出前). “Demae” means a catering service, and the kanji are for “out” and “front”. In other words, out of the shop and before your very eyes. At least that seems the broad sense of it. So, the running joke is that the above-shown delivery girl delivers her restaurant’s food anywhere, even the most improbable places, like to a high school classroom (albeit not during actual class).

Anytime, Anywhere

By pairing this with “itsudemo”, we can finally build an important little phrase:

いつでも、どこでも (itsudemo, dokodemo)

As the section title shows, this means “anytime, anywhere“.

This is a pair of words that gets used in two places: a) advertisements, b) sappy romance dramas. After all, a prospective Romeo might say he’ll be there for his Juliet anytime, anywhere. It doesn’t matter where or when, he’ll be there for her. Though, I’d expect to see these words for catering service ads with a lot more frequency.

By the same token, well, let’s take VISA credit cards. VISA puts in a lot of effort to establish that they’ll be accepted anytime, anywhere. These broad words form the tone of whatever else is being talked about.

I wanted to show these related words with a bit of context precisely because understanding tone and context is very convenient in Japanese. It’s not a matter of “necessity” or “accuracy” so much as it’s just plain nice to keep track of context. If you can understand words like itsuka, itsudemo, dokodemo, and nanika, you’ll be able to focus valuable brain energy on everything else.

Making Japanese less painful for learners is a good thing in my book. – J

何時か（いつか）

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

With this in mind, itsuka means “sometime” or “someday”. Why can it mean either one?Simple: a day far off is still “some time in the future”. The important thing here is the uncertainty involved.

Child: “Itsuka, otona ni nareru yo!”

In this example, “otona” = “adult” ; “nareru” = “become” (passive). In other words:

Child: ”Someday, I’ll be all grown up!”

Here, there just isn’t a simple, cleanly defined time involved. Growing up (lit. becoming an adult) isn’t about reaching a particular date; it’s about entering a new phase in life. The verb “naru” is very much about growing, as if one is a plant. Someday, a sapling will become – that is, grow into – a tree. How we represent this in grammar is largely a matter of style.

Itsuka vs. Itsudemo

Now, let’s take a look at using this vs. using itsudemo from a few posts ago.

Version 1: 何時でもまた会える (itsudemo mata aeru)

Version 2: 何時かまた会える (itsuka mata aeru)

The first version reads, “We can meet again anytime.” That could be tomorrow, three days from now, or next week. There isn’t any large barrier to meeting again.

The second version reads, “We’ll meet again someday.” That carries a completely different connotation, possibly involving years of separation in some kind of wartime drama.

The difference between the two words is a dramatically different tone. In the first instance,  two people might depart saying “ja ne” (later); in the second, a heartfelt “sayonara” might be required. This, in fact, illustrates exactly why it’s important to understand the tone of a given situation. It’s not just about comprehension; it dictates the socially appropriate response.

Anyway, that’s all for one post. – J

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

何か（なにか）

This follows up my post on itsudemo, where I explained why this should be read as “anytime” (as in, “at any time”) from a few points of view. You’ll see why below. It was inspired by a little slice of anime.

The girl in this anime (Persona 4, incidentally), a cute 9 year old named Nanako, received a notice/survey from her school. The school was holding an open classroom for parents to come see how their children are being educated, anytime between 1pm and 5pm on the indicated day. This was a big deal to Nanako, because she felt like her father was becoming an increasingly remote part of her life. It wasn’t so simple; her father was a police detective who couldn’t let go of Nanako’s mother’s having been killed by a hit and run driver who remained at large, a cold case with little prospect of resolution.

Of course, what wasn’t good was the father becoming ever more remote. There’s something of a family crisis and finally, her father, who was the one in the wrong here, signed the form as above.

So, Nanako reads the form…

Nanako: “I tsu de mo…. nani ka.” 

Being this cute is criminal. Your dad's gonna arrest you, Nanako.

So yes, she sounds as cute as she looks saying this. But, this brings up the crux of the matter: that’s not actually what the pen writing in black in the first image says. It actually says, “itsudemo kanou”, that is, 可能 (かのう), composed of “can” and “ability”. It’s usually read as “possible” or “feasible”.

In other words, her father was conveying that he could make it to the open classroom “anytime”. In other words, he wouldn’t allow work to drown out his relationship with his daughter any further.

Why didn’t Nanako read it that way? Ah, well that’s because the kanji was above her reading level. So she used nanika (何か、なにか) instead.

The kanji used in “nanika” (and there’s only one) is the kanji used for “what” types of questions. The “ka” is the “question” particle that every young Padawan learning Japanese has drilled into his/ her head from the earliest stages; the particle acts as a question mark in grammar.

The problem is, this isn’t grammar; it’s vocabulary. Here, I’ll show you a subtly different use.

In the above example, the “ka” in “nanika” represents uncertainty. In other words, it’s not a simple “What?” question; it’s expressing a thought more like, “What is this…?”. In other words, “nanika” expresses that the speaker doesn’t know what the “what” actually is.

Therefore, nanika = “something”, as in, “something or other”. 

 Let’s go back to Nanako.

Nanako: “I tsu de mo… something.” 

That’s what it means. Of course, it just happens to sound ten times cuter in Japanese with Nanako saying “nanika” instead… because it’s adorable that she can’t actually read it yet; it underlines how young she is.

Father: “It means, I can go anytime.” 

I’m paraphrasing; I don’t have the episode handy, but he explains what it means in language she can understand. This is followed by the happy Nanako celebrating and being glad she can be seen with her father in front of other students and their parents and not feel left out anymore.

That’s one case solved, at least. – J

Itsu demo (いつでも）

The Japanese word “itsu demo” (いつでも) has two very distinct parts. Itsu (何時、いつ) is represented by kanji that literally read, “what time”. Dictionaries say “demo” means but or however, but that is not how it is applied here. Its true secrets lie deeper.

In truth, “demo” here is used like regardless, and in the following manner:

Itsu demo = regardless of when

A dictionary will give various and contradictory meanings for “itsudemo” because the usage changes with the context of the sentence. Think of it like one root and many branches. It’s easier than just deciding Japanese is an alien language hailing from Mars, which is what a lot of people do.

When “Demo” Is “Good” 

Let’s try “demo” in another context: ima demo, which combines “ima” (“now”) with “demo”, and ii, which is a small word used for “good”. Combine them and we get:

ima demo ii (今でもいい).

Ignoring the “why” for the moment, this means: now is good. 

Example: ”When can I see you? We need to talk about the Ferrari.” “Now’s good.”

So our structure is like this:

[Question about time] -> “ima demo ii”

OK, so what about our main topic? It’s simple:

“When can I see you? We need to talk about the Ferrari.” “Anytime’s good.”

[Question about time] -> ”itsu demo ii”

This is what I would call the normal usage.

Another “Itsudemo” 

Let’s imagine an executive from corporate headquarters is visiting a small manufacturing plant owned by the same company. In particular, he is concerned about a particular assembly line that has been having numerous and costly stoppages.

Executive: “What’s going on with that assembly line?”

Worker: “Oh, it’s the paint machine. It’s always breaking down, but they say there’s no budget for a new one.”

Executive: “I’ll be the judge of that. These stoppages are costing us a lot of money!”

Now, the worker isn’t using the word always in the sense of “constantly”. He’s using it to express a high frequency. If he said “constantly”, it might mean within five minutes of every start. If he said “regularly”, it might mean every two days. “Always” probably means something more random than that.

Let’s see one way this could appear in Japanese. (I’m not a native speaker, so this is for an example only.)

ペイントマシーンがいつでも壊せる. (Paint machine ga itsudemo kowaseru.)

Grammatical differences aside, what we can understand is that the paint machine is prone to break down anytime while it is in use.

In other words, even if a “translation” would turn “itsudemo” into “always”, the Japanese meaning never changed at all.

Constantly Prepared

Without bothering with full bilingual examples, when police talk about being constantly prepared to serve the public, they use “itsudemo” too. You may be doing a double take. How can “itsudemo” not be “constantly” in the last example, but it is here?

The only problem is looking at it from a narrow English point of view. Anytime can mean “five weeks from now” or “five seconds from now”. The police are trying to express that if you are in trouble five seconds from now, they’ll be ready to help. That’s the public posture.

That’s all for today. I’ll be citing “itsudemo” in posts in the near future. You’ll see how it’s a very useful thing to know by heart.

いつでもコッメントしてよね。(itsudemo comment shite yo ne. = Comment anytime!) – J

Nagaimo

The nagaimo (長芋、ながいも), or Dioscorea opposita, is also known as the Chinese yam or Korean yam. The first kanji is “long”; the second is best read as “yam”. Yams long predated potatoes in Japanese cuisine.

The defining feature of the nagaimo is that, unlike other yams, it’s safe to eat nagaimo raw. That means you can grate nagaimo and use it in food almost instantly. Note that whole tubers are soaked in a vinegar-water solution to neutralize an irritant in the outer skin.

Uses 

• In grated form, it is called tororo.
• Used as a topping for tororo udon.
• Used for “authentic” okonomiyaki (home made style pancakes).

Benefits

• Low in calories
• High in protein
• High in potassium and many other nutrients

Note that high heat cooking will lower the nutritional value.

Recipes

Recipes aren’t my forte, so try this site for a few recipe tips.  - J

This is too high profile to not post about, so I wanted to pass on that the Emperor of Japan had successful heart bypass surgery in response to a diagnosis of angina. Long story short, it’s a lot better for him that he had this done now than court greater difficulties later. Details can be read at the Japan Times. Original report from the Kyodo news agency. – J

Hilda, Tales of Rebirth

The Situations

This is an exchange between different characters of the Japan-produced video game, Tales of Rebirth, which sadly never made it to America. These are loose translations I am providing to illustrate the situations, both involving a newly joined party member, Hilda.

First, she is approached by Annie, a teenage healer whose father was a nationally famous doctor.

Annie, Tales of Rebirth, wielding staff

Annie, conversation

Annie: Pardon me, Hilda… how old are you?

Hilda: …Why do you ask?

Annie: I’m sorry if I was impolite…! I was just… curious.

Hilda: I’m 21.

Annie: My, such an adult…

Hilda: And how old are you?

Annie: I am 15.

Hilda: My, still a child.

[Annie makes understated, disagreeable expression]

-

Next, she is approached by Mao (which is, I am told, Chinese for ‘cat’, but Japanese is my third language, not Chinese!). Mao looks and sounds quite a bit younger and is what you might call an androgynous boy full of life.

Mao, Tales of Rebirth

Mao: Um… Hilda, how old are you?

[Hilda makes an unpleasant expression and sound.]

Mao: Did I… say something bad?

Hilda: It is thoroughly bad manners to ask a woman’s age, boy.

Mao: H… hey! Don’t talk to me like I’m a child!

Hilda: That you’re upset only proves that you are one.

-

What Just Happened

We have just seen a variety of Japanese (and non-Japanese) social values in action.

• An assumed respect for elders
• An assumed need to preserve politeness
• Girls/women can discuss age with other girls/women
• Boys cannot discuss age with girls/women without being rude
• A child always betrays himself by behaving as one
• A mature teenager resents being seen as a mere child
• An immature teenager resents it too, but with less just cause

Of course,  we should not simply ignore the fact Hilda is being mean to both teenagers. She joined the party with no intention of getting touchy-feely with anyone and made no secret of the fact. She has a very troubled background, which I won’t go into great depth here except to say that she is mixed-race in a world with two main races, humans being one. This is an unusual, mature, and deep subject for an RPG to address, and Tales of Rebirth does a marvelous job of it.

So, in spite of these circumstances, Annie’s instinct is to look up to Hilde as a more mature female and someone poised and confident. It is expected that children want to grow up, and that is why they look up to elders.

Mao, on the other hand, hasn’t given two thoughts about “growing up” and is asking what he thinks is an innocent question, but which is contrary to gentlemanly manners – at minimum, in both Japan and in countries of European culture.

Conclusion

We have just seen two examples of how Japanese social interactions happen, both in the setting of social expectations and measuring actual interactions by how they depart from expectations.

In other words, since Annie behaved in line with social expectations for someone of her type, Hilda was being gratuitously mean to her.  On the other hand, Mao was engaging in what society regards as bad manners, so Hilda had every social right to give him the verbal smackdown she did; he was in the wrong.

In two short skits, we have learned a great deal about all three characters and where their relationships, such as they are, begin from. – J