Thursday, June 25, 2009

Nihonashi #2 - Hagane Renkinjutsushi (Fullmetal Alchemist)


#2 - Hagane Renkinjutsushi
(Click on the post title to view the YouTube video!)

Nihonashi - dainikai!

Nihongo de Anime ni tsuite Hanashimashou!









Watashi: Kyou no wadai wa Hagane no Renkinjutsushi desu!
Hokano koe: Kono anime wa sugoku ninki ga aru.
Watashi: Atashi mo daisuki desu. Tanoshii shi, harahara suru shi, ed mo al ga suki na chara shi -- ii anime deshou.
Hokano koe: Santora mo sugoku suki da.
Watashi: Hai! Melissa ya kesenai tsumi ya buracha -- shitteru ka? Anime ga miru to, anata mo santora ga suki ni naru yo. Utatte moraimasu!
Hokano koe: (Ano ne, sore--)
Watashi: (uhhum)

Melissa

Kimi no te de kirisaite Tooi hi no kioku wo
Kanashimi no iki no ne wo tometekure yo
Saa Ai ni kogareta mune wo tsuranuke

Asu ga kuru hazu no sora wo mite Mayou bakari no kokoro moteamashiteru
Katawara no tori ga habataita Doko ka hikari wo mitsukerareta no ka na

Naa Omae no se ni ore mo nosetekurenai ka?
Soshite ichiban takai toko de okizari ni shite yasashisa kara toozakete

(repeat 1st verse)

Hai... TV cut deshita.
Hokano no koe: (Yappari dame da.)
Watashi: (Utau no ga heta de sumimasen.) Sono uta wa watashi no oboeteru uta hajimeta desu.
Hokano koe: (uhhum) Hagane no Renkinjutsushi ni, ed to al wa renkinjutsu o naratte’ru kyoudai da.
Watashi: Renkinjutsu wa sugoi!
Hokano koe: Mahou mitai kedo, renkinjutsushi ni wa tsukuru mono no tame ni, onaji kachi no mono o kaenakereba ikenai.
Watashi: fantashi mo surira mo comedei mo ippai goukai na koto ga aru. Moshi mita koto ga arimasen, miru beki da yo!
Hokano koe: Doukan desu.
Watashi: Sou, sou. Ah, mou owari da yo.
Hokano koe: Eh? Hantai!
Watashi: (Demo sa, hanasu koto nanimo kangaenai.)
Hokano koe: Sono bangumi wa go-juu wa gurai deshou? Wadai wa tappuri aru. Tatoeba—
Watashi: Iyada! Jaa, mata ne!
Hokano koe: Shikash—

Nihonashi #2 - Fullmetal Alchemist

Nihonashi number 2!

Let’s talk about anime in Japanese!




(picture found on animevisions...
when it still existed....)







Me: Today’s subject is Fullmetal Alchemist!
Other voice: This anime is really popular.
Me: I love it too. It’s fun, exciting, Ed and Al are likable characters -- it’s a great anime, isn’t it.
Other voice: I also really like the soundtrack.
Me: Yes! Like Melissa and In-erasable Sin and Bratja -- do you know these? When you see the anime, you come to like the soundtrack. Let me sing for you!
Other voice: (Um, that’s-)
Me: (uhhum)

Yeah, I’ll skip that, because it’s still in Japanese, but you’ll find the translation on my blog. (below)

Melissa
Cleave apart the memories of those faraway days with your hands
End the breath of sadness
Come on, pierce through my chest made anxious by love

Looking at the sky in which the tomorrow will come, I don't know what to do with my heart that is only lost
Birds by my side flew away- I wonder if they found light somewhere

Come now, won't you let me ride on your back, too?
Then keep far away from the kindess that I deserted at the highest place

repeat 1st verse

Yup... that was the TV cut.
Other voice: (You really are no good.)
Me: (Sorry for not being good at singing.) That song is the first I memorized.
Other voice: (uhhum) In Fullmetal Alchemist, Ed and Al are siblings learning Alchemy.
Me: Alchemy is so cool!
Other voice: It’s like magic, but for alchemists, in order to make something, you have to exchange it for something with the same worth.
Me: It’s got fantasy, thriller, comedy, and lots of exciting stuff. If you haven’t seen it, you should!
Other voice: I agree.
Me: Yup. Oh, it’s the end already.
Other voice: Huh? I object!
Me: (But you know, I can’t think of anything to say.)
Other voice: This program is about 50 episodes right? There are plenty of subjects. For example—
Me: No! Well, see you later!
Other voice: But—

Vocabulary:
kyou = today
wadai = subject
sugoku = really
ninki = popularity
daisuki = big like, love
tanoshii = fun
harahara = exciting
shiru = to know
miru = to see or watch
utau = to sing
dame = no good
heta = not skilled, bad at something
sumimasen = sorry
oboeru = to memorize
hajimeru = start, first
narau = to learn
kyoudai = siblings
sugoi = great, cool, awesome
mahou = magic
tsukuru = to make
tame ni = for the sake of
onaji = same
kachi = worth, value
kaeru = to exchange
ippai = lots
goukai = exciting, heroic
moshi = if
doukan = agreement
owari = end
hantai = objection, disagreement
kangaeru = to think
bangumi = program
gurai = about
tappuri = plenty
tatoeba = for example
iya = gross, disgusting, dislike
shikashi = but

Bye bye!

Credits
Producer ShiroiHyou
Director ShiroiHyou
Editor ShiroiHyou
Script Mai-chan
Musician Mai-chan
Voice talent Mai-chan

Software
Voice recording Audacity
Video editor Final Cut Express
Text LiveType
Pictures Graphic Converter
Pages
Intro music Garageband

Hardware
MSL USB Condenser Mic
MacBook Pro

Resources
Dictionary jisho.org
Lyrics animelyrics.com

Thank you! -ShiroiHyou

Kesenai Tsumi
itsumo no shisen ni kimi ga ite kokyuu ga dekiru
boku ni totte nara sore dakede mou juubun na hazuna no ni

chippoke na boku wa kurikaesu ayamachi bakari
dore hodo tsuyosa wo te ni shitara nani mo kizutsukezu sumu no?

mayowazu ni kono ai wo shinji ikite yuku
fusagaranu kizuguchi mo gyutto dakishimete
futari wa aruki tsuzukeru ato ni wa modorenai kara
ima demo kono mune no oku kesenai tsumi wa itami kedo
DAARIN

(There’s no translation for this on AnimeLyrics, so I did my own pitch-patch one. I know it doesn’t make much sense, I did it in like 10 minutes... hehe)

Always you are in danger, I can breath
You are precious to me, so that should be enough

I keep making small mistakes
How long can I go obtaining strength without hurting anything?

In spite of wandering, I will live believing in this love
I will hold these blocked wounds tightly
We will continue walking, because we will return after
Even though right now, deep in this heart, my in-erasable sins hurt

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Nihonashi #1 - Hajimeta Koto

As promised, I have created a video on YouTube with my 'nihonashi' (nihongo hanashi); click on the title link to get there. (It's working!)

Here is what is being said:

Nihonashi

#1 - Hajimeta koto

Nihonashi ni youkoso! Mai desu!

Nan desu ka to itte imasu. Oshiete moraimasu.
Watashi wa Maira desu. Mai-chan to yonde ne. Amerika-jin no gakusei de, anime ga suki nanode, nihongo o benkyou shimasu. Lesson ga mou inakute, motto renshuu shitai kedo, darenimo watashi to renshuu shimasen. Dakara, watashi to kono hanashi o shimashita.

Hajimeta koto no nihonashi:

Watashi: Ne... blog ni wa nan to kaite ii?
Hokano koe: Eto... takusan kyoumi ga aru ne?
Watashi: Sou yo.
Hokano koe: Kyoumi ga aru koto o kaite.
Watashi: Demo, atashi no kyoumi ga yondagatteiru hito wa inai. Zettai inai.
Hokano koe: Jaa, yondegatteiru hito ga aru kyoumi o erabinasai!
Watashi: Sou desu ka? Oh... piano no koto?
Hokano koe: Nan no you?
Watashi: Ee... ii piano fu no hon?
Hokano koe: Darenimo sore o yondagatteinai.
Watashi: Eh? Doushite?
Hokano koe: Nan to kaku tsumori?
Watashi: Hmm. Jaa... nihongo no hou wa?
Hokano koe: Hai, ii desu yo. Demo, anta no mokuteki wa nani?
Watashi: Mokuteki? Renshuu hazu da.
Hokano koe: Atari, demo kaku renshuu to hanasu renshuu, douchira demo ii?
Watashi: Hanasu renshuu shitai...
Hokano koe: Dakara, audio toka video toka tsukureba ii deshou?
Watashi: Honto desu ne! Demo, blog wa mada aki.
Hokano koe: Moshi darenimo anata no hanashi o wakaranai. Dou shiyou?
Watashi: Anta ne, atashi no hanasu ginou wa warui tte?
Hokano koe: Kamo ne. Kaki utsusu shite, blog ni kaite.
Watashi: Soka! Sou shimasu! Tensai da!
Hokano koe: Domo.

Owari! Jaa, hajimeta koto o shitteru to, kore o tsukutta riyuu ga wakarimasu ne? Kore kara, iroiro na koto o shaberu tsumori desu. Nihongo wa mada naratteiru kara, yappari machigai shimasu. Nihon o benkyou shite mo, mou shitteiru mo, osewa ni narimasu!


Honto no koto - what I think I’m saying (or close enough):
‘Nihonashi’ (nihongo hanashi) welcome! Mai here. “What is this?” you’re saying. Let me tell you.
I’m Myra. Call me Mai-chan. I’m an American student, and because I like anime, I’m studying Japanese. There are no more lessons, and I want to practice, but no one will practice with me. So I had this conversation with myself.

The conversation that began it:
Me: Hey, what should I write in my blog?
The other voice: Well... you have lots of interests, right?
Me: Yeah.
The other voice: So write about something you’re interested in.
Me: But there’s no one who wants to read about my interests. No one at all.
The other voice: Then choose an interest people want to read about!
Me: Is that right? Oh... what about piano?
The other voice: Like what?
Me: Ee... good piano music books?
The other voice: No one wants to read about that.
Me: Eh? Why?
The other voice: What do you intend to write?
Me: Hmm. Well... what about Japanese?
The other voice: Yes, that’s good. But what’s your goal?
Me: Goal? Should be to practice.
The other voice: Exactly, but do you care if it’s writing practice or speaking practice?
Me: I want to practice talking...
The other voice: In that case, wouldn’t it be best if you did something like audio or video?
Me: That’s true! But the blog would still be empty.
The other voice: Perhaps no one can understand your speaking. What will you do?
Me: Hey, are you saying my speaking ability is bad?
The other voice: Maybe. Transcribe, and write that in your blog.
Me: I see! I’ll do that! You’re a genius!
The other voice: Thanks.

The end! So, now that you know what began it, you understand the reason I made this, right? From now on, I intend to talk about various things. Because I’m still learning Japanese, I’m sure to make mistakes. Whether you’re studying Japanese, or know it already, I thank you for your help!

For those hoping to learn some Japanese here, I’ll list the vocabulary words:
hajimeru = to begin
koto = intangible thing
youkoso = welcome
oshieru = to teach
yobu = to call
gakusei = student
suki = to like
nihongo = Japanese
benkyou = study
motto = more
renshuu = practice
darenimo = no one
watashi = I, me
hanashi = conversation
kaku = to write
takusan = lots
kyoumi = interests
yomu = to read
hito = person, people
zettai = never, always
erabu = to choose
ii = good
fu = sheet music
hon = book
sore = that
doushite = why
tsumori = intention
mokuteki = goal, purpose
hazu = should be
atari = correct, bingo
tsukuru = to make
honto = really, real
mada = still
aki = empty
moshi = if
anata = you
wakaru = to understand
ginou = ability
warui = bad
kaki utsusu = transcribe
tensai = genius
domo = thanks
owari = end
shiru = to know
kore = this
riyuu = reason
kara = from
iroiro = various
shaberu = to talk, chat
narau = to learn
yappari = like I thought
machigai = wrong, mistaken

Discussion
The main things I was unsure about were my uses of aki, ginou, kaki utsusu, fu, and yondagatte (which I think is the way you say someone else wants something -- in this case to read -- but it confuses me). Also, am I using 'hanasu' correctly? Especially when I ask 'kaku renshuu to hanasu renshuu' (writing practice or speaking practice), I had no idea how to say that.
Um... and overall grammar.
And all over, even if what I say makes sense, is there a better way to say it?

Please ask your own questions too, I will try to answer as best I can (or others can help out).

(Right now I'm speaking to an empty room... but it's recorded, so I'll just leave it here and hope people will trickle in.)

Thanks!
This has been Mai, signing off.

technical stuff
video editor: finalcut express
sound recorder: wiretap studio
picture maker: graphic converter
little people maker: pages
text program: livetype

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

I've Changed My Mind - to Japanese

I thought about this blog a lot, and decided I really don't want to write about my writing. I should spend time writing if I'm going to do that. So instead, I want to use this blog to practice my Japanese. I'm going to start a thing I'm calling Nihonashi (nihongo hanashi), where I record audio/video of myself speaking Japanese. That will be on YouTube. I'll put the text in Japanese and my English translation in this blog. I hope to get people to correct my Japanese and my pronounciation, and maybe they'll learn something on the way.

Because I'm the one writing, I'll actually be commited to coming and writing issues :p
I'm excited to see what I can learn! If nothing else, I'll get a lot of practice :)

I've written #1, so I just have to record, edit, and post, then my epic trying-to-become-fluent-in-Japanese-journey shall begin.

Jaa ne!
~Iggy -> Mai-chan

p.s. I graduated! Now I work. Whoot.