Love, Chuunibyou & Other Delusions Episode 1 -- A Chance Encounter... with Wicked Lord Shingan (Kaikou no... Jaoh Shingen) --- [00:27] A vending machine prepares to dispense the preferred drink of the typical chuunibyou. http://docrobot.sdf.org/images/chuuni/coffee.jpg [00:00 -- 02:12] The opening narrative does a great job of explaining chuunibyou as well as giving us a taste of things to come. It then, quite realistically, portrays one of the fundamental issues facing modern Japanese society -- how to properly deal with a cute girl rappelling onto your balcony while you're trying to clean. [03:50] "Onii-chan" Onii-chan simply means older brother, although this usage isn't strictly limited to familial relations. The titles and honorifics used in daily Japanese speech are plentiful, and quickly become difficult to rework into natural sounding English. Thus, many translators don't bother trying and instead trust that the usual audience of veteran fans know enough Japanese to not necessitate these specific translations. [04:17] New Year's Money The Japanese New Year isn't just about bell ringing, shrine visits, soba noodles, and sending postcards of good tiding to friends and family -- it also involves all the adults of a family giving a monetary gift to the children in a tradition known as 'otoshidama.' The gifts usually range anywhere from 500-1000Y (around $4.00 - $9.00) all the way up to 25,000-30,000Y (around $250.00) or more. Although the monetary amounts vary, there are two things that don't -- the decorative envelopes that contain the money, and the excitement that young people feel at the prospect of getting multiple wads of cash from relatives simply by virtue of a calendar date. Sadly, the latter of these is often a bittersweet affair. A disturbingly large percentage of Japan's youth find themselves forced to watch helplessly as half (or more) of that sweet New Year's loot is snatched up at the hands of a responsible parent to be squirreled away into a savings account or college fund. Some parents will never understand the importance of plastic model kits, video games, and cheap candy binges. [04:37] Just outside of Ishiyama Station. Ootsu City, Shiga Prefecture. http://docrobot.sdf.org/images/chuuni/ishiyama.jpg [04:44] High School Entrance Ceremony In Japan, high school is not compulsory education. Although the vast majority of Japanese youth receive a high school education, there is no legal requirement to do so. Additionally, one cannot simply choose to attend. A prospective student typically chooses multiple high schools, and then makes arrangements to take (and hopefully pass) at least one of their respective entrance examinations. [04:46] The walkway and stairs leading to Ishiyama Station. http://docrobot.sdf.org/images/chuuni/ishiyama_stairs.jpg [06:07] "This Bandage" Remember the talk about power limiters back in the Evil Eye archetype description? [07:51] Her Eye Patch Remember the talk about power limiters back in the Evil Eye archetype description? [09:04] The Tyrant's Eye of Truth Since this is the first time it's referenced in the show, let's go ahead and get the explanation out of the way right now. The phrase Rikka uses to describe her magical eye is "jaoh shingen" and understanding exactly what it means can be a little tricky at first, even for native speakers. The translation of this phrase varies depending on which particular person or group was responsible for the subtitles you happen to be watching. A literal translation, strictly based on the kanji without any context, would be "the true eye of the wicked king" and is almost certainly *not* what's written in your subtitles. The Tyrant's Eye, Wicked Eye, Wicked Lord, and Evil Eye have all been used in various translations for the sake of brevity. Suffice it to say, these are easier to set into a subtitle and arguably more accurate to the intended meaning Rikka had in mind when she chose the name. Additionally, it's a rather literal way of showing that Rikka is a textbook example of the Evil Eye chuunibyou archetype. [11:50] Commercial Break Hilariously, the two little title splashes you're likely seeing right now -- which would normally have a block of commercials between them -- are referred to as 'eyecatches' in the television industry. [14:17] The Teacher's Hand Gesture The gesture their teacher is making to summon Yuuta to her desk is often misinterpreted by foreigners as dismissive, rather than a motion made to beckon someone to you. Usually taken to be a "goodbye" wave when, in Japan, it has nearly the opposite meaning. [16:05] Our heroes wait for the train at Anou Station, near their school. http://docrobot.sdf.org/images/chuuni/anou1.jpg http://docrobot.sdf.org/images/chuuni/anou2.jpg [16:32] "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right..." Rikka is referencing the Konami Code in order to choose her beverage from the machine. This famous code hearkens back to a classic 1980s era video game console known as the Nintendo Family Computer, or Famicom for short -- known outside of Japan as the Nintendo Entertainment System. Being one of the most famous video game platforms to have ever existed, numerous software development companies wrote and published games for the console. The one to take note of here is Konami -- who produced such hits as Contra, Castlevania, and Metal Gear. In many of their early games the code could be entered, typically during or just before the title screen, to enable cheating features such as additional powers or extra lives. The code itself was the invention of programmer Kazuhisa Hashimoto who, while developing the home version of Gradius, found the game so difficult that he was unable to properly test and debug it. (Search the phrase "Nintendo Hard" sometime for a little more insight.) [16:32] Rikka uses the Konami Code to obtain a "mana potion" from the machine. http://docrobot.sdf.org/images/chuuni/vending.jpg [16:48] Mr. Peter The can Rikka is holding is a trademark-friendly version of Dr. Pepper, a carbonated beverage that has made numerous appearances in popular anime and manga over the years and has subsequently become one of the preferred drinks of otaku all over the world. The Japanese seem to think it has a pleasant banana-like taste, and this is one of the reasons for its continued popularity despite limited availability in their market. [18:13] "Schwarzschild!" Literally "black shield" in German, but also a family name. A possible reference to the famous physicist? In any case, it's a great example of foreign words sounding "cool" to people who don't actually speak the language. Much in the same way a particularly obnoxious weeaboo will insist on cramming as much Japanese vocabulary as they know (or *think* they know) into a conversation, chuunibyou cases tend to do the same with both English and German. [19:08] Yakisoba Looks like they're having yakisoba for dinner. These are "Chinese style" (buckwheat, same as ramen) noodles, pan fried with chunks of pork and chopped veggies. Often accused of "not tasting like they expected" by first timers, this is mostly due to the traditional 'yakisoba sauce' used to flavor the dish containing an ingredient similar to (if not actual) Worchestershire sauce. Typically served with a garnish of 'aonori' (flakes of dried seaweed) and 'beni shouga' (slices of pickled ginger with a color best described as neon pink). 'Kewpie' (a wildly popular brand of Japanese style mayonnaise) is a common condiment as well. Yakisoba is as ubiquitous in Japanese cuisine as ramen and curry. The stuff is everywhere, and considered a comfort food as well as a staple. A trip to the local festival or the beach just isn't complete until you've overpaid for a plate and washed it down with an equally overpriced beer. It's particularly popular in school cafeterias and convenience stores, where it's stuffed inside a hotdog (or "sub" sandwich) style bun -- known as 'yakisoba pan' (fried noodle bread). For such a diet and health conscious country, more than a few of their culinary favorites involve piling carbs on top of more carbs. --- "That's what I said, but the rain this spring was actually pretty warm..."