MERMAID MELODY PICHI PICHI PITCH Text translation, chapter 05. Original story by Yokote Michiko Manga artwork by Hanamori Pink Translation by Kotetsu, not to be redistributed without permission! Archived at http://www.boukenshin.net/pitch/ Translator's Notes: This is my first time translating a manga, and I'm not yet a very advanced student of Japanese, hence, there are bound to be mistakes. I tried my best to faithfully translate as much as I could, but there were parts where characters spoke using slang words that weren't in any of my dictionaries. Still, I think I got the gist of what I didn't understand. I didn't bother to translate sound effects, nor the words appearing on every sign, nor all of the [small text] words in the story. For purists, I know, this is a tragedy. But I chose to go for expediency, which means that I've translated only dialogue and *most* of the [small text] passages, at least the ones particularly cute and/or important to the story. I am also not entirely faithful to the punctuation in the original. Mainly, there are places where I have added punctuation, since the original Japanese dialogue consisted of long, convoluted constructions, which would not make sense in English without the addition of punctuation. Terms of address (like "Onee-chan," which means "Older Sister") and meaningless exclamations (like "Kyaa!") have also been left untranslated. ---------------------- Translation Key! This is spoken speech. [small text] comes before a translation of those tiny, scribbly words sometimes found floating inside or outside a word bubble. ** denotes a panel in which nothing is said. (1) is footnote #1. (2) is footnote #2, etc. Footnotes come immediately after the passages that they refer to. Pages are separated by a dotted line. ---------------------- MERMAID MELODY PICHI PICHI PITCH Episode 5 ---------------------- ** Gakuto: ...You grace me with your presence, Maria. Maria: Of course. It is my mission. Gakuto: Only that? ---------------------- Maria: Uhu hu... you're wicked, aren't you. Maria: We've still only caught two princesses, haven't we? Gakuto: Yes, but the remaining princesses have already begun to gather themselves. Maria: Therefore, I will make use of the mermaid's beloved music to bring out those fishies. But until now, your other servants have been too weak... Gakuto: The same as always, you are a cold woman. Hu hu... This time, I will also go to the dry land. ---------------------- Narration: New Year's Eve at "Pearl Waters." Luchia: We're going to Awami(1) Shrine for our hatsumoude?!(2) (1) ["Awami" is written with the characters for "foam" and "ocean."] (2) ["Hatsumoude" = the first New Year's visit to a shrine or temple. It just sounds long and awkward in English, I guess.] Nikora: I heard that our distant ancestor is enshrined there! Narration: A long time ago, there was a mermaid who loved a human. One stormy night, without any preparation, despite the risk that her true form would be known and she would turn into foam, carrying a torch, she swam to the boat of a man who had met with disaster, and led him safely to shore. Nikora: Today people say that she is a goddess of matchmaking. ---------------------- Nikora: When you carve your name and the name of your beloved on a candle, and give the candle as an offering, Then if that candle burns away completely without the flame ever going out, then your love will become mutual! Luchia: Luchia: Hey, hey, what happened to the mermaid after that?! Nikora: Well... Hippo: She should have turned into foam! She was exposed, that's why. Hanon: Eeeeh? Because she wasn't turned into foam, then wasn't it real matchmaking? Luchia: ---------------------- Luchia: ** ** Luchia: I knew it! Surfing even on New Year's Eve. Kaito: ...Luchia! ---------------------- Luchia: Kaito? Kaito: No... It's nothing. Kaito: But by the way, you're a hima-jin(3), so you wanted to see me, right? (3) [Hima-jin = a person who never does anything worthwhile, hence, has a lot of free time. It's a derogatory term.] Luchia: [text around her head] BINGO! [small banner] Pichi Pichi 100 degrees Celsius Luchia: I'm not a hima-jin, I'm going to visit Awami Shrine! Kaito: Ah, to light a candle? That's a superstition, but I guess girls like it. Kaito: ...Rain?! Luchia: Kaito: There's a closed beach house over there. Let's run!! ---------------------- ** Luchia: So cold... Kaito: Take them off. If you wear those wet clothes, you'll catch a cold. Use this! Luchia: Thank you... ! Luchia: Kaito: .... Luchia: .... ---------------------- Kaito: ...By the way. ** Kaito: When you met me on the beach... For a single moment, you suddenly looked exactly like that girl I told you about, the one with the unforgettable singing voice. Luchia: Luchia: Kaito: ...But what a mistaken idea that was! Luchia: ...You're an idiot. ---------------------- Luchia: Luchia: Kaito, you don't understand love at all! You're only chasing after some sort of illusion!! There's no way a girl like that could even exist, or-- ** ** ** Luchia: Always thinking about a girl such as that is weird!! Kaito, how-- ---------------------- Luchia: Mm... Luchia: No!! ** ** ---------------------- Luchia: Rina: Luchia? Luchia: Rina: What's wrong?! ---------------------- ** Rina: ...So then you had a fight with Kaito. Luchia: Yeah... I don't understand boys. Rina: That guy Kaito is so popular, isn't that the only reason that you like him? But actually, he's just a-- Luchia: Stop it! Luchia: I also said a terrible thing to him... ** Rina: Are you going to Awami Shrine, I wonder? You can say a prayer there. Luchia: ---------------------- Narration: Awami Shrine. Luchia: A mermaid is enshrined here, isn't she-- Hippo: Isn't she-- Luchia: ** Luchia: Hey, hey, candles are this way! One candle, please. Rina: Good, you came. Luchia: ---------------------- Luchia: Rina!! Rina: The truth is, I was scouted out by the priest here. This shrine has a connection with mermaids, doesn't it. Rina: Good luck. Luchia: Yes - I'll try my best!! Luchia: ---------------------- Kaito: Why did I come to this place...? Kaito: .... ** Maria: Hmmm, they should be saying their prayers right about now. ---------------------- ** Luchia: Waa, Rina's so pretty! Hanon: And this music is good too, isn't it. ** Luchia: Ah... ---------------------- ** Hanon: Well, well, go, go! Luchia: Ah-- Luchia: ** ** ---------------------- [2 page spread] ** Luchia: Kyaaa! Luchia: ....! ** ** Kaito: Are you all right?! Luchia: Kaito... ** Luchia: Kaito: Wait! Where are you going?! Luchia: My candle... The flame will go out!! Kaito: If it's just a candle, leave it to me!! Luchia: Kaito! ---------------------- Rina: Luchia! Are you all right?! Luchia: Hanon! Rina! Rina: This is bad... This storm looks like it has something to do with *them*. Luchia: Eh! Luchia: Maria: This foolish mermaid would actually fall in love with a human? Idiot, isn't she. True love is something that must be done coolly. A love that can never be fulfilled is a foolish love only. Maria: Freeze and run out, along with the obsolete legend of the mermaid!! ---------------------- Kaito: Kaito: This one, yes. Kaito: Voice: Ho, a human is still in a place like this? Kaito: Who are you? Gakuto: Hu hu... ---------------------- ** ** ** ** ---------------------- Luchia: The storm is lessening?! Luchia: Now! Transform!! ---------------------- Maria: My wind stopped... Why?! Voice: Stop right there! ** ---------------------- Luchia: These candles are burning with everyone's wishes! Maria: Wishes? All of your hopeless love is nothing but trivial and worthless! Luchia: Kyaa! Luchia: Trivial and worthless? Luchia: Hey, wait a minute - say that one more time! Maria: Aaaaah, trivial and worthless, trivial and worth~less! Luchia: Now you've done it---! Hanon and Rina: Luchia-- Luchia: Now you've made me really angry--! So that unfulfilled love can be fulfilled, everyone is trying their hardest!! I will not allow you to laugh at that--! ---------------------- Girls: Starting off the new year by doing malicious things means a terrible omikuji! (5) With a pichi pichi voice, we'll purify you!! (5) [Omikuji = a fortune from a shrine, written on a small slip of paper.] ---------------------- Luchia: Maria: So hot, so hot--! Maria: Iyaan, Gakuto-samaaa! Luchia: Now you know what the heat of true love feels like! Would you like an encore? ---------------------- ** Voice: ...to. Kaito! Luchia: Are you all right?! Kaito: ...Luchia? Luchia: Aan, thank goodness, you're still alive! Luchia: ...I said some very cruel things. I'm sorry. ---------------------- Luchia: <...Even so, you still protected me... and my candle.> Luchia: Thank you! Kaito: No problem... Kaito: But it couldn't possibly be that you also have someone that you're in love with... Luchia: You... saw? (6) (6) [Luchia wrote both "Luchia" and "Kaito" on her candle. If Kaito saw that, he would know that she was praying for them to fall in love.] ---------------------- Kaito: ...Well, now. Kaito: Hey, look, the hatsuhinode! (7) (7) [Hatsuhinode = the sunrise on New Year's Day.] Luchia: Luchia: But... didn't you see?! Kaito: See what? ---------------------- Luchia: You're mean!