We Survived! Onto 2021~

What the actual fuck was 2020 eh? It's honestly a bit painful reading my post from last year - I had so many hopes for 2020 and here I am ending the year, once again, jobless.

Honestly, I was a bit hesitant about even making this post. Partially because I am coming off 5 hours of sleep after having said farewell to Arashi, but also because... I mean. What the fuck 2020? But ultimately I think I do still have things I want to reflect on and think about, so without further ado: how did I survive 2020?

Reflecting as we enter 2020

I think for everyone 2019 has been a rough year just due to things happening in the world, but in particular, 2019 really was quite a rough year. At the same time, I feel like I can only make this statement precisely because towards the end of 2019, things have started to turn upwards and I am actually able to look at 2020 with a semblance of hope, renewed energy, and a sense of contentment that I think I've definitely lacked since I moved here to Toronto.

I feel like there are actually so many things I want to say, and to reflect on, but I honestly don't know where to start, so I'm just going to do my usual and see where the questions take me and if I have anything else to add at the end, I'll add it.

Without further ado though, let's look back at 2019 and see what happened!

Sexy Zone - そばにいるよ [Eng Translation]

(Translation Index: Here)

そばにいるよ - I'm By Your Side

灯りが消えてくビルの影
月のカーブが 次の夜に架かるよ
MailはOffにしようか
握りしめた手に 熱くなる「いま」がある

The building's shadow cuts off the light,
and the curve off the moon continues into the next night.
Let's turn our mails* off,
Because there's this heated moment "now" while I'm holding your hand.

ただ知り過ぎてきた さみしい言葉
もう忘れてかまわない wow Baby

They're just sad words that you've come to know too well now,
it's fine to forget them, wow baby.

君とFace to Face
そばにいるよ
ほんとうのことは愛でわかる
いつもI Love You
どんなときも
大事にしていたい 心にふれるから

I'm face to face with you,
by your side.
You'll know what's real through love.
I love you always,
no matter when,
and I've been touched by your heart, which I want to hold precious.

誰かが書いた本は閉じて
白いぺージを いまめくってみないか
僕らだけの物語
光のインクで 思うままはじめよう

Why don't you close that book that someone else wrote,
and open up a new blank page.
Let's start writing our own story
in shining ink, just as you want it.

まちがうときもある 怖くはないさ
そこからまた強くなる wow Baby

Sometimes you'll make mistakes, but it's nothing to be scared of.
It'll just make you stronger, wow baby.

君とEye to Eye
見つめてるよ
変わらないものは夢にできる
いつもI Love You
どんなときも
大事にしていたい 心にふれるから

I'm seeing you eye to eye.
In your dreams things can become unchanging.
I love you always,
no matter when.
I've been touched by your heart, which I want to hold precious.

流れゆく時を
この胸にとどめて
ふたりを確かめてみよう

Even as time moves on,
my heart remains constant.
Let's make sure of the two of us.

君とFace to Face
そばにいるよ
ほんとうのことは愛でわかる
(I wanna be your dream)
いつもI Love You
見つめあえば
大事にしていたい
心にふれる

I'm face to face with you,
by your side.
You'll know what's real through love.
(I wanna be your dreams)
I love you always,
and as we lock eyes,
I am touched by your heart,
which I want to hold precious.

君とEye to Eye(Eye to Eye)
見つめてるよ(Everytime)
変わらないものは夢にできる
(I just wanna keep on loving)
いつもI Love You
どんなときも
大事にしていたい 心にふれるから

I'm see you (eye to eye)
eye to eye (everytime).
In your dreams things can become unchanging.
(I just wanna keep on loving)
I love you always,
no matter when.
And I am touched by your heart,
which I want to hold precious. 

-

Translator Notes:
*Mail in this case means text messages. 

Sexy Zone - 青い恋人 [Eng Translation]

(Translation Index: Here)

青い恋人 - Young Lovers*



夕焼けに映ってる　二つの影が
すれ違っている　君と僕の　精一杯の距離だね

Our two shadows emerging from the sunset,
reveal how hard we're trying to keep a distance.

一度だけ鳴って切れた　着信音に
慌てて飛び乗る　バスの中で　思い出すよ　夏の夜

On the bus I had jumped on in a panic,
the sound of my ringtone going off surprised me and made me remember that summer night.

街の灯を見下ろす　赤いテレビ塔
あの秘密の場所に　僕はまだ　鍵を掛けたくはないよ

That red TV tower lighting up the town,
I don't want to lock up that secret place yet.

繋いでいたはずの手と手が　音も立てず解(ほど)けてく
ごめんねの一言さえ　出てこない
「君を幸せにする」なんて　ちょっと茶化して言ったけど
伝えに行くよ　今度こそは、「愛してる。」と

Our hands which should have been together, suddenly fell apart without a sound,
and an apology just wouldn't come to my lips.
Jokingly, I told you "I'll make you happy"
but this time I'll let you know properly, "I love you".

真っ白なTシャツで　はしゃぐ砂浜
打ち寄せる波を　よけて遊ぶ　君の姿に恋した

I fell in love with the figure of you in a white shirt,
fooling around on the beach trying to avoid the waves.

帰り道少しだけ　遠回りした
隣でほほえむ　君がいれば　他に何も欲しくない

While heading home I'd take a bit of a detour,
because I don't want anything else when you were smiling beside me.

初めて手が触れて　伝わる温もり
この時間がずっと　続くよう　星空に願ってたよ

The warmth I felt the first times our hands touched,
it made me wish upon a star that this time would continue forever.

重ねてきた思い出たちが　胸の奥を締め付ける
はねた髪　大事な時笑う癖
素直になること出来なくて　つよがりばかりだったけど
今はこの手で　君を強く抱きしめたい

I've stored the many memories we've made deep inside my heart.
The way your hair would bounce when you'd laugh during special moments.
I struggle to be honest, and am always pretending to be strong,
but right now I just want to hold you tightly in my hands.

気付いたんだよ　僕以上　君は僕を　いつも愛してくれていた
これからも
君の代わりは誰にも　出来ない
お揃いの未来を　見つめていたいから

I've noticed you know. You always gave me more love than I gave you.
From now on
I'll never find someone to replace you,
Because I want to look for a future for the two of us.

止まっていた時計の針が　音を立てて動き出す
ごめんね今日まで少し　待たせたね
「君を幸せにする」なんて　ちょっと茶化して言ったけど
伝えに行くよ　今度こそは、「愛してる。」と

The hands on the clock that had been stopped before, suddenly start moving with a sound,
Up until this moment, I've made you wait a bit, sorry.
Jokingly, I told you "I'll make you happy"
but this time I'll let you know properly, "I love you".

Translation Notes:
*Young in this sense means along the lines of something being new/fresh/green.

Kingdom Hearts 3 Review [spoilers]

So, I literally just beat Kingdom Hearts 3 about an hour ago and boy do I have thoughts on the game.

First, my overall one-liner: Fun, but very flawed game. Now. Onto the details. (Warning, spoilers!!)

I'm going to start with the flaws first, and then end on the positives because... I think you'll realize that is just going to make a lot more sense. Here we go!

A much needed change for 2019 please?

2018 has been a wild ride to say the least. I sort of knew going in to it that it would probably be one of the more pivotal years of my life just due to the fact that I was graduating, but I was not prepared for just how much would... happen to me this year, is I guess the best way to put it. Which is a bit ironic, because I knew many things would be happening to me - so the fact that I was still surprised probably says something about how I prepared myself.

Anyway. I actually wrote and posted this just around the new year with my usual set of questions, but I felt very unsatisfied by the original so now - nearly a full month into 2019, I'm re-writing my post and doing a new reflection of 2018 with some new questions, some old questions, and hopefully a more in-depth and proper reflection of what 2018 was really like for me.

So, as per the usual - let's get started! 

My Brother's Husband [ENG softsubs]

Hello!

Fun story - I actually translated this drama way back when it first aired and then was much too lazy to do the timing for it when a very nice person amh1988 over at livejournal posted up pre-timed files over at Sub Sub Gakkou.

Which means I can now provide softsubs to you!

RULES: ...None. My name doesn't even appear on the subs. If you are going to re-translate or hardsub though, just give me a heads up ^_^.

Credits for timing go to amh1988@LJ who I'm also told moderates Ao no Michi (the subbing community). They'll also be uploading hardsubs of the drama (with my translations), so if you prefer that I'll provide a link to those as well when they pop up. 

The videos I used to time the file are from Nyaa torrents, but I think it's the same video file located in other places as well. 

Links
Otouto no Otto - soft subs [ep1-3]
Otouto no Otto - hardsubs (Ao no Michi)

---

By the way I really recommend this drama. It's super cute slice-of-life that touches on LGBTQ topics in one of the best ways - by just encouraging open-mindedness and the mindblowing concept that gay people are just.... regular people???!! WHAT.

But no, seriously, it's lovely. It revolves around Yaichi, his daughter Kana, and Mike, the husband to Yaichi's late brother Ryoji. It's super cute because it shows Kana's complete openness to Mike being gay which is adorable and really runs home the fact that children really don't care about sexual orientation - they're taught to discriminate, but if you just present being gay to them as something that just is, it won't be a big deal! It also deals with Yaichi who is an adult and has clearly struggled with the idea of his twin brother being gay, and how he slowly comes to accept and realize that it doesn't make a different either - that Ryoji was and will always have been his brother, and Mike is now his brother-in-law and that they're a family, gay uncle or not. The supporting cast and how they react to Mike is also really great.

It's just such a nice and heartwarming way to give representation. Check it out!