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Zelenal The Cat Knows Where It's At from Purrgatory Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
The Cat Knows Where It's At
#126: Aug 8th 2014 at 10:40:17 AM

Outside of the spoiler on the character page, does anyone here actually know how the series ends?

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AnotherDuck No, the other one. from Stockholm Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Mu
No, the other one.
#127: Aug 8th 2014 at 10:44:32 AM

I've accidentally seen a few words about it, but that's it. Though if it's true it's about all that's needed. But it's not really why I watch and read it anyway. The journey, not the goal, to bring up an old cliché.

Otherwise I've read up to that part where they travel on the river and discuss coins in chests, before I suddenly got a whole lot of stuff on my hands, and got other priorities.

edited 8th Aug '14 10:45:40 AM by AnotherDuck

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RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#128: Aug 8th 2014 at 10:47:45 AM

Yeah, same here. I'd like more of the journey to be animated. =)

Anyone know how many novels there are total and how much the anime has covered so far?

It's been fun.
Zelenal The Cat Knows Where It's At from Purrgatory Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
The Cat Knows Where It's At
#129: Aug 8th 2014 at 10:55:30 AM

There are 17 volumes in total. Yen Press has released up to Volume 10 and has scheduled up to Volume 12. Season 1 of the anime covers Volumes 1 and 2. Season 2 covers Volumes 3 and 5.

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Zelenal The Cat Knows Where It's At from Purrgatory Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
The Cat Knows Where It's At
#130: Aug 10th 2014 at 8:44:58 PM

So I've been translating songs from Japanese into English to help further my understanding of that language. After finishing up "Guren no Yumiya", I decided to translate the first OP of this anime, "Tabi no Tochuu." This has led me to discover some surprising things.

For starters, in the very first line of the song, the word used to "alone" is "hitori" which can also mean "unmarried."

Next, in the fourth line of the song, the word meaning "to meet by chance" is "daette" which can also mean "to have a date."

I'm likely to learn more interesting things along the way but those aren't why I'm posting. No, I'm posting because of something bigger.

Due to the female singer and the animation's focus on Holo, it's natural to assume that the lyrics are from her perspective. Even I thought that for the longest time. However, if you did, you were wrong.

The song is from Lawrence's perspective.

Four times in the song, the word "kimi" (君) is used. What does this word mean? It means "you" but it is a masculine term for females.

It took a while for the implications to set it but, once they did, my jaw hit the floor. I now love this song even more than before.

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RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#131: Aug 10th 2014 at 10:00:50 PM

I wouldn't jump to conclusions, though that interpretation isn't necessarily wrong. 'Kimi' and 'boku' are often used in songs, even by female singers or from female perspectives, because they fit the scheme better than the three-syllable alternatives feminine Japanese would usually use. 出会う usually has more connotations of meeting someone by chance, especially in the context of that line. And ひとり can mean 'unmarried' in the same sense that 'single' has two meanings in English, really.

It's been fun.
AnotherDuck No, the other one. from Stockholm Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Mu
No, the other one.
#132: Aug 10th 2014 at 10:10:32 PM

I've learned to never take lyrics at face value. Who's singing doesn't necessarily reflect whose perspective it is, and word choice has, as noted, often more to do with melodic timing and tone than meaning.

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Zelenal The Cat Knows Where It's At from Purrgatory Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
The Cat Knows Where It's At
#133: Aug 10th 2014 at 10:55:00 PM

[up][up] Yeah, that's what it more than likely means- I certainly wouldn't translate it any other way- but, given the nature of the series (and Japanese in general), the wordplay is undoubtedly intentional. If the lyricist wanted, probably could have come up with alternate phrases that sounded just as good but didn't have the wordplay.

Of course, really, the song fits both of them more or less perfectly, as far as I can tell, but I didn't consider it from Lawrence's perspective until then. It basically made me realize that you could interpret the lyrics more or less literally (in which case they fit Holo) or metaphorically (in which case they fit Lawrence).

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RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#134: Aug 10th 2014 at 10:58:09 PM

Honestly, I think you're reading too much into it. It's not really wordplay at all, is my point, so while it can easily work from both characters' points of view, it's not like there are any secret revelations hidden in the word choice.

It's been fun.
Zelenal The Cat Knows Where It's At from Purrgatory Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
The Cat Knows Where It's At
#135: Aug 10th 2014 at 11:16:17 PM

It's entirely possible that I'm reading too much into it. That being said, you think the other meanings I listed are mere coincidence? If so, that could certainly be the case but, since it doesn't change the reading or word form so the sentence still works in English, you can certainly interpret it that way for a far more (possibly overly) romantic song.

I'm not saying it's some groundbreaking revelation that changes everything. I'm just saying that I never considered the song from Lawrence's perspective before now and I find the alternate meanings to be interesting.

Besides, isn't over analyzing fiction part and partial to this wiki?

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Zelenal The Cat Knows Where It's At from Purrgatory Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
The Cat Knows Where It's At
#136: Oct 5th 2014 at 9:38:44 AM

So I had a rather weird dream last night.

Yesterday, I had gotten an email from my library stating that volume nine of the LN was in despite the fact that I never placed a hold on it.

Now for the dream.

I went to the library and picked it up. I decided to take it for reasons but only read the first few lines before putting it aside. I then got on my computer and somehow found out that they were finally making Spice and Wolf III. To further my near-orgasmic levels of joy, there was also a trailer. The trailer started out simply enough. There were some scenes of Lawrence and Holo traveling and doing their usual thing and I think some Japanese text. Then it got weird. Lawrence was standing under this large tree (Holo may or may not have been there as well) and I think he took a bite from a fruit growing on the tree. He then dropped the fruit and doubled over in pain; he might have even fallen onto his knees. After a while, he looked up in shock and felt under his jacket to find that he now had a grey wolf's tail. Then he was back in his cart with Holo, traveling somewhere, and they were having a pretty intense make out session that involved a lot of licking. I don't know if Lawrence still had the tail or not but I get the feeling that he did. I don't remember anything past that but I'm think there was a bit more to it.

I haven't a clue as to what triggered that dream.

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RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#137: Nov 23rd 2014 at 10:37:01 PM

Oh, so, I picked up volumes 5 and 6 of the light novels today. Anyone know which volumes the anime covers?

It's been fun.
Zelenal The Cat Knows Where It's At from Purrgatory Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
The Cat Knows Where It's At
#138: Nov 23rd 2014 at 10:45:52 PM

Season 1 covers Volumes 1 and 2. Season 2 covers Volumes 4 and 5.

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RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#139: Nov 23rd 2014 at 10:52:09 PM

Ah, I see. Is Volume 3 shorts or something, then?

Also, I'm glad I picked up the right volumes. =) I'll probably rewatch season 2 sometime soon anyway.

It's been fun.
Zelenal The Cat Knows Where It's At from Purrgatory Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
The Cat Knows Where It's At
#140: Nov 23rd 2014 at 11:03:42 PM

Nope. I think it was skipped due to Volume 5 having a lighter tone (especially at the beginning where Lawrence and Holo flirt nigh constantly) and they wanted that to be a breather since Volume 4 is very serious. Or Volume 3 was too silly or something, I don't really know.

Anyway, if you haven't you really sure read the other volumes. While the anime is very faithful, the LNs give you information you wouldn't have had otherwise like showing just how attached Lawrence was to Holo even back in the climax of Volume 1 (however, I will say that Chloe is better than the character she replaced since he was hardly a character). The anime also removes Holo from the scene where Lawrence interrogates from... uh... the trading company that he was indebted to during the second half of Season 1. This is sad because her part is pretty awesome.

S1E7 of the anime is also completely new (I can't actually recall when or how Holo gets her signature outfit). They also changed how Lawrence reacted to Holo transforming her arm when they first met and changed some details from when Lawrence is running back to Holo after they got betrayed. The LN also fully explains why Lawrence jerked his hand back when he was reaching for Holo when he returned to the inn after his Moment of Weakness.

Really, the anime is excellent and several of the changes that they make are better than the equivalent scene in the LN but having access to Lawrence's narration reveals a lot of information you wouldn't normally have so it's worth reading. It helps that the author's writing is very good.

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RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#141: Nov 23rd 2014 at 11:19:29 PM

Ah, that makes sense. Really, I should have expected that, yeah.

I'm just not sure I'll properly absorb all the economics without Fukuyama Jun and Koshimizu Ami soothing me in-between with blatant sexual tension.

It's been fun.
Zelenal The Cat Knows Where It's At from Purrgatory Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
The Cat Knows Where It's At
#142: Nov 23rd 2014 at 11:45:44 PM

The sexual tension is still very much there and, when I read it, I could always hear J. Micheal Tatum and Brina Palencia saying their character's lines. Even when the economics is being explained through narration, Hasekura presents it in an interesting way. Even though I have no interest in economics, I actually enjoyed reading those bits.

EDIT: According to Wikipedia, there are actually two Visual Novels for this series released on the Nintendo DS (Japan only, obviously). I may have to redouble my efforts to learn the language so that I can hunt down the ROMs (that's going to be hard) and read them.

edited 23rd Nov '14 11:48:02 PM by Zelenal

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RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#143: Nov 23rd 2014 at 11:52:34 PM

It's a great language.

It's been fun.
Zelenal The Cat Knows Where It's At from Purrgatory Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
The Cat Knows Where It's At
#144: Nov 23rd 2014 at 11:59:28 PM

It is. I've had a lot of fun translating various songs.

Anyway, the two VNs take place in a sort of parallel universe. They don't follow the story of the LNs, aside from the premise, but rather seem to follow their own plots. The first one, entitled Holo and My One Year (there has to be a better way to word that...), is Exactly What It Says on the Tin. I have no information on it other than it takes place over the course of one in-game year. The second one, entitled The Wind that Spans the Sea, I know even less about.

Both are also business sims and dating sims but, unlike other dating sims, you undoubtedly only have one choice as to who Lawrence hooks up with. Even if you have more than one choice, you only have one choice.

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RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#145: Nov 24th 2014 at 12:06:13 AM

Let's be honest... there's really only one choice.

I'd actually be interested in comparing notes, as it were, if you'd like. I'm working on my Master's in Japanese right now, so I'd be more than willing to help out if you have any questions or so on.

It's been fun.
BornIn1142 from Estonia Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
#146: Nov 24th 2014 at 2:14:20 AM

Zelenal isn't quite correct. Season 2 of the anime is volumes 3 and 5 - it skipped the fourth one.

You should probably go back to volume 4 though. I'm tempted to say it's my overall favorite so far. I don't necessarily think skipping it was a bad idea for the anime though since it's slightly more of a standalone and less important than the ones surrounding it.

edited 24th Nov '14 2:15:19 AM by BornIn1142

Zelenal The Cat Knows Where It's At from Purrgatory Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
The Cat Knows Where It's At
#147: Nov 24th 2014 at 2:17:34 AM

Whoops. I keep forgetting if Volume 3 is the one with Amarti or if it's Volume 4. Sorry.

edited 24th Nov '14 2:17:42 AM by Zelenal

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RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#148: Nov 24th 2014 at 7:49:15 AM

Ah, I see. I'll have to see if I can make it to the bookstore sometime soon.

It's been fun.
darkabomination Since: Mar, 2012
#149: Nov 27th 2014 at 7:49:40 AM

Aww, but there was a lot of good stuff in there! Shows the series first morally questionable pagans, has the darkest conflict up to that point with a lot of grey and black morality, and there's a lot of interesting implications and themes on what exactly constitutes a god in that verse.

It's nothing that's not already obvious, but I found it interesting that although Holo doesn't like being worshiped, it doesn't deny it either. And a nice subplot about a priestess coming to terms with the existence of Holo while attempting to reconcile her faith in God.

It's also a shame the anime cuts off where it does, because that's when the big arc about finding the Moon Bear starts and they get a third companion.

Zelenal The Cat Knows Where It's At from Purrgatory Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
The Cat Knows Where It's At
#150: Nov 27th 2014 at 8:29:15 AM

Yeah, the lack of Spice and Wolf III is a crime against humanity. I haven't read anything about him yet but I really don't know how to feel about the third companion. From the outside looking in, he just seems unnecessary everyone only cares about Lawrence and Holo.

I can also now understand why the anime skipped Volume 4, if it's as dark as you say it is. After the massive conflict they had in Volume 3, they probably wanted something Lighter and Softer and the nigh constant flirting between Lawrence and Holo in the first half of Volume 5 does that perfectly.

Let the joy of love give you an answer! Check out my book!

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