The tora-chan thread

[tora-chan]

[size=+1]Personal info[/size] (thanks to NJT for his resume example which I KIND OF copied~ XD; )

Nicknames: tora-chan, toruccia, nayama
Website: Clockwork-Angel (Naruto doujinshi Edited Mangas)
Real name: Alice
Birth date: April 28th, 1986
Nationality: Italian
Hometown: Florence, Italy
Currently living in: Padova, Italy
Languages spoken: Italian (native), English (fluent), Japanese (quite fluent)
Other languages (low level): German, Spanish, Chinese
Requests: Sorry, I'm very busy and I'm not taking any requests >< If you're willing to pay we can talk about it though~ XD; More info if you scroll to the "Requests" part

[size=+1]Japanese proficiency[/size]

Japanese studies:
I began studying by myself around 2001, then in 2002 I started taking private lessons with a mothertongue teacher from Hokkaido. In 2005 I stopped and continued by myself. In 2006 I moved to Padova to undertake the "Languages and Culture of Eastern Asia" degree course in Venice.

Time spent in Japan:
I visited Japan 3 times for about 2 months each, always living in Kameari (north-eastern Tokyo). I'm planning to visit again this summer <3

Japanese tests passed:
I passed JLPT lv 1 in 2006 with 81%.
I had previously passed JLPT lv 2 in 2004 with 72%.

[size=+1]Translation history[/size]

Optional to read, just if you're really curious..! XD

Spoiler

I started translating a looong time ago, I think in 2002, obviously with less-than-decent results..! XD

During my first years [as a totally newbie translator] I randomly translated yaoi doujinshi for my friends and myself, and I spent a lot of time romanizing lyrics (which I still do, I have more than 4000 lyrics I personally transliterated <3) and reading whole manga without consulting the dictionary, just, you know, to get accustomed to the way sentences sounded in Japanese and to kanji~.

About a year before and after passing JLPT 2 I translated quite a few yaoi doujinshi for the now closed site/Edited Manga group "Zettai-******", mainly Naruto stuff. I also translated a few Prince of Tennis doujinshi on LiveJournal communities, and I used to translate the weekly PoT chapters (on LJ). For all of these things I'm credited under username "nayama" XD

In december 2004 I started Editing the weekly Naruto chapters into Italian under username "tora-chan" and group name "nayama bros" (though it's only me actually XD; ). I started from the second chapter of Kakashi Gaiden (ch240; I later did ch239 and vol.25 as well) and got to the end of vol.33. I'm currently almost finished doing vol.34, but due to exams I won't be working on it until mid-February.

In November 2007 I did my first translation on MangaHelpers, that is Masanori Morita & Takeshi Obata's one-shot "HELLO BABY", which appeared on the first issue of JUMP SQ. After that, I decided I'd lend a hand in translating the weekly Naruto chapters as well, and I started doing so from ch380. I only translate them into English and I have no intention whatsoever of doing it in Italian, since I already have my own Edited Manga group for that, as slow as I may be.

[size=+1]Translations list:[/size]

Manga:
*English*
Naruto: from ch380 to the latest one
HELLO BABY: one-shot

*Italian*
Naruto: vol.25; from ch240 to ch290 (will update with Edited Manga DDL links when I feel like doing it XD; )

Total chapters translated: haha, I want to count! I will XD

Doujinshi:
My (& a friend's) site is finally up!!! Woohoo!
Clockwork-Angel brings you Naruto doujinshi Edited Mangas in both Italian and English! It's half-WIP but we're working on that. In the meanwhile, you can enjoy our first release, "Kakurega wa NaruSasu Desu." ("Kakurega Is NaruSasu.") by the circle Kakurega!
By the way, main genre is shounen ai and NaruSasuNaru~

(see history to see what else I've done in the past)

Current projects:
Naruto (manga text translations)
Naruto (doujinshi Edited Mangas)
other stuff (lol, very detailed)

[size=+1]Requests[/size]

Spoiler: Click here for info

Free requests: I currently don't have the time to translate stuff for people free, though I'm sorry because years ago I used to >_< Anyway, I'm available for free if you only need a helping hand on a dialogue or sentence or something like that, both into English or Italian. If you need something of that kind you can PM me and I'll try to help you ^^

Paid requests: I do accept *any* kind of paid requests, both into English or Italian (and Eng->Ita/Ita->Eng if you really need ). We can negotiate the price. I think I'm quite cheap, plus I usually charge based on the number of balloons (and how long they are) and the difficulty of the work (e.g. a very technical manga will cost more than a simple love story).

What I can translate for you: This counts for both free and paid requests, just be aware that I only have time to help you for free if it's *short* stuff. I'm willing to translate anything, be it shounen, shoujo, seinen, yaoi, yuri, ****** or whatever. Really, if you pay me, I'll translate anything for you Obviously I don't know every series in the world, and if you ask me for volume 8 of series X don't expect me to read the first 7 just for the sake of better translation...
The fields I'm most skilled in (because I've read more etc.) are shounen and yaoi~ XD; As for the fandoms I'm most comfortable with, scroll down to the stuff I'm reading or have read

[size=+1]Interests[/size]

Manga I've read (in Japanese; won't list one-volume ones, that's too many..):
Naruto: 1-latest
Prince of Tennis: 1-latest
Ookiku Furikabutte: 1-3 of 8+
Tekkon Kinkreet: 1-3 (I'd really like to translate this someday..)
Hitomi no Catoblepas: all
Blue Dragon: all (shame on me)
Honey & Clover: 1 of err.. 10?
Vassalord: 1 of 2
Death Note: 1-7 of 13 (sigh..)
Bleach: 1-6 of 30+ (but I'm watching the anime)
Cantarella: 1-10 (kinda ongoing T_T)
Angel Sanctuary: 1-20
One Piece: 1-5 of 40+ (in Italian)
Yami no Matsuei: 1-11
Gravitation: 1-12
Dragon Ball: 1-42 (in Italian)
Ranma 1/2: all (in Italian)

Videogames I've played (a long list... lol):
Naruto: all of the PS2 ones <3
Kingdom Hearts: 1 & 2 (loved 2 <3)
Prince of Tennis: Smash & Hit! 1 & 2, Love/Kiss of Prince, a dating sim one whose name I can't remember

[size=+1]Random info:[/size]

-Although I only registered here one year ago and I rarely post (=I lurk), I've actually been knowing NJT since before he created this site, hehe! It's great to see how much it's grown I also support NJT's cause: we need more accurate translations in the world~!
-I do live in Padova, but I'm actually from Tuscany~! I love my Florence, that's why I want people to know ;p
-I like Japanese seiyuu a lot! Lots of Naruto seiyuu are among my favorite~. I'm very happy because last summer I went to Junko Takeuchi's sign event and I got my Naruto vol.38 signed, woohoo! X3
-My dream is to find a job in Japan and live there after I've finished university
-I love Japan (lol, indeed), and I especially love Kameari <3
-Of Japan, I *love*: karaoke, miso tonkotsu ramen, maccha ice-cream, mochi, trains, seiyuu, Tokyu Hands, music, kamatama udon, chuutoro sushi, salmon onigiri, Kiyomizudera (Kyoto), Ikebukuro, manga/anime shops, language, 100¥ shops
-I worship Kishimoto. I'm one of the very few people (that I know of) that never complained about a Naruto arc. Go go Kishi!
-I own the three Naruto (manga) guidebooks, and I have actually *read* them all, from the first to the last page, *every* line!
-I'm currently addicted to Naruto (manga) and the pairing NaruSasu[Naru], kukukuku... Don't worry, I'd never adjust a translation to fit my interests (not that I need to in this case, bwahaha)
-Despite what you may think reading this page, I'm not a rabid yaoi fangirl. I'm very picky and dislike most of yaoi's clichés, like the seme/uke thing and such.
-This said, my favorite circles in the Naruto doujinshi fandom are currently: 10-RANKAI, KSL, Kakurega, Datemaki, DATTO!, N!, Mirai Koukuu, Uchiha Bussanten. They all do NaruSasu/SasuNaru stuff x <3
-Oh my, this post is sooo long...

[size=+1]Questions[/size]
Ask me whatever you want in this thread :3

 

[tatsudoshi]

I hope you don't mind me asking, but I was wondering, do you have a favorite character in Naruto, and if so who and why?

 

[tora-chan]

Not at all, thanks for your question!

My favorite character is Naruto~ As for why I like him.. Essay time! XD My great flaw -> I'm not able to express my opinion in short... (actually that's because I want to be accurate; I hate to be misunderstood and I'd rather cover all points instead of just giving a vague explanation x_x)

I usually dislike main charas in shounen manga, because they're always the best, the strongest, the one that's always a step ahead of the others... They are rarely defeated, and when they are, well, they will just get stronger and get their revenge. Also, obviously they always get to fight the main bosses, because they're the most powerful after all. This kind of chara.. tends to annoy me~ XD;

Naruto is none of that, that is why I like him He's never been and never will be perfect. He started as a total inept; he was clumsy, unskilled, he could barely follow a strategy.. He's not very smart, and even now he keeps on acting mostly based on his instinct, though he got somewhat better at controlling himself XD In all the fights he's been involved in, the only one he's really "won" so far is against Gaara, during the "destruction of Konoha". The rest either weren't finished or someone else won or ended the fight in his place. Contrarily to what many people think, I don't find this to be a flaw. I believe it's realistic. Some win, some lose, some fights just don't end... And also, when possible, fights are not "one vs one".

People criticize Naruto (the chara) for two main reasons: 1) compared to Sasuke, who got SO much stronger in part 2, Naruto had not even learnt a new jutsu! And the new one hurts him so he can't use it, wtf, he just suxx; 2) Naruto is overpowered, because he has the Kyuubi and as the story progresses it's evident that it will make him the strongest in the manga; plus, with that stupid plot twist of the Kagebunshin training, he got to learn Rasenshuriken in no time!!

I find it pretty interesting that there are two totally opposite points of view... XD
As for the 1st one, well, we don't really know what Jiraiya taught Naruto in these years.. Plus, Naruto used to be completely unable to think before acting. If you compare the present Naruto to his past self you cannot possibly state that he has hasn't changed one bit... And after all, he *is* the protagonist, the one the author chose as the center of his manga, so I believe he will have his moment, when the time will come...
As for the 2nd point, the Kyuubi thing is still somewhat controversial: some people don't want Naruto to use its power because it's wrong and dangerous and he has to use his own strenght (aka Yamato, Kakashi, I guess Tsunade), but others apparently had a different idea (aka Jiraiya, and supposedly Minato?). And the Kagebunshin thing.. apart from the fact that "fast power-up" is a common happening in shounen manga, at least we could say it makes sense. I mean, at least Kishimoto took the time to come up with a reason for this power-up to be possible..! XD;

Anyway, Naruto is indeed the protagonist, so it's very possible that he will one day become the strongest one (if he really is going to become the next Hokage, that'd be kind of mandatory XD; ). What is important, in my opinion, is that he gets there gradually, instead of just being the most powerful from the beginning until the end. I don't demand that manga be realistic at all costs, but I like it when they are, and this is why I love Naruto, both as a manga and as a character. His greatest peculiarity is not "power", but "determination", that is what Jiraiya deemed the most important quality in a shinobi (and this pretty much means that is also what Kishimoto thinks! ).

...Ok, end of the mini-essay! XD; I hope I was able to answer your question properly, and also I hope I didn't bore the hell out of you! XD;; I just have this tendency of.. explaning and analyzing things from various POVs x_x


PS: As weird as it may seem, my second favorite is Sasuke! XD; I guess it's because I find his behavior very human and thus realistic, as much as one could disapprove of it (and I *do* disapprove of it)..

 

[tatsudoshi]

Yes you answered my question properly, though I wasn't expecting such a long thought out answer, but I do agree with what you said, well for the most part. .."the only one he's really "won" so far is against Gaara, during the "destruction of Konoha. The rest either weren't finished or someone else won or ended the fight in his place." I disagree, Naruto beat Kiba in the Paliminary Rounds and Naruto beat Neji in the finals of the Chunin Exams, both fights were finished and nobody else helped him or won in his place, but beyond those three fights you are correct and I agree with you. Oh, and no you didn't bore me at all, I throughly enjoyed your analysis and explantion.

 

[tora-chan]

Oh my, I also disagree with what I said, since you're completely right! XD; I totally forgot about Neji and Kiba I guess my liking of Neji is showing itself, but that still doesn't explain Kiba, lol. Maybe the Italian dub scarred me so much that my mind erased random stuff, ugh! Anyway, this clearly means that I should take my Japanese volumes and re-read everything from the beginning to refresh my knowledge... Poor Naruto, he's my fave chara and I forgot not one, but *two* of his 3 victories so far! Shame on me!

And by the way, I'm glad that you liked my answer!

 

[hatsuharupeace]

Hey tora-chan, nice to see more Naruto translators out there, even though Hisshou is the main translator. Some questions for you! xD

Have you ever travelled out of Italy, and where if you have?? Have you ever though about translating another series besides Naruto?? And, what is your favourite manga series besides Naruto??

 

[tora-chan]

Thanks for your questions!
I'm also very happy to see that many people are willing to translate Naruto every week! XD

Yes, I've travelled out of Italy quite a few times! XD; In chronological order: I've been to Innsbruck (Austria) a few times because when I was a kid we used to go on vacation near the border. When I was 9 I went to Los Angeles with my father (he's a doctor, it was a medical congress). At 11 I went to Vienna with a friend and her parents; it was December, Vienna is very beautiful when covered in snow At 12 I went to England (Lowestoft) with a group organized by my English teacher, 2 weeks, only 1 day in London unfortunately! >_< At 13 I went to Trondheim, Norway with a small orchestra I used to play in (3 kinds of recorder flute! XD), for some kind of musical event for young people; we spent a day in Copenhagen on the way back. At 15 I went to Orlando with my father (medical congress again), and my English was better than his! At 18 I went to Japan (only Tokyo) for the first time At 19 I went to Budapest as a school trip with my class. At 20 I went to Japan again, and this time I visited Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima too. Last summer I went to Japan *again*, and I also visited Kamakura, Nikko, Uji and Fushimi! ...Yes, I did travel quite a lot, though apart from Japan it was mostly for short periods (5-10 days) XD;

As for translating other series, yes, I'd really like to do more stuff, if I had more time T_T Anyway, if I manage to get some free time after my current exams I would really like to translate Vassalord by Nanae Chrono (the author of Peace Maker Kurogane), Cantarella by Yuu Higuri and, one day, Tekkon Kinkreet! Weekly or monthly series are impossible for me, since that would require way too much time

As for my favorite manga series besides Naruto... that is a difficult question! The second position is always a bit disputed.. I think that in this moment, the manga I'm craving to read more than anything else (apart from Naruto obviously XD) is Cantarella, but that's also because it's been on hiatus for years (and will soon restart, yey!). Tekkon Kinkreet is a very good manga IMO, but I don't know if I'd call it my second favorite.. Yeah, I guess I'd say Cantarella XD It's about Cesare Borgia by the way, kind of a history-based shoujo but not too shoujoish, a bit weird and sometimes on the dark/fantasy side, as many other Yuu Higuri mangas

 

[hatsuharupeace]

Thanks for answering my questions!!!

At 18 I went to Japan (only Tokyo) for the first time

How was Japan?? I was thinking about going over there sometime this year, and I might as well get a first-hand review from someone whos been there before.

Anyway, if I manage to get some free time after my current exams

What are you studying at university?? And which university are you studying at??

the manga I'm craving to read more than anything else (apart from Naruto obviously XD) is Cantarella

Cantarella sounds really good, has it been scanlated before???

 

[tora-chan]

How was Japan?? I was thinking about going over there sometime this year, and I might as well get a first-hand review from someone whos been there before.

What are you studying at university?? And which university are you studying at??

Cantarella sounds really good, has it been scanlated before???

Japan is great I love Japan I'm planning to go there again this summer, if everything goes fine XD
If you want to go there, I'd suggest you stay at least two weeks The best thing in my opinion is to stay in Tokyo. I usually stay with a host family, but that's because a friend introduced me to them years ago XD If I had to choose something else, I guess I'd go for a guesthouse. They're quite cheap and you're pretty free to do what you want. The only downside is that usually you have to share the kitchen (and often bathroom/toilet) with the people of your floor (or entire house). But the room is only yours, and if you don't mind that I think it's fine. Otherwise, you could search for a ryokan that's not too expensive. I heard there are some good ones in the area of Ueno (center-east part of Tokyo)
If you want to visit Kyoto and other places you can buy a Japan Rail Pass when you buy your airplane ticket. Also, if you plan to stay overnight you'd better book some place beforehand, especially if it's high season XD; And never forget to speak slowly (in English) when you ask something to Japanese people, or they will get scared! XD; (they fear they're not able to understand you XD)
By the way, if you can choose your timing I'd avoid July-August, because it's VERY hot and especially in August there's plenty of typhoons that could disturb your trip x_x So unless you want to attend some particular event (like Comiket) in those months.. XD;
If you have questions about Japan, I'll be glad to answer!

I'm currently studying "Languages and Cultures of Eastern Asia" in the University of Venice Main language Japanese, second language Chinese, and I'm planning to do some Korean to complete my credits XD;

I think somebody started to scanlate Cantarella years ago, but then they stopped because it was licensed in USA by Go! Comi I've been told it's not even that great of an edition *sigh*

 

[hatsuharupeace]

attend some particular event (like Comiket) in those months..

Comiket?? What's that??

studying "Languages and Cultures of Eastern Asia" in the University of Venice

Is the University of Venice nice?? I was thinking about studying abroad after I graduate, might as well get some personal opinions now. xD

 

[tora-chan]

Comiket?? What's that??

Is the University of Venice nice?? I was thinking about studying abroad after I graduate, might as well get some personal opinions now. xD

Comiket (short for "Comic Market") is a huge doujinshi convention that takes place twice a year, in summer and winter (the summer one is bigger though), in Tokyo XD If you're a fan of doujinshi, you wouldn't want to miss it~

The University of Venice isn't bad, but I don't know if I would suggest it to study abroad.. Venice is a beautiful city, but it's not very comfortable to live in, and I've been told (I don't live there XD) that there aren't many places for young people to enjoy themselves. If you'd like to study abroad, I guess the best Italian cities to do this are Rome and Florence, because they have good universities and they're beautiful cities with lots of historical buildings and stuff to see (plus it's easier to have fun) XD Rome's merit is also that it has more choices (for studying) and an international airport, which Florence doesn't have..

 

[kaylee]

Hi tora-chan! Great to meet another SasuNaru[Sasu] fan here!

Hope you don't mind some questions!

Are you more a fan of SasuNaru or NaruSasu?
What are a couple of your favorite doujinshis that you've read and/or translated?
What was your favorite thing that you visited in Japan?

 

[tora-chan]

Hi tora-chan! Great to meet another SasuNaru[Sasu] fan here!

Hope you don't mind some questions!

Are you more a fan of SasuNaru or NaruSasu?
What are a couple of your favorite doujinshis that you've read and/or translated?
What was your favorite thing that you visited in Japan?

Hiya~
Nice to meet you! XD We must spread the love after all

Thank you for your questions!
Let's see...

1) At the present moment, I'm totally and utterly for them switching! XD But this is in my personal canon-based interpretation of them... If we take fandom into consideration (and thus the "common views" of the average NaruSasu and SasuNaru shippers), then I'd say I prefer NaruSasu. I don't really like the seme/uke distinction, and usually (not always, obviously) NaruSasu fanworks (mainly doujinshi/fanfictions) tend to be more on the switching side than their SasuNaru counterparts But really, I hate uber-uke!Sasuke as much as I hate uber-uke!Naruto

2) My favorite circles are definitely KSL and 10-RANKAI, so I guess I should choose at least one title by each of them! XD My fave 10-RANKAI one is "Seishun Hakusho", which is also her first one I bought and one of the few R18 djs I love.. XD; My fave KSL one, uhmm, that's hard... I'd say "Seishun Kyousoukyoku" (lots of "seishun".. lol), which is based on the 2nd Shippuuden ED. And then I must add a third one, that is Nilo's (circle name is actually -> N!) first doujinshi "and we...". Such a beautiful story >< I don't think any of these have been translated.. Among the ones I translated, my favorite is absolutely Kizu from 10-RANKAI, which is labeled as SasuNaru btw XD
Actually, I'm planning to open a bilingual Edited Mangas site with a friend of mine in the [hopefully very] near future, and "and we..." is one of the first doujinshi I would like to do, because it really is very beautiful and suprisingly realistic Y-Y It's a scholastic AU, but I mean realistic in that they act as believable boys who fell in love with each other.. This also means it doesn't show yaoi's usual clichés

3) This one is hard! I'll set categories.. And link some of my photos too~ :3
Panoramic spot: Torii in the sea before Miyajima island, near Hiroshima (before and during sunset)
Emotionally moving place: Kiyomizudera in Kyoto (especially at sunset/evening)
Urban place: Ikebukuro! (a street in Ikebukuro during Naruto expo 2007 XD)
Eating place: Ichiran ramen shop (I actually think "Ichiraku" could come from "Ichiran"..)
Place of your memories: Kameari
Otaku stuff: Comiket XD

I think it's quite evident that I like answering questions...
I hope I answered thoroughly!

 

[kaylee]

Great answers!

1) At the present moment, I'm totally and utterly for them switching! XD But this is in my personal canon-based interpretation of them... If we take fandom into consideration (and thus the "common views" of the average NaruSasu and SasuNaru shippers), then I'd say I prefer NaruSasu. I don't really like the seme/uke distinction, and usually (not always, obviously) NaruSasu fanworks (mainly doujinshi/fanfictions) tend to be more on the switching side than their SasuNaru counterparts But really, I hate uber-uke!Sasuke as much as I hate uber-uke!Naruto

I have to admit, I love them switching as well. All is good in this pairing... I could see either of them as seme, but like you I don't think uber-uke fits either of their personalities. In canon, they're both always fighting for the "dominant" role too, so I'd expect it to be the same in their relationship.

2) My favorite circles are definitely KSL and 10-RANKAI, so I guess I should choose at least one title by each of them! XD My fave 10-RANKAI one is "Seishun Hakusho", which is also her first one I bought and one of the few R18 djs I love.. XD; My fave KSL one, uhmm, that's hard... I'd say "Seishun Kyousoukyoku" (lots of "seishun".. lol), which is based on the 2nd Shippuuden ED. And then I must add a third one, that is Nilo's (circle name is actually -> N!) first doujinshi "and we...". Such a beautiful story >< I don't think any of these have been translated.. Among the ones I translated, my favorite is absolutely Kizu from 10-RANKAI, which is labeled as SasuNaru btw XD

Wow, thanks for those recommendations!! I don't think I've ever read any KSL, but I agree that 10-RANKAI's artwork is awesome. They came pretty close to the original artwork for a doujin group. I found "and we..." and "Kizu" raws. "and we.." especially looks like such a cute story, and it was remarkably easy to follow even though I can't read Japanese.

I couldn't find "Seishun Kyousoukyoku", but random fact -- did you know that's the name of the song from the fifth Naruto OP? That OP is fantastic. Full of SasuNaru love.

Actually, I'm planning to open a bilingual Edited Mangas site with a friend of mine in the [hopefully very] near future, and "and we..." is one of the first doujinshi I would like to do, because it really is very beautiful and suprisingly realistic Y-Y It's a scholastic AU, but I mean realistic in that they act as believable boys who fell in love with each other.. This also means it doesn't show yaoi's usual clichés

Nice!! Be sure to link us to the site once it's up and running! It's so hard to find quality doujins... most of the scanlated ones I've found are, sadly, extremely short, which makes it hard to get into the story.

3) This one is hard! I'll set categories.. And link some of my photos too~

Wow, great photos!! I especially love the Kiyomizudera one. It looks so serene there.

 

[tora-chan]

I have to admit, I love them switching as well. All is good in this pairing... I could see either of them as seme, but like you I don't think uber-uke fits either of their personalities. In canon, they're both always fighting for the "dominant" role too, so I'd expect it to be the same in their relationship.

Oh yes, they definitely aren't the submissive type! XD And then they quite clearly love each other (Naruto is more obvious, since Sasuke is currently in "denial mode"), so welll.. they're going to like it either way~..

Wow, thanks for those recommendations!! I don't think I've ever read any KSL, but I agree that 10-RANKAI's artwork is awesome. They came pretty close to the original artwork for a doujin group. I found "and we..." and "Kizu" raws. "and we.." especially looks like such a cute story, and it was remarkably easy to follow even though I can't read Japanese.

KSL hasn't been scanlated a lot But I believe someone scanned her doujinshi "Kin'iro no Rasen".. That's very cute too <3 It's set in a "traditional Japanese village"-style Konoha, Naruto is the personification of a fox demon and Sasuke lives in the village, I think they're about 15.. She can draw wonderful SD and fox/catboys (and I don't usually like furry.. but hers is all PG13 at most ). Yay, found it, Arigatomina's site has it, together with lots of other raws and Edited Mangas. The only thing is.. I don't think her Japanese is so great, so the translations could be faulty.. ~_~;

10-RANKAI's getting better and better If you want, I can send you my Kizu translation I did it because someone scanlated it and the translation was completely off, I couldn't bear to see it ruined and so.. XD;
"and we..." is really great <3 Their feelings and reactions are so realistic.. I liked it so much that I went to the author's site and thanked her through webclap XD;

I couldn't find "Seishun Kyousoukyoku", but random fact -- did you know that's the name of the song from the fifth Naruto OP? That OP is fantastic. Full of SasuNaru love.

Yes, I know and I agree~ I remember I took like 20 screencaps from the final part with Naruto & Sasuke and the flashbacks...
Speaking of theme songs.. Did you know the latest Shippuuden DVD (#7) includes as a bonus a special DVD with a longer version of the high school AU story shown as 2nd ED? :3 It's a picture drama, that is images with dubbed text, and I've read on some blogs (KSL and 10-RANKAI ) that it's totally NaruSasuNaru I should be getting it in (hopefully) a few days, then I guess I'll rip it and spam it around <3

Nice!! Be sure to link us to the site once it's up and running! It's so hard to find quality doujins... most of the scanlated ones I've found are, sadly, extremely short, which makes it hard to get into the story.

I surely will! Unfortunately I've also noticed it can be quite hard to find doujinshi with decent translations.. The sad thing is that quite a few translators don't admit they aren't very skilled, they just state their translation is correct and blame it on the author that "made the story confusing on purpose" (that's what happened with Kizu ) to justify the fact that it doesn't make sense... (Oh and btw, since I linked her site above.. this is not Arigatomina's case, since at least she wrote in her FAQ she could be mistaken at times )

Wow, great photos!! I especially love the Kiyomizudera one. It looks so serene there.

Yes, it really is like that! Especially in the evening, when most of the crowd is gone

 

[hatsuharupeace]

Hey tora-chan, long time no talk!!!

How's life and school lately?? Been reading any new manga series??

 

[kaylee]

KSL hasn't been scanlated a lot But I believe someone scanned her doujinshi "Kin'iro no Rasen".. That's very cute too <3

Oh, that was a cute story! Thanks for the recommendation and for the link to Arigatomina's site... I actually didn't have most of the doujinshi she's scanlated.

10-RANKAI's getting better and better If you want, I can send you my Kizu translation

Yes, please! I only found a raw, so it was kinda hard to follow.

"and we..." is really great <3 Their feelings and reactions are so realistic..

I know, that's exactly the impression I got from it too. Even without the translation, that doujinshi is probably one of my favorites. <333

Speaking of theme songs.. Did you know the latest Shippuuden DVD (#7) includes as a bonus a special DVD with a longer version of the high school AU story shown as 2nd ED? :3 It's a picture drama, that is images with dubbed text, and I've read on some blogs (KSL and 10-RANKAI ) that it's totally NaruSasuNaru I should be getting it in (hopefully) a few days, then I guess I'll rip it and spam it around <3

No, I did not know that, but OMG I want it!!! Actually, I've wanted that full story (without knowing whether it existed or not) since the first time I saw that ED. That ED is pure love, and by far my favorite. I tried looking on Tokyotosho for it, but couldn't find anything. Has that DVD even been released yet? But, yes, please please spam it around if you feel like ripping it. I'm sure a lot of people in the theater & arcade section would love it! <3

I surely will! Unfortunately I've also noticed it can be quite hard to find doujinshi with decent translations..

Yeah, I've noticed that too, but I've come to expect it, so it doesn't really bother me too much (don't know if that's a good thing though). But as long as I can get a general idea of what's going on, then I just fix the english myself in my head.

 

[tora-chan]

Hey tora-chan, long time no talk!!!

How's life and school lately?? Been reading any new manga series??

Hiya!
I'll skip the "life" part, it's such a mess lately, ugh At least university's going fine, I've been getting quite a few high grades, kukuku
How's it going for you?

Hmm recently I've read 2 manga... One is a seinen called "EMBRYO", by Koushin Ogawa. I was asked to estimate for a translation, so I read it, though eventually I didn't get the job. Well.. in the end it wasn't so bad for an horror-style manga about insects XD; I guess one day I'll read the other 2 volumes just for the heck of it..
Then I read a totally random manga called "Seigi no Susume" by Tamaki Kirishima. It's part of my "read the manga you have in your library to check what you can resell" quest. Kirishima usually draws yaoi manga, but this one isn't. It's made of a few detective stories, with lots of gag, but it's nothing particularly impressing. Will resell XD;

I've also finished to read Ookiku Furikabutte vol. 3. Apart from these, I haven't read anything else I need to start translating more stuff! XD

---

Oh, that was a cute story! Thanks for the recommendation and for the link to Arigatomina's site... I actually didn't have most of the doujinshi she's scanlated.

Yeah, indeed NaruSasu (and minor SasuNaru) circles aren't that widespread.. ~_~ I hope I'll be able to contribute some unpublished stuff too in the near future!

Yes, please! I only found a raw, so it was kinda hard to follow.

I'm sending you the link to the html version via PM It's not easy to grasp without reading, so I think the translation adds a lot I especially loved the "kiss" part

No, I did not know that, but OMG I want it!!! Actually, I've wanted that full story (without knowing whether it existed or not) since the first time I saw that ED. That ED is pure love, and by far my favorite. I tried looking on Tokyotosho for it, but couldn't find anything. Has that DVD even been released yet? But, yes, please please spam it around if you feel like ripping it. I'm sure a lot of people in the theater & arcade section would love it! <3

Yeah, the DVD has been out for some weeks, but apparently no one has released it yet.. I'm waiting for Amazon Jp to ship my copy >_< For some reason unknown to me my credit card was rejected on Monday (actually it's not the first time it happens, that card can be quite random at times, grrrr), so they had to delay the shipping and in the meanwhile they ran out of copies.. -_- I'll rip it and translate it as soon as I get my hands on it ==v
And by the way, it's interesting that they decided to do this XD I guess that ED got super popular in Japan.. But yeah, I've seen at least 5 circles drawing doujinshi inspired by it, not to mention the countless fanarts, so I guess something was to be expected.. I hope they'll keep up with this~ XD It appears this DVD sold a lot... As I said, even Amazon was running low on copies..

Yeah, I've noticed that too, but I've come to expect it, so it doesn't really bother me too much (don't know if that's a good thing though). But as long as I can get a general idea of what's going on, then I just fix the english myself in my head.

I also tend to fix what I read XD; Though obviously my English still has a long way to go... But I wish people was more serious with translations I mean, it's great that lots of people are willing to release this kind of stuff for free so that fans may enjoy etc., buutttt~~ I'm way too picky for my own good x_x

 

[Emily00]

Hey tora-chan, I'm still a slightly new japanese student here (just finished JPN102 at my college). I'm just now starting to learn kanji and right now I know only about 12 :P but I'm working on it.. I've been reading raw manga and some older "raw japanese" manga I own IRL to try to help my skills, so far its helped a little bit, mostly with my reading speed and stuff like that since my vocab. is still pretty bad. I've actually gone through some raws and done attempted translations of parts using jisho.org and wakan, but my biggest problem is figuring out the "sentence" or I guess like putting it all together into an intelligible form or something. >_<

Have any tips for a newbie on anything? Also how long do you think it would take to get up to a level to be able to take JLPT 4? I'm hoping maybe sometime in 2009 maybe I can get to the point of taking it.

 

[tora-chan]

Hey tora-chan, I'm still a slightly new japanese student here (just finished JPN102 at my college). I'm just now starting to learn kanji and right now I know only about 12 :P but I'm working on it.. I've been reading raw manga and some older "raw japanese" manga I own IRL to try to help my skills, so far its helped a little bit, mostly with my reading speed and stuff like that since my vocab. is still pretty bad. I've actually gone through some raws and done attempted translations of parts using jisho.org and wakan, but my biggest problem is figuring out the "sentence" or I guess like putting it all together into an intelligible form or something. >_<

Have any tips for a newbie on anything? Also how long do you think it would take to get up to a level to be able to take JLPT 4? I'm hoping maybe sometime in 2009 maybe I can get to the point of taking it.

Hiya! Sorry for the late reply! ><

Let's see.. I've never taken JLPT 4, but it should be quite easy. If you look at the article on Wikipedia it says it requires the knowledge of about 100 kanji and 800 words. It looks like a lot of stuff if you've just started, but I assure you it's not that much! XD If you study a bit, I think you could even try it this winter

As for translating, don't worry, it's not an easy thing, it's understandable that you still have problems. Judging by your level, I think the best thing to do would be to study Japanese grammar (try jgram.org too! They also have a section about JLPT ^^) and to keep on reading raw manga. Reading manga really helps *a lot*, I used to do it very often and I've learnt many words and kanji that way Of course you should try reading manga that have furigana, because you're not going to look for every single word you don't understand... Even if you don't understand what you're reading, doing it will help your brain get used to the sound of Japanese and the flow of speeches, sentences etc

I'm sure when you'll have a greater knowledge of the grammar you'll see that translating becomes easier, or well, less impossible! XD By the way, I don't know if you've heard about it, but try rikai.com too, it's very helpful to read Japanese websites, since there's no furigana on them

I hope I gave you some decent tips, though in this moment I believe the best thing for you is to keep on studying and practising as often as you can. You'll understand the rest with time