Sket Dance 36

[TN: This chapter contains large quantities of wordplay, in both English and Japanese. I hope it isn't too hard to follow ~_~]

1
[insert text: It's the Genesist again! We're finally back to everyday school life!]
Yamanobe: Ahh, thank you all for this; you were a great help. // This storehouse has been in a terrible state for ages, it's been bothering me for a while now. It's so nice to have it all clean and tidy! / So... how about we all get together and play a bit of Genesis sometime?
Bossun: Oh, come on... you really need to find yourself some actual club members!
Switch: Yamanobe-sensei. Would you mind if we took anything that catches our interest from the trash we've just cleaned out of here?
Yamanobe: Sure. / I don't mind.
Bossun: Does he like fishing through trash or something...?
Himeko: He'll probably find somethin' useless in there and claim it's "treasure".
Switch: Ah! A great treasure!!!
Bossun: Huh? / Seriously?!
Himeko: What is it? What?!
Switch: It's the Gumin-Gummi mascot, / "Lazy Musaborou"!
Himeko: Oh, come on!!!

2
Kuramoto: Ah! // There you are! // [aside]he~y![/aside]
Bossun: Hm?
Himeko: Hey, it's Kura-chan!
Kuramoto: There was nobody in your clubroom, so I thought you might be outside...
Bossun: Well, as you can see, we just had a boring little job.
Switch: We managed to collect many things in the endeavour.
Himeko: Yeah, many useless things.
Bossun: So, did you want us for something?
Kuramoto: Oh, / well, it's not me, it's him...
Himeko: "Him"? // No way... Kura-chan, this your boyfriend?
Kuramoto: No, no! He's just a guy from my class. // I saw him just standing there looking lost outside your clubroom, so I thought he might want to see you about something...
Bossun: Right...

3
Sket Dance
Chapter 36: Confounded Angels
[insert text: This new client seems... a little odd...]
Kuramoto: I went to the same middle school as him, too. // He's really bad at communicating with people, so I think he might not be able to get across what it is he wants very easily.
Bossun: Whoa, whoa... he's not a kid, you know?
Himeko: He really doesn't seem too happy, does he...
Bossun: Well, first things first... could you tell us your name? // What're you called?

4
Date: Datenshi.
[TN: "Datenshi" means "fallen angel" ~_~]
Bossun/Himeko: ...............
Bossun: Da...uhhh... // ..."Dateishi"? // You said "Dateishi" just now, right? / Dateishi-kun. Right.
Himeko: Huuuh? He didn't say that! / He said "Datenshi", didn't he?
Bossun: Oh, come on, that's not a name!! He said "Dateishi"!!
Kuramoto: Actually, his name's Date.
Himeko: That sure ain't what he said!!
Bossun: I'm telling you, he said "Dateishi"!!!
Himeko: And I'm tellin' you, he didn't! He said "Datenshi"!
Bossun: Ah, whatever!! Could you at least try saying your own freakin' name properly?!!!
Kuramoto: Well, the thing is...

5
Kuramoto: Date-kun is a really big fan of Visual-Kei bands, and their influence seems to kind of creep into his manner of speaking... / ...Ummm... he kind of tends to say difficult-to-understand things in very few words.
Bossun: That's annoying!! // Really annoying!! / What's with this guy?!!
Himeko: He's in high-school, an' he can't even talk properly?!!!
Switch: How annoying.
Bossun: Yeah, like you can talk!!! // Look, can you just quit with the weirdness and talk properly, okay?! / Now, let's hear your name one more time! // And just so you know, we already know your name's Date, okay?! / So... your name is...?!
Date: Dante.
Bossun: What the - ?!

6
Himeko: You just said "Dante", didn't ya!!! Stop changin' it into weird things!!!
Bossun: Hey... hey!! Stop that, Himeko! Don't attack him!!
Himeko: Just freakin' well say it!!! I just wanna hear you say the word "Date"!!! / AND STOP DOIN' THOSE GODDAMN POSES EVERY TIME, AN' ALL!!!
Kuramoto: Ahh... well, I'll just be going...
Bossun: Huh?!!
Himeko: Kura-chan, you're leavin'?!
Kuramoto: Uh-huh... Sorry, but I promised Yagi-chan I'd go shopping with her today...
Himeko: Huuuh? Sounds nice... I'd like to go too...
Bossun: Not a chance, Himeko! You're not running away too!!
Kuramoto: Well, then... // Good luck with him!
Bossun: Le~~t's see... you have some kind of request for us, right? // You'll have to tell us what that is, or we'll get nowhere. // You got that, Dante? Just explain what it is you want in plain terms, no messing about, okay? / So... what're you wanting?

7
Date: .............................. // Fallen.
Bossun: Huh?!
Himeko: Huuuh?!!
Bossun: Fallen?!! / What has? // What's fallen? Where's it fallen? // Your feelings? You mean you're feeling down?! // And hey, wasn't the kanji you used there a bit weird?!! / At least, I get that feeling... // Anyway, don't try and explain it in one word!! How're we meant to understand that?!!
Switch: Bossun. // Don't you think he might mean he's dropped something?

8
Bossun: Dropped... / Ahhh... of course... that could be it!
Himeko: Yeah, he must've dropped somethin' somewhere!!! / He must be askin' us to look for somethin' he's dropped!! // Right? Is that it?!
Date: ............
Himeko: Ah! / He nodded!! // Dante just nodded his head a little!!
Bossun: I guess we were right!! / Okay, then!! / If we just ask simple questions, we can figure out what's going on!!
Himeko: Makes sense! / He must just not be good with strangers!! I think we can deal with this!
Bossun: All right, let's keep going! Come on, let's hear what it is you've dropped!
Date: *mumble*
Himeko: Hmm?
Date: Wings.

9
Date: To fly to the Banquet.
Himeko: Yeah, forget that already!!! // JUST TALK SENSE ALREADY!!!
Bossun: Stop that, Himeko!! / You'll scare him to death!! // See, he's shaking! / Dante's shaking like a leaf!
Himeko: WHO THE HELL CARES?!!!

10
Bossun: Let's see... I think we need to try a different tack. Let's start by getting to know him a little better. / If we can change the subject and get him to open up a bit, we might be able to get something out of him.
Himeko: He's come here to talk to us, why the hell do we have to go through all this crap...?
Bossun: Hey, Dante... what kind of food do you like?
Date: Jellybeans?
Himeko: There we go...
Bossun: Jellybeans. Right, gotcha.
Himeko: But man, what's so great about jellybeans, huh?!! I mean, they're just like all sugar an' stuff! / They'll never match up to the intense flavours of PeloCan!!
Bossun: Somehow I kinda get the feeling he just said the first thing that came into his head... ah, this is no good. He's still not opening up. // Listen, forget about sweets or whatever... what kind of food, like cooked food, do you like?
Date: ............

11
Date: Ham - / ............ // Teriyaki-burger.
Bossun: Ahh!
Himeko: That's more like it!! // Did ya hear that?! He said "Teriyaki-burger"!!! He can actually say normal stuff!! That's totally normal! He said somethin' normal!!
Switch: And it sounded like he corrected himself. / He must like them quite a bit.
Bossun: All right! / He's starting to open up!! // Let's see... so when do you like eating these teriyaki-burgers best, then?
Himeko: Ohh! / Good question!
Date: Mealtimes.
Bossun: Aahhh... nooo... That's no good!!
Himeko: Looks like he really is obsessed with those one-word answers... What's with that? It's really weird... / You think that's cool or somethin'? It's just annoying...
Bossun: Dante! Dante! Listen up, okay? // I know, mealtimes are mealtimes... but there are all sorts of different situations, right? / So what kind of situation to you like eating them in?
Switch: You really are pushing this, aren't you.

12
Bossun: (I just have to make him stop giving one-word answers! If I can make this into a proper conversation, he's sure to open up!
[Text: Question: When is your favourite time to eat teriyaki burgers?]
Date: Post-movie-lone-Sunday-lunchtime.
Bossun: Wh - / Whaaa?!
Switch: I believe what he means to say is "I most enjoy eating teriyaki burgers at lunchtime on Sundays after going to the cinema alone and watching a movie".
Bossun: Don't shorten it so much!!! / What, you want to put the whole of that into one word?! Why?! Why one word?!
Himeko: I wouldn't even call that "one word" any more... / It's just a giant string of kanji... is he Chinese or something?!
Bossun: And even apart from that, isn't that all kinda pathetic...? / I mean, who the heck gets all excited about watching a movie on their own and then eating fast food?! // You want to end up as a manga-ka or something?! // Well, whatever... let's try a different question. / I guess you like movies, huh? Well, what kind of movie do you like?
[Text: Question: What is your favourite kind of movie?]
Himeko: Hey, are we just going to end up sitting here in the clubroom for this whole mission? Isn't that kinda pathetic compared to all our other crazy adventures?

13
Date: ............... // ............... // ............................................................
Bossun: ............
Himeko: He seems pretty hesitant, huh... // Ohh, I know...! Maybe he's into those weird arty-type movies or something? You know, all that weird sorta dark stuff that normal people wouldn't know anything about?
Bossun: Oh, you mean like private showings or something? // Listen, okay, Switch knows all about movies, so you don't have to be embarrassed or anything, just tell us.
Date: ..................
Bossun: Ah! He started writing something!
Himeko: Too embarrassed to say it out loud...?
Bossun: What's this...?
Himeko: Check this out... some kind of cryptic symbol, must be some weird creepy movie.
Switch: This is the symbol of "The Spiral".
Himeko: "The Spiral"?

14
Switch: It's a Gothic Horror movie that became quite well-known in certain circles; this mark became quite popular as a tattoo, and it earned itself a small following of die-hard fans; it's what you'd call a cult movie.
Himeko: Huh, that's nothing to get all embarrassed over!
Bossun: Yeah, since you're into Visual Kei and whatever, it pretty much suits you.
Himeko: Good going! You just keep on tellin' us all about yourself like that, okay?!
Bossun: Yeah, this is good, Dante! You just have to open up!
Date: *mumble*
Bossun: Huh? / ...What was that?
Date: Naruto.
[TN: He uses the spiral symbol as though it was a kanji, with "Naruto" as the furigana.]
Bossun: Whaaa?!! // AN ANIME MOVIE?!!!
Himeko: The hell's up with that?! Seriously!! What kinda Visual Kei addict are you?!!
Switch: The way he's using the symbol reminds me of the Neuro chapter titles.
[TN: It's a reference to the Jump manga series Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro - all the chapters of that series have single-kanji titles, which are usually given unusual readings.]
Date: movie-naruto-strong-dattebayo.jp
[TN: He uses the spiral symbol to represent the word "Naruto" again, which resembles an "@" sign, such that the whole thing looks like an email address (hence the random ".jp" at the end) - it also, of course, serves to preserve his habit of expressing himself in single "words" ~_~]
Himeko: Stop randomly using English words!!!
Bossun: And what the hell's with the ".jp" on the end?!! Is that supposed to be an email-address or something?!!

15
Bossun: Ugh, whatever... that's enough warming up. // *pant* // *pant* // I think it's about time you told us what you want from us. // The thing you dropped... // ...that you want us to find... // ...what is it?!
Date: ............... // Fabricated Dreams.
Himeko: SWITCH, GIMME CYCLONE!!
Bossun: Wait! Just wait up, okay, Himeko?! // Just hold on a little!! We just need to keep asking! Not that I know why I'm even bothering... // Give us something more concrete!! Something easier to understand!! // I mean, we're trying to hear you out, here, okay...?!
Date: K... Keys...
Bossun: Keys?! / Have you lost your keys?! // No?! / Then what?!!

16
Date: Em - Embracing the keys to my heart...
Himeko: OH, SCREW THIS!!! // LISTEN, DUMBASS, WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE TRYIN' TO SAY!!
Bossun: "Embrace"... what's that in English... "hold"...? // "Hold"......... "keys"...... // A "keyholder"?
Himeko: Ahhh... A keyholder... that's it!! It's gotta be!!
Bossun: I know, right?! He makes things complicated, but the clues are all in there in the end!!
Himeko: Well, d'ya think we could figure out what kind of keyholder?!
Bossun: Yeah! He said "Fabricated Dreams" or something, right?!

17
Bossun: "Fabrication" in English"? / That's "lie". // "Lie"...... "Dream"... / No... Hmm... // "Lie"... / Doesn't that word have some kind of other meaning?
Switch: It also means "to rest horizontally".
Bossun: "To rest horizontally"... // Lying on one's side... sleeping... // Dreaming... // !! // Ahh!! // The Gumin Gummies!!! // That "Lazy Musaborou" thing you picked up earlier, that was a keyholder, right?!
Himeko: !!!

18
Himeko: That's it!!! / You're a genius, Bossun!!
Switch: If that's all he wants, I have it right here.
Bossun: All riiiight!! bring it out, Switch!!! // GOtcha!!! // This is it!!! // We've got it, Dante!! // This is the keyholder you lost, isn't it?!!!
Himeko: But man, that was crazy, huh? Talk about coincidence!
Bossun: Hahah! / This was a crazy sort of mission! / But now... // IT'S SOLVED!!!

19
Yamanobe: Oopsie... // Hm? What's this? // A concert ticket?
Sket-dan: Hip, hip, hoora~~y!! // Whoooo!! // All ri~ght! Go us!
[Text: Visual Kei Band: Dream Of Lie // Special Terminology // - The band's name means "Fabricated Dreams". / - Concerts are referred to as "Banquets". / - Tickets are referred to as "Wings". / - The title of this years live tour is "The 'Embracing The Keys To My Heart...' Tour".]
[box: In the end, Dante-kun was talking about concrete things...]
Date: Confounded Angels... / ("You've got it wrong...")
[insert text: Poor Dante-kun, nobody understands you... keep on trying!]
[bottom text: Next issue, shocking... or at least sort-of-vaguely-surprising-in-various-ways... colour pages!]