October 25, 2005
Nin Nin!
Okay, sometimes I'm a bit slow. I only just now realised why 2x2 = Shinobuden:
Watashi kunoichi
I am a female ninja
(watashi I, kunoichi a female ninja) Ninin ga Shinobu desu
2x2 = Shinobu (ni two, so ninin two-two; Shinobu is her name, and desu meaning is, or in this case, am. I'm not sure precisely what ga means here. Note that the verb comes at the end, so the first line makes no real sense by itself. Or at least is ungrammatical.) Why the 2x2? Well, Shinobu is a trainee ninja, and when exercising her ninja talents she has a tendency to say nin nin, as in ninja. So nin nin becomes two times two. I'm sure you wanted to know that. The video clips for Shinobuden are very cute, particularly the closing sequence, which is done in claymation. (So is the closing sequence for Futakoi Alternative, by the way.) You can download them here; three seeds, no waiting. (Actually, I think the seed count is wrong, but there are at least two.) Just don't ask me where the -den suffix comes from.
I am a female ninja
(watashi I, kunoichi a female ninja) Ninin ga Shinobu desu
2x2 = Shinobu (ni two, so ninin two-two; Shinobu is her name, and desu meaning is, or in this case, am. I'm not sure precisely what ga means here. Note that the verb comes at the end, so the first line makes no real sense by itself. Or at least is ungrammatical.) Why the 2x2? Well, Shinobu is a trainee ninja, and when exercising her ninja talents she has a tendency to say nin nin, as in ninja. So nin nin becomes two times two. I'm sure you wanted to know that. The video clips for Shinobuden are very cute, particularly the closing sequence, which is done in claymation. (So is the closing sequence for Futakoi Alternative, by the way.) You can download them here; three seeds, no waiting. (Actually, I think the seed count is wrong, but there are at least two.) Just don't ask me where the -den suffix comes from.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at 01:16 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
1
ga is the subject particle (as opposed to the more common wa topic particle).
Usage of ga is explained here.
Usage of ga is explained here.
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at October 25, 2005 05:33 PM (CJBEv)
2
Aha! Yes, I'm familiar with the form Watashi wa Shinobu desu.
So she's saying I'm Shinobu the ninja girl? Or I'm the ninja girl Shinobu? And then insert the ninin into that...
So she's saying I'm Shinobu the ninja girl? Or I'm the ninja girl Shinobu? And then insert the ninin into that...
Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 25, 2005 05:56 PM (RbYVY)
3
Thanks for the link, by the way. Particles in Japanese drive me crazy.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 25, 2005 06:01 PM (RbYVY)
4
My guess would be "I'm the only ninja named Shinobu" but that's only a guess.
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at October 25, 2005 11:16 PM (CJBEv)
5
Which sounds odd in English, but in Japanese it's just stressing the the. I'm the Shinobu. Or so I deduce from that link.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 25, 2005 11:32 PM (QriEg)
6
I'd probably parse the lines as separate sentences - watashi kunoichi isn't quite as shockingly ungrammatical as 'me Tarzan', though it does feel childish.
There's also a pun in the second line - shinobu is a verb meaning concealment, so she is also saying "(saying) nin twice is (the onomatopoetic sound of) sneaking" - and quite right she is, too. For further examples of this behavior, see Disgaea (Flonne) and Martian Successor Nadesico (Yukina).
If there is appropriate context, she may be saying that she has two identities - Shinobu (I) am two people (ordinary schoolgirl by day, ninja by night - or something similar).
Or, of course, you could go with 'shinobu = 2x2' translation... puns.
There's also a pun in the second line - shinobu is a verb meaning concealment, so she is also saying "(saying) nin twice is (the onomatopoetic sound of) sneaking" - and quite right she is, too. For further examples of this behavior, see Disgaea (Flonne) and Martian Successor Nadesico (Yukina).
If there is appropriate context, she may be saying that she has two identities - Shinobu (I) am two people (ordinary schoolgirl by day, ninja by night - or something similar).
Or, of course, you could go with 'shinobu = 2x2' translation... puns.
Posted by: HC at October 26, 2005 02:38 AM (eMpVZ)
7
Missed the den question - that's the den from densetsu (legend). You could translate it as the legend of 2x2 = shinobu, or the story of the same - you get the idea. Cf Himiko-den.
Posted by: HC at October 26, 2005 03:14 AM (eMpVZ)
8
That's quite a lot packed into six words!
Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 26, 2005 09:06 AM (QriEg)
9
If it makes you feel any better, that's almost all packed into just four words - ninin ga shinobu desu. Ninin has three valid readings (two people, nin twice, and 2x2), and shinobu could be the name or the verb. So there are six grammatical readings of the phrase.
I make it as two readings that make some sense, and a third that's the title. Theoretically, you could argue for a fourth - sneaking is two people, but that makes too little sense to me. If you stretch, perhaps it implies that for someone to hide requires someone to be hidden from... but that way madness lies.
Puns - bane of translation.
I make it as two readings that make some sense, and a third that's the title. Theoretically, you could argue for a fourth - sneaking is two people, but that makes too little sense to me. If you stretch, perhaps it implies that for someone to hide requires someone to be hidden from... but that way madness lies.
Puns - bane of translation.
Posted by: HC at October 26, 2005 06:15 PM (eMpVZ)
10
Are you sure that ninin could be read two people. Two people in japanese is irregular and is said futari (hitari for one people) then san nin (3), yo nin (4), and so on.
Posted by: David at December 15, 2005 08:16 PM (1bYMk)
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