Shalee lhaih 2015: shiaghtin 30

Go here for English version. Note, this is rewritten from scratch, not a direct translation.

20oo - 26oo Jerrey Souree

Jerrey jeihoo shiaghtin as feed ny Shalee Lhaih. Va shiaghtin treih agglagh ayn, as cha dod mee lhaih ny lioaryn va foym. Chionnee mee carnaneen dy vanga gennal as lhaih shen. Shoh ny lhiah mee yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie:

Sumomomo, Momomo y.l. 1-5 (Shinobu Ohtaka)

Reayrtys noa er y shenn skeeal "ellynyn caggee, poosey reaghit rolaue". Cha nel anaase erbee ec yn ard-charracteyr firrinagh er y lheih; share lesh studeyrys son çheet dy ve ny leigheyder. Ta eiyrtyssyn aitt kyndagh rish shen, as by vie lhiam eddyr-obbraghey ny karracteyryn. Ny s'anmey ta'n eie shen scughey; er lhiam dy ren ad coayl shickyrys 'syn eie shen "fer lane chadjin as possan dy ellyneyr caggee boirey er", as arraghey y skeeal. Hoshiaght ta ard-ven y vrastyl echey ny caillin chadjin jesh, as t'ee soie dy mie ny hoi ny caillinyn keoie caggee elley, agh t'ad jannoo caggeyder jee dy leah. As ny smessey, rere aght boiragh manga, cha dod ad scuirr jeh cur bikini streng urree "son ta niart yn ellyn caggee eck er bun nearey" as lheid y boghtynid. Scuirr jeh! T'eh cur dwoaie er lheh orrym son s'mie lhiam cooid elley y skeeal.

Ta'n ellyn mie son y chooid smoo, agh ta cummey corrym er yn ard-charracteyr bwoirrin. T'ee 17 rere y skeeal, agh ta'n cummey echey sheer-arragey eddyr mysh 15 as mysh 6 d'eash - shen ouryssagh er lheh tra t'ee jannoo eab dy chleayney y gilley dy yannoo jibbag maree. As cha nel cummey 17 d'eash rieau urree. Ren shen milley reddyn dou beggan.

Er lhiam dy beagh eh ny straih lane vie dy jinnagh eh lhiantyn rish yn eie bunneydagh, "fer cadjin ayns seihll ellyneyryn caggee", as lhiggey da Koushi jiooldey ny gammanyn oc. Ta e seihll hene echey as eieyn elley er ny ta scanshoil: studeyrys, sheshaght, leigh. By vie lhiam hoshiaght tra v'eh gobbal lhiggey dou meenaghey ny ta scanshoil ayns bea, as jiooley y seihll shen ta soit er raghid as schlei gyn dean.

Bamboo Blade y.l. 1-4 (Masahiro Totsuka, Aguri Igarashi)

Skeeal taitnyssagh jeh club schoill kendo (ellyn y chliwe). Ta ynseyder faghidagh oc, agh cha nel eh olk, as ta blass feer deiney ayn ghooisht beggan co-ennaghtyn. Breeoil as taitnyssagh, as ta ellyn mie ayn - ayns ny caggaghyn myrgeddin. Cha nel eh taishbyney fo-eaddagh noadyr.

Barakamon v. 1-4 (Satsuki Yoshino)

Skeeal dy vea cadjin bio, bentyn rish penneyr Shapaanagh t'er narraghey dys ellan çheerey son dy sharaghey yn ellan echey, chammah's e smaght er hene. Ta'n skeeal bentyn rish sheshaght, eddyr-obbraghey deiney as bea balley beg çheerey. Ta ellyn lane vie ayn, as s'mie lhiam ny karracteyryn myrgeddin.

Fockle s'jerree

Lhaih mee ymmodee lioaryn, agh cha row ad ass y charnane. Va 81 aym yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie, myr shen ta 81 faagit dou nish. Shegin dou lhaih 31 lioar ayns 22 hiaghtin.

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English version

20th - 26th July

The end of week twenty-nine of the Reading Project. It's been a very sad week and I needed something low-effort, so I bought some digital manga and ignored this whole thing:

Sumomomo, Momomo v. 1-5 (Shinobu Ohtaka)

A somewhat fun twist on the old martial arts, arranged marriage thing: the male protagonist has spurned the family martial arts tradition and wants to be a lawyer. This makes for some interesting scenes. Mostly the art was solid, but there's some weird inconsistency in portraying the heroine. They're apparently teenagers (supposedly 17), but Momoko varies from looking 15 to looking about 6 in some scenes, which is *particularly* creepy when she's trying to get into Koushi's pants. Seventeen, never. That stylistic weirdness threw things off for me.

I'm quite disappointed for a couple of reasons, though. Essentially, the series soon loses confidence in its "perfectly normal kid surrounded by martial artists" shtick and starts shifting away from it. The class president originally seems like a normal girl who will be a nice foil to the violent girls who surround Koushi, and is just genuinely pleasant. Naturally, then, they turn her into a martial artist at the first opportunity. My second disappointment is related: like so, so many others, they feel the need to insert gratuitous fanservice by having her wear a string bikini costume because her martial arts are powered by embarrassment or some such crap. I mean seriously, just grow the hell up. I particularly hate this because I quite enjoy the actual characters and their interplay, and the plot behind it all.

I feel like this would be a great series if it stayed true to its premise and had Koushi adamantly refuse to play their little games. He has his own sphere, with things he considers important, like studying and the law and school. I liked his initial refusal to let them define for him what is imporant; his rejection of their sphere of violence and raw-but-pointless skill.

Bamboo Blade v. 1-4 (Masahiro Totsuka, Aguri Igarashi)

Very enjoyable story of a school kendo club. Although the teacher is kind of contemptible, it's not enough to be unlikeable (and lack of money is a real problem). So far, a fun and lively read, and the art holds up for action scenes too. No pointless displays of underwear, either.

Barakamon v. 1-4 (Satsuki Yoshino)

A very enjoyable, quietly lively story of a calligrapher who moves to the countryside (well, an island) to hone his art and self-control. It's mostly about social interactions and village dynamics. Very solid art and good, relatable characters.

Afterword

I read several books this week, none of them from the pile. I had 81 last week, so 81 are left over. I have 31 books to read in 22 weeks.

Shalee lhaih 2015: shiaghtin 29

Go here for English version. Note, this is rewritten from scratch, not a direct translation.

13oo - 19oo Jerrey Souree

Jerrey nuyoo shiaghtin as feed ny Shalee Lhaih. Shoh ny lhiah mee yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie:

妖怪のお医者さん y.l. 2 (佐藤 友生)

Ny smoo skeealyn er fer-lhee da beishteigyn Shapaanagh. Ta'n straih croghey er feayn-skeaylleydaght ny Shapaan, as myr shen s'doillee dou toiggal eh ny keayrtyn! Er lhiam dy row y chied lioar ny share; ta'n fer shoh goaill stiagh kuse dy spotçhyn keintyssagh nagh vel mee coontey monney jeu, agh t'ad cadjin dy liooar ayns manga, atreih. Ta cooid elley lane ard-ennaghtagh, agh foddym surrane y lheid dy mie.

Fockle s'jerree

Lhaih mee 1 lioar, va 82 aym yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie, myr shen ta 81 faagit dou nish. Shegin dou lhaih 31 lioar ayns 23 shiaghteeyn.

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English version

13th - 19th July

The end of week twenty-nine of the Reading Project. Here's what I've read this week:

妖怪のお医者さん y.l. 2 (佐藤 友生)

More stories of the ghost doctor. Their dependence on Japanes mythology means they're sometimes a bit hard for me to follow, despite the explanatory notes (in tiny, tiny writing). I found this volume a bit less interesting than the last, despite the fact it has some more origin story in. That's at least partly because it contains the kind of sex-themed "jokes" that are annoyingly common in manga.

Afterword

I read 1 book this week, I had 82 last week, so 81 are left over. I have 31 books to read in 23 weeks.

Shenn chooinaghtyn: More by Luck than Judgement

Cheayll mee jeh shenn charrey er y gherrid, as hug eh gys my chooinaghtyn dy row shin tayrn caslys-skeealyn er feie ny leaghtyn foddey er ny henney.

Hooar mee kuse jeu (ghow mee toshiaght aahayrn ad keayrt dy row) as, wahll, shoh blass y traa t'er ngoll shaghey.

Recently, an old friend got back in touch, and reminded me that we used to squander time in boring lectures drawing silly cartoons. For some reason I entitled these "More by Luck than Judgement", in honour of a ceilidh band who played at my cousin's wedding (it's a good name, what can I say?).

I managed to track some of them down, which I started redrawing a few years ago, and well, here's a taste of the old days.

Shalee lhaih 2015: shiaghtin 28

Go here for English version. Note, this is rewritten from scratch, not a direct translation.

6oo - 12h Jerrey Souree

Jerrey hoghtoo shiaghtin as feed ny Shalee Lhaih. Shoh ny lhiah mee yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie:

Some Chinese ghosts (Lafcadio Haern)

Çhaglym dy skeealyn scaanjoon as feayn-skeeayllaght anaasoil. Cha nee çhyndaays hene t'ayn, agh aascreeu rere y skeeal Sheenish ('syn Çhapaanish!) dys lhieggan noa 'sy Vaarle. Ta kuse jeu lane whaagh (feayn-skeeal bun tey, myr sampleyr) agh ghow mee soylley jeu.

A view from the Imperium (Jody Lynn Nye)

Ta mee er lhiah obbraghyn elley Nye as ghow mee soylley jeu. Shoh y lioar share jeu, er lhiam. T'ee screeuit dy meein, as ny focklyn scughey ass y raad as lhiggey dhyt goll shaghey. Ta schlei lettyragh dy liooar ec Nye myrgeddin. T'ee cur sheese rassyn y bun-skeeal foddey roish my t'ou toiggal y scansh oc, as cha row mee jerkal rish fer erbee jeu. She seihll anaasoil bioyr t'ayn, agh cha nel ee jummal stiagh mynphoyntyn as jerkal rhyt cur ad gys cooinaghtyn. Ta ny karracteyryn cleaynagh dy liooar, myn- as ard-charracteyryn y jees. Ta Nye dy kinjagh screeu mraane anaasoil, as by vie lhiam y Chooinseilagh erskyn ooilley, ga dy nee ben-oik t'ayn gyn blass hene caggee urree. Shen yn aght!

Shegin dou cur moylley er lheh da'n ard-charracteyr. S'doillee agglagh eh screeu ommidan ooasle as ard-chied echey, as jannoo shen y credjallagh, gyn croo fer nagh by vie lesh peiagh erbee eh. Ta screeu ass y chied reayrtys ny smessey foast. Ta Nye croo cormid jesh eddyr foill as mie; ta Thomas jannoo reddyn ommidjagh, agh t'eh cooilleeney reddyn scanshoil myrgeddin. Cha nee feniagh caggee t'ayn as laue niartal echey, agh cha nel eh jummal traa sleih neuooasle as cur orroo eh y hauail noadyr. Ta'n skeeal gra dy nee fer kenjal as cleaynagh t'ayn, as chreid mee shen. Ga dy nee anoayllagh t'ayn, ta cree as mian echey dy jannoo e chooid hare, as imlid dy liooar dy hoiggal feeu sleih cadjin. Kionneein y nah lioar nish mannagh row mee cummmal veih kionnaghey lioaryn.

Fockle s'jerree

Lhaih mee 2 lioar, va 84 aym yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie, myr shen ta 82 faagit dou nish. Shegin dou lhaih 32 lioar ayns 24 shiaghteeyn.

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English version

5th - 12th July

The end of week twenty-eight of the Reading Project. Here's what I've read this week:

Some Chinese ghosts (Lacfadio Haern)

An interesting little collection of ghostly short stories. They're based on Chinese stories that circulated in Japan while he lived there, though according to his notes, he's essentially rewritten them rather than simply translating a Japanese version. They're characterful and appealing.

A view from the Imperium (Jody Lynn Nye)

I've read and enjoyed Nye's work before, but I wasn't prepared for how enthralling I found this book. Technically, it's very impressive. Plot seeds are regularly planted well in advance, so smoothly that I never saw them coming. The setting is detailed enough to feel vibrant and new, but not crammed with aliens to memorise. Minor characters were nicely articulated, while Nye has always written good, interesting female characters without resorting to arbitrary badassness - the Councillor was excellent.

I was particularly impressed with the protagonist. A character who's a spoiled, privileged aristocratic twerp is very difficult to write convincingly without making them unlikable. First-person perspective makes it even worse. Nye balanced this nicely between flaws and virtues, competence and cluelessness. He's neither an action hero, nor a time-waster in constant need of saving. Thomas is supposed to be kind, likeable and charming, and I really felt that that charm seeped out of the page, so that even his foibles felt endearingly human rather than irritating. I'd buy the next book right now if I wasn't not buying books.

Afterword

I read 2 books this week, I had 84 last week, 82 are left over. I have 32 books to read in 24 weeks.

Shalee lhaih 2015: shiaghtin 27

Go here for English version. Note, this is rewritten from scratch, not a direct translation.

29oo Vean Souree - 5oo Jerrey Souree

Jerrey shiaghtoo shiaghtin as feed ny Shalee Lhaih. Shoh ny lhiah mee yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie:

聲の形 y.l. 1 (大今良時)

Ta ellyn mie er bashtal 'sy lioar shoh; atreih, cha ghow mee taitnys jeh'n skeeal hene. V'eh orrym lhaih lheid ny lioar ayns Lettyraght Vaarle 'sy scoill, as cha by vie lhiam eh eisht noadyr. Skeealyn sheer-ghroamagh, lane dy "rieughid" (dy ghra myr shen, groamid), karracteyryn nagh by vie lesh peiagh erbee ad, as soilshaghey magh nagh vel peiagh kenjal erbee ayn as nagh vel bea agh doccarys as surranse. Ta daa pheiagh mie ayn: moir yn ard-charracteyr Shouyra, as Nishimiya. Cha nel rheamys currit da'n voir agh tra t'ee boirey er Shouya. Ta Nishimiya balloo bouyr ny h-ourallagh da braggartys Houya, agh cha nee karracteyr hene ayn; she greie bun-skeeallagh ("plot device") t'ayn. Cha nel aittys chamoo aash erbee ayn, as cha nel kied ec peiagh erbee agh Shouya aase aght erbee. Atreih, ny yei shen, cha by vie lhiam eh er chor erbee. Va mee jerkal rish skeeal anaasoil mychione caillin wouyr as gilley ta kiangley rish as cooney lhee. Agh shoh dooin Very Special Episode, as cha nel bea hene ec Nishimiya; cha nel ee ayn agh son dy chur cummaght er bea Shouya.

妖怪のお医者さん y.l. 1 (佐藤 友生)

Skeeal scoill neughooghyssagh anaasoil ta croghey er feayn-skeealeydaght Hapaanagh. Ta daa ard-charracteyr ayn as ablid oc dy 'akin spyrrydyn. T'eh ginsh meer toshee y skeeal daa cheayrt, jeh reayrtys ny caillin as eisht jeh reayrtys y yilley. Ta'n nah lhieggan cur stiagh stoo noa, as aght ennagh t'eh beggan quaagh dy daag ad y lheid jeh'n chied lhieggan, agh, wahll. By ghoillee dou toiggal ny keayrtyn; chammah's croghey er cultoor ny Shapaan, t'eh jannoo ymmyd jeh fontyn ellynagh nagh dod mee lhaih ad dy baghtal! Ghow mee taitnys jeh ny yei shen. Ta'n gilley quaagh dy liooar; ayns ayrn, shen kyndagh rish y bea v'echey roish y scoill, agh ta kuse elley gyn soilshaghey foast. Cha nel mee shickyr, son ta manga dy cadjin goaill stiagh ram aittys keintyssagh ta quaagh da ny Goaldee.

Fockle s'jerree

Lhaih mee 2 lioar, va 86 aym yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie, myr shen ta 84 faagit dou nish. Shegin dou lhaih 34 lioaryn ayns 25 shiaghteeyn.

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English version

29th June - 5th July

The end of week twenty-seven of the Reading Project. Here's what I've read this week:

聲の形 v. 1 (大今良時)

This book is full of lovely, realistic artwork. Unfortunately, it's not my sort of story at all. This is the kind of book we were forced to read in English Literature - full of misery, "realism", characters nobody could like, and heavy moral messages about how everyone is basically awful and life is crap. There are precisely two likeable characters: the protagonist's mother, who gets minimal pagetime, and the victim Nishimiya herself, who is essentially a plot device in this volume at least. Most of the volume consists of bullying. There is no humour or relief from the misery, and no characters other than protagonist Shouya are allowed to develop, which is a problem given that he's completely unlikeable. It's a huge shame, because I thought this was going to be a really interesting series about the experiences of a deaf kid and this boy who gets involved in her life. But no, she's essentially a Very Special Episode plot device as far as I can tell, serving only to motivate the protagonist in various ways.

妖怪のお医者さん y.l. 1 (佐藤 友生)

An interesting supernatural school story based on Japanese folklore. It has two protagonists who can see ghosts. The first part of the story is told twice, from each character's perspective, which was interesting. The second version adds a fair bit of new stuff, and it seeks a bit odd somehow that this particular stuff was omitted from the first. Some of this was hard to follow, particularly as it uses artistic fonts in places that are harder to read than usual. Still, I enjoyed it. The male protagonist is odd, and while some of that oddity is explained by his background, some is still unexplained. I'm not sure yet if it's just the usual manga tendency to use a lot of sex jokes, or something else.

Afterword

I read 2 books this week, I had 86 last week, 84 are left over. I have 34 books to read in 25 weeks.