Nymphet [Kodomo no Jikan]

[MakubeX2]

My views are that the Otakus, being detched from realities, are more used to those cutesy unrealistic lolitas from Manabi Straight.

KnJ is getting heavier on the dramatic aspecct and they just can't handle it

[bleakessence]

Oh... i see. I haven't the slightest idea what the other volumes/chapters of KnJ hold, so I'll just have to wait and see what's going to happen for myself before I can say anything more. Anyway, there's tense and exciting drama... and there's overly mushy or pathetically angsty drama. I hope KnJ will bring the former type of drama x_x;

Something to share: I'm particularly interested by this series since I kind of know how Daisuke feels. I was a former student counselor and am now aspiring to be a full-fledged guidance counselor myself. So putting perversion and impossible situations aside (like a cute girl landing panties-first into my face XD ) I am really looking forward to some interestingly insightful and thought-provoking situations here. What would I do in the same situation? o_o;

[MakubeX2]

It's just everyday human drama. Nothing too deep or exaggerated which most of us can probably identify with.

The series also pokes at the education system of Japan every now and then. Which you can see some chapters later on.

[GammaRed]

Well, I just finished reading chapeters 1 - 5, and they were very well done whomever did the translations.

I am really looking forward to the next release of the Scanlations. Not to mention the forshadowing of the drama and potental for story expantion, sorta like a Vinus fly trap, it catches your eye with its naughty humor, and then pulls you in to the story, and your traped. *smiles*

This is so much more than wot it appears to be!

I mean it reminds me of the "Bully" uproar from the creators of the GTA series, everyone THOUGHT the focus was going to be one thing, and it wasnt.

and once that was exposed, the controvercy went away.

I sinsearly hope that the same sort of thing can happen with KNJ. *sighs softly*

[bobdanob]

Just read the first 5 chapters as well, they were hilarious. Hopefully the drama parts (from the end of the fifth chapter i guess they're coming soon) are just as good. My favourite part would have to be the bit where their taking bets on whether he will turn around when shes talking about her panties.

I spose for me at least one good thing came from this whole thing, as i may not have noticed this title (well least till i read about it on a trawl though random manga threads).

Not sure the chance of it ending up like Bully, as Take 2 have a fair amount of money, and know that there going to sell craploads anyway and possibly more after a controversy like that. Doesnt quite work as easily when your a smallish company selling to a niche audience, and cant afford to have your distributors pull out on you.
I do find it rather funny that the series is getting pulled in America, while they're animating it in Japan.

@Makubex2
are your translations available to download somewhere?
not sure if i missed a link or not.

[MakubeX2]

For those who are wondering the new scans are....

They are on a Torrent Site rivaling that of AS.

[bobdanob]

ah crap, a cryptic clue.
well, i think i found them. Not sure if they're your translations or not, but close enough.

[bleakessence]

@makubex2
Everyday human drama is what we specialize in. XD

@gammared
erm... child porn is probably on a much more controversial scale than bullying. SSE canceling KnJ is a sign that they won't give KnJ a chance to explain or develop itself more deeply.

[bobdanob]

But the way in which the bookburners instantly want it banned without have any idea about it, is similar. And the idea that either should be banned is comparatively stupid.

Most of the people who wanted KnJ banned wouldnt have given it a chance whether SSE let them or not.

[CandyVanMan]

Originally Posted by bleakessence

erm... child porn is probably on a much more controversial scale than bullying. SSE canceling KnJ is a sign that they won't give KnJ a chance to explain or develop itself more deeply.

I think the key problem is perception without understanding and plain old stereotypes. CP is a problem, but assuming something is CP is even bigger. There was a watercolor artist (a 50+ year old lady if I remember correctly) that had to put up with this for a run of baby paintings back in the 90's.

Now that I've read some of the scanned chapters, I have come to these early comparative conclusions (predictions):

Rockstar's Bully: Assumed to be a Columbine Massacre simulator, unsuitable for American distribution. Turned out to be a game that included odd sexual overtones and points a satirical and critical finger at the education system.

Kodomo No Jikan: Assumed to be a quazi-legitimized CP magazine, unsuitable for American distribution. Turned out to be a Manga that included odd sexual overtones and points a satirical and critical finger at the education syste.... wait....

Spoiler for Freaky Bully Factoid:

For the few that don't know: The game includes boy-on-boy kissing as an alternative life-power-boost. My wife almost vomited from laughing so hard.

[MakubeX2]

The stand alone prologue chapters have already depicts social issues underneath the sweet cutesy covers.

Chapter 00 Part 1 covers the facts that Child Molestation can happen with the most trusted of authorities.

Chapter 00 Part 2 raises the issues of Abuse and Self Multilation.

Both chapters had the common theme of speaking out aganist the old idea of A Child Should Be Seen And Not Heard.

PS :-
Never knew that physical checkups for elementary school students can be use as a cover for teachers to check on abuse at home. Does that actually happens in real life.

[Vexx]

Well.. not in America where they've slashed the budgets for education so much that most schools don't *have* an infirmary or even a certified nurse on staff. Teachers and counselors do get some training in spotting abuse but, like.... as if they have the time in their under-resourced day.

The last 10 years or so, the Japanese schools experimented with 'american style' slackening of teacher authority and reduction of discipline. It failed (duh... test scores dropped, bullying escalated, etc) and now they are beginning to re-instate the elements we see so often in anime. A teacher home visit in Japan was/is a stressful time for parents because *THEY* are being graded on the environment they've created for their children to succeed properly.

The US system only really works if the parents spend enormous amounts of energy making the system follow through because of a combination of long term budget starvation, personnel ineptitude, and a streak of anti-intellectualism in the culture.

Of course, KnJ does a fair job of skewering some aspects of the japanese school system. I would say that both systems could learn from each other but my cynicism module says they'd take the worst aspects of each.

[Deathkillz]

just managed to read chapters 1 - 5 ~
impressions ~

Spoiler:

you know this doesnt seem as dark as they make it out to be...okey morally it could be a bit controversial but seriously what 3rd grader is going to do that in real life? rin haha...shes just a hell raiser like bart simpson if i had to relate her to someone :3

even with all the sexual teases all i can see is "innocent" fun (er maybe not the bast way to describe it ) ~

but in all seriousness this isnt just preverted but rather does come with an interesting story...at crazy and annoying as rin can get for Aoki in the end we can understand her point of view...i get the feeling that she is the type of attention seeker that just does things just for the hell of it...and from when Aoki realizes that rin is actually quite cute i just get the whole "chobits" feeling from it...this isnt right but somehow her still manages to blush and fantasize ~

the funny quirks are just amazingly shown through hidden meanings and well sometimes just blatant XD well i guess that is just what rin does best...she teases aoki like no tomorrow to the extent im still left wondering where she learnt all those tricks from being so young...(are youths today really that indecent? question springs to mind) ~ its not everday you hear someone that young saying "plz have sex with me" to the teacher...and the fact that she knows the meaning hmm

love triangle forming? from chapter 5 we see the busty teacher hoin making a gogo for aoki only to be intercepted by rin...well being a teacher aoki had no choice but to take her home neglecting the one she fancy but during that scene we see more of his feelings brought out by rin...whether its real is unknown but from my guess he really is thinking "maybe if you were older" type of thing...(and seeing hoin gouging herself in a fit of depression was dam funny XD)

erm better make that a love square...with kuro added into the mix...things really are getting complex...from what i can see she is in love with rin (and no its not friendship love) ~ i can only shiver at what will happen in the future

and for the most obvious reasons mimi reminds me of miyuki from lucky star...except more shy ~ how cute! ^.^

[grgspunk]

[Edited. Please delete this post]



filler filler filler

[Vexx]

Someone asked about release schedule. All these things are done as hobbies, so frankly there's no way to tell. It'll be out when its out. They're working hard, ne?

@Deathkillz:

Spoiler:

You know... the story really isn't a "romance" between Rin and Aoki so much as them developing a complex sort of nurturing bond. Aoki wants to figure out what's wrong with her and help her out of this channel she's in. She's displaying behaviors which he will come to suspect is the result of trauma or child abuse. In the process, he develops real affection for her but more like the kind of affection I have for my son's girlfriends. ... or Frodo and Samwise. Affection and love comes in many flavors, the english language sucks at that sort of fine tuning.

I "love" my friend's little girl (9yrs). That means I care for her, look after her, would throw myself on a grenade to protect her ... it doesn't mean I'd boink her.

The only real 'romance' is between Aoki and Hoin ... and the vivid fantasies that Rin may have about Aoki.

[Deathkillz]

Originally Posted by Vexx

@Deathkillz:

Spoiler:

You know... the story really isn't a "romance" between Rin and Aoki so much as them developing a complex sort of nurturing bond. Aoki wants to figure out what's wrong with her and help her out of this channel she's in. She's displaying behaviors which he will come to suspect is the result of trauma or child abuse. In the process, he develops real affection for her but more like the kind of affection I have for my son's girlfriends. ... or Frodo and Samwise. Affection and love comes in many flavors, the english language sucks at that sort of fine tuning.

I "love" my friend's little girl (9yrs). That means I care for her, look after her, would throw myself on a grenade to protect her ... it doesn't mean I'd boink her.

The only real 'romance' is between Aoki and Hoin ... and the vivid fantasies that Rin may have about Aoki.

Spoiler:

reasonable in your case its a fatherly figure but for aoki its more of an onii chan one ~ and one that seems to be susceptible to the "imouto complex" type of guy
but yea i understand that he wants to know what makes her tick...but rin having suffered a traumatic past? i would not like to see any sexual abuse from her old man (though that may be the source of her sexual teasing attitude towards aoki) ~ but it links in if she know how to blackmail by screaming "rape!!"

[Vexx]

Reasonable counterpoint

Spoiler:

the "big brother" motif, Aoki explicitly refers to .. he wants to be considered as their revered big brother. People are people... there's a remote chance that other feelings might develop.

Spoiler for volume 2 and 3 spoilage about Rin's stepdad and mother:

Its still unclear that Rin's stepdad actually has done anything "bad" to Rin. But his motives are mixed --- Rin reminds him painfully of her mother whom he loved very much. And he can see echoes of her in Rin. Rin loves him very much.
In Rin's case, losing her mother was very traumatic as a backstory sequence shows.

[bleakessence]

@makube
uh... so the chapters scanlated weren't chapter 6 and 7? Snap... so I haven't read chapters 1 through 7. Just chapters 1 through 5... @_@

@Deathkillz

Spoiler for KnJ:

Lol... "Imouto" complex. That's a term that made me smile. XD Btw, the plot of KnJ has some similarity to an anime I had watched before: Koi Kaze. Both deal with taboo topics in their own way: KnJ with its comical approach and partial child-nudity, KK with it's serious take on incest and pre-pubescent sex. Unlike KnJ, though, KK approaches its taboo very seriously, with almost no fan-service whatsoever. KnJ's fan-service was what probably set off the flamethrowers...

@Vexx

Spoiler for KnJ:

You know, I kind of suspected that but didn't consciously realize it until you put it down in words. Normal kids wouldn't be *that* kinky... I place my bet on sexual abuse... o_o;

[MakubeX2]

Our aim is to translate every chapters of KnJ out there until someone has the guts to publish KnJ.

Those 2 chapter are stand alone prelims that Watashiya drew when she still have intents for KnJ to be an ad-hoc series that appear every now and then before she proceed to make a full fledged tale out of it. There is supposed to be a 3rd, but I just can't find the scans for it.

And as for Chapter 6 and onwards, we are now working on it.

[togupheaval]

Thanks Makube! The proto chapter was quite well done, and the punchline to close the story was fantastic.

Spoiler for KnJ:

Mimi's small experiment with cutting makes for a good side story, as well. Rin's reaction to what Mimi tells her might be my favorite moment in the chapter.