AnimeSuki Forums

Griffith · 2004-04-14, 18:56

I was browsing Dark Horse's website, and it says that Volume 6 will be out on August 11th in the USA. I also found a 4 page preview of Volume 5 on there. One odd thing, though: on this page Satomi calls Bungo "Kazuyuki". Did some of the names get changed for the US release? If so, that's rather lame.

Quarkboy · 2004-04-15, 00:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griffith

I was browsing Dark Horse's website, and it says that Volume 6 will be out on August 11th in the USA. I also found a 4 page preview of Volume 5 on there. One odd thing, though: on this page Satomi calls Bungo "Kazuyuki". Did some of the names get changed for the US release? If so, that's rather lame.

Hmmm, I have no idea? In the original japanese, she say's "Bungo". Maybe a mistake? Why in the world would they change Bungo's name?

Briareos · 2004-04-15, 10:54

Is Kazuyuki his sirname?

brightman · 2004-04-15, 10:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Briareos

Is Kazuyuki his sirname?

Kazuyuki doesn't sound like a last name to me. It's probably Bungo's first name, and Bungo is the surname.

I guess they want them on more familiar terms since in English you generally don't call friends by their last names.

tsurumaru · 2004-04-15, 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by brightman

Kazuyuki doesn't sound like a last name to me. It's probably Bungo's first name, and Bungo is the surname.

I guess they want them on more familiar terms since in English you generally don't call friends by their last names.

Bungo's first name is Takano....hmm odd, if I remember correctly the guy in Akira's class who fancies Akira is called Kazayuki (Volume 1 when Akira is having an "episode" after linking to Ensof the class bitch says something like "Bechya Kazayuki would lick it up" ). He also featured in the recent SMB storyline (Volume 5~6) where Akira wants him to make love to her in the school medical office...

Damn I know too much about this series....

brightman · 2004-04-15, 15:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsurumaru

Bungo's first name is Takano....hmm odd, if I remember correctly the guy in Akira's class who fancies Akira is called Kazayuki (Volume 1 when Akira is having an "episode" after linking to Ensof the class bitch says something like "Bechya Kazayuki would lick it up" ). He also featured in the recent SMB storyline (Volume 5~6) where Akira wants him to make love to her in the school medical office...

Damn I know too much about this series....

Sounds like whoever translating screwed up majorly then by remembering the first names wrong...

Griffith · 2004-04-24, 23:52

Does anyone happen to know where to find Narutaru wallpapers by chance? I figured this would be the best place to ask, since most of the fans of the series post on this thread

I've checked every anime wallpaper site I know of and none of them have any.

tsurumaru · 2004-04-25, 06:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griffith

Does anyone happen to know where to find Narutaru wallpapers by chance? I figured this would be the best place to ask, since most of the fans of the series post on this thread

I've checked every anime wallpaper site I know of and none of them have any.

I'm currently recovering from a nasty bout of the Flu at the moment (and hope to post updates to the summaries soon). I used to have some wallpapers on my website that I got from Afternoon magazine's free disc's but sadly my website hosting company folded (damn you free-host!

) . However I was cunning enough to get someone to mirror the Narutaru themed ones

.

Enjoy:

http://www.peko-peko.net/dragons/extras.htm

Be sure to check out K-chan and Razzy's websites, they are one of the only English Narutaru fansites out there!

TronDD · 2004-04-25, 08:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griffith

Does anyone happen to know where to find Narutaru wallpapers by chance? I figured this would be the best place to ask, since most of the fans of the series post on this thread

I've checked every anime wallpaper site I know of and none of them have any.

I found a Narutaru poster similar to Tsurumaru's first wallpaper at a convention. www.asylum-anime.com had it. I snatched that up as the only Narutaru merchandise I've ever seen.

I wish they had some cool posters of Hiro and her dragonet and the Dragon Princess or whatever they call the cool naked chick.

A Hoshimaru backpack would be pretty neat, too.

Griffith · 2004-04-25, 14:19

Cool, I'll be saving those to my hard drive.

I agree, a Hoshimaru backpack would be awesome, it's too bad the series didn't get popular enough for much merchandise to be made.

tsurumaru · 2004-04-25, 17:34

Hmm the Javascript at the above site that was linked to caused my browser to crash so I lost my initial post about merchandise:

I'm assuming that poster was the one that promoted the release of the Anime series.

On my travels in Japan and on the web I have found the following Narutaru merchandise:

3 Japanese Artwork Telephone cards (see links below)

http://free.one.picturehost.co.uk/tel1.jpg
http://free.one.picturehost.co.uk/Image122.jpg
http://free.one.picturehost.co.uk/telc.jpg

Plushies of Hoshimaru and Ain Soph/En Sof (I have a Hoshimaru one see below for an image)

http://free.one.picturehost.co.uk/Hoshiplushy.jpg

The Narutaru 2004 Calendar (which I sadly still haven't been able to get my hands on

) [If you're a Winny user could you search for this please! I'm desperate to see the artwork!!!]

Also there are a few fan model kits of Shiina/Hoshi, Akira/Ain Soph and The Virgin Princess and her Dragon. (I've also seen a rather disturbing model of Hiro-chan's Oni and her unfortunate victim)

Oh yeah and lastly Kitou-san himself has a Hoshimaru packpack!

See the image below (which used to be hosted on his website)

http://free.one.picturehost.co.uk/canno01_s.jpg

If anyone else knows of anything feel free to let us know

TronDD · 2004-04-25, 18:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsurumaru

I'm assuming that poster was the one that promoted the release of the Anime series.

Yeah, this is it. (Yahoo Japan auction)

Quarkboy · 2004-05-03, 20:59

OK, I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes, but I've waited long enough for summaries to the rest of the manga, and I can't wait any longer! So here they are, written by me.

Maybe this is obvious but:

Major Spoilers!

Chapter 58 (A short trip together before a long trip together before):

Spoiler:

Chapter 59 (The child was entranced by the star):

Spoiler:

Shiina and Kuri are riding their bikes (Kuri's is just a plain old single gear bike with a basket on the front: Kuri has no shoes on). Shiina asks if it's OK to call her Kuri-chan, and then asks if she goes to Banda-academy. Kuri replies "From time to time", provoking a nervous giggle from Shiina. She goes on to explain that she isn't actually a student. Kuri asks Shiina where they are going, and asks if Shiina is running away from home. Shiina denies it, of course. Shiina asks if Kuri wants to go home, but Kuri explains that she doesn't have one.... or so they say. She says that the whole world is her home. Shiina asks what happened to her mother and father, and Kuri explains that she has none. Shiina apologizes but Kuri says not to worry about her, as she does what she pleases (??). They continue biking along. Shiina asks Kuri if she wants to take a break, and if she's hungry. Kuri is a little confused (perhaps about the concept of hunger?), and explains that she doesn't have any money. Shiina produces a bento (only some onigiri, actually), however, and they sit down by a fence to eat. Kuri seems hesitant to eat, and Shiina asks her if she doesn't like it, but Kuri tries a bite and says it’s good. (Most likely she simply didn't know how to eat it and was watching Shiina to see how she did it first). Back on their bikes, the sun now setting, Kuri asks again where they are going, and whether Shiina is running away from home. They stop at some abandoned house, and Shiina asks if Kuri is tired. She says no, and asks why Shiina won't go home. Has she started to hate her father? She says of course not, but Kuri doesn't think that's really the truth. Shiina asks Kuri how she knows her father, and Kuri replies that she knows about Shiina because she knows about herself. Shiina, confused, asks her to explain. Kuri asks whether Shiina is ok with her being so unaffected (weak). Shiina is a bit shocked, and Kuri goes on to explain that Shiina's really just worried about Tsurumaru since he was so close to the center of the nuclear explosion. Shiina is silent, and then asks if Kuri has a Dragon. Kuri replies that she does. Shiina asks if its here, and Kuri, surprised she doesn't understand, pauses for a second, and the ground between Shiina and her begins to glow. Kuri then explains: "Everything, this star, this world, everything is my dragon-child Sheol". Shiina is shocked, and looks a little scared. Kuri then says that Sudou-san has begun to move, giving Shiina another shock: "You know Sudou-san?!". Kuri: "Of course. He is a performer, I am an observer. And judge." Kuri: "Well, at any rate your dragon-child has yet to awaken". At which point petals of some sort emerge from the ground, surround Kuri, and suck her into the earth. Scene change: A hiker is lost, and stumbles upon an abandoned amusement park. A bright light suddenly shines on the horizon. At Cheyenne Mountain (a top-secret military installation located deep in the Colorado Mountains... featured in the 3rd Terminator movie sorta) all sorts of alarms are going off, it seems like there are some incoming missiles.... Switch to the president of the US, being awakened by a phone call. He asks where the missiles are coming from, and is shocked to hear that they are coming from Japan! (Hmmm, whether these are American missiles that were stationed in Japan or Japanese missiles that they aren't supposed to have is left ambiguous).

Chapter 60 (Things that soar):

Spoiler:

Chapter 61 (Together we fly):

Spoiler:

End of Volume 11.

Corrections? Comments? Questions? Always welcomed.

Griffith · 2004-05-03, 21:42

Yay, I was waiting for this.

It sounds like Sudo and company are

Spoiler:

Either way, I can't wait to see how things turn out.

Quarkboy · 2004-05-03, 22:23

Massive Spoilers:
Volume 12:

Chapter 62. Summer's Winter

Spoiler:

Evacuation orders are blaring over loudspeakers over the Tokyo area. People are franticly evacuating to their designated shelters. Shunji (Shiina’s father) gets a phone call. He answers “Shi...” but it isn’t who he hopes, it’s actually his copilot at Motoki airfield, Suzuki-san. She tells him to come to the airfield on his bike immediately. Shunji agrees, and mutters to himself “Shiina, not again...” Meanwhile, Shiina is hurriedly flying home on Hoshimaru, and remembering that Sudou-san was that guy he saw with Akira-chan while flying back from the site of the nuclear-blast (the first one). Combining that info with what Kuri said and the policeman’s story about the nuclear attack, Shiina figures that Sudou must be behind it all. Back at Shunji’s apartment, the Agent and his buddy are staked out front. Takaya-kun (the guy who likes Shiina from school) is fighting with his sister (I think), she is chiding him to hurry up, but he wants to go upstairs to check on Shiina (I never realized he lived right next door, but I guess he does!). As he runs up the stairs, he sees Shiina flying in on Hoshimaru! Shiina is also surprised to see him, and before he can barely stammer a “you were flying...” the Agent and Shunji appear. Shiina asks him if he knows where Sudou is, but he doesn’t. Takaya’s sister appears and yells for him to hurry and leave. Shunji reassures him that they will be fine, since the designated shelter just HAPPENS to be Motoki airfield! Takaya’s sister storms downstairs, angry and very scared, followed by Takaya. Back in the apartment, Shunji confronts Shiina about Hoshimaru: “So, that’s your friend, eh?” Shiina says she calls him Hoshimaru, but that he’s really Tsurumaru, which Shunji finds very amusing. Shinji thanks Tsurumaru for protecting Shiina all this time, but asks her not to overdo it. The Agent barges in: “What the hell are you guys doing?! Are you ready yet?” They explain to him that they didn’t really have anything to do for preparations, which frustrates him quite a bit. (Some more humor I don’t totally get). In the Agent’s car, Shunji asks about some more details behind the attacks. The Agent explains that though he doesn’t know the size of the warheads, it seems that New York, Washington, Ottawa, Paris, Berlin, London, Cairo, Moscow, Sydney, New Deli, Singapore, Kuala Lompor, Peking, and Geneva have all been attacked. He mumbles something about nuclear winter, and Shiina asks what that is. Shunji explains that “it's when dust and ash from many large scale explosions combine and blow up into the stratosphere, blocking out the light from the sun and cooling the earth.” The Agent explains that worst case scenario the earth would cool below freezing for many months, causing worldwide famine. He goes on to predict the collapse of government, massive looting, and the deaths of billions. Shiina is, to put it lightly, upset. (She hadn’t truly comprehended the scale of what was happening until now). Shunji tries to comfort her, however, by saying that the Agent’s predictions were really worst case, and that they should be more optimistic. The Agent wonders for what purpose Sudou has done this, since Japan as an island nation wouldn’t be able to simply support itself. “In any case, we have to stop any more bombs from falling”. Shunji tells Shiina not to blame herself. Motoki Airfield is packed full of refugees. The owner lady is trying to direct the set up of tents and generally get the place ready, when the Tamai’s arrive: “Great, more craziness!” she says. She immediately puts Shunji to work, and Shiina volunteers to help too, to the chagrin of the Agent. Satou informs Miyako that the prime-minister in on board his private jet. They wonder why the television crews are still broadcasting, risking their lives. Miyako asks about Satou’s fiancée (she has a fiancée?!), and she explains that she knows what shelter he is in. Miyako complains about how his dream to unite the world under one nation was such a short lived dream. “Oh, but my paradise will be left unfulfilled!” “Or was it more like hell?” Satou then confirms the appearance of a new warhead. Miyako wonders how it came to this... Back at the airbase, Shiina and the Agent are hard at work distributing food. Shunji finds them, and they all take a dinner break. Shiina asks Tsurumaru to come there when he can. The Agent eats in his car with his buddy, and wonders aloud if this will be his last meal. Shiina and her dad eat quietly, until Shiina starts to ask him about Mishou (the name written on the pajamas she was given at her grandparents house). But before she can speak, she is struck by some sort of pain. Agent, Shunji and Shiina all run outside and star at a glow on the horizon. The Agent confers with his partner (who is on the phone), and explains that Mt. Fuji has just been attacked. He then explains that it’s not jut Mt. Fuji, but dormant volcanoes all around the world are being targeted. It truly seems that Sudou is trying to cause a nuclear winter! (I.E. attacking dormant volcanoes causes them to erupt, spewing EVEN more dust and ash into the atmosphere then with a normal nuclear attack. Recall, for example, the dust cloud after the Mt. St. Helens explosion here in the state. And that was simply ONE volcano.) Shiina suddenly proclaims that she knows where Sudou is. She claims that Akira will guide her, and you see now that Ain Soph is Shiina’s backpack (She is holding Hoshimaru in her arms). (Note, it is unclear when Ain Soph appeared. I guess that it appeared sometime between when Shiina was in pain and when when went outside).

Actually, I did a full translation of this chapter, line by line. But without the manga something like that is pretty useless.

Griffith · 2004-05-04, 00:49

Interesting..

Thanks for providing these, you're doing a good job!

Quarkboy · 2004-05-04, 01:43

Incredibly Massive Spoilers:

Chapter 63. 13th year since you died

Spoiler:

The title page picture for this chapter is Shunji, dressed in a black suit, holding a framed picture of... the picture is covered up by glare. A US Military transport chopper arrives at the airfield, and out comes Miyako, Satou, and some US top brass. Miyako addresses Shiina (she remembers him from the time at the community center class), and asks her to help them. He wants Shiina to lead them to where Sudou is and to provide escort to the US military strike force. Before she can answer, Shunji erupts into anger. He can’t believe that Miyako would let Shiina take such a risk. But Shiina calmly says that it’ll be ok, and that this is something she has to do for herself. Something she wants to do. Shunji, realizing his daughter’s determination, volunteers to go to as part of Shiina’s escort in the new prototype jet. Miyako agrees. Preparations are made for the excursion. Hoshimaru expands into a full canopied flight thingy, and Shunji is ready in his jet. Just as Shiina is getting on the transport plane Misono (Shiina’s Mom) drives up to the base. Shiina is in the back of the transport holding Ain Soph and Hoshimaru, and catches a glimpse of her mother running towards the plane. Shiina instinctively hides behind the door. As the plane powers up to take off, Misono screams something at the plane, but Shiina doesn’t hear it (Well, if she does, WE don’t). Misono watches Shiina take off, then runs over the Shunji’s jet (which hasn’t left yet). She catches him in the cockpit ready to go, and cries out that when he gets back they need to talk... about Mishou. Shunji just gives her a salute, as she tells him to bring Shiina back. At altitude and airspeed, Shiina jumps out of the plane, Hoshimaru catches her, and transforms into flight-mode with canopy. Ain Soph points in a direction and off they all go, Shiina, Shunji, and Shunji’s wingman Suzuki. Next we see a scene where the reporter who has been investigating into the dragon sightings and various matters is talking to some TV guys (I’m not sure what exactly was said here...). After a bit of radio chatter between Shunji and Suzuki, a nearby US radar plane alerts them to an approaching large object. It’s the Otohime, here to help protect Shiina again! Shiina seems happy to see it, and Shunji seems to recognize it as one of the drawings “at the time of childhood” (whether this refers to HIS childhood or someone else’s is unclear). Remember the drawings that Shiina discovered at her grandparents house? Yeah, that’s the one. From the front spire of the dragon, the form of the girl oozes out, taking full shape. When Shunji sees her face, he gasps “Mishou!”. Flashback: Mishou’s grave; Mishou in school outfit: “Otou-san”. Suzuki snaps Shunji out of his memories, asking what is wrong. He explains that he’s OK, and that the dragon is here to help us. Shunji then tells Suzuki to prepare, because the enemy is coming... Waiting for them, is Bungo’s dragon-child Haimeuere, or as I will refer to it from now on “Angel”, ‘cause I can’t pronounce nor spell its actual name. Next time: The final showdown!

Chapter 64. Dad

Spoiler:

This chapter starts with a flashback. We see Misono and Mishou at a kitchen table. Mishou pesters her mother: “Will it be a boy? A girl?” She tells Shunji that he probably wants a boy, but Shunji is doesn’t make trouble and says that either will be fine. You see a brief glimpse of Misono in the present, remarking on how Mishou acted strange. You see another picture of Mishou in what looks like a Banda academy uniform. Misono has just had a baby, and Mishou is holding it. She tell Shunji and Misono to make sure to give the baby a cute name. Then she tells Shunji that she will be ok now. Shunji, imploring a doctor for information on Mishou’s condition. He tells him that she died from wounds inflicted by a kitchen knife (Accident? Suicide? I can’t tell). Toddler Shiina is trying to walk, when Shunji tells her not to start smoking. Then Misono (cigarette in hand) tells Shunji that she is leaving him, in order to devote herself to her research and understand what happened. Back in the present, Shunji awakens from his memories. He realizes now that Misono knew what had happened to Mishou, and that he never asked her about it. He figures he’ll need to apologize to her when he gets back. In the distance, shrouded by clouds a strange object appears. Sitting on this white surface is Bungo with Satomi in his lap. Satomi is using Amapora as a kind of radar, and tells Bungo there are 4 objects approaching. The Otohime (Mishou) holds out her left arm, and Angel buzzes by Shunji’s left wing. Shunji instantly recognizes his former foe, and orders Suzuki to protect Shiina while he tries to draw it away. Angel creates a Vulcan cannon and fires at Shunji, forcing him into evasive maneuvers. By the time Shunji regroups, Angel has left and is going after Shiina and Hoshimaru. Hoshimaru plunges toward the sea at top speed, followed closely by Angel (Shiina suffers from the air pressure differential). Angel fires it’s cannon and barely misses, but up behind comes Mishou to protect Shiina. Angel tries and go above Mishou and shoot, but she raises one of her dragon’s arms vertically and begins to shoot the energy beam that’s been seen before. However, before it takes full impact (or perhaps Angel dodged, it’s hard to tell), a gigantic hand rises from the sea and grabs Mishou’s dragon (Really, I kid you not: a gigantic hand attached to a weird elongated arm-like thing). It smashes the dragon into the sea. Shiina wonders if that was Kuri. Angel comes back and shoots a few holes in Hoshimaru’s outer wings. Just as it’s going for the kill however, Shunji comes speeding in and clips Angel hard with his left wing. Shiina implores Tsurumaru to take her back to her father, but Hoshimaru speeds away. Angel chases after Shunji, and manages to shoot a few holes in his right wingtip. Shunji realizes at this point what he needs to do, and makes peace with himself. With Angel right behind him he creates a smokescreen blinding Bungo’s Angel, gets behind him, and then accelerates again drawing Angel into one of his air intakes. As Angel is being sucked in, it’s Vulcan cannon tilts upward, and shoots into the cockpit right as Shunji ejects. Bungo falls unconscious (dead?), Shiina looks on in horror. Back at Motoki airfield, the Agent and the owner look in shock as a news report on the TV features pictures of Shiina and Hiroko.

More to come...

Griffith · 2004-05-04, 02:14

Wow, so the Otohime is

Spoiler:

Looks like the story is almost over, I'm kinda sad in a way. I'd love to see this stuff animated, but as more time goes on, the chances of a second season become increasingly less likely. I'll have to settle for buying the import manga once I get the extra money.

Quarkboy · 2004-05-04, 02:58

Insane Amounts of Spoilers:

Chapter 65. That gentle voice that calls to me

Spoiler:

Shiina (and Mishou, in the distance) look out on the flaming trail left by Shunji’s fighter. Satomi tries to desperately calling Bungo’s name to no avail. Hoshimaru begins speeding away from the scene, again going towards Sudou, but Shiina screams at Tsurumaru to go back...Eventually, she simply lapses into tears. Satomi brings Amaporo over and holds Bungo in her arms. Then uses Amaporo to lift him to his feet. Meanwhile, Hoshimaru has arrived at the strange thing along the horizon, which is now revealed to be a truly gigantic hand, palm facing up with its fingers slightly curled, projecting up into the clouds. Hoshimaru drops Shiina and Ain Soph off. Shiina gazes out into the eerie, cloudy landscape, with the upturned fingers making shadowy monoliths in the distance. Out of the mists appears Akira. Akira bursts into tears and embraces Shiina. Akira and Shiina approach one of the great fingers and at the base sits Sudou-san, looking very ill. He seems glad that Shiina came. Shiina immediately asks him why he has done such things, to which he replies “For your sake, Shiina. Or more accurately, for you and Kuri’s sake.” He then goes on to explain how this world is dying and that humanity is undeserved (or something like that), and that his group and Tsurumaru’s group both represented different types of changes: chaos, disorder, catastrophe. (This section I don’t understand very well at all... any help?). But, he says, I am only a performer. I am not the one that will judge. He explains that he hasn’t eaten in about a week. Shiina asks why, and Sudou explains that he hates himself the most of all. He doesn’t want to become a full dragon. From now on, Shiina will... At this point, Sudou dies. Shiina screams and shakes him (she’s just as frustrated as we are about not knowing what he was about to say), but receives no response. Shiina sits brooding at the edge of the hand, Akira comes up behind her and asks her where she will return to. Shiina says she has no where to go, she can’t go home, back to that place. Back at Motoki airfield one of the girls from Shiina’s class (the one with the glasses) is frantically searching. On the TV we see a glimpse of Miyako. She arrives in a room with two other classmates. (This is a little side I don’t totally get yet). Back on “the hand”, Akira tells Shiina that she thinks she should go back. Go back to her mother’s place. The look of anger in Shiina’s eyes is vivid, as the scene shifts to Misono, still waiting in a hanger in Motoki airfield (smoking). Misono thinks back on Mishou, and Shiina. She knew Shiina was lonely, but she wanted to see if returning Mishou would be possible. Here follows Misono’s best guess at the nature of dragon’s (poorly translated, as this is really tough stuff): The young ones are dragon-childs. The have yet to call the full body (???). My own dream became to search for the circuits of thought (lit. probably referring to the neural pathways of the brain). The nervous systems of animals, even of plants it seemed we knew nothing about. My hypothesis is this: The place a soul escapes to, the "tamashii no jyuyoutai" (means, place of reception for souls), the soul's "obligation symbol" (??? yorishiro, not in my dictionary), the soul's nest. Their bodies take in souls. Dragons... they become the memories of this star. And now, what kind of timing is this? The world is... once taken in, the brains were lost. Once again, the dragon's bodies became the star. And their wishing souls. The earth's "otohime" (Virgin princess) must become the ciruit, and choose. (My best summary of this is: Life lives, accumulating it’s memories of existence in dragons. At some point, the planet dies, and these accumulated memories are reborn into a new form a life renewed. It is the Otohime which is the key to this renewal somehow.) Akira is still trying to convince Shiina to go back to her mother, she asks her if Shiina loves her mother, and Shiina lashes out at Akira, saying she’s a lier, and it’s only her father that... but she stops, as Akira explains that she never had a good relationship with her mother. It was easier that way, but she doesn’t want Shiina to be the same. Shiina stops, then decides to go back. She orders Hoshimaru to go back... to her father. A glazed look has some over her eyes. She wonders what kinds of side dishes he’ll want for dinner tonight. Akira stands in shock. Shiina invites Akira over to dinner tonight, thinking “maybe I’ll invite Hiro-chan too”. Akira, seeing that Shiina has totally snapped, slaps her hard across the face, then bursts into tears apologizing to Shiina, leaning on her shoulders. At just this moment, large explosions rock the “hand” behind Akira from tomahawk cruise missiles (I’m pretty sure Satou planted a tracking device on Shiina before she left). Akira and Shiina are blown back, and out of Akira’s back stick four large pieces of shrapnel. Shiina cries out to Akira, and another round of missiles strike. Shiina calls to Hoshimaru, but he doesn’t seem to be around. Shiina pleads for Akira not to speak, but with dying breath she asks Shiina to go to her mother. For Mishou is Shiina’s older sister’s name. And she became the Otohime. That is how Shiina got her name. Back at the airbase, the three girls are discussing Shiina’s name. They explain how Shiina (written the Kanji that it is) means “empty shell”, or “lifeless husk”. It is a fancy name for the outer casing which a seed casts off as it sprouts. They seem to think it is a cruel name to give a child, but one of them remarks that it probably reflects the feeling of the mother at the time of birth. Shiina asks Akira what she means, and she explains that the name reflects her mother’s feelings for her. Akira then says she is glad she got to see Shiina’s name. Shiina hears a voice from within herself: “Shiina, that is my... my name!” Various panels: Misono , Shunji, and Mishou shopping, Mishou facing some dragon, Misono with baby Mishou, Hiroko, Trickster replicating an ICBM, Norio’s head on the angel puppet. Shiina is staring at a naked version of herself, saying to her “So you can finally hear me”, and reaching out with her hand. Back in reality, another giant hand explodes out of the sea, swats a few cruise missiles out of the sky, and destroys all the US planes. It should be noted that the hand has the same scar as Shiina has from her fight with Hiro-chan’s Oni. Shiina looks on in amazement/horror: “I did that?”. Kuri then appears beside them: She explains that Shiina’s dragon child is finally awake. Her dragon is the entire world. You see, the world is composed of two dragons. Kuri: “You are the light of my shadow. I am the shadow of your light.”

Chapter 66. Possibly the ending

Spoiler:

Quarkboy · 2004-05-04, 04:11

This is the Final Chapter, do I really need to spell it out?:

Final Chapter. ...and from a dying world shall come the children of light

Spoiler:

(Note, time flows kind of freely in this final chapter, so if things feel a bit disjoint, its because they are presented that way).

We see a ruined partially flooded landscape. Among the wreckage are cars, jagged pieces of concrete, and about half of the building where Shunji’s apartment is sticks up out of the rubble. A small figure of Shiina sits on top of the building, smoking. Shiina, wearing her stomach band, is cooking breakfast for her mother (in a scene purposefully dual to those with her father instead). Misono says good morning, and Shiina asks her if she wants to smoke. Misono lights up, and Shiina asks if she can go visit Akira today. Misono says its not safe to go alone, and that there should be enough gasoline in the car to make the trip. Shiina thanks her mother. As they leave the house, there is graffiti all over the walls (“demon”, “witch”, “die”, etc...). Driving along, her mother tells Shiina not to worry about such things when another car drives out right in front of them and they crash. A man with a shotgun gets out of a van, and Misono pushes Shiina out of the car just as he fires. Shiina looks back in horror. The ruined landscape again. Shiina stands in rubble, staring at half of a rusted out vehicle perched upon so concrete structure, smoking. A window, Akira on a ventilator, Akira falling out of the window, 4 stories onto the sidewalk. Miyako is approached by the glasses girl and some guy. They ask if he is Miyako Tatsumi, and when he replies yes, the man stabs him, and the girl says that it is revenge for her father (I have no idea who her father is either, so don’t ask). Back to Shiina, running frantically away from the horrible scene with here mother, squats down in an alley, and disappears into the ground. She goes to the only place she has left, Tsurumaru’s. The ruined landscape again: Shiina smoking, staring at the ruined husk of Tsurumaru’s building. Present: Shiina runs inside, calling for Tsurumaru, and finds him collapsed on the floor in a pool of blood. Hoshimaru appears, and begins to scream on the floor next to Tsurumaru’s body: One of his arms extends and connects with Tsurumaru’s head, but then quickly goes limp. Shiina stands back, aghast. As she cries out his name, three men appear (one with a shotgun), and Shiina puts her head down and does not protest. As the shotgun is fired, however, a sheet of something comes up out of the floor and stops the bullets (This looks very similar to how Gaara’s sand shield works, to get a mental picture, but a bit more clay like). Kuri appears on a chair of tendrils, and says that it’s regrettable that Shiina can’t simply let this world go. Kuri: “It’s OK to let it die!” At this point, a hand rises up and crushes the head of the man with a shotgun. Gigantic hands explode out of the surface of the earth everywhere, gigantic, fleshy hands attached to amorphous arm like tentacles which begin sweeping the landscape, destroying everything, everyone. A picture of the planet itself shows half the earth writhing with extruding, undulating hands the size of continents. The sky; Shiina, smoking, staring at the ruined sign for Mutsu’s Meals (Akira’s home). Shiina is dressed in a simple white dress, with no shoes. Kuri appears behind her, in a black dress, and says that she told her that you shouldn’t smoke, because it’s bad for the baby. You see now that both Shiina and Kuri are pregnant. Shiina puts of the cigarette, and they go back. The arch out in the bay at Shiina’s grandparent’s island is slightly crooked. Shiina sits under a makeshift shelter. Kuri appears, and complains that Shiina hasn’t eaten anything. Two onigiri (identical to the ones Shiina shared with her in Vol. 11) appear on a table the emerges from the ground. Kuri continues to say that she worried about the baby, and that there isn’t anything here because Shiina hasn’t created anything. Kuri then asks Shiina what she is confused about. Shiina says, “About, how to make the world, am I ready, the situation...” Kuri holds up a drawing, Shiina is shocked to see her summer homework assignment that she drew way back in chapter 1. Kuri says that yes it is her drawing, and we see that it is a crude drawing: A house with a chimney, a table filled with food. Behind it, Shiina, her father, and... her mother. Kuri tears the picture up into small pieces: “It's ok, it doesn't suit you. That's why I will destroy this world, and raise it. The dragon's otohime is various (lit: "thoughts of circuits") methods of thought. If you should send that message, life will be listening for it's substitute. With life, it’s possible.” (This last few lines are very hard to translate... unfortunately). Kuri and Shiina, Black and White, Ying and Yang, stand on the beach looking out at the arch. The sky is filled with dragons. The arch is now half collapsed. A black haired boy is chasing a light haired girl on the same beach, both naked. The arch is now a pile of rubble out in the ocean. The stars shine brightly in the sky. The two children, small shadowed naked creatures, are on hands and knees, kissing in the darkness.

2004-05-03, 20:59	Link #113
Quarkboy Translator, Producer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Tokyo, Japan Age: 44	OK, I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes, but I've waited long enough for summaries to the rest of the manga, and I can't wait any longer! So here they are, written by me. Maybe this is obvious but: Major Spoilers! Chapter 58 (A short trip together before a long trip together before): Spoiler: Shiina is cooking, her dad smoking. He asks her if she is going to class today, and she say's that she probably won't. He then suggests that tomorrow they go to an amusement park. Shiina says that's out of the question since he's testing the new jet, but he says he gets Sunday off so it's OK. Shiina agrees, but doesn't seem too happy about it. Shunji then asks how her stay at her grandparents place was... Shiina reassures him that she is fine. After he leaves for work, Shiina is lounging around the apartment, and looks around. She puts on her shorts, and leaves on her bike to go to the library. She picks up a dictionary and looks up the Kanji she saw written on the clothes her grandparents gave her to wear the kanji "Mishou". The dictionary defines it as "Something which was raised from a seed: A seedling". On her way back, she passes by Akira's restaurant, and notes that it is now for sale. She then goes to Tsurumaru's place, but gets nervous and leaves, only to be confronted by Kuri. Shiina seems to remember her, and Kuri addresses her by name "Tamai Shiina-san" Chapter 59 (The child was entranced by the star): Spoiler: Shiina and Kuri are riding their bikes (Kuri's is just a plain old single gear bike with a basket on the front: Kuri has no shoes on). Shiina asks if it's OK to call her Kuri-chan, and then asks if she goes to Banda-academy. Kuri replies "From time to time", provoking a nervous giggle from Shiina. She goes on to explain that she isn't actually a student. Kuri asks Shiina where they are going, and asks if Shiina is running away from home. Shiina denies it, of course. Shiina asks if Kuri wants to go home, but Kuri explains that she doesn't have one.... or so they say. She says that the whole world is her home. Shiina asks what happened to her mother and father, and Kuri explains that she has none. Shiina apologizes but Kuri says not to worry about her, as she does what she pleases (??). They continue biking along. Shiina asks Kuri if she wants to take a break, and if she's hungry. Kuri is a little confused (perhaps about the concept of hunger?), and explains that she doesn't have any money. Shiina produces a bento (only some onigiri, actually), however, and they sit down by a fence to eat. Kuri seems hesitant to eat, and Shiina asks her if she doesn't like it, but Kuri tries a bite and says it’s good. (Most likely she simply didn't know how to eat it and was watching Shiina to see how she did it first). Back on their bikes, the sun now setting, Kuri asks again where they are going, and whether Shiina is running away from home. They stop at some abandoned house, and Shiina asks if Kuri is tired. She says no, and asks why Shiina won't go home. Has she started to hate her father? She says of course not, but Kuri doesn't think that's really the truth. Shiina asks Kuri how she knows her father, and Kuri replies that she knows about Shiina because she knows about herself. Shiina, confused, asks her to explain. Kuri asks whether Shiina is ok with her being so unaffected (weak). Shiina is a bit shocked, and Kuri goes on to explain that Shiina's really just worried about Tsurumaru since he was so close to the center of the nuclear explosion. Shiina is silent, and then asks if Kuri has a Dragon. Kuri replies that she does. Shiina asks if its here, and Kuri, surprised she doesn't understand, pauses for a second, and the ground between Shiina and her begins to glow. Kuri then explains: "Everything, this star, this world, everything is my dragon-child Sheol". Shiina is shocked, and looks a little scared. Kuri then says that Sudou-san has begun to move, giving Shiina another shock: "You know Sudou-san?!". Kuri: "Of course. He is a performer, I am an observer. And judge." Kuri: "Well, at any rate your dragon-child has yet to awaken". At which point petals of some sort emerge from the ground, surround Kuri, and suck her into the earth. Scene change: A hiker is lost, and stumbles upon an abandoned amusement park. A bright light suddenly shines on the horizon. At Cheyenne Mountain (a top-secret military installation located deep in the Colorado Mountains... featured in the 3rd Terminator movie sorta) all sorts of alarms are going off, it seems like there are some incoming missiles.... Switch to the president of the US, being awakened by a phone call. He asks where the missiles are coming from, and is shocked to hear that they are coming from Japan! (Hmmm, whether these are American missiles that were stationed in Japan or Japanese missiles that they aren't supposed to have is left ambiguous). Chapter 60 (Things that soar): Spoiler: Miyako is complaining that they can't find Shiina or Tsurumaru, when Satou gets a phone call. She informs him that ICBM's are headed toward America, eta 15 minutes. He asks where they are coming from, and when Satou explains that they are from Japan, he breaks into laughter (probably nervous laughter, remember that Miyako is fiercely nationalistic, so he's kind of torn here). Shiina is still shocked that Kuri just vanished. Shunji arrives home on his bike, only to find the place empty. Before he can panic, two people from Miyako's organization (presumably) arrive and demand to know where Shiina is. At first Shunji gets mad, but then the guy (since he never gets a name, I will call him the "agent"), the agent explains the situation to Shunji, and how his daughter's power is vital. We see an orbiting warhead platform launching a warhead, falling to the ground, the empire state building, more falling warheads, what I believe is a palace in London (help Tsurumaru?!), and the Eiffel tower, followed by a gigantic explosion, destruction, shots of various children: American, Hindu, Islamic. Shiina is in pain, and wonders what this feeling is. Then a full grown dragon appears before her. Back at the apartment, Shunji and the Agent are interrupted by the appearance of a dragon. Shots of people around the world, dragons are appearing everywhere. Chapter 61 (Together we fly): Spoiler: Scenes of worldwide destruction: New York, Sydney, Beijing, and some other places I can't identify. A bloody child with empty eyes staring at a dragon, high in the sky. The sky is filled with dragons, including the Otohime (the girl who keeps saving Shiina). All sorts of dragons, an antelope, monkey, snake, something that looks like a piranha, even a sea fern all have the telltale stripes/markings of a dragon-princess/prince. Shiina wonder's what's happening, then bikes off until she runs into a policeman. He informs her about the attack on New York (I guess that's all they know about) and the strange dragon sightings, and tells her to go home. Shiina remembers what Kuri said about Sudou-san starting to move, and puts two and two together. She wishes that Hoshimaru was there and begins to bike home as quickly as possible. Sudou and Bungo are in a silo, and simultaneously turn the launch switch (which, now that I think about it, are labeled in English: which answers my previous question). They suggest going to the next silo. Sudou and Bungo are flying (Each riding their respective Dragon-child), and Sudou asks if Bungo is scared. He says a little. Sudou continues: "Mankind is an arrogant imposter. The earth's existence is expiring, this wonderful star, due to mankind's values." (The rest of the conversation I'm not too sure about... I think it's basically Sudou commenting on how what he's doing is both wonderful and horrible.) Shiina is still biking furiously, when a low passing dragon causes her to pause. Hoshimaru appears, and beckons her to come: Shiina gets on, thinking about Tsurumaru, and flies off into the distance... End of Volume 11. Corrections? Comments? Questions? Always welcomed. __________________ Read Light Novels in English at J-Novel Club! Translator, Producer, Japan Media Export Expert Founder and Owner of J-Novel Club Sam Pinansky

2004-05-03, 21:42	Link #114
Griffith Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004	Yay, I was waiting for this. It sounds like Sudo and company are Spoiler: acting on their plan to destroy the world.. or so it sounds like to me, I'm probably wrong Either way, I can't wait to see how things turn out.

2004-05-03, 22:23	Link #115
Quarkboy Translator, Producer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Tokyo, Japan Age: 44	Massive Spoilers: Volume 12: Chapter 62. Summer's Winter Spoiler: Evacuation orders are blaring over loudspeakers over the Tokyo area. People are franticly evacuating to their designated shelters. Shunji (Shiina’s father) gets a phone call. He answers “Shi...” but it isn’t who he hopes, it’s actually his copilot at Motoki airfield, Suzuki-san. She tells him to come to the airfield on his bike immediately. Shunji agrees, and mutters to himself “Shiina, not again...” Meanwhile, Shiina is hurriedly flying home on Hoshimaru, and remembering that Sudou-san was that guy he saw with Akira-chan while flying back from the site of the nuclear-blast (the first one). Combining that info with what Kuri said and the policeman’s story about the nuclear attack, Shiina figures that Sudou must be behind it all. Back at Shunji’s apartment, the Agent and his buddy are staked out front. Takaya-kun (the guy who likes Shiina from school) is fighting with his sister (I think), she is chiding him to hurry up, but he wants to go upstairs to check on Shiina (I never realized he lived right next door, but I guess he does!). As he runs up the stairs, he sees Shiina flying in on Hoshimaru! Shiina is also surprised to see him, and before he can barely stammer a “you were flying...” the Agent and Shunji appear. Shiina asks him if he knows where Sudou is, but he doesn’t. Takaya’s sister appears and yells for him to hurry and leave. Shunji reassures him that they will be fine, since the designated shelter just HAPPENS to be Motoki airfield! Takaya’s sister storms downstairs, angry and very scared, followed by Takaya. Back in the apartment, Shunji confronts Shiina about Hoshimaru: “So, that’s your friend, eh?” Shiina says she calls him Hoshimaru, but that he’s really Tsurumaru, which Shunji finds very amusing. Shinji thanks Tsurumaru for protecting Shiina all this time, but asks her not to overdo it. The Agent barges in: “What the hell are you guys doing?! Are you ready yet?” They explain to him that they didn’t really have anything to do for preparations, which frustrates him quite a bit. (Some more humor I don’t totally get). In the Agent’s car, Shunji asks about some more details behind the attacks. The Agent explains that though he doesn’t know the size of the warheads, it seems that New York, Washington, Ottawa, Paris, Berlin, London, Cairo, Moscow, Sydney, New Deli, Singapore, Kuala Lompor, Peking, and Geneva have all been attacked. He mumbles something about nuclear winter, and Shiina asks what that is. Shunji explains that “it's when dust and ash from many large scale explosions combine and blow up into the stratosphere, blocking out the light from the sun and cooling the earth.” The Agent explains that worst case scenario the earth would cool below freezing for many months, causing worldwide famine. He goes on to predict the collapse of government, massive looting, and the deaths of billions. Shiina is, to put it lightly, upset. (She hadn’t truly comprehended the scale of what was happening until now). Shunji tries to comfort her, however, by saying that the Agent’s predictions were really worst case, and that they should be more optimistic. The Agent wonders for what purpose Sudou has done this, since Japan as an island nation wouldn’t be able to simply support itself. “In any case, we have to stop any more bombs from falling”. Shunji tells Shiina not to blame herself. Motoki Airfield is packed full of refugees. The owner lady is trying to direct the set up of tents and generally get the place ready, when the Tamai’s arrive: “Great, more craziness!” she says. She immediately puts Shunji to work, and Shiina volunteers to help too, to the chagrin of the Agent. Satou informs Miyako that the prime-minister in on board his private jet. They wonder why the television crews are still broadcasting, risking their lives. Miyako asks about Satou’s fiancée (she has a fiancée?!), and she explains that she knows what shelter he is in. Miyako complains about how his dream to unite the world under one nation was such a short lived dream. “Oh, but my paradise will be left unfulfilled!” “Or was it more like hell?” Satou then confirms the appearance of a new warhead. Miyako wonders how it came to this... Back at the airbase, Shiina and the Agent are hard at work distributing food. Shunji finds them, and they all take a dinner break. Shiina asks Tsurumaru to come there when he can. The Agent eats in his car with his buddy, and wonders aloud if this will be his last meal. Shiina and her dad eat quietly, until Shiina starts to ask him about Mishou (the name written on the pajamas she was given at her grandparents house). But before she can speak, she is struck by some sort of pain. Agent, Shunji and Shiina all run outside and star at a glow on the horizon. The Agent confers with his partner (who is on the phone), and explains that Mt. Fuji has just been attacked. He then explains that it’s not jut Mt. Fuji, but dormant volcanoes all around the world are being targeted. It truly seems that Sudou is trying to cause a nuclear winter! (I.E. attacking dormant volcanoes causes them to erupt, spewing EVEN more dust and ash into the atmosphere then with a normal nuclear attack. Recall, for example, the dust cloud after the Mt. St. Helens explosion here in the state. And that was simply ONE volcano.) Shiina suddenly proclaims that she knows where Sudou is. She claims that Akira will guide her, and you see now that Ain Soph is Shiina’s backpack (She is holding Hoshimaru in her arms). (Note, it is unclear when Ain Soph appeared. I guess that it appeared sometime between when Shiina was in pain and when when went outside). Actually, I did a full translation of this chapter, line by line. But without the manga something like that is pretty useless. __________________ Read Light Novels in English at J-Novel Club! Translator, Producer, Japan Media Export Expert Founder and Owner of J-Novel Club Sam Pinansky Last edited by Quarkboy; 2004-05-04 at 00:45.

2004-05-04, 01:43	Link #117
Quarkboy Translator, Producer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Tokyo, Japan Age: 44	Incredibly Massive Spoilers: Chapter 63. 13th year since you died Spoiler: The title page picture for this chapter is Shunji, dressed in a black suit, holding a framed picture of... the picture is covered up by glare. A US Military transport chopper arrives at the airfield, and out comes Miyako, Satou, and some US top brass. Miyako addresses Shiina (she remembers him from the time at the community center class), and asks her to help them. He wants Shiina to lead them to where Sudou is and to provide escort to the US military strike force. Before she can answer, Shunji erupts into anger. He can’t believe that Miyako would let Shiina take such a risk. But Shiina calmly says that it’ll be ok, and that this is something she has to do for herself. Something she wants to do. Shunji, realizing his daughter’s determination, volunteers to go to as part of Shiina’s escort in the new prototype jet. Miyako agrees. Preparations are made for the excursion. Hoshimaru expands into a full canopied flight thingy, and Shunji is ready in his jet. Just as Shiina is getting on the transport plane Misono (Shiina’s Mom) drives up to the base. Shiina is in the back of the transport holding Ain Soph and Hoshimaru, and catches a glimpse of her mother running towards the plane. Shiina instinctively hides behind the door. As the plane powers up to take off, Misono screams something at the plane, but Shiina doesn’t hear it (Well, if she does, WE don’t). Misono watches Shiina take off, then runs over the Shunji’s jet (which hasn’t left yet). She catches him in the cockpit ready to go, and cries out that when he gets back they need to talk... about Mishou. Shunji just gives her a salute, as she tells him to bring Shiina back. At altitude and airspeed, Shiina jumps out of the plane, Hoshimaru catches her, and transforms into flight-mode with canopy. Ain Soph points in a direction and off they all go, Shiina, Shunji, and Shunji’s wingman Suzuki. Next we see a scene where the reporter who has been investigating into the dragon sightings and various matters is talking to some TV guys (I’m not sure what exactly was said here...). After a bit of radio chatter between Shunji and Suzuki, a nearby US radar plane alerts them to an approaching large object. It’s the Otohime, here to help protect Shiina again! Shiina seems happy to see it, and Shunji seems to recognize it as one of the drawings “at the time of childhood” (whether this refers to HIS childhood or someone else’s is unclear). Remember the drawings that Shiina discovered at her grandparents house? Yeah, that’s the one. From the front spire of the dragon, the form of the girl oozes out, taking full shape. When Shunji sees her face, he gasps “Mishou!”. Flashback: Mishou’s grave; Mishou in school outfit: “Otou-san”. Suzuki snaps Shunji out of his memories, asking what is wrong. He explains that he’s OK, and that the dragon is here to help us. Shunji then tells Suzuki to prepare, because the enemy is coming... Waiting for them, is Bungo’s dragon-child Haimeuere, or as I will refer to it from now on “Angel”, ‘cause I can’t pronounce nor spell its actual name. Next time: The final showdown! Chapter 64. Dad Spoiler: This chapter starts with a flashback. We see Misono and Mishou at a kitchen table. Mishou pesters her mother: “Will it be a boy? A girl?” She tells Shunji that he probably wants a boy, but Shunji is doesn’t make trouble and says that either will be fine. You see a brief glimpse of Misono in the present, remarking on how Mishou acted strange. You see another picture of Mishou in what looks like a Banda academy uniform. Misono has just had a baby, and Mishou is holding it. She tell Shunji and Misono to make sure to give the baby a cute name. Then she tells Shunji that she will be ok now. Shunji, imploring a doctor for information on Mishou’s condition. He tells him that she died from wounds inflicted by a kitchen knife (Accident? Suicide? I can’t tell). Toddler Shiina is trying to walk, when Shunji tells her not to start smoking. Then Misono (cigarette in hand) tells Shunji that she is leaving him, in order to devote herself to her research and understand what happened. Back in the present, Shunji awakens from his memories. He realizes now that Misono knew what had happened to Mishou, and that he never asked her about it. He figures he’ll need to apologize to her when he gets back. In the distance, shrouded by clouds a strange object appears. Sitting on this white surface is Bungo with Satomi in his lap. Satomi is using Amapora as a kind of radar, and tells Bungo there are 4 objects approaching. The Otohime (Mishou) holds out her left arm, and Angel buzzes by Shunji’s left wing. Shunji instantly recognizes his former foe, and orders Suzuki to protect Shiina while he tries to draw it away. Angel creates a Vulcan cannon and fires at Shunji, forcing him into evasive maneuvers. By the time Shunji regroups, Angel has left and is going after Shiina and Hoshimaru. Hoshimaru plunges toward the sea at top speed, followed closely by Angel (Shiina suffers from the air pressure differential). Angel fires it’s cannon and barely misses, but up behind comes Mishou to protect Shiina. Angel tries and go above Mishou and shoot, but she raises one of her dragon’s arms vertically and begins to shoot the energy beam that’s been seen before. However, before it takes full impact (or perhaps Angel dodged, it’s hard to tell), a gigantic hand rises from the sea and grabs Mishou’s dragon (Really, I kid you not: a gigantic hand attached to a weird elongated arm-like thing). It smashes the dragon into the sea. Shiina wonders if that was Kuri. Angel comes back and shoots a few holes in Hoshimaru’s outer wings. Just as it’s going for the kill however, Shunji comes speeding in and clips Angel hard with his left wing. Shiina implores Tsurumaru to take her back to her father, but Hoshimaru speeds away. Angel chases after Shunji, and manages to shoot a few holes in his right wingtip. Shunji realizes at this point what he needs to do, and makes peace with himself. With Angel right behind him he creates a smokescreen blinding Bungo’s Angel, gets behind him, and then accelerates again drawing Angel into one of his air intakes. As Angel is being sucked in, it’s Vulcan cannon tilts upward, and shoots into the cockpit right as Shunji ejects. Bungo falls unconscious (dead?), Shiina looks on in horror. Back at Motoki airfield, the Agent and the owner look in shock as a news report on the TV features pictures of Shiina and Hiroko. More to come... __________________ Read Light Novels in English at J-Novel Club! Translator, Producer, Japan Media Export Expert Founder and Owner of J-Novel Club Sam Pinansky Last edited by Quarkboy; 2004-05-04 at 02:42.

2004-05-04, 02:14	Link #118
Griffith Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004	Wow, so the Otohime is Spoiler: Shiina's sister. I wonder if she killed herself? I don't know though, since she most likely knew what she would become when she died.. Looks like the story is almost over, I'm kinda sad in a way. I'd love to see this stuff animated, but as more time goes on, the chances of a second season become increasingly less likely. I'll have to settle for buying the import manga once I get the extra money.

2004-04-14, 18:56	Link #101
Griffith Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004	I was browsing Dark Horse's website, and it says that Volume 6 will be out on August 11th in the USA. I also found a 4 page preview of Volume 5 on there. One odd thing, though: on this page Satomi calls Bungo "Kazuyuki". Did some of the names get changed for the US release? If so, that's rather lame.

2004-04-15, 10:54	Link #103
Briareos Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA Age: 53	Is Kazuyuki his sirname?

2004-04-24, 23:52	Link #107
Griffith Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004	Does anyone happen to know where to find Narutaru wallpapers by chance? I figured this would be the best place to ask, since most of the fans of the series post on this thread I've checked every anime wallpaper site I know of and none of them have any.

2004-04-25, 14:19	Link #110
Griffith Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004	Cool, I'll be saving those to my hard drive. I agree, a Hoshimaru backpack would be awesome, it's too bad the series didn't get popular enough for much merchandise to be made.

2004-04-25, 17:34	Link #111
tsurumaru I refuse to die dammit! Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: UK Age: 47	Hmm the Javascript at the above site that was linked to caused my browser to crash so I lost my initial post about merchandise: I'm assuming that poster was the one that promoted the release of the Anime series. On my travels in Japan and on the web I have found the following Narutaru merchandise: 3 Japanese Artwork Telephone cards (see links below) http://free.one.picturehost.co.uk/tel1.jpg http://free.one.picturehost.co.uk/Image122.jpg http://free.one.picturehost.co.uk/telc.jpg Plushies of Hoshimaru and Ain Soph/En Sof (I have a Hoshimaru one see below for an image) http://free.one.picturehost.co.uk/Hoshiplushy.jpg The Narutaru 2004 Calendar (which I sadly still haven't been able to get my hands on ) [If you're a Winny user could you search for this please! I'm desperate to see the artwork!!!] Also there are a few fan model kits of Shiina/Hoshi, Akira/Ain Soph and The Virgin Princess and her Dragon. (I've also seen a rather disturbing model of Hiro-chan's Oni and her unfortunate victim) Oh yeah and lastly Kitou-san himself has a Hoshimaru packpack! See the image below (which used to be hosted on his website) http://free.one.picturehost.co.uk/canno01_s.jpg If anyone else knows of anything feel free to let us know

2004-05-04, 00:49	Link #116
Griffith Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004	Interesting.. Thanks for providing these, you're doing a good job!

2004-05-04, 02:58	Link #119
Quarkboy Translator, Producer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Tokyo, Japan Age: 44	Insane Amounts of Spoilers: Chapter 65. That gentle voice that calls to me Spoiler: Shiina (and Mishou, in the distance) look out on the flaming trail left by Shunji’s fighter. Satomi tries to desperately calling Bungo’s name to no avail. Hoshimaru begins speeding away from the scene, again going towards Sudou, but Shiina screams at Tsurumaru to go back...Eventually, she simply lapses into tears. Satomi brings Amaporo over and holds Bungo in her arms. Then uses Amaporo to lift him to his feet. Meanwhile, Hoshimaru has arrived at the strange thing along the horizon, which is now revealed to be a truly gigantic hand, palm facing up with its fingers slightly curled, projecting up into the clouds. Hoshimaru drops Shiina and Ain Soph off. Shiina gazes out into the eerie, cloudy landscape, with the upturned fingers making shadowy monoliths in the distance. Out of the mists appears Akira. Akira bursts into tears and embraces Shiina. Akira and Shiina approach one of the great fingers and at the base sits Sudou-san, looking very ill. He seems glad that Shiina came. Shiina immediately asks him why he has done such things, to which he replies “For your sake, Shiina. Or more accurately, for you and Kuri’s sake.” He then goes on to explain how this world is dying and that humanity is undeserved (or something like that), and that his group and Tsurumaru’s group both represented different types of changes: chaos, disorder, catastrophe. (This section I don’t understand very well at all... any help?). But, he says, I am only a performer. I am not the one that will judge. He explains that he hasn’t eaten in about a week. Shiina asks why, and Sudou explains that he hates himself the most of all. He doesn’t want to become a full dragon. From now on, Shiina will... At this point, Sudou dies. Shiina screams and shakes him (she’s just as frustrated as we are about not knowing what he was about to say), but receives no response. Shiina sits brooding at the edge of the hand, Akira comes up behind her and asks her where she will return to. Shiina says she has no where to go, she can’t go home, back to that place. Back at Motoki airfield one of the girls from Shiina’s class (the one with the glasses) is frantically searching. On the TV we see a glimpse of Miyako. She arrives in a room with two other classmates. (This is a little side I don’t totally get yet). Back on “the hand”, Akira tells Shiina that she thinks she should go back. Go back to her mother’s place. The look of anger in Shiina’s eyes is vivid, as the scene shifts to Misono, still waiting in a hanger in Motoki airfield (smoking). Misono thinks back on Mishou, and Shiina. She knew Shiina was lonely, but she wanted to see if returning Mishou would be possible. Here follows Misono’s best guess at the nature of dragon’s (poorly translated, as this is really tough stuff): The young ones are dragon-childs. The have yet to call the full body (???). My own dream became to search for the circuits of thought (lit. probably referring to the neural pathways of the brain). The nervous systems of animals, even of plants it seemed we knew nothing about. My hypothesis is this: The place a soul escapes to, the "tamashii no jyuyoutai" (means, place of reception for souls), the soul's "obligation symbol" (??? yorishiro, not in my dictionary), the soul's nest. Their bodies take in souls. Dragons... they become the memories of this star. And now, what kind of timing is this? The world is... once taken in, the brains were lost. Once again, the dragon's bodies became the star. And their wishing souls. The earth's "otohime" (Virgin princess) must become the ciruit, and choose. (My best summary of this is: Life lives, accumulating it’s memories of existence in dragons. At some point, the planet dies, and these accumulated memories are reborn into a new form a life renewed. It is the Otohime which is the key to this renewal somehow.) Akira is still trying to convince Shiina to go back to her mother, she asks her if Shiina loves her mother, and Shiina lashes out at Akira, saying she’s a lier, and it’s only her father that... but she stops, as Akira explains that she never had a good relationship with her mother. It was easier that way, but she doesn’t want Shiina to be the same. Shiina stops, then decides to go back. She orders Hoshimaru to go back... to her father. A glazed look has some over her eyes. She wonders what kinds of side dishes he’ll want for dinner tonight. Akira stands in shock. Shiina invites Akira over to dinner tonight, thinking “maybe I’ll invite Hiro-chan too”. Akira, seeing that Shiina has totally snapped, slaps her hard across the face, then bursts into tears apologizing to Shiina, leaning on her shoulders. At just this moment, large explosions rock the “hand” behind Akira from tomahawk cruise missiles (I’m pretty sure Satou planted a tracking device on Shiina before she left). Akira and Shiina are blown back, and out of Akira’s back stick four large pieces of shrapnel. Shiina cries out to Akira, and another round of missiles strike. Shiina calls to Hoshimaru, but he doesn’t seem to be around. Shiina pleads for Akira not to speak, but with dying breath she asks Shiina to go to her mother. For Mishou is Shiina’s older sister’s name. And she became the Otohime. That is how Shiina got her name. Back at the airbase, the three girls are discussing Shiina’s name. They explain how Shiina (written the Kanji that it is) means “empty shell”, or “lifeless husk”. It is a fancy name for the outer casing which a seed casts off as it sprouts. They seem to think it is a cruel name to give a child, but one of them remarks that it probably reflects the feeling of the mother at the time of birth. Shiina asks Akira what she means, and she explains that the name reflects her mother’s feelings for her. Akira then says she is glad she got to see Shiina’s name. Shiina hears a voice from within herself: “Shiina, that is my... my name!” Various panels: Misono , Shunji, and Mishou shopping, Mishou facing some dragon, Misono with baby Mishou, Hiroko, Trickster replicating an ICBM, Norio’s head on the angel puppet. Shiina is staring at a naked version of herself, saying to her “So you can finally hear me”, and reaching out with her hand. Back in reality, another giant hand explodes out of the sea, swats a few cruise missiles out of the sky, and destroys all the US planes. It should be noted that the hand has the same scar as Shiina has from her fight with Hiro-chan’s Oni. Shiina looks on in amazement/horror: “I did that?”. Kuri then appears beside them: She explains that Shiina’s dragon child is finally awake. Her dragon is the entire world. You see, the world is composed of two dragons. Kuri: “You are the light of my shadow. I am the shadow of your light.” Chapter 66. Possibly the ending Spoiler: Shiina, holding Akira with Hoshimaru on her back, suddenly appear on the tarmac at Motoki airfield. They quickly rush Akira to the hospital (she’s not dead! Yay!) and Misono approached Shiina, asking about Shunji. Shiina bursts into tears, and collapses in her mother’s arms. But Misono faints from the shock of Shunji’s death. At the medical room in the building, a doctor tells Shiina that her mother just fainted from the shock, and that she’ll be ok. Shiina apologizes to Misono, and then asks if she can be excused. She has to go see someone. At that, Shiina disappears into the floor (exactly as Kuri disappeared before), to the surprise of the three classmates in the room. Shiina appears at Tsurumaru’s place, and finds him very ill looking and hairless in a kind of reclining chair. She cries out his name, and he holds her. She says that she doesn’t want him to die, and he replies that soon he will become a dragon, and that he is but one part of... Shiina cuts him off with a kiss, and tells him she loves him (“suki” specifically). They hug, and Shiina asks if there’s anything he wants to do, except for ecchi things. He replies that she shouldn’t worry, he could handle it. Shiina is taken aback at first, but then says, let’s do it, and precedes to undress and, well, they have sex. Kuri stands on the roof of some building glaring out over Tokyo. __________________ Read Light Novels in English at J-Novel Club! Translator, Producer, Japan Media Export Expert Founder and Owner of J-Novel Club Sam Pinansky Last edited by Quarkboy; 2004-05-04 at 03:25.

2004-05-04, 04:11	Link #120
Quarkboy Translator, Producer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Tokyo, Japan Age: 44	This is the Final Chapter, do I really need to spell it out?: Final Chapter. ...and from a dying world shall come the children of light Spoiler: (Note, time flows kind of freely in this final chapter, so if things feel a bit disjoint, its because they are presented that way). We see a ruined partially flooded landscape. Among the wreckage are cars, jagged pieces of concrete, and about half of the building where Shunji’s apartment is sticks up out of the rubble. A small figure of Shiina sits on top of the building, smoking. Shiina, wearing her stomach band, is cooking breakfast for her mother (in a scene purposefully dual to those with her father instead). Misono says good morning, and Shiina asks her if she wants to smoke. Misono lights up, and Shiina asks if she can go visit Akira today. Misono says its not safe to go alone, and that there should be enough gasoline in the car to make the trip. Shiina thanks her mother. As they leave the house, there is graffiti all over the walls (“demon”, “witch”, “die”, etc...). Driving along, her mother tells Shiina not to worry about such things when another car drives out right in front of them and they crash. A man with a shotgun gets out of a van, and Misono pushes Shiina out of the car just as he fires. Shiina looks back in horror. The ruined landscape again. Shiina stands in rubble, staring at half of a rusted out vehicle perched upon so concrete structure, smoking. A window, Akira on a ventilator, Akira falling out of the window, 4 stories onto the sidewalk. Miyako is approached by the glasses girl and some guy. They ask if he is Miyako Tatsumi, and when he replies yes, the man stabs him, and the girl says that it is revenge for her father (I have no idea who her father is either, so don’t ask). Back to Shiina, running frantically away from the horrible scene with here mother, squats down in an alley, and disappears into the ground. She goes to the only place she has left, Tsurumaru’s. The ruined landscape again: Shiina smoking, staring at the ruined husk of Tsurumaru’s building. Present: Shiina runs inside, calling for Tsurumaru, and finds him collapsed on the floor in a pool of blood. Hoshimaru appears, and begins to scream on the floor next to Tsurumaru’s body: One of his arms extends and connects with Tsurumaru’s head, but then quickly goes limp. Shiina stands back, aghast. As she cries out his name, three men appear (one with a shotgun), and Shiina puts her head down and does not protest. As the shotgun is fired, however, a sheet of something comes up out of the floor and stops the bullets (This looks very similar to how Gaara’s sand shield works, to get a mental picture, but a bit more clay like). Kuri appears on a chair of tendrils, and says that it’s regrettable that Shiina can’t simply let this world go. Kuri: “It’s OK to let it die!” At this point, a hand rises up and crushes the head of the man with a shotgun. Gigantic hands explode out of the surface of the earth everywhere, gigantic, fleshy hands attached to amorphous arm like tentacles which begin sweeping the landscape, destroying everything, everyone. A picture of the planet itself shows half the earth writhing with extruding, undulating hands the size of continents. The sky; Shiina, smoking, staring at the ruined sign for Mutsu’s Meals (Akira’s home). Shiina is dressed in a simple white dress, with no shoes. Kuri appears behind her, in a black dress, and says that she told her that you shouldn’t smoke, because it’s bad for the baby. You see now that both Shiina and Kuri are pregnant. Shiina puts of the cigarette, and they go back. The arch out in the bay at Shiina’s grandparent’s island is slightly crooked. Shiina sits under a makeshift shelter. Kuri appears, and complains that Shiina hasn’t eaten anything. Two onigiri (identical to the ones Shiina shared with her in Vol. 11) appear on a table the emerges from the ground. Kuri continues to say that she worried about the baby, and that there isn’t anything here because Shiina hasn’t created anything. Kuri then asks Shiina what she is confused about. Shiina says, “About, how to make the world, am I ready, the situation...” Kuri holds up a drawing, Shiina is shocked to see her summer homework assignment that she drew way back in chapter 1. Kuri says that yes it is her drawing, and we see that it is a crude drawing: A house with a chimney, a table filled with food. Behind it, Shiina, her father, and... her mother. Kuri tears the picture up into small pieces: “It's ok, it doesn't suit you. That's why I will destroy this world, and raise it. The dragon's otohime is various (lit: "thoughts of circuits") methods of thought. If you should send that message, life will be listening for it's substitute. With life, it’s possible.” (This last few lines are very hard to translate... unfortunately). Kuri and Shiina, Black and White, Ying and Yang, stand on the beach looking out at the arch. The sky is filled with dragons. The arch is now half collapsed. A black haired boy is chasing a light haired girl on the same beach, both naked. The arch is now a pile of rubble out in the ocean. The stars shine brightly in the sky. The two children, small shadowed naked creatures, are on hands and knees, kissing in the darkness. __________________ Read Light Novels in English at J-Novel Club! Translator, Producer, Japan Media Export Expert Founder and Owner of J-Novel Club Sam Pinansky