Nymphet [Kodomo no Jikan]

[MakubeX2]

http://comichigh.jp/sp_kodomo4sp.html

More info regarding Vol.4 Special Limited Edition.

30 Min worth of OVA with it's own exclusive OP and ED.

Looks like they'll animate chapter 10 from the looks of what written on the left.

All at the price of nearly 4000 yen.

....yup, sound's reasonable for me to buy at at least 2 copies.

I hope Amazon JP don't crap the hell out of me again at not getting the LE on time like they did for Vol.3, I had to spend 3600 yen to ship the book from Japan to England and finally to where I'm residing.

[togupheaval]

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

http://comichigh.jp/sp_kodomo4sp.html

More info regarding Vol.4 Special Limited Edition.

30 Min worth of OVA with it's own exclusive OP and ED.

Looks like they'll animate chapter 10 from the looks of what written on the left.

All at the price of nearly 4000 yen.

Yeah, that news inspired more nerd outrage at ANN. Like it's new for a company to include exclusives in limited editions.

The story has a lot more drama than I thought it would, but I've enjoyed the past few SaHa released chapters more than the first few. Even with the solid drama elements, it has a lot of really sharp comedy as well. It's a fun read so far!

Spoiler for KnJ 14:

The moment with Usa asking Aoki about "why dicks get big" made me fall out of my chair. I remember a few moments like that in school where kids talked about things in class they shouldn't have and how it never seemed to die until they were sent to the principal. Hilarious stuff.

[GammaRed]

Here is the Million Yen question... Will anyone be Fansubing the OVA release in the SE of Vol 4?

I cant aford to buy it at this time, and they are a "limited eddition" So I dont think Ill get my hands on one.

So I ask again, is the OVA going to be fansubed and torrented?

[MakubeX2]

Originally Posted by GammaRed

Here is the Million Yen question... Will anyone be Fansubing the OVA release in the SE of Vol 4?

That will be an absolute positive. But my principal for anime is that if you like a series, you should reward the creator somewhere down the road. (Hint :- The LE for Vol.3 with the fig is still in stock at Amazon JP)

Perhaps people here had already knew, but for me.....



I intend to collect everything KnJ related.

[GammaRed]

I am buying the 1/6 Rin when it gets to Entertainment Earth (my favrit figure sight) I would get the whole tradeing figure line if it wasnt so danmed expensive. I have seen those figures you have for more than 200$ Canadain. A tad more than I can put out.

(I love anime/manga based figures, the girls as much as the boys!)

@MakubeX2
I love your lil collection *smiles*

[Hayami]

Your dedication is admirable, MakubeX2 ^_^

Actually you just convinced me to buy the manga from amazon.jp, even though I don't understand a single word Japanese >.<
I wish I could just a donate the author this money instead, but since that she doesn't speak English I can't even ask her...
I feel bad buying the manga because it's meant to be read and all I can do is to put it on a bookshelf (and I don't have any visitors/friends in RL either)

So far I've only one figure.

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

Who knows. She's smart for her age, but is she really that smart ? Or maybe she could be mispronoucing the words there.

I like your translation better~
If there's even one chance out of hundred that Kuro didn't mean it, I would leave it out ^_-
( indeed the text could be just Aoki's interpretation )

The same with "let's have sex" vs. "let's do "it" together" by Rin,
btw. her pose in this picture reminds me of Rizel ^^

Less vulgar = win (in my book)


Btw. I just ordered Nymphet yet from another shop 2x
( ordered it from amazon.com 2x before as CandyVanMan suggested ^^; )
Isn't it strange that neither Amazon nor Archonia removed it yet?

[Risaa]

This is probably going to turn out to be an essay... -_-

Spoiler for For the sake of being tidy:

OK. A while ago, I saw the news on Manga Jouhou that Seven Seas had cancelled some series and then posted an explanation on it, so I went over and read it... which of course made me want to find out what was too disturbing for American audiences from a title that looked like it was about lolipops running around. Read it a week or so ago; finally got my thoughts together now.

(Letting you know ahead of time that I'm quite liberal.. I've read other series about or involving students romantically being in love with the teacher, lesbians, romance between close relatives, ecchi lolis, whatever, etc. - none of these are really new.)

I've read through a little bit of volume three and honestly, I think the storyline in Kodomo no Jikan is good. Rin's uncle/unofficial father's backstory involving his abusive parents (though his father was the abusive one, the mother continued to let her child be abused; both of them share the blame), and how he learned to love again through Rin's mother, I thought, was very deep and touching. The story could've done without it, but it has really aided in making this story have more of an emotional impact instead of just being a silly ecchi series; his story pulls the reader into his life, and thus, into Rin's life.

Rin's tale is also interesting, particularly the psychological impact of never having a father and losing her mother whom she sincerely believed would get better. I don't quite believe the "she's starving for attention" bit, but I don't completely disbelieve it, either. Any only-child with only a single guardian who works will do things for attention (this brings me back to when I was around five - no sister yet, dad was in Germany, mom was always working... though I wasn't very successful at getting the attention I wanted, unlike Rin), but Rin goes completely overboard, making me think she really wants to be a couple with the teacher rather than just merely wanting his attention. It's incredibly unbelievable to me that a 3rd grader knows about sex (not just about it, but fine details), but eh, this is fiction, and a ton of people find that side of Rin appealing, after all. (Not to mention, I don't know about you, but it seems like little kids are getting smarter these days... I still find it unbelievable, though.)

I find the blonde female teacher having a crush on Rin's teacher, and Kuro's crush on Rin, to be really cute. Kuro's obvious jealousy is a nice touch - Rin, no matter how intelligent she is, just can't see that Kuro acts the way she does because she loves her. I like that Kuro insults the teacher, but again, I find it hard to believe that a 3rd grader even knows what a virgin is, that it's insulting to call someone a virgin, what virgins do ("Only a virgin would say that!!" and the teacher sweatdrops), and has a wide array of dick jokes as well.

Another thing I find cute is Rin's other friend - what's her name again? The one who looks like Miyuki - having a slight crush on Rin's guardian. I also find that friend to be the most like a "real" 3rd grader in that she's ignorant of adult subjects and isn't aware that asking certain questions can be embarrassing (*raises hand* "Dicks can get smaller??" the rest of the class laughs). I recall a few times when I was in elementary school, someone brave would raise their hand and ask something like that (well, maybe not *quite* like that, lol, but similar), and the rest of the class would explode in laughter, when in truth they were hiding that they also didn't know the answer to the question.

What bothers me about this series is actually Rin, herself. I don't mind the overexcessive panty shots (though I do think it's gotten overexcessive, to the point where I was thinking, "meh, another panty shot? Don't you have anything better to do with your time, Rin?"), and I don't mind the scenes in which Rin actually acts pretty sweet (such as when they're on a trip and she puts his head on her lap, and then colors a picture for him), but what gets to me is Rin's personality itself. I admit to having some personal reasons to explain why I can't stand characters such as Rin, but it also has to do with her nonexistent sexuality. That's almost all Rin seems to be about, is appearing sexy. As a side-character, I think that's OK (keep in mind I'm talking about 3rd graders... I don't feel exactly the same way about characters who are older teens and above), but as the center of the story, Rin's shtick is getting old and annoying. If she changes later on, I apologize - I didn't read that far.

(I'm also aware that I just said I dislike the whole Rin-sexuality thing when earlier I said I didn't mind the panty-shots.... What gets to me is not the panty-shots, but rather that Rin is doing it on purpose. It's entirely possible to have numerous views of loli panties due to carelessness of the lolipop in an ecchi series -- in other words, Rin could be showing her panties accidently.)

It really takes a certain kind of aggressive character to get on my nerves, and unfortunately, Rin is one of them. Since the story pretty much revolves around her, I can't say that I want to read anymore... in fact, I feel like I've read too much already. I've enjoyed all the parts in which Rin is *not* around her teacher, or the focus has been on a different character, but those parts are not really what the story's about. In short, I'm done reading Kodomo no Jikan.

Going back to Seven Seas, I understand and respect their decision. It's kind of flaky, IMO, to drop a series such as Kodomo no Jikan because of the "disturbing parts" when there have been numerous other series licensed and published in North America. I understand what he meant about it "slipping through the cracks", but in my opinion, if they're uptight about this sort of thing, then despite the hundreds of volumes they would need to "read and review in order to stay on top of all the content and make sure that it is appropriate", they *do* need to review *all* of it. However, I do understand the want to drop it if vendors are cancelling orders - in that case, it'd save money to drop the license instead of pushing it out.

I don't agree that this type of series is inappropriate for the US market, but I do know of parents out there who, if they saw one dirty Japanese-style comic, suddenly believe *all* manga is bad. Despite the overwhelming popularity of manga in the US, manga hasn't been around forever here and there are some parents who, well, try to be good parents. (A little too good, IMO, but they try.) I know this because in high school, I had aquaintances who were banned from reading all manga and had to rely on the library simply because their parents saw something ecchi or questionable drawn in that typical anime/manga style (in the case of one guy I knew, it was that his mother saw a picture of an anime chick with gravity-defying balloon-boobs - it was as simple as that).


My views and opinions on Kodomo no Jikan are, obviously, just my opinion, so please don't flame me saying that I said the series sucked.

[Vexx]

Great post..... I feel sorry for the guy banned from reading manga... I guess Marvel comics are right out as well (with all their gravity defying ladies).

If you read further, you find that Rin's behavior is more complex (she's got a serious grudge and nasty tools to use on people she thinks are hurting her friends) ... but her attitude towards the new teacher Aoki gets very complicated -- you didn't say if you'd read volume 1 and 2 before reading some of 3.

The book is not necessarily for everyone but more because the characters may or may not be appealing to the reader. But I think you're another person that has *read* the material and asked what the overcharged lynching was all about. "16+"? sure, yeah, whatever.... "not allowed"? sad.. very sad.

[Risaa]

Ah, sorry. I missed the first couple chapters in volume one, but I've read the rest of it and all of volume two.

Actually, the parents found nothing wrong with Marvel comics. I think it has more to do with the parents' familiarity with the material than anything else - his dad read old American comics, so the son is allowed to as well. But when it comes to manga, the same exact fanservicey goodies are suddenly inappropriate. *shrugs* I don't get it, myself.

(Eep, reminds me of the time, around five years ago, dad came in the room while there was a groping scene with screaming anime girls... I think he went through a, "my daughter is growing up, noo!" stage right then. )

Though I don't care to read anymore of the Kodomo no Jikan manga, I do want to know what happens...

[Thany]

Originally Posted by Hayami

The same with "let's have sex" vs. "let's do "it" together" by Rin,
btw. her pose in this picture reminds me of Rizel ^^

Less vulgar = win (in my book)

That's what we call text censorship
Anyway I can't help but show this one page:

Spoiler for chapter3:

If she knows about this, which is 100% obvious why not about the rest?
Also remember this is a manga, there's been flying peoples, magicians and such in mangas, so why not that too?

[MakubeX2]

Originally Posted by Hayami

I feel bad buying the manga because it's meant to be read and all I can do is to put it on a bookshelf (and I don't have any visitors/friends in RL either)

In this digital age, the softcopies are for reading while the hardcopies are for collecting. You will not want to read the material over teabreak and accidentally spilled your drink on the book you have bought with your hardearn cash, right ?

Originally Posted by Risaa

Though I don't care to read anymore of the Kodomo no Jikan manga, I do want to know what happens...

Of course Watashiya is aware that people will get bored with Kokonoe's antics, that included Aoki as well. That's why :-

Spoiler:

when Rin finds out that Aoki is caring for her is more out of treating her as his charge rather than emotional, she had a heart to heart talk with Hoin which ended up her maturing.

Thus when Rin enter 4th grade, she volunteered herself being the class monitor and start acting all grown up, helping around day-to-day matters and solving problems in order to get on Aoki's good side. But she stills resort to her old tricks every once in a while.

That's what we call text censorship

....How do you translate "ecchi" ? Since "ecchi" does not exactly means "straight sex" today in Japan. It's a board term that comes to mean any sexual related matters today.

So I just opt to just interpret it as "it" and let the readers decide.

[Thany]

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

....How do you translate "ecchi" ? Since "ecchi" does not exactly means "straight sex" today in Japan. It's a board term that comes to mean any sexual related matters today.

So I just opt to just interpret it as "it" and let the readers decide.

Well don't forget that picture I posted either, what she says afterward has 90% chances of being related to that
There's also this:

Spoiler for chapter 18 (well not much a spoiler, but still a tiny bit anyway and it helps to not break the frames^^):

Seriously it would be rather stupid to translate it another way.

[Vexx]

That image is another example of "there's more than one way to translate" depending on the elegance or crassness you think the character is projecting. In that case, Rin is using the same tricks she used to make the last teacher have a nervous breakdown. Shocking behavior and pranks to just dominate and control the situation. The guy is a saint trying to work with her, most teachers would have her out of the class just to save their own sanity and career....

sidenote: "ecchi" is almost meaningless anymore (like "fanservice") ... it doesn't mean what too many users of it think it means and so the meaning shifts and is diluted. Word devolution.

[MakubeX2]

Originally Posted by Thany

(plus let's do it is lame imo, it doesn't even translate anymore what it's supposed to mean anymore really as it could be interpreted as anything even non sexual-related)

Hence why I enclose the it with 2 " to get a greater understanding.

[Vexx]

Seems pretty clear to me and is pretty common usage ..... and is certainly an acceptable translation.

[Thany]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Seems pretty clear to me and is pretty common usage ..... and is certainly an acceptable translation.

This is an answer to my edit right?
What I meant is that would I don't think given this very situation she could mean anything but sex which leads me to thinking even more that's what she was always talking about to begin with (and which is why the teacher freak out at it)

[Vexx]

Correct, she's always pranking the teacher with come-ons and sexual advances. The questions and mystery at this point is does she really mean what she says or is she just skewering Aoki for the purposes of either teasing him mercilessly or to drive him to a breakdown as she did the previous teacher? She obviously means sex, the only question in the translation is how should one translate that given her purpose and intentions and how might someone actually say those things in English.

If I walk up to a woman, its possible I could tell her
1) She's got great boobs.
2) The way she moves makes my brain seize up.
3) I'd like to lay her down and find out what kind of noises she makes.

In one level of english, that might all be communicated with
"That dress makes you look very nice."

So... that's a kind of the art of translation. As has been stated previously, in that first image Rin's kanji quite literally is rather ambiguous -- idiomatically though, its an ultimate come-hither that can be translated several ways depending on the coarseness of speech that the translator interprets the situation as calling for.

Examples of this sort of thing could include "I want you to have sex with me." (or other variations I won't list)
vs "Lets make love." or "I want you to do "it" with me."
The last two.... the former doesn't fit well with the character at this point but the latter just seems to be less clinical and more mysterious (and young girl giggly). Its a judgement call, obviously.

[Hayami]

Originally Posted by Thany

That's what we call text censorship

Who is "we"?

Originally Posted by Thany

Anyway I can't help but show this one page:

Spoiler for chapter3:

If she knows about this, which is 100% obvious why not about the rest?

Nice example... except I was talking about Kuro, not Rin.

Spoiler:

Oh, and before you start to scour for something obviously vulgar that's actually said by Kuro-chan:
Save your time. It wouldn't prove that she intended to say it, unless it's the way she speaks all the time. If there is a room for interpretation calling it "censorship" is but a flaming.

[Thany]

Originally Posted by Hayami

Who is "we"?

I'm talking in general.

Originally Posted by Hayami

Nice example... except I was talking about Kuro, not Rin.

Well if Rin knows, why not Kuro either?
The only girl that seems quite normal is Usa so far (if you forget the last part of chapter 19 that is^^)

Of course it is obvious Kuro way of talking is not the same as Rin, but she probably at least knows a bit about some stuffs since she's been with Rin for so long.
Either way I don't see why you care so much about that and personally I find Kuro overrated, Rin is superior to her in probably almost every aspect^^ (and no I don't like the yuri behaviour, yuri is overated! )

Oh and please, stop the 'flamming this flamming that', I never flammed you in my post to begin with and you're well known to be always the first one to flam peoples and make topic get locked.

[Hayami]

Originally Posted by Thany

I'm talking in general.

Unless it's something obvious like "we know that the Earch is not flat" or "we can't prove that God exists" by saying "we" you imply some kind of support that doesn't exist. Don't tell me you didn't realize that your statement is controversial.

What's your problem anyway? I just explained why I liked Makube's translation. Don't like it? Read SaHa's version or the raws if you can.

Originally Posted by Thany

Oh and please, stop the 'flamming this flamming that', I never flammed you in my post to begin with and you're well known to be always the first one to flam peoples and make topic get locked.

Look who's talking

You didn't flame, eh? You quote me and say "That's what we call text censorship". Thus you imply that I support censorship of the artists' work.