Ikoku Nikki - Vol. 7 Ch. 33 - page.33

[MangaDex]

 

[inpovin]

Thanks for the translation! I really appreciate how much linguistic nuance y'all have managed to pack into this chapter, with the whole "standing out" theme.

 

[livesofflight]

She always draws asa so crazy haha. Love it, Asa is already a bit twee weirdo so it’s be great if she enjoyed herself more at school. Thanks for the translation!!!

 

[liobi4]

"just kill 'em" god i love Makio

 

[magicdownunder]

Love this series

 

[Silfir]

"III'm a lumberjack and I'm ok"

 

[Neriko999]

Thanks, this was an interesting chapter~

 

[Rofreg]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Purplelibraryguy]

Yeah! Go for it, girl!

 

[ALLIANIME]

Very optimistic chapter, I'm cheering for Asa!! Thanks for the update!

 

[Kayyou]

It's more than optimistic! In the long run it's about her learning to be more accepting of others even if what they want doesn't fit the norm… Good job!

 

[sssr]

I feel like "standing out" here might be a very specific term in Japanese that doesn't translate well to English, given that Asa actually had to look it up in a dictionary. We might be missing a few implications because we have two different groups of people with very clearly opposite understanding of the term. The "bad" adults actually seem to think it's a good term, contrary to what may be the social norm.

Oh, and Asa's singing face is a total mess, lol.

 

[Scruffy]

@sssr I don’t think it’s a translation issue, it’s a cultural one. Japan has a very strong social contract and standing out from the crowd is seen as a bad thing. The whole “nail that sticks out gets hammered down" thing.

 

[sssr]

@Scruffy I didn't mean it's mistranslated. I think it's a concept that doesn't translate well due to the limitations of the English language, kinda like how eros, philia, and agape all translate into "love" in English despite having very different meanings in the Greek. It's a correct translation but nuances are lost. Also, the idea that Japanese people view people that stand out as a bad thing is a myth. In fact, Japanese culture places special adoration for people who stand out, which is why they very easily create cultural heroes and idols. Tokugawa Ieyasu might have won the civil war, but it's the flashy Date Masamune whose legacy extends all the way into modern popular culture. The entire Japanese idol industry is built on encouraging common boys and girls to stand out more. Context is important here. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down BECAUSE IT'S A NAIL. The flower that stands out gets elevated ("takane no hana").

This seems to be why "standing out" in this chapter has two different interpretations by people. They're talking about a certain kind of standing out that can draw ire in one context but is admired in another. Tamashiro stands out passively, which gets her in trouble. Makio is a successful author precisely because she actively tries to stand out. Effort makes for the "right" context.

Asa's struggle in this chapter lies in trying to figure out which context her dad's comment was made in. She couldn't figure out whether it was a praise or an admonition. In the end she just followed Makio's advice to let herself stand out in the context she prefers (singing) because there is no question about Makio's context.

 

[Pyoro]

"Just kill them ...
... like I killed your mother!" dun-dun-doooo

 

[themoobz]

get a gun kids

 

[AgentKuga]

I fucking love this series
I fucking love the characters

 

[impendio]

I love this manga so much, it is so perfectly written. It's so refreshing.

 

[Beregorn]

@Silfir
Ah! Well played, but I think it should be her friend to sing this one...

 

[Serenata]

"to be continued" NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO first time the manga pulls a cliffhanger like this lo/
Makio might act like a lone wolf but she has wonderful people around her