The Good, The Bad, and The Censored - KNT DVD Reviews

[Violent Violet]

Too many Ninpou! @_@
Ahahah, this anime is great!
Lately, I spent my days angry, in my bed, because of the fever (It's official! April I hate you  ) but I watched the episode 12.
Here's my doubts and curiosities.

01) What's the name is Ko'on using for the karasu ninja?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_XGR2VptBA&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
Karasu ninja: Snacks for sale! I've got soda, popcorn, and ice cream!
  Hey, usher, give me a popcorn! Popcorn!

02) Here I'm not so sure about this dialog about Gennarisai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haCYACrKVJg&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
  It says "Directed by Gennarisai" in the credits.
  Um. Ignore that.

03) Here, I hear the word "baka".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYLhGDCMs5Y&hd=1
  Gee, that's merely brute force, isn't it? What a poor show.

04) Some doubts here, too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrRaTd-vONs&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
  Yipe! That's indeed thrilling!

05) Here, I'm not sure I have understand! The Narrator, is explaing as always Yattarou's Neko me Slash... but Karamaru interrupted him, and explained this part himself?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj_OuxhKfw0&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
Narrator: His mistyc sword, Masamasa, is unsealed and formidable power is released.
  Karamaru... Hey! Don't go stealing my lines!

06) I wonder if this is correct... honestly, I had some difficult to understand what Gennarisai is telling about bedbug's average life (and I'm not so sure about what Ko'on-no-Kami is saying, too):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyG2P-pdZTk&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
  Well, the cicada robot died on the way. You know what they say, about cicadas only living for a week and all.
  What!? That's nonsense! Right! What's next?
  Well, next we see the Otasuke Ninja who snatched victory from us time and again and helped the Nyanki out of helpless scrapes.
  Oh, yeah? Whatever. Do as you please, I'm tired.

07) Here's Ko'on again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9xBadbrsDs&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
  Gee. You fellows was so unsightly!
  I'm terribly sorry!

08) Some doubts about this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV31J6CZ6CQ&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
  Whatever is the matter, Ko'on-no-Kami-sama? Is there anything not to your taste?
  Well, while I was watching this... I cannot help but think that you guys are unbelievably powerless. What is the point of this movie? Can you call it enjoyable if it showes those Nyanki winning all the time? Now, listen. I was supposed to play the leading role as well, but I haven't even appeared once! I'm going home!
  I thought you wouldn't like it at first But you're starring in the next segment, Ko'on-no-Kami-sama!
  Do I finally appear onscreen?
  You sure do.
  You ought to have said that earlier.

09) Prin-Prin? XD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q82PGgPXs8M&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
  Lil' Miss Prin-Prin is all mine!

10) Why is Yattarou so unpleasant?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5f20A-Eozs&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
Narrator: Meanwhile, Yattarou and others was...
  We don't have anything to do these days...
Narrator: Having nothing to do in particular, they didn't know what to do with themeselves. Stay on alert, Yattarou! Otherwise you Himitsu Ninja Tai Nyanki would be in trouble!
  Shut up!
Narrator: Oh, I'm sorry.

11) This is about Ko'on-no-Kami in the Mecha Mecha Ninpou Hidenchou.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsovP0Zc0VM&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
Narrator: He enjoys play dress-up, but for some reason, he only like to dress as a women. What would you do if your father did something like this, kids?
Isn't more correct to say that he enjoy CROSS-DRESSING? I mean, crossdresser are straight men who likes to dress as a women...

And here some ideograms:

[felineki]

1. He says "uriko", which is like "salesboy". "Vendor" might fit better than "usher", IMO.
2. Koon's actually saying something like "I don't really get your tastes", of course referring to the strange effeminate, flowery way in which Gennarisai is depicted on screen. I can't make out what Gennarisai says after that though, due to the loud drum sounds.
3. "Bakajikara". Pretty much "brute strength". So nothing wrong there.
4. Again I don't see any problem here. He is acknowledging that the glasses work, albeit maybe too well.
5. Yeah, the narrator says the first part of the line, the "his mystic sword, Masamasa, is unsealed", then Karamaru interrupts and says the "and formidable power is released" part. The subtitle is just displayed as one normal continuous line, so it doesn't really get that part across very well.
6. These lines seem alright to me.
7. Again, this seems fine. Koon's just rubbing in how embarrassing and pathetic their numerous defeats are, and Karamaru attempts to apologize. At first I wasn't entirely sure what Karamaru was saying, but from the context, the subtitles, and being able to make out "gozaimasen" I figured it was some way of saying sorry I wasn't familiar with. After a bit of research, I found out it was "menboku gozaimasen". So now I know another way to apologize in Japanese, yay! 
8. I don't see any real problems here.
9. I think he's actually saying something like "I'm going to look at their tight little bottoms up close!" This is another example of the "purin purin" thing we talked about earlier.
10. Don't see any real problems with the translations here. I guess Yattarou just doesn't like being criticized by the narrator.
11. The narrator initially says "hensou" ("disguise", "masquerade", "dress-up"), but then adds that he only ever dresses up as women. So the translation's pretty accurate.

First picture says "Starring Kitsunezuka Koon no Kami". The writing behind him says "ikken rakuchaku", roughly "the matter has been settled". Seems to be a term common in jidaigeki.
Second picture says "Narrated by Karamaru"
Third says "Directed by Gennarisai"
Can't make out anything in the fourth.
Fifth says "The True Story! Secret Ninja Team Nyankee"

Sixth pic: Magazine in the upper left says "Nurikabe of Berlin". A Nurikabe is a type of wall monster/ghost that gets in travelers' ways in Japanese folklore. Note that it is crumbling; the fall of the Berlin Wall was a recent event at the time the show as made. The text in the black box on that same magazine also appears to say "Collapse" or "crumble", although I can't quite make out the second kanji. The sake bottle says "Kara Shouhou". Not sure if this is a reference to an actual brand, or what. Magazine in the bottom center is "Nubae", which would appear to be a parody of "Mebae", a childrens' magazine that often includes coloring pages, papercrafts, and other such activities. The cover features "Ahopanman", a rather blatant parody of picture book and anime character Anpanman. I think the starburst by him might say "stickers included", but I'm not 100% sure. The back cover says "Three big extras". The line below that seems to say something about papercraft. And below the picture of the human-faced dog is written, appropriately enough "human-faced dog". This creature is apparently an urban legend in japan, and one that was particularly popular around the time this show was made.

The book in the seventh pic says "Karaoke #1" and "Sing and You'll Go To Heaven" ("Utaeba Tengoku"). The latter seems to be the name of an actual song and movie.

[Violent Violet]

Mou! I didn't do great homework this time...
But of course, I've learned a lot of things, with your notes about the karasu ninja's newspapers.

This time, I'll be more careful, eheh!

About episode 13...
01) Is there a little pun, in Koon's words? And I never heard a proverb like "as sure as death and taxes". Or better, here in Italy, it doesn't exist even if I understood the meaning, so I wonder if this is correct:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GmBR_E6u6M&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
  If we can capitalize on that point, our victory is as sure as death and taxes".

02) Here's a bit complicated. I'm not persuaded about this dialogue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9G11oFD-oA&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
  Oh, really? Well, the robot (mecha -_-) looks surprisingly good (kakkoii is more then "good") this time. I'm looking forward to seeing it when it's done.
  It doesn't just look nice.
  Hey, listen.
  Sir. (Sir? XD) But one small thing Lord Korn (Ufortunately, who doesn't know japanese at all can't understand the difference between Koon-chan and Koon-no-Kami-sama). I'm afraid your makeup today is rather gaudy.
  I don't want to hear you saying it's gaudy.
  Ah, well. I'll try to avoid having to look at him.

03) Here I'm not sure about Pururun... I hear the word "baka".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyOD0lxCNHQ&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
  But aren't the Karakara Ichizoku stepping up their game to be so bold as to publicy challange us?
  No, they just don't respect us.

04) Ooh! I think this can be really interesting. I'm afraid that this translation is too much vague
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOkhsu8ZwHg&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
  What's this!? Who are you, you fiends?
Yami no Yon Nin Shu: Us? We're...
  With my speed and agility, I never let my opponent get away. I'm Rekkah, the fastest of our four (This is wrong!!)
  I'm Bonkah, and with my powerful gun, I can shatter anything to pieces!
  I defeat my enemy, even at the bottom of the sea. I am Wokkah and I'm the greatest underwater fighter in the land! (They're all wrong! For example here it ends saying "Mizu no Wokkah... a sort of "Wokkah of the water"... I'm a bit disappointed).
  I have nothing to do with pity or sympathy. I eliminate my enemy by capitalizing on the dark! I'm Zankah! The head of our four.
Yami no Yon Nin Shu: We're the Karakara family's four fighter of the dark!
  So cool... I used to be awesome like that, when back when.
  The four fighters of the dark (Yami no Yon Nin Shu). This dirty cowards are just talking big! You're just crow ninjas with GUCCI kit (This is too much! XD)

05) Here there aren't subs for the most part of this mecha's words. Only "Wow! You did it! Great!".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB3s9IHY6HY&feature=youtu.be

06) Is here correct?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN94mhGOqEg&feature=youtu.be
  No, we're not! We're powered by the solar!

07) Did I find another pun? 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDghfPS0YLE&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
  Wow! It's really something! You actually do have some acceptable ninjas in your family. Oh, you smart fellow!

08) And at the end, I wonder if is this correct! Of coruse there isn't a great friendship between Koon-chan and the Yami no Yon Nin Shu!! (And I think this is the only time that Gennarisai protects Koon xD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3nv0EQYiAs&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
  Hey! Who do you think this guy is?
  I'm Gen (??????? he's talking about the Shogun!)
  This is Kitsunezuka Ko'on-no-Kami, whom we Karakara family serve! Is that clear!?
  What?
  I never imagined he'd look like that!
  He looks like an idiot... We may be in trouble if we stay here. Let's withdraw for now!
  Hey! What are you gonna do with all this junk! Hey!

And... I wonder... is more correct Zankah, Rekkah, Bonkah and Wokkah, or Zankaa, Rekkaa, Bonkaa and Uokkaa? And what about "Makkrou"? I'm used to write "Zankaa, Rekkaa, Bonkaa, Uokkaa and Makkrou.
I have a bit doubt about the name of the mecha of the day, "High Sensu N°9" (ハイセンス9号). What's the most correct way to write it?

Just one pic for today

[felineki]

1. "As sure as death and taxes" is a pretty common idiom in English, I believe it was coined by Ben Franklin, although I could be remembering wrong. At any rate, it's just another way of saying something's a 100% certainty. Koon's saying "kimatta mo douzen", which is literally something like "virtually guaranteed". So in all I'd say there's nothing too wrong here, they just went with an idiom to spice things up a bit.

2. You seem to have already picked out what problems there are with those lines. Not much else I can add.

3. Pururun's saying "baka ni sareteru no yo, atashi-tachi". Basically "we're being made fools of". "They don't respect us" is more or less the same thing, "baka ni suru" can also mean "to make light of", "to look down on" and other such similar concepts.

4. Here's a bit more literal attempt at the Yami no Nin Shu's introduction lines:

"Attacking faster than the eye can see, I won't let any opponent escape. Yami no Yon Nin Shu Ninja #1: Rekkaa of the Wind."

"With my powerful cannon, I can blast any opponent to smithereens. Yami no Nin Shu Ninja #2: Bonkaa of the Flame."

"Below the waves is my specialty. I defeat enemies silently in the depths. Yami no Nin Shu Ninja #3: Wokkaa of the Water."

"The world of the ninja is has no pity! Concealed in the darkness, I strike from the shadows! Yami no Yon Nin Shu Leader: Zankaa of the Dark!"

About Karamaru's line, taking the intended joke into account I think a better translation for his line might be something like "I used to be serious like that in the first couple episodes". He specifically says "serious" (as opposed to comical), and says "saisho no koro", meaning "at the very beginning" (of the show, presumably). He was a pretty straight villain character in the first two episodes, not getting involved in any gags and such. A big difference from how he eventually ends up. I think it was his first encounter with his lifelong rival Omitsu in the the third episode that changed him. He was never quite the same after that.

I also thought the "gucci kit" line was pretty funny too. Probably not how I would have thought to translate it, but it really does work. It gets the point across and is amusing.

5. The "Karakara, Karakara sis boom bah!" part seems good to me, since it does seem like he's cheering. The second line (the one subbed as "Wow! You did it! Great!") also says something about cheering on/rooting for/supporting ("ouen"), although I can't quite make out the whole line. Sounds like "hade na ??? wo ouen suru de sensu".

6. This one's sort of tricky to translate. After being told that they're powered by the sun, Yattarou replies that no, they're powered by "Otentousama". "Otentousama" is just a poetic, personified way of referring to the sun, with somewhat religious connotations. Hence Pururun pointing out that it's the same thing. They just went with "solar" vs. "sun" but I think some of the nuance is lost that way.

7. Hmm, he is saying "kono, kono" (in this context, "you, you"), but it doesn't particularly seem like an intentional pun to me.

8. Oh, this line. I could tell it was a reference to something, but I had no idea what. But after some research I finally found out. It's a reference to the famous and long-running jidaigeki "Mito Komon". In that show, a former vice shogun travels the countryside incognito with his aides, and at the climax of every episode they reveal his identity (and his family crest) to his enemies along with the recitation of a catch phrase. "Do you know who this man is? He is the former vice shogun, Sir Mito Mistukuni!" Gen and Koon start to recite these lines, but Gen conks Koon over the head before he can finish, causing him to say "Mito MistuKOON!".

The rest of the lines in that scene seem alright. Although I think it might be worth pointing out that the term Gennarisai uses for "junk" ("sodai gomi") can also be a disparaging slang term for a husband. I guess sort of like how men might refer to their wives as a "battle axe" or a 'ball & chain". Given these two characters' relationship, that's a nuance that's worth noting.  

As for the Yami no Yon Nin Shu's names, they're written as "カア" in Japanese, which is literally "Kaa". "Kah" seems acceptable as a romanization to me. "Kaa" is the Japanese onomatopoeia for a crow's call, so at one point I even thought that maybe romanizing them as "Zancaw" etc. might be neat, since that carries the crow call meaning over to English while sounding nearly the same. Also, "Uokkaa" is probably a pun on "water". The English word "water" is rendered in Japanese in sort of a funny way ("uotaa"). So "Wakkaa" or "Wakkah" might be appropriate for him. On a similar note, "Bonkaa" is probably a pun on "bomber" ("bonbaa"). But "Bomkaa/Bomkah" does't really roll off the tongue well.

"Makkurou" is seemingly a pun on the Japanese term "makkuro" ("pitch black") and the English word "crow" (rendered as "kurou" in Japanese). "Makkurou" would be the direct romanization, but since it's seemingly a pun on the word "crow", I think "Maccrow" would also work.

"High Sense/Sensu" is one of those puns that works in Japanese because both words are written the same way there, but when you render it into English you have to pick one or the other. It's a pun on "High Sense" as in having good or refined taste, plus "sensu" ("folding fan").

Mietoru's screen says "On Dispatch", the rest say "On Delivery".

[petran79]

 series was encoded in high quality, using the R2 DVDs.
finally someone fixed episode 9 subtitle timing

from the description:

after being lazy for quite some time i finally finished encoding this. the video was taken from the r2 dvds. even though the r1 dvd has mostly the same video, most of the discs have one re-encoded episode that looks like crap. i mean they didn't even ivtc it, so it's 29.97fps and blended

which were the bad quality episodes? I couldnt tell any difference, mainly because I watched the series on the PC in VLC player. not on DVD TV.

[Violent Violet]

Is still someone there on here?

[KageReneko]

HimeSamaaaa

[blind2d]

This place is very quiet, but yes, we still live. 

[rcom88]

This place is very quiet, but yes, we still live. 

Yup. This place is definitely much more quiet, but I am glad to know that there's still people around.