The key to analyzing Bucchigiri thematically is realizing two things:
1. fighting is not the only metric by which passion and worth and love are defined (something shown by Mahoro's personal strength/determination)
2. Arajin's rejection of Matakara is not out of disinterest or dislike, it is as a result of not feeling worthy of him
Despite all its pomp and spectacle, Bucchigiri is a show that cares deeply about how its details portray feelings beyond the superficial. Just by looking at how often Mahoro and Matakara are visually and narratively compared is just one such detail. Specific phrasing and word choice (in Japanese) is another, as Arajin distinctly uses impersonal as opposed to critical language when addressing Matakara (something the sub and dub ignore to varying degrees, often making his dialogue take on a harsher tone).
The biggest thematic takeaway from Bucchigiri is that you don't have to be the person someone expects of you to be loved by them. Arajin doesn't need to share Matakara's passion in fighting to be loved by him and to love him in return. And Matakara doesn't need to always be strong to be able to find some reason to live. He is worthy of other people's love just by being himself.
"Rather than pointless fights, I want promises."
This is the only part in the ending theme that is sung with two voices laid on top of each other and it encapsulates what Bucchigiri wants to say about its relationships. That the bond two people choose to share is more important than any pride you can leverage trying to prove something.
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A special short story included with the 4th Bucchigiri?! DVD/Blu-ray
Description from the official site:
Worried about how to "confess his love," Arajin asks his best friend Matakara for advice on how to convey his feelings to Mahoro, but...?!
Story by Kishimoto Taku/ Supervision by Utsumi Hiroko
(NOTE: I'm an amateur when it comes to translation so there's unfortunately going to be mistakes here and there. I do plan on uploading clean scans of the original material sometime in the future for those who are more capable. I just wanted to share my own take on this little story.)
"Hmm~~, mmmmm~...ahh~...What on earth should I do...how can I convey my passionate feelings to Mahoro-chan!"
One young man is groaning loudly while holding his head in agony. This is Tomoshibi Arajin.
"Hey, Matakara! How do you confess to someone!?"
"Eh? Confessing? Hmmm...just be serious and tell them how you really feel, isn't that enough?"
The one who gives such an honest answer is Asamine Matakara. He has known Arajin since childhood, when they'd been best friends who aimed to become Honki People together.
"Just expressing my feelings seriously huh...Hmmm...I'm the type of guy who believes actions speak louder than words..."
Arajin is muttering something like that before he says,
"Matakara, show me how you'd do it."
"Ehh!? Me!? But confessing..."
"Just try it, try it! Okay!"
"Um...wait a minute...a confession huh..."
Matakara is flustered for a moment, but finally, as if he's made up his mind, he lets out a sigh, clears his throat, and says,
"P-Please, let me make miso soup for you every day!"
"Why are you the one making it!?"
"I see...it's more fun to make it together than by yourself! As expected of you, Ara-chan!"
"That's not the point! In fact, what you're saying is basically a proposal!"
Arajin holds his head in his hands, realizing that he has consulted the wrong person.
"Yo~"
"What are you doing?"
"Ah, Zabu and Komao."
The people who call out are Zabu Kakeru and Sakigake Komao, the usual lineup.
"Hello! What are you guys talking about?"
Komao doesn't care what the topic is and just gets into it.
"Ara-chan was wondering how to confess."
"If you're so keen to confess, then just tell the other person, right Zabu?"
When asked about it, Zabu grins.
"Yeah you should, if you really are that popular."
"But...I don't like Ara-chan being too popular."
Seeing Matakara's indecisive attitude makes Arajin confused.
"Hey what's all that about!?!? There's no such thing as being too popular!"
"No, it's not like that..."
"Matakara is Minato Kai's second best after all! Of course he's super popular."
Komao speaks without any ill intent, not knowing what the person in question is actually thinking.
"Stop it..."
"Grrr...I guess this guy's popular after all!"
Arajin grits his teeth as Zabu presses on.
"Weren't they waiting in line for you the other day?"
"Wh-What did you say!? Girls were waiting for him?"
"Grrrrr!"
Arajin growls with rage.
"It was just because that place was small! It's really not that great. They're girls, so I can't hurt them...but I can't just ignore someone who's coming at me with all their might..."
"Pyuu~" Zabu and Komao whistle as they turn away, ignoring Arajin.
"What is it? Tell me quickly! Tell me!!"
Zabu puts his hand on Arajin's shoulder in an attempt to calm him and continues with a serious look on his face.
"Listen here, Ichizu High has a time-honored tradition of matchmaking."
"Matchmaking!? Isn't matchmaking when a man and a woman who want to get married are introduced to each other at some arranged dinner??"
"In our case, the person who falls in love first comes forward and says 'Let's make a match!' and the other person accepts by saying 'Sure, I'd be happy to make a match!' and that's how it begins. If you fight seriously and defeat your crush, the two of you can have a special relationship."
"Huh!? Isn't that more like a wrestling match!? What does wrestling have to do with matchmaking?"
"That's just how it is, a match is a match, that's all there is to it!"
Komao says, showing off his skills as he grabs Zabu in a headlock.
"By the way, guys can ask out other guys."
"A lover of men I am not!"
Arajin watches with dead eyes as Zabu is taken down by Komao's suplex.
"Ara-chan, if you'd like, wanna practice together? I mean, I could try being your matchmaking partner? By the way, my specialty is hoisting people up, so it's a technique that won't hurt girls..."
Arajin interrupts Matakara who was making a misguided proposal and glares at him.
"No way! The confession I want to make doesn't involve hoisting, or headlocks, or finishing moves! Isn't there a more normal way to confess your love?"
"That is normal..."
"Zabu, how would you confess?"
"Wh-What do you mean...just the normal way. I'd ask the other person to go out with me, like normal."
Zabu stammers nervously after Matakara suddenly turns the conversation toward him.
"Is it okay to just do that without thinking too deeply about it? What do you think Ara-chan?"
"Hmmm...but you know 'going out' just doesn't feel right..."
"What do you mean?"
Arajin tilts his head, searching for the right words as Komao looks at him confused.
"Going out, 'dating' that is, it's more like a contract, right? 'I won't date other people so you shouldn't either'."
Perhaps caught off guard by the word "contract," Shinpo mutters, "Well, you could say that, but..." He seems a bit dissatisfied.
"Aren't you overthinking it? I'm just saying 'let's go out' because I'm too embarrassed to say 'I like you'."
As Zabu looks on in disbelief, Arajin continues.
"But you know, I still don't feel comfortable with just 'I like you' and 'Me too'. For example, even if you find your partner on a date with someone else, if they say they like that person too, you won't be able to say anything."
"That's true, dating implies that 'neither of us will like anyone else' but that's only one possible meaning."
Matakara, who had been listening to Arajin's story, nods in agreement.
"Right? You don't want to get married, but you still want to date, it's kind of half-hearted, even unfair...If you really love the other person, you should just propose and get married!"
"I see...that's right!"
"Eh? Don't just go along with whatever he says! It's way too much responsibility. You can't just get married!"
"Propro~pose, pro~po~se~~!"
Maho readily agrees, but Zabu retorts, and Komao does a little dance.
"In that case, the 'miso soup' thing Matakara mentioned before might actually be on the right track..."
"What I said earlier, 'Let me make you miso soup every day'?"
"Yeah. There's that vague feeling of wanting to spend the rest of your life together...I guess a man is only as good as his sense of responsibility. That's a true companion."
Arahito pushes his hair back to look cool.
"Ha, stop trying to look cool when you've never even dated."
Zabu looks at Arajin with an expression of amazement, wondering what he was talking about.
"Eh, perhaps..."
"Have you ever dated, Zabu?"
Startled by Arajin and Matakara's words, Zabu lowers his head. He then speaks in a small voice.
His answer:
"No...not yet, for now..."
As time passes quietly by, Maho suddenly blurts out something.
"I wonder what it would be like, to date someone..."
"Ah..."
"That's right..."
The three of them look off into the distance, thinking about the relationship they have yet to realize.
"It's nothing that special."
It is Komao who says this so nonchalantly.
"You have no idea, you've never even gone out with anyone."
"There is someone."
"Ehh!?" Three boys shout in unison.
"No way..." Zabu mutters while Arajin and Matakara are speechless. None of them can hide their surprise.
Komao!?!? Experienced!?!? And nobody's heard anything about it!?
"I mean, we're going out right now."
"Ehhhh!?"
"Seriously...."
Zabu is unable to hide his shock and can't even look Komao in the eye.
"What's it like? Going out..."
Matakara asks a straightforward question.
"Hmm? Usually we stay together overnight."
"Overnight!?"
"Yeah."
Looking defeated and timid as he raises his hand, Arajin asks,
"Um, well~...Excuse me for asking, but when you say staying the night, does that mean you'll be going to bed together...?"
"'Going to bed'?"
"Well...he means if you're going to sleep in the same room together."
Matakara kindly explains.
"You mean, in the same futon?"
Zabu asks, finally joining in.
"Of course. We always take baths together."
"Baths!?"
"Yeah. But he doesn't like the heat."
Beside the group, who are frozen in place, Komao laughs heartily.
"I see... that's it..."
Matakara manages to squeeze out a reply.
"Do your parents know about this?"
Arahito can only use polite language now.
"Hm? Of course! I mean, they heard his voice the other day too."
"My parents!"
"His voice!??"
"That guy has such a loud voice~, so I quickly covered his mouth but that just made him go crazy..."
"Stop it already! Stop it, Komao!!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Zabu screams out loud enough to drown out Komao's voice.
Zabu's mind is in turmoil, like a small boat in a storm. They had been talking about what it meant to be in a relationship...but this was too sudden.
Only one of them was going too fast! Where are you going, Komao? No, does that mean the Komao he knew wasn't really Komao after all!?!?
It's no good, Zabu doesn't know what's going on anymore...
"What's up with you Zabu~, don't just scream so suddenly~. Now my ears are ringing."
Komao pouts in dissatisfaction. Zabu looks down and clenches his fists.
"That's not the Komao I know... the Komao I know... isn't like that..." His clenched fists tremble.
"What do you mean? You're joking, aren't you? It's just a game."
"!!!"
"Just a game...that's all? You're seriously calling it that?"
Matakara looks at Komao with a stern expression that he rarely shows to his friends.
"I'm disappointed in you, Komao."
Zabu states, clenching his fists so hard he was close to drawing blood.
"Eh~? Aren't you guys being too serious?"
Immediately afterwards, Zabu grabs Komao by the collar.
"What, what are you talking about! I can't believe you were that kind of guy!"
"Huh!? You guys should just go along with it instead of whining about it."
"What do you think, Ara-chan? Listening to Komao's story."
Matakara's usually soft voice hardens and his expression turns serious as he asks Arajin.
"Me too..."
Arajin quietly bows his head.
"You're right, this kind of thing can't be tolerated, right? Not being serious about the person you love..."
Arajin clenches his fist.
"Me too..."
"That's definitely not okay, Ara-chan..."
"I want to lose my virginity!!!!!"
。。。
The roar blends into the wind that rustles the leaves.
No one speaks.
All that can be heard is the rustling of leaves and the cries of crows...
In the silence, one person speaks up.
"Oh, it's him!"
Komao looks up towards the sound of the crow.
"What? He's...?"
"That's who I'm going out with right now, Caw-chan the crow!"
"Caw! Caw!"
A crow with round eyes, large wings and a lustrous black body flutters down near Komao.
"...A...crow...?"
Komao and this crow? They're going out? They're staying the night together? They were heard by his parents? While Zabu and the others stand there confused, Komao speaks to the crow in a friendly manner.
"Let's take a bath together again today~"
"If Caw-chan is going to cry, I guess I should go home~,then~,see you tomorrow~!”
"Caw!"
"So... you're saying... you take baths with a crow?"
"Caw! Caw!"
As Arajin stands there in a daze, watching Komao leave, Matakara replies, gazing up at the crimson sky where Caw-chan has flown away.
"Well, they do say that crows like a quick bath..."
>>> High School 3rd Year Memories #2 (Sousuke & Rin)
Rin: Sousuke, the hot spring trip we went with Ai and Momo was fun, wasn’t it?
Sousuke: Yeah. It’s been a while since I’ve soaked in a hot spring leisurely like that.
Rin: Same here. It’s so indulging to go to a hot spring in early morning! You guys wouldn’t get up at all, it was a real pain to wake you up, y’know.
Sousuke: Yeah, but it was pretty insane of you to shove an alarm clock on the loudest setting under my blanket, Rin.
Rin: You say that now, Sousuke, but didn’t you counterattack me with a headlock? After all the effort I put into preparation, my yukata was completely disheveled.
Sousuke: You’re gonna take it off anyway, so did it matter? But anyway, it was utter chaos. And it was really fun.
Rin: Haha, it’s true that you looked like you really enjoyed yourself, Sousuke. I’m pretty sure Ai and Momo are both glad that they got the tickets to the hot spring trip.
Sousuke: The tickets came with a surprise as well. We had to decipher codes on some cookies and go treasure hunting. I heard they prepared a ton of cookies and even gave them out during a joint practice with Iwatobi.
Rin: Really…! Speaking of which, apparently Ai gave the “Happy Happy☆Mimi-chan Transformation Set” we won at the hot spring street’s shooting game booth to Rei and the gang. I got a message from Makoto, and it came with a picture of his younger sister wearing the costume. He said thanks.
Sousuke: I’m glad she likes it.
Rin: You were really zealous the whole time during the shooting game.
Sousuke: You think I’d go easy on you? I had no intention of losing at all.
Rin: Hah! That’s what you say now! Ah…but, I was pretty heated up, too, and now I have this weird soreness in my arm…since the gun we used in the game was pretty heavy.
Sousuke: Didn’t I give you a massage at the hot spring this morning already?
Rin: As if a massage by an amateur will have any effect.
Sousuke: Even though it felt so good you were nodding off?
Rin: Th-that’s because it was so early in the morning and I was still sleepy…
Sousuke: Well, it was pretty early. And both Ai and Momo couldn’t wake up.
Rin: Yeah, it was like having your own private bath in the morning, it was the best!
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I will never stop shilling for sarazanmai because people will never understand how much I suffered in sarazanmai fandom during its airing when everyone was making "Enta is problematic and evil and predatory" posts because he as a FOURTEEN YEAR OLD BOY kissed his crush in secret while he was sleeping and got jealous that his crush was hanging out with another guy more than him when quite literally one of the other 14 yr old main protags was trying to disembowel a cat because it ate the weed he was going to sell to help his older brothers cartel and the other one kidnapped a girl so he could steal her identity
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Some time ago I made a post about this tablet, to exalt its coolness as a stylistic mix of arabic and japanese scripts. Upon closer look I noticed it was not random for the aesthetic, but actually real japanese sentences, in an arabic-inspired font!
So I decided to decipher it. It was fun but challenging (especially as a non-native japanese speaker!), but I managed to do it.
japanese and translation:
戦で乱れし世に 逃げぬ心で
In a world disarrayed by war, with a heart that does not flee
鍛錬を積み頂点を目指せ者共あり。
They are the people who accumulate training and aim for the top.
その名を本気人という。
They are called Honki People.
己が身に幾千の武具すら及ぬ力を宿し
Their body possesses power that a thousand armors cannot match.
その拳は火を吹く大筒の如く
Their fist is such as a cannon that spits fire
その蹴りは玉鋼の名刀をも砕いた。
Their kick shattered even the famous tamahagane* swords.
正々堂々 一途な(る?)生き—
A "fair and square", singleminded (way of) life—
民の心を打つも—
They strike even the People's hearts—
*traditional japanese steel made from iron sand and used in swords
BONUS:
This banner from episode 7. Once again japanese, but the katakana part really looks like arabic imo if you didn't know better! very cool
"合同コンバット" (gôdô combatto)
Joint combat
A pun on "合同コンパ" (gôdô compa), "joint party / mixer"; what Arajin thought he was getting into.
You know what fantasy stories don't use enough? Different measuring scales, and confusion caused by them. Because before the metric system, practically every place and culture had their own measures for weights, lengths and distances. It would be fun to add that into a story for added realistic cultural confusion.
The average dwarf is four or five feet tall, but not in human measures. Yeah they're still shorter than humans but the dwarf foot (and the namesake measure of length) is bigger in proportion to their body. "Is that in dwarf feet or human feet?" is a common question to hear on construction sites, wherever human carpenters and dwarf masons are working together.
A dedicated local Common Misconception Historian has a pet peeve about the whole "princess Featherblade was only 12 years old when she led the attack on Marshland Halls" -myth, because the historical recordings on the human side are off. While she was remarkably young, that myth came about back in the day when humans were still trying to apply "dog years" to elves, and in an elven life span, 120 years is not a direct equivalent to a 12-year-old human.
A whole culture whose smallest unit of weight loosely translates to "about as much as an apple", and varies from region to region depending on the size of local apples. These people are famed for their alchemists, whose uncanny ability to simply measure their ingredients by heart, making their recipes essentially impossible to replicate. This famed skill is a matter of survivor bias - the ones that don't have that knack ten to explode into fine mist.
As a sidenote. Medieval construction sites actually decided at the beginning of the project just exactly whose feet, inches and thumbspaces they were going to use for this site. Then they’d post them on a board at the workshops so everyone could be on the same page here.
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