Thread 282906432

Alright, it is Thursday and I am gonna post the first volume of MAO. Feel free to react or comment on any panel, though I appreciate if image replies are not used during the dump. Feel free to discuss anything related to MAO after the dump. In addition, as MAO is atypically plot-heavy as a Rumiko Takahashi manga, please be mindful of others and use spoilers tags when discussing things that are revealed later in chapters that have not been dumped.

MAO is Rumiko Takahashi's current ongoing series, a dark fantasy manga with a more serious tone than most of her other major series. I highly recommend it, as there genuinely is a lot of intrigue.

Previous thread: >>282728526

I will be using the official localization of the manga volumes by VIZ. Be aware that some of the larger images may have been edited to be lower quality due to image size limits. In addition, unlike the twice-a-week schedule I've had for every series thus far, I will be switching to dumping this manga once a week on Thursdays.

it is time

>>282906432 (OP)
The best time of the week is finally here

Original title was 鬼神の出処 (kishin no shussho). 鬼神 (kishin) does contain the kanji for oni (hence ogre per VIZ) and god in them, but as the furigana (きじん) shows, it is pronounced differently. It appears to come from Chinese (Romanized as guǐshén) and refer to supernatural beings, ghosts and spirits. In Japanese, it refers to fierce gods/spirits or a number of things in Buddhism. It could also be translated as demon. Very broad term, is my point. I don't necessarily think Ogre God was the correct call here based on what I am seeing.

Also, unrelated but I love this volume's cover.

July 3rd, 2019. Author's note:
"Q: July 3rd is “Ice Cream Day!” Do you have a favorite ice cream?
A: Haagen-Dazs."

>>282906659
Reminder, "Priestess Shoko" does not appear to have a title in Japanese at all. She's just 鐘呼さま (Shouko-sama) and that is what people are cheering here. Also, I double checked if they called the stones something specific in Japanese (it was 守り石 (Mamori-seki) or guardian stones previously), but the line didn't refer to the stones as explicitly. They also referred to it extending lifespan specifically rather than saving her life, which is important.

>>282906748
Yoriko was 依子 in Japanese and yes, Sogen did not use any honorifics while the last panel used "-san". Yoriko referred to Sogen as 宗玄さま (Sogen-sama).

>>282906812
Yes, just referred to by name and honorific again. Oh and the bad karma was the expression バチが当たったのよ (Bachi ga atatta no yo) which is very common and not exactly directly referencing karma (though most places translate it as incurring the wrath of the gods, incurring divine punishment, etc.). It appears to literally mean "get rightfully hit" essentially.

Honestly, I feel like I should just learn Japanese if I am going to be doing this for each page...

>>282906964
Ah, for this one I can just copy and paste Furinkan's note (same as last time):

"The wooden doll that is unearthed is a "juso no hitogata" (呪詛の人形) literally a "curse doll". This is a technique that originated during the Heian period and likely made its way from China originally."

>>282906976
I love when Rumiko draws the very stylized ink style drawings. I assume this is based on 墨絵 (sumi-e) but it might be something more specific.

>>282907031
Here, we had a very bold 一切の鬼を縛す (Issai no oni o bakusu). Yes, here he did appear to use the word "oni" and it seems to translate to something like "bind entire oni". You can see why this gets localized.

>>282906976
Otoya always refers to Mao as Mao-sama, so it irks me that he uses just Mao here.
>>282907031
Interesting little animal statues. I wonder what magical purpose the elephant serves.

>>282907122
Sogen just inquired about the trembling.

>>282906432 (OP)
>current ongoing series

Wait, what happened to Yashahime?

>>282907662
not by rumiko, someone else is drawing that and it's based on the anime written by other people
i think rumiko's a consultant at most
also OP has been going chronologically, and yashahime began serialization after mao

>>282907426
The word for cult here was 教団 (Kyōdan). This seems to mean religious organization, but I see it translated as cult as well. The modern term that Nanoka used that Otoya was unfamiliar with was 土地乗っ取り (Tochi nottori) which seems to mean "land grab" or "land takeover" or "claim jumping". I think hostile takeover is a good localization.

>>282907803
Interestingly, Otoya wasn't actually confused by the phrase in Japanese, he just said "to put it simply".

>>282907819
Here, he did refer to it as 鬼神 (きじん, kishin) like in the title of the chapter. And yes, Yoriko referred to the same expression.

>>282908010
I think in context, repent is a reasonable assumption but it seems in Japanese, she simply referring to trying to persuade him.

>>282907754
I see. Thank you.

>>282908010
>>282907031
She should have picked between the scar or the black and white hair. Both together are too much for a single character.

>>282908052
Seems VIZ got a bit cute here by making them matching expressions. Then again, it might've been similarly cute in Japanese. The guys went "待て" (mate) or "wait" while Mao went 足止め (ashidome) which seems to mean "forcing to stay".

>>282908119
someone pointed out during the inuyasha threads that she injured inuyasha there a lot

>>282908147
Sogen seemed to just say it is bad that he got Yoriko. So, a bit more ambiguous? Also, Otoya seemed to refer to it as simply a fragment of the kishin. The modern term Nanoka referenced was 子機 (koki) which does refer to an extension, handset or cordless phone but literally means "child device".

>>282908119
I feel like he has to be in some ways inspired by Black Jack.

>>282908305
Otoya said that this was different from the imitation of an amateur. Yes, the label of the book was redrawn. I unfortunately can't read it on the raws I have. Nanoka and Otoya's lines in the last panel were remarkably rewritten seeing as Nanoka just said "this?" and Otoya said "it is probably a manuscript, but..."

Look how big the bubbles are!

>>282908516
>>282908398
Otoya referred to it as 呪法 (juhō) which does contain the character for curse, but means something more like "spell method".

>>282908528
End of chapter. More than an hour for one chapter. Sorry guys, I might tone down my obsessive checking of the Japanese version.

>>282908119
It's meant to contrast with his past self, I think. You get used to it pretty quickly. Also, if you think it's too much on one character, just wait until they start introducing the rest of the cast...

July 17th, 2018. Author's note:
"Q: Is there anything you could say, "Actually I know a lot about this stuff?"
A: The Anne of Green Gables anime."

>>282908593
Sigh...

>>282908547
The little spirit is not amused by this turn of events

>>282908607
Sign was obviously redrawn.

>>282908661
!

>>282908684
Oh, I missed this note by Furinkan earlier. "Sogen's name (宗玄) is written with the kanji for "mysterious religion"."

>>282908717
Shoko does not use honorifics when speaking to Sogen.

>>282908750
Term used for fortune-telling was 占い (uranai).

>>282908835
Maybe would've gone with "It's open!" seeing as well, it is.

>>282908750
Pretty sure she calls him Sogen-dono

>>282908717
Alas, poor Yorick...

>>282908867
Caught.

>>282908872
You're absolutely correct, I have no idea how I misread that so badly. I guess because whenever I see "no" I assume it is leading into the next part of the sentence. Sorry.

>>282908946
Furinkan has two notes here:

"At times Nanoka cannot be easily understood by the Taisho era characters because of modern terms she uses. When she calls Sogen the "Number 2 boss," in Japanese she calls him 教団No.2 (Kyoudan No. 2), "the religious organization's number 2" "

And in regards to the other note: "Sogen states that he studied "Mikkyo" (密教) which is an esoteric form of Buddhism."

The name of the religion does translate to "secret Buddhism" so I can see why it was localized like this, but it does bother me.

>>282906432 (OP)
>first volume
Again?

>>282908593
>The Anne of Green Gables anime
I wonder if she watched the new one, it just ended

>>282909031
Nanoka's line here at the bottom was "ええっ宗玄さまの方が!" which does seem to mean something similar as の方が seems to mean "moreso" or "is better" and yes, she refers to him with "-sama" still. I do feel it is a bit cheesy to go with this localization, but yeah.

>>282909103
living in a loop anon

>>282909015
Mao doesn't fuck around (except when he starts fucking around right after this)

>>282909284
Sometimes, I check wording because it seems the disparity in sentence length is too great and it turns out to be pretty direct. Japanese and English really aren't very similar.

>>282909103
Oh damn it. I'll get it right next time.

>>282909374
End of chapter. Quite the panel to end on.

>>282909284
Shoko doesn't say anything about trying to warn him in Japanese, she just he died because Sogen cursed him.

Three color pages this time. Well, originally.

July 24th, 2019. Author's note:
"Q: On July 24th there will be exactly one year until the Olympics. Is there any event you're looking forward to?
A: I love the Olympics so I'm looking forward to everything."

>>282909543
Oh, we might get to see the outfit in color if someone has the color pages.

>>282909421
That would explain the previous page, I guess. It otherwise makes no sense. Man, they weren't even doing simulpub at this time, they really had no excuse.

>>282909565
Per Furinkan, I have two notes:

"Sogen says he used the "Enmi Method" to cast his curse, this is 鴛魅の呪法 (enmi no juhou). Basically he is saying he is using a "killing curse", though Enmi is a specific type of curse, a proper name rather than a general term.

Otoya is mildly surprised that Nanoka is able to grasp the concept of the cursed doll (人形/hitogata) when she says it sounds like "voodoo". In the original Japanese she compares the cursed doll to ワラ人形 (wara ningyo) which is a similar supernatural cursing using a straw doll that has now permeated popular culture (hence the voodoo reference being quite an appropriate translation)."

Nice that VIZ left the enmi reference.

>>282909640
There's the rest of it. Though we saw it earlier.

>>282909565
I think it's kind of odd that the volume releases of Rumiko's series don't use the running chapter numbering that the magazine versions use, and just have them numbered from one to however many chapters the volume has. I'm pretty sure most of her series do it; I wonder why,

>>282909788
I wonder if those patterns are historical. I didn't find anything resembling it via Google, but I didn't look long.

>>282909851
Heh.

>>282909832
Yeah, I don't think of chapter numbers at all when it comes to Rumic works, but I know some people can remember that sort of thing. Crazy to me.

>>282909851
I think we've got a classic case of Viz speech bubble mix-up on the bottom of the page here.
Also, I don't know about the dolls, but many of the paper talismans Mao uses have real-life equivalents. I'll post some examples later if I happen to have some of the ones he uses in this volume saved.

>>282909902
宗玄どの (Sogen-dono) again. In case you're unfamiliar with it, it is a honorific suffix used in letters (or emails, documents, etc.) or in historic fiction. It is more formal than -san but less formal than -sama.

>>282909832
annoys the hell out of me personally, i have to look at OP's file name to know what chapter it is
the english version of rin-ne relabeled them with their actual chapter number (jp version does the 1-10 thing again) which i wish they did with mao considering how things get referenced again in the future

>>282909961
Per the chapter title.

>>282909923
Oh. You're right. It still kind of works... but yeah, it is wrong. Also, that would be cool!

>>282910004
...

>>282910014
Oh hey, they actually translated 死霊 (shiryō) means "spirit of a dead person". So, dead soul. This is as opposed to the spirit of a living person, which came up in Rin-ne all the time.

>>282909962 (me)
for example i have to look at OP's file name to know which chapter is the color page
turns out the fanart got it wrong >>282745741
rumiko colored the hakama blue and the kimono red

>>282910078
All the plants were translated directly.

>>282910121
This reminds me of something.

>>282910083
Well, the color scheme in the fanart looks wonderful either way.

>>282910166
Dark magic is a bit of localization, obviously. No special term was used here, I believe.

>>282910194
I don't know if I remembered this aspect of it from when I read it before or it was simply a reasonable conclusion given her backstory as presented thus far.

>>282910241
Oh?

>>282910256
End of chapter.

All the signs were redrawn. I assume they just did it phonetically or guessed with the one in the back.

July 31st, 2019. Author's note:
"Q: It's summer vacation! Did you have summer vacation homework that you didn't like?
A: Arithmetic."

>>282910333
Thirty years, Nanoka. You've been gone thirty years! This really is a remarkably casual attitude towards all this.

>>282910354
Nanoka is now older than her actual age.

>>282910362
Admittedly, she was a bit younger than her actual age from last time, so she probably is still leaning that way. Anyway, the wikipedia article was obviously rewritten to be in English here. Though, it amusingly still says "ja.wiki..." at the beginning there. Oh and yes, it was wikipodia in Japanese as well.

>>282910394
I don't know if I need to say this, but this was an actual historical event.

>>282910464
Another Furinkan note: "Shorinkyo (鐘臨教) is the name of Shoko and Sogen's cult. The "sho" in "Shorinkyo" is the same "sho" in Shoko's name (鐘呼)."

You know that when they say "Extra!" while hawking a newspaper, it is because it is an extra edition being printed outside the regular schedule? But now, media just has anyone selling newspapers do that regardless. This is the case with the localization here and the seller is just saying 新聞ーっ (Shinbun ̄) or "Newspapeeeer" in Japanese.

>>282910545
She's okay!

>>282910592
VIZ is trying to convey that Nanoka is using terms unfamiliar to the people of the Taisho era but are making her seem a little silly since the words she's using are obviously describing modern stuff. In the original, she simply used a loanword from English. Her line was どんなトリックなのか (Don'na torikkuna no ka) or "What kind of trick is it?" with トリック (torikku) being a loanword from the English "trick". Otoya is confused and says とっくりがどうとか。(tokkuri ga dō toka.) or "Something about a jug". Well, tokkuri is apparently specifically a type of sake bottle, but Google suggested jug and it made me laugh.

>>282910694
I laughed at the final panel here and checked the Japanese and yeah, it is pretty direct.

>>282910740
Still calling her 菜花お嬢さま (Nanoka o jō-sama) in Japanese.

>>282910778
The dialog in the top left was a bit girly-girled but it is pretty much that. "Is Nanoka dating Shiraha now?"

>>282910851
Hm. Would've been interesting if it hadn't existed. But I guess that's just like Narnia or something then.

>>282910866
Shikigami-zoned...

>>282910740
The translator seems to have gotten a little lazy, since Mao's first panel says "On the bright side, at least you weren't responsible for poisoning your father." Or maybe they thought this was a bit too blunt for the hero of the story to say.

>>282910879
I think I can safely post this little bit of an interview. This was published in November 2019, so some months after this chapter:

"[Q:] Perhaps what was overwhelmingly new about this manga was that, for the first time in a full-length work by Takahashi-sensei, the main character was a cool, reserved guy. For example, this is the first work that brought a character of the type similar to Sesshomaru in Inuyasha to the center of the story.

Takahashi: Indeed, that's what happens. As you can see from Mao's first appearance in the manga, when a heroine like that comes across a dangerous situation, the hero in previous shonen manga would immediately go to her rescue without thinking twice. But this time, I wanted to create a hero who deviates from that formula. So when I drew the layout for that scene, I had a pretty good idea of the hero's character."

Interviewers tend to overstate the virtues of Rumiko Takahashi's writing a little bit, but I am similarly biased toward her and I am not getting paid for it, so who am I to judge?

>>282910892
there's also how it's followed up by that girl blushing

>>282910955
Mao's just a handsome fella
He charms all the ladies with his autism (that's not a joke either, he actually does)

>>282910952
End of chapter. That typo is embarassing. VIZ, get it together.

Original title was 要石 (kaname-ishi). Keystone, foundation stone or capstone is a reasonable translation but this is a real concept and it has a wikipedia page under the original name so I figured I'd give it to you. Furinkan also has a video about it.

Furinkan notes that: "This is a double issue of Shonen Sunday, subsequently it took a week off from publication the following week." Also, I forgot to mention but MAO took a break after the first chapter of this volume, hence the dates being the way they are.

August 7th, 2019. Author's note:
"Q: What is a food that makes you say "I want to eat this during the summer!"?
A: Miyako soba."

>>282911052
Not drawn particularly spooky here.

>>282910892
>>282910955
>>282910984
Yeah, I can't help but feel this was localization decision that deemed the response and reaction too Japanese for American audiences. Since you know, that sort of thinking is a bit anathema when people are super pragmatic. Not quite romantic, but like, emphasizing the principles of the situation? I can't find the right term for this. I do think it means we lose a bit of characterization for Mao.

>>282911178
Hm. Maybe philosophical? No, that doesn't quite fit either. Maybe this is just an idea that can't be summed up in one word. I wonder if I am even tugging on the right thread here or if I am just stereotyping. It does seem like a real cultural distinction (like how you die being important or motivation behind an action) but I am not a scholar.

>>282911262
As mentioned before by a reader, Fifth Street is basically a mistranslation as the location was 五行 (Gogyō) and refers to the area and is a reference to the five Chinese elements. Though, I guess it might've just been localization. But they missed the reference.

>>282906748
you know what they say nanoka, there's a sucker born every minute
>>282906812
>yoriko
ah the girl mentioned last time, with the dead dojo dad
>>282906964
thank you for the confirmation random girl
>appears to literally mean "get rightfully hit" essentially.
smited by god
>Honestly, I feel like I should just learn Japanese if I am going to be doing this for each page...
you need to review your kana for one
>>282907031
what did those poor little animal figures do to be tied up like this
>>282907122
there's a certain speaking style associated with spooky rituals
a phrase i remember using the word "bind" is from that 90s movie the craft, where at one point a spell saying "i bind you (name)" is cast
but the oni-spirit-thing here seems to fade away/fall apart... was it bound into the animal figures?

>>282911347
吸血魔 (kyūketsu ma) was the term used here for "vampire". Yes, it seems to be using the Chinese character. I doublechecked. Anyway, the term is commonly translated as vampire but literally means "blood-sucking demon/ghost/evil spirit". 吸血鬼 (Kyūketsuki) is the typical way to say vampire in Japanese.

>>282907152
didn't fit in the bubble i guess

>>282911516
Hm, it seems in the Japanese he specifies that they are literally blood-sucking monsters. Anyway, the term was 血を吸う怪人 (Chiwosuu kaijin) which does mean "blood-sucking monster". Okay, I double checked and 怪人 actually seems to be a "strange person" but it is used in sci-fi to refer to a freak, mutant or like a tokusatsu villain.

>>282907426
>i merely made an observation about the length of his life
maybe don't make it sound like a threat...
>>282907803
>they donate it to the cult
classic
>light goes out
oh?
>>282907819
>>282908010
e- enter?
>not caused by a curse
wait... it wasn't? ...well it has been a while since i read this part, i just remember that one important piece of info at the end

>>282911605
Otoya referred to it as 耶蘇教の教会 (yasokyō no kyōkai) which does in fact mean "Christian church". Per Furinkan:

"The ban on Christianity was lifted in Japan in 1873 and so a Christian church, while uncommon, would not have been unheard of. After the American military occupation following World War 2, many Christian missionaries arrived. Today the two largest Christian denominations are Catholicism and Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses are considered more of a part of the "New religions movement" (新宗教/shinshuukyou) given the fact that it began to take shape in the 1870s."

I can't blame the boar guy though.

>>282911605
Boar man is one of my favorite patients in the series

>>282911656
Sacred rope here refers to "shimenawa (標縄), "enclosing ropes". They are made to ward off evil spirits." per Furinkan. We've talked about them before. They're in Shinto.

>>282911502
Yeah, I've never actually tried to learn it at all. Honestly, I am probably not going to learn it but I might start going through these volumes and readying my commentary in advance for these. This must be a bit of a miserable reading experience with each page being posted so slowly. You'll loose the off-the-cuff feel a bit, but I don't think people will mind me making less mistakes.

>>282911728
Mao here just referred to the shimenawa as a "barrier" or 結界 (kekkai). So, presumably it forms a barrier rather than being a property of the cord itself. Anyway, as for the line in the third panel, I have no idea if this translation is accurate. The line was "結界の街の中にさらに結界を張って、隠されていた教会…" and I feel like what he said in English doesn't make much sense, but the Japanese through machine-translation also doesn't make much sense, so I can't help much.

>>282911795
!

>>282908147
mao tamed the beast!
>Seems VIZ got a bit cute here by making them matching expressions.
teehee
>>282908305
>a trick, a mere illusion
he doesn't believe
because surely such things aren't actually real r-right
>>282908516
the curse is real but the dojo dad's death was not caused by the curse? then what's it cursing?
>the cellar
nanoka you've seen movies haven't you? don't go down there!
>I unfortunately can't read it on the raws I have.
it's not really decipherable in the magazine raws either
>>282908547
oh no!
>More than an hour for one chapter.
oh noes!

>>282911817
Japanese for nun is 修道女 (Shūdō on'na).

>>282911874
Similarly different fonts in Japanese as well. Though I probably wouldn't have gone with a serif font.

>>282911889
!

>>282911896
妖 (yō) with the furigana あやかし (ayakashi) as before.

>>282911922
End of chapter. How odd?

August 21st, 2019. Author's note:
"Q: Is there any advice you regret not following?
A: To switch from a flip phone to a smartphone. I've still got an old style cellphone."

>>282911795
It's basically accurate, he's talking about how the town has the transparency spell on it, and then the church was hidden with an additional barrier inside the already-enchanted town. 結界 is kind of an awkard word, since it often gets translated as "barrier" but frequently refers to something more like magical boundary or pocket dimension, but it is what it is.

>>282911983
Action means I get to go a bit quicker...

>>282911992
So much worse than the dot-eyed ones.

>>282911989
Ah, right. I'll be honest, some key plot stuff slipped my mind. And I understand, we dealt with a lot of kekkai in Inuyasha and there were some times when the other connotations of the word were more important than the barrier thing.

>>282912039
Unfortunate.

>>282912062
Hehehe.

>>282912068
Took me a bit too long to realize the hook hands are just what flea legs are like. Also, full body.

>>282912080
No need for it to go to waste.

>>282912089
I am sorry, Otoya.

>>282912106
You know what word was translated as seal here? 結界 (kekkai). Again.

>>282912144
End of chapter. Sleep well.

Furinkan notes that: "MAO takes another break next week. Takahashi does not publish a chapter in Shonen Sunday volume 40." So, there'll be a gap in the dates.

August 28th, 2019. Author's note:
"Q: August 28th is Television Commercial Day! Are there any commercials that made an impact on you?
A: The commercials for Pepsi featuring Shun Oguri as Momotaro."

>>282912195
Mao is THIS close.

>>282912218
Aw, hug.

>>282912222
Her eyes.

>>282912189
Oh no, they're up against 4chan

>>282912245
Nanoka was similarly glib and referred to herself as か弱い女子 (kayowai joshi) which means weak girl.

Shorthaired protagonist girl just isn't sexy like Kagome, sorry.

>>282912301
Simple.

>>282908607
oh no...
>>282908661
what could go wrong going down into the cellar of a cellar?
>>282908684
>it smells gross...
>what's that shovel for?
nanoka, sweetie, you know why...
>>282908717
>>282908929
>Alas, poor Yorick...
>Yoriko
coincidence?! probably

>>282912433
Wouldn't really work as bait if they didn't give chase.

>>282912455
She's a-okay. Also, I checked what Nanoka referred to the woman as and she said "Watch out! Run..." I assume she was getting cut off her by the events of the final panel.

>>282908750
>you no longer tell me anything!
wonder why...
>>282908803
>when i was a child, i could see so much more
>but as i grew older, my vision blurred
that has to suck actually, losing power as you grow older
she's not even that old either
>>282908867
she's free, huzzah!
>>282909002
>in Japanese she calls him 教団No.2
so it's her using the engrish 'nanba tu' that threw him off, which when translated makes total sense but i'm not sure what they could've used to make otoya confused... surely there's a video game term hmm
i was thinking "head honcho's henchman" but apparently honcho comes from japanese via ww2 when soldiers heard jap pow's say hanchou to their lieutenants

>>282912486
The term used for "different plane" here was 別世界 (bessekai) and refers to "another world".

>>282912604
!

>>282912615
Otoya did not finish his thought here and simply implied the obvious in Japanese.

>>282912348
Not going to argue over the merits of the two fifteen-year-olds, but I do like Nanoka's eyes in this form (especially on the volume cover) and how she jumps right into the fray.

>>282912656
Furinkan notes that: "The paper talisman that Otoya places on the woman attacked by the flea ayakashi is a "gofu" (御符). We will see many different types of paper talismen throughout the series including "reifu" (霊符) and "ofuda" (お札)."

They didn't name it in either Japanese or English, so I guess they based that off the appearance which does match. And Nanoka's line specifically called it convenient in Japanese as well.

>>282912691
"Live or die" was a reasonable touch by VIZ. In Japanese, it seems like it was just "He doesn't care what happens to me". Also, no honorific here, in fact, she says 摩緒なんか (Mao nanka) which seems to most closely mean "That Mao...". It can also be translated as "Something like Mao" or "Mao or whatever" but I think this is the closest in context.

>>282912737
End of chapter.

Three pages of color again! Well, originally. Also, Nanoka specifically referred to it as a decoy mission here. Though the second line is pretty direct 摩緒のやつ･･･ぶったたいてやる! (Mao no yatsu buttataite yaru!) or "That Mao... I'm going to beat him up!"

Oh, Furinkan notes that: "This week's issue of Shonen Sunday features an interview between Rumiko Takahashi and Satoru Noda (Golden Kamui). The second half of the interview is published in Young Jump. " They have translated that interview, which is nice: https://furinkan.com/takahashi/takahashi24.html It is pretty shrewd to split an interview into two magazines to drive sales.

September 11th, 2019. Author's note:
"Q: What's a line that you've always wanted to say at least once?
A: Keep the change."

I feel like this is a very achievable goal.

>>282912806
Fangs.

>>282906432 (OP)
I missed last week
But it seems like there were plenty of people

>>282906659
>Chapter 1

>>282912820
>Chapter 1
for some godforsaken reason, at least since inuyasha, they relabel the chapters from 1-10 in the volume releases
viz re-relabeled rin-ne's chapters with the actual chapter number they were, but they didn't do that with mao

>>282912812
Skipped the art spacer.

>>282912820
Hard to tell nowadays but yeah, we got some people chatting, which is nice. Unfortunately, I can't blame anyone who can't stay through the entire thing since it is taking me so long.

>>282908547
Ohhhh, I guess it makes sense that's what you're doing.
All this time I thought you just get distracted easily

>>282912743
I really like this page, it's very atmospheric. Although that "Whew!" kind of ruins it.

>>282912884
Ah, he used his clothes for the doll.

>>282912883
I will be 100% transparent, that is part of it. Especially the longer pauses. Life gets in the way.

>>282912858
They've been doing it since UY. Obviously it wasn't as big of an issue in UY or Ranma since they're episodic comedies, but who knows why they keep doing it now.

>>282912901
The line here was "水の顎を以て剋す!" which seems to be "Defeat with the jaws of water". Like the chapter title. I assume VIZ didn't think of a way to add "Defeat with" that didn't sound odd.

>>282912886
Can't really blame VIZ on that one. It was "ふう..." in Japanese, so "fu...". Basically a whew. But "whew..." doesn't quite sound right in English? I mean, it might've been fine, but yeah. I do like that page too.

>>282912937
Getting a bit spoiled on spreads. Though this is just 3/4th and a quarter rather than a full two pager, I guess. I feel Rumiko doesn't do that too often. She did some in Inuyasha though. I think she's a bit more considerate about the binding in physical than some though, hence why there's not really much there.

>>282912963
I have a note from Furinkan here:

"Mao summons a shikigami of Genbu to battle against the flea ayakashi. In Japan, Genbu (the black turtle) is one of the four guardian spirits that protect the city of Kyoto. The other beasts are Seiryuu (the azure dragon), Suzaku (the vermillion bird), and Byakko (the white tiger). There is a long tradition of these creatures who were historically known as the "four images"."

Reminder, VIZ decided to localize 陰陽師 (onmyōji, as in practitioners of onmyodo) as exorcist. Anyway, hence the description of the 五行 (wuxing) or the five agents. Basically the five traditional Chinese elements.

>>282913011
Still hasn't wiped the blood off.

>>282909284
she can barely even see the future anymore either
>>282909374
so she says when they die, he tries to curse them to death, but the dojo dad's death wasn't caused by a curse so then he... died of heart disease or something before the doll could curse him?
>>282909395
mao looking nefarious
>>282909543
>Q: On July 24th there will be exactly one year until the Olympics. Is there any event you're looking forward to?
>exactly one year until the Olympics
>July 24th, 2019.
>exactly one year
>2019
they didn't know...

>>282913025
Oh, I guess that Furinkan note sort of spoiled that it was a shikigami. Sorry. Wasn't thinking.

>>282912996
>Tree
I think "wood" would be the more typical (and less stupid) way to refer to that element.

>>282913039
Oh...

>>282913044
Didn't even notice, but yeah. I feel like they switch it to wood later? But maybe I am just misremembering.

>>282913061
End of chapter. Hm...

>>282912912
it goes that far back?
>but who knows why they keep doing it now.
bothersome for something like inuyasha with its 500+ chapters
and just unhelpful for mao

September 18th, 2019. Author's note:
"Q: What is your favorite junk food?
A: Fried noodles."

>>282911516
>>282911595
He sure can read

>>282913089
吸血魔 (kyūketsu ma) here again. So, here, they translated it literally rather than using vampire. I guess they figured it wouldn't be right for the setting.

>>282913110
Full body. It is fun when they are a panel border.

>>282913129
Oh, hey, they translated 妖気 (yōki) as "yokai energy" this time. I think that's pretty reasonable though it could also be "strange energy" if you ignore the context.

>>282913089
Mao loks like he has some kissable lips here

>>282913165
Furinkan has a note here, but I think it is a bit misworded. As mentioned by Shiraha, there are two famous keystones at shrines in Kashima and Katori. Those still remain obviously and are real. The one described here is entirely fictional.

>>282913044
>>282913061
>I feel like they switch it to wood later?
otoya says "wood" in the second panel
at least tree and wood give the same idea
early fan translations had "gold" for 金 rather than "metal"
really messed with my visualization of some things until i saw/realized it's the 5 chinese elements so it should be "metal" (i think i even saw a fan coloring or two based on the "gold" translation)

>>282913199
I feel ike "there might be a cat" doesn't quite capture the tone Nanoka was going for here...

>>282911896
>Penguins
There's a Blues Brothers gag in here somewhere.

>>282913214
Quick googling did not tell me if the gesture displayed in the first panel has a name. But it is a common one and is described in many places. It basically used in this sort of context and just means "No, no, no" (the line in original Japanese was basically that いやいやいや). There's like a little wave too.

>>282913214
>Is this nigga serious?

>>282911945
I wonder if in ~25 years I will refuse to switch from a smartphone to whatever the new thing will be

>>282912806
>Maw of Water
>>282912812
>Water of Maw

>>282913263
Off she goes.

>>282913232
Oh man, you'd think it would've been obvious but I guess that's hindsight for you.

>>282913244
I didn't even look up the line because it made me laugh. In Japanese, both bubbles in the final panel "それと大きな猫..." or "And a big cat...". Which is honestly also funny.

>>282913186
anon in denial about goryomaru and byakuya being males because of their kissable-looking lips, is that (you)?!

>>282906432 (OP)
Hey
Not a massive manga guy, but I've always liked rumiko, and I just wanted to say thank you for posting this stuff. Always enjoy the commentary

It's so strange and sad that a temporary post on some random forum provides the richest viewing experience possible of a work, and it's only here while it's alive, and you've posted it

>>282913304
Yeah, I give up. How do you even make a mistake like that?

>>282913368
copy-paste gone wrong

>>282913333
No sirree, my favorite Sunday series after Mao is Mikadono Sanshimai

>>282913320
This is somehow more of a nightmare scenario for me than the flea nuns.

>>282913342
That's very kind of you to say. I will say I originally did want to compile these in something less ephemeral, but the desuarchive has been wonderful for this and I feel like I'd have to redo so much of it that it would be a huge project in and of itself.

>>282913368
>>282913304
Oh my god. Ugh. I've defended VIZ a lot over the last two years I've been doing this, but this is really irking me. I appreciate all of you guys for reading this with me, but it may be wise to also read the fan translation after...

>>282913519
!

>>282913536
Hm.

>>282913639
Phone messages were obviously rewritten. They were from Yui, Nanoka's ponytailed friend though.

>>282913677
Nanoka said 先生 (sensei) or "Teacher?" here.

>>282913698
...

>>282913706
End of chapter.

September 25th, 2019. Author's note:
"Q: What do you do if you feel like you're about to catch a cold?
A: Drink hot milk with honey, butter and brandy."

Probably cures a lot of things.

>>282913734
>September 25th, 2019.
getting into october chapters next week ooooo

>>282913756
Aw, Yui. Her last line was similarly "subtle" in Japanese 一応教えとく (Ichiō oshie toku) or "Just letting you know" or "I told you just in case".

>>282913792
Ah, the 7-11 in MAO is themed around 5. That makes sense.

>>282913828
My commentary will turn a bit sparse in what I consider to be "dramatic" or "tense" segments. Sorry.

>>282913851
I love the clock being on the previous page with a dedicated panel but not being too in focus.

>>282913858
!

>>282913867
What are the chances...

>>282913873
Good job, Otoya.

>>282913901
Uh oh.

>>282913908
The true story. As mentioned before, in real life, it was due to charcoal braziers used for lunch as well as leaking gas from ruptured lines and flammable debris from wooden buildings that collapsed. And high winds from a typhoon off the coast.

The descriptions honestly sound worse than these things. Feel free to read about it if you are morbid or want to be sad.

>>282913959
Great panel.

>>282913965
End of chapter, end of volume. Gah, right at this part?! I expect a lot of that from MAO, honestly. I really do love this manga. The sense of unease in Chapter 17 here is so good and unusual for a Rumiko Takahashi manga.

Feel free to use the thread to discuss anything MAO related. I have some stuff I'll posting here and there to bump the thread.

I will be returning next Thursday to dump Volume 3 of MAO. Thank you for reading and sorry about the trouble once again. Again, I am switching from twice a week to once a week and to Thursdays.

>>282909640
>this is 鴛魅の呪法 (enmi no juhou)
the enmi part's written as 魘魅 from what i'm seeing in these scans, at least that's the only one that seems to match based on what i can see from the scans
close-up here
>https://jisho.org/search/%E9%AD%98%20%23kanji
they even have enmi in the list of words

>>282909543
chapter 11 color pages

>>282914077
>>282909565
and the colorspread

>>282913997
Thanks OP! I agree that volume 2 has a great buildup to this cliffhanger. Volume 1 was still a little meandering, but now Rumiko clearly knows where she's going next and the plot feels very focused.
And here's the updated timeline for volume 2. Some of these mysteries should be getting answers quite soon...

>>282912685
I couldn't find any exact matches for the other talismans, but the one Otoya uses here has a direct real-world equivalent. It's part of a set of 72 protective talismans known as 太上神仙鎮宅霊符, or "Talismans of the Most High Gods and Immortals for Home Protection". I think the text says that this particular one deals with protecting against malicious spirits of some sort. It appears several times across the series: here's a picture I made a while ago with a later appearance.
The picture on the right is from a 1915 book called 信仰叢書, which I originally found via the Wikipedia page for Ofuda. There are a lot of modern books which compile talismans like this, too, so I imagine Rumiko has one or two that she can pull designs from as needed.
Like onmyodo itself, most talismans like this derive from ancient Chinese mysticism, and their composition usually follows certain rules. Typically the idea is to use specific symbols and characters to charge the talisman with yin or yang energy and define what you want it to do. I think the dots on the top are meant to represent constellations, and there's some sort of spiritually-charged phrase on the bottom, but I can't tell you anything beyond that.

>>282912959
Genbu is seriously OP

>>282914570
waiting for how this will look in the anime
also realized we don't have a color scheme for genbu

Here's the Japanese cover of Volume 2 of MAO. I do not have scans of the inner sleeve illustration (if any) or of the back cover, unfortunately. I'll be honest, I don't know if I should keep doing this since they're identical.

>>282914077
>>282914090
>>282914055
Great job finding this.

>>282914506
Very cool!

>>282914131
Love your work. This probably took a long time and thought. Appreciate it.

>>282909543
Here is the cover of Weekly Shonen Sunday where this chapter debuted. Same art as the debut cover, unfortunately.

Oh, it is Rumiko Takahashi's birthday today. Well, it is halfway over in Japan, I guess. Hope she has a great one.

>>282909788
>if only your belief had been stronger
ominous
>>282909875
>it's real! the summoning worked!
wait he *actually* didn't believe that stuff was real?

>>282915614
oh shit you're right
quickly anons, don your hats!

>>282909961
>picrel

>>282908119
I like the scar. I think the busyness of his design showcases that he's different from her normal male leads, who've always been sort of young hotheaded types.

>>282908867
Cute nanoka

>>282909961
>picrel
>>282910014
creepy
this is going to be a very early episode of the anime and it's almost a shame that it will be in spring
you can even see some of that boy's finger bones
>>282910121
>you provided them with the poison
and called it medicine?
>>282910151
well shit
>>282910166
only the mouth?
>it will confess all your sins
well shit x2

>>282910194
>>282910241
>I don't know if I remembered this aspect of it from when I read it before
i didn't
a follower with ulterior motives isn't out of the ordinary after all
>turn yourself in
so he's going to be tripping cursed balls forevermore?
and it doesn't look like he has the demon mouth in that page, but shoko seemed to react to it earlier, but we also got no reaction from nanoka about the demon mouth
>>282910256
>a fake all along... right?
the stones were fake
but the fortune-telling... >>282910273 well...

>>282910354
last time in chapter 7 >>282757945 it was reckoned that nanoka stepped into mao's clinic on May 19, 1923
it's assumed that the trio went to tenko's place that same day
did they head out to shoko's that same day as well? let's go with yes
it becomes nighttime here >>282907122 and then all the spookiness happens
it seems that they're hauled away by the police in the morning though
shoko's cult case resolved: the morning of May 20, 1923
did nanoka head home soon after? perhaps, and that may be why she's noting how it's evening because she left the taisho era when it was still morning
>>282910362
>it's only been an hour!
she left 2019 on Friday, May 17th
she has returned to Friday, May 17th
nanoka has the weekend free, yay!

>>282910394
>September 1, 1923
it was May 20, 1923 when she left...
>it was wikipodia in Japanese as well.
sorry anons all we have is the link to wikipedia's page on the incident
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Kant%C5%8D_Earthquake
>>282910464
>it could happen any day!
nanoka, chill, they still have a whole summer to enjoy in ignorant bliss
>>282910545
>You know that when they say "Extra!" while hawking a newspaper, it is because it is an extra edition being printed outside the regular schedule?
i did not know that
>>282910592
how long was she questioned for? yuriko gives us some info please, mao didn't let us see the newspaper
they couldn't have printed the story that day right?
>>282910694
>the words she's using are obviously describing modern stuff
there's not many options considering her loanword is from english and nanoka saying it was "some kind of trick" makes perfect sense and otoya would look retarded for not understanding her
i wonder what other languages did? use the english word "trick"? but that might need a note for what she means hmm

>>282916601 (me)
*yoriko
>>282910718
but what about the little girl? kids are terrible liars
>>282910740
>few women are to his taste
....how much does tenko know
>it's been ten days
so now it's May 30th
it was 10 days last time too
hey look, a dog!
>picrel
>>282910778
i'm assuming it's monday but i have heard that japanese schools can have saturday classes as well
>>282910835
>the sinkhole accident
>was also on september 1
previous notes tell us that the sinkhole was in 2011 specifically
so the earthquake and the sinkhole are exactly 88 years apart

>>282911656
>The ban on Christianity was lifted in Japan in 1873
shame
they ruin everything

>>282910851
>it was a near a train station
nice
>>282910879
>Shikigami-zoned...
a type of zoning we didn't even know was possible...
>>282910952
>mao, on the other hand, treats me so carelessly
girl, he's known you for like four days max
>>282910996
hell all around you and then you see a huge cat looking down at you
what would a person even think in such a moment?
>>282911052
>it has a wikipedia page under the original name
naruhodo so it does
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaname-ishi
that one is in the city of kashima, which is in ibaraki prefecture, which is in the kanto region
tokyo is also in the kanto region

>>282910354
>Thirty years, Nanoka. You've been gone thirty years!
>>282910362
>Nanoka is now older than her actual age.
explain please I'm a

>>282917742
OP was making a silly hypothetical suggestion that it could've been thirty years, just a joke
>Nanoka is now older than her actual age.
even though nanoka was only missing from 2019 for an hour, she still spent a whole day in 1920s japan
at least i think that's what they meant

>>282917872
>OP was making a silly hypothetical suggestion that it could've been thirty years, just a joke
thankx fren
I'm just an autist

>>282914876
this time the back cover is of mao himself
>I'll be honest, I don't know if I should keep doing this since they're identical.
there's always the backs, if you can find them

>>282918143
>Nanoka and friend-zoned Shiraha
summarywriter-san please have mercy lmao
oh here's a neat fact, in the japanese version the spines alternate between black and white
>picrel

>>282914629
I mean, he is the *Black* Tortoise

>>282918143
>>282918211
>Nanoka and friend-zoned Shiraha
That's pretty hilarious. It's not even in the Japanese version, since that one just summarizes that they're investigating Shouko.

>>282915614
>it is Rumiko Takahashi's birthday today.
68 years old today

>>282915102
>Same art as the debut cover, unfortunately.
new cover art soon

>>282912806
Here is the cover of Weekly Shonen Sunday where this chapter debuted.

>>282916250
I'll be real, I don't think he'll be seeing stuff too long given that he killed three people. I don't think he's getting life in prison. Though, I looked it up and apparently, in 1871 until WWI (ie. when MAO is set), they reformed their penal code to not have as much capital punishment. After WWI though, I think they stick to a pretty draconian setup.

>>282916250
>>282919930
It should be noted that in Japanese Shouko speficially says "Your lifespan is almost...", not "we have little time left".

>>282910760
Out of all the edits I've made over the years, this is one of my favorites

>>282912996
Here, I want to show off what the circle looks like in the raws.

>>282920366
Tremendous.

>>282921921
nanooka

>>282922290
u is aicashy

>>282918143
Where do you get these anyway?

>>282923687
Amazon listings would be my guess

>>282921921
cute dolls

>>282909395
I believe this is the point of peak smugness for Mao
It's all stoicism from here

>>282913997
It's pretty fun so far, thanks for the dump
I fell asleep last night

>>282909832
Conan has the same thing. Probably a Viz practice.

>>282927090
All her series do it in Japanese too, though

>>282911656
>The ban on Christianity was lifted in Japan in 1873
What a terrible decision.

>>282912130
Where's the anon that kept asking about shirtless Rinne? You may have found yourself a new male protagonist to seek shirtless panels of.

>>282912222
Oh, to be a shota held close by a JC...

>>282912348
The sailor uniform also worked in Kagome's favor.

>>282913734
I get the other ingredients, but butter???

>>282927982
I happen to like Nanoka's big red bowtie

There's a new official Ranma 1/2 fanbook being released with a Q&A from Rumiko.

>>282919250
summarywriter-san
>we all know where this isn't going

>>282928684
the biggest bow :-)
also the fanartist wrote the poster's info backwards, as was the style at the time

>>282924725
>peak smugness for Mao
>It's all stoicism from here
does mao lose his smugness because rumiko was still working out what kind of character he was, or does he lose his smugness because of depressing revelations?
i guess that's something for us to be on the look out for

>>282916931 (me)
thinking about this as i tried to sleep
decided to try my hand at this
>picrel

>>282932785
Fun. I would enjoy seeing it continue, though I think it'll turn to theory pretty quick

>>282933093
>I think it'll turn to theory pretty quick
yeah lol i don't think there's as much mention of dates after the earthquake happens

>>282933093
Specific dates will become untenable basically right after this volume, although I think passage of time can still be estimated relatively consistently based on seasons and such.

>>282933298
rumiko's 6th wednesday's diary entry says the story is in the summer of 1924/taisho 13
i'm not sure how much time has passed in the story since then though, but then again i wasn't keeping track either which is what following this storytime can fix
there's also that theory that the end of the taisho era might play a part somehow, but again i don't know how long it's been since that diary entry

>>282933545
I do also feel like the timeline might be relevant at some point before the story's over, but I'll go into that in more detail next week. As for the story, I think they've moved to Taisho 14 by now.

>>282934342
>As for the story, I think they've moved to Taisho 14 by now.
inching closer and closer

>>282911178
>a huge cat
>the humanoid monster
silly nanoka, don't you watch anime? those creatures can transform because magic
>the response and reaction
yeah if her reaction had been something like "i guess you're right" with a rueful smile then i think they would've left it
>>282911262
>kiba
i know it's written differently, but i can't help but remember that kiba is how you say "fang" in japanese
>>282911347
looks like it has one big eye and one little eye in that first panel, but i'm assuming the big "eye" is the rock
right?
and wikipedia's kaname-ishi page only references the one in kashima
>one stone pins down the fish's head and the other the tail
hm, katori shrine in chiba isn't that far from kashima, in fact chiba prefecture is still considered part of the kanto region
you'd think an earthquake-causing catfish would be bigger

>>282911516
>it disappeared after the great kanto earthquake
can't have nothing in 1920s japan
>exodus of rats
that's never a good sign...
>the summer *before* the earthquake
well shoot, mao only set up his clinic in the past few weeks
if only the residents weren't transparent! which hasn't been resolved by the way
>vampires
how seasonal :-)
>>282911605
f- foreshocks...
also teehee at picrel
>>282911656
>was lifted in Japan in 1873
you know this means that mao lived through the ban
i think he was around when the ban was enacted too
>耶蘇教
looks like that's an old term, with 耶蘇 from chinese where that was their closest approximation to the latin name for jesus (iesus)
but japanese pronounced 耶蘇 as yaso
however they use イエス (iesu) for "jesus" now, and kirisuto-kyō (from portuguese's cristo for "christ") for "christianity"
>>282911728
that's the third time otoya's used his shovel already (finding the cursed doll at the end of vol.1 and finding the bodies earlier this volume)

>>282911795
barrierception... but for what purpose?!
>>282911817
>blood seeping up from a church's floor
full spooky aesthetics this volume!
>>282911848
>Japanese for nun is 修道女 (Shūdō on'na)
for catholic nuns specifically
we've seen another word for nuns in inuyasha for the buddhist variety i think, but the word escapes me at the moment
also 修道女 is Shūdō-jo according the furigana on these scans
>>282911889
oh the nun's dialogue is a mix of kanji and katakana instead of the usual kanji/hiragana
>>282911931
th- they aren't melting?! is this the power of christ?!!

>>282911953
can't rely on the ol' "let them bite me and find out" trick anymore
>>282911973
>flea ayakashi
they're a lot bigger than myoga but it has been about 400 years since then
>>282912031
>So much worse than the dot-eyed ones.
and the beak is getting veiny...
>>282912039
>>282912050
that old nun is gonna suck mao dry AAIIIEE!!
not otoya too! i know he's empty but still!

>>282912062
>>282912068
>ENTER
>>282912080
made her pop... like a bloody balloon....
>>282912089
how much blood do you have
>>282912106
>I am sorry, Otoya.
not only that, look at how many holes mao's clothes have and all the blood on them
otoya's going to have to fix and wash all that!

>>282927829
i thought of them too last week when mao was shirtless by chapter 2 lol
i honestly didn't remember these other incidents prior to him ending up naked

>>282912125
there's even seals on the windows
>>282912130
do you think he put on the robe first and then took off his pants, or did he ask nanoka to turn away?
>>282912157
>it's nearing its end
n- nyo...
>>282912218
>Mao is THIS close.
to dying or finding the byoki?
>>282912236
>feeling better?
>i fear not
>so what do we do now?
>>touches nanoka's face
whoa whoa whoa there muchacho sure nanoka could make you feel better but there's a time and place for these things

>>282936981
I don't think English refers to Buddhist women who are monks as nuns.

>>282912245
>cockblocked
>deceived
>tricked
sorry nanoka
>picrel
is that another crane?
>>282912433
he can upgrade otoya just like that
>>282912604
their transparency came in handy
wait, so then are the two barrier *not* related?
>>282912656
>sadly, he is no more
time to use that shovel again otoya
>>282912685
is she going to be okay? that puncture looked serious...

>>282912685
>They didn't name it in either Japanese or English
seems the answer is... sort of
the raws write gofu as 護符 but jisho shows under "other forms" that it can be written the way furinkan did as 御符
>>282912737
>摩緒なんか
wiktionary has quite the explanation for なんか
>(adverbial particle, dismissive, derogatory) emphasizes disgust, contempt, or otherwise negative feelings of the speaker: whatever
and looking at some of their examples, i think it's more like "that damn mao" heh
>>282912806
>Q: What's a line that you've always wanted to say at least once?
>A: Keep the change.
>>I feel like this is a very achievable goal.
maybe she means it with regards to a large amount?
>The second half of the interview is published in Young Jump.
i can spot a small mao and nanoka on the cover that furinkan posted at the end of the page
let's take a closer look
>picrel

>>282912806
chapter 16 color pages

>>282938721
>>282912812
and the colorspread
which has advertisements for the Dinner With A Witch one-shot collection (it would be nice to finish it one day...), MAO's 1st volume, and something about 200 lucky winners getting a signed art board?

>>282938904
while searching for that image, i came across this
>https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2144690/full/
there was a little event for volume 1's release, and actor yudai chiba cosplayed mao

>>282938786
Great shot of Nanoka. Good job finding these.

>>282912866
noooo!!
>>282912884
substitution jutsu'd their asses
he never does that again does he?
>>282912901
>>282912937
his outfit here is blue in the anime

>>282912959
>ENTER GENBU
>>282912996
this which-element-defeats-which kind of sort of becomes a running gag, or at least it has felt that way to some anons with the way it gets brought up
>a barrier of salt and basedbeans
what does la soya have to do with turtles or water?
>one of the four guardian spirits that protect the city of Kyoto.
well it's not just a kyoto thing, the idea was imported
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Symbols
apparently genbu isn't just a turtle, it has a snake wrapped around it too
>>282913011
mao no! you'll anger the catfish!
>>282913039
>genbu is broken in two
nyo...
>>282913061
but was the byoki really under there though?
>bonk
woke him up by force lol

>>282913066
>getting hot out, isn't it?
well it was may 30th when otoya and mao were wondering about nanoka, but how long has it been since then?
>>282913165
>>282913199
nanoka has come from the future to deliver a grave warning
>>282913204
>>282913214
wait nanoka just said what i said lol
>are you hearing this shit, master mao?
>yeah i'm hearing this shit, otoya

>>282913263
>well, technically, it's 96 years in the future
heh, she did the math at some point
>>282913320
summer festival fireworks...?
>>282913519
when do they typically have these summer festivals?
the last estimate i have is that shiraha told her about the missing keystone at school around may 21st, but we don't know if she went to mao that day or if it was later
>>282913639
>how come it's so dark?
they stopped paying the electric bills
>>282913655
>500 undread messages
wow!
wait that top left panel...
>8/15 20:17
...august 15?

>>282913667
>he didn't go to the cops or organize any kind of search party
oh dear....
>>282913698
>>282913706
eight years ago he was dying, then how- then who-?
>>282913741
>picrel
>>282913756
>tell me, mao
>tell me!
ohh i think this might be the source of that bit of dialogue than can be heard at the end of the anime trailer

>>282913792
>yui nakagawa
>中川 結
sh- she has a full name!!
>>282913796
it's so windy
>>282913819
>>282913858
aw, nanoka...
>tik
>boom
it's time
>>282913873
>What are the chances...
it's like fate or something

>>282913901
>Good job, Otoya.
outstanding work, give that little guy a raise
>hey, wait! it's not safe-
she's right you know
>>The initial megathrust event in Kanagawa Prefecture was followed three minutes later by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake centered beneath Tokyo Bay, and two minutes after that by a magnitude 7.3 shock in Yamanashi Prefecture.
you've only felt round one
>>282913945
what is those skulls' problem
>And high winds from a typhoon off the coast.
which still seems to be happening with the high winds and rain depicted earlier in the chapter
>>282913965
>cat eyes...
oh no, oh no oh no oh no!
>>282913997
his eyes! those fangs!
>>282914876
>I do not have scans of the inner sleeve illustration (if any)
the chinese volume uses the chapter 11 colorspread

>https://furinkan.com/takahashi/takahashi24.html
from the interview
>Noda: Is that so! Do you have reference books on the subject?
>Takahashi: I've read all kinds of books on the Taisho era, but I forgot most of them.
rumiko-dono...
>Ms. Takahashi, you've drawn a myriad of characters with different personalities. Have you ever up until now used a person you've met as a reference for a character?
>Takahashi: I haven't. Honestly speaking I have a tough time remembering people's faces, and since names and faces are usually linked together well, (laughs).
Rumiko-dono.....
>Takahashi: I love both Sugimoto and Asirpa, but lately Koito has been really entertaining too.
>Noda: Koito! I knew it! I thought you'd like him most as well.
this is great lmao

>>282941017
>Takahashi: Hm, I guess I'd say how the realism is at a scary level. I think that's good, but perhaps the sudden appearance of the men getting into the sauna. It's like "where did the tension go?" Though that too has it's charm, since people would probably wonder "how did they possibly get in there?"
really fucking funny to imagine rumiko reading these scenes heeheehee
>Takahashi: Rarely do things go exactly as I plan them. I find it's often best to think of things as vaguely as possible as through doing that more interesting ideas that you weren't expecting can happen. Up until now I can say it's the things I wasn't planning for that ended up being the most fun to draw.
let's see how things turn out maobros
>Noda: So you've never experienced writer's block?
>Takahashi: Writer's block... of course I have? Though I don't acknowledge it. So let's just go with saying I've never experienced it.
r- rumiko-dono?!
>Noda: In Golden Kamuy there's a guy, Anehata, who makes the utmost effort to stalk and have sex with animals. It's pretty deplorable, but because he's so serious about it, it almost feels like you should forgive him and cheer him on. Of course I can't go drawing that as is.
>Takahashi: It was a somewhat moving scene (laughs).
she read the bearfucker scene with her own two eyes aaaaaaaaahhhhh (this was made into an ova episode btw)

>>282941186
>Noda: Do you think of the themes of the series from the first chapter?
>Takahashi: For this series (MAO) I had had decided on just the major themes, but I hadn't quite figured out how I'd go about executing them. So each time I'd reach a highlight with the mindset "Okay this is how this should be." So the highlights themselves were roughly decided on.
naruhodo
>Takahashi: I understand what it is to forget. It's not quite the same as when I have meetings with the editor, I'd remember the really interesting parts of the chapter, the storyboard and Otoya- stuff like that.
she does enjoy her little guys doesn't she
>picrel
is a page from the shonen sunday part of the interview with a slightly better look at the mao + kaito artboard that furinkan posted on their page
seems it was a present but i'm not sure how it was supposed to be obtained
also i like the panels used on this page

>>282939893
I think it gets used at least once when Mokuzu shows up

Ty op

>>282912901
Who wore it better?

>>282941186
I was trying to find where she talked about her reasons for her improvisation writing style but I had trouble finding a quote that got into it. Cool.

There was another one that talked about characters, but I need to dig that up.

>>282913997
Thank you for posting.

Nanoka cute.

>>282906659
Otae approves this

>>282948926
Yes

>>282908305
>I feel like he has to be in some ways inspired by Black Jack.
It's way too obvious to be merely "inspired" tbqh, he even has the bad attitude at first

>>282909395
Extremely unintended top tier SMUG

>>282912820
Don't assume that much, it's the usual effect of being new; Rumiko's works are at their best at early stages before settling, plus it may even be just one (UNO) guy. After all: >>282908946
>Mao threads are so dead with one autist spamming to keep it around he ignored there's a missing page
>FOR DAYS
JUST

>>282950412
extra modern form of mao's outfit in the upper left?

>>282913214
>>282913263
These niggers doubt her when they just faced fleanuns, one of them is a +900 years old walking corpse that exorcises spirits and demons and the other a living puppet...

>>282913734
>Call it the Beginning
>it's actually almost the 20th chapter
And anon dared to imply Mao was "eyening" its ending

>>282913965
>Meowdy!

>>282908867
>>282908946
>>282950642
Oh. Sorry. I am going to be better going forward.

>>282948926
True.

>>282950966
>eyening
esl-kun, mao is 290+ chapters right now
how does chapter 20 being called "the beginning" effect anything?

>>282952229
*chapter 18

>>282950642
I think Mao keeps a fairly brisk pace up to volume 8 or so. After that it starts getting slower with a lot of short one-off arcs, which will probably have an effect on reader retention.

>>282953200
and then last spring we got a whole lot of plot I think that's going to be the last English volume dumped, unless OP decides to use the simulpubs
the whiplash was crazy lol that was fun :-)

>>282953883 (me)
on that note, why the fuck is the *japanese* volume release so far behind?!
look at how many chapters haven't been collected yet!!
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mao_chapters#Chapters_not_yet_in_tank%C5%8Dbon_format
the english volumes would be further along if the japanese ones were

>>282954118
Well, Sunday usually releases new volumes for a bunch of series at the same time, so my guess would be that syncing them all up causes the series to gradually fall behind the pace of the magazine chapters. I suppose the editors or whoever is in charge of these things don't care about the gap that much.

No new volume today it's over
I'm thinking maybe Mao would have benefited from 2 per week over rinne

>>282956233
>No new volume today it's over
You don't know? >>282906432 (OP)
>I will be switching to dumping this manga once a week on Thursdays.
>once a week

>>282957342
Yeah I know, it's still sad though

>>282952229
It's a fucking joke, you dense retard

>>282951557
Post more!

>>282959724
Thank you.