Thread 283245252

Alright, it is Thursday and I am gonna post the fourth 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: >>283076493

I will be using the official localization of the manga volumes by VIZ (despite my issues with it). Keep in mind that the nature of the writing in MAO and this localization in particular has resulted in some mistranslated lines. 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.

Per Furinkan: "This was a double issue of Shonen Sunday, nothing was published the following week due to the holidays." Hence the gap in the dates.

December 25th, 2019. Author's note:
"Q: New Year's Eve is upon us! Are there any "worldly desires" you would like to erase?
A: A good appetite."

>>283245388
Nanoka asks if he is a 悪の手先 (Aku no tesaki) or "Minion of Evil"/"Agent of Evil". As for the reply, it was 私たちを殺すつもりですわ。(Watashitachi o korosu tsumoridesu wa.) or "He's intending to kiss us.". Though, it could be only sarcastically formal in the original.

>>283245414
My pass expired so this may take even longer. I am trying to get it set up, but the setup doesn't really make it easy.

>>283245432
He refers to changing 雇い主 (Yatoinushi) or "employer" in Japanese.

>>283245497
In the original Japanese, he seems to refer to a 別宅の出来のいい息子 (Bettaku no deki no ī musuko) or "a good son from another/separate house". Presumably from a different family? Not sure. Also, the coffin bit was simply referring to a funeral in the original. Though he similarly said he would make him look good.

>>283245414
>He's intending to kiss us
That's not quite the thing he's intending to do to them, OP...

>>283245548
Done and done.

>>283245572
華紋さま (Kamon-sama) with the Furigana かもん for the name is how Mao refers to him here. Here's Furinkan's note regarding the name: "華紋 Kamon is written with two kanji (華紋). The first meaning "flashiness" and the second, being a word that means "family crest"."

拵え (koshirae) was the term localized as ornamentation. It means many things including arrangement, attire, layout. I assume ornamentation is correct, but I'm not certain.

>>283245570
What a remarkable typo. Sorry. Kill us, yes.

>>283245639
兄弟子 (anideshi) or "senior apprentice" again. A more literal translation for the last bit would be "had eyes like a picked up stray dog". This is a reasonable translation of course, the machine translation is obviously too direct.

I probably am going to slow down on these raw comparisons since I'll be honest, I ran out of time. I tried to prep ahead of time, but life got in the way. One big problem is I am never certain if it is a big change or a small change until I check it and by the time I check it, I may as well post it.

>>283245675
"Feline cast" gives it a bit of formality which is fine. Japanese was just "It's like a cat" as far as I can tell. Five-Sided Temple is translated from 五色堂 (Goshiki dō), which is more like "five-colored temple". Previously, they translated this as "Five-colored chapel".

>>283245548
Otoya always provides helpful exposition when it's needed most

>>283245693
!

>>283245763
Compound for 屋敷 (yashiki). I think this is the best term to use given the context. Also, Kamon said ごめん。 (gomen) or "Sorry." I assume they chose "Can't help you there" to capture the casual tone, since I believe Japanese has more formal ways of saying sorry.

>>283245776
Per Furinkan: "Kamon holds his pinky up when he tells Mao that he was not at the temple when it was set on fire. This gesture has become shorthand for "having a romantic encounter" or even "having an affair". The reason for it is because the red thread of fate that binds two lovers together is said to be tied to each of their pinky fingers." The thumb is used for a romantic meeting with a man. This popped up in Maison Ikkoku too. I don't know if the red threads of fate theory is correct, as I see other explanations online. It is pretty informal and even rude in some ways. The term used here was 逢引 (aibiki) which appears to be an old term for a tryst or a clandestine meeting or rendezvous between lovers,.

>>283245829
No honorifics for Hyakka here, unsurprisingly.

>>283245763
I'm a fan of the big-eared Scream ayakashi

>>283245915
End of chapter. I guess that's the snake woman in the second panel. Probably a contortionist, but I like her scaly outfit.

Per Furinkan: "In Japan when they speak of "the west" and "the east" within their own country Kyoto and Osaka comprise "the west". "The East" refers to Tokyo." Before you start thinking these turtles and frogs came from Europe.

January 8th, 2020. Author's note:
"Q: It's the second year of the Reiwa Era! Is there any future technology you'd like to see appear now?
A: I can't even use Heisei technology..."

>>283245962
Furinkan thinks these pajamas is a ref to the apron in Maison Ikkoku. I think it is a stretch.

>>283245923
The baby hands one is really something.

>>283245988
兄弟子 (anideshi) or "senior apprentice" again. Classmate is just localization, though it does seem applicable. This is an oddball fact, but I guess it is a bit unusual, Furinkan notes that: "The painting in the Kiba household that we see see behind the breakfast table looks like one by Dutch painter Piet Mondrian."

I'll be honest, I didn't know those paintings had one primary source.

>>283246019
"It's good for you." is probably a reasonable translation for 体のためだよ (Karada no tameda yo) or "It's for your body." most of the time, but I think there might be an intended ambiguity here that is lost.

>>283246090
No honorifics in the last panel.

>>283246124
Mao still using -sama for Hyakka.

>>283246176
Nanoka seemed a bit more questioning in Japanese, essentially asking "Why is he warning us? Kindness...?" in the first panel. Though, again, I am not advocating for more stilted translation. I think if it wasn't two bubbles, they could gone with "Is he warning us out of kindness?". As for the insult, there doesn't seem to be one in Japanese. Hyakka did go "ばっ," (Ba~tsu,) at the start, which maybe was going to be baka? Not sure what that means in context. Machine translation gave me "I said, " which seems off?

>>283245812
Hmm... Mao says なぜ生き続けているのですか, which could mean "how are you still alive", but I think could also be read as "Why do you continue to live?" I think it's deliberately supposed to be a little ambiguous as to which is meant.

>>283246213
Seems like Nanoka is specifically addressing Hyakka in the first panel here. The second panel seemed to refer to inheriting secrets rather than legacy. Nanoka's line referred to 呪禁道 (jugondo) and the like rather than just cursing people. Mao did however specifically say that in all eras, there are people who believe in and need curses (呪, noroi).

>>283246235
Hm.

>>283246226
Oh, interesting. I can't even blame VIZ for that, but good catch.

>>283245252 (OP)
early again
>>283245414
>>283245570
>>283245639
>That's not quite the thing he's intending to do to them, OP.
well he was trying to kiss tenko, and more...
>He's intending to kiss us
>What a remarkable typo.
absolutely splendid

>>283246285
Spread!

>>283246283
Yeah, gotta if these things keep taking so long.

>>283245988
Well, I'm certainly a fan of the piyomas

>>283246367
End of chapter! That's a problem.

土と形代 (Tsuchi to katashiro) was the original title. Per Furinkan: "Katashiro (形代) are paper dolls or alternatively the term can also be used to refer a paper, wood, or cloth item that is meant to represent a sacred object. ..." In a fascinating bit of localization, they have not used this term within the chapter itself but instead referred to it as a paper doll.

January 15th, 2019. Author's note:
"Q: Are there any substitute products you can't be satisfied with?
A: Schau Essen."
Furinkan's note: "Schau Essen is a sausage brand."

>>283246426
結界 (kekkai) for barrier as usual.

>>283246454
Hyakka asks Mao what he is intending to do in the Japanese text, though he does suggest that killing them all would be quicker. So, yeah, a bit more heartless than what we see in the English version. He also specifies that they are cursed and controlled by the original shikigami.

>>283246474
Onmyo Philosophy was 陰陽五行 (On'yōgogyō). Nanoka's comment was いきなりなに。(Ikinari nani.) or "This all of the sudden?", more or less.

>>283246510
Hyakka is described as weak against 水属性の陰陽術 (Mizu zokusei no onmyō-jutsu) or "Water-Element Onmyoujutsu" rather than "these creatures and spells". He says "くそっ" (kuso o) in response, or "damn it" or "shit". As for Mao, I don't know if VIZ is implying he's referencing something regarding Nanoka's personality, but in the original Japanese, he just says she's of 土属性 (Tsuchi zokusei) or "earth attribute". Nanoka's response seems less hostile in Japanese, but we see her expression, so that might be just due to me not knowing the nuances of the language.

>>283246534
I have a note for the tube here from Furinkan:

"The bamboo weapon has an inscription on it in Chinese. It says "the six faculties are as pure as the decree" (六根清净急急如律令). The "six faculties" are likely a reference to "ayatana" a Buddhist concept often translated as "sense base" or "sense sphere". There are six internal senses and then an object associated with that sense.
eye and visible objects
ear and sound
nose and odor
tongue and taste
body and touch
mind and mental objects"

The paper doll referenced here is the katashiro referenced by the chapter title. I am a little confused about this, but I'll relate it on another page. The "wellspring of life" bit seems to be VIZ inserting some context as to what the definition of the Tanden or Dantian is. Though he did clarify its position in Japanese as well.

>>283246567
Another Furinkan note: "The rope that circles behind Hyakka is known "nio dasuki" (仁王襷). "Tasuki" are cords used to tie back kimono sleeves for work. A larger-than-life hero from kabuki theater might wear very exaggerated versions of these cords. "Nio" are the guardian kings around Buddhist deities and these cords are supposed to evoke the power and majesty of those sacred warriors."

>>283246590
So, based on this line here, which seems to refer to the hair as katashiro (形代), I'm not sure if there ever was a paper doll at all and VIZ just misunderstood. Of course, on the cover, he does have paper.

>>283246686
Good job.

>>283246726
Big hops.

>>283246285
I believe Wuxing classifies all flying critters as being governed by the fire element.

>>283245527
>your father asked me to get you out of the way
well shit
>別宅の出来のいい息子 (Bettaku no deki no ī musuko) or "a good son from another/separate house". Presumably from a different family?
apparently "secondary residence" is another definition of 別宅
my mind went to it's an illegitimate son that the father intends to legitimize
you know, since men of money are not exactly known for their fidelity
>>283245548
>guy wearing sicko shirt meme.png
Yes HA HA HA YES
>>283245639
華 can also mean "flower" :-)
>拵え (koshirae) was the term localized as ornamentation.
wikipedia says
>Koshirae (拵え) refers to the ornate mountings of a Japanese sword (e.g. katana) used when the sword blade is being worn by its owner
i wonder who mao's ornamentation guy was?

>>283246726
Nanoka seemed slower on the uptake in Japanese. She simply said こわい!! (kowai!!) or "scary!!" rather than figuring out why they weren't changing back and Mao just said it is okay.

>>283246745
Nanoka seemed slower on the uptake in Japanese. She simply said こわい!! (kowai!!) or "scary!!" rather than figuring out why they weren't changing back and Mao just said it is okay.

>>283246832
Otoya's line seemed to originally be addressed to Nanoka rather than Hyakka though, I have a tough time telling. It was 菜花さん、やればできるんですね。(Nanoka-san, yareba dekiru ndesu ne.) as in "Nanoka-san, you can do it if you try". Or "Nanoka-san can do it if she tries". I think the interpretation is just as valid, honestly.

Furinkan notes that: "There are many words for the paper charms and talismen that are shown throughout the series. The one that commands the frog and turtle ayakashi that was placed in their mouths is a charm called a "juufu" (呪符)." Talismen isn't a word. It is talismans.

>>283246947
Otoya also uses "-sama" for Hyakka, even here as far as I can tell.

>>283246778
Yeah, I figured the story would mention that, so I didn't bring it up even though Furinkan did.

>>283246783
That all makes sense.

>>283247050
End of chapter! Plan's in place.

We got ourselves a full color cover. Well, it was originally full color.

January 22nd, 2020. Author's note:
Q: January 22nd is Curry Day! Tell us about your commitment to curry!
A: Potatoes are a must."

Oh, I said 2019 last chapter. Whoops.

>>283247150
Skipped the spacer.

>>283246726
Classic Mao

>>283245675
>you don't recognize me?
well the white hair is a little confusing
>had the demeanor of a lost puppy
teehee
>>283245693
>your face has a feline cast
considering that hyakka believed that mao teamed-up with the byoki to betray them, kamon probably set up that lost puppy/cat comparison as a purposeful dig at mao
also, en garde!
>>283245776
>that's the same thing hyakka said!
turns out the master never told them that mao didn't know about the death game

>>283247201
秘伝書に記された術 (Hiden-sho ni shirusa reta jutsu) or "techniques recorded in the secret book". 秘伝書 being the term we've seen a lot so far. Passed down secret writing. Now, localized as forbidden scrolls.

As for Taizanfukun, VIZ just romanized it. It was 泰山府君 with the furigana たいざんふくん (Ta izan fukun). It is a thing in folklore, with an entry on yokai.com (which I've used before but I obviously don't know exactly how trustworthy it is). It says it was named after Lord Taizan, a god of the mountain Taishan. There's more detail, but the story might get into it. Feel free to look into it if interested.

>>283247392
Heh. I don't know if there's a nuance here, but Nanoka's line in the second panel was 頼ってきてるし。 (Tayotte ki terushi.) which seems to be more "He's relying on us."

Otoya has mascot proportions, but I always think of Hyakka having the most mascot-like personality.

>>283246783
>i wonder who mao's ornamentation guy was?
You'll find out in volume 11

>>283247002
Poor Hyakka, no main character energy at all...

>>283247456
I am not sure who the two bubbles in the second panel are for in the original, honestly. Here are the lines in full: "摩緒を捜し出したが抵抗されたのである場所に封じ込めるのが精一杯だった。ぜひ主に来ていただきたい――と伝えるように。" The lines seem to have a bit more detail than the translated versions. Here's machine translation: "They searched for Mao, but he resisted, so all they could do was confine him in a certain place. They wanted to tell their master that they wanted their master to come to them."

>>283247150
I always like it when we get stained glass covers.

>>283245793
>I was out courting at the time
i can't believe (i can) that kamon was ballsdeep in masago at the time of the attack
>you're long past the statute of limitations anyway
that's the spirit!
>>283245812
>medicine for the wounded ayakashi
how generous and blasé
>>283245829
>wind blows with gentle omen
>>283245915
is that guy related to uozumi?
>>283245935
in way, yes!
>I guess that's the snake woman in the second panel. Probably a contortionist, but I like her scaly outfit.
i hadn't noticed the scaly pattern
i thought the snake woman would have a slightly longer than average neck

>>283247492
ohh the akanemaru-guy is mao's guy as well? totally forgot

>>283247596
Not sure if they had an accept in the original. Here's the line: いや･･･なんかたへんな形の (Iya nankata hen'na katachi no) or "No... it's a strange shape".

>>283247569
I believe Mao's basically saying that he's having them lie to their master, saying that they barely managed to contain him, and need the master to come deal with it personally.

>>283247645
From Furinkan: "Nanoka's friend mentions that there is no entrance exam for Nanoka to get into high school. Rumiko Takahashi was asked about this on Twitter and she specifically stated she wanted to do this so that Nanoka did not have the same struggles to get into high school that plagued Kagome Higurashi."

Here's the Q&A bit from Twitter:

"Question 11. (June 11, 2021) In "MAO", Nanoka's middle school is a combined middle & high school. Was this because Kagome had such a hard time getting into high school?

Rumiko Takahashi: "You're right. Somehow, there is a fundamental difference between Nanoka and Kagome. I feel that the disasters and destiny that Nanoka is facing are more difficult (of course, I think Kagome's are also difficult too). Then, I decided to lighten her studies, so I decided to have her go to a school that is consistent from middle to high school and thus does not have an examination between the two.""

And yes, the book said "Cannot" in English letters in the original too. No idea why.

>>283245962
>Before you start thinking these turtles and frogs came from Europe.
or before you start thinking they came from the chugoku region+kyushu, which is what i used to think because that was the most western part when looking on a map
>January 8th, 2020.
>Q: It's the second year of the Reiwa Era!
happy 2020 everybody! hope all goes well :-)

>>283247693
か弱い女子 (Kayowai joshi) or "weak girl".

>>283247654
Right. Seems clear in context, but machine translation of the dialog doesn't seem to state that the way the VIZ translation does and I almost thought maybe it was the shikigami's dialog to someone offscreen.

>>283247765
器 (utsuwa) or vessel is used here rather than host or possess (which is "use as a vessel" basically). Host seems to give a bit more dignity. But not much. I'm splitting hairs.

>>283247803
Otoya refers to this as 形代 (katashiro), the term mentioned above.

>>283247765
>I almost thought maybe it was the shikigami's dialog to someone offscreen.
The fan translation interpreted it as the shikigamis' master talking to them, but I'm pretty sure they got it wrong, looking at it now. This sort of thing can be pretty tricky to parse in Japanese, admittedly.

>>283247832
猫鬼の妖気 (byōki no yōki) or "Byoki's Yokai Energy" was being referenced here. Also, Hyakka's "nice" was just ほお。(Hō.), so I can't really blame VIZ. Just like, a noise.

>>283247900
It seems VIZ added a bit to these lines as Hyakka simply mentioned "So when the enemy comes and looks in the hole...". As far as I can tell. Mao also mentions that the dynamite is homemade by Hyakka-sama.

>>283246019
>looks like one by Dutch painter Piet Mondrian.
that's specific
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet_Mondrian#Paris_(1918%E2%80%931938)
but now we know
>>283246058
i would think that dragonflies have a summer association, but we know the earthquake was on september 1st
maybe them swarming out of season is adding to everyone's unease?
>>283246153
>heh
>>283246176
wait, was the compound originally further west?
and how does he know they're shikigami and not ayakashi in disguise?
>>283246262
a sandal and debris in the water...

>>283248081
Oh, this part.

>>283248099
!!

>>283248125
End of chapter. And yes, 摩緒さま (Mao-sama) here.

>>283246285
oh nyo, not the little moth!
>hyakka uses moths as spies too?
dragonflies, moths, flaming heads, hyakka's got quite an inventory
>>283246318
getting jumped by a frog hitmen? the 1920s were something else
>>283246367
oh no they brought back-up! hyakka's been shot!
>>283246388
>why are we running?
why are you crying?
>human
what kind of witchcraft has befallen these 1920s gangsters?!

>>283248169
There's something fishy about this whole thing, if you ask me

Original title is 藻久不 which is romanized here due to being a proper noun.

January 29th, 2020. Author's note:
"Q: Please tell me about a question you wanted answered in your student days.
A: I don't remember at all."

>>283245252 (OP)
>it is Thursday and I am gonna post the fourth volume of MAO
ah right... there was a third volume dumped, I knew I was forgetting something

>>283248252
The reveal. I love the eels. The coral is pretty unnecessary. I guess the robe and hat is just water? I love this design.

>>283248289
The term used for monster here was 化け物 (bakemono). Also, it seems Hyakka is asking if Mao remembers who uses this monster.

>>283248340
藻久不さん (Mokuzu-san). Per Furinkan: "Mokuzu's name is written with the kanji for "seaweed", "old story" and "bad/negative"."

>>283248362
The word for spell here was 術 (jutsu). I also found it interesting, but he referred to it as a 陰陽師さまのお屋敷 (Onmyōji-sama no o yashiki) so very, very deferential.

>>283248289
>I guess the robe and hat is just water?
Seaweed, maybe?

>>283248499
Ugh...

>>283248515
>>283248540
Sorry, posted these out of order! "Secret" here was a bit more specific, it was 秘法を(Hihō o) or "secret method".

>>283248603
Rightful successor was 正統な後継 (Seitōna kōkei). It does seem to translate directly.

>>283248677
Yup, Sana-sama's. Haimaru is very cute here.

>>283248736
He referred to Haimaru by name here, so he didn't forget it.

>>283248796
Love it.

>>283248817
Out of his element.

>>283248835
End of chapter.

>>283246474
>the shikigami transformed them
that sounds like a strong ability for a shikigami to have
>>283246510
nanoka's face in that top panel lol she knows he's up to some shit
>>283246534
we're becoming pokemon now
>Nanoka's response seems less hostile in Japanese
saying で？ on its own like that can mean "so what?"
>>283246567
>what the definition of the Tanden or Dantian is.
fascinating
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dantian

Furinkan notes that Rumiko Takahashi took a break between this chapter and the previous one.

February 12th, 2020. Author's note:
"Q: I want to escape reality for a bit. What do you recommend?
A: Eat something delicious."

>>283248919
The line seems to be an even more definitive take on the situation originally: もう藻久不とは関わらない方がいいわ。(Mō Mokuzu to wa kakawaranai kata ga ī wa.) or "It's best not to have anything to do with Mokuzu anymore."

>>283248994
陰陽術 (onmyo jutsu).

>>283249105
Furinkan points out that this has a narwhal horn and then explains what a narwhal is. It honestly is curved more like a unicorn horn.

>>283248860
Move those legs, Otoya!

>>283249250
Great shot.

>>283249274
Maybe it is seaweed, given that it can rip like this. But it went translucent in another panel, so maybe not.

>>283249404
I've never really noticed that shark carcass before. Mao just sliced clean through it, huh.

>>283249404
The top lines were rewritten a bit. In the original, Mao just said "Hyakka-sama is..." and Otoya confirmed he's dead.

>>283249457
Machine translation isn't being helpful with Hyakka's line here. It was おれはついでかっ (Ore wa tsuide ka a). It gave me something similar to this, but it also gave me "afterthought" rather than extra. It also suggested "I'm next?!" or "I'm here?!" Looking at the raws again, it may be a reference to the previous page where he was referred to as "the others". The line was 他のかたも関わってきたらついでに殺すように申しつけられていました。 (Hoka no kata mo kakawatte kitara tsuide ni korosu yō ni mōshitsuke rarete imashita.). Tsui seems to be the thing being referenced and the only suggestion I'm getting is "incidentally" for that word. By the way, I approve of this VIZ localization, making heads or tails of this was hard.

Amusingly, of all the lines to make more formal, Otoya's here seemed more casual in the original. It was "いえ死んでましたよ?" (Ie shindemashita yo?) or "No, you were dead, weren't you?"

>>283249742
Furinkan actually calls the localization out here: "In the English translation published by Viz there is a line that states, "It was filled with poisonous insects and snakes, wild dogs and even a cursed piece of wood." - All of this line is correct except for the "cursed piece of wood" which is not referenced in the original. The Japanese line here states "穴の中には毒虫や蛇や山犬や猪までもなげこまれていました". The only item that is not carried over in the translation is "猪" (shishi) which is "wild boar"."

I don't know if this was a mistranslation or just VIZ being cute. Poor kitty. Also, full of kodoku feels off.

>>283249790
Yeah, I think "a specially prepared kodoku pit" would be more accurate. As in, a pit for making kodoku.

>>283249790
I'm just going to post Hyakka's line here in full, since it does seem somewhat different. そいつは猫鬼を使役しておれたちを呪い殺そうとしたって訳だ (Soitsu wa byōki o shieki shite ore-tachi o noroi korosou to shitatte wakeda) or "So Byokai was to be used to curse us to death". As far as I can tell. There were emphasis dots on おれたち or "us".

>>283249875
Wanted to check the term for benefactor, but it seems Mokuzu continued to be single-minded and said more specifically "Given the situation, I was worried I wouldn't be able to be taught any techniques".

>>283249934
End of chapter.

>>283249951
aaah I'm so spooked

Not my favorite cover.

February 19th, 2020. Author's note:
"Q: Do you have a favorite dialect or foreign language?
A: I like the dialects of Hokkaido and Okinawa."

>>283250061
Kitty.

>>283250094
Knowledge is power. Knowledge is to be exchanged with cheap hamburgers, I guess.

>>283246590
but nanoka you're a shonen mc, you have to
>"nio dasuki" (仁王襷)
>very exaggerated versions of these cords
naruhodo
>>283246625
let's just believe that there's a little cutout of nanoka inside the tube already, with a little skirt outline and everything
>>283246686
>hand on her waist
smooth
>>283246726
>he cares more about the water
mao-kun, you-
>>283246745
if they're the skikigami that hyakka encountered earlier, then this means they changed clothes, which is a little funny to me
>Big hops.
look at hyakka's face
she flashed them

>>283250117
Nanoka's final line here was 白羽くん神 (Shiraha-kun Kami...). As in, "Shiraha-kun god". I don't know if this is an actual expression. I can't help but wonder if this is in reference to him being like a shikigami (式神).

>>283250094
Last panel, Mao is actually wondering why Haimaru would let itself be taken without escaping.

>>283250117
Oh, hey, I mentioned some of this stuff. I also saw some of this stuff on the website I looked at. Per Furinkan: "Jugondo (呪禁道) is the art of vanquishing monsters with charms.". Though we've seen it referenced befoer.

Let's see what term was used for "traditional Japanese exorcism". Ah, the line was 日本では特に陰陽道で重視され or "In Japan, he was especially important to Onmyodo". Close enough. I don't really mind that. Though I sort of wish they'd stop using the term exorcism, since it honestly is confusing.

>>283250284
Per Furinkan: "Abe no Seimei is a real life historical figure in Japan that has gone on to become a character in a great deal of popular media."

It seems VIZ added the bit about him being alive in the tenth century. The original line seems to be "Yeah, he was a real person".

>>283250210
Well, I actually checked that line and got similarly confused as VIZ did, I guess. I see the implication now. And it was sort of conveyed by the previous panel. The line was その灰丸が逃げるでなく、連れ出されたというのか･･･? (Sono hai maru ga nigerudenaku, tsuredasa reta to iu no ka?) which VIZ interpretted incorrectly as "So, that Haimaru didn't run away, but was taken away?" rather than "So, that Haimaru didn't just run away when he was to be taken away?"

>>283250393
Nanoka's line here definitely has the same subtext as the English line, but it seems it was a bit less direct in Japanese. It was なんかいい話にまとまってるね。 (Nanka ī hanashi ni matomatteru ne.) or "It all comes together into a nice story".

>>283246832
down girl
>>283246947
>>283247002
>>283247050
so could mao put a talisman in otoya and he'd just do the thing it says?

>>283250485
Name is written 紅子. I believe it means "red child" with 子 being a typical suffix for a girl's name.

>>283250470
I mean, he doesn't need to put a talisman in Otoya for him to do a thing.

>>283250530
Per Furinkan: "The word she uses in Japanese is "hime" (姫). Hime can certainly be translated as "princess" but in a more literal sense it means a "high-born woman" or a member of nobility. It does not mean one of the daughters of the emperor's family. An imperial princess would be "ingou" (院号), "koujo" (皇女) or "naishinou" (内親王)."

As for Shaman, the term used was 祈禱師 with the furigana きとうし (Kitōshi). Yes, this seems to be the Chinese characters. The more common Japanese term with the same pronunciation seems to be 祈祷師. It can be translated as shaman but appears to mean "prayer master" or "prayer leader" if read literally. The Japanese Wikipedia page for the term does discuss Onmyodo alongside things like animism and ancient religions.

>>283250656
Effective. And yes, he became "Kuchinawa-sama".

>>283250681
Furinkan states: "The name of the clan which Mao and the others are a part of, the Goko Clan, is mentioned for the first time in this chapter. Goko (御降) is written "honorable fall"."

But that's not right. We saw it last volume.

>>283250702
The name is 美哉子 (Miyako). I believe 美哉 means "beautiful".

>>283250725
...

>>283250741
Ugh... Upsetting. Anyway, the choice to use the fête seems pretty good since it is a somewhat obscure word coming from French. The original text was それは華やかなパーティーでしたのよ。(Sore wa hanayakana pātīdeshita no yo.) or "It was a glamorous party". You may notice パーティー (pātī) being used here, a loanword from English. I don't know if this is anachronistic but if it isn't, I assume it was a very high class term.

>>283250800
Term for "the rich and titled" seems to have been 身分の高い連中 (Mibun no takai renchū) or "High status people".

>>283250849
End of chapter.

February 26th, 2020. Author's note:
"Q: This year is a leap year! How do you want to use your extra day?
A: Working."

>>283250898
Quite horrid living conditions.

>>283250936
Hehehe. I love this page. One of my favorites.

>>283247170
but why was he hiding there? i can't remember if it was explained why he was under the keystone in particular...
>>283247392
damn cat ate their scrolls
>>283247645
was that the kraken?
>>283247693
i see, so nanoka and friends go to a
>中高一貫
according to the first friend
i wonder what the requirements to get into a combined school like that are in japan?
>>283247765
sorry nanoka, if you're not the nobleborn heiress of a rich family then you're not helpless enough for protection
also you're a demon now

>>283250957
Nanoka uses the term ゴーグル (Gōguru) from the English word "goggles". Otoya uses the term 水中メガネ (suichū megane) or "underwater glasses". As for Mao's lines, in the final panel, his spoken line was いい心がけだ。 (Ī kokorogakeda.) so a bit less overtly kind and his thought process was いい子だ。(Īkoda.) which seems to translate to "What a good kid." or "Good girl!" even.

>>283251055
Sigh...

>>283251083
Nanoka's line in the second panel was やっぱりお医者さんなんだね。(Yappari oishasan'na nda ne.) which seems to mean "He's a doctor after all". I guess the implication is "He's a good doctor after all"? Not sure. Don't speak Japanese.

>>283251124
Desperation.

>>283247803
ohh are they making a tiger pit?
>>283247832
what else is there to clarify? byoki scary, byoki want nanoka, nanoka fight byoki
shrimple
and otoya your doll is adorable thank you
>>283247900
totally nothing suspicious about "mao" taking a nap on bamboo over a deep pit, i'm sure they won't suspect a thing
>>283248060
>the dynamite is homemade by Hyakka
>>百火さまお手製のダイナマイト
it really *is* dynamite! :-)
hyakka has learned so much over the years, like how to blow up stuff in new ways
(wikipedia says dynamite was invented in the 1860s)

>>283251140
This stuff really gets to me. Oh, also, Nanoka used the term 命網 (Inochi-mō) which seems to mean "lifeline" or "lifenet". Thing that keeps you alive, basically.

>>283251180
!

>>283248081
>>283248099
...this is reminding me of the weird stone-slug meat-eaters from that one-shot
>>283248125
it's some giant guy! but what was he composed of?!
>>283248169
>>283248231
>There's something fishy about this whole thing, if you ask me
of course, of course

>>283251223
The idea of a live-action Mao is obviously ludicrous, but I wonder how this would be done.

>>283251243
Trance is probably reasonable given the context, but the line was 幻術にやられました。 (Genjutsu ni yara remashita.) or "I was caught up in an illusion." 幻術 or genjutsu seems to be able to be translated to magic, sorcery, witchcraft, illusion, etc. 幻 itself seems to mean phantom, illusion, fantasy, dream, etc.

I honestly like "I'm a fool" but it was まずいな。 (Mazui na.) or just "This is bad.". I think this sort of localization is fine or even good, honestly.

>>283251308
Furinkan points out that this tracker resembles a teru teru bōzu (てるてる坊主 or 照る照る坊主). This means shine shine monk and refers to these cutesy little handmade dolls that people hang up by doors and windows in Japan to hope for sunny weather. It is a innocent kid's thing typically. Been around for a long long time though, it seems.

>>283251366
!

>>283251408
End of chapter!

>>283248289
it's a bunch of sea life!!
hmm even if it ends up looking visibly cgi in the anime, the concept is fascinating enough to still making it worth seeing in motion i think, have the fish swimming around and all that
>The coral is pretty unnecessary.
reminder that coral is an animal too
>>283248340
>he's falling for it
fishmonster-kun...
>>283248459
>>283248499
>i yearn to know magic
it would be pretty cool
>has someone taught him some?
not only that, but they kept him alive hundreds of years later somehow!

Original title is 蠱毒の壺 (Kodoku no tsubo). Maybe Kodoku Pot would've been better? Not sure, honestly.

March 4th, 2020. Author's note:
"Q: What words do the angel and devil in your heart say?
A: Angel: Don't eat before you go to bed. Devil: Eat."

Oh, she has the same Devil as me.

>>283251464
I'm just going to post Furinkan's note here:

"[The shikigami] calls the spear that he is carrying the "Spear of Taima".
The Spear of Taima (退魔の槍/Taima no Yari) uses the word "taima" (退魔), a term that is often used in contemporary fantasy literature meaning "demonic exorcism". However, despite the word's modern popularity in fiction, the word is of ancient origin dating back to the late 1500s when the historic figure Ishida Mitsunari (石田三成) was said to have defeated a demon that haunted a bridge."

>>283251490
Oh and the cover was obviously in full color and I skipped the art spacer. Oh and the child referred to his mother and brother as かあちゃん (kaa-chan) and にいちゃん (nii-chan) respectively. So, it was the kid's older brother. And kaa-chan seems to be usually translated as "mommy".

>>283251551
The boy's name was しげる (Shigeru). I believe the name means to "grow abundantly" or "to grow luxuriously" but it is also obviously a common name.

Ugh...

>>283251601
Impaled.

>>283248510
well his hair is seaweed

>>283248515
>be me
>sees the reply "sorry, posted these out of order"
ah well, i guess i'll look at the raws i have here
>there was another page before the out of order pages
OP-kun, n-nyo...

>>283248499
>>283248515
>>283248540
>>283248603
>>283251693
What a mess. I'm sorry, guys. I missed a page, everyone.

>>283251659
Oh.

>>283251777
Going for it.

>>283251791
She's so cool.

Already read it before going to sleep
(it's Friday morning here)
It's good
I'll follow these threads till the end

>>283251812
He's a doctor.

>>283251832
Treatment seems like an odd term to use, but it is pretty directly translated. 手当て (teate) refers to medical treatment.

>>283251831
Good morning! Thanks for reading.

>>283251893
Insanity.

now to put things in order
>>283251758
mao potentially getting tentacle'd was just too distracting for OP...
>>283248540
dynamite baby!!
>>283248515
popped him like a water balloon, but one that gives free fish
>>283248603
>it seems we've only captured the fish
i know you're not a real boy otoya, but that's still a W
mao and friends are going to be grilling tonight :-)
>>283248677
but if he's searching for that spell, then what's keeping him alive?!

>>283251922
Well, before I get into "nine cuts" using Wikipedia and Furinkan, let me see what they translated into Dispel and Destroy. Oh, never mind, it seems that is part of the nine cuts stuff. Let me just get into it as best I can, since the story may cover some of it. I would just post Furinkan's note, but it honestly can't fit in one post so I'll summarize it. Feel free to check Wikipedia and Furinkan out for more detail. Anyway, mudra ("in"/印 in Japanese) are Buddhist hand symbols that have a number of meanings and are used to understand iconography and presumably other religious purposes. But there are also 9 mudra that people believe originated from Taoism and these are referred to as "Kuji no in" (九字の印), the "Nine Hand Seals". They are:
Sha(者) - meaning "one". Associated with the deity "Kongo-yaksha myo-o".
Tou(闘) - meaning "fight". Associated with the deity "Jikoku-ten".
Pyo(兵) - meaning "warriors". Associated with the deity "Gozanze myo-o".
Rin(臨) - meaning "come". Associated with the deity "Bishamon-ten".
Zen(前) - meaning "in front". Associated with the deity "Zocho-ten".
Zai(在) - meaning "take position". Associated with the deity "Dai-itoku myo-o".
Retsu(列) - meaning "line-up". Associated with the deity "Komoku-ten".
Jin(陣) - meaning "formation". Associated with the deity "Gundari myo-o".
Kai(皆) - meaning "ready". Associated with the deity "Fudo myo-o".

When strung together the meaning of the phrase is thought to be "Come warriors, fight as one, ready in formation, line up and take position in front. Destroy/victory!" Though seemingly not in the order above. The order would be 臨兵闘者皆陣裂在前 (rinpyoutoushakaijinretsuzaizen), this is sans the destroy bit. A dictionary gives its definition as "may the presiders over warriors be my vanguard (nine-character charm chanted to ward off evil)". Anyway, VIZ translated that 9 character charm thing as "Dispel" and then kept 破邪 (Haja) as "destroy!".

>>283248736
>>283248776
but where the hell did mokuzu learn to do that? i have my suspicions but i'm not sure
>>283248817
oh no oh no oh no mao is going get tentacle'd!!
>Love it.
i- i was joking when i said that distracted you...
>>283248835
>hyakka already drowned
and so hyakka dies once more...

>>283252141
By the way, 破邪 means "crushing evil" technically. Oh and "nine cuts" isn't a localization thing, Mao uses the term 九字切り (Kujigiri) rather than 九字の印 (Kujinoin), with 切り (giri or cut) replacing (の印 or "mark of" or "mudra of"). I'll post the image Furinkan has of the mudras after the dump.

>>283252195
!

>>283252160
Marine life is cool!

>>283252228
Nanoka's lines in the first panel here work for me without ruining the dramatic tension, but they originally were just なわけない･･･ひどいケガ (Na wake nai hidoi kega) or "No way... a serious injury". Admittedly, なわけない does seem to be a somewhat "casual" expression, so VIZ might've just hit the nail on the head with the localization.

Also, this page feels really striking to me. Bottom panel especially.

>>283252277
End of chapter. Nanoka's said うそっ (uso o) which is similarly colloquial when expressing her surprise here. She's just that type of girl.

Original title was 血の交わり (Chi no majiwari). 交わり seems to have three meanings, which I will list: fellowship, sexual intercourse and intersection.

Furinkan notes that: "The week this was published the global Coronavirus pandemic was beginning and discussion of businesses being closed was starting to be heard on the news. Soon everyone would begin working remotely. Some small delays in the publication of Shonen Sunday will crop up eventually."

March 11th, 2020. Author's note:
"Q: It's Doraemon's 50th Anniversary! What gadget would you want to use more than any other?
A: The Anywhere Door."

>>283252384
"Wake up" was しっかりして (Shikkari shite) which means "stay strong" or "get it together".

>>283252418
Possess in this case wasn't mentioning using it as a vessel, the original text seemingly only refers to finding it.

>>283252449
So, we now know why Byoki seemingly passed up his chance then.

>>283252469
...

>>283252487
She was similarly inarticulate in Japanese here.

>>283252544
?!

>>283252611
"Totally wiped out" was なんか･･･力が出ない (Nanka-ryoku ga denai) or "Like... I have no energy". なんか seems to be a filler word at the beginning of a sentence and means "something".

>>283252671
I assume the words thought in the fourth panel were Nanoka's so they really shouldn't say "she". To be honest, the original line was "Oh, the wound from the shikigami" so it really could be from either of them but I feel they should've either kept it as vague as the Japanese or just had it be Nanoka's thoughts given the panel arrangement.

>>283249934
Omae wa mou shindeiru

>>283252706
Cute. Anyway, the last line seems to be a bit mistranslated or maybe deliberately changed to keep people in suspense. The line was 相手は水の兄弟子 (Aite wa mizu no anideshi) or "The opponent is the senior apprentice of water". As you can see, the term 兄弟子 which everyone mentions is used here rather than a generic master.

>>283252768
I do like the phrasing of "Why must I be dragged to Kyoto?" but Mao is being more direct in Japanese and saying 京を離れない理由はなんだ? (Kyō o hanarenai riyū wa nanda?) or "Why won't you leave Kyoto?".

>>283252807
Hm, this line seems to be a bit different. The line regarding being experts was 寿命をつなぐんはわれら御降家の役目… (Jumyō o tsunagu n wa ware-ra go kō ke no yakume…) or "*It is the Goko Clan's duty to extend life..." Of course, it is possible that places use that sort of dutiful talk as marketing in Japan.

>>283248919
>Q: I want to escape reality for a bit. What do you recommend?
>A: Eat something delicious.
thank you for the advice, rumiko-dono
>>283249023
>he keeps asking the apprentices to teach him onmyoji spells
including mao!
>>283249105
>peering through him
even back then? crap, what was it...
>>283249139
>shark with a horn and multiple eyes
freaky
>>283249250
>EXITS

>>283252909
End of chapter, end of volume. Went a bit quicker this time. Though admittedly, I did prep more. I'll try to prep even more next time which should be easier since I won't be travelling. Thanks anyone who read along, but also thanks anyone who reads it after. I completely understand.

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 5 of MAO. Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if my commentary or comparisons to the raws are getting tiresome, I can adjust.

>>283252671
A nice atmospheric shot

>>283249274
demon cat-eyes activated!
>>283249302
well sheets of nori are kind of porous, maybe that's what it is? although nori sheets are a human-made thing
>>283249457
>hyakka is actually fucking dead
but he'll get better right? right?
>>283249742
HE LIVES HE DIES HE LIVES AGAIN
>Amusingly, of all the lines to make more formal
well otoya did use the polite form of "died" heh

>>283249790
>are you seeing this shit?
but haimaru lacks someone to respond with "yeah i'm seeing this shit"
>filled with poisonous insects and snakes, wild dogs
and even a turtle!

>>283253309
hope the anime keeps that random turtle

>>283252909
It's difficult to bring across in translation, but Shiranui actually talks with a slight Kansai dialect, using なんや instead of なんだ for example.
>>283252929
Thanks OP. Time to start introducing villains to go with the allies, evidently.
As far as individual volumes go, I think this one is pretty much perfectly paced. Three encounters of ascending stakes, all tied together and building up to the introduction of a new antagonist, mixed with developments to the mystery and fleshing out the relationship between Mao and Nanoka. And the individual setpieces are all nice and evocative.
The whole sharing blood thing is also a very clever development, I think. Obviously Mao and Nanoka both having the same blood has already been important theme so far, and this gives it a very concrete dimension that's rich with potential for symbolism or dramatic application, which Rumiko puts to good use as the series goes on.
And here's the new timeline. Starting to stretch a little, but still manageable, I think...

>>283253400
>Shiranui
>man
and dropped

>>283249875
haimaru killed them all
ts- tsuyoi...!
>>283249934
>>283249951
>you're already dead
b- but what was moving him...?
>>283250094
maybe byoki was chill with mokuzu
>>283250117
>Knowledge is power. Knowledge is to be exchanged with cheap hamburgers, I guess.
you're goddamn right it is

>>283251223
Mao's got pretty quick reaction times for someone who's 900 years old

>>283245252 (OP)
couldn't even make it to last week and late to this week. I hope this one is fun

>>283253487
Sorry dude
I understand why you might think otherwise with the lipstick and all, but it is what it is
We get our first big female secondary character in the next volume, if that makes it any better

>>283248068
>>283246019
I guess I can see how these paintings might have been revolutionary at the time

>>283250191
>I can't help but wonder if this is in reference to him being like a shikigami (式神)
shikigami-zoned...
>>283250284
you too can read about mount tai here!
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tai
has some nice pics

>>283253720
behold!
>picrel
the immortal bridge!

>>283248233
Cute

>>283248125
kinda cute in his own way

>>283248289
Never mind not cute at all

>>283250393
>only cast successfully one time
>only one time
>>283250464
wait that's it? you just need the deity to take pity on somebody?
>both master and he novice went on to live long lives
and no sacrifices needed, just the will the be one? and it's only worked once?
dang, i guess everyone else who tried was surrounded by a bunch of cowards...
>>283250530
autumn leaves! it's autumn!
>picrel
we also got kamon with a hat :-)
>>283250656
looks like the term beniko used was 華族 which wikipedia has a page on this
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazoku

>>283250681
hehehehe gottem
>>283250702
kamon hasn't heard that name in a long time...
>>283250725
got her too
>>283250741
>>283250800
just like mokuzu...

>>283250898
>Q: This year is a leap year! How do you want to use your extra day?
>A: Working.
i bet that's exactly what she did
>>283250957
i'm guessing this is the shigure rains?
and did nanoka pack a pipe?!
also i think that weird pattern on the walls is from where the little yokai critters patched up the cracks
you're supposed to paint over that mao
>>283251045
>aquatic spectacles
right you are otoya! and nanoka was right to suspect some underwater mayhem
>>283251083
i wonder how he keeps the human and yokai patients from overlapping?
>>283251124
oh shit
quickly nanoka, your goggles!

>>283251140
>>283251180
>>283251202
oh, they offered to bring him back >>283250919 didn't they...
:-(

>>283254233
not they, just one shikigami

>>283251308
>i didn't bring my sword
oh noes!
>Genjutsu
you gotta wonder how a shikigami can get caught in a genjutsu...
>>283251366
so otoya can just do that
>>283251389
i think this where this scene in the trailer comes from
>gifrel
we now have all of the scenes from the trailer accounted for

>>283254252
yes they, plural, because its a shikigami following orders from someone else

>>283251426
triggered his cateyes
>>283251490
naruhodo... so it was named back then (here)
>>283251601
>eel-shooting mouth
that explains the mask
and how did mao do that? he can do that? no claws?
>>283251625
>Impaled.
as is tradition
>>283251659
are you really the male mc of a serious rumiko work if you don't get run through the gut and lifted off the ground?
i know inuyasha has a scene like this, and i'm pretty sure mermaid saga has a scene like this

>>283253720
>>283253742
That rock bridge is crazy

>>283251777
>i wouldn't want you to die during the journey
he says while a giant blade is through mao's spine
h- how did they know about the kodoku pot though?
>>283251791
exactly mao, how?! little spying critters like hyakka's maybe??
and nanoka made it!
>>283251812
incredible
>>283251832
and once again, nanoka has caused a shikigami's body to pull apart
>>283251922
what is that shikigami made of and could mao give otoya that ability?

>>283252141
>Anyway, mudra ("in"/印 in Japanese) are Buddhist hand symbols
and rumiko completely skipped over drawing them lmao
>臨兵闘者皆陣裂在前
mao's version has 列 for the third-to-last character
that one in particular has yet another variant according to jisho
>https://jisho.org/word/%E8%87%A8%E5%85%B5%E9%97%98%E8%80%85%E7%9A%86%E9%99%A3%E8%A3%82%E5%9C%A8%E5%89%8D
>>283252195
completely fucked him up
>>283252211
and burst him like a water balloon
>>283252228
small swordfish summon? i'm sure it has a name, assuming that's a real fish

>>283252277
losing his shirt again
fourth volume in a row anons
>picrel
otoya nyooo!
>>283252384
>交わり
>fellowship, sexual intercourse and intersection.
ayo?
>>283252418
otoya's okay, huzzah! but mao...

>>283252487
>>283252544
it's over, he's gone...
>>283252563
>suddenly no clothes
>>283252584
>>283252611
weird way of sexing but what do i know of cursed-by-byoki-semi-ayakashii mating rituals?

>>283252768
>i was hugging him!
and he's partly shirtless!
what base does this count as bros?
>>283252792
>京
i thought you missed the rest of kyoto (京都) but it really was just the one kanji, and the furigana wasn't Kyō it was Miyako
>>283252807
nice genbu statues
>>283252909
he's blushing...
>>283252929
>chills in the sea after breaking his shikigami
shiranui is written as 不知火 which literally means "unknown fire" but refers to a ghost light
that's right, yet another japanese word for will-o-the-wisp type things
it even has a wikipedia page
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiranui_(optical_phenomenon)

>>283247150
chapter 32 color page
>picrel
>>283247573
>I always like it when we get stained glass covers.
same

>>283251464
chapter 37 color page
>Maybe Kodoku Pot would've been better?
i think this may have been influenced by the chapter title being "kodoku pit" three chapters ago

>>283246090
God, Mao has like, negative ass. It's literally going inwards.

>>283255426
maybe the anime will save him

>>283250681
Kamon would be a pretty shifty character if he wasn't so handsome and fashionable

Here's the back cover of Volume 4 of MAO of the original Japanese edition.

>>283253400
Great work as always! Minor typo in the spear section, we have a period without a space after. Least you know I'm reading them.

>>283253974
Oh, was Furinkan wrong? Or was it the part translated as "royal blood"? Good info regardless.

>>283254177
Snorkel.

>>283254891
I think these are swordfish. I think what I thought was a swordfish is actually a marlin.

>>283255240
Ah, shoot. Didn't even notice the name was already used. I'll repost the trivia regarding the name in the next thread.

>>283255259
>>283255372
Thanks again!

>>283256785
I believe this is the inner sleeve illustration.

shiranui's hair really lacked volume when he first appeared

>>283246454
These barrier talismans have the same design as the ones they used when they were attacked by the fleas in volume 2.

>>283248994
Haimaru had it good in the past, getting carried around by a cute girl all day

>>283257601
I thought it looked kind of familiar
do you happen to know what it says?

>>283257706
No, I'm afraid not. The last character kind of looks like 用. but other than that it's too stylized.

>>283251243
I think this is the first explicit mention of the fact that shikigami all have those dot eyes.

>>283254432
>and how did mao do that?
He has hs fingers in the usual spellcasting position, so presumably it was a crafty spell of some sort

>>283252706
Kinda lewd

>>283252929
Is this a man or a woman
Fun volume
Thanks a lot OP

>>283258271
>Is this a man or a woman
man

>>283257689
bet he ate well too, whole fish instead of scraps
haimaru should be fatter

>>283250872
There's something amusing about the idea of a waterlogged corpse attending a fancy tea party

>>283252487
Sums up Nanoka as a character pretty well, to be honest

>>283252792
Mao doesn't mention a mirror in the original, he just talks about the enemy observing thim via water.

>>283246686
The whole frog encounter is one of my favorite relationship moments between Mao and Nanoka

>>283258383
ghey

>>283247150
Here is the cover of Weekly Shonen Sunday where this chapter debuted. It is nice to see a Rumic series be the main thing on the cover.

>>283259880
where is this from? Colors?

>>283259954
No, it's fanart from https://twitter.com/ab_cd0373/status/1314978691722567682

>>283251055
>>283251083
That boy is such a cutie. I like his hair.

>>283251464
Here is the cover of Weekly Shonen Sunday where this chapter debuted.

>>283246426
Per Furinkan: "While working on this chapter of MAO Takahashi was recorded by Stéphane Beaujean, a French editor who was covering Takahashi for the Angoulême International Comics Festival. "

I didn't realize the translation came from a youtube video. Here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCxk1gu_Ouc and here's the link to Furinkan's translation: https://furinkan.com/takahashi/takahashi61.html

I've referenced this interview a few times over the course of these storytimes.

>>283261910
It's a neat interview. Cool seeing Rumiko actually work on the series.
I wonder what that framed Golden Kamuy picture you see in the background in some shots is.

>>283259880
the small middle hyakkas are very cute

>>283252195
Here's that image of the Kujinoin I said I would post from Furinkan.

>>283264018
We do get to see this exact chart in the manga, too. Just a fair bit later.

>>283264018
ol' girl didn't show a single one lmao
i figure the anime will but we'll see

Alright bros, we've got scenes up to volume 4 in the trailer
>https://youtu.be/T8hsY9L-vjQ?si=36YElbv68XF94EfR
I don't think this is a pre-animated trailer either
What do you think are the odds that we're getting a twenty-something episode season?

>>283266245
I just don't really see any way you could do it in twelve episodes. I don't think you'd even be able to introduce all the major characters. I mean, even Yashahime got 24 episodes per season.

>>283266245
>>283266778
why can't they make it all in a single go till they catch up with the manga?

>>283266812
For the most part anime production just doesn't work like that anymore. And even though Mao does have a fair amount of buffer built up, it's never been a very good idea to do that for series which have some kind of overarching story.

>>283266812
the industry is in fucking shambles anon

>>283259732
hoping to get a new cover for chapter 300

>>283248233
I've always liked this cover page. It's fun to see Nanoka wearing different outfits.

>>283245548
I really like this scene, so it's a shame that it'll probably be censored in the anime

>>283270027
i've resigned myself to accept a silhouette, but they better keep the fact that his heart was forced through his mouth

>>283258836
>I don't know anything
I feel this

>>283252449
I suppose this means that a shikigami can survive beyond the death of its master. Otoya might theoretically be able to make it to the the modern era if Mao happens to die. I wonder if they just keep repeating their last instructions, or if they gain free will, or vanish after completing their last task or something.

>>283272057
this would include uozumi as well wouldn't it? would she just keep playing housekeeper until something destroys her?

>>283272358
I actually remember now that they go into this during the whole side adventure with Hyakka's clan's descendants. Basically, they die when the master dies, but the master could also transfer them to a new owner, or give them one last order to fulfill before disappearing.

>>283272613
was it the thing with the extremely round fire bird shikigami?
i wonder if there's a time limit to that last one?

>>283245252 (OP)
Thanks for this

>>283273289
They directly say that the birb's master died fifty years ago, so clearly they can last pretty long if they aren't able to fulfill their task.
The fact that Uozumi is not in the same time period as Mao is an interesting complication, but I guess protecting Nanoka could count as an ongoing order, or maybe time travel just makes it work, somehow. It's possible we're giving this more thought than Rumiko ever did, though.

>>283273890
speaking of giving things too much thought, what's up with the frog shikigami that took orders via papers in their mouths VS otoya and uozumi who can operate on their own to a noticeable degree?
i would've said it's a skill issue, but i'm pretty sure the one with the spear (i don't remember his name and it wasn't said) is shiranui's shikigami and that one was a bit of a smartass
but then again the frogs were able to cast a curse on people to froggify them...
it'd be funny if the paper trick works on the others too lol you just need to make them eat the paper first

>>283274725
I'd say it just comes down to humanoid shikigami having human intelligence and frogs and turtles being, well, frogs and turtles.

>>283249457
>>283249742
Hyakka dying and it just not sticking reminds me of the gag on Top Gear where, where a presenter would be unceremoniously declared "dead." after a crash.

Overall I like Mao alot more than I liked Inuyasha. I think it comes down to Nanoka as a character and her dynamic with Mao being more friendly (if sometimes cold, and a bit tense) than Inuyasha and Kagome. I like the teacher-student thing they have going on more than "tsun-tsun, sit, boy." Also, the roaring twenties is, in my opinion, more interesting than the middle ages. You don't really see alot of the Taisho era in media, especially as a foreigner.

>>283256785
this volume had a white spine
>Oh, was Furinkan wrong? Or was it the part translated as "royal blood"?
it's the part that was translated as "royal blood" yeah
whether they truly are royal or not, well that link shows there's ranks and we don't know what their rank is
honestly that whole prince/duke/count thing gets confusing when it's in regards to england's version, let alone the now-dissolved japanese version of that...
>I think these are swordfish.
>I think what I thought was a swordfish is actually a marlin.
w- w- wait... what??
>nanoka i don't know anything.png
>>283256801
>I believe this is the inner sleeve illustration.
indeed it is

>>283256785
>>283275016
>volume design is reddish
>the shikigami's sandals have blue rope

>>283274949
I quite enjoy the teacher/student relationship as well. Rumiko manages to tease many different kinds of interactions out of it as the series progresses. And it's pretty different from how she usually writes her romantic leads. Usually her characters are portrayed as being on relatively even footing between one another, but Mao and Nanoka's relationship is refreshingly asymmetrical.

>>283245414
somebody who has the font, edit this page with OP's "kiss us" typo

>>283245763
hyakka was freaking out when this happened, meanwhile kamon here
>picrel

>>283245793
>>283256065
>Kamon would be a pretty shifty character if he wasn't so handsome and fashionable
shifty? whatever do you mean
kamon pinky-swears that he's done nothing wrong

>>283274899
>and frogs and turtles being, well, frogs and turtles.
but frogs and turtle can't curse people into frogs

>>283253400
maybe the area about the wounded byoki should mention the spear? >>283251389
the shikigami says the spear of taima is
>the perfect weapon with which to defeat
mao due to him fusing with the byoki
it also zaps nanoka when she touches it

>>283266778
It's Rumiko Takahashi, so even though Mao isn't that popular they're definitely considering up to 4 cours. Probably we'll end up with 3 cours (2 now, 1 in a year, like Ranma got) after they see the viewer numbers from the first episode or two, and then MAYBE a 4th cour a few years after that if the manga sales see a boost.

>>283280831 (me)
wait, you mention the spear during the shikigami's attack...
i guess i mean, why is that spear the perfect weapon? was it made for something like the byoki? who attacked the byoki with that spear?

>>283253400
timeline-kun...

>>283280896
Good questions, and ones which may have answers as the series goes on. I'll add that to the next version.
>>283280918
D'oh

>>283279853
I actually think the more beastlike shikigami may be more magically powerful than the human ones. You don't see Otoya or Uozumi doing anything particularly flashy, and even Shiranui's dude mostly depends on the spear.

>>283281022
>Shiranui's dude mostly depends on the spear.
he's also full of water, has an eel in his mouth, and limbs that can extend/twist

>>283281961
We've already seen that shikigami work on a badge system like when Otoya was made to fly. The mask dude's doll body is probably covered in all sorts of upgrade trinkets.

>>283252929
Thank you for posting, RumikOP.

>>283253340
Shiranui seems to have a thing for turtles
>>283252807

>>283266245
How does everyone feel about the VAs so far? I always pictured Mao sounding older in my head, but other than that I think they're alright choices.

>>283285201
Same, but I don't mind.

>>283285201
>>283287028
well he's a 900 year old ayakashi in the body of a young boy

>>283288065
hyakka's in the body of a younger boy but his voice is deeper

>>283288574
They are different kind of immortal, technically. I really don't think they thought that hard about it, though.

>>283289186
NTA but I also doubt they thought it through really.

>>283285201
>Mao sounding older in my head
same, and kamon too, but I thought that back when they voiced that series digest video a while back
we'll see if their dub voices sound more like what I imagined

>>283245252 (OP)
>4th volume
How many left?

>>283292959
At the moment, there are
>22 English volumes
>25 Japanese volumes
>30 volumes worth of chapters in total
And the series is still ongoing

>>283292959
>>283293022
volume 26 is coming out next month in japan
>30 volumes worth of chapters in total
but yeah I don't know why they're being such slow faggots about collecting the chapters
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mao_chapters#Chapters_not_yet_in_tank%C5%8Dbon_format

>>283292959
>>283293022
Sorry, 21 English volumes, 22 comes out next month.

>>283245829
1) Byokki has a lot of horrocruxes
2) the death curse backfired and they're all inmortal now until Mao kicks the bucket due the curse being interrupted by Kitty's getting involved

>>283245935
>bottom panel
Subtle jab at woke culture

>>283249457
So... it happened AGAIN

>>283249790
>the cat was the Naraku
Way, WAY too literal for my liking

>>283250485
Insert Sabato telling Nanoka "And THIS is why your parents are dead and you and your grandpa alive!"

>>283251147
>what else is there to clarify? byoki scary, byoki want nanoka, nanoka fight byoki
Since when you're under the impression......?

>>283293642
>So... it happened AGAIN
It's a pretty funny gag, but I don't really remember if it ever happens after this.

>>283294138
?

>>283295300
I wonder what happened to those flaming skulls?

>>283295690
Mao gave cranial surgery to most of them

>>283295777
but weren't those the other skulls that were attracted by the buried talisman-thing?

>>283296062
I assumed they were all Hyakka's old skulls, but I guess the ones at the skyscraper were new since they all had short hair. I suppose most of the old ones were destroyed as collateral damage in the Byouki fight, and the remaining ones just fucked off after it went through the portal.

>>283295508
It's clear, anon. Unless debunked with following volumes, which I assume nothing has changed

>>283298131
the byoki is in nanoka's time and mao can't go through the gate anon

>>283295508
Since when were you under the impression that Byouki isn't the cutest kitty you've ever seen?

>>283298383
Exactly. But since when you're under the impression that Byoki is on the wild?

>>283299045
Oh my god

>>283299045
make one with kittymon

>>283301692
Well, I have some ideas, but I think I'll save them for the next volume

>>283253400
>Shiranui actually talks with a slight Kansai dialect
was this always a thing? since the heian era? or was that something he acquired in the years since? and what of his relatives?

>>283302668
Yeah, it's been consistent since his first appearance here. The old fan TL never did anything to bring it across from what I recall, and I haven't bothered to do so either, aside from maybe aiming for somewhat more sophisticated speech patterns.
I don't think he did it in the Heian era, so it's probably something he picked up while doing his Kou Clan thing in the Kyoto area. Probably around the same time as he got the lipstick...

>>283303041
are you implying that gaining a kansai accent will make someone zesty?

>>283280918
naruodo

>>283246388
otoya's feet aren't even touching the ground

>>283247832
thoughts on otoya's doll, bros?

>>283248736
>Haimaru is very cute here.