A question for the flist

[purpleicicles]

A question for those among you who translate/read japanese - any recommendations for an easy-to-use kanji dictionary? I'm looking for one ordered by stroke number, not reading, and it doesn't have to have a grammar section etc. I'm getting a bit sick of having to switch on the laptop every time I attempt to translate something

Comments

[2metaldog]

I am such a doll dork that the first thing I thought upon seeing the bodies was... "Hey, they have a body like a slim male Obitsu." *head desk* That would be because the slim male Obitsu have no boy bits, BTW.

That being said, they look good and I like Kuang's posing/attitude.

[purpleicicles]

Yay for doll dorking! :D

Funnily enough, Kuang's pose came the easiest - I guess I have the Ever West RP to thank for that! His character is so firm in my head, and I wanted his pose to reflect his patriarchal role.

[purpleicicles]

Thank you! I agonized over the colours for a while, so to hear they work together is awesome :)

No iPhone I'm afraid, just a regular one. I'm not sure I'd want a phone that bombards me with emails and internet and apps on top of all the usual ^^;;

[randomdiversion]

Yeah the colors work.

You artistic types are amazing. My version of a human is still about at the level of a 3 year old:

http://www.learningdesign.com/Portfolio/DrawDev/kiddrawing.html

For this reason I'll stick to writing fan-fic.

[purpleicicles]

Ahhh, I'm sure it's not that bad! However, I can't exactly say I resent the energy you pour into your fanfiction - if only I could write like you!

[randomdiversion]

These appear to be relatives of Gojun? If so...as far as I know, Gojun does not have a tail (though Hakuryu does)...

[purpleicicles]

Artistic license? I gather that dragons in chinese mythology can transform, and I assume that's what he does to fit in with the kami where his natural form would not. Also, the length of his talons varies in the manga, so I went ahead and assumed he could transform and is just chilling with his brothers here in a form more akin to his natural body :)

Yes, Gojun's brothers from the original chinese mythos (also mentioned in the original Journey to the West on which Saiyuki is based).

[randomdiversion]

I figured as much, just wanted to be sure

[purpleicicles]

In the original, Gojun is the king of the western seas, and it is he who gives Goku the nyoi-bo after he relentlessly pesters him for a weapon. I believe it is one of his sons who commits a crime and is sentenced to be whipped and hung in the sky as a punishment. Gojun begs the Bosatsu to reduce the harshness of his sentence and she transmutes it down to being Sanzo's ride. I think you are right that the crime was the eating of the original horse, so his new punishment is quite fitting :)

As with a few details of the original story, Minekura has changed some things, and it is theorized (based on a scribble beside a picture) that Gojun is indeed Hakuryuu, though it's not explicitly stated in the manga. From the end of Gaiden, I'm pretty sure Gojun is coughing blood and dies from his injuries to be reincarnated as Hakuryuu, although this is mostly my own conviction. The translation by the wonderful saiyuki_manga crew reads:

The only thing I can do in the time that I have remaining…is to pass on the legacy that they left. And after I

[randomdiversion]

I use this:

http://www.amazon.com/Learners-Kanji-Dictionary-Mark-Spahn/dp/0804820953

and the 'kanji by radicals' function at jisho.org

[purpleicicles]

Thank you! I've been using

[randomdiversion]

I linked to the hardbound edition but the one I have is actually softcover. The guts are the same though.

[cornerofmadness]

these are really fun. i like them. can't help with the kangi resources though

[purpleicicles]

Thank you!