Stella Maris – hidden island (Chapter 6–11)
Chapter Index
Ch 6 - Ch 7 - Ch 8 - Ch 9 - Ch 10 - Ch 11 - Translation Notes
Chapter 6
Several minutes later. A remote island near Okinawa’s main island, “Hoshijima”…
Mensooore~♪
Welcome to “Hoshijima”! The land that was once confined~♪
Right now, as long as you have permission — or really, as long as I’m here, it’s fine to disembark the ship, so feel free to step onto this land~…♪
W-Woah, this is—
Mm… I know I shouldn’t say it this way, but the place is completely in tatters, far more than expected…
T-There’s only ruins as far as the eye can see… What a crazy sight.
I had no idea there was an area in our country with such an unbelievable landscape.1
The sight of this scenery excites me somewhat… I’m still a boy, after all.
I get you. I want to explore the area.
Ah~. The buildings could fall any moment, so don’t walk wherever you like, okay~?
As you can see, the place is filled with ruins, and there aren’t any real facilities — not even a hospital~. We can’t have you getting injured by accident~.
The main island may be nearby, but not so close that we can head back there in a flash~.
If the ship were to sink now, we’d end up in a typical plot for classic detective novels. Like a closed circle sort of situation.2
P-Please don’t say something so ominous… It’ll be fine, right? The ship won’t sink, right?
No worries, no worries~. Besides, even if it did sink, we’re in a modern age where we can just phone call for a replacement to come pick us up~.
Oh, right… Phone calls should work just fine here.
There’s still that worrisome thought we wouldn’t be able to reach a signal… Which sort of reminds me of that time Tetora-kun turned evil. It was truly tough on me to have all signals jammed—3
Urk— I was avoiding mentioning that ‘cuz I knew it’d sting to hear a remark…!
Let’s stop our chatter here. We didn’t come here to enjoy sightseeing; we’re technically at work right now.
…But, actually, that sort of thing should only be said by the current leader — Kanata.
ah— yes, that’s right. heeey~ you should [not] get ahead of yourselves, okay~?
we have an important [job] to do.
Yeah. Still, where do we even start…? Can we really restore such a ruined land like this?
S-Surely this is too much for only us to handle—
Mm~. I’m sure you’re tired from the long trip, so we’ll first head over somewhere you can drop your belongings and rest~. This island isn’t completely uninhabited, after all~.
There’s something of a village here, where Kanata-sama’s worshippers live~.
This was a confined area before, so there are no lodging facilities like a hotel, but I negotiated with them to let us rent an unoccupied home~.
Also, all the folks from my group came together to clean the whole building for you… So, you should be able to sleep comfortably~.
T-That’s very kind of you. We really appreciate your thoughtfulness, Mizusaba-san.
No need to thank me. This is my job~♪
But I ask that you don’t rely on me too much.
I’m also an outsider on this island, so even if I’m well known with the Okinawan locals — I haven’t actually made many connections with the people here yet.
This is just hypothetically speaking, but for example, I might not be able to cover for you if they cause any harm to you. So you shouldn’t act without restraint~.
They’re talking to you, Morisawa-senpai. Jeez, you’re always acting like a li’l kid wherever we go, runnin’ about as soon as you can.
H-Huhh—!? Wait, I wasn’t the one doing the scolding, but the one receiving the scolding!?
Hehe~. Right then, everyone, follow me~.
Fufu. I know we were just scolded for acting like tourists, but it feels as though we’re on a tour, with Mizusaba-san as our guide.
But if this were a tour, we would’ve been able to learn something about the place from a guide book or something… We don’t know a single thing about this island, and it’s seriously scary…
Don’t stray too far, Takamine. We may not be able to find each other again if we lose track of one another.
Here; if you’re feeling anxious, big brother will gladly hold your hand~♪
…tch…
He clicked his tongue!? Why!? I really was trying to be considerate, though…!?
Midori-kun’s also growing up, so he doesn’t wanna be treated like a li’l kid either, y’know~♪4
…………
…? What’s up, Shinobu-kun? You seem dazed…?
Are you feelin’ exhausted from the long trip after all?
Ah, no… Mm~ Perhaps it’s simply my imagination…
But I feel as though someone is watching us—
Chapter 7
Several minutes later. At the lodging accommodation for Ryuseitai — An unoccupied house in the outskirts of Hoshjima Village…
Right, we’ve arrived~♪
For the time being, you’ll all be living here until you’ve finished the first few steps of your job~.
Thank you for guiding us, Mizusaba-san. Ahh, we can finally take a breather.
Ahaha. Not only did we need to travel for a long time, but we were also completely thrown into an unknown environment, so… I strangely feel exhausted after such a stressful journey.
But this is a surprisingly decent-looking building… We should actually be able to rest here for real…
Right~? I was worried about where we were headed at first, as we had only come across ruins on our way.
It seems like the village in the center of this island is generally livable, even if the buildings are old.
Yeah, they did mention that it was just a confined area, not a deserted island.
Honestly, I don’t really know what confined areas actually are, but they’re basically places that are off-limits, right…? So why are people living here in the first place…?
I’m not sure if saying “the island’s native people” is the right wording here, but I assume the residents are an exception?
I wonder what sorta people live here, on an island full’a ruins…?
They’re pretty ordinary people, really — It’s just that they believe in a unique religion~. They also had connections with the main island back when Hoshijima was still confined~.
My grampa was the point of contact back then, and he’d sometimes ship any basic needs over by boat~.
That makes sense; it doesn’t seem possible at all to live here without someone supplying the bare necessities. On our way here, I saw a minimal amount of farm fields.
Even if they caught fish for food, it still didn’t seem enough to stay self-sufficient.
Despite that, the buildings in the village look legit and clean.
They still have to buy basic supplies too, though, so it really makes me wonder how the people of this island make money here…
For that, since they’re worshippers of the tentatively named Kanata Religion, they collect donations—
I’m tryna say that those worshippers don’t seem to have any money, either.
mm. it seems that a [long time] ago, they formed a [contract] with a [higher-up]—
which allowed them to be under a [system] that periodically provides them [money].
that appears to be why the people on this [island] can live fairly [comfortably] without a job.
but, it is a little bit of an [unhealthy] lifestyle, so to speak…
after all, if you are to count on someone else for [money], then you will be [wiped out] as soon as that person has a [change of heart].
so in hopes of avoiding a money drought, we need to help these people be capable of earning [money] on their own.
And that’s another reason why we need to rejuvenate the land, correct? They’ve been living on that sort of financial benefit for a long time, so it’s likely that none of them know how to do business and such.
yes. even if we call over [tourists] to visit, no profit will be made without any [shops] set up.
and it is not like we can live here forever, either, yes?
we need to arrange an [environment] where the people here can live [independently] without us.
Shinkai-senpai is talking about a super serious topic…
i am always [serious], though~?
Everyone~? I prepared tea and confections for you, so feel free to help yourselves~♪
Ahh—! I’m so sorry! Forgive me for not helping out…!
No worries, no worries. The guests should just make themselves at home~♪
I’ll prepare a proper meal for all of you, as well~. I’m sure you’re starving by now, right? I’ll treat you all to local cuisine~.
Okay! I’m so sorry for the trouble, we’re in your care today! C’mon everyone! You should show your respect, too!
Ossu! Thank you very much! We’re in your care today…!
Yes, yes, so you are~…♪
…Mizusaba-san is surprisingly a kind person, isn’t he?
Right? Not gonna lie though, I did freak out at first ‘cause they looked so intimidating.
It’s ‘cuz of their height… Man, I’m jealous. What do I gotta eat to grow that big?
would tetora like to grow big, too~?
Ossu, bigger means stronger.
Well, we are still in our growth period, so I have hopes that we will grow bigger eventually…
Uuu~ I’ve practically given up on trying to grow taller, though…
Don’t give up, Sengoku! Your dream will come true!
I’d rather you never grow bigger, Shinobu-kun… The smaller, the cuter…♪
Yuuta-kun said the same thing to me… But I’m not some kind of pet, you know~?
Chapter 8
Heheh. As nice as it is to chat, let’s discuss what we’ll do from here on out while we have the time. We wouldn’t want the day to end as nothing but a sightseeing trip.
that sort of thing should actually be said by me, the leader, don’t you think?
Mm. Sorry, I’m meddling too much.
no, no, i appreciate the help while i am still getting used to these things.
mm, alright. let’s see… …what should we do? what are we supposed to do here?
Why do you sound so unreliable!? You’re the commander this time, Shinkai-senpai, so you gotta be the one to decide what we do to some extent, y’know~?
yes… erm, our [goal]— or rather, the [request] we received is to [restore] this [land].
In other words, to rejuvenate the area. We’ll turn this peculiar island into a place that can support itself and develop.
Erm. This has been on my mind for a while, but — What exactly do you mean when you say “to restore”?
…? what do you mean?
Restoration indicates bringing life to a land that was once developed but had turned to ruins, correct?
For example, the restoration of a land struck by disaster and such…
Therefore, does that mean that this land was also once a developed area?
Ah, erm, but perhaps there was no deeper meaning in phrasing the request in that way…?
Still, as someone who works as the secretary of the Student Council, I am extremely mindful of the use of such words.
Sorry to cut into your conversation, but yes, that’s what restoration means here~.
I heard from my grampa that in the olden days, this land was pretty well-developed, for reasons such as being located near the main island of Okinawa~♪
That does make sense. In fact, a location being near to the main island is a major factor in its development.
Mhm~. You saw ruins everywhere, right~? But it’s not like they always looked like that from the start~.
So those ruins are relics of the time from when this island was prosperous?
Yep. They’re not historic ruins, but abandoned ruins.
Which means they’re buildings that began to break down after people stopped occupying them~. This island was once destroyed, and had deteriorated since then.
So your job is to bring back the radiance of such an unfortunate island~.
Nyahaha, this is a job that was meant for us locals, though~. But since it’s such a complicated land, we need help from people outside the prefecture, too~.
Especially Kanata-sama’s help. The people of this island are religious worshippers, so they likely won’t listen to anyone but Kanata-sama~.
w-what a heavy responsibility on me.
On the contrary, I think they’ll take everything Kanata-sama says seriously, like it’s said by an oracle from god—
So if you guide them efficiently, the islanders are bound to unite as one and do their best for you~.
it became an even heavier responsibility…
It’ll be alright, Kanata. We’ll all think about what to do together!
Ossu, all for one! That’s what Ryuseitai’s all about!
Mm~… But I really do feel like restoring a whole island is way too massive of a job for us to handle…
I guess there’s nothing we can do about that, though, right… After all, Shinkai-senpai’s the commander this time, and this is the job he’s brought for us.
Mhm. Until this job is sorted out, the only thing we can do is devote our body and soul to our leader’s commands.
y-yes. please and thank you. i will do my best as well, really.
Mhm, do your best~. That’s why you should start by filling yourself up with a nice, tasty meal~.
It’s as they say, you can’t fight on an empty stomach~. Make sure to eat well and get enough nutrition, or you won’t be able to handle taking care of anyone~♪
Chapter 9
A few hours later. In the main temple of Hoshijima Village…
(I-I’m so nervous~!)
(Before deciding our next move, we thought it’d be best to first hear what this land — what the Hoshijima people — have in mind.)
(And I agree that that’s the right choice here; we should first confirm what the residents of this island wanna do.)
(We could transform this place however we like without asking ‘em first, but… If the people living here won’t welcome it, then it’ll have been pointless.)
(It’s unreasonable to impose our own ideas on ‘em without a care for their perspective. Especially since we’re completely fed up with that sorta thing from the bottom of our hearts.)
(I don’t think it’s right for us to do the same thing to ‘em that our agency did to us. It’s plain irritating when someone says, “I did it with the best intentions” without any regard for how you feel ‘bout it.)5
(If possible, we wanna restore this land in the way the islanders want.)
(‘Cuz that’s how we also wanted to transform Ryuseitai, as best as possible.)
tetora.
Hahyu—!? Wh-wh-what is it, Shinkai-senpai!? Is there an enemy invasion!?
there are no [enemies] here~ you are too nervous.
it seems that i am [bad] at [explanations], so for [negotiations] with the other party, as well as [reporting] back the news to everyone—
i can only rely on tetora, as you are capable of [explaining] things properly.
so please stay [focused]. i am worried about you; you seem [distracted] somehow.
O-Ossu! I’ll do my absolute best to meet your expectations, Senp— I mean, Taichou!
but, why is it tetora?
Huh!? A-Am I not good enough somehow!?
mm~… once it was decided we could meet with the [island’s higher-up], they told us only one person was permitted to [accompany] me.
because it would only stress them to have [so many strangers] barging in.
the people of this [island] have been confined in their village for a long time, so they appear to be relatively afraid of [others]… that cannot be [helped], though.
Ossu. If I were to put it in a negative light, it’s sorta exclusionary in a way.
It’s prolly like those closed-off villagers you often see in movies, who hate outsiders. So just in case, we can’t risk the unlikely scenario of ‘em attacking Shinkai-Taichou.
And ‘cuz I’m the most skilled in combat among the five of us, I’m accompanying Taichou as the bodyguard.
i do not think anything [violent] will happen, though… what i am [expecting] from tetora for this occasion is not [violence], but [the art] of [conversation].
after all, if they were to actually see us as [enemies], we would not be able to [get anywhere] with our job… so please behave in a [friendly manner].
Uu~myu… It’s true that negotiation is the main goal here, yeah. In that case, Shinobu-kun should’ve joined you instead of me, honestly.
it will be alright. tetora can also do it as long as he tries. during the [commotion] we had a while back, you did your very best at that [crimson]-something, yes?
you managed it wonderfully, as the [executive staff] of the [evil organization].
that is not something that an [idiot] can do. only a [clever person] capable of [negotiations] would be able to accomplish that.
you are growing incredibly much more than [you] think, tetora.
…Ossu. Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say.
Yeah, true. I personally think back on that time like it’s my dark past, but… Through a change of positions, I managed to accomplish somethin’ I’d never been able to do before.
That experience’ll surely come in use too, right?
yes. that is what i am [expecting].
…oh, i see the other party has [arrived].
(……! They’re making their appearance at last…! Uuu, I don’t feel mentally prepared for it at all, but—!)
(This isn’t a karate match — Reality never waits for you to prep yourself first!)
(Even in an unstable and shaky situation, I gotta do everythin’ in my power to stand my ground and do my best!)
(The black flame is the mark of effort…!)
(fufu. tetora is always such a [hard worker]~ i truly do believe that part of you is [admirable].)
(as for me, i am just [not there] at all~… i really am trying my best to do this [seriously], but i always end up being so floaty…)
Please excuse me.
You suddenly called for me… But what on earth could this be for, Kanata-sama?
(…? Huh?)
(This kid…? This tiny li’l kid… is the higher-up who represents Hoshijima?)
(Wait— Doesn’t he kinda look like someone…?)
As long as you do what you must, I don’t see a reason to report it to me.
we need you and your people’s [cooperation] so that we can achieve that goal. not only that — it is necessary that we learn about your [prospects].
Prospects? We simply want to continue living, even after God’s influence has vanished.
Any method will do. Survival takes precedence above all.
you are as [stiff] as ever~ i think you would be much [cuter] if you behaved more like a [child], you know?
come on, kona-chan~ smile, smile~♪
Please do not call me “Kona-chan”.
uu~ but if i call you by your [real name], it will be easy to mix up with mine.
Hmph. I suppose it is true that the “Kona” in “Konata” and “Kana” sound similar to the ear.6
Konata…?
Yes…? Indeed, my name is Minase Konata, the lord of this island.7
Minase… Not “Shinkai”?
…? Whatever do you mean?
Ah, well, you’re like the splitting image of Shinkai-Taichou, so I was wondering if you might be his sibling or relative.
yes, kona-chan is my adorable [little brother]~♪
That isn’t true. You and I are complete strangers who have nothing to do with each other.
……?
Chapter 10
That night, at the lodging accommodation for Ryuseitai…
Huh~… So the person that Mizusaba-san calls “Nii-nii” is the “Okinawa’s Oni” that I’ve heard about a few times?8
Yep~. Well, “Oni” in Okinawa would be my grampa, though~.9 Apparently, it all originates from when he was a pirate who ran rampage across the island.
He barged into Okinawa seas with a gigantic ship he’d filched from some other country, and was super feared by everyone~. He’s just a withered up old man now, though.
Nii-nii is his successor~, he’s called “The second generation of Okinawa’s Oni”~♪
He was truly respected~. Actually, I’m the older one between us~, but Nii-nii was like everyone’s big brother in a sense, so I call him “Nii-nii”~.10
I really respect him lots~. He’s super strong~, nobody can beat him in a fight~. Where I lived, whenever someone had a problem, they’d talk to Nii-nii about it~.
He’s gone to the US now, and nobody can reach him, so there’s not much anyone can do there.
But technically, if it were possible, we probably could have entrusted this job to Nii-nii instead of you guys~.
Ah, actually, though — This request involves religion, so maybe it wouldn’t have been a job for him? Huh, I wonder…?
If I may interject — with the exception of Kanata, we aren’t experts in religion, either.
Ah— I’ve been meaning to mention this, but — you don’t have to talk so politely with me, y’know~?11 It’s actually harder to understand you that way~. Nobody uses polite language among my family, so~♪
Mm~… And likewise, we’re not really experts in rejuvenating land, either.
Shouldn’t something as large-scale as that be a job for fine instead of us, if we’re sticking to our agency…?
Actually, it seems that they’re taking a move right now, too.
Sengoku mentioned Himemiya earlier, so I contacted Tenshouin — Apparently, fine is also working on something in Okinawa at the moment.
Tenshouin told me, “depending on the circumstances, we may be able to join forces with you, so feel free to rely on us if anything happens.”
It makes me happy to see his compassion for friendship, but… why is it that I get strangely anxious when he’s being kind…
Yes, since they apparently plan to build an ES branch of some sort in Okinawa. Tenshouin-dono and his unit members are likely working towards that.
Though, it’s more so a project to build an amusement park…12
However, it seems that there is no land available in the main island to build such a park, so they are instead aiming for Hoshijima.
Hm. If the amusement park and various establishments are arranged, its vicinity might actually develop tremendously, in a similar fashion to a certain dreamland.13
While building the park, they may remove all the unusable ruins, too.
Although, that on its own is a pretty rare sight to see, and therefore perfectly suits being a tourist attraction.
It’s way too dangerous to be a tourist spot… We can still see them all the way from here, and the crumbling exterior is clearly peeling off just from the strong wind.
It’d be dangerous for anyone to get close… I think we’re better off having all of them demolished.
Mm. There are many plots of land across the world that are off-limits to the public for similar reasons.1
If the buildings could only crumble, that’s still not too bad… But depending on the area, there could be landmines or unexploded bombs buried in the ground.14 It’s necessary to take these things into account.
Rather than to forcibly turn such a danger zone into a tourist attraction, it may be best to take the predictable path, and rebuild the area into an amusement park that can make an infinite amount of money.
Those abandoned buildings don’t seem to be old enough to carry any cultural heritage either… It looks like any regular ghost town you’d find around the world.
Well, whatever we’ll do with those ruins depends on what sort of agreement Kanata and Nagumo reach with the islanders.
They may tell us not to tamper with those buildings in any way.
Oh yeah, I’m pretty curious what’s going on over there… I wonder if they’re doing okay… I hope they didn’t get dragged into some questionable ceremony by the religious people…
That’s just prejudiced thinking, Midori-kun~ As mentioned before, they simply believe in a different religion — they are still human beings just like us.
I’m sure nothing inconceivable is happening to them at all!
i am back~♪
Oh, as soon as we mentioned them—
Welcome back, Kanata! Thanks for your hard work, and great job to Nagumo, too!
How was it? What did the islanders say?
yes, so. they were quite [unfriendly], but they [appeared] to be [accepting] of anything we plan to do~ or rather, they are indifferent either way.
that is how little they are willing to [cooperate] with us. it seems, though, that they will not [oppose] our decisions, either.
which is a good thing. it would have been a problem if they [forbade] all our choices after specifically [requesting] for our help.
Chapter 11
While it is true that we have been confined for a long time, we don’t lack basic common sense.
I would appreciate it if you do not make light of us.
……?
K-Kanata, who is this child…? Wait, don’t tell me—… Did you give birth to this kid!?
i cannot give birth, you know? i am a [guy]. i am not [saint mary]~?
T-Then did you split apart and multiply in number!?
What!? This turn of events is a lot more inconceivable than I ever could’ve imagined…!?
i cannot multiply, either~? what do you think of me as?
Hello, everyone. It’s nice to meet you.
I’ve heard about all of you from Kanata-sama. You are Kanata-sama’s allies, who have come to aid us and our island — Known as Ryuseitai, correct?
As the lord of Hoshijima, I, Minase Konata, would like to express my deepest gratitude.
K-Konata? Is that his name because he’s a tiny Kanata?15
Is it not simply konata for “here” and kanata for “there”…?16
Their names are really similar, though… Eh? Eh? Are they siblings?
I‘ve asked that question already.
Ah— Tetora-kun, welcome back to you, too~…
Ossu. Mm, so, this kid is apparently somethin’ like a relative to Shinkai-Taichou.
What do you mean by “something like a relative”…?
Uu~myu… As always, everything Shinkai-Taichou says is too floaty to understand, and Konata-kun keeps denying any blood relations with him for some reason.
Honestly, I’ve still got no clue what sorta relationship this kid has with Shinkai-Taichou.
As I have stated already, we are complete strangers.
The resemblance is far too much for that to be possible… But alright, it seems like they have deep circumstances of their own, so I won’t ask for details.
I appreciate it. Erm, you’re the leader of Ryuseitai, correct?
No, Kanata’s the leader this time.
“This time”? I don’t quite understand, but am I correct to consider this person the leader then?
ehe~ ehe~♪
What are you acting so proud for? I didn’t compliment you in any way.
onii-chan is so happy that he got to [introduce] his [close allies] to kona-chan~17 i was [forbidden] from doing so up until now.
That is because my existence was meant to be concealed. Nonetheless, since the main house of the religion had been abolished… It should be alright to show my appearance at the very least.
After all, our island must lift its isolation policy, and open itself up to the outside world moving forward.
I cannot be the only one who confines oneself far from the public’s eye.
Even if I were chosen simply due to blood relations, I am still the lord of this island in the end.
W-What a responsible kid… Incredible. I could barely speak this eloquently when I was around his age.
Erm… Konata-kun— Konata-chan…?18 How old are you?
I will become ten years old this year. My growth has been relatively slow for my age, as I had been living a poor lifestyle.
Ah, if that’s the case… I think there can be kids like this at that age? Probably?
He may look like a preschooler… But he’s actually much more intelligent than he seems. He clearly understood our side of the story, and took our thoughts to heart.
Apparently, the islanders will abide by Konata-kun’s wishes, so as long as Konata-kun says it’s okay, then we’re all good to go.
That’s immensely helpful. Now we don’t have to worry about the possibility of the islanders strongly opposing us, leaving us unable to accomplish anything.
But still, this just leads us back to the matter of: What are we going to do next? How are we going to restore this island?
For that, we have something of our own in mind, as well.
That’d be great, then. I know we shouldn’t be saying this upfront, but we seriously haven’t thought up a single thing—
Indeed. When we were practicing the “fish song”, we never even expected this to happen.
Seriously… It was just supposed to be a simple commercial filming…
I’m very sorry about that. Kanata-sama is always short on words.
[talking] a lot is not very [god]-like, after all~♪
You aren’t a god anymore, are you?
Regardless… It seems that the true governor of this land, the ZK Zaibatsu19, has also approved of developing the area. I am not aware what sort of magic trick was performed to accomplish this, but…
After such arrangements, it has been decided that a branch of the so-called “ES” will be built on this land.
When that happens, it inevitably means that this land will be dyed in the colors of idols.
However, we have not come in contact with idol culture for eons. It had been taboo to do so within this land.
Because of that, we don’t exactly know what an idol is.
That is why, I implore all of you — Please teach us what “idols” are.
Translation Notes
- ↑ This scene was slightly adjusted. The main translation follows the story as it currently is in-game, but if you’d like to see the version before it was adjusted, please go here.
- ↑ Closed circle of suspects is a common genre in detective novels, where there are only a set number of suspects possible for a murder. See more here.
- ↑ This is referring to Supervillain, when Tetora was tasked to act as a spy in an agency that was also a criminal organization. The story happens in Okinawa.
- ↑ The word Tetora says for “growing up” is toshigoro (年頃), which is used to refer to an adolescent (16-18 years old) nearing the age of independance/adulthood. Typically, an older person uses this word about adolescents, so Tetora using it could imply that Tetora is mentally a bit older than Midori (despite being the same age/year). Toshigoro can also be used to refer to an age suitable for marriage.
- ↑ This is referring to the events that happened to Ryuseitai throughout the previous fiscal year. For more information, please read the !! Era stories that precede this story, such as Comet Show, Submarine, Supervillain, etc…
- ↑ Unlike young Kanata in ABYSS, Konata speaks in polite language, as well as using kanji in his speech. His first-person pronoun is watashi, a neutral pronoun (and the standard first-person pronoun in Japanese). Also, while he does share the same 2D model as young Kanata, he has no voice clips when speaking.
- ↑ “Konata” is only in hiragana. As for minase, the kanji is 水無瀬 (water, inexistent/none, shallows/current). Minase originally referred to a stream of water flowing underground, but the surface appears to be dried up. Read more here (Japanese source). There is also a Shinto shrine in Osaka called Minase Jingu Shrine, said to have one of Japan’s best 100 natural water sources. Read more here (English source).
- ↑ “Oni” means ogre or demon. It refers to a type of demon found in Japanese folklore, and it typically looks like this. Okinawa’s Oni was first mentioned in Supervillain.
- ↑ Mizusaba says ojii for “grampa”, which is Okinawan dialect. In Japanese, it’s written with the grandfather kanji only (爺).
- ↑ Nii-nii (兄様), lit. “Older brother” with “-sama”, a polite honorific used for names. This pronunciation was not initially indicated in the text, but since Mizusaba refers to their grandpa the way Okinawans do (ojii), I’ve decided to also go with the way Okinawans refer to an older brother, which is nii-nii.
- ↑ Chiaki was speaking in polite Japanese (keigo) to Mizusaba.
- ↑ This is referring to Atlantis, fine’s Climax event. Please check this masterlist for a translation.
- ↑ This is possibly referring to Nara Dreamland and Yokohama Dreamland, but unfortunately I’m not sure of its history. You can read more here: Nara Dreamland, Yokohama Dreamland.
- ↑ Also known as unexploded ordnance.
- ↑ This is a wordplay in Japanese. Chiaki asks if his name is konata, as in ko 小 (small) + nata, because he’s a “tiny” Kanata.
- ↑ The kanji 此方 (konata) means “here, this way/direction”, whereas the kanji 彼方 (kanata) means “over that way, (beyond) the distance, far away”. Konata’s first name is in full hiragana (no kanji), whereas the kanji in Kanata’s name (奏汰) is homophonous with 彼方 (far away).
- ↑ Onii-chan, as in “big brother”.
- ↑ For young children, “-kun” is usually used for boys, and “-chan” for girls.
- ↑ This is referring to the ZK Zaibatsu that was mentioned in Atlantis, fine’s Climax event. The Zaibatsu is business conglomerates in Japan.