January 29, 2022
Hills of Silver Ruins (3/13)
I again cribbed a little Shakespeare, this time from Sonnet 29.
A taika (胎果) is a person born in China or Japan because of a shoku (蝕) event that transplanted a ranka (卵果) into the body of a pregnant woman.
When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes
I all alone beweep my outcast state
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
A taika (胎果) is a person born in China or Japan because of a shoku (蝕) event that transplanted a ranka (卵果) into the body of a pregnant woman.
Labels: 12 kingdoms, black moon, fantasy, japanese, translations
January 15, 2022
Hills of Silver Ruins (3/12)
I've posted chapter 12 (book 3) of Hills of Silver Ruins, a Pitch Black Moon. Chapter 13 should be ready in two weeks.
Labels: 12 kingdoms, black moon, fantasy, japanese, translations
January 08, 2022
Hills of Silver Ruins (3/11)
Okay, Risai wouldn't actually be quoting Shakespeare (unless she heard it from Taiki), but "Parting is such sweet sorrow" (Romeo and Juliet) is a fairly faithful translation of nagorioshii (名残惜しい).
The impressment of sailors on the high seas was one of the contributing factors to the War of 1812.
The impressment of sailors on the high seas was one of the contributing factors to the War of 1812.
The Royal Navy, desperate for the manpower to serve its naval juggernaut, resorted to boarding American ships in search of suspected British subjects in order to seize and "impress" them into service. By 1812, with an estimated 15,000 sailors seized, the United States saw no other alternative but to declare war.
Labels: 12 kingdoms, black moon, fantasy, translations
January 06, 2022
AMC acquires HIDIVE
AMC Networks has purchased Sentai Holdings, which includes Sentai Filmworks and HIDIVE. The AMC Networks portfolio includes IFC Films, Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance, and BBC America (with the BBC).
AMC Networks ($1.6 billion market cap) is no Sony ($128 billion market cap), but this should give HIDIVE slightly deeper pockets. Maybe AMC's half ownership of BBC America will lend it some additional negotiating clout.
And while we're at it, Cinedigm is acquiring Digital Media Rights, the parent company of the RetroCrush, AsianCrush, and Midnight Pulp streaming services. Consolidation continues apace in the anime streaming business.
A big question for 2022 is whether Sony will continue to operate Crunchyroll and Funimation as separate subsidiaries or merge them together.
Like Netflix, Crunchyroll uses embedded subtitles that are superior to closed captions both in terms of readability and the user interface. I would be happy to see all the dubs go to Funimation and all the subs to Crunchyroll.
Incidentally, the year-end special offer ended, but you can get a one year subscription to HIDIVE for four bucks a month, which is still a great deal.
AMC Networks ($1.6 billion market cap) is no Sony ($128 billion market cap), but this should give HIDIVE slightly deeper pockets. Maybe AMC's half ownership of BBC America will lend it some additional negotiating clout.
And while we're at it, Cinedigm is acquiring Digital Media Rights, the parent company of the RetroCrush, AsianCrush, and Midnight Pulp streaming services. Consolidation continues apace in the anime streaming business.
A big question for 2022 is whether Sony will continue to operate Crunchyroll and Funimation as separate subsidiaries or merge them together.
Like Netflix, Crunchyroll uses embedded subtitles that are superior to closed captions both in terms of readability and the user interface. I would be happy to see all the dubs go to Funimation and all the subs to Crunchyroll.
Incidentally, the year-end special offer ended, but you can get a one year subscription to HIDIVE for four bucks a month, which is still a great deal.
Labels: business, crunchyroll, funimation, hidive, streaming, television
January 01, 2022
Hills of Silver Ruins (3/10)
The koseki (戸籍) system is still used in Japan and China (where it is called the hukou). The koseki is a census record that records all of a person's demographic information, including birth, death, marriages, divorces, and criminal convictions.
During the Edo period, travel between the provinces in Japan was strictly regulated. Although these restrictions no longer exist, you have to update your koseki when you move. Local governments in China continue to use the hukou system to control internal migration.
During the Edo period, travel between the provinces in Japan was strictly regulated. Although these restrictions no longer exist, you have to update your koseki when you move. Local governments in China continue to use the hukou system to control internal migration.
Labels: 12 kingdoms, black moon, fantasy, japanese, translations