Angemedia - a NeoRomance fan community

Translation posted for Luva's manga! (The manga itself is up to read here until Feb. 5, 10:00 a.m. Japan time.) The compiled print edition of the Clavis, Lumiale, and Luva Secret Side stories, Angelique Retour Secret Side Vol. 2, has already been released.

Also: Miko Mitsuki has made noises to the effect that Luva's chapter is the last Secret Side manga. This would seem to be accurate, as there's no "next month" promo image on the Sho-Comi page like there has been in the past.

It'd be odd if so, though, because Zephel, Marcel, and Randy haven't gotten their turn. There's certainly no shortage of backstory source material for those characters: Zephel's dramatic introduction to the Sanctuary; Randy's rivalry with Oscar (whom they love to put in these manga) or how Randy's parents met (his dad was a prince, his mom a commoner, their love was forbidden and he had to give up his title and go off on a search to find her when she was sent away by his jealous mother); and I'm sure they could gin up something with Marcel's extensive family. The free Secret Side manga were meant to promote Retour's release, though, and now it's out; and I could think of one possible spoiler-related reason why they would not want to showcase these stories online for free. Will we see, maybe, a print-only Secret Side Vol. 3? I dunno; for now, though, Secret Side seems to be over.

Other stuff:

- The Sekai o Dakishimete variety CD is out, with songs by Brian, Marcel, Randy, Zephel, and Oscar, plus what appparently is a Brian-centric drama. There's also an upcoming event CD, which apparently features songs by Luva and Lumiale, plus a duet by Gerard & Silvan threatened. Tumblr user minobishe has posted promo videos for both CDs, with audio snippets, here.

In addition, there's a "Futari Dake no Ochakai" ("A Tea Party for Just the Two of Us") CD featuring a Clavis-Lumiale drama produced in association with the merch company Happy Kuji, but...well, see below.

- A bunch of Retour merchandise has been produced by Happy Kuji, an odd company that sells its products...well, I'm kind of not sure. Apparently, lottery tickets are involved, and the items are divided into "prize tiers," but the merchandise is sold in massive boxes that are about $500 U.S. and come with sets of all prize tiers included? I don't know if this is something that's aimed at retailers, and the lottery aspect comes into play at the retail level (like the old PP trading card packs), or what. Anyhow, the Clavis-Lumi CD is apparently an exclusive "preorder bonus" for the Happy Kuji packs, and...my head is hurting. I have to go lie down now. If anyone out there can actually explain Happy Kuji, please do so.

(ETA: Also, one of the prize tiers is an invitation to an event featuring what seems to be a live tea party drama that features Julious & Oscar, plus an apparent gift of a CD of the event. I need Advil.)

Anyhow, we outside of Japan can't purchase the Happy Kuji merch outside of the secondary market, but it's worth browsing their Twitter to see some of the weird stuff they've made. Guardian-inspired nail stickers?

- Speaking of bizarre promotions in which we outside Japan cannot participate: Koei has teamed with karaoke king Joysound for a promotional campaign where participants can win video games by singing Angelique character songs.

- Also, I noted this on the Tumblr, but just to repeat: Brian's backstory in Retour is starting to get out in the open, so you might want to play Retour sooner rather than later if you haven't gotten on that and want to remain unspoiled. (There's one Brian-centric post on Tumblr (not one I've reblogged on the Angmedia Tumblr) that makes an oblique reference to it; it's very obscure, so it might not even mean anything to you, but if it does, it seems to full-on spoil what's going on with him. Just be aware.)

Finally, it's late, but I'll leave with this Miko Mitsuki piece that she made to commemorate the Retour release:

Happy birthday, Clavis! I got you a translation of the prelude to one of the most miserable episodes in your tortured existence!

"Clavis's Last Love" Pt. 1 translation

ETA: Whoops, forgot to add a link to the page with the manga; it's the first of the "Episode 5" banners.

Thoughts: ( Cut )

The Guardians, according to the Retour twitter, got Clavis an impromptu pick-up band performance, hidden behind the hedges of his house. (Julious thought it would be a considerate gesture, since Clavis "doesn't like commotion." I would think that would nullify the idea of giving Clavis a noisy band performance in the first place. Or maybe, considering this is Retour Julious, he made the choice to actively annoy Clavis; who can say.) To list instrument roles out of curiosity: Marcel on recorder, Luva on tambourine, Randy on harmonica, Oscar on some sort of unspecified "percussion" (was he just clapping his hands?), Zephel on bass (though he mentioned trying to automate it and everything, so who knows if he actually plays it), Lumi on harp (of course), and Olivie on lute again. One mention of the lute thing before, and now he's playing it all over the place. Oh, and Julious conducting. They played "Happy Birthday" and left a banner on one of his bookshelves outside saying "Happy Birthday," and Clavis didn't seem to hate it, so everything seemed to work out improbably all right, I guess.

ETA: Important Miko Mitsuki update:

.

Clavis (thinking): Such noise...
SFX: ::JANGLE JANGLE JANGLE JANGLE::
Zephel: LUVA, KNOCK IT OFF!!
SFX: ::JANGLE! JANGLE!!::
Luva: Yes! Yes!
SFX: ::JANGLE JANGLE JANGLE JANGLE JANGLE JANGLE JANGLE JANGLE::
Luva: Yesss!
(Clavissss! Happy birthdaaaay!)

Part 2 of "Olivie's Loving Dream" is up. There's a shorter window to read it this time, given the imminent release of the physical collected edition - you've got till July 24 (which is probably July 23 in your neck of the woods). The ending of Eileen's story in it is rather depressing. (We also see Olivie's predecessor as Guardian, who looks nothing like Albert.)

Next is Lumiale (or "Lumiele," as they're spelling it), whose story will be up on August 4. (I assume it takes place in the "my mom is sick" days.)

ETA: Translation added. Were we supposed to think that Eileen was in love with Olivie? I suppose her irritation last chapter at the "friends" line was cueing that, but there doesn't seem to be a clean line to draw that conclusion.

I like some things very much in these comics, like little Julious's approach to problem-solving in the end of his manga and Olivie's attitude to a dream deferred in this one. They do take away with one hand as they give with another, though.

For reference, since the compiled, paper version of the "Secret Side" manga is coming out next week, here are links to translations of all the manga this far:
"Oscar's First Love": Pt. 1 | Pt. 2
"Julious's Young Memories": Pt. 1 | Pt. 2
"Olivie's Loving Dream": Pt. 1 | Pt. 2

As noted below, but there were so many announcements since the second part of the manga itself was revealed, and such a short window between the translation posting and the manga pulldown (sorry), that I thought a double post was worth it. The manga itself will be gone at June 5th 10:00 a.m. Japan time (which most likely is sometime June 4th in your neck of the woods).

(Oh, and the Part One translation is here, of course.)

( Manga discussion below )

I've posted a translation for part one of "Oscar's First Love" (again, manga viewable here until 10 a.m. April 4th Japan time); I should have the second half posted by the end of next week NOW. (Late; sorry.)

Now, the first time I read this, I kind of skimmed over the last part. It turns out I really shouldn't have done that, as there's a bit near the end that might be...problematic, to say the least. I've included a discussion of it at the bottom of the translation. I really don't want to think that the authors suggested this...but the story makes it hard not to draw that conclusion.

(That scene aside, considering that Anastasia's character design is ripped almost directly from Utena in her eponymous movie, I can't help but be struck that the attitude this story takes is almost exactly as if the Utena TV show concluded after ep. 11 that Touga was completely right.)

Not entirely satisfied with this and might rework it a bit.

( Cut )

Minor note: I probably should mention that when the interviewer asks her subjects various questions about "a lady" or "the lady/ies", parenthetical notes make it clear that she's really referring to their opinions of the heroine. I've been translating these instances as generic terms for convenience's sake, but Marcel's a bit more pointed in how he's talking about one person.

( Cut )

I usually don't include the little after-interview swoony bits from the reporter, but I feel compelled to mention that she states being with Marcel is "refreshing, like being in a deionizer."