「黒子のバスケ」キャラクターソング Duet Series Vol. 12: ミニドラマ
Kuroko no Basuke Character Song Duet Series Vol. 12: Mini Drama
黒子テツヤ (小野賢章) & 火神大我 (小野友樹)
Kuroko Tetsuya (Ono Kenshou) & Kagami Taiga (Ono Yuuki)
Kagami: “You might not look it, but you’ve got one hell of a competitive streak, don’t you?”
Translation:
[in the gym at Seirin; Kagami breathes hard as he drives to the basket and dunks the ball]
Kagami: Alright! One more time!
Kuroko: Nice shot, Kagami-kun.
Kagami: Wha—?! K-Kuroko?! Don’t sneak up on me like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!
Kuroko: I did call to you several times.
Kagami: Seriously? I didn’t hear a thing. Geez, here I thought I’d gotten used to that feeling lately, but you’re as easy to miss as ever.
Kuroko: To be fair, you were completely absorbed in practicing, so it’s not that surprising.
Kagami: Yeah, I guess that’s true.
Kuroko: Anyway, you’re at school really early today, Kagami-kun. Morning practice doesn’t start for a while yet.
Kagami: Yeah, I just couldn’t sit still for some reason. What about you? You’re here pretty early yourself.
Kuroko: [laughs] I couldn’t sit still, either.
Kagami: [laughs] Alright then, let’s practice together!
Kuroko: Let’s go!
– –
Kagami: [catching his breath] Wanna take a breather?
Kuroko: Sure.
[they sit down for a break]
Kagami: Man, this really takes me back.
Kuroko: What do you mean?
Kagami: Remember the day we first met, when we played some one-on-one on the streetball court?
Kuroko: Of course.
Kagami: Honestly, I was a little freaked out when I found out how much you sucked.
Kuroko: I told you I never actually expected to win, didn’t I?
Kagami: That didn’t stop you from talking some major smack before we got started.
Kuroko: I knew you wouldn’t take me seriously if you knew how weak I was. I wanted to see you play, up close and personal.
Kagami: You might not look it, but you’ve got one hell of a competitive streak, don’t you?
Kuroko: [laughs] Thank you.
Kagami: That wasn’t a compliment!
Kuroko: Still, I’m glad you didn’t just brush me off.
Kagami: Well, I got to see your skills in action in the scrimmage we played the next day. I guess that game turned out to be the starting line for us as a team.
Kuroko: Yes. I knew I wanted to make the team at Seirin, defeat my former teammates from middle school, and become the best in Japan. But I couldn’t do it alone—I needed a light who could use my abilities as a shadow to their full extent. [laughs] Luckily for me, you showed up right on time, Kagami-kun.
Kagami: There’s got to be a more flattering way to phrase that!
Kuroko: Ah, that’s a good point. I’m truly grateful to have met you, and everyone at Seirin.
Kagami: [taken aback] Oh—yeah. The same goes for me. I decided I was gonna beat the Generation of Miracles and become the best in Japan, but I can honestly say there’s no way I could’ve made it this far by myself. I learned the hard way that it’s okay to ask for help when you hit a wall, and that basketball’s not a one-man game.
Kuroko: If we were struggling with something or feeling down, or whenever things got tough, our teammates always came to the rescue.
Kagami: Ain’t that the truth.
Kuroko: I love basketball even more now than I did when I started at Seirin. That’s why I’m so glad I was able to be a part of this team when we became the best in Japan.
Kagami: I know. I feel the same way. But you can’t possibly be ready to call it quits now, right, Kuroko?
Kuroko: Of course not. As long as we keep playing basketball, there will always be opportunities to take on strong teams. And we’re going to keep winning!
Kagami: [stands up] I bet every team we’ve faced is gonna get even stronger, so I can’t wait to play ‘em again! Wait a second… We beat Touou at the Winter Cup, but we lost to them at the Inter-High… That means we’re tied right now!
Kuroko: Not to mention that Aomine-kun has beat you handily in every one-on-one game you’ve played so far.
Kagami: Shut up! I’ll beat him one-on-one sooner or later!
Kuroko: In that case, we should get back to practicing.
Kagami: Yeah! Let’s play another point!
[gym door opens]
Kagami: Oh!
Kuroko: It looks like everyone’s here.
Kagami: Yikes, does that mean it’s already time for morning practice to start?
Kuroko: No, it’s still early. [laughs] I guess the whole team had the same idea we did.
Kagami: [laughs] That just means we can squeeze in some more practice time! Alright! Let’s get fired up, Kuroko!
Kuroko: Yes!
– – –
Words Across the Ocean 
Thank you so much for still translating😭 I know this fandom had died a long time ago, but I’m really happy when I see updates on this fandom:”) again, thank you so much! I hope you will keep translating :”)
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Thanks for your comment! I hear you–KnB will always have a special place in my heart. In fact, I’m holding out hope for a sequel. 🙂 I’m working on a few more translations!
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Hi!
I got to know your translations a little while ago and I loved them a lot! I wanted to know, are you going to keep translating? Also, do you speak Japanese or do you use some kind of program to help you translate?
(I’m sorry if my English is wrong, it’s not my mother tongue.)
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Hi! Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you’re enjoying the translations!
I’d definitely like to keep translating, and I’ve been trying to get back to posting regularly. I have some requested translations on my to-do list, including some of the remaining Kuroko no Basuke audio dramas, but if you have any suggestions or requests, please let me know!
I speak Japanese and have been studying it for quite a while. I actually started translating as a way to practice and improve my understanding of the language. I think it’s difficult to produce natural-sounding translations with automated programs (though they definitely have their uses), and one of my goals has always been to make my translations sound as natural and lifelike as possible. I’m always learning something new!
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Your translations are very well done, congratulations! I especially love the care you have to explain even Izuki’s puns (which is not easy).
I do have some requests, yes, but I won’t do them now. I imagine you must have a lot of orders yet, so I’ll wait!
I asked this because your translations are really well done. I translate, but for Portuguese and usually these are materials that are in English, Spanish, French and some others, however, there are some that are only in Japanese and this complicates it a little. And that’s why I’m learning the Japanese language even though I still use the help of some translation apps and websites.
I agree that this point is very important! Making sentences sound natural is almost as difficult as making sense of Izuki’s puns in another language.
That’s why I want you to know that I really appreciate your work! And as a translator for longer than me, if you have any tips to give me, I’ll be glad to hear it!
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Thank you! I really appreciate that. And my friends and family can tell you that I picked their brains about some common issues that crop up when translating, such as the best way to communicate the meaning of Japanese phrases that don’t have an exact equivalent in English (like “itadakimasu”, “ittekimasu”/”itterasshai”, and “yoroshiku”), how to convey sound effects, or, as you mentioned, how to translate Izuki’s puns! It was an interesting challenge to try to make puns with a similar context to the original while maintaining the “corniness” of the jokes, since no one but Izuki really finds them funny. XD
It’s cool to chat with a fellow translator! One of the things I’ve always loved about KnB is its international audience, and interacting with people from around the world has been one of the best parts of running this blog. If you don’t mind me asking, what kinds of series do you usually work on?
As for tips, here are a few things I’ve picked up from books on translation or my own experience:
– Listen/read/watch the source material (anime episode, book chapter, audio drama, etc.) at least once before starting to translate. I’ve written myself into a corner before when the initial context I used for a translation either changed over the course of the story or was revealed to be different than my original understanding. For example, if the story is based on a misunderstanding between two characters, or if the story hinges on a surprise reveal or twist, it helps to see the conclusion and resolution of the story before starting to translate.
– Limit the use of idioms and slang in the target language (in this case, English), or at least explain them via context, since the target language may not be readers’ first language.
– Be consistent in the way you translate a specific word or phrase. I’m sometimes tempted to use synonyms for variety, since English especially has (too) many words to describe the same thing, but I think the priority should be clarity and communication of the original author’s intent (at least in translation as opposed to adaptation).
– Try to preserve the tone of the original work. For example, the majority of the characters in KnB are high schoolers, so I try to keep their age in mind when it comes to word choice. I also try to limit the use of swear words, since KnB is in general a relatively PG series (there are exceptions, of course, when it comes to more foul-mouthed characters like Aomine, Hanamiya, Haizaki, and sometimes Kagami or clutch-time Hyuuga). However, characters in Japanese are often distinguished by their speech patterns (pronoun use, verb endings, honorific use, idiosyncratic sentence endings like Midorima’s “na no da yo”, etc.), and since these differences don’t exist in the same way in English, I try to find subtle ways to reflect this in their dialogue. For example, Kuroko almost always speaks in a calm, respectful manner (you know things are serious when he switches to more direct speech), while Kagami’s speech is rougher, and he occasionally stumbles over honorifics or idioms. Midorima’s speech can be somewhat stilted or formal, while Takao’s is much more casual.
I’m sure I could keep rambling, but this comment has already gotten really long… Let me know if I can help with anything, or if you do have any translation requests. I’m compiling a list of things to work on so I can try to get back to posting on a semi-regular basis. And once again, thank you for your comments and the translation discussion!
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Yea! I understand what you mean! It’s challenging, but the end result is very rewarding!
It’s really great to talk about something we like with an international audience!
I tend to focus more on KNB myself, I’m currently translating and editing Replace PLUS, it’s pretty tiring, but it’s been very satisfying!
Yes, that first one I knew. I must say that it is not always easy to find the original version.
I understand. As my target audience are fans from my country, I had never thought about it before.
Yes, this really feels (and is) correct. In Portuguese, we have a variety of words and synonyms that even being synonyms, depending on the context, can change their meaning completely.
I think this is very important! After all, they are part of their characters and their essence!
Thank you so much for the advice! I’m really grateful, even though I do it more to pass the time (and because of my immense love for KNB) I like things done right! Leave it to me! Thank you so much, again!
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Seeing this brought a tear to my eye. I don’t care how long it takes or how short of long the story is, but thank you for still working on KnB. This series grabbed hold of my heart so many years ago and it will never let go!
I always felt that Fujimaki sped through a bit too quickly… I think the fans would still flip if he released a bonus one shot. Something like all of them getting together for another game set a couple of decades later.
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Thanks for your comment! I’m trying to make time to continue working on some of the audio dramas and/or games. KnB means a lot to me, and I know a lot of other people feel the same way!
I definitely agree about the pacing, especially at the end of the Winter Cup and in Extra Game. Even if a full-blown sequel isn’t in the cards, I’m still holding out hope for some kind of extended epilogue, or even a oneshot. Fingers crossed!
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Thank you for translating. I hope you’re doing well. ❤
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