Anyone remember the Animate cassette tape? I've translated the first half of it, though my Japanese is not terribly good so there may be a few errors. I've also made a transcript of this first half (though it will be subject to the same errors), if anyone who's better at translating wants it.

The link above contains a download link to a .zip of this audio drama. Even if you don't understand Japanese, I'd recommend listening to it just for Juri's and Utena's encouragement speeches. They're very good, and I don't know if I've managed to convey their beautiful tone properly through text.

(Gio: This chunk she's called part 1 is 0:00 - 3:44 of the audio I've uploaded.)
KIRYUU TOUGA: If it cannot break the egg's shell...
TENJOU UTENA: The chick will die without being born.
ARISUGAWA JURI: We are the chick, the egg is the world.
HIMEMIYA ANTHY: If we cannot break the world's shell...
KAORU MIKI: We will die without having been born.
ALL sans TOUGA: Smash the world's shell!
ALL: For the sake of world revolution!

TOUGA: Ahh, it's nice to have everyone here again.

JURI: Look around you, Touga.

TOUGA: (amused) Oh, don't bring me down to earth so fast. It's rude.

UTENA: Look, Mr Student Council President, did you bring us out here for a reason or what?

JURI: It seems like she's got you there, hasn't she?

UTENA: Hey...

MIKI: We're here today to record messages for Ohtori Academy's broadcasting.

UTENA: Messages?

MIKI: Yes, it's one of the Student Council's jobs.

UTENA: Hey, wait a sec. Why am I here?

JURI: By all rights, it should be the Vice-President's job . . .

MIKI: Sadly, Saionji dropped out of school.

TOUGA: I wonder who could fill in for him?

UTENA: Fine, fine, okay. I'll do it.

ANTHY: Utena-sama, it's a very manly title.

UTENA: You really think so?

ANTHY: Yes.

TOUGA: Let's call it a special promotion. All right, let's start the morning messages. I'll go first.

[sparkling noise] Touga's Morning Message: Good morning, baby.* Your one and only prince has come to wake you with a kiss. There's no need to be embarrassed, even if you were crying yesterday. Now, won't you wake and come for a morning coffee with me? Please, show me your beautiful face.

UTENA: Ah... that was meant to broadcast to my room, wasn't it.

TOUGA: All broadcast messages must be of the highest quality. I can't be blamed for trying my hardest.

UTENA: (angry) Hah. I've had enough of your fake innocence. Alright! I'll go next.

[sparkles] Utena's Morning Message: Morning! This is Tenjou Utena--oh? You're still asleep? Come on, you need to get up. Ah, what's that? "After lunch"? Yeah, I know how you feel, but it's late! Get the hell up! You need to get up, get moving, and wave goodbye to your cozy bed! Come on, get up!

TOUGA: Hmph. There's a cold message to wake up to. ['ai no nai message'; literally, a loveless message]

UTENA: Shut up. I'm not the kind of person who goes 'love' this and 'love' that all the time, unlike you.

JURI: He has a point.

UTENA: Okay, Juri-senpai, show me how it's done.

JURI: Of course. Unlike certain others, I don't make a hobby of sitting on my high horse all the time.

[sparkles] Juri's Morning Message: OI! How long are you idiots planning to skip class? It's already late! Hell, you'd better get up or I'll come in and get you up myself. Oh, you're just now waking up? Well, if your sleepy ass is late for any of its appointments, that has nothing to do with me. For now, that had better be enough. You can give me your excuses later.

UTENA: That was a 'lovely' message?

MIKI: A love of shamelessness, maybe.

ANTHY: It has such an instinctive beauty about it.

ALL minus ANTHY: Himemiya...

ANTHY: Did I do something weird?

TOUGA: (strangled) ...No, you're fine, Anthy.


(Gio: I have since obtained this section, which is from 3:44 - 7:53, and isn't translated in this post. The portion below, A-03, runs from 7:53 - 11:35.)
Here is where we would continue with part A-02, but sadly the part labeled as part A-02 on my .zip folder is just a duplicate of part A-01. Presumably, it contains Anthy's and Miki's morning messages, as well as the start of the birthday messages. Since I don't have access to that, let's continue with part A-03.


JURI: All right, who's next?

ANTHY: I'll go.

[sparkles] Anthy's Birthday Message: Happy birthday. I'll make you some of my special birthday shaved ice. Even though I'm engaged to Utena-sama, for just today I'll be your Rose Bride. I'll do anything you want; I am yours to use as you wish.

MIKI: Eh? So for my birthday, you'll be . . .

ANTHY: Yours, to use as you wish.

MIKI: A-as I wish . . . [he says 'Omou ga mama' and that's the bit he keeps repeating]

ANTHY: Yes. I will be your Rose Bride. It's my job, since you are the One Engaged.

JURI: So right now, that means you're Tenjou Utena's "to use as she wishes"...

UTENA: Hey! Stop talking about Himemiya and me like that.

TOUGA: (off to the side) So you're hers.

ANTHY: Yup.

MIKI: (continues repeating "as I wish")

UTENA: Hey, Himemiya, you're making this a breeding ground for misunderstandings.

[high-pitched whining noise]

ANTHY: Oh, is there a misunderstanding? But we are engaged.

UTENA: (embarrassed) We're just a team.

ANTHY: We play Ouija boards.

TOUGA: O-ouija boards? Really?

UTENA: She always just has them...

ANTHY: You haven't played them? They're very fun.

TOUGA. No. I, uh. I'm too restrained.

MIKI: "as I wish"... (continues)

JURI: Hey, how long are you going to keep doing that? It's your turn next.

MIKI: Augh! O-okay. Here we go.

[sparkles] Miki's Birthday Message: Today is your birthday; congratulations. Even if your cake and presents are awful, I want to give you this song to make up for them. Listen closely; today is just for you.

UTENA: Wow! You'd make a great older sister.

JURI: Miki, are you really going to play for everyone's birthdays?

MIKI: That's kind of impossible. After the message, I'm just going to play something I think is nice.

UTENA: But I bet you'll play something really special for February 29th.

MIKI: A-ah! I mean, I guess Himemiya-san's birthday is February 29th, and I was going to play a new composition, and it's 157 measures long, and she weighs forty-one kilos, and--(babbling, is cut off)

ANTHY: Oh, how perfect!

UTENA: Haha, what's this I hear? One word from the lovely Himemiya...

MIKI: Th-th-that's mean, Tenjou-senpai!

JURI: That's right.

TOUGA: Knowing a lot about the girls we love is completely natural for a man. I mean, her birthday is the ninth of December, she's 164 centimeters tall, she weighs forty--

UTENA: St-stop right there! How do you even know that?

TOUGA: The Student Council President has access to the students' medical records. So, Tenjou Utena's three sizes are--

UTENA: That's an abuse of privileges, Mr Student Council President! Fine. (calling out) Himemiya!

ANTHY: Yes, Utena-sama. Rose of the noble castle, power of Dios that slumbers within me, heed your master and come forth!

UTENA: For the sake of world revolution!

[transformation sequence noise]

TOUGA: Okay, okay, I get it. I'll give in nicely, Tenjou Utena. Next up, encouragement messages.


(Gio: This is 11:35 - 16:00 in my file. Everything in the file after is side B, which isn't translated here.)
PART A-04

TOUGA: [sparkles] Touga's Message of Encouragement: Hey, you look down, baby.

UTENA: That again?

MIKI: I know, right? I think it's time to give that speech pattern up.

JURI: Oh, I don't know. It suits that evil personality of his.

TOUGA: E-evil?

MIKI: Yes, he has that kind of villainous air of charm.

ANTHY: Evil personality...? (laughing lightly)

TOUGA: Make as many unfunny jokes as you want, I get requests and I have to answer them.

[sparkles] Touga's encouragement message, continued: Don't misunderstand me; the fruits of happiness can never be over-rated. But everyone seems to be set only on their own happiness, making the world at large into nothing but a dull mess of fantasy. No wonder you're feeling down! Striving merely towards your own pleasure will bring you nothing but sadness. (softly amused) Anyone who thinks true happiness exists is nothing but a fool.

UTENA: Wooooow. Our president's kind of a total jerk, isn't he.

TOUGA: I'm really just answering people's requests.

MIKI: But...will listening to something like that cheer anyone up?

ANTHY: Won't it do Nanami-san some good to give up on her impossible dreams?

ALL sans ANTHY: Himemiya...

JURI: I suppose there's a reason behind it.

UTENA: I guess...well, okay. I'll go next.

[sparkles] Utena's encouragement mess...what's wrong? You don't look too good. Actually, that's about the same kind of feeling I had when my parents died. But after that, a prince came for me, and told me "Never give up that strength and nobility you have." So please, don't give up yours either. Someday, you'll meet your own prince, but until then...I'll be your prince.

JURI: Me next?

[sparkles] Juri's Message of Encouragement: You're weak. Hold on to your confidence and strength, and then you will never be discouraged. Like me. However! Don't feel embarrassed by your own weakness. When you have recognized your weaknesses, only then can you begin to become strong. That is to say, if you have managed to hold on to even one bit of strength, you can be happy. Now, lift your head; a wide-open road stretches before you, full of possibilities.

ANTHY: With that, it's my turn.

[sparkles] Anthy's Encouragement Message: Alright, so something bad has happened. But you'll be fine! I've brought lots of friends with me to cheer you on. Okay, everyone encourage!

[loud animal noises]

ANTHY: How was it? Feeling a bit better?

MIKI: Himemiya-san, that was wonderful!

ANTHY: Thank you.

JURI: Hey, Himemiya Anthy! What the hell was that noise just now?

ANTHY: Oh, this? [sucking noises]

JURI: Um, no, you don't need to tell me its name.

UTENA: Didn't I tell you to stop it with those weird animals?

MIKI: But it's so cute! Just like Himemiya-san, too.

ANTHY: Oh, would you like to hold one? Here, be careful...

JURI: STOP THAT! Get that monster away from me!

[banging and running noises]

[confusion]

MIKI: Please calm down, Juri-senpai!

ANTHY: Goodness, that looks dangerous.

UTENA: Try and get down under that thing!

TOUGA: Miki! Get to the right, try and make an escape path.

JURI: (presumably to large animal) Stay away! I didn't forget my sword today.

MIKI: This looks like something from the A-men!

TOUGA: Yeah, even the B-men would kick its ass!

UTENA: What's with all this A-men and B-men stuff...

[loud shouting and scuffle]

MIKI: Aah, it's standing up!


*This is in English, in a tone of unbridled hilarity.

Last edited by Esmenet (07-24-2012 10:09:03 AM)