February 11, 2018

Kasane [Chapter 110 - Need to Face the Demon (Thing)]


At the practice hall, Yoshio looks at the Ake no Hime flyer. He tells Kingo that he is very happy that Kingo called him over. “But, it is only 10 days before the official performance. Today is the first time you’re going through with the [full] rehearsal...from the looks of it, the progress isn’t going quite smoothly.”

Kingo says yes, he can say that so he asked Yoshio to come today. “The people here right now had fought and worked hard alongside with you at the stage. So, just by seeing you here, it will definitely raise up their spirits.” Yoshio just quietly looks at Kingo. Tense Kingo thinks that the most important thing is, he hopes that Saki can go back to her original state...
At the dressing room, three actresses were talking. One of them says that it seems Yoshio has come. Second woman asks if that’s true. An older woman asks but, will she be okay?

They look at downcast Saki. They start to whisper that it is possible that Saki is still quite bothered about being withdrawn from Star Drop. “Isn’t it too early for her to make a comeback...” “Looking at her like that, it really makes me quite worried...”

Iku quietly looks at them. The women were surprised when Saki glares at them and shouts that they’re noisy to death!! Approaching them, Saki asks if she looks quite pitiful.
A woman says that they didn’t mean it that way and they are only worried about her... Saki exclaims that she doesn’t need their worry. She holds the shoulder of one of the actress.

She angrily tells her not to belittle her... “Don’t mock me!! ...I am ‘Saki’... *Iku looks tense* I have already ‘become a real actress’. *the woman asks what she is saying* I feel quite happy during a performance. I was moved and reveled in going onstage... *backs away*...

...wrong...this is ‘Seagull’... This is ‘Seagull’s ‘Nina’... Ah ah, you came to mock me, right? *sees Nina in front of her* Nina...” Holding Saki’s shoulder, Iku calls out Saki-san!!
Iku tells the other actresses that she’ll trouble them to tell Kingo that they’ll be a bit late in coming out. The women tries to protest but Iku tells them that it’s alright! Later on, Iku asks Saki if she has calmed down. Sitting down, Saki says yes. Iku notices that Saki’s hand is trembling.

Iku looks tense and seems to be thinking of something. Soon, Iku goes on the stage with Saki. Iku looks at Saki and says, “Let me say, even if I don’t know if you hear me through right now or not...there is something that I want to ask of you...

...Today, please PROPERLY WATCH ‘Yoi’ (me). Even if you won’t want to watch, you absolutely shouldn’t turn away your gaze. Properly watch me.” Saki looks surprised and thinks ‘PROPERLY WATCH’... Kingo calls out, okay, is everyone ready? “Then, start!”
Iku and Saki go to their positions. While veiled, they hold up their long sleeves to cover their faces. “I’m known as Ake.” “I’m known as Yoi.” Ake points to Yoi and says, “Yoi, Yoi, thou art truly stupid.” While watching this, Yoshio recalls that time at the bar.

Flashback: Yoshio asked Kingo what is the story about. After a pause, Kingo said that he is telling his own story...and he always felt embarrassed about it. Yoshio told him what is there to be concerned about when they are peers.
Kingo said, “In a certain distant ancient village, there lived two miko-s. [/shrine maiden.] Yoi points at Ake and says, “Ake, Ake, thou art truly hateful”

Narration: “One of them protects the people’s side in the ‘village’. The other accompanies and influences the gods on the ‘mountain’. *Ake goes to the right over the torii towards the village. Yoi goes to the left over the torii towards the mountain.* The two miko-s would always pray for peace in this piece of land...

...It was like this for a hundred years... two hundred years... passing on from generation to generation. However the thing that has been passed on is bound to flow with time. Livelihood [lives] changes. And, some parts had become distorted.”
“Finally, we come to some era of the ‘mountain’ and the ‘village’. ‘Village’s miko ‘Ake’ was born with beauty that exceeds even that of the natural world. She grew up as an adult with people revering her. Without exception, the villagers would hold a ritual [/religious ceremony] dance for her. And she was greatly admired--” End flashback.

With the bells, Ake is dancing a kagura on stage. Everyone is quite delighted. At the back, Yoi is watching. One of the villages sees her. She shouts, “Ah, what is that?” The others exclaim in surprise. Pulling up his sleeve, a villager asks where this person came from!! “Thee filthy deceiving mountain witch!!”

Yoi tells them that she isn’t deceiving them. “I toldeth thee people so many times already that I... *trembling as she points at Ake* I and that woman is the same... She is the ‘village’ miko and I’m the praying miko on the ‘mountain’!!”
Narration: “On the other hand, for ages and ages, the ‘mountain’s miko, Yoi who lives on the mountain has been praying to the gods just like Ake did.” The villager says that it seems that he heard from his deceased grandmother about a miko praying on the ‘mountain’.

The other villager says but their village already has ‘Ake’ and one miko is enough. “Our village doesn’t needeth this terrifying miko (woman).” Ake tensely looks at surprised Yoi who looks downcast.

Narration: “Along with time, the ancient conviction had also been forgotten for others’ interest. Having a miko beside them who protects the ‘village’, the villagers had decided to stop [/reject] Yoi, the ‘mountain’s miko, in this generation.”
A villager shouts not to let Yoi go and drag her filthy body to the holy ground!! “She’ll really frighten the children.” “Get hath lost!!” “You monster!!” People start to throw rocks on Yoi. Saki nervously thinks, “Stop... *recalls the time when she as Kasane was bullied when she was young* Stop...”

Ake calls out, stop!! Then, she goes in front of Yoi. Iku looks surprised. Kingo is shocked by this. A woman asks if Ake should be acting like that in this scene. A man asks if it is improvised acting. Iku looks tense for Saki. Kingo angrily shouts, “Saki!! What are you...”

Yoshio grabs Kingo’s arm and tells him to wait, don’t interrupt her first. “In practicing a stage play, it is hard to avoid that there will be an unexpected situation that will happen. Besides, we are currently rehearsing, right?” Kingo says but...he feels that it isn’t her improvised acting...
Yoshio tells him that before that scene ends, they’ll temporarily watch and observe the situation. Saki nervously wonders what she did just now... “Right now, I cannot think of...how to resolve this improvised acting!”

Saki and others are surprised when Yoi calls out, “Do thee think that you’re protecting this pitiful person!? *holds Ake’s face towards her* Thy jewel-like eyes don’t knoweth the filth of this world. Thy small reddish lips don’t know the coldness [indifference] of this world!! *cries* Thee cannot understand... Thee cannot comprehend...”
Saki recalls the time when she told young Iku that she doesn’t understand so she’s saying those words. Yoi continues to say, “If it is exquisite, revered you, how can thee understand the feeling of someone being feared, bullied and humiliated by others!!”

Kasane recalled how she shouted at Iku to let them be afraid!! The other performers are speechless. Ake watches Yoi quickly running off. Dumbfound Saki recalls Iku telling her to please properly watch her (Yoi). “You are (Yoi is)...basically Fuchi Kasane’s (my) sorrow that no one understood.”
Comment: I’m wondering if Saki wasn’t paying attention much to Iku’s attending that she didn’t realize this early on. That is Iku is pretty much portraying Kasane’s sorrow and anger. If not, perhaps, based on Saki’s current trouble, Iku decided to incorporate more of Kasane in the role.

Actually, it might be just from that part when Ake shielded Yoi from the villagers who were throwing stones. Saki couldn’t think of how to move the scene without an NG[/blooper], Iku decided to pull that off. And, she did it quite well. Not only Saki realized whom Iku is portraying, the other performers are equally stunned.

What Iku said ‘properly watch me’ seemed to have snap Saki out of her problem. Instead of always focusing on herself to the point of seeing Nina again, she is now watching ‘others’/Iku. In a way, it is like how Saki helped her before at Star Drop. Telling her to focus on the ‘others’ rather than being too focus on oneself.

On a side note, I think it might be too obvious for Yoshio that Kingo called him there ‘to use him’ as an encouraging factor for everyone. It’s good that he didn’t get angry about it and would even stop Kingo from interrupting that improvised act. Scans by 网易汉化

Word of the day:
There is Someone who knows and understands your every thought and feeling- the pleasure and the pain, the joy and the sorrow- and who perceives the deepest needs and longings of your heart. ‘The Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. 1 Chronicles 28:9’ ~ Mottos for Success by M.S. Fontaine

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