The first is "youta" in katakana, and I don't believe it means "omelet".
This is "ai" in hiragana, written upside down because this is on the other side of a dinner table. I don't believe it means "just in case" in the slightest degree.
Original Comics by: Masakazu Katsura
Executive Producer: Hiroshi Watanabe
Producers: Tetsuo Daitoku & Matuhisa Ishikawa
Planning & Story:
Director: Mizuho Nishikubo
Animation Directors: Takayuki Goto & Kazuchika Kise
Character Design: Takayuki Goto
US Video Licencee: Viz Video
US Manga (comics) Licencee: Viz / Animerica Extra
There is one particular instance that I believe there were excessive liberties taken in translation.
In the beginning of the second episode I believe:
This is "ai" in hiragana, written upside down because this is on the other side of a dinner table. I don't believe it means "just in case" in the slightest degree.
You may make your interpretation but I know people that feel that changes the meaning and feel of the entire scene, and I feel it is a wildly unnecessary liberty to take in translation and is not even a remote reflection of what the original writer intended it to mean.
This response was written when I asked Animerica_Extra (Bill Flanagan) at the Anime on DVD Studio forum why this was done. Here is the response:
Okay,
First, they ARE omelettes.
The first one said Yota, but "Omelette" was a decision by the translator to a.) let the reader know what they are, and b.) tie it in to the second omelette (which was a translation mistake).
"Just in case" is a mistake, but an understandible one. The "Ai" is upside-down, but if you tried to read it right-side-up, you could read it "ikken," which means "a case."
The translator thought (I'm using reverse logic here to figure the motives, but it isn't too hard to do) that the first omelette was for Yota, and the second was "seconds" just in case he was still hungry. Thus the "just in case."
It was a mistake. Sorry about that. It'll be corrected on the DVD.
Bill Flanagan
I appreciate the response and I look forward to looking at their DVD release when it comes out, which is currently slated for late 2001.
Image captures made from the Viz subbed VHS tapes. All names and images are property of their owner, and only used as a reference. Layout ©2000-2001 Jeff DeMaagd.
Last Updated: 2001 June 17
Created: 2001 May 30