XXXHolic Fan Fiction ❯ Kitsune Bi - An xXxHolic Fan-Fiction ❯ Author's Note: The Japanese stuff... ( EndNotes )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: ookamikasumi 
For those curious about the Japanese stuff in this story. (Feel free to skip this.)
Anime/Manga: XXXHolic Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Hentai / Comedy | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 09.29.2007 | Updated On: 09.29.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.7K | Visits: 2.4K | Status: Work In Progress
For those curious about the Japanese stuff in this story. (Feel free to skip this.)
Anime/Manga: XXXHolic Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Hentai / Comedy | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 09.29.2007 | Updated On: 09.29.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.7K | Visits: 2.4K | Status: Work In Progress
Kitsune Bi - An xXxHolic Fan-Fiction
By Ookami Kasumi
By Ookami Kasumi
All characters property of CLAMP
This is the Info Dump or FAQ where questions on the Japanese stuff in my story are addressed. Feel free to skip.
If you'd like to see the illustrated versions of these chapters, stop by the doumekiwatanuki LJ!
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About the Shingon Tradition of Buddhism
“I thought Doumeki's temple was Shinto…?”
I originally thought so too, as archery is normally associated with Shinto. Unfortunately, the evidence I've gathered from the manga and the anime shows otherwise.
First of all, Doumeki's temple is always called a temple, never a shrine. Buddhists have temples. Shinto Priests have shrines. The temple buildings are Chinese in style, like most Buddhist temples, rather than the more simplistic Japanese style of most Shinto shrines. In addition, I have never once seen a Torii gate or the long winding staircase one normally associates with Shinto shrines.
My last piece of evidence is the really nice portrait of Haruka-san in Buddist monk robes, from xXxHolic, page 001 of chapter 123.
http://img.onemanga.com/mangas/00000017/00000123/01. jpg
Shinto priests wear very Japanese robes from the Heian era, complete with huge square sleeves and funky hat tied under the chin.
"This is really fun fic that I'm enjoying so far! You've got a great handle on dialogue and spot-on Watanuki characterization. We must think alike, since we both ascribed Doumeki's family to being of the Shingon sect.”
Shingon seemed very appropriate since that sect in particular practiced magic and spells, as well as 'the admiration of beauty'.
"I really like that you're grounding the story in Japanese lore, which really keeps the flavor of the series..."
(raises hand) Sorry, research freak.
"...so please excuse my bit constructive criticism. I'm not really certain that Watanuki would be totally in the dark about the existence of Shingon Buddhism. The rivalry between the sects of Mt. Koya and Mt. Hiei were quite prominent thoughout Japanese history. So by high school history class, he should have at least a hazy idea of Mt. Koya & the Shingon sect. Of course that doesn't mean he'd be up on the details of their different practices."
I looked at it this way, I live in America, and took American history all my school years so I know about the American Revolutionary war. Even though I grew up in New England, Connecticut in fact where the bulk of the Revolutionary war happened, I couldn't possibly give you any real details on it because history class was Booooring. In one ear -- out the other, and I had Good Grades in history!
The Heian period was a looong time ago. Longer ago than the American Revolutionary war. Tokugawa became Shogun, ending the Heian period a hundred years before the US Rev War.
I was basing how much Watanuki would know about the subtleties of the Heian period on my own experiences on what "I" retained in high school, which wasn't much, despite the fact that I am more than a little bright. (REALLY good SAT scores.) And the fact that Watanuki is decidedly, non-religious. He knows spirits are real, that's different from Faith.
I was assuming that of the 200 years of the Heian period, he'd have memorized all the political leader's name and the dates to all the little wars, but I doubt he'd recognize the names of either of the two Buddhist sects without some form of prompting. ("...from the Heian period...")
That would be like suddenly sitting down to dinner and talking about the fact that grandpa was of the Shaker tradition. (The Shakers were a branch of Christians that were active during the Revolutionary war.)
Doumeki of course, was raised in a temple, so he would be thoroughly educated on all the different forms of Buddhism at home.
"Hope I didn't offend you, that's my only (tiny) quibble, in what is a very enjoyable story! I can't wait to for the next chapter!"
Not at all! I enjoy constructive criticism. It keeps me on my toes.
"I really like that you're grounding the story in Japanese lore, which really keeps the flavor of the series..."
(raises hand) Sorry, research freak.
"...so please excuse my bit constructive criticism. I'm not really certain that Watanuki would be totally in the dark about the existence of Shingon Buddhism. The rivalry between the sects of Mt. Koya and Mt. Hiei were quite prominent thoughout Japanese history. So by high school history class, he should have at least a hazy idea of Mt. Koya & the Shingon sect. Of course that doesn't mean he'd be up on the details of their different practices."
I looked at it this way, I live in America, and took American history all my school years so I know about the American Revolutionary war. Even though I grew up in New England, Connecticut in fact where the bulk of the Revolutionary war happened, I couldn't possibly give you any real details on it because history class was Booooring. In one ear -- out the other, and I had Good Grades in history!
The Heian period was a looong time ago. Longer ago than the American Revolutionary war. Tokugawa became Shogun, ending the Heian period a hundred years before the US Rev War.
I was basing how much Watanuki would know about the subtleties of the Heian period on my own experiences on what "I" retained in high school, which wasn't much, despite the fact that I am more than a little bright. (REALLY good SAT scores.) And the fact that Watanuki is decidedly, non-religious. He knows spirits are real, that's different from Faith.
I was assuming that of the 200 years of the Heian period, he'd have memorized all the political leader's name and the dates to all the little wars, but I doubt he'd recognize the names of either of the two Buddhist sects without some form of prompting. ("...from the Heian period...")
That would be like suddenly sitting down to dinner and talking about the fact that grandpa was of the Shaker tradition. (The Shakers were a branch of Christians that were active during the Revolutionary war.)
Doumeki of course, was raised in a temple, so he would be thoroughly educated on all the different forms of Buddhism at home.
"Hope I didn't offend you, that's my only (tiny) quibble, in what is a very enjoyable story! I can't wait to for the next chapter!"
Not at all! I enjoy constructive criticism. It keeps me on my toes.
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About the Heian-style Poetry:
"Tanka style poetry is supposed to be extremely complicated, right? Especially Heian era Tanka style (forgive me for my ignorance here... ^^;)"
-- Tanka poetry isn't complicated at all. It's just like haiku, done by specific syllable count with last line being the 'punchline', only you get two more lines.
Haiku is done: 5/7/5
Tanka is done: 5/7/5/7/7
It gets complicated when you try to do it in Chinese.
-- The Heian era Japanese aristocrats wrote all their tanka in Chinese, the official language at court. Chinese has a far more limited vocabulary than Japanese, though far more complicated conjugation. (Basically the word changes meaning depending on what suffix or prefix you put on it.) Chinese also has a Numerical value which counts as as it's own meaning. (Hebrew is the same way.) It's very easy to write something utterly romantic with a numerical value that added up to "I hate your guts. I hope you die."
-- Tanka poetry isn't complicated at all. It's just like haiku, done by specific syllable count with last line being the 'punchline', only you get two more lines.
Haiku is done: 5/7/5
Tanka is done: 5/7/5/7/7
It gets complicated when you try to do it in Chinese.
-- The Heian era Japanese aristocrats wrote all their tanka in Chinese, the official language at court. Chinese has a far more limited vocabulary than Japanese, though far more complicated conjugation. (Basically the word changes meaning depending on what suffix or prefix you put on it.) Chinese also has a Numerical value which counts as as it's own meaning. (Hebrew is the same way.) It's very easy to write something utterly romantic with a numerical value that added up to "I hate your guts. I hope you die."
From what I understand, the older Japanese Kanji have a numerical value too. It makes sense, since the older kanji are derivatives of Chinese characters. This is why you have different characters that supposedly mean the same thing.
Case in point, Watanuki Kimihiro's name. It means April first, but one does not say that -- or write that -- when simply referring to the date. Clearly there is a Value difference between his name and the date reference. I don't know Japanese or Chinese so I couldn't possibly tell you what that value difference might be.
Case in point, Watanuki Kimihiro's name. It means April first, but one does not say that -- or write that -- when simply referring to the date. Clearly there is a Value difference between his name and the date reference. I don't know Japanese or Chinese so I couldn't possibly tell you what that value difference might be.
Tanka is extremely easy in English because English is a far more direct language with a frikken huge vocabulary (stolen from every language its ever come in contact with,) and the words have No Numerical Value to change the meaning.
"About the cranes; I was just thinking about it because two cranes together symbolize life-long marriage, that was all. But upon rereading (must be the fifth time I'm reading this chapter now) I realized that it was his seal, so... well."
-- Exactly, it was his seal. Doumeki wasn't proposing marriage, merely remarking on how much he liked Watanuki and how enjoyable he found the kiss. It was a post-coital (morning-after) letter, so to speak.
In the Heian period, when one wanted to conduct an affair (sleep with somebody) one wrote a small waku styled poem to state their intentions politely. The love notes that Japanese school-kids pass to each other is a left-over from that tradition. However, in the Heian period, one also wrote a morning-after letter, preferably the moment one returned home (at dawn), so as to ensure that it was received before noon.
What Doumeki wrote was a combination of both. It was a "I wanna do you," and "Wow, I really liked kissing you," letter. The fox wrote a "Wow, you're cute! I wanna do you," letter, which was in fact far more gentlemanly. He wrote his note BEFORE the the fact, not after it.
Marriage was something arranged by family members, not individuals. Ahem... If Doumeki wanted to 'marry' Watanuki, Haruka-san would have to meet with Yuuko and they would hammer out a detailed contract.
-- Exactly, it was his seal. Doumeki wasn't proposing marriage, merely remarking on how much he liked Watanuki and how enjoyable he found the kiss. It was a post-coital (morning-after) letter, so to speak.
In the Heian period, when one wanted to conduct an affair (sleep with somebody) one wrote a small waku styled poem to state their intentions politely. The love notes that Japanese school-kids pass to each other is a left-over from that tradition. However, in the Heian period, one also wrote a morning-after letter, preferably the moment one returned home (at dawn), so as to ensure that it was received before noon.
What Doumeki wrote was a combination of both. It was a "I wanna do you," and "Wow, I really liked kissing you," letter. The fox wrote a "Wow, you're cute! I wanna do you," letter, which was in fact far more gentlemanly. He wrote his note BEFORE the the fact, not after it.
Marriage was something arranged by family members, not individuals. Ahem... If Doumeki wanted to 'marry' Watanuki, Haruka-san would have to meet with Yuuko and they would hammer out a detailed contract.
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More notes will be added as the story continues.