In search of O CHUUSHIN NI

Another easy grammar point today, and I get to talk about Moriyama Mirai a little bit more. Seriously, he's an amazing actor.

So, today's bit of Japanese culture is going to be brought to you by the grammar point WO CHUUSHIN NI (を中心に), but in typical me fashion, in a very roundabout way.

How? Well, by using 世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ, the ever famous Japanese movie/novel/drama/manga. Yes, it is not the grammar point, but its use of the vocabulary is particulary helpful in remembering it at the very least. 

So, I'm not real sure, but I'm fairly certain that Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo sakebu is called Socrates in Love in the States, though I don't want to say that with conviction. It started off as a novel, was made into a movie starring Moriyama Mirai that did incredibly well. A manga was also made, and then the story was turned into a drama series, where the lead is played, interestingly enough, by Yamada Takayuki. That's right, the main lead in Waterboys, alongside the secondary lead of Moriyama Mirai. I'd say small world, but it is Japan and that would be an understatement. (And I'll direct you to my post about the Waterboys drama, because I love it so much.)


I do have to be honest. It is not my favorite movie, but I generally don't like constant melodrama. That's right; I'm not the Japanese target audience. Bummer. It follows the love story of Sakutaro and Aki through the Sakutaro's memories seventeen years after the death of Aki.　The trailer, and the movie, are pretty easy to understand, which makes me happy. Though, I'm told this is probably because the novel was written using very simple language.

As you can see, Moriyama Mirai is really different in this movie in comparison to Waterboys, or Keiji no Genba, huh? (Those are two pretty random dramas to pick out of a hat, yet there they are.)

The title of the movie means: Crying Out Love from the Center of the World.

Which has to do with our grammar point because of the word "center". How was that for detour?

O CHUUSHIN NI implies "centered around". It usually indicates that around something, everything else revolves. The easiest example to explain this would be, of course:

• 地球は太陽を中心にして回っている。
• Chikyuu ha taiyou wo chuushin ni shite mawattieru.
• The Earth rotates around the sun.

I could easily change that to: 地球は私を中心にして回っている。Because, seriously, it totally does.

The reason I included the title of the movie is because I expect everyone to have the same convulated way of thinking I do, which is through complex associations. If not, well then, you learned about a movie... and you learned that I love Moriyama Mirai. Totally worthwhile lessons, in my opinion. (P.S. My birthday is 05/26, and MM dramas are never a miss.)

But I do have a better way of discussing this grammar point, and we get to do it with May'n, the popular singer that appeared at AnimeEXPO. Strange that I've only heard of her because of my searching for this grammar point. Of course, I don't really watch anime anymore... and the Japanese music I prefer tends not to be JPOP, but those are just minor details.

Here is the sentence:

• アッパーな楽曲を中心に、力強い歌声を披露した.
• UPPA na gakkyaku wo chuushin ni, chikaratsuyoi utagoe wo hirou shita.
• Centered around high energy songs, May'n showed her powerful voice.

The website also has an image of May'n singing.

Okay, now I know you're going to ask about why the first sentence had a SHITE, when the second sentence did not. I don't have an answer. I asked my Japanese friend, and she just said you got to be Japanese to know when to use which one. Great! So, just feel it out, shall I? says I. Yup, says she.

Totally helpful.

The funny thing is that I really skipped around the elephant  in the room (if you obsessively read romance mangas, I mean, so I guess this elephant is pink and flowery) when trying to discuss this grammar point. I think we are all wondering why I just didn't talk about Kimi wo Chuushin ni Sekai wa Mawaru (The world revolves around you). Well, I mostly did this because, unless you're the sort of person to read collections of one-shot mangas (basically a collection of short stories done manga-style), it's not really all that famous. Granted, niether was Ganbare Chikyuuman, but that's what you get with me. You can read it about the manga Kimi wo Chuushin ni Sekai wa Mawaru here, at baka-updates, if you're interested.

In search of KAWARI NI

Ok... So, is it really pop culture if it's ten years old?

Let's just pretend that's a philosophical question with no answer, so I can go ahead and present to you this:

Ok, I put that one there because it has the lyrics written in Japanese very convenient like. However, I'd rather show you this one because it may get you interested in one of my favorite JDRAMAs of all time, WATERBOYS!

See? Much better video, right? Right.

In any case, because I was desperate to find a way to talk about WATERBOYS today, I was ecstatic to find that the end theme uses one of the JLPT grammar points.

What is it?

See if you can find it in this sentence:

サヨナラかわりに

君がくれたんだ　この勇気をくれたんだ

Sayonara kawari ni

Kimi ga kuretanda Kono yuuki wo kuretanda

So, I helped you cheat a little bit by bolding it, so what?

KAWARI NI, if you didn't read the blog post's title, or pay any attention to my not-so surreptitious bolding of the word, is going to be your grammar point for today. Surprise!

You will hear this grammar form a lot in Japan since it's pretty convenient. The verb it's derived from (kawaru) means to change, so that should give you a bit of an idea of what this particular form means.

PSYCHE! It should give you half an idea, because this particular form has three usages. Awesome.

3 Uses:

1. Don't do this (a), do this (b)!

2. In place of this(a), this(b) is the proxy.

3. In exchange for something(a), a befitting something else(b) is done or given.

Does the third one sound like NI KAWATE? Why yes, it does! So we're going to 一石二鳥 and get that grammar point of the way too, but first, let's examine which one of these is used on the lyrics above.

1. Don't do this, do this!

I think I'm going to do some sentences that are WATERBOYS appropriate. So... let's go!

• 母さんをがっかりさせるかわりに、ウソをついた方がいい。
• Kaasan wo gakkari saseru kawari ni, uso o tsuita ho ga ii.
• Pretty Translation: It's better to lie to your mother than disappoint her.
• Literal Translation: Instead of disappointing your mother, you should lie to her.

Does the above plan work in the show? Yes. For like, two episodes. In TV world, I'd say that's a resounding success. Of course, when the mom finds out, beatings for everyone! Hurrah!

In any case, I feel that I need to reiterate that translating is not an exact art when it comes to Japanese and English. If it were, no one would watch Japanese anything, because the two really just don't go together. What I am trying to do here is show the feeling behind it, so you can sense how the word is being used on your own.

2. In place of this...

男たちがプールを使うかわりに、温泉に練習しなければならなかった！

Otokotachi ga PUURU wo tsukau kawari ni, onsen ni renshuu shinakarebanaranakatta!

Translations: The boys had to practice in an onsen instead of using the pool!

Did this happen in the series? Yes, and it's hilarious... especially since onsens are much shallower than pools are.

In any case, I think you may be sensing a trend with the word I'm using to translate for both 1 and 2. If so, good call. Let's see if you're right in the next one!

3. In exchange for something....

• たかはらさんに泳ぎ教えてくれるかわりに、シンクロのチームを参加することになっている。
• Takahara-san ni oyogi oshiete kureru kawaru ni, SHINKURO no CHIIMU wo sanka suru koto ni natteiru.
• In exchange for teaching Tanaka how to swim, he decided to join the Synchro team.

If you were hoping that this one would also translate as "instead", bummer. I was hoping it too, but it's not the case. So, I guess the best way to really understand this word is know that it is one thing in place of another. That's it.

And yes, I totally snuck in KOTO NI NATTIERU from last week's grammar point. Why? Because I'm totally sneaky like that, especially when I point out where I'm being sneaky. Right? Right.

So, which one of these forms do you think the song lyric is?

サヨナラかわりに

君がくれたんだ　この勇気をくれたんだ

My money, of which I have very little, is on 3, though I do think 2 could easily work as well, because here are the two ways you can translate this:

1. You gave me this in exchange for saying goodbye. You gave me this courage.

2. Instead of saying goodbye, you gave me this, you gave me this courage.

Oh crap, they have opposite meanings! I'm going to try and solve this with the power of context! The lyric before it is "I have to go", and later on he talks about "meeting again" so.. my money is still on the first translation. Also, this dude translated it almost exactly the same way I did, so I'm going to think it's the first translation in this case. But, it's interesting how the other one goes, right?

Also, don't forget that KAWARI NI 3 and NI KAWATTE are the same! There! Two grammar points down! Phew! Plus, a little bit of spreading the WATERBOYS love around.

Plus, it has Moriyama Mirai, one of the most diversely capable actors Japan has seen in a long time. What more could you ask for! What more? Really? You need more? Well, it also has one of the other most capable actors Japan has to offer, Yamada Takayuki. That's right. The Densha Otoko. Boo-yeah!