A year or two (or three) has passed since our first release and I feel some explanation of our lengthy absence may be in order.
On a cold and rainy night, after celebrating our first release with a few drinks in a rundown bar, Gdawg and I chinked our glasses, amicably shook hands and parted ways. The last I’d heard, Gdawg had become a recluse, living deep in a forest, practising his proofreading skills on old newspaper clippings.
I, Blacklacquer, lacking direction in life and needing a goal, decided I’d climb a mountain. I failed miserably, stumbling on the first rocks and lay broken in the mud for what seemed like days until I was eventually rescued by a group of ninjas. They lived in a martial arts dojo on the top of the mountain and generously let me stay there while I recovered and practise my translation skills. After two years Sensei asked me if I was ready to become a ninja but that would mean cutting all ties to the outside world. I wasn’t sure why but at that moment I thought about Gdawg. Sensei noticed my hesitation and said, 'You have already made your decision.'
I was given a pouch of onigiri and a gourd of water, and I walked all the way back to Affinity HQ which, now that I knew my way, only took about 25 minutes. A little older, wiser and buffer, I dumped my bags on the floor and flicked on the light switch. I swiped the dust off the old laptop, turned it on and saw that it was still open on our webpage. Scrolling through the comments and words of encouragement I thought, My god, we need to do this again.
I remembered this oneshot that made me chuckle, about a cool dude with a pet tortoise and this other dude who was just plain uncool, and how the uncool dude overcame his prejudice to accept his feelings for the cool dude. Isn’t that what it's all about?, I marvelled. I realized GDawg needed to read this story and more than that, I wanted everyone to read it. But I couldn’t do it alone. I needed Gdawg. So I ran into the backyard through the overgrown grass to where Gdawg had set up his tent. I poked my head in.
“Isn’t that what it’s all about?” I spoke, feverish with excitement. “ISN’T THAT WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT?”
Gdawg yawned and put down a newspaper. “Dude, where the hell have you been?”
Haikei Bokutachi Koi wo Shimashita
A oneshot by Ode Natsumi
We'll only be scanlating this oneshot from the volume Haikei Bokutachi Koi wo Shimashita.
Coming Eventually
Rien no Kikoushi Drama Cd Translation
To take a break from all that photoshopping we’re doing a translation of a BL Drama CD called Rien no Kikoushi or the Prince of Kabuki. If you’ve never listened to a BLCD, let me tell you, it’s something else.
Seishun Sobbat Scanlation
We're going to embark on an epic journey to scanlate Seishun Sobbat. Our previous oneshot translating experience has been working up to this. It’s a four volume work that I truly love. It’s gonna take a while, but it's worth it.
Seasons Greetings and have a great weekend!
- Blacklacquer and GDawg
