Kamisama ga Machigaeru chapter 5 observations

This is a list of things that caught my interest in God Bless the Mistaken (神さまがまちガえる).

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Miscellaneous

I’m mildly surprised that Kon, Theo, and Nene didn’t get lost, as they seemed to chase the tsuchinoko all over town.
The tsuchinoko’s markings probably changed when the high(?)school girls observed it.
Tsuchinoko are rather cute for unidentified creatures. Cryptids in other parts of the world would probably look more frightening.
If this is a bug that affects people instead of the world, does it mean that Kasane could not see the tsuchinoko?
The first thing that came to mind when Kasane explained the bug is the observer effect…
Or perhaps the observer-expectancy effect better describes this chapter.
In order to catch an instance of the bug, Kasane gives Yoshino and Iyoda certain expectations of a tsuchinoko.

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About the English version

I suspect that there are delays when the chapter is supposed to be released on a weekend.

Kamisama ga Machigaeru chapter 4 observations

This is a list of things that caught my interest in God Bless the Mistaken (神さまがまちガえる).

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Worldbuilding

Yamada 山田
One of Rinko’s friends.

Modern technology: smartphones, tablets

SHAKE (salmon) onigiri design on Kousei’s shirt.

Kon’s breakfast: bread with fried egg, aloe yoghurt

Iyoda’s breakfast: vegetable drink

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Miscellaneous

It seems the existence of bugs has had no effect on technological advancement.
Kasane wrote on cling wrap because it’s transparent. Flipping it allows bugged people to read it easily.
In Japan, it’s normal to back up into parking spaces and to drive on the left, isn’t it? Where I live, it’s normal to back up out of parking spaces and to drive on the right.
Stay safe, Maruko; you tripped in the previous chapter, and now you hit your head.
Iyoda still tried to eat left-handed after the everyone switched back to their preferred hand.
So far, odd-numbered chapters have bugs that affect the world and even-numbered chapters have bugs that affect people. I wonder if this pattern will continue.

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About the English version

I appreciate the timeliness of this release.
The left and right pages are reversed. It’s the same problem as with chapter 2.

Kamisama ga Machigaeru chapter 3 observations

This is a list of things that caught my interest in God Bless the Mistaken (神さまがまちガえる).

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New characters

Takagi Theo 高木テオ
Hono Nene 穂野寧々
Iwamoto 岩元
Rinko 凛子

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Miscellaneous

The middle schoolers seem to have made a ping-pong ball anemometer.
The story of a girl who jumped from the rooftop reminds me of 優しくなりたい from Farewell to My Alter.
Since it is May, Kon must have transferred near the beginning of the school year.
The school building is three floors high.
“Nice one, Kon!” parallel between passing the basketball and indoor shoe.
Can’t a lot of scary experiences be attributed to bugs? Though it seems that bugs haven’t affected the nature of ghost stories in this world.

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About the English version

Please stop advertising “Read the next chapter of God Bless the Mistaken the same day as Japan!” because the release is consistently late.
“Scare-case” is a clever translation of the かいだん wordplay (階段 and 怪談).
Is there a word missing in page 9? Rinko’s story doesn’t flow well.

Kismet

“Seven weeks again? In the end, that is only six this year.”
“Last year had nine, right? I wonder if next year will have three.”
“It would be wise to see a doctor.”
“If that is the outcome, I will accept it.”
“Then again, this condition can be seen as a blessing.”
“I have yet to notice any complications.”
“Not that it matters when there is not much to lose.”
“Which is why I say used to not-X over unused to X.”

Kamisama ga Machigaeru chapter 2 observations

This is a list of things that caught my interest in God Bless the Mistaken (神さまがまちガえる).

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Worldbuilding

[?]立卯伊中学校 is probably a municipal school

Kon’s last name is Wataya 綿矢
Kousei’s last name is Ishibashi 石橋
Iyoda’s first name is Akira 英
Maruko’s first name is Asuka 飛鳥
Kasane’s last name is Himesaki 姫崎 (though this was already established in chapter 1)

Yoshino よし乃

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Miscellaneous

Assuming technology advances as the same rate as our world, this series takes place no earlier than 1980. (Electronic dictionaries were first released in November 1979.)
Since Kasane doesn’t bug out, she must have been immune to the bug that caused people to lose their way (the bug before the plant growth).
The food panel reminds me of the meals Nakatani would sometimes post on Twitter.
I hope Kousei’s wet floor design on his shirt isn’t foreshadowing that people will fall when the bug ends.
Kon going back down to watch the sunrise with Kasane follows what Kasane said in chapter 1: “people who’ll do even more unexpected things”. There’s people who enjoy the bug for themselves, and there’s Kon who accommodates for someone who doesn’t bug out.

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About the English version

Releasing four days later is not “the same day”.
The left and right pages are reversed. Will the formatting be corrected soon?
Why is ばいばい translated as just “bye”? I think “bye-bye” is commonly spoken in English.

Kamisama ga Machigaeru chapter 1 observations

This is a list of things that caught my interest in God Bless the Mistaken (神さまがまちガえる).

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Characters

Kon 紺
紺 is a purple-tinged, dark shade of blue. Similar to navy blue.
Uses the pronoun おれ.
Addresses Kasane by her first name without honorifics.
Strong despite his size.
Came from a place where people don’t take bugs in stride.
Possibly moved in on his birthday.
Breakfast: bread with a spread (butter?)

Kasane かさね
Uses the pronoun 私.
Climbed up a tree, but scared of climbing down. Possibly a cat?
Studies human behavior affected by bugs. Something like anthropology?
Possibly accepted Kon as a tenant so that she can observe him.
Many people at the shopping street are familiar with her. A long-time resident?

Maruko 円子
円 is a circle or a round object.
Addresses Kasane as Hime-chan.
Addresses Kousei without honorifics and as the pronoun お前.
Breakfast: coffee

Kousei 恒成
恒 is something constant.
Addresses Kasane as Hime-san.
Landolt C design on shirt.
Breakfast: rice, natto, miso soup

Iyoda 伊与田
与 is to give. Possibly to bless?
I wonder if he’s weak to light.

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Miscellaneous

Is まちガえる a play on words? 間違える and 街が得る.
This time, 話 are chapters instead of episodes.
Kitaguchi: I wonder if there are 口 in other directions.
“If you don’t eat your vegetables…” reminds me of that stage reading.
It makes sense that Kasane doesn’t study the bugs themselves because they will disappear.
How advanced is the technology of this world? Do cell phones exist?

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About the translation quality

Short version:
The translation is decent.
The key line is properly translated.
I think Japanese fans can study English with this chapter.

Long version:
Personally, I was relieved to hear that the publisher licensing this series was not Seven Seas Entertainment.
After Seven Seas changed many nuances in Bloom Into You (やがて君になる) due to mistranslations and questionable editorial policies, I want that publisher to stay far away from Nakatani’s future works.
Yen Press (or rather, the translator they hired) did a decent job with Farewell to My Alter (さよならオルタ).
Since the same person is translating this series, I think God Bless the Mistaken is in safer hands.
I won’t let down my guard completely, but it will be nice to read without constantly wondering if each line is properly translated.

Acuminate

“Over fifteen weeks. Can that be called human?”
“I don’t care what it’s called. There’s no time left.”
“I was surprised that the same methods had different results.”
“Is there anything to do besides waiting for the next opportunity?”
“If time isn’t an ally, expand the space with leaflets.”
“There should be some order in propaganda.”
“Discard chronological and draw thematic?”
“How pithy.”

Patagium

A memento, a reading, a resemblance.

“What’s so amusing?”
“It’s just a hamburger, yet you’re examining it so seriously.”
“I’m trying to figure out how something this size is best consumed.”
“One bite at a time?”
“Very informative.”
“There aren’t any rules to eating it.”
“In this case, I would like to minimize spillage.”
“I guess you can be fancy and use a fork and knife.”
“So you skewer it…”
“Did you really live XX years without going to a burger restaurant?”
“Are you going to repeat that line at each specialized shop?”
“There are a lot more places to visit.”

“I think mine aren’t strong enough.”
“Haven’t you been using the others though?”
“How simple yet twisted.”
“It has been over two months.”
“I hoped they would be proactive, or at least responsive.”
“There is a way to be petty.”
“Petty methods for a noble cause?”
“Have your noble methods resulted in anything?”
“Is it possible that my noble methods were seen as petty?”
“It is possible that your noble cause was seen as petty.”
“What a pity.”
“I can take the fall in your place.”
“Are you prepared for the consequences?”
“I expect none, but consequences are still results.”

“Aren’t you lucky.”
“If that’s what you call a success after a streak of failures, sure.”
“The powers that be want you present.”
“It isn’t that I am desperate to leave…”
“For now, you should make use of this boost before it fades.”
“How do I make use of what I didn’t expect?”
“You can answer those lighthearted expectations.”
“Fulfilling promises I didn’t make.”

Entatic

“I think I made some progress.”
“Is it about that?”
“Yes. It’s because I don’t see it.”
“So, you don’t seek because you don’t see…”
“Right.”
“That means you have k?”
“What?”
“The letter. You’re missing the see in seek.”
“I don’t know know what the k means, but okay.”
“How about k is for kindness?”
“I’m not particularly kind.”
“I’ll try to find a way to make you see.”
“See that I’m kind, or see so that I might seek?”
“Both.”
“Adding more to your plate…”
“Doesn’t one help the other?”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Do you refuse?”
“I have no right to. You’re paying for the meal, so take as much as you like.”
“Ah, but you are worried that I might be forcing myself.”
“You ordered too much.”
“More like you eat too little.”
“It would be nice if there was another meaning for k.”
“Are you that opposed to being called kind?”
“I don’t see myself as particularly kind.”
“Oh, biting at one already.”
“Wait, what would see mean?”
“Secret.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Should dreams make sense?”
“Then, this is a dream?”
“You can call it a delusion if you want.”
“Well, neither need to make sense.”
“Let’s suppose that s is for something.”
“…”
“E is for ego.”
“Eagle?”
“That too. Eagles do have a reputation for having good vision.”
“Something, ego, and eagle… makes a secret.”
“Plus kindness. They may be key to seek…”
“How reassuring.”

“It increased again.”
“It isn’t something that can decrease, after all.”
“Last I checked, it wasn’t this much.”
“It has been some time since then.”
“It is now at the point where others will notice at first glance.”
“It won’t be much of a secret anymore.”
“Time to find a new one.”

“I don’t understand.”
“They asked because you responded.”
“Is that all it took?”
“A lot of things happen because of coincidence.”
“I’ll acknowledge I was at the right time, but they were surely at the wrong place.”
“Which is why it failed.”
“Indeed.”
“But I don’t think you’re at fault this time.”
“Is it because I pointed them to the right place before I refused?”
“They wanted conflicting things.”
“I think I can understand somewhat now.”
“Oh?”
“Their emotions made them too picky.”
“So you do have some self-awareness.”

“Nearly ten weeks passed before it happened again.”
“A new record.”
“Is it a sign that I don’t have long?”
“You generally live like you won’t have long.”
“I do intend my work to last longer than myself.”
“Future-proofing of a sort?”
“I think forward compatible fits better.”
“In any case, what will you do if the next one happens on time?”
“Treat it as a fluke, because I live off-time.”
“Even in your own time?”
“If my time exists, the signature changes.”
“Perhaps not enough time has passed for a pattern to emerge.”
“I’ll run out before that happens.”

Diary

I saw her again today. Or rather, she saw me.
I was taking the bus back from campus, my mind wandering.
At one of the stops, someone smiled and waved at me as they boarded.
She explained her car was at the repair shop. Oh right, she drives.
No wonder I didn’t expect to see her again.
Not to mention she doesn’t live next door anymore.
I nodded along to her questions and comments.
Did she spot which of my answers were white lies?
Time was too short to hold a proper conversation.
The bus arrived at my stop.
“Maybe we’ll see each other again next quarter.”
Hopefully.
“Good luck with finals.”
You too.