What is written in the city of Hanamura? What do Hanzo and Genji say when using their ultimate ability? In this article, we will explore some facts and study some phrases from Overwatch in Japanese. If you are part of the gamer universe and haven't heard of this epic game released in 2016 that combines a first-person shooter (FPS) with heroic characters who have different abilities that provide a completely unique gameplay style. I will also take the opportunity to mention some curiosities involving Overwatch in Japan!
Game Description: In times of global crisis, a group of heroes comes together in an international task force to restore peace in a world devastated by war. The group called Overwatch ended the crisis and helped maintain peace in the following decades, inspiring an era of exploration, innovation, and discovery. But after many years, Overwatch's influence waned, until one day it disbanded. Now, conflicts have begun to reemerge around the world, and new and old heroes have been summoned.
Table of Content
Hanzo and Genji - Shimada Clan
Let's start translating 2 sentences from these Dragon brothers! These are the ults (ultimate abilities) that are pronounced in Japanese during the Game, no matter what language the game is in. The ultimate ability of the 2 characters are related to dragons.
Hanzo - A skilled Archer says in his ultimate skill:
龍が我が敵を食らう;
Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau;
The dragon eats (my) our enemies;
- 龍 (Ryuu) – Dragon.
- が (ga) – Particle that marks the subject of the sentence.
- 我が (waga) – My (archaic).
- 敵 (teki) – Enemy(ies).
- を (wo) – Particle that marks the direct object of the action.
- 食らう (kurau) – Eat (aggressively or emphatically).
This phrase has its literal translation as: "The Dragon eats our enemies", but, depending on the context, it is interpreted poetically as "The Dragon consumes our enemies". The use of the verb "consumes" adds a symbolic and dramatic weight to the phrase, which is common in translations that seek to impact the reader.
The name Hanzo is written as 島田半蔵 (Shimada Hanzo). Shimada is a city in the Shizuoka prefecture and also refers to a popular hairstyle and hairdo style during the Edo period. Hanzo is the combination of the ideograms (半) half, odd number, and (蔵) hide, possess warehouse.
The name Hanzo is historically associated with Hattori Hanzo, a famous samurai and ninja master, which can give the character a tone of strength and mystery.
Genji – A Sword Master Ninja says in his ultimate skill:
竜神の剣を喰らえ;
Ryuujin no ken wo kurae;
Receive the sword of the dragon god;
- 竜神 (Ryuujin) – Dragon God.
- の (no) – Possessive particle ("de").
- 剣 (ken) – Sword.
- を (wo) – Particle that marks the direct object.
- 喰らえ (kurae) – Imperative form of "devour".
Although some websites claim that the translation is "Face the Dragon's Sword," the verb 喰らえ literally means to receive a blow; it can also mean to eat and drink. The word 竜神 literally represents the ideograms for dragon and god, but it does not necessarily indicate a dragon god; it can refer to a dragon king. The ideogram 剣 literally means sword; it can refer to a double-edged sword, saber, or blade, and the term is used for swords in general.
The name Genji is written as 源氏, where (源) means source, origin, and (氏) means family name, surname, and clan. Of course, these ideograms may have some unknown historical meanings and references that I am not aware of.
Also, Genji says other Japanese words during the game:
- “始め！” – (hajime!) – Start!
- “水のように流れ” (mizu no yō ni nagare) – Flow like water;
- “俺は風だ！” (ore wa kaze da) – I am like the wind!
- “覚悟” (kakugo) – Preparation / I am ready;
- “まだまだ” (mada mada) – Not yet, not yet!
- “いざ尋常に勝負” (iza jinjō ni shōbu) – Let's play well;
- “くそ” (kuso) – Drug / Shit;
- “上等だ” (joutou da) – Let's fight;
- “我が魂は まだ燃えておる” (waga tamashī wa mada moete oru) – My soul is still burning;
- “防衛戦願おう” (bōei-sen negaou) – Let's wait for our defense result;
- “我が心明鏡止水” (waga kokoro meikyōshisui) – My mind is as bright and clear as a stainless steel mirror;
- “我が魂は均衡を求める” (waga tamashī wa kinkō o motomeru) – My soul seeks balance;
Exploring Overwatch in Japanese
The stage name hanamura (花村) takes place in Japan and means village of flowers. At this stage we can perceive several secrets and references to the Japanese language and Japan. Upon entering the stage in the waiting place you will find a red curtain written:
竜の吐息で魂も凍る (parte direita);
Ryuu no toiki de tamashii mo kouru;
Through the Dragon's breath, the soul freezes;
竜の心で気合全開 (parte esquerda);
Ryuu no kokoro de kiai zenkai;
Through the heart of the dragon, the spirit exudes.
The word 気合 can be translated as shout or fighting spirit. The word 全開 can be translated as fully open or at full steam. In the castle of Shimada, you will find 2 more identical inscriptions on the wall with a very famous Japanese proverb:
七転八起
shichiten hakki
nana korobi ya oki;
Fall seven times, stand up eight.
In the middle of the Shimada castle in the cinematic animation, you also find another giant scroll written 竜頭蛇尾 (ryuutoudabi). This word is another pun in the Japanese language, as it refers to an anticlimax or something that started strong and ended weak. However, if you examine each ideogram, you can also understand that they mean dragon's head.
To conclude, let's take a look at a rather complicated sentence found on a statue of the koi robot:
とやちはやちはるぎなみ命舞の鯉
To ya chi haya Chiharu gina mi inochi-mai no koi
As the entire sentence is in hiragana, it becomes complicated to translate it. We can find the kanji for life (inochi - 命) and 舞の鯉, which can be understood as the dance of the carp. Some believe that 命 may refer to the god Mikoto. It is possible that this statue may be related to the Legend of the Dragon.
Curiosities about Japanese Overwatch
The voice of D.va from Overwatch in Japanese is Risa Taneda, famous for voicing Kaori from Shigatsu wa kimi no uso, Erina from Shokugeki no Souma, and Mirai from Kyoukai no Kanata;
The voice of Pharah in Overwatch in Japanese is Romi Park, known for voicing Edward in FMA, Temari in Naruto, and Zoe in Shingeki. To see other voice actresses of the voices in Overwatch in Japanese click here.
Finally, let's leave the first trailer for the game in Japanese. I hope you enjoyed this short article with some overwatch phrases in Japanese! Don't forget to share and leave your comments.