For some reason, bookwalker is not working on my laptop today so I decided to just read on my phone only doing lookups for kana words I didn’t know. My comprehension is far far from perfect but I think I was able to pick most of the first chapter up. I’ll try to read the next later this week
For those curious, the darker shading in the first two pages of chapter 5 likely means they were originally in full color. This often happens in Manga Time Kirara 4-koma series, so I’m assuming that’s the reason here as well even though Bocchi was published in a different magazine.
Aye, that’s true across all magazines. Or, all the ones I’ve encountered, anyway. Very occasionally they’ll keep the colour pages in colour for the tankobon, but yeah, otherwise they’re rendered in greyscale instead.
In general, though I don’t have any examples on me to prove it. This only applies, mind, if the series was fortunate enough to get colour pages in the magazine version.
I love the dynamic between Nako and Aru. They play off each other so well, and the mangaka is really good with timing jokes. Like, they finally start trying to get along after Bocchi is sad that they’re fighting, and then boom a bird steals the reconciliation candy. (And poor Bocchi is so clueless.) Also, the omake is hilarious as always.
I’m really glad that I’m rereading the series with the book club. As a 4-koma, the slow pace works nicely since I have no desire to read it faster. And it still makes me laugh so much. It’s in my top 5 manga series for a reason. Even if we read the whole series as a group, I’d probably reread it again if it ever came out in a larger print size with some color pages.
Wrapped up chapter 6 today - still having issues with bookwalker on chrome for some reason. Not sure if anyone else has run into the pages simply not working but I guess I’ll use edge for now.
Loved this chapter, probably my favorite so far. Genuinely funny and quite easy to understand too - nothing too crazy from a grammar or vocab pov. Starting to really like this series… I’m still pretty new to the WK community but I’m gonna have to stop joining bookclubs because I keep getting caught up in offshoots haha. Not to mention the books I want to read on my own on the side
Oh I had the exact same issue as well. Now I use a different chrome profile with the same account, and I haven’t had that problem again weirdly. Give that a try maybe!
I think this is throwing me for a loop and everything is gonna click once I get the right meaning, but what exactly is meant by 残念 in the context of Chapter 5?
I kinda thought it meant that she was unfortunate, as in she had some kind of bad luck, but I’m not sure.
I think beyond “bad luck,” the meaning here extends to more like “disappointment,” or maybe even “pathetic/pitiful” (this last one is less of a literal translation and more what I’m feeling from the context). I think the feeling they’re trying to convey is that Honshou is the sort of girl who does her best but doesn’t get things right anyways, leading to people wanting to say “残念だ” at her.
Again though I’m just going off vibes, I’d be happy to hear a second opinion if this is established slang or something.
Phew, it’s been a struggle. I have to look up a lot of kanji, seemingly every other one. I made it through chapter 5, but I’m busy this weekend so I may fall behind on chapter 6.
Still, it’s been really fun to read! And I’m learning a lot, especially how to look up kanji I don’t know. The handwritten kanji are especially devilish.
Below are a few questions from chapter 5:
Pg 39 panel 4
I’m still learning casual forms.
Assuming this is from the verb 吐く (to breath), from what I could find, つくな = don’t breath!
From the context, it seems like つくなよ should mean something like “You’re not breathing, you know!” Or perhaps a command to breath? If someone could please break it down for me.
Pg 41, panel 6,
Is Bocchi stumbling over her words and making an odd abbreviation of ありがとうございます?
I can’t find the meaning of the small text. It looks to me like 体育会糸.
体育 could be a reference to when Bocchi wore gym clothes. 会糸 does not pull up anything in jisho. Each kanji separately means meet + thread, which almost sounds like clothes.
Pg 43, panel 7. I am confused by the つい.
Jisho says it can mean “just now.” In that case, would the translation be:
“That was ill-intentioned, I was just thinking now”?
pg 44, panel 4. What is 残念つぷり? 残念 means unfortunate. Jisho thinks つ might be a contrasting particle? Google Translate says all together it means disappointing.
I did the whole reading.
(And poor Bocchi is so clueless.) Also, the omake is hilarious as always.