Although I must say that 犬たち rather evokes an image of multiple dogs and not that of a dog and its owner to me - but maybe that’s one of the learners’ misunderstandings as well 
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fair point, but it’s still talking about a particular group an 犬 is part of (which you assume is multiple 犬 due to lack of context) rather than how the plural “dogs” works, for instance…
I guess that’s pretty subtle though
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Yeah, that sounds plausible. I’ll keep an eye out for it from now on 
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looks like it’s even more subtle than I thought, and depends on stuff like empathy and uchi/soto as well 
https://www.imabi.net/tachi.htm
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For what it’s worth Dictionary of Japanese Grammar breaks it down like this. So maybe 犬たち (technically) isn’t even a proper formation? 
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Between this and 日常 you’ve sent me down a highly interesting and questionably useful Imabi rabbit hole.
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glad to hear it. have fun 
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Chapter 19: 穴ほり機
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I love that last panel! I think I know where we are going in the next chapter…
Having managed to understand the parts about thermodynamics, I feel a bit embarrassed that I didn’t really get what happens at the end of the first page - page 97:
The conversation goes: Today we are going to build a perpetual motion machine. What’s a perpetual motion machine? It’s an engine that moves for ever. I see.
Then big sister (I think) says - With that, do you understand?
Majime then says: えっ違うの？
Shimeji replies: 合ってるよ
How did others understand those last two sentences? I presume Majime is saying, “Er…no?” but not sure what Shimeji’s response means. Perhaps “that fits” or “that’s correct”?
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Not very confident myself, but my interpretation is that the conversation goes like this:
- Today we are going to build a perpetual motion machine
- What’s a perpetual motion machine?
- It’s a machine that perpetually moves
- Oh, I see!
- それで納得するのか (You are satisfied with that explanation!?)
- えっ違うの？ (Eh? Is that not what a perpetual motion machine is?)
- あってるよ (It is).
I believe the joke here is that Yomikawa’s explanation of a Perpetual Motion Machine just uses the same words “Perpetual” “Motion” “Machine” - it doesn’t really explain much. However Majime for some reason seems to be satisfied with such explanation, which surprises the others. Majime misunderstands this surprise, and thinks she has failed to understand some part of the explanation.
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I have two questions.
What to make of この世界の原理に on page 99? And what to make of 自分で掘りたいんなら自分で掘るって言うでしょ on page 109? In both cases I understand vocab and grammar and still don’t know what it means 
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Page 99 - I read この世界の原理に… as big sister continuing her science talk. Just a fragment of a sentence - “The fundamental truths of this world…”
Page 109 - They are discussing why teacher seems dispirited, and consider it’s because she doesn’t have a hole to dig any more (the machine is doing all the work). Shimeji feels bad for asking her big sister to help, but remembers teacher had said “どうしても” - do whatever it takes.
Majime replies - 自分で掘りたいんなら自分で掘るって言うでしょ. I read this as: “If you want to dig it yourself, then maybe say, ‘I’ll dig it myself’”
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It’s the Final Week!!
Chapter 20: 地球ドーナツ
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Interesting last chapter with the usual amount of weirdness. It seems we won’t have any more 穴掘り部 after this, so I’m looking forward to what they’ll focus on next!
Can anyone read the kanji after 庭 in page 131? Is it 庭師?
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Looks like it to me as well.
And wow, this was a wild ride. There was a lot of science talk towards the end, but I somehow got through it.
I’m super intrigued by the physics of this place, and what 白いおまわりさん’s role is.
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Well now that all y’all have finished, I’ve finally managed to get my hands on a copy, so I guess I’ll start following along behind. 
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It’s worth it! It’s been a wonderful manga. 
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I went for 庭師 (gardener) too, presumably referring to 白いおまわりさん. As alluded to by Shimeji she appears prominently back in chapter 7, but reading again I don’t think that gave us any more insight into who she is.
The picture on page 128 reminded me of Malagueta beach in Malaga…
Chapter 25 appeared in Comic Cune this month so hopefully we will get a volume 3 towards the end of the year!
Summary
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Ooh, nice! Something to look forward too! 
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Ooh that would be great, I’m really enjoying this series 
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