"shiritori" is a japanese game. the first player says a word, the second player must say a word beginning with the last character (syllable) of the first player's word, the third player must say a word beginning with the last character of the second player's word... and so on. the players are not supposed to say the same word twice. this track consists of two shiritori matches: the first one features maki-chan and the two kids from ugo-ugo lhuga. the second one features other characters from the programme. ugo-ugo lhuga was a programme for kids, now discontinued. it had a cutting edge quality to it that assured it became a legend among kids and adults who watched it. it often featured very surrealistic sketches. some of the crazyness of the programme was immortalised in this pizzicato album, especially this track, shiritori shimasho. (Editor's Note: Although theoretically for kids, the show's title is the phrase "Go-Go-u Ga--Ru" pronounced backwards, a "go go girl" being slang for the kind of party-all-night young lady so often sung about in P5 songs. This was a hint that the show was also aimed at the hip young party-goer returning home at the break of dawn, having just caught the first train out of Tokyo. The animated title sequence, indeed, featured a Godzilla-size party girl rampaging through the streets, only to be felled by three young boy superheroes. Other signs of the show's hipness: background posters featuring such bands as Big Drill Car, and others.) it was very difficult to translate this track because a lot of the humour and irony of the original just wouldn't work in english. after i had finished the translation and re-read it, i realised it sort of reminded me of the tea party with the mad hatter from alice in wonderland (and i certainly used much of its language as a model for the translation, unconsciously) -- all those people playing this game in a completely subversive manner, going really crazy about it, but acting as if everything had strict rules which should be properly observed. the dialogue is absurd, but everybody is so serious about what they are doing one forgets they are not actually making any sense. my favourite line is 'oyamada keigo? otona? hito?' hope you like it maki: namae wa? ugo-ugo: ugo-ugo desu m: namae wa? lhuga: lhuga desu m: ja ugo-ugo-kun lhuga-chan shiritori demo shimasho ka? u: ii yo l: ii yo m: ja watashi kara... saru! u: roulette (ruuretto) l: to? tomato m: to? togarashi u: shika l: kame m: megane u: nezumi l: mi? mimizu m: zu? mmm... su demo ii no ne? (*) suika u: kamome l: medaka m: ka. kamome. yutta? yutta? (**) u: yutta yutta yo! boku ga yutta yo m: so ka? ka... kaki. u: kitsune l: neko m: ko... koinu (muzukashii) u: nuri-e l: e? entotsu m: tsuki u: kitsutsuki l: ki? kiji m: jidosha u: ya... yari (***) l: rika m: kagaku u: ku... kuri l: risu m: suzume u: menko l: ko? koma m: ma? mammoth (manmosu) u: su? suzume! l: yutta! u: mm yutte nakatta yo ne! l: yutta! u: yuttene yo! m: yutta yo ne... u: ah ja maketchatta l: su da yo su! u: skunk (sukanku) l: ku? kuma m: ma... marimo u: mo... mori da yo mori l: ri? mata ka yo ri ri... risu yutta yo ne m: pass shitemo iin da yo l: ri... pass m: atashi ga ri? ri... nai yo ne ri. u: boku wa aru m: honto? ja pass u: rito-kujira ------------------------------- what's your name? it's ugo-ugo and yours? it's lhuga ok so ugo-ugo-kun lhuga-chan shall we play shiritori? ok ok ok so i'll start saru! (monkey) ruuretto (roulette) to? tomato to? togarashi (red pepper) shika (deer) kame (tortoise) megane (spectacles) nezumi (mouse) mi? mimizu (worm) zu? mmm... it's ok if use su too, right? (*) suika (watermelon) kamome (seagull) medaka (killifish) ka. kamome. oops! somebody already said that? i did! i did! really? so... kaki (persimmon) kitsune (fox) neko (cat) ko... koinu (puppy) (this is so difficult) nuri-e (colour book) e? entotsu (chimney) tsuki (moon) kitsutsuki (woodpecker) ki? kiji (pheasant) jidosha (automobile) ya... yari (spear) rika (science) kagaku (chemistry) ku... kuri (chestnut) risu (squirrel) suzume (sparrow) menko (a japanese game) koma (horse) ma? manmosu (mammoth) su? suzume! we already said that! we did not! did we? we did too! no we did not! i think we did... well then i lose come on! su! sukanku (skunk) ku? kuma (bear) ma... marimo (duckweed) mo... mori! (forest) ri? no, not ri again! ri ri... we already said risu right? you can pass if you don't know ri... i pass it's me? ri? ri... i can't think of anything i know one really? ok i pass rito-kujira (wild whale) ------------------------- yume no kyoen shuuru-kun tomato-chan terebi-kun no otona no shiritori desu yo! terebi-kun ga saisho ni iimasu kara tsugi wa tomato-chan shuuru-kun desu kara ne shuuru-kun, tomato-chan: haaai! te: oyamada keigo to: oyamada keigo? otona? te: otona desu. to: hito? te: hito desu. so iu koto janakute shiritori desu yo. dozo! to: go ne? gogo no yugure s: kirei desu ne. te: kirei desu ne to: ufufufu! s: lemon tea (remon tii) chodai te: o-suki nan desu ka? lemon tea wa? s: so desu ne. te: lemon tea chodai no i no ikuko-chan ga hai! watashi no shiriai nan desu. terebi-kun no. totemo kawaii. to: i? inu no mawari-san no koinu s: nu te: irun desu ka? to: mochiron! s: nu? otona no shiritori desho? te: otona no shiritori desu yo! s: nu ne? nureteru ne kore wa mata zentaiteki na koto ne fuinki desu ne te: fuinki (**) s: nureteru ne te: otona no shiritori desu ne to: nan daro! te: ne kotchi e kite no te otona no shiritori desu. terebi-kun mo ko iu koto ierun desu yo to: tomato-chan wa tsugi? te? tendon tabeta o-hiru? (***) s: ta... tamaru misuzu te: ko iu meishi ga ii no kana? tendon tabeta o-hiru? s: ru? ru ne? ru... right? ru ru ru ru ru... te: utatte wa ikemasen s: dame da ne ruby (ruubii) te: takusan o-kai ni natta to iun janai desu ka? s: tanjoseki desu. te: bi to bo-tsuki de bi ne? beads (biizu) no tsuita jacket (jaketo) mo suteki kamoshirenai no i! to: mata i na no? te: otona no shiritori desu kara to: kimatterun janai! inu no mawari-san no otona otona no shiritori! --------------------------------- and now the dream team shuuru-kun (*) tomato-chan and terebi-kun will play shiritori for grownups! i will say the first word and then tomato-chan and shuuru-kun in this order ok! oyamada keigo (cornelius) cornelius? what's that? a grownup? a grownup. precisely. you mean like a person? a person yes. this is beside the point. we're trying to play some shiritori here. ok so go. gogo no yugure (twilight in the afternoon) oh that's so lovely! really lovely. he he he. remon tii chodai (could i have some lemon tea?) i gather you are quite fond of of lemon tea you could say i am yes. chodai ends with an i so ikuko-chan ga hai (ikuko-chan is...) ikuko-chan is an acquaintance of mine. she's very cute. i? inu no mawari-san no koinu (the puppy that belongs to the policeman with a dog) nu you don't mean he actually has one? he does too. nu? this is supposed to be a shiritori strictly for grownups right? yep. this is strictly for grownups. ok so nu it is. nureteru ne (it's so wet!) this is just a general remark. i don't mean anything by that. it's just... for the atmosphere. yeah i know. the atmosphere. it's so wet! this is a shiritori strictly for grownups. i wonder what he meant by wet! ne kotchi e kite (hey you come over here) this is a shiritori for grownups. me too i can also say this sort of thing. i'm next? te? ten... don... tabeta o-hiru (did you have fish and chips for lunch?) ta... tamaru misuzu (a person's name) i wonder if this utterance complies with the rules of the game. fish and chips? for lunch? oh i'm so sorry! it's not ta! tis ru ru... (sings) ru ru ru ru... singing is not allowed! it isn't now is it. well... ok... ruubii (ruby). you mean you have bought a lot of them of late? it's my lucky stone. ruby ends with a bii. biizu no tsuita jaketo mo suteki kamoshirenai! (i wonder what a jacket with beads would do for me) no! not i again! i just said that because this is a shiritori for grownups. well my answer goes almost without saying. inu no mawari-san no otona no shiritori! (the shiritori strictly for grownups being played by the policeman with a dog)