This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Japanese to English
  3. Cinema, Film, TV, Drama

Kage Bunshin no justu

English translation: Shadow Divisions Technique

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Japanese term or phrase:Kage Bunshin no justu
English translation:Shadow Divisions Technique

00:22 Aug 21, 2004
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama / anime
Japanese term or phrase: Kage Bunshin no justu
A ninja technique, from a anime serie.
Shikamaru
Local time: 23:08
Shadow Divisions Technique
Explanation:
Sorry English only ^-^ This is from Naruto right?

Kage means "shadow," that is easy enough.

Bunshin, in the ninja usage, is when a ninja divides into a number of clones / images of himself and they all attack together. I called these "divisions" here just to keep it short, but something more flashy such as "Technique of the Multiple Shadow Images" or whatever might suit the material better.

Jutsu is "technique," "art" may also sound quite cool here.

With anime terms, you are often better off first working out what it means, and then finding something that sounds as cool in your target language rather than a literal translation, which often just sounds dry. If this is just out of personal interest, then I hope this helped ^-^
Selected response from:

Benjamin Wood
Local time: 06:08
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1Shadow Divisions Technique
Benjamin Wood
4 -1甲賀、分身の術
wakako


  

Answers


2 days 35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Shadow Divisions Technique


Explanation:
Sorry English only ^-^ This is from Naruto right?

Kage means "shadow," that is easy enough.

Bunshin, in the ninja usage, is when a ninja divides into a number of clones / images of himself and they all attack together. I called these "divisions" here just to keep it short, but something more flashy such as "Technique of the Multiple Shadow Images" or whatever might suit the material better.

Jutsu is "technique," "art" may also sound quite cool here.

With anime terms, you are often better off first working out what it means, and then finding something that sounds as cool in your target language rather than a literal translation, which often just sounds dry. If this is just out of personal interest, then I hope this helped ^-^

Benjamin Wood
Local time: 06:08
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Paul Johnson (X): Indeed, Mr Wood is quite correct here! The phrase can also be found in the Megadrive/Genesis game "Streets of Rage 2" (Bare Knuckle 2- Japanese title) in the move "Ninpou: Kage Bunshin!" Though I'd go for "Ninja art! Shadow Split!" here... ^_^
416 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 days 18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
甲賀、分身の術


Explanation:
I think “Kaga” may be correctly “Kouga”.
Japanese ninja style is generally divided into two schools, which are “Kouga” and “Iga”.
分身の術 is one of the most popular art used by ninja and showing a person who use the art as if he is in several people.
The phrase is often used in ninja cartoon before using the art to announce the character will use it.
I could find only Web references in Japanese, but they might be informative.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 39 mins (2004-08-23 01:01:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

So in English, how about “Kouga, shadow art.”?
I found a website about ninja in English.
http://www.iganinja.jp/english/godou/flam.html



    Reference: http://www.m-network.com/sengoku/ninja/ninja01.html
    Reference: http://www.y-tec.com/ninja/index2.html
wakako
Local time: 06:08
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Benjamin Wood: It is from anime, a charater's move that uses the kanji "kage". It is nothing to do with kouga ^-^
22 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search