WITCH CRAFT 3

Mika: Huh? Aw, crap, looks like I’m up!

Sorry, Naru-chan! I gotta head onstage for a bit!

Arashi: Okay. Thanks for helping us hand out candy, Mika-chan.

You totally saved me! Our King and the others bailed on me, and there was just no way I could handle it all.

Mika: I don’t mind none, it’s just payin’ you back for all your help...

‘Sides, when you’re around, I don’t get scared of the guests like I normally would. So it’s tit for tat ♪

Arashi: Ahaha. Knights is a unit that puts a lot of effort into fanservice, you know.

I’ve gotten used to it. I’m basically an expert at this sort of thing.

Mika: Ahaha, but you were mighty cold to people you didn’t know a while back...

You was always sayin’ stuff about how nobody understands you ♪

Arashi: Oh, come on! Quit talking about the past; that’s so mean! You’re in a hurry, aren’t you? Go, go! I’ll take care of these kiddies for you ♪

Mika: Yup, thanks! Y’all listen to Naru-chan an’ be good now, y’hear?

I hope y’all like my performance ♪

Arashi: (Ahaha. The kids from Mika-chan’s hometown are hopping around and cheering for him...)

(They’re sooo cute. But they’re refusing to take off their costumes, so they actually look like real monsters; it’s a bit scary.)

(I wonder where he’s from, anyway. He has a Kansai accent, so I guess it’s somewhere around there...)

(But he never really talks about himself.)

(Well, I guess I’m the same way...)

(But still, we’re friends; we shouldn’t keep secrets from each other anymore. I was really happy when he told me he cares about me.)

(Good luck, Mika-chan. I’ll do my best, too.)

(I’ll keep living my best life, true to myself.)

Koga: Hey... you okama bastard. Help me carry him.[1]

Arashi: Really, I hate when you call me that.

I’ve told you so many times now... I’d prefer something more like Naru-chan—or even “Ranran,” playing off of Arashi ♪

Koga: What are you, a panda? Just gimme a hand already.[2]

This guy’s one of yours, ain’t he? Don’t make somebody from another unit take care of him.

Ritsu: Zzz... zzz... ♪

Arashi: Oh, Ritsu-chan. Right, I forgot he was performing for some reason.

What was that all about, anyway? I was so surprised, you know.

Koga: No idea. I guess Anzu got the wrong idea about some shit...

Or maybe not the wrong idea. She’s pretty damn impressive ♪

Arashi: You should try telling her that yourself. That girl’s self-esteem is abysmal.

Anyway, thanks for looking after Ritsu-chan. I’ll get it from here.

Koga: Sure. Just be careful you don’t drop ‘im. Here ya go ♪

Arashi: Yep, thanks. Jeez, Ritsu-chan is out cold. It’s rare for him to sleep at night. Fufu, his face is like an angel’s... ♪

Koga: Quit wastin’ time and go meet up with your buddies. You ain’t done for the night, right?

I’mma take a quick break and recharge my battery for my big comeback ♪

Arashi: Fufu. You’re quite the hard worker, aren’t you? And your doggy ears are sooo cute ♪

Koga: It ain’t my style—Anzu designed the costume.

...Whoa?!

Natsume: “♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

Koga: Fuck, that’s a hell of a show! What is that, fireworks?!

Arashi: This is what all Switch lives are like. They have unique performances you won’t find from other units.

They’re so mysterious, even we’re a little scared of going up against them ♪

Koga: Haha! Can’t say I hate it, that’s for damn sure!

It’s irritating as shit, but I gotta hand it to the vampire bastard’s li’l protégé. I don’t get it, but it’s flashy, extreme, and fun ♪

Heyyy! Keep up the good work, you shitty ginger! How’d you get up in the air like that anyway?! I don’t get it! Gyahahaha ☆

Natsume: (Shut up, you damn mutt... It’s flying through the air because it’s held up by a string. Even children can see through these simple tricks.)

(Ah, I should focus...)

(We weren’t even supposed to participate in this Halloween Party. As a result, I feel as though we haven’t practiced enough.)

(Shu-nii-san drilled us half to death, so our skill is up to par. But who knows what may occur atop the stage?)

Sora: ......

Natsume: Sora? What’s wrong? You’re just standing there...?

(Oh, that won’t work; It’s too loud to hear anything. I’ll have to get down to check on him.)

(What a pain. This reality we’re in never ceases moving even for a moment... ♪)

  1. オカマ (okama) is a term describing a gay man, a male cross-dresser, or an effeminate man. It is not always used as derogatorily and indeed is embraced by some who self-label as okama—though Koga is absolutely using it as an insult here. The term is derived from the word 釜 (kama, lit. “pot”; the o- is an honorific that indicates respect toward the thing in reference, though it can be used ironically), which was allegedly used as slang for “anus” during the Edo period and later evolved to refer to male sex workers who cross-dressed and engaged in anal sex. From the cross-dressing meaning it extended to include all effeminate men and gay men. There are English plenty of potential equivalents for okama, but due to the nuanced nature of the word I’ve elected to keep it in Japanese with a note instead of potentially flattening its meaning through an attempt at translation.
  2. Ranran seems to be a very common name for pandas; I can’t pinpoint any specific reference because I think I’m getting results for several pandas.