Liner Notes

Volume 1: Legendary Swordsman

• Battousai - The "Sai" in battousai is a kanji that is often used in a nickname in old Japan, and thus doesn't really matter in this case, as I've found out from reading my J-E dictionary. If it has to be translated, I would probably be choosing "Master" or "Lord" for "Sai", "Battou" means to draw ones sword, usually for battle. This can be either a verb or a noun.
  
  
• Oro?- Many fans of the original know this is one of Kenshin's signature outbursts. It seems to be a form of "Ara?" which translates to "Oh?" or "Huh?" but since those outbursts are relatively universal in nature I kept it as-is.
  
  
• Gozaru- "-gozaru" is a sentence-ender favored by Kenshin in wanderer mode (Similar in usage by our wanderer to the "-no da" from Fushigi Yugi). It is another (Slightly Archaic) way of saying "-da/-desu-/-de aru" which is a suffix conjugation for "to be". Since adding it as-is at the end of English sentences makes the sentence flow awkward it will be conjugated along the lines of "That it/he/she/ they is/are" (Although I'd rather leave it out altogether, future points do not allow me as such...for starters, Kenshin in "Battousai" mode doesn't use -gozaru)......
  
  
• Sakabatou- It really is "reverse-blade katana" literally... ^_^;
  
  
• Kamiya Katsushin-ryu- Kamiya is the family name (duh). Katsu- to revitalize, Shin- heart/soul. Ryu - Style/Method/School. Therefore it probably translates best as "Kamiya Heart Revitalization Style". I decided on style because I still needed "School" for the term "Dojo".
  
  
• Kendo- The closest thing Japan has to fencing, and the remains of swordsmanship practiced by the Samurai since the Meiji Revolution. In the modern age, players wear relatively heavy armor that covers the body and the head, and play with wooden swords. In the setting used by the series. They still use wooden swords but the student, nor the teacher wear any armor.
  
  
• Dojo- The place where Martial Arts is taught, practiced, and often times perfected, the meaning is closest to "School" in this case.
  
  
• Dono- "-dono" is an old honorific along the lines of "-sama", Usually used for men, illustrated by many J-F dictionaries which cite it only as "master" or "esquire". It is probaly worthy to note that Kenshin is the only character who uses this to any extent out of politeness and he drops this honorific at certain plot points concerning Kaoru.
  
  
• Tokyo-fu Shizoku- It's "not" Tokyo fushi-zoku (mainly because there is such a term as "Fushi"...) "Fu" is one of the four ways of addressing a prefecture in Japan (the others being Ken, to, and Dou)...The only prefectures that use "fu" Today are Osaka and Kyoto, but back in the Meiji Era, Tokyo used it as well. (Today, Tokyo is the only prefecture to use "To" as its addressee suffix) "shizoku" literally is the descendants of the Samurai class.
  
  
• Cho-han- a simple dice game. The dealer first pats two dice in a cup (ussually made out of hay, like, oh, wicker baskets) and shakes it. he then puts the cup down and asks for bets. Betters either go for "Cho" (Sums of the two dice are even) or "Han" (sum of the two dice is odd). Dealer lifts cup, winner gets all, loser pays all (gee it sounds like Vegas)
  
  
• Mon- old Japanese monetary unit. back in the Tokugawa regime 960 mon equaled 1 "kan". After the Meiji Era began, 1 "Kan" became known as 10 "Sen" (and one Sen being 1/100th of a "yen") Thus we are talking 1/960th of 0.1 yen in modern terms, although if you see any coins that are 1 mon, the historical/archeological value should push it up several orders of magnitude
  
  
• Tanooki- An animal commonly known in Japan (but not much outside Japan) often translated as the "Racoon Dog" The Japanese myths tack on an added bonus for these creatures are said to shapeshift easily into human form to trick dumb humans.
  
  
• Satsuma- The southwest region of Japan, this is the group that was one of the main imperialist forces in the Meiji Revolution. Therefore, these cops in saying that they are from Satsuma, asser that they are what created the meiji era, they are the law, that they are supreme, etc, etc.
  
  
• Kinpira-gobou- "Gobou" is the root of the burdock plant. The dish is a simple yet traditional Japanese dish where this burdock root is chopped into toothpick-size slivers, and cooked in combinations of soy sauce, sesame oil, and other spices (the recipe differs for every family)...
  
  
• Saigou- most likely a referance to Takamori Saigou a well-known politician of this era who was part of the group representing Satsuma (Much like the police swordsman from Episode 3)
  
  
• Gorotsuki-nagaya- "Gorotsuki" ruffians/rowdies/roughneck/bully/hooligan/vegabond/etc. While "nagaya" is the old Japanese form of apartments much like college dorms (one room in a large row house, with communal bathrooms)
  
  

  Walters Extra Liner Notes

  (These did not appear in the Dvd at all)-
• Satsuma Jigen Ryu- Because I'm such a big swordsman buff, I figure this was worth noting. The Satsuma Style Jigenryu used by the policeman in episode 3 (chapter 2 in the manga) is an actual style. The style is one that really depends on hitting in the first move, as you're left wide open afterwards. It's probably best known ((atleast from me)) by Tanaka Shinbe, a hitokiri in the Revolution working for the imperialists. Figured it was worth mentioning.
  
  
• Kendo- The liner note says that the armor isn't used in the series, but in the manga Kaoru does indeed use armor at one point, right when the whole Yutarou and Raijuuta mini-arc begins.