Bonus Track! “Like, This Sort of Birthday Song.”

[GENERATION FAILED - RAW TEXT]

1 “As a wise man once said, never forget what it was to be new.”A quote from the Muromachi-era actor and playwright, Zeami Motokiyo. The quote is a caution to never forget the earnest feelings and humility of a beginner; the original context concerned Noh theater.

2Rurouni Kenshinis a manga from the 1990s by Nobuhiro Watsuki about a wandering swordsman, set in the Meiji period. The titular character, Kenshin, practices the Hiten Mitsurugi school of kendo. His technique is focused on Iai, the art of drawing a blade quickly from the sheath. One of the precepts of his school is that you should always be on guard and ready for a follow-up strike.

3 “Come on, do you have heaven’s memo pad or something?”A series of light novels, titledHeaven’s Memo Pad, by Hikaru Sugii that also has an anime adaptation. It’s a detective story that focuses on solving mysteries with limited resources via smarts and deduction.

4Ayamato nadeshikois the traditional ideal woman. She should always be quiet, be reserved, and walk three steps behind her husband.Yamatois an old word for ethnically Japanese people, and anadeshikois a flower generally called a “fringed pink” in English. In modern times, it’s considered an old-fashioned ideal.

5 “…I dashed away as fast as a certain combat butler…”This refers to the manga by Kenjiro Hata,Hayate the Combat Butler, which began in 2004. The main character, the “combat butler,” is named Hayate, which means “wind.” So in running as fast as him, Hachiman is running as fast as…the wind.

6Jooshy polly yeyis a greeting coined by Chiaki Takahashi, a voice actor, singer, and gravure model. Meant to sound like “juicy party yay” and has no particular deep meaning.

7 “Are you blood type A, Yukinon?”It’s a popular belief in Japan that blood type determines personality. It’s a sort of astrology, and almost everyone knows their blood type and the personality traits associated with it. Type A is the farmer: conservative, introverted, perfectionist. Type B is the hunter: creative, free-spirited, unpredictable. Type AB is the humanist: rational, organized, and empathetic. Type O is the warrior: outgoing, social, and a natural leader.

8 “Calm thyself, my right hand!”This is most likely a reference to the mangaParasyteby Hitoshi Iwaaki, in which the main character has his hand possessed by an alien parasite.

9 “‘Like how we both like celery, and we’re both demanding.’ Plus, we hate summer and are willing to compromise.”This exchange is a reference to the lyrics of the song “Celery” by the extremely popular, if aging, boy band SMAP. The beginning of the song goes: “We were raised in different environments, so it’s inevitable we’d have different tastes / Like hating summer or liking celery / Not to mention that we’re a man and a woman, so misunderstandings are bound to happen / We compromise and get demanding.”

10 “They’re the kind of people who would name me Hachiman because I was born on August eighth.”Thehachiin Hachiman means “eight,” and the word for “August” in Japanese literally means “eighth month.”

11 “My name was chosen just because it was snowing when I was born.”Theyukiin Yukino means “snow.”

12 “Don’t seduce someone else’spetite soeur. The Virgin Mary is watching you.”Hachiman is referring to the girls’ love light-novel series Maria-sama ga Miteiru (The Virgin Mary Is Watching) by Oyuki Konno, which was also adapted into a manga and anime. The story is set in a Catholic all-girls’ school that has a system where an older girl, called thegrande soeur(older sister), chooses a younger girl as herpetite soeur(younger sister) to lead and guide her. Of course, it’s a loaded relationship.Yurimeans “white lily” and also girls’ love.

13 “…the kanji saysfate, but the ruby readsGrampa.”Kanji characters convey meaning, but it’s difficult to know how to pronounce them unless you already know the word. Often in manga and light novels, especially for younger readers, tiny phonetic characters will be provided above the kanji. Pronunciation guides like this are called “ruby.” Sometimes, instead of explaining pronunciation, ruby will be used for artistic effect. When Zaimokuza says “the kanji saysfate, but the ruby readsGrampa,” it’s as if he is creating a new word that means “fate” but is pronounced “Grampa.” Of course, this is something that works only in writing.

14 “My parents just wanted me to live a life full of color.”Saikameans “add color.”

15 “This time, Buddha’s watching you, too.”Oshaka-sama mo Miteiru (Buddha Is Watching You, Too) is a spinoff novel series of Maria-sama ga Miteiru. Mandalas are a spiritual symbol in Buddhism.

16 Byakko, the white tiger, is one of the four symbols of Chinese constellations, along with Seiryuu the dragon, Genbu the turtle, and Suzaku the phoenix.

17 Ultra Divine Wateris a special drink inDragon Ballthat will draw out the full potential of the drinker if they can survive its poisonous effects.

18 “Shocking First Bullet!”This is a skill that is a special attack of Kazuma Torisuna, the main character in theshonenanimeS-CRY-ed.

19 “Oh, ohhhh~! Dividing Driver!”This is from the opening song ofThe King of Braves GaoGaiGar, a mecha anime from the late 1990s.