I figured it would be fun to do some textual analysis for Japanese learners. Particularly because the game has the original calling cards in-game (just like a lot of other items throughout the game), and because I consider this moment iconic within this awesome masterpiece.
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「色欲」のクソ野郎
鴨志田卓殿。
抵抗できない生徒に歪んだ欲望をぶつける、
お前のクソさ加減はわかってる。
だから俺たちは、お前の歪んだ欲望を盗って、
お前に罪を告白させることにした。
明日やってやるから待ってなさい。
**心の怪盗団より**
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*English (my loose translation, not necessarily the original English version of the game):*
Lustful Bastard,
Mister Suguru Kamoshida
Having forced your perverted/distorted desires on students that cannot resist,
the extent of your shittyness has become clear.
Therefore by stealing your perverted/distorted desires,
we have decided to make you confess your crimes.
We’re going to do this tomorrow, so please wait/stand by.
**From the Phantom Thieves of Hearts**
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*Romaji:*
Shikiyoku no kusoyaro
Kamoshida Suguru-dono.
Teikou dekinai Seito ni yuganda yokubou wo butsukeru,
omae no kusosa kagen wa wakatteru.
Dakara oretachi ha, omae no yuganda yokubou wo ubatte,
omae ni tsumi wo kokuhaku saseru koto ni shita.
Ashita yatte yaru kara matte nasai.
**kokoro no kaitoudan yori**
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***Notes:***
鴨志田卓殿: Kamoshida Suguru-dono. Welcome to the wonderful rabbit hole of Japanese names (卓=suguru) and their kanji. 鴨 (kamo) means duck. Not sure if this alludes to anything.
More importantly is the final title “dono” which I translated with “Mister” (different from Mr.).”Dono” is different from what kanji, meaning “lord” implies. “dono” at the end of a name is very pejorative, like looking down on the person. Like a teacher looks down on a naughty student.
歪んだ (yuganda) is the past form of 歪む (yugamu). 歪 is a Hyougai Kanji outside of the two official lists. Meaning to “be distorted”, (even the kanji itself is made of two parts, “not” at the top and “correct” at the bottom). It’s an important term throughout the game.
クソ野郎 /クソさ: Kuso (kanji: 糞) means shit and is used in lots of different expressions, including Kusoyarou meaning “shitty person” or “bastard”. Comically informal is the use of クソさ (kusosa) turning it into both an adjective and noun for “shittyness”.
ことにした (Koto ni shita): part of the “koto ni suru” grammatical construction, i.e. to be decided, to decide on
怪盗団 (kaitoudan): The Phantom Thieves, or literally, “ghostly thief band”. all 1 word with 3 characters.
より (yori): It’s a special “yori” here, not the comparative one, used to say less than/more than. Rather here it is similar to “kara” meaning from.
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