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).
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*Calling card – 予告状 – (Yokokujou)*: For those wondering what it is, In the game, Persona 5, these cards were sent by the Phantom Thieves to the persons they target, indicating an imminent attack on their psyche to “change their heart”, i.e. to make them confess what they have done and change their ways. Basically the card outlines their particular crime, why they’re being targeted, and informs them that the attack is coming the following day.
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*Original text:*
金を貪る暴食の大罪人,
カネシロジュンヤ殿。
詐欺に明け暮れ、未成年だけを狙う愚劣な手口。
我々はすべての罪を、
お前の口から告白させることにした。
その歪んだ欲望を頂戴する。
**心の怪盗団より**
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*English (my loose translation, not necessarily the original English version of the game):*
To the great criminal of money-desiring gluttony
Mister Kaneshiro Junya
Entirely through swindle, you particularly target underage people through foolish underhand means…(so) We have decided to make you confess every one of your crimes from your own mouth.
We will take your distorted desires.
**From the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.**
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*Romaji:*
Kane wo musaboru boushoku no daizainin,
Kaneshiro Junya-dono
Sagi ni akekure, miseinen dake wo nerau guretsu na teguchi.
ware ware ha subete no tsumi wo,
omae no kuchi kara kokuhaku saseru koto ni shita
sono yuganda yokubou wo choudai suru
**kokoro no kaitoudan yori**
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**Notes:**
カネシロジュンヤ殿: Kaneshiro Junya-dono. Welcome back to the wonderful rabbit hole of Japanese names. Given that the Phantom Thieves, rightfully, consider Kaneshiro with utter contempt, it may explain why they didn’t bother to write his name in Kanji, i.e. 金城潤矢
His last name, 金城 (Kaneshiro), “money-castle” should speak for itself.
Again, note 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, depending on the context, pejorative, as it implies the one addressing the other with that title is in a higher position. Like a teacher towards naughty student, or a superior at work vs. a junior colleague. A central theme of the game is rebellion against a world of uncaring, evil adults, therefore this inversion of teenagers addressing adults with this.
暴食 (boushoku): gluttony. note the pattern with the other calling cards
明け暮れ (akekure) : doing nothing but this, “from dawn to dusk”
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.
頂戴する: a nice formal way of saying to take, to gladly accept taking something.
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.
Japanese word for “calling card” which is 予告状 (Yokokujou). Oddly enough, in the soundtrack, the lyrics of the battle song “Take Over” make reference to a “prior notice card” which is a direct translation of the word.
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Previous posts:
[First Calling Card (Kamoshida)](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanese/comments/10soa3c/persona_5_first_calling_card_kamoshida_japeng/)
[Second Calling Card (Madarame)](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanese/comments/114xigb/persona_5_second_calling_card_madarame/)