The End of the World II

Some more character portraits for the boardgame I’m working on.  Just got the zombie horde and angry mob to go now… they’ll be a lot harder.

Blackout

Here’s another song from the brilliant Shiina Ringo, this time from the band she formed in 2004, Tokyo Jihen (東京事変 also known as Tokyo Incidents).  Again, tanslations for this one are a bit hard to come by on the internets, so I thought I’d try my hand.  It’s called Blackout.

ブラックアウト
Burakkuauto
Blackout

山ノ手線 最終で何処へ行こうと云うの?
Yamanotesen saishu de doko e ikou to iu no?
On the last train of Yamanote line where do you say we go?

都市の芳香いが変わり桜はもう散っている
Machi no nioi ga kawari sakura wa mou chitteiru
The smell of the city changes, the cherry blossom is already shedding its petals

急いで帰る気温は疾(とう)に北へと逃げ去った様
Isoide kaeru kion wa touni kita e to nigesatta
The cold flees quickly north

抜け駆けで何処へでも遊びに行きましょう
Nukegake de doko e demo asobi ni ikimashou
Let’s go somewhere while no-one knows

もっと酔って居たい
Motto yotte itai
I want to drink more

哀しく満たされ寒さより明るさが疎ましいのさ
Kanashiku mitasare samusa yori akarusa ga utomashii no sa
Filled with sadness, I hate the light more than the cold, you know

都市のネオンはきっと星達を奪ったのだ
Machi no neon wa kitto hoshi tachi wo ubatta no da
Perhaps the neon of the city has stolen the stars

希望の通り黒い時間が二人を匿っている
Kibou no toori kuroi jikan ga futari o kakumatteiru
On the path of hope, we two are surrounded by blackness

抜け駆けで何処へでも私を連れて行って
Nukegake de doko e demo watashi wo tsurete itte
Come away with me somewhere while no-one knows

今日は帰らない
Kyou wa kaeranai
I won’t go home today

素面になってしまいそう
Shirafu ni natte shimai sou
I’ll probably sober up

遠くまで揺らせて運んで行って
Touku made yurasete hakonde itte
Lead me, shaking, far away

もっと酔って居たい
Motto yotte itai
I want to drink more

哀しく汚され何時もより撓やかに忘れたいのさ
Kanashiku yogosare itsu mo yori shinayaka ni wasuretai no sa
Stained by sadness, more than usual, I want to easily forget, you know

白く照らされる日々に置いて行かれそうで
Shiroku terasareru hibi ni oite ikaresou de
I’ll be left behind by the days that brightly light me

ちょっと隠れたいだけ
Chotto kakuretai dake
I just want to hide for a bit

分かっている
Wakatteiru
But I understand

是以上は無い
Kore ijou wa nai
I can’t do that

だから連れて行って
Dakara tsurete itte
So come away with me

帰りたくない
Kaeritakunai
I don’t want to go home

誰も知らないけど
Dare mo shiranai kedo
Noone knows

何より嗚呼!
Nani yori aa!
But more than anything

あなたが疎ましいのさ
Anata ga utomashii no sa
I hate you, you know

The End of the World

One of my favourite books ever is A Night In the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny; it’s this awesome pastiche about classic horror characters – Rasputin, Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman – indulging in tangled Lovecraftian intrigues, and narrated by Jack the Ripper’s dog.  After I read it for the first time as a teenager I had a dream that it was a boardgame, and the idea floated around my head for over a decade, until recently I reread it and decided to have a go making a game based on it.

I’ve worked most of the rules, but before I test out whether they actually work with the help of some indulgent friends, I need to make the board and the various pieces and cards; here are some rough sketches I’ve done in photoshop over the last few days of some of the characters; I’m not sure how exactly, but printed out suitably small and made to stand up they’ll probably serve as playing pieces.