Shodo Girls ~Our Tournament~

A group of high school girls grow up in a small town of Shikoku-chuo, Ehime, where businesses are shutting down and people are leaving for bigger cities. Satoko is a calligrapher who loves her city, and she discovers calligraphy performances in order to revitalize her town.

This movie was originally released in 2010, starring Narumi Riko and directed by Inomata Ryuichi, and is based on a true story.

Translation Notes/Trivia

• Calligraphy performances
  • By Ikezawa: 来たれ 書道部 (kitare shodo-bu) — Join the Calligraphy Club!
  • By Kiyomi: 愛 (ai) — Love
  • By Kiyomi, Satoko and Kana: 永年のご愛顧に 感謝 吉永文具店 (naganenn no goaikou ni kansha. Yoshinaga Bungu-ten) — Thank you for many years of patronage, signed Yoshinaga Stationary Store
  • In front of City Hall: 書道パフォーマンス甲子園にご協力下さい (shodo performance koushien ni gokyouryoku kudasai) — Please help us with our Calligraphy Performance Tournament!
  • The Tournament pieces are covered below
• References
  • In the park after Kana says “I’m inspired!” the kids say “like Koizumi PM!” This is because on May 27, 2001, when Koizumi Junichiro was the Prime Minister of Japan, he awarded the champion sumo wrestler of that year with the speech “Good job enduring this through all the pain. I’m inspired!”
• Shikoku-chuo is a real city in the island of Shikoku. It’s famous for the large smoke stacks belonging to the nationwide paper mill factory, Daio Paper Corporation but the town also has several local paper factories, like the Takeda Washi Paper Factory.
• There is 3 techniques to calligraphy: 1) stop, 2) sweep, and 3) return. In one word 永 (meaning forever) there is the abrupt stop at the top, a sweep on the left and right side, and a return of a hook in the bottom middle.
• Kaneko Nobuaki, the actor who played the advisor, is a rock musician for the group Rize.

Watch Online

Extra

The 4 extra videos that comes with the movie are subbed and available to watch on Blitz Storm.

Download

Shodo Girls!! ~ Watashi-tachi no Koushien[EN][Blitz].mkv
( 720×400 | 2:01:39 | 869MB )

Calligraphy Performance Tournament

Below are the 4 large pieces written by each school.

• By Yoshinogawa High School:
  風林火山 (furinkazan)
  風のように・・・ (kaze no youni…<can’t read the rest>)
  林のように凛として (hayashi no youni rin to shite)
  火のように熱く (hi no youni atsuku)
  山のように堂々と (yama no youni doudou to)
  English: Wind, Wood, Fire, Mountain. As <something> as the wind, as dignified as the forest, as hot as the fire, and as proud as the mountain
• By Kurashiki Tech High School: (These are excerpts from the song they performed to, “Chiisana Uta” by MONGOL800)
  青い地球の (aoi chikuyuu no)
  広い世界であなたと出会い (hiroi sekai de anata to deai)
  時は流れる遥か彼方へ (toki wa nagareru haruka kanata he)
  やさしい歌は (yasashii uta wa)
  世界を変える (sekai wo kaeru)
  握りしめた (nigiri shimeta)
  思いは強く (omoi wa tsuyoku)
  永遠を誓う (eien wo chikau)
  あなたにだけ届いて欲しい (anata dake ni todoite hoshii)
  永遠の星 (eien no hoshi)
  響 (hibiku)
  English: On this blue Earth, in this vast world, I met you and time has passed to somewhere far away. This sweet song will change the world. I hold on tightly to this emotion, and pledge my forever. I just want this to reach you, my star forever. Resonate!
  • The original meaning of the song is slightly different. Do check out the extras for the original translation of the song.
• By Hyuga Commercial High School:
  超えるべきは自分 (koeru beki wa jibun)
  咲き誇れ (saki hokore)
  花たちよ (hana tachi yo)
  辛くても苦しくても (tsurakute mo kurushikute mo)
  いつか開く成長の花 (itsuka hiraku seichou no hana)
  百花繚乱 (hyakka ryoran)
  努力は必ず実を結ぶ (doryoku wa kanarazu mi wo musubu
  涙や汗は努力の花 (namida ya ase wa doryoku no hana)
  前を向いて歩こう (mae wo muite arukou)
  一歩踏み出す勇気の (ippo fumidasu yuuki no)
  きっと明るい未来が待っている (kitto akarui mirai ga matteiru)
  思い描く夢の花 (omoi egaku yume no hana)
  English: Your biggest rival is yourself. Bloom proudly, flowers. Even if it’s hard and unbearable now, the flowers will grow and bloom. A profusion of flowers. The hard work will bear fruit one day. Tears and sweat are proof of hard work. Look ahead, to get the courage to take the next step. The bright future is waiting. Bloom into the flower of your dreams.
• By Shikoku-chuo High School: (These are excerpts from the song they performed to, “Letter ~Dear 15-year-old You~” by Angela Aki)
  再生 (Saisei)
  いつの時代も悲しみを (itu no jidai mo kanashimi wo)
  避けては (sakete wa)
  通れないけど (toorenai kedo)
  笑顔を見せて (egao wo misete)
  今生きていこう (ima ikite ikou)
  拝啓この手紙読んでいる (haikei kono tegami yondeiru)
  あなたが幸せな (anataga shiawase na)
  事を願います (kotowo negai masu)
  四国中央高校書道部 (Shikoku-chuo koukou shodo-bu)
  English: Reborn! You can’t always avoid pain in your life but show your smile and live in the moment. Dear you, who is reading this letter, I pray for your happiness. By Shikoku-chuo High School Calligraphy Club