Madou Soshi anime ad translation

As promised, some info from the JP dub of the donghua from 2021.

T/N: Personal names don’t get glossed but sobriquets and place names do. The anime’s approach to personal names is in line with the novel; the audio drama is an outlier for overlocalization. This whole thing is 5 pages. Alt text added for all images.

Promotional poster featuring Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in dynamic poses, holding their respective instruments. Across the bottom is the show logo, and below that, some broadcast information. A red banner on the right contains additional information.ALT

Red banner: “Madou soshi” Japanese dub starts airing January 10, 2021 on WOWOW, TOKYO MX, and BS11

Bottom text: (TV scheduling information.)

Miscellaneous screen caps of the anime, From left to right: a head shot of Wei Wuxian playing his flute with glowing red eyes. A head shot of young Lan Wangji at a three-quarter profile. A headshot of adult Lan Wangji in a dark room. The Lotus Pier ablaze. A wide shot of Guan yin temple with a vortex in the air and magic flowing vertically into the air, and a foo dog in the foreground. A silhouette of Wei Wuxian playing the flute against the full moon with bats flying all around. The banners of all the major clans during the Sun shot Campaign, reading Jiang, Jin, Lan (obscured), and Nie. Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui in the Mo manorial courtyard at night. Young Wei Wuxian holding up a bottle of “Emperor’s Smile” wine in the pouring rain. Wei Wuxian looking over his shoulder with glowing red eyes, illuminated by green flames. A picturesque view of an elegant home with a circular window and a flowering tree. A headshot of adult Jiang Cheng in the dark woods with a purple flicker of electricity.ALT

The world was fed up with the limits of the Kizan Wen clan’s tyranny, and the people were wheezing with anguish. The disciples of the cultivation world—the Koso Lan clan, Unmu Jiang clan, Ranryou Jin clan, and Seiga Nie clan—joined forces for the “Sun shot campaign” and succeeded in subjugating the Wen clan.

Wei Wuxian, the Iryou Elder, contributed greatly to the success of the “Sun shot campaign,” but due to the fact that his mastery of kidou (鬼道) made him the most powerful, he was feared by the people, slandered, and ultimately beckoned the total destruction of his body.

And now, 13 years later…Wei Wuxian, who was supposed to be dead, is brought back to life by magic, and reunites with his old friend, Lan Wangji of the Koso Lan clan, and his brother Jiang Cheng of the Unmu Jiang clan. However, the mysteries of the past have not yet vanished, and society begins to doubt him all over again.

All stories start with a chance encounter during their youth.

Head shots of the following characters from left to right, clustered by their affiliated clan: Jiang Fengmian, Jiang Cheng, Yu Ziyuan, Jiang Yanli, Jin Ling, Jin Zixuan, Jin Guangshan, Jin Guangyao, Nie Mingjue, Nie Huaisang, Lan Xichen, Lan Qiren, Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Su She, Wen Ning, Wen Qing, Wen Ruohan, Wen Zhuliu, Wen Chao, Wang Lingzhao. In the center of the page are full body illustrations of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji identical to the Page 1 promo image, but not layered on top of each other.ALT

(T/N: I’m not going to rekey the relationship chart. It doesn’t say anything you don’t already know. Full cast list in the Wikipedia link below.)

Wei Wuxian caption: An innocent, uncontrolled free-spirit. Frivolous, but has the makings of a genius. Manipulates corpses with the sounds of a flute, and creator of “kidou” (鬼道), [a technique that] utilizes yin energy. Subjugated 13 years ago, but brought back to life with magic. Also called Wei Ying.

Lan Wangji caption: The second son of a famous cultivation household, the Koso Lan clan. Remarkably excellent, and of irreproachable conduct. Extremely serious and fastidious. Long ago he had many skirmishes with the free-spirited Wei Wuxian. Excels at using the Lan clan’s secret technique with the guqin. Also called Lan Zhan.

A six-panel comic and short interview read from right to left. Everyone is chibi. Panel 1: Wei Wuxian raises his arm jovially toward an expressionless Lan Wangji. Panel 2: Wei Wuxian closes his eyes and a fist excitedly. Lan Wangji raises his pointer finger and starts lecturing. Panel 3: Lan Wangji continues to lecture. Wei Wuxian crosses his arms, overwhelmed with information. Panel 4: disembodied heads of Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng continue their dialogue. Below them, the panel is split in five, with bust shots of Lan Xichen on a light blue background with the Lan family rolling clouds crest, Jiang Cheng on a purple background with the nine petal lotus crest, Jin Ling on a pale yellow background with a sparks-amid-snow yellow peony crest, Nie Huaisang on an indigo background with the ogre head crest, and Wen Chao on a pale salmon background with a red scorching sun crest. Lan Xichen smiles. Jiang Cheng brandishes a sword with knit eyebrows. Jin Ling is pensively avoiding eye contact with the reader. Nie Huaisang gives an open mouth smile to the reader, fan in hand. Wen Chao also pensively smiles at the reader, with arms crossed. Panel 5: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji hold their instruments, surrounded by music notes. Wei Wuxian is walking and talking with one eye closed. Panel 6: a group photo featuring Jiang Cheng crossing his arms, Wen Ning smiling, Wei Wuxian winking and waving at the reader, a black rabbit with red eyes, and a white spot on its forehead and for its eyebrows, Lan Wangji with a neutral expression, a white rabbit with red eyes, and a peach spot on its forehead and for its eyebrows, Lan Sizhui smiling and holding a yellow talisman, and Lan Jingyi also waving at the reader.ALT

Panel 1
WWX: Lan Zhan! Our story’s finally going to start in Japan!
WWX: Let’s introduce some of the difficult-looking vocab so everyone can enjoy [the show]
LWJ: …

Panel 2
WWX: Alright, start by explaining “cultivation clans” and “cultivators” right off the bat.
LWJ: “Cultivators” are disciples who exterminate ghosts and evil spirits and protect people’s safety.
LWJ: Cultivators are affiliated with “cultivation clans”, and discipline themselves in order to further their knowledge and hone their craft.

Panel 3
LWJ: “The Five Great Clans”—the generic term for each cultivation clan is the “the cultivation world”; of those, the best are the Koso Lan clan, the Unmu Jiang clan, the Ranryou Jin clan, the Seiga Nie clan, and the Kizan Wen clan, thus the “Five Great Clans”.
WWX: That’s too long-winded!

Panel 4
WWX: If you think there’s too many kanji, you can just tell everyone apart by color.
WWX: Like, the Jiang clan’s purple!
JC: Hey, that’s crude.

Panel 5
WWX: Zombie-like monsters called “corpses” will appear, but I can manipulate them with mu flute.
WWX: Lan Zhan can defeat them with his koto!

Panel 6:
WWX: Make sure to tune in for the Japanese dub broadcast this January!

Kimura Ryouhei (voice of Wei Wuxian)

—Tell us something you find fascinating about the original work or characters.

It’s the most exciting world with a combination of the air of another country and fantasy. Please look forward to the drama depicted between characters who are so finely chiseled they’re true-to-life living there!

—Do you have a message for viewers awaiting the dub broadcast?

You’ll probably be perplexed by all the names and factions, and proper nouns you’re not used to hearing, but that’s okay! The story will lead you along. If you stick with it, you’ll surely have a wonderful time. I’ll be happy if you fall in love with the vivacious cast!

Tachibana Shinnosuke (voice of Lan Wangji)

—Tell us something you find fascinating about the original work or characters.

No matter how many times I say it, the art is absolutely gorgeous! There’s a beauty to the Chinese style coloration, but I feel like the work’s atmosphere can be conveyed just by looking at the art. And the characters move a lot. I feel like I can perceive the vitality and ambiance on my skin. Also, there are a ton of hot guys (laughs).

—Do you have a message for viewers awaiting the dub broadcast?

This internationally acclaimed work has finally touched down in Japan with the Japanese anime dub! I hope you enjoy a host of characters who bustle around, their sentiments and exchanges, and the subtleties of Wei Ying and Lan Zhan’s hearts. I look forward to enjoying this magnificent story together with everyone ☆

Another promotional image of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. Against a backdrop of a mountainous waterfall, with intermittent rolling clouds, they run toward the left, with swords in hand. Below them are the production staff, music, and cast credits.ALT

Full staff and cast list (T/N: again, I’m not rekeying that. Here it is on Wikipedia instead.)

Opening theme: “Senya souka” by CIVILIAN (JP LYRICS)

Ending theme: “Kiro” by Aimer (JP LYRICS)   

Visit the website at https://mdzs.jp/anime/ or follow us on twitter @/mdzsjp

Source: https://mdzs.jp/anime/special/book/