#harukis hair

So about Hanaoka’s hair salon.

It’s called Hair Salon Harusame.

春雨 means vermicelli.

It also combines characters from Haruki’s (春樹) name, as well as Ugetsu’s (雨月).

Haruki, Ugetsu, and Haruki’s hair.

Hanaoka is the keeper of Akihiko’s greatest loves.

EDITED TO INCLUDE: 春雨 does in fact also mean spring rain, the literal and more poetic meaning of those two characters.

However, I live a food-centric life, and I see 春雨 and I think vermicelli. The translations reflect my personal biases too; this is in the nature of translations too, and I’m embracing it.  

Including this for accuracy, but I would also like to point out…“Salon Spring Rain” isn’t quite accurate either. The word is more common as vermicelli now, and the use of spring rain is more from older poetry or literature.

It is all three at once: poetic and silly and meaningful.

It’s great.

I saw this once and could not unsee it.

Ultimate spoiler for Given vol. 4.

No translation because the words aren’t what are important.

We go from a scene of Akihiko taking Haruki’s hair—which he has just accidentally burned while lighting a cigarette—between his fingers, commenting on how he is growing it out so long. Haruki pulls away with such ferocity that it shocks Akihiko (who knows about Haruki’s feelings for him but not the emotion that he has put into his hair). Haruki contemplates that he has to cut his hair later…

AND WE CUT, to Yayoi chopping off her hair because Akihiko has—subtextually—rejected her.

It is so perfect.

This transition was different in the anime because they consolidated so many of the Akiharu scenes into ep 5, and I lament the loss of this foreshadowing.

(Also by the way, fun to contemplate how all of Akihiko’s rejections are subtext. But a meta for another day, when I have more time.)