I've been collecting the puns hidden in the chapter titles since the sequel manga started serialization, and I think it's time now to share this list with everyone. In contrast to the original series, the puns in Ishida's chapter titles are now English/Engrish puns: They are formed by prefixing some part of the title with re-.
Here is a rough tentative guideline for how to figure out these puns:
If the title is formed by a regular Japanese word, just translate it to English and put re- in front. Note that you might have to change the pronunciation a little to find the pun.
Sometimes, you also arrive at the pun by reading the Japanese word and add re- in front of the Japanese reading.
If it's not a Japanese word, you have to try different readings of the title. Sometimes, Ishida uses two made-up words that can be read the same way. In this case, this is the intended reading. Otherwise, you have no choice but to go through all readings. Add re- in front of the candidate readings and try to match it with English words. Sometimes, you also have to translate the candidate readings into English first and then add re-.
I'm not sure yet what to do with Japanese particles that appear in the titles of the first few chapters. Perhaps you're meant to ignore them, perhaps you're meant to keep them.
I do not guarantee that this list is correct or complete, since I can't read Ishida's mind.
If you have some corrections, additions or suggestions, please post them here! Without further ado, let's get to the puns in :re's titles. I'll try to keep this list updated for future chapters.
Volume 1:
Spoiler
Chapter 1: Japanese title: 骨 Reading: hone Meaning: Bone Puns: re- + bone -> reborn
Chapter 2: Japanese title: 委舵と畏蛇 Reading: ida to ida Meaning: The Entrusted Helm and the Fearful Serpent Puns: re- + ida = reader, leader. If you're meant to interpret the particle, too, then it's "reader and leader" or "reader to leader". There is also a Japanese pun hidden there: 委舵 -> 舵を委ねる (read as: kaji o yudaneru, translates to: entrust the helm) -> 家事を委ねる (read as: kaji o yudaneru, translates to: entrust the housework) So the "Entrusted Helm" is a pun on "Entrusted Housework".
Chapter 3: Japanese title: 鐘 Reading: kane Meaning: Bell Pun: re- + bell = rebel.
Chapter 4: Japanese title: 未と師、視と屍 Reading: mi to shi, mi to shi Meaning: To be honest, a literal translation of this title doesn't really make sense, because it's basically "not yet and master, vision and corpse" (I don't think Ishida wants 未 to be read as "goat"). A more liberal translation would be "not yet a master, examining the corpses". Pun: The title is read as "mi to shi, mi to shi". Adding re- in front of "mi to" gives "limit" and "remit". I'm not certain how "shi" is meant to be interpreted, maybe as "see". Then you get "remit to see, limit to see".
Chapter 5: Japanese title: 執徒 Reading: shitto/shūto/(toruto?) Meaning: Persistent People / Futile Persistence / Persistent Futility Pun: There are multiple possibilities here. - can be read as shitto -> shit. Adding re- in front, you get re- + shitto -> resit. - can be read as shūto. So the pun might be re- + shūto -> reshoot. - maybe you could also read it as "toruto", then you get re- + toruto -> retort.
Chapter 6: Japanese title: 握人への悪賭 Reading: akuto e no akuto Meaning: A Bad Gamble towards the Seizer Note: Both 握人 and 悪賭 are read as "akuto". "akuto" also means "villain". Pun: re- + akuto = react/re-act.
Chapter 7: Japanese title: 昧人 Reading: maindo Meaning: People in the Dark Note: "昧" means "dark", but also has a connotation of "ignorance". Pun: re- + maindo = remind.
Chapter 8: Japanese title: 代行者 Reading: daikōsha Meaning: Agent (in the sense of representative) Pun: re- + agent = reagent (or regent?).
Chapter 9: Japanese title: 継情 Reading: keishō/keisei Meaning: Inherited Feelings Pun: keishō = form, keisei = taking form -> re- + form = reform.
Chapter 11: Japanese title: 待ち甲斐 Meaning: Value of Waiting Reading: machigai Pun: machigai = mistake mistake = miss in Japanese -> re- + miss = remiss.
Chapter 13: Japanese title: ああ降ろう、血 Meaning: Ah, It Shall Rain Blood Reading: ā furō, chi Pun: ā furō, chi ~ approach -> re- + approach = reapproach. ā furō = Afro Also, ā furō is also a pun on afurō, then the title means "Blood shall overflow" (that's why Nico is talking about the overflowing wine).
Chapter 14: Japanese title: 韻に触れる Meaning: Feel The Rhyme Reading: in ni fureru Pun: 韻に触れる -> 触れ韻 = furein re- + furein -> refrain.
Chapter 15: Japanese title: 更努 Meaning: Further Efforts Reading: kōdo Pun: re- + kōdo -> record.
Chapter 16: Japanese title: 右 Meaning: Right (as in the direction) Reading: migi Pun: re- + right -> rewrite, relight.
Chapter 17: Japanese title: モテ Meaning: Popular Reading: mote Pun: re- + mote -> remote.
Chapter 19: Japanese title: パーティー Meaning: Party Reading: pātī Pun: re- + party -> repartee.
Chapter 20: Japanese title: 回転移動 Meaning: Turn (see explanation below) Reading: kaiten idō Pun: re- + turn -> return. Explanation: "回転移動" literally means "rotational movement". In Mathematics, this refers to the rotation of a geometric object around a center (that might lie outside of the bounds of the geometric object). In other words, the title is "turn" in the sense of "rotation around a center".
Volume 3:
Spoiler
Chapter 21: Japanese title: 選る Meaning: To Choose / To Pick Reading: eru Pun: re- + eru -> reel.
Chapter 22: Japanese title: 謬徒 Meaning: Misled Person Reading: byūto Pun: re- + byūto -> reboot.[dubious]
Chapter 23: Japanese title: 梨酒 Meaning: Perry Reading: rishu Pun: re- + rishu -> relish.
Chapter 36: Japanese title: ふと Meaning: By Chance Reading: futo Pun: re- + futo = refute, reft or rift.
Chapter 37: Japanese title: 屍秘 Meaning: Corpse Secret Reading: shipi Pun: re- + shipi = recipe.
Chapter 38: Japanese title: あるM Meaning: A Certain M Reading: aru emu Pun: re- + aru m = realm or rearm; or: re- aru emu = real M.
Chapter 39: Japanese title: 深浅 Meaning: Depth Reading: shinsen Pun: shinsen also means "fresh" -> re- + fresh = refresh; alternative pun by Linmannies: re- + shinsen ~ recension.
Chapter 40: Japanese title: 網羅 Meaning: Cover(age) / Comprehensiveness Reading: mōra Pun: re- + cover = recover. Or: re- + mōra = remora; remora was also used in Elizabethan times as a metaphor for "hindrance".
Chapter 41: Japanese title: fのエース Meaning: The f Ace Reading: efu no ēsu Pun: re- + f + ace = reface.
Volume 5:
Spoiler
Chapter 42: Japanese title: 灯糸 Meaning: Thread of Light Reading: hiito Pun: re- + hiito = reheat.
Chapter 52: Japanese title: イヴ Meaning: Eve Reading: Ivu Pun: Many possibilities - re- + ivu = reeve, leave, reave, reef; there's also Líf, the rough equivalent of Eve in Norse mythology
Chapter 60: Japanese title: 血の糸 Meaning: Thread of Blood Reading: Chi no Ito Pun: re- + Chi no Ito = retinoid.
Chapter 61: Japanese title: the ENT Meaning: the ENT Reading: ji Ento Pun: re- + ji Ento = リ ジ エント = リージェンド = regent. (Legend works phonetically, too, but does not match as well as regent.)
Chapter 62: Japanese title: 都を抱く Meaning: Embracing the Capital Reading: To o Daku Pun: re- + daku + to = redact.
Chapter 63: Japanese title: 葬生樹 Meaning: Tree Buried Alive Reading: Soseiki Pun: Soseiki = (Book of) Genesis -> re- + genesis = regenesis. (Credits to anon at netabare.)
Volume 7:
Spoiler
Chapter 64: Japanese title: 喰う腑 Meaning: A Devouring Gut Reading: Kuu Fu Pun: re- + Kuufu = recoup.
Chapter 65: Japanese title: 重歩 Meaning: Heavy Steps Reading: Chōbo Pun: Chōbo -> 徴募 -> recruit/enlist => reenlist.
Chapter 66: Japanese title: 古き護り Meaning: Old Guard Reading: Furuki Mamori Pun: re- + furu + guard = regardful (Credits to anon at netabare).
Chapter 68: Japanese title: Sのそれ Meaning: S's That Reading: Esu no Sore Pun: re- + S + sore = rissole (credits to AjakaNish from TG wiki).
Chapter 69: Japanese title: 施浄 Meaning: Administer the Cleanse Reading: Sejō Pun: Sejō -> 施錠 -> lock => relock.
Chapter 70: Japanese title: カミナリウサギ Meaning: Thunder Rabbit Reading: Kaminari Usagi Pun: Write the title in kanji: 雷兎 -> Raito -> light => relight. Furthermore, light is Hikari in Japanese.
Chapter 72: Japanese title: 失神と伝導 Meaning: Trance and Transmission Reading: Shisshin to Dendō Pun: I'm not sure, but both start with "trance/trans", so it feels like "reentrance" or something.
Chapter 73: Japanese title: 花 Meaning: Flower Reading: Hana Pun: re- + flower = rebloom.
Chapter 74: Japanese title: EF Meaning: EF Reading: Ī Efu Pun: re- + EF = reef.
Chapter 75: Japanese title: Kの卵 Meaning: K's Egg Reading: Kei no Tamago Pun: re- + k + egg ~ wreckage.
Chapter 77: Japanese title: 死痴 Meaning: Foolish Death Reading: Shichi Play: Shichi means 7 -> 77. Shichi - written in other kanjis - also refers to the (nearly certain) place of death.
Chapter 79: Japanese title: 喰らい Meaning: Eat Reading: Kurai Pun: re- + kurai = recry.
Chapter 83: Japanese title: 門のとじる音をきいた Meaning: I Heard the Sound of the Gate Closing Reading: Mon no Tojiru Oto o Kiita Play: The only two kanjis in the title are 門 (gate) and 音 (sound). 門 + 音 = 闇 (darkness), pronounced ya (8) mi (3).
Others:
Spoiler
Chapter 91: Japanese title: うえ Meaning: Top Reading: Ue Pun: re- + ue = Reue (German for repentance).
Chapter 93: Japanese title: fの嘘 Meaning: f's Lie Reading: f no uso Pun: re- + lie + f = relief.
Edited by Old McDonald, 30 October 2016 - 02:05 AM.
Thankyou for your time. You must have either been very clever in noticing all these, or very dedicated, it seems.
Can't say as any of these puns made me laugh though. But I appreciate that the authors clever in making them.
Are you sure some of these aren't reading into it though? You can find connections in anything if you dig deep enough.
They aren't meant to make you laugh. It's word play - not jokes.
Since Ishida has been following this punning pattern since the beginning, there should be a play on words in all chapter titles (and Ishida is also known to have used word play in the chapter titles of the original series, too). But Ishida can't always completely fit the title to the corresponding English word, since the Japnaese title still needs to have some meaning, so sometimes you have to make guesses which English words sound similar.
I updated volume 7 and added the wordplay/pun explanations for some other chapters.
Ishida has fundamentally changed the wordplay in the titles since about volume 8. That change happened around chapter 77/80. There are still some of the old re- puns sprinkled in (the latest one being the title of chapter 93), but most of them are now plays on the chapter numbers with no deeper connection to the actual content of the chapter. Most of them work on pronunciation/spelling, but some reference Qu'ran surahs or chemical elements and others do math on kanjis.
I'll still add the interesting re- puns, but I don't consider most plays on the chapter numbers really interesting. I'm still undecided, but I might just skip most of them.
Edited by Old McDonald, 30 October 2016 - 02:11 AM.
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