Kojina Yui, AKB Senbatsu Sousenkyo

Kojina Yui 2015 7th Senbatsu speech (English Subtitles)

Here is Kojina Yui’s speech for the 46th position from the 2015 AKB48 41st Single 7th Senbatsu Sousenkyo General Election.

Note: some parts require a little explanation, so I’ll include notes inline after the English translation in italics

チームHのじーなこと神志那結衣です。
This is Team H’s Kojina Yui, also known as Jiina.

投票下さった皆、ありがとうございます!
To everyo-)%(#)$#)($#…. thank youooouuuou!!!

顔大丈夫です。
Is my face okay?

大丈夫です。
It’s okay.

今年で総選挙は3回目なんですけど、今まで一度もランクインしたことがなくて…
This year will be my third election, but I’ve never been to rank in before…

去­年とかはいつの間にか隣の列がみんないなくて、私一人だけ取り残されてて­、本当に悔しかったっちゃけど…
Last year, before I knew it, everyone in the row next to me was called, and I was left by myself…. I was really frustrated. Really, frustrated!
Mid-sentence, when she expresses her frustration, she repeats the phrase in her native Fukuoka dialect (from standard formal Japanese)

だけど、本当に私のファンの方がチラシとかいっぱい頑張ってくれて、こんな素敵な順位頂いて、本当に皆さん、じーなの応援ありがとうございました!応援よろしくお願いします。
But my fans, who handed out flyers and stuff, worked so hard, and I was able to receive this wonderful rank. Thank you to all the Jiina fans. Please continue to support me!


Tokumitsu: People might have not known you before. But they didn’t leave you behind. You got a great rank! Do you know your position?

Jiina:46.

Tokumitsu: You have to look at it, right? 46… that’s great! You’re part of Next Girls. Congratulations!


取ったど〜!

Totta-do is an expression made popular by a comedian (Masaru Hamaguchi) on an old Japanese variety TV show (Ikinari Ougon Densetsu). In the show, he goes spear fishing. After he successfully captures an octopus, he screams, “Totta-do!”, which literally means “I took it”, or “I got it”.

Hamaguchi’s usage is a variation on an even older reference to  Japanese wrestler, Antonio Inoki, who was active in the 70s and 80s. When Inoki broke the arms of one his opponents, he screamed, “Otta-do!” (折ったど〜), which literally means, “I broke it!”

Nowadays, “totta-do” usage is more similar to situations where Hamaguchi originally used it: that is, when you’ve successfully “grabbed” something (literal or otherwise). In this case, Jiina yells this as a reference to her “grabbing” the #46 position.

Author: jerry

Sometimes editor. Sometimes translator. Mostly a proofreader. I like Japan and things.

  • h36113

    Spot the references!
    That was an amazing speech, thank you for translating this one and for the clarification of totta-do!

    • You’re welcome, glad if you found it helpful or interesting!