Welcome to Ibuki Rewritten!

This is a fan-made project created out of love for Ibuki Taki and a desire to realize the full potential of his character. This series of Stories diverges from canon and takes Ibuki in another direction.

Contributors

DIRECTOR
Youko
@gitsunegalLEAD WRITER
Youko
@gitsunegalSECONDARY WRITERS
Rin
AidaILLUSTRATOR
AidaCHARACTER DESIGNER
AidaBLOG MANAGER
Muna
@mysun_youremoonCULTURAL CONSULTANT
Umi

FAQ

Q: Why Ibuki Taki?
A: When Ibuki was introduced to Ensemble Stars, many people were excited to see a character they could relate to. Ibuki is Ryukyuan-American and is an immigrant. However, fans were greatly let down by his writing, which appears to advocate for cultural assimilation and reflects a larger pattern of Ensemble Stars disrespecting ethnic minorities. Still, Ibuki mattered to us, and we wanted to share our truths and tell better stories about Indigenous people than what Happy Elements has given us.Q: What is the goal of Ibuki Rewritten?
A: Our primary goal is to raise awareness about the experiences of Indigenous people and immigrants and the sociopolitical circumstances of Okinawa. We also hope to encourage others to use their voices and stand up for marginalized communities. Additionally, we will be happy if our project can bring comfort to people who have felt similarly hurt and betrayed by Ensemble Stars over the years.Q: What is the scope of this project?
A: Currently, Ibuki Rewritten consists of Stories written in the same style as Ensemble Stars. There are Event Stories and Idol Stories. Event Stories are accompanied by illustrations. Character designs for the supporting cast (ie "Mizusaba," "Majimun," etc.) will be shared as they make their appearances. Additionally, Ibuki receives an original Unit design including a costume and logo. The project may expand in the future.Q: How often will Ibuki Rewritten update?
A: We do not have a consistent update schedule. This is a hobby project and everyone involved is volunteering their time to make it possible. Otherwise, Event Stories are separated into two parts, with a one week long gap in between their releases.Q: I noticed that something in the story is not compliant with pre-established canon. Why?
A: We have made changes to the story of Ensemble Stars, primarily to some information presented in the "Okinawa Arc." We wished to rework it, as it does not suit our vision for the characters and message we want to send. We made alterations as we saw fit to create a more compelling and meaningful narrative.Q: Can I join the project?
A: If you are interested in being a contributor or joining the Test Audience, feel free to reach out to Youko (@gitsunegal on Twitter). We are grateful for all the help we can get.
*Please note we are not looking for any writers.Q: What is the Test Audience?
A: The Test Audience reviews the scripts for Stories prior to their public releases. We value diverse viewpoints and rely on audience feedback to ensure the Stories are enjoyable.

Dialect Guide Foreword

Ibuki canonically speaks a form of Uchinaa Yamatu-guchi (Okinawan Dialect of Japanese). Uchinaa Yamatu-guchi has some different grammatical patterns than standard Japanese and includes unique vocabulary drawing from Uchinaaguchi (Ryukyuan language) and English. In some cases, words even take on different meanings than they do in standard Japanese. Ibuki’s dialect mainly manifests in his choice of pronouns (わ〜 or waa is a masculine first-person pronoun, while な〜 or naa is a respectful second-person pronoun), his frequent use of さ〜 or saa at the end of his sentences (similar to よ or yo in standard Japanese, which is basically used to assert new information), his accent (communicated in the text through use of tildes), and a quite limited use of Uchinaaguchi words (immediately coming to mind are ねぇねぇ or Nee-Nee meaning older sister and にぃにぃ or Nii-Nii meaning older brother). However, his speech mostly aligns with standard Japanese and he rarely uses words that people unfamiliar with Uchinaa Yamatu-guchi would not know.Okinawans have debated the representation of Uchinaa Yamatu-guchi in Enstars. There are Okinawans who speak like Ibuki does, and it is increasingly common for younger generations to largely stick to standard Japanese. Ibuki’s is ultimately a more diluted form of Uchinaa Yamatu-guchi, and it can be speculated that he is written in such a way so that a general audience of mainland Japanese people can consume his character with greater ease.Our vision for Ibuki features Uchinaa Yamatu-guchi more heavily. There is more utilization of Uchinaaguchi vocabulary. Ibuki also code-switches depending on who he is talking to, and often provides clarification by following up with expressions that compliment his Uchinaaguchi. Due to the limitations of the script being in English, a perfect representation of Ibuki’s dialogue on its own is not possible. We felt the best way to communicate our concept was to place Uchinaaguchi expressions as they would appear in a Japanese script and provide linguistic explanations as needed. On occasion, you may see notes about Ibuki’s use of different grammar as well. Like the original text for his character in Enstars, we use tildes to denote the pitch accent and elongation of vowels characteristic to Uchinaa Yamatu-guchi.We have written Ibuki as fluent in Naha Uchinaaguchi. Full Uchinaaguchi sentences are only included when being contrasted or presented alongside dialogue that would otherwise be in Japanese. These lines are accompanied by English translations. Scenes where conversations take place in Uchinaaguchi entirely are simply noted as being such.Ibuki sometimes mixes older Uchinaaguchi expressions with trendier ones more commonly used by younger Okinawans in the dialect today. This is because of his upbringing, as he was raised by his grandfather. Therefore, his speech is a bit unusual.We have ultimately depicted Ibuki as someone whose pride in his heritage manifests in his use of Uchinaa Yamatu-guchi and Uchinaaguchi. Several of the contributors grew up bilingual and/or speaking non-standard dialects of Japanese. We feel strongly about the importance of language and dialects to cultural preservation, and these concepts play an important role in Ibuki’s portrayal.We have curated a glossary of Uchinaaguchi vocabulary that you may see in Ibuki Rewritten with frequency. This is not an exhaustive list, and you will not find every expression that appears in the script here. You may also see variations of some of these expressions. The glossary will expand overtime.

Uchinaaguchi Glossary

Agaa - Used to express pain, “Ouch!”
Aitaimee - Of course, obviously
Baa - Is that so?
Haayaa - An expression of surprise or disbelief, “Whoa!”
Haisai - Hi (typically used by men)
Hiijii - Fine, good, healthy (ex: “Hiijii, hiijii!” would be used to brush off concern, something like “It’s all good!”)
Ibayaa - An arrogant and selfish person
Inchikii - Enviable (ex: “Inchikii~!” would express something like “I’m jealous!”)
Jootoo - Good
Junni - Really, truly
Mata yaasai - See you later (typically used by men)
Naichaa - A mainlander (some feel it is slightly derogatory, for more information read here)
Nankurunaisa - A proverb used to encourage positivity and optimism in the face of adversity, “Everything will be okay in the end.”
Nee-Nee - Older sister, a respectful title for a woman older than oneself
Nii-Nii - Older brother, a respectful title for a man older than oneself
Nirii - Troublesome
Nn - Used to express affirmation, “Yeah.”
Uchinaanchu - a person native to Okinawa
Uri - Used to attract attention, “Hey!”
Utaimisoochii - Thank you for your hard work
Wajiwajii - Irritated, angry
Wassaibiin - A casual apology, “Sorry.”
Yanaa - Bad
Yasa - Used to express agreement, “Right.”

Assets Credits

Phu Ong (Alamy)
vector_corp (Freepik)
vitmann (iStock)