Welcome to Shika High's Nihongo Lesson feature. We strive to give you useful manga-based Japanese language tips and maybe even a glimpse into the translation process. This week’s lesson will focus on the dance club! I’m pretty sure most of TEAM JUMP has two left feet, especially me, but the dancers in Straighten Up! Welcome to Shika High’s Competitive Dance Club sure were amazing! As the editor of this JUMP START and the best incarnation of Professor Jump you’ve ever seen, it’s my pleasure to deliver this lesson. Have I mentioned how much I like sports manga?

DANCE (おどる)

Odoru is the verb “to dance.” SU! WSHCDC chapter one shows off the beautiful dance moves of the upperclassmen of the school’s dance club! I never realized how manly competitive dancing could be. This manga is definitely unique in terms of subject matter, and the characters are all super interesting and fun. I’m excited to see where it goes from here!

SESUJI WO PIN! TO (せすじをピン！と)

Sesuji wo Pin means “Straighten up!” It literally means to straighten your back muscles and make your posture as straight as a pin. Remember when Masumi schools Masaharu on his poor posture? Having good posture is a very important trait to have in dancing and in life! Having poor posture makes you look shorter and more scrunched up. So stand tall, straighten up and be bold!

BUKATSU (ぶかつ)

Bukatsu means “club activities.” Not many Weekly Shonen Jump series revolve around a school club, so it’s refreshing to see a series that does! School clubs are very important in Japanese schools. Most students are required to be in some sort of club. There are both cultural clubs and sports clubs. This manga takes place in a sports club and it appears our hero isn’t very athletic. I’m excited to see how Masaharu grows in the competitive dance club!

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