Thread by @RinmeikanGranny

What happens when a legacy ends? When a storied school and a storied lineage fade into obscurity? Do you allow darkness to engulf history, or do you rise despite the coming of the night?

Welcome to the translation summary for Rinmeikan's story:
名門、落つ
An Institution's Demise

Chapter 1 begins with Rinmeikan's acting department receiving terrible news: their department is going to be shut down.

Ukashi-sensei from the regular education department is the one who breaks the news, saying that the school's board of directors are the ones who made the decision. After all, taking into account all grade levels, Rinmeikan's entire acting department can be counted on two hands.

Tamao pleads with the teacher, saying that the department wasn't going to be shut down...

Ukashi-sensei asks Tamao who, exactly, said so?

And Tamao suddenly remembers who told her that--not the school, but Elle...

Suddenly realizing the reality of the situation, Tamao says to wait, that they can definitely do something to stay afloat...

But Ukashi-sensei persists in the financial reality of running the school. The performances they've put on up to this point have been funded thanks to the contributions of alumni.

Brutally, she explains that both new students and contributions to the acting department have been decreasing year-over-year, and as a result the department has turned into a burden that puts Rinmeikan's finances in the red.

Even worse, the number of students wishing to enter the acting department next year is...zero 😿

Although Ukashi-sensei doesn't lay the full blame of the current situation on the girls, she's rippingly honest. She asks them what, really, are they planning to do that could save the department--put on a play?

No, the Rinmeikan Girls' School Acting Department--i.e., the five of them, have little value worth protecting.

And thus that's the judgement handed to them by the school board of directors. 😿

Even worse, the teacher tells them they need to completely clean out the classroom they used for the acting deparment by next week and surrender it back to the school.

The girls take this very hard. Rui, despondent, claims it must be a lie of some sort, but Yuyuko agrees with the teacher--what, really, could the mere five of them have done to prevent this?

Fumi, too, is saddened by all this. She thought she'd finally returned to the stage, and for this to happen...

Ichie, out of all of them, takes this with the most anger, and wonders why they've all so easily taken such a defeatist attitude.

Interestingly, Ichie mentions she expects nothing less from adults who always push their decisions on others, and cheerfully she proposes to Tamao that they all work hard together to overturn the board of directors' decision.

Unfortunately, Tamao truly seems defeated. She doesn't think it'll work out.

This makes Ichie angry, and she resolves she'll do something about it even if she has to do it herself, and she storms out of the room.

The scene switches to later in the day, when they're all cleaning out the acting department classroom. Ichie is nowhere to be found, and Yuyuko wonders what would happen if they just decided not to clean anything...

Tamao wretchedly apologizes to everyone, laying the blame on herself for not doing a good enough job...

Which makes Rui furious. She realizes that Elle tricked them, and Rui's determined to never forgive Elle for it.

Rui says that Elle told them that if they win the auditions, then they can prevent the closure of their acting department. Rui says those auditions still aren't over...!

Tamao considers this for a moment, but, apparently still too defeated over the board of directors' proclamation, switches subjects. She tells them that it's getting dark and they should probably head home while she continues with some of the clean-up herself.

Rui offers to stay with Tamao, but Fumi stops her, whispering to her to leave Tamao by herself for now. It's obvious Tamao wants some time alone with her own thoughts, so they all depart.

Outside, at night, Yuyuko asks Fumi what regular education classes are like, since Fumi was originally part of that curriculum when she first entered Rinmeikan.

Fumi says they're not bad. The class level is high, the teachers enthusiastic, and they're full of students having fun every day.

Fumi's about to continue, but then she sees Ichie lurking around by herself...

Fumi excuses herself and apprehends Ichie. She says Ichie wasn't really herself earlier, and Ichie admits the sudden shutdown of their department is far too harsh.

Even so, giving up is out of the question! As the core of their group, Tamao can unify everyone and they can take to the stage again--

Fumi tells Ichie that, although she understands her feelings, she should avoid talking to Tamao for now, since in her current state that would be more than Tamao can bear.

If she trusts Tamao that much, then for Tamao's sake, for all of their sakes, she should just wait for now.

Ichie agrees a bit reluctantly, but then she and Fumi spend a few moments teasing each other. Ichie says she'll wait like Fumi asked, and Fumi tells her not to do anything illegal in the meantime. 😹👌

Even so, Ichie admits that she trusts Fumi. Regardless of whether they're in the acting department or regular education, the fact that Fumi is her important friend won't change.

Fumi likes this so much that she asks Ichie to clarify her words 😹👌

Ichie is comically taken aback by this and clarifies she indeed means her and Fumi. 😹🙏

Finally, Chapter 1 ends with Fumi happily reflecting on the fact that Ichie called her a good friend.
😺✌

Chapter 2 of 名門、落つ (An Institution’s Demise) begins with Tamao cleaning out the acting department’s classroom by herself at night.

As she goes through all the department’s things, she finds the scripts for all the plays they put on together--The Ghost Patrol Squad, Yoshitsune, The Seven Gods of Fortune, Onikurenai, Urashima Taro…

Warmly, she reflects on all the good times they had together: reviewing scripts, putting together costumes, setting up background art, standing on stage... Regardless of difficulty, most importantly it was fun.

As she thinks on these happy times, the stark reality of losing the acting department hits her. Slowly, Tamao’s anger builds. “Losing the department, I absolutely won’t forgive this…!”

With mounting fury, Tamao demands to know whether they’ve been tricked--whether tricking them all was the intent of the auditions.

She shouts angrily into the empty classroom. “Answer me, Elle-san!”

Without warning, she’s suddenly transported to Elle and Andrew’s theater realm. After some back-and-forth with Andrew, Tamao is greeted by Elle, who says it’s been a while.

Tamao gets right down to business. “Elle-san, you tricked us, didn’t you.”

"'Participate in the auditions, and you can prevent the closure of your department'...because you said so, we did it!"

However, Andrew reminds Tamao that Elle said they’ll attain their desired stage only if they become the Top Star...did Tamao actually manage to do that?

Deflated, Tamao remembers all too well that she didn’t. Moreover, Andrew tells her that he and Elle aren’t the reason for the acting department’s closure--that blame lies elsewhere.

Harshly, Andrew continues to chide Tamao: Consumed by wishful thinking, all she does is speak only of “what-ifs” and merely waits for someone else to do something.

Everything that was bound to happen, happened.

On top of this overly harsh reminder, Elle rubs more salt in the wound, but also provides food for thought:
“There are those who, even if they stand on the stage, are not Stage Girls--
And there are those who, even with no stage, are worthy Stage Girls.”

“Which one are you?”

With that, Tamao is sent back to her classroom at night, and sadly she realizes that it isn’t all a dream, that she is indeed still going to lose her acting department...

The scene switches to the following day, when Rui comes to Tamao’s classroom to ask her if they can eat lunch together.

However, in an uncharacteristic move, Tamao rebuffs her, saying that since she has some lesson reviews she’d like to do, she was thinking of taking lunch in her classroom...

Rui is taken off-guard by this, and Tamao continues, saying that because Rui will also be joining the regular education department, studying is a serious matter.

So, for a little while, it would probably be a good idea for Rui to focus on her own things she needs to do--after all, Fumi, Ichie, and Yuyuko are all doing the same thing.

Heartbreakingly, Rui asks whether this means she can’t spend time with Tamao anymore.

Avoiding Rui’s gaze, Tamao tells her that with no plays to create together, she’d feel bad for making Rui spend her time on her.

Rui says that it’s not like that at all.

But Tamao responds, heart-wrenchingly, that with no plays to put on, with no stage to stand on, this is now the ordinary Tomoe Tamao.

“The stage girl that you adored, Tomoe Tamao...is dead.”

Rui really doesn’t know what to make of this, and they both gaze sadly at each other.

Tamao continues, devastated over the memories that Rui would bring:
“Moreover...if I’m together with you, those glittering days will start to overflow…”

Tamao apologizes, and Rui, hurt and confused, excuses herself with utmost formality. Apologizing for being troublesome, she leaves the classroom.

Tamao merely watches on wretchedly as Rui leaves.
(This entire scene slew me)

However, as Rui leaves, Tamao isn’t the only one watching. Several other second-year girls have their eye on Rui, too, and they don’t hold back their thirst.

One girl from the volleyball team admits she’s been wondering about Rui. After all, she’s tall, and has good reflexes, and would be a perfect fit for the team--

But the volleyball team isn’t the only one that’s hungrily set their sights on Rui. Another second-year girl jumps into the conversation.

“I think she’ll really shine in our basketball club! After all, among the first-year students, that girl has quite a number of fans!”

While the other girls jostle over Rui, Tamao thinks quietly to herself. It’s clear that Rui has plenty of other options besides the acting department…

(Don't let her slip through your fingers, Tamao! 😹🙏)

Next, we’re at the dorms, where Tamao muses dejectedly that this is her new daily life in the regular education department. Someday she'll have to get used to it...

As she’s going through her things, she realizes there are some items she’ll need to take back home to her family. Stage records from when her grandmother and her mother were in the Rinmeikan Acting Department…

“Stage costume sketches, background art roughs… brought here from home, important Rinmeikan Acting Department materials…”

“--And, the Rinmeikan Record script.”

“The lifespan of the Empress Tree is roughly 30 years.”

“The Empress Tree, planted at the beginning of the story, watches the life of a person as it grows...and then when the person dies, the tree withers--such is the shape of this chronicle.”

“A drama containing the successive history of Rinmeikan from its very founding. That is the Rinmeikan Record.”

“A protagonist who resists the overwhelming flow of events of the era, along with her companions gathered together of that same will.”

“How zealously do they live, sacrificing themselves for what they believe in--
This is a tale of the vividness of life, of the beauty of destruction.”

“The Empress tree that withers at the time of death--from there, new buds bloom, butterflies unfurl their wings toward the future, and the curtain drops.” 🦋

“Although the basic structure of the story remains the same, the era and the performers change, and yet the play is performed repeatedly, unbroken.”

“The Tears of a White Tiger ~Rinmeikan Record 1963
Goryōkaku Fortress Aflame ~Rinmeikan Record 1971”

“The Legend of Yoshitsune ~Rinmeikan Record 1985
Bakumatsu Night Patrol Mystery ~Rinmeikan Record 1995”
and so on...

(Note: These plays all appear to be based on historical events in Japan:

Tears of a White Tiger - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byakkotai

Goryōkaku Fortress Aflame - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of…

Yoshitsune - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamoto_…

Bakumatsu Night Patrol - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakumatsu)

“Performed at the Rinmeikan Large Auditorium, a stage belonging only to Rinmeikan--”

“From my childhood, told to me by my grandmother and my mother, my aspiration, my stage of dreams….The Rinmeikan Record.”

“However, Rinmeikan no longer performs the Rinmeikan Record--”

“My grandmother, a graduate of Rinmeikan who personally performed in the Rinmeikan Record herself, told me so.”

“Just a little before I was born...because the basic structure of the Rinmeikan Record was written almost 100 years ago, some students rebelled against it.”

“ ‘It’s old-fashioned! Because Rinmeikan clings to such a moldy old program, its brilliance has gone completely dull!’ ”

“ ‘We’ll throw away old tradition, and we’ll remake an entirely new Rinmeikan!’ ”

“Those girls sealed away the Rinmeikan Record, and strived to make a new program.”

“However--as for the new program, it aimed to be so overly different that it lost sight of the essence of Rinmeikan, and wandered off course--”

“After that, various other efforts took place, denying the history and tradition of the school, and through the loss of Rinmeikan’s core, new school applicants sharply declined.”

“The storied and prestigious Rinmeikan Girls’ School Acting Department withered in the blink of an eye…”

Tamao’s Grandmother in her Youth:
“Surrender…? You would tell me to fall to my enemies, me, who was called the Vice Commander of Demons?”

Tamao’s Grandmother in her Youth:
“After the day I did those things, I couldn’t face Isami-san and the General and the others who crossed the Sanzu River ahead of me…”

Tamao’s Grandmother in her Youth:
“This here Hijikata…rather than continue living clumsily, I offer a death that gives meaning to future generations, even one carved by my own hand!”

(Note: These lines are likely all references to Hijikata Toshizō: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijikata_…)

“This...it’s Grandma…”

“Young, and beautiful...she’s really sparkling.”

“...I remember. While watching this video, she told me often, didn’t she...”

Tamao's Grandmother:
“‘Have a look, Tamao...this is the Rinmeikan Record...the stage upon which Granny stood and staked her life.’”

“The stage upon which she staked her life...huh…”

At this, Tamao starts to cry. “I...I’m sorry….”
“Grandma….and Mom….the stage upon which so many of my predecessors stood….”

“Rinmeikan’s Acting Department...I can’t protect it…!”

“It’s like that person in the costume said…”

“All I do is wait for someone to do something. Even the closure of the department, everything, it happened as it was bound to happen…”

Excruciatingly, Tamao wonders if she could have done more, if she could have been more, more, more...

“What if I had staked my life and challenged the stage…!”

“Everyone’s Acting Department...my dreams...I might’ve been able to protect them…!!”

“I’m sorry...everyone, I’m...sorry!”

At this, Tamao literally howls in pain, sobbing over all of her lost opportunities, her misses, her failures…

(This was a really hard part to watch)

“I...what should I do from now on…? At a Rinmeikan that’s lost its acting department, what should I do…?”

At Tamao's darkest, most desperate hour, suddenly her OG Rinmeikan Grandma chimes in:

“Hey, youngster--you gonna die here?”

“Have you had enough? Lived enough? Fought enough? On your own battlefield--!”

Tamao is shocked at these timely words. “Grandma…”

Slowly, Tamao's fire begins to build anew:
“No...not yet. Not yet!”

“It can’t end like this...the shutdown of the Acting Department, I won’t allow it!”

“My dream, the illusive stage--
Even all the way to performing the Rinmeikan Record!”

“‘The stage girl that you adored, Tomoe Tamao...is dead.’...is it?”

“Well I’m not dying yet…!”

“I haven’t had enough! I haven’t lived enough! Even battle...not enough!”

“If I join forces with everyone--no, even if I make use of everyone’s power--!”

“Our--my Rinmeikan Record, I will perform it!”

And so ends Chapter 2 of 名門、落つ An Institution's Demise! The next chapters will be coming soon in the game.

Did you catch the themes of rebellion, sacrifice through death, and rebirth in the future? Or how Tamao mentioned she'll even go as far as using everyone's power...🦋

Additional notes:
In Japanese, the Rinmeikan Record is 凛命記, "Rinmeiki". This appears to be a play on Rinmeikan (凛明館) but it's also a reference to Japanese historical texts like the Nihonshoki and the Kojiki:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihon_Sho…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kojiki

Because the Nihonshoki is known as The Chronicles of Japan, and the Kojiki is known as Records of Ancient Matters, that's why I also chose to call the "Rinmeiki" script The Rinmeikan Record.

Some additional kanji trivia:
凛明館 (Rinmeikan) can be translated to something like "Dignified Bright Hall".
Meanwhile, 凛命記 (Rinmeiki) is perhaps something like "Dignified Life Record".

The Empress Tree mentioned as a recurring symbol in the play is a very important foundational symbol for Rinmeikan.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia…

In Japan, these trees were planted with the birth of a girl and would be cut when she married, to be used for carvings and gifts.

Additionally, the Empress Tree is used as the symbol for the Prime Minister of Japan's emblem--which, incidentally, shares a lot in common with the crest for Rinmeikan...

Chapters 3 and 4, which contain Fumi's arc in the Rinmeikan main story, are covered in this thread:

https://twitter.com/RinmeikanGranny/status/1180653443398213635

Twitter is obviously Against my state-sponsored Rinmeikan propaganda posting, so it hid a ton of tweets from chapter 2 of this summary. If you'd like to see them, I dropped the last half of the chapter into this google doc (hide the page breaks):

docs.google.com/document/d/16_…