Please translate before she gets tattoed...

[Itgetsthehoseagain]

Posting on AIBU because I know the traffic is good and I'm not sure where else to post
DD's intentions are to get the attached characters tattooed. I don't have a problem at all with the tattoo - she just wants to be absolutely sure that her choice isn't going to cause problems.
We have no idea what the characters mean, but we do know that they are from the Gorillaz (band) "Dare" artwork. I think that they might be Japanese, but they are horizontal rather than vertical so I'm wondering if it's the artist's interpretation of Japanese characters. I can't find much online at all.
Could anybody translate, please? in advance for thanks!

Peach battle?!!

@TheGenealogist Nasty post. Can you remember being young ?

Oh sorry, I got the character on the left wrong .

@Zhx3

Peach battle?!!

Not the same. First character left half is different.

@TheGenealogist Except she can read them now as several posters have explained how to read it and what it means

I would advice her to think carefully before getting foreign characters she doesn't understand and has no cultural relation to tattooed. It's a fair likelihood she will end up regretting this, and have negative reactions as well.

Don't know how reliable this is.

It means ‘I am stupid’

It's like that episode of the big bang theory where Penny is sure she has the character for courage or something, and it's actually soup.

Super tacky.

I’d be incredibly wary of having a band tattoo. What if they turn shit, or her music taste changes - or worst case scenario there’s another Gary Glitter situation!!!

Even if it does translate as 'Dare'. This is a terrible idea in every sense and I have multiple tattoos.

@hibbledibble

I would advice her to think carefully before getting foreign characters she doesn't understand and has no cultural relation to tattooed. It's a fair likelihood she will end up regretting this, and have negative reactions as well.

Yes, my concern would be that given increasing discussion of cultural appropriation this kind of 'characters from the mysterious race' tattoo will be widely seen as racist in a few years' time. I wouldn't be that fussed about an embarrassing/out of fashion tattoo, dolphin on the ankle style, but I really wouldn't want to end up with something permanently on my body that made people think I was a bigot.

@TheGenealogist

It's like that episode of the big bang theory where Penny is sure she has the character for courage or something, and it's actually soup.

Super tacky.

The Penny thing - God, I know - that's exactly what she wants to avoid. She also doesn't want to be tacky. The problem is that tattooes themselves come with this vibe to anyone over the age of her generation.

(Japanese speaker here)

It reads 'chōsen' and means challenge, defiance, so I guess close to dare. Nothing to do with noodles.

en.wiktionary.org/wiki/挑戦

I wouldn't get a tattoo of something I couldn't read, but as kanji tattoos go, at least it is not ridiculous.

Reminds me there's a whole generation of men with tattoos in Chinese characters who assume their tats mean 'Strength' or 'Courage' but literally translate as 'King prawn fried rice'.

That was meant to say 'from the mysterious east' - autocorrect on curiously on-point form!

I speak both Chinese and Japanese and used to teach them. It IS 'dare' or 'challenge' as previous posters have said. The character on the left is NOT peach (which has tree radical on the left, whereas this character has hand radical, for anyone who might understand what I'm talking about.)
However, do be aware that the actual aesthetics/proportions of the characters are a bit off, particularly the one on the right. They are very clearly done by someone who doesn't know how to write characters. Maybe try a different source or tattoo artist?

To ground us all for a moment - it's also artwork from a band she likes.
But that's an excellent point - what if Damon Albarn was revealed to be a Gary Glitter - hadn't thought of that...

Wow. There are a lot of pricks on here tonight.

I think people are completely missing from your subsequent posts that she wants it because of her love for the band’s music, in which case tbf it could say anything and it would still be meaningful to her.

So what if people get tattoos that aren’t in their own language, or get something they feel looks cool and don’t know what it says? Who cares. If it’s not your skin and it’s not an offensive tattoo (white pride for example) then it’s their body to mark in whatever way they wish.

I hope she gets it and is happy with it :)

Makes me think of Sporty Spice's "girl power" tattoo!

Apologies once again, I didn't look at the characters closely enough and my Chinese is appalling.

@ohdrearydrearyme

I speak both Chinese and Japanese and used to teach them. It IS 'dare' or 'challenge' as previous posters have said. The character on the left is NOT peach (which has tree radical on the left, whereas this character has hand radical, for anyone who might understand what I'm talking about.) However, do be aware that the actual aesthetics/proportions of the characters are a bit off, particularly the one on the right. They are very clearly done by someone who doesn't know how to write characters. Maybe try a different source or tattoo artist?

Thank you - this is the post that has got her re-thinking. Going to leave the thread now - thanks everyone for your input!

@ohdrearydrearyme

I speak both Chinese and Japanese and used to teach them. It IS 'dare' or 'challenge' as previous posters have said. The character on the left is NOT peach (which has tree radical on the left, whereas this character has hand radical, for anyone who might understand what I'm talking about.) However, do be aware that the actual aesthetics/proportions of the characters are a bit off, particularly the one on the right. They are very clearly done by someone who doesn't know how to write characters. Maybe try a different source or tattoo artist?

I agree with this - the calligraphy is pretty crap (looks like it has been written by a primary school kid or beginning learner) - so she could definitely do better on that.

[quote userxx]@TheGenealogist Nasty post. Can you remember being young ? [/quote]
I agree with TheGenealogist.

We were all young once, yes, and pushed the boundaries but tattoos are around for a long time unless you can afford to have them removed. What might seem cool at 18 is less so at 38.

Would similarly never get a band/artist reference…we like to think we know our favourite musicians but we don’t. Always think of that poor woman on Tattoo Fixers with the Lost Prophets lyrics tattooed right across her stomach. They covered it with a fantastic image of an owl, so cool. She was lucky.

Anyway it’s up to your dd. I hope she really enjoys her tattoo and continues to flourish.