Thread:IRosefeather/@comment-35109290-20180712023610/@comment-35109290-20180718045647

I understand your points, but would like to add in some additional notes. Since you asked about Shintaro's age estimate, I would like to also point out lyrics from "Lost Time Memory" as well, which was often attributed to Shintaro as "Shintaro's song" too: "A boy at the age of 18" ... ​​​​​​​"A rotten, 18-year-old youth" ... Shintaro's birthday was stated in the booklet, as well. Using his birthday + age, one could have tried "estimating" the others. Lost Time Memory debuted in March 2013 (pv) back when very limited official information was available. It is possible the "18" reference was also considered "confirmed" there before the fandom gained more information. I​​​​​​n the earlier messages, there were also scanned pages from the artbook showing the seemingly "official" (but also "conflicting") ages/birthdays, so some (Marry's, etc...) may have come from there later on as well, as that book was published in 2015. Or, possibly, the later novels or MCA.) The translator confirmed the main characters, at the least, all have their ages listed in the said artbook. For Momo's, I believe "in the introduction" is referring to the script (in MCA, she states her age very early on, for example, in her debut episode. She does in the novels, as well, despite a conflicting birthday/age timeframe based on the school system.) If you look at the Children Record scans, you will note the kanji for "age" is not listed there - anywhere. Nor are actual numbers (18, 19, 16 etc.) reflecting the "ages". (19 on Konoha's page, for example, does not exist. 18 is not on Shintaro's, as you noted.) Those references simply do not exist, and that is why they can't come from "somewhere" in the booklet. ​​​​It actually is possible for me to believe the fandom got this matter wrong, as well. I've been in the fandom for a long time. Back then, we had a very limited amount of fans and non-native translators, before the fandom grew much larger post-anime. It is possible a past/early translator (or Wiki editor) mistakenly believed those ages or others ALL came from "the Children Record booklet" even though they didn't and never did, which we have known since the start (these scans were always available since the date of the post I linked, around 2012 if you check. Some had also previously appeared a little before that if I recall correctly - I can even try to find these if you'd like). We've had mistranslations happen before quite a few times, especially with the early novels, if the "foster" debate is any indication. (Also including some song lyrics, many of which received re-translations.) Many fan translations did not appear online until much, much later on, and it took years later for the novels/manga to be officially published in English as well, however there were even mistranslations in those as well (which I can also note).

Also, by any chance, is there some way I can contact either of you by private message or email elsewhere?

I​​​​​ apologize but these all have been an issue in the fanbase for a long time now that needs clearing up. I would like to provide multiple sources and information (including on the Japanese kanji/phrasings used, including published materials/sources) if possible. I would list further plot information here but it would mean spoiling the current Manga Route and the final novel, along with some other references. There have been developments made in all of these areas that are important to note in regards to the Mekakushi Trio & Ayano and the Japanese phrasings used between them. If one were to update the Wiki, they would have to include this information regardless.

Please let me know and thank you for your consideration.