rave reviews; extremely high praise
having a high threshold (for entry); difficult to approach; feeling awkward to go to (of someone's home)
traditional art; traditional performance art
compulsion; coercion; forcing (to do); enforcement
roughly; approximately; (cutting) in one stroke; (breaking apart) with vigour; (cutting) deeply; (splitting) wide open
to gouge; to hollow out; to greatly perturb; to cause emotional pain; to get to the bottom of things; to relentlessly bring the truth to light
to walk; to go on foot; to tread (a figurative path); to follow; to advance towards (e.g. a solution); to set out (e.g. on the path to destruction, ruin, etc.)
root and branch; thoroughly; by the roots; completely; all
to stagger; to stumble; to totter; to misconduct oneself; to have a love affair; to waver
to fall to one's knees; to go down on one's knees (e.g. to express respect)
tip of the hand; (use of) one's hands; cheap trick; superficial wit; cheap; makeshift (e.g. measures)
skillful; clever; versatile; handy
to digest; to break down; to break to pieces; to be able to use; to be good at; to finish; to complete
to shut oneself in (e.g. one's room); to be confined in; to be filled with (emotion, enthusiasm, etc.); to fill the room (of a gas, smell, etc.); to be heavy with (e.g. smoke); to be muffled (e.g. voice); to hold (a castle, fortress, etc.)
predecessor; pioneer; ancestor
improvement (e.g. in skill, ability); advance; progress; communication of opinions of the general populace to those of high rank
just because; even if; even though
(hard) candy; toffee; rice-sugar; sugar made from the starch of rice, potatoes, etc.; amber; yellowish-brown
racing (of an engine); spinning one's wheels; running idle; fruitless effort; going nowhere; going round in circles
so; therefore; accordingly; consequently; on those grounds; that is why
deadlock; stalemate; impasse; dead end
main performer; star performer; headliner; rakugo storyteller of the highest rank
entry (on stage); appearance (on screen); entrance; introduction (into a market)
leading part; leading actor; leading actress
to take off (clothes, shoes, etc.); to undress
to leave (in someone's keeping); to put (in someone's care); to put (someone) in charge of; to leave (a matter) in someone's hands; to lean on; to put one's weight on
here and there; this way and that way; everywhere; all over
carefully; thoroughly; fully; deliberately
bringing certain death; deadly; knockout (blow)
crevice; crack; spare moment; interval; chink (in one's armor, armour); unpreparedness
solid; robust; tight; taut; shrewd; calculating
to seize; to capture; to arrest; to hold down; to subdue
little girl; maiden; young lady; female usually between 7 and 18 years old
to join forces; to cooperate
to drag along; to pull; to force someone along; to prolong; to drag out; to influence strongly
beginning and end; doing something from beginning to end; being unchanged from beginning to end; from beginning to end; the whole time
before it happens; previously
giving something a try because it will not do any harm
after all; in the end; anyway; (cannot) possibly; (not) at all; (not) by any means
to take seriously; to take someone at their word; to believe (to be true)