hundred-yen store; dollar store
press conference; news conference
turning things around with a home run; turning the tables with a single successful attack (move)
to start with the looks; to get the trappings right as the first step; to start (at the wrong end) by focusing on the superficial
leveling up; raising the level (of); boosting; improving; improvement; rising to the next level
to the utmost; to the best of one's ability
poor thing!; pour soul!; what a pity!
odious; hateful; awful; horrid; revolting
invasion (e.g. of a country); raid; aggression
villain; baddie; the villain's part
with a crunching or grinding sound; quickly; promptly; crispily; crunchily
(a) jump; splashes (usu. of mud); upward turn at the bottom (e.g. of a vertical stroke of a kanji or of a hairdo); close (e.g. of a theatrical performance); breakup; hane (move)
to turn down (heat, sound, etc.); to weaken
high flame (cooking); high heat; strong heat
looking away; looking aside; outsider's perspective; observer's view
to burn; to scorch; to singe; to char
to swing; to shake; to wave; to veer; to deflect; to lean towards
even so; anyhow; at any rate
salt and pepper; seasoning with salt and pepper
ideally; if one were to wish for more
ambition; aspiration; desire to improve oneself
self-assessment; self-evaluation; self-rating; self-esteem
to carry off; to run away with; to sweep away; to take entirely for oneself; to monopolize
when it comes to the cause; when you get right down to it; as for what started it; as for the reason; originally
to annoy; to cause trouble
points of improvement; improved areas; points needing improvement; problem areas
fiercely; ferociously; furiously; resolutely
great difference; big difference; wide margin
cannot be compared (with); being no match (for)
scorching; scorch; scorched rice (at the bottom of the pot); crispy rice; part of ceramic glaze that has become dark or darkish-brown during firing
partly burned charcoal; cinders; charred remains; (arch.) servant boy at a brothel or teahouse
stir-fry; stir-fried food
having an aptitude (for); having a talent (for)
to put back up; to stand back up; to restore (to former strength); to revive (e.g. the economy); to make again (a plan, policy, etc.); to reformulate
lightly; nimbly; with agility; casually; readily; regularly
to serve (in a bowl, on a plate, etc.); to dish out; to pile up; to heap up; to administer (medicine, poison); to dose out; to put into (e.g. information in a report, meaning in a statement)
ability; performance; efficiency
hair pin; hairclip; hairgrip; hairpin curve; hairpin turn
the extraordinary; the unusual; the unexpected
endurance contest; test of endurance
time of emergency; (in an) emergency