smallish; on the small side
easy; easygoing; carefree; happy-go-lucky; optimistic; leisurely
good story; heartwarming story; good prospect (e.g. marriage, business)
(dance) partner; (work) partner; partner; spouse
light (color, taste, etc.); faint (e.g. smell); pale; faint (feeling, hope, etc.); fleeting; slight
light blue; pale blue; aqua
to need; to demand; to take; to require
in a sense; in some way; to an extent
threat; menace; coercion; blackmail
to show signs of ...; to have the appearance of ...
to grant (request, wish); to answer (prayer); to make come true (e.g. a dream); to realize; to fulfill
valley floor; bottom of a gorge; bottom of a ravine
to thrust down; to push off
to take on; to undertake; to take over; to inherit; to guarantee; to vouch for
husband and wife; married couple
calmness; composure; presence of mind; stability; steadiness
mystery; something inexplicable; unfathomable (of a Buddha's abilities); 10^64 (or 10^80)
to be caught in; to be stuck in; to stop by; to drop in for a short visit; to get mixed up in (trouble); to get entangled in (a problem); to fall for (a trick)
welcome; (warm) reception
unable to stomach; sticking in one's throat; displeased with
in this way; along these lines; similarly
gloomy (e.g. mood); depressing; irritating; troublesome; heavy (weather); cloudy
to look at; to gaze; to stare at
state of emergency; emergency; crisis
to take a breath; to take a short rest
sponsor; promoter; impresario; organizer; organiser
missing (of a person); lost; unaccounted for; whereabouts unknown
attendee; participant; person present
cheating; deception; trickery; manipulation; juggling; falsifying
beginning and end; doing something from beginning to end; being unchanged from beginning to end; from beginning to end; the whole time
to make an appearance; to show up
announcement; publication; presenting; statement; communique; making known
still more; even more; all the more; still less; even less
early; a little earlier than usual; a little faster than usual; slightly quicker
to attract someone's attention; to arouse someone's interest; to sound someone out; to try to find out someone's true feelings; to (discreetly) probe someone's thoughts
beyond expectations; beyond what one expected; not foreseen; exceeding assumptions
bad(-tasting); unpalatable; poor; unskillful; ugly; unattractive
briskly with small steps; trotting
floor; stage (for the narrator and the shamisen player); dining platform built across a river
smell; scent; aura; whiff; faint, mist-like pattern along the temper line of a Japanese sword
to distinguish; to recognize; to recognise; to tell apart; to differentiate