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Japanese meaning of 皮肉だね　悪党の血の方がきれいな花が咲く

— Kurama ／ Yu Yu Hakusho

ひにくだね　あくとうのちのほうがきれいなはながさく (Hiniku da ne. Akutō no chi no hō ga kirei na hana ga saku.)

English Translation:

Ironic, isn't it? A villain's blood makes the prettier flowers bloom.

Work: Character: Emotion: Scene:

Original Scene & Cultural Context

Scene in the Original Work:

In the Dark Tournament of Yu Yu Hakusho, Kurama fights Roto, who has a familiar follow Kurama's human mother, Shiori, to hold her hostage. Kurama defeats him with Shimaneki-sou seeds planted in his body, which grow into flowers, and then says this.
日本語で読む
『幽☆遊☆白書』の暗黒武術会。使い魔に蔵馬の母・志保利（しほり）を見張らせ、人質にとった呂屠（ろと）を、蔵馬は体に植えつけたシマネキ草の種で倒す。花が咲いたあとに言う。

Cultural Context:

Kurama is a fox demon who lives as the human Shuichi Minamino and cares deeply about his human mother. He fights by controlling plants, such as his Rose Whip.
日本語で読む
蔵馬は人間・南野秀一として暮らす妖狐で、人間の母をとても大切にしている。ローズウィップなど、植物をあやつって戦う。

Grammar & Learning Points

Grammar Point

•「皮肉」= irony; also a sarcastic remark. •「〜の方が」= ~ is more (comparison). •「きれいな」= pretty. •「咲く」= to bloom.
日本語で読む
•「皮肉」は、思っていたのと逆のなりゆきになること。いやみを言うことの意味もある。•「〜の方が」はくらべる言い方。•「きれいな」は「きれい」＋「な」。•「咲く」は花がひらくこと。

Trap for English Speakers

きれい ends in い but is a な-adjective: きれいな花, not きれい花. 皮肉を言う means "to make a sarcastic remark", but 皮肉だね means "how ironic".
日本語で読む
「きれい」は「い」で終わるが、な形容詞なので「きれいな花」と言う。「皮肉を言う」はいやみを言うことだが、「皮肉だね」は「なりゆきが逆でおかしいね」という意味。

Example

Example 1Basic Example

  1. いたずらばかりする弟のアサガオの方が、まじめに世話をした兄のアサガオよりきれいに咲き、兄は「皮肉だね　悪ガキの鉢の方がきれいな花が咲く」と苦笑いした。

    The morning glory of the mischievous younger brother bloomed better than the one his serious older brother had carefully looked after. The older brother smiled wryly: "Ironic, isn't it? The troublemaker's pot makes the prettier flowers bloom."

Example 2Applied Example

  1. （ダイエット中の姉より、食べ放題に通う父の方が健康診断の結果がよくて）皮肉だね　食いしん坊の血の方がきれいな数値が出る。

    (My sister is on a diet, but Dad, who goes to all-you-can-eat buffets, got the better health-check results) "Ironic, isn't it? The glutton's blood gives the prettier numbers."

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Meaning

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