cornerstone; main point; requirement; need; necessary; required
barrier; checkpoint; checking station
to pin down; to hold down; to cover (esp. a part of one's body with one's hand); to clutch (a body part in pain); to get a hold of; to obtain
total; complete; all-out; general; extensive; full-scale
to come alive; to get going; to start to move
given the situation; now that it has come to this; if it comes to this
front stage; center stage (of politics, etc.)
Herculean task; next-to-impossible undertaking
with an interesting history (story); with a shady history; with circumstances that are difficult to explain
birth; birthplace; born in (country, month, imperial era, zodiac year, etc.)
misfortune; bad luck; ill luck; ill fortune
god; deity; incredible; fantastic; (arch.) Emperor (of Japan); (arch.) thunder
to worry about (someone's welfare or comfort); to feel anxious about; to have apprehensions of
more or less; though not quite satisfactorily; tentatively; for the time being; just in case; once
it is, isn't it?; I know, right?; innit?
taking captive; carrying away; kidnapping; kidnaping; abduction
to attach; to join; to furnish (a house with); to wear; to put on; to keep a diary; to make an entry
to lose one's mind; to lose control of oneself
foot; paw; leg; gait; pace; bottom structural component (i.e. radical) of a kanji; (arch.) money
to hurt; to injure; to harm; to damage; to worry; to bother
frustrated (over a failure, humiliation or injustice); annoyed; chagrined; (bitterly) disappointed; bitter; vexed
to be helpful; to be useful
with the exception of; excepting; excluding
to bow; to bow one's head; to apologize; to apologise; to bow to; to yield to
unknown; obscure; insignificant
to hang; to suspend; to lower; to reduce; to demote; to move back
to go smoothly; to turn out well; to do the trick; to have peaceful relations
to follow; to pursue; to die right after a loved one; to kill oneself after the death of a loved one; to follow an example set by earlier generations (or one's master, etc.)
moron; idiot; stupid person
to cure; to heal; to fix; to correct; to do over again; to replace
to be used to; to get accustomed to; to train; to discipline; to tack (in needlework); to baste
to smear with blood; to kill
deep-seated grudge; hatred
standing facing each other (e.g. mountains, buildings); standing opposite each other; confrontation; squaring off against (adversaries, armies, forces); standing off against
son (of others); boy; young master; green young man from a well-to-do family; young man innocent of the ways of the world
inconsequential; indifferent; not worth worrying about; whatever; whichever; I don't care
to speak distinctly; to speak clearly; to put it bluntly; to get to the point; to be frank
considerable; great; important; significant; a big deal
limit; limits; degree; extent; the end; the last; as long as ...
at the most; at best; to the utmost; as much as possible; as much as one can
largish; biggish; a little bit larger
to slip into; to crawl into (under); to conceal oneself (under); to sneak into; to infiltrate
you have only to; all you have to (do); all that's required; as long as; if only
rescue; extricate; reclaim; deliverance
difficult; hard; impossible; unfeasible; fussy; particular; gloomy
easy victory; walkover; easy peasy; child's play; cakewalk