Two correct answers this week!  Very impressive!  The nose was indeed E.  As to why, I can’t really say.  Dragon’s and Shirley’s explanations seem as good as any.  500 points all around in celebration!

Let’s not forget the rest of our kanji friends, however.

顎　頭　顔　口　鼻　耳　目

You may have noticed that the first three all had the same part on the right side, which may have suggested to you that they had similar meanings.  This is a trick that can serve you well when dealing with . . . oh, about 60% of kanji.  For the other 40%, it’s anyone’s guess what the connection is.  In this case, though, it’s easy: they’re all related to the head.  Chin’s on the left, face is on the right, and the one in the middle is the old melon itself.

Next up is the most boring of the list, which happens to be the mouth (needless to say, it’s open).  The nose you know, of course, which leaves us with two more similar-looking characters.  On the far right we have the eye, which, if you turn it on its side, kind of looks like an eye if you round off the corners and color in the middle.  To its left is the ear, which also makes sense, because it’s basically just a . . . pointier . . . eye.  Right . . .

But let’s move on.  This week’s challenge is colors.  Since we’re smack-dab in the middle of Spring at the moment, I suppose the one you should be trying to pick out had better be green.

A. 青　B. 赤　C. 黄　D. 黒　E. 白　F. 緑　G. 紫

Cloud, in fact, had wandered off
He did not care, as such
Sector Seven being gone
Did not affect him much

Aeris, on the other hand
Weighed heav’ly on his mind
Was’t his running into her
That put her in this bind?

“Cloud! Yo, Cloud!” yelled Barret
Who still sounded quite distressed
“You’re taking us to Aeris’ place!”
It was not a request

Tifa scowled. “Don’t be rude
We’ve all been through a lot
We really have to hold on tight
To the friends we’ve still got”

“Come on, Tifa, cut the sap
Don’t make us sound so lame
I don’t care what Barret says
I’d go there just the same

“I’m gonna help Aeris
I’m sort of her bodyguard”
Thinking ‘bout his reward
Made the choice not at all hard

“Also, I’m real curious
About these . . . Ancient . . . things”
In his head, a voice: “Well, yeah
In here that a bell rings”

This week’s puzzle:

The successor to a long line of leaders discovers that his destiny is out of his control. Inspired by the actions of a menial laborer and his blue-eyed companion, he seizes command and leads his people to a barren wasteland.

Last week’s puzzle:

A young man who fell from popularity at an early age pulls a stunt to impress his new friends and is taught a lesson. In the end, he earns the respect of his peers (while alienating his mother), but it does him no good at all.

And the answer is . . . ▼

There are some things that should not be done
Of these things, segregation is one
But way back in the day
The court said ’twas okay
In the case Plessy v. Ferguson

Event: U.S. Supreme Court rules that “separate but equal” facilities for whites and blacks are constitutional
Year: 1896
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plessy_v._Ferguson

The correct answer was F, though not because it’s a dollhouse.  I could tell you where the character for mother comes from, but it could be seen as somewhat vulgar, and besides, the picture’s sideways anyway.  The television is the character for older brother, the frazzled aerial means younger brother, and the Boy Scout weenie roast means father.  The two similar-looking ones are, appropriately enough, older sister and younger sister (B and C, respectively).  200 points to everyone who participated, and 153 to everyone who didn’t.

But now let’s move on to your next challenge.  I was recently reminded that several friends of mine just finished their first year of med school.  So let’s see if you’re up on your anatomy.  Can you pick out the nose?  Don’t worry, it’s as plain as . . . whew, just caught myself there.

A. 顎　B. 頭　C. 顔　D. 口　E. 鼻　F. 耳　G. 目

“I . . . I don’t know,” choked Tifa
“I’m not sure I can go on
Wedge and Biggs, Jess, everyone
I can’t believe they’re gone

“What we did was good, I thought
We tried Shinra to halt
I never thought they’d go this far
Is all of it our fault?”

Barret laughed. “Oh yeah, I’m sure
That we’re who Shinra blames
As for me, I’m kickin’ ass
Not both’rin’ to take names

“Our fault? Their fault? I don’t care
All that is in the past
All I know is that my gun
Needs some revenge, and fast

“The Shinra took my girl from me
And for that they will pay
So even if it takes my life
I’ll bring them judgment day”

“Barret, wait! That isn’t true!”
To stop him she did strive
“Remember that girl? She did say
That Marlene’s still alive”

“The hell? What were you waiting for?
Why didn’t you say so?
I’ve got to see her right away
Hey, Cloud . . . now where’d Cloud go?”

This week’s puzzle:

A young man who fell from popularity at an early age pulls a stunt to impress his new friends and is taught a lesson. In the end, he earns the respect of his peers (while alienating his mother), but it does him no good at all.

Last week’s puzzle:

A small business owner who always ends up on the losing side of fights is a selective music-hater. In the end he tells his old friends to leave him and makes new friends with his enemies.

And the answer is . . . ▼

For some folks it was cause for distress
Kasparov claimed his foes did transgress
But what could it mean
When a mere machine
Beat a master in a match of chess?

Event: Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in a dramatic Game 6, becoming the first computer to beat a reigning world champion in a chess match
Year: 1997
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Blue_%28chess_computer%29

The animals were, in order: dog, cow (or ox), horse, monkey, bird, and cat.

犬　牛　馬　猿　鳥　猫

Now for the scoring.  Fifty points each to Shirley and Dragon for being on the right track (last time I checked, horses also have four legs and a tail).  A Fan gets 100 points for poking fun at his brother and making obscure song references, plus another hundred for his three guesses.  Then he goes into the double bonus for saying that E was a dinosaur (because, as we all know, dinosaurs evolved into birds), with a triple word score for identifying cat as dog and vice versa.  Unfortunately, the system is not capable of calculating so many points all at once, so he has been reset to 1.

But anyway, time for this week’s challenge, which is on the family.  Since yesterday was Mother’s Day, pick the character for “mother” out of this lineup of family members.

A. 兄　B. 姉　C. 妹　D. 弟　E. 父　F. 母

The world was filled with awful noise
And then in silence passed
Until the air was once more rent
By a horrific blast

Barret’s shouts came to a head
He opened fire: POW!
Rage expended, he whipped round
“So!  What do we do now?”