怪盗

Japanese

Kanji in this term
怪	盗
かい Grade: S	とう Grade: S
kan'on

Alternative spelling
怪盜 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

(Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?) From Middle Chinese 怪盜 (MC kweajH dawH, literally “odd, peculiar + thief”).

Noun

1. a mysterious "phantom thief" in Japanese fiction, who excels at theatrics and evading capture and who steals for thrill rather than for personal gain
   • 1995 June 1 [1993 February 17], Yōzaburō Kanari with Satō, Fumiya, “ファイル１(いち)　オペラ座(ざ)館(かん)殺(さつ)人(じん)事(じ)件(けん)①(いち) [File 1: The Opera House Murder Case #1]”, in 金(きん)田(だ)一(いち)少(しょう)年(ねん)の事(じ)件(けん)簿(ぼ) (金(きん)田(だ)一(いち)少(しょう)年(ねん)の事(じ)件(けん)簿(ぼ)) [Young Kindaichi Case Files], 14th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha, →ISBN, page 70:

     くっそ——！怪(かい)盗(とう)紳(しん)士(し)め‼いつか必(かなら)ず取(と)っ捕(つか)まえてやるからな‼

     Kusso——! Kaitō Shinshi me‼ Itsuka kanarazu tottsukamaete yaru kara na‼

     Son of a—! Lady Phantom Thief!! I will catch you one day, you hear me!?

   • 1999 March 27, “魅(み)惑(わく)の怪(かい)盗(とう) [The Bewitching Phantom Thief]”, in Vol.2, Konami:

     黒(くろ)いマントをはおるキザな怪(かい)盗(とう)。杖(つえ)を振(ふ)って、相(あい)手(て)を魅(み)了(りょう)する。

     Kuroi manto o haoru kiza na kaitō. Tsue o futte, aite o miryō suru.

     A smug phantom thief in a black cape. He mesmerizes his opponents with a mere cane swing.

   • 2007 March 15, Gosho Aoyama, “ゴールデン・アイの巻(まき)【前(ぜん)編(ぺん)】 [Golden Eye (First Chapter)]”, in まじっく快(かい)斗(と) (まじっく快(かい)斗(と)) [Magic Kaito], volume 4 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN:

     パリじゃ評(ひょう)判(ばん)になってるよ…フランスの怪(かい)盗(とう)黒猫(シャノワール)が日(にっ)本(ぽん)で君(きみ)と対(たい)決(けつ)するとね…

     Pari ja hyōban ni natteru yo… Furansu no kaitō Sha Nowāru ga Nippon de kimi to taiketsu suru to ne…

     News of the showdown in Japan… between the French phantom thief Chat Noir and you is spreading all over Paris…

     バーロ！対(たい)決(けつ)するのはオレじゃなくてキッドだよ！

     Bāro! Taiketsu suru no wa ore ja nakute Kiddo da yo!

     It’s between them and Kid, not me, you nimrod!