96675
From the first episode of _Death Note_ , the main character ponders some crazy
claims made in a notebook he finds. He eventually mutters to himself:

> いたずらもここまで手が込んでくると まあまあかな

Literally speaking, this seems to mean something like:

> As for whether this is also a prank, if up to here it's complicated, then
> "my, my".

But I'm pretty sure I'm not parsing right because it doesn't seem to quite
make any sense. Is there a better way to translate this sentence (while
keeping the Japanese translation as literal/close to the Japanese as
possible)?

Ultimately, I'm assuming the sentence translates to something like:

> If, up to here, this has just all been a complicated prank, then ... "my,
> my".

But I don't see how the sentence is quite conveying this, grammatically. (And
as I side note I don't understand why も is being used after いたずら, instead of
は).
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-16T00:02:47.933
96673
2022-10-16T06:28:51.673
2022-10-16T03:32:28.807
30454
51280
question
meaning translation
Understanding 「いたずらもここまで手が込んでくると まあまあかな」
The structure is

> いたずらもまあまあかな

where the following conditional is inserted

> ここまで手が込んでくると.

The former means

> Prank is okay as well.

and the latter

> if (it is) contrived this much.

You should be able to see the meaning simply by combining these.

* * *

BTW [Weblio](https://ejje.weblio.jp/content/My%2C+my) does seem to say _my,
my_ is まあまあ, but I suppose it is in the sense of emphatic まあ (Wow). which
seems consistent with [" _interjection_ An expression of surprise,
incredulity, or pleasure."](https://www.zurich.co.jp/car/useful/guide/cc-
roadsign-list-
meaning/?utm_medium=pas&utm_source=iya&utm_campaign=tx&utm_content=100046&argument=hT7qcPFB&dmai=pas_iya_tx_100046&yclid=YSS.1001033242.EAIaIQobChMIgM6c7arj-
gIV1cEWBR3Ggg7CEAAYAiAAEgKqmPD_BwE)

The まあまあ here is _so-so_
([#3](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/en/%E3%81%BE%E3%81%82%E3%81%BE%E3%81%82/#je-71177))
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-16T01:27:10.187
96674
2022-10-16T01:27:10.187
45489
96673
answer
There are several key issues here which I thought were interesting and may not
be straightforward. I will give you a breakdown.

  * も

"even" I feel this も stresses the topic.

いたずらも: Even as a prank

  * くる

As @aguijonazo points out this くる is defined as
([デジタル大辞泉（小学館）](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E3%81%8F%E3%82%8B/)):

> ９ （補助動詞）動詞の連用形に接続助詞「て」が付いた形に付く。
>
> ㋐少しずつ移行したり、程度が進んだりして、しだいにその状態になる。だんだん…になる。「日増しに暖かくなってきた」「最近太ってきた」

  * 手が込んでくる

Therefore, here this phrase means "intricately/elaborately crafted/devised"

  * と

I would think of this と as "when" rather than "if".

  * まあまあ

means "not too bad"

Thus

> いたずらもここまで手が込んでくるとまあまあかな

means:

> (Even) as a prank, it is not bad when they put so much effort into it
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-16T03:31:37.127
96675
2022-10-16T06:28:51.673
2022-10-16T06:28:51.673
30454
30454
96673
answer