#さ Song List

[hiromusicarts-blog]

ただいま発売中のJazz Life 10月号に新譜「叙情 - Lyric Suite」のレビューが掲載されています。 ヒロオガワのことを、とことん知り尽くした深い目線に驚愕と恥ずかしさを禁じ得ない内容です。 確かに現代音楽風ではあるけれど、プログレ的なアプローチであることを見透かされてしまった。悪い気はしないけれどね。ただ、無調であったり、変拍子であったりする曲も割と入っているので、そこは見解が分かれるところだ。「異質な作品ではなく～代表作として列するべき」と言う力強いお言葉に感謝します。最後に「小難しそうなのに聴きやすい」と言う言葉が、印象的でした。 レビュワーの富澤さんとは５作目「bue eye」からの付き合いなのですが（毎回ではないけれど）いつものことながら流麗な言い回しに感心しきりです。 レビューページの左隣に、かつしかトリオのウチュウノアバレンボーが載っていて、ついでに見てくれないかなぁ？なんて。 The October issue of Jazz Life, now on sale, features a review of the new album "Lyric Suite." The deep perspective of the reviewer, who knows Hiro Ogawa inside and out, is shocking and embarrassing. It certainly has a contemporary musical style, but the progressive rock approach was clearly seen through. I don't mind, though. However, there are quite a few atonal and irregular time signature songs, so opinions are divided on that point. I appreciate your powerful words that "this should be ranked as one of his masterpieces, not as a unique piece." The final words "It sounds difficult, but it's easy to listen to" left a strong impression on me. I've been acquainted with reviewer Tomizawa since my fifth album "blue eye" (though not every time), and as always, I'm impressed by his elegant way of speaking.

Facebook ページの同内容の記事です

[haru-dipthong]

Ep 4 of my Utena fansub is out!

This has absolutely been the toughest episode yet. It has several difficult phrases, the most dialogue of any episode up to this point, and a few phases that are really important to future episodes and core themes.

This episode's translation discussion

ねえ、じゅり先輩

Can I ask you something, Juri?

The bane of every translator’s existence — 先輩 (senpai). As I’m doing with 様 (sama), I definitely don’t want to include it untranslated as an honorific, but unlike 様 (sama) there’s no English word that could possibly be used in the same context to convey similar information. Instead, I’m trying to slip in some of the hierarchy in the characters’ general speech patterns. Here, the translation invents a whole sentence for Miki to show a bit of deference to Juri, instead of using the honorific.

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テクニックでねじ伏せるようないつもの迫力じゃなくて、なんだか音に潤いを感じるよ。

Your technique is usually so forceful and commanding, but today the notes have a kind of richness to them.

According to jisho.org, ねじ伏せる means “to twist someone's arm and throw them to the ground”. 迫力 means “force, impact, strength”. Touga’s verbiage here is intentionally violent. It indicates that underneath Miki’s polite, almost feminine demeanour and appearance, lies a boy who is already being moulded by patriarchal forces into a force of oppression. It was important to keep that hint of Miki’s potential for violence and oppression in the translation.

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前に言ってた、輝くものでも見つけたのかな？

Did you ever find that "glow" you were talking about earlier? (from ohtori.nu)

It seems you may have found that guiding light you were telling me about. (my translation)

This was a really tough translation, and one that has implications for the future, because I believe 輝くもの is used when listing the council’s reasons for duelling in later episodes, so the translation I chose needed to fit in that context as well.

Depending on the kanji used, もの can mean either “thing” (物) or “person” (者). A Japanese transcript I found actually uses the “person” kanji excusively. So it could be translated as either “something that shines” or “someone that shines”. I think I managed to preserve this ambiguity in the translation: “guiding light” could be a literal light, or it could be a metaphor for a person who’s very important to you.

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自分の中に永遠の美しさを持ってないと引けない曲なんだ

It's an ode to a beautiful life, where things never change. You need to believe in that to play it.

The Japanese literally translates to "This is a song [you/I] can't play unless [you/I] carry [eternal beauty/the beauty of eternity] within yourself". The subject of the sentence is omitted - is he talking in general or specifically about himself? Is 永遠 here acting as a noun (eternity) and の marks 美しさ as belonging to it (beauty of eternity) or is it acting in the genitive case and modifying the noun 美しさ instead (eternal beauty)?

These are all questions that matter in terms of making sense of the line, but not in the immediate sense of the translation, because the translation pivots on a different axis: 自分の中に…持ってないと. In english, translating this literally (carry … inside yourself) sounds unnatural. I think the Japanese gives more of an impression of carrying a worldview of eternal beauty; of seeing the world as a world that has eternal beauty. Textually, what Miki is talking about is carrying a dream of reliving the happiness of the past again, and then keeping it forever. He’s desperately trying to preserve that perfect time in his life, with him and his sister side by side playing that song in the sunlit garden. That's actually what this is about. And his duelling loss, and the scene where the image of the garden shatters, represents him finally being forced to move on from that need for permanence.

Permanence (or as most translations have it, “eternity” — 永遠) is a core theme of the work. All of the characters, in some way, are trying to preserve a form of status quo, or regain and retain a status quo that has been lost to them. Though Miki uses the word 永遠 here, I decided not to directly translate it. Rather than relying on the recurrence of a single noun to carry this theme, I wanted to allow the theme to stand on its own merit. I think translating it variously as “permanence”, “eternity” and other edge cases as I’ve done in this line ("where things never change"), will allow me to better convey this theme of wanting to keep things as they are, and the necessity of change and of letting those things go.

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Thank you to my editor @dontbe-lasanya (I still can't believe I get to say "my editor" lol), I'm sure it was as tough to edit as it was to translate!

For all episodes released so far, see the below drive folder. Be sure to follow the blog for updates if you want to watch along!

[an-insignificant-flower]

Namonaki Watashi

名も無き = lit. "without a name," pre-noun adjective that can mean "anonymous," "ordinary," or—as I believe befits this song—"insignificant". Notably, 無き is an older form of ない, but while the latter functions as a complete clause, the former requires a noun follow it.

Verse 1

一雫雨を　一雫ください hitoshizuku ame wo　hitoshizuku kudasai 一雫愛を　一雫ください hitoshizuku ai wo　hitoshizuku kudasai

One drop of rain, please give me one drop One drop of love, please give me one drop

The dictionary puts 一滴 (いってき, alternatively ひとしずく) as more common than 一雫 (ひとしずく). However, the latter seems to be more literary, used for sake labels, restaurants, and a 2002 hit song by the female J-pop group, Zone.

Additionally, 雫 is distinctly a kokuji, or "country character," one of Japan's creations without a Chinese equivalent. It's purely hieroglyphic as such, literally depicting that which falls from a cloud.

Prechorus 1

名も　無い　わたしは　あなたと　出会いました namonai watashi wa　anata to deaimashita 名も　無い　わたしにも　蝶や　風や　夢が‥ namonai watashi ni mo　chou ya kaze ya yume ga...

I, who am insignificant, met you (for the first time) Even I, who am also insignificant, (the) butterflies, (the) wind, (the) dream...

Sakurai uses the older form of Namonaki in the title only, but uses the more modern form in the lyrics themselves. In the Japanese, the difference is extremely subtle, with only one phoneme changing from -ki to -i. The grammatical implication in English is far more clumsy, but worth exploring to see the difference: The title reads "Insignificant Me" while the lyrics read "I, who am insignificant,..."

The line ends with ellipses, leaving the thought unfinished, and the use of ya for "and" implying the list is only a part of all that is in the scene give the verse an impressionistic feel.

Chorus

狂い咲く　花たちよ　今は　咲き乱れよ kuruizaku hana-tachi yo　ima wa sak'mi dare yo 狂い咲く　命共　乱れ　乱れ　乱れ kuruizaku inochi domo　midare, midare, midare

Fellow flowers blooming out of season, bloom profusely now! Fellow flowers blooming out of season, together live wild, wild, wild!

I adore the use of kuruizaku here. Of course, kuruu is a familiar verb in Buck-Tick's lyrics, whether it refers to going mad with love or at the state of the world or simply "going crazy." Here it's used in a set phrase referring to off-season blooming. And as with kemono-tachi (from "Beasts of Night"), the narrator includes himself among those he is speaking to: outcasts and others who "don't fit in."

Sakimidare, another set phrase, lends itself to the imagery of endless fields of blooming flowers so thick that you can't see the green leaves beneath them, or even the peak day of cherry blossom season when the world is awash in pink.

I've used an apostrophe unconventionally here to refer to Sakurai's pronunciation. The word has five full mora (sa-ki-mi-da-re), but Sakurai sings it in four (sa-k'mi-da-re). I actually could not make it out in the album version of the song; only upon listening to the "Taiyo to Ikarosu" B-side at high volume could I hear the separate consonants distinctly fitted into one note.

As a lone verb midareru means "falling into disarray," but as a repeated call lends itself better to "lapsing into chaos," and I was tempted to choose "riot" as a command due to the character's more direct translation. However, following the previous line with the set phrase sakimidare, there is an implication that it attaches itself to inochi domo the same way, meaning a closer translation might be, "together, live exuberantly." Think Carpe diem ("Seize the day") with the raving enthusiasm of Scrooge on Christmas morning.

Verse 2

ありがとう　愛を　陽だまりの　日々を arigatou　ai wo　hidamari no hibi wo 一輪の　花を　髪飾り　君に ichirin no hana wo　kamikazari kimi ni

Thank you, for the love, for day after day in the sun For the single flower adoring your hair

Prechorus 2

名も　無い　わたしに　あなた　と　お別れ　来た namonai watashi ni　anata to o-wakare kita 名も　無い　わたしにも　赤や　黄の　夢が‥ namonai watashi ni mo　aka ya ki no yume ga...

You and I, who am insignificant, bid farewell Even I, who am insignificant, (the) red and yellow dream...

Although the lyrics imply simply that the flower speaking (perhaps the very one in the listener's hair from the previous line) was discarded, it's hard to listen to this line as one of the last lyrics in the last song presented to us on Sakurai's last recorded album.

As before, ya implies there are more colors, though red and yellow are noteworthy for the line. I don't know whether it was intentional, but it calls back the first line of "Gessekai": Aka ki iro himawari, "red, yellow sunflowers".

Instrumental Bridge Chorus Chorus

Sakurai often wrote lyrics from the point of view of a particular character in his mind, performing a role on stage. However, I am tempted to read this one assuming less use of the figurative mask. It seems very in his character to express such humility, to refer to his fans (and/or his family, as I have also suspected of other songs of his) as the source of his sunshine and objects of his gratitude, and to plead us all to live our lives to our fullest.

[ririya-translates]

JJ Lyrics Part 1: Jack & Jeanne of Quartz

I've been asked by a few people about an English version of the opening theme since Ion doesn't give lyrics for it in-game. I do not trust myself to have the lyrical ability to translate it well rhythmically, but I've been thinking that perhaps if I put out a gist of the meaning then perhaps someone more musically inclined can work off of that to turn it into something usable. At the very least, I hope it's helpful to give a bit more context. I'll include the original lyrics as well for those who want to compare side by side. For all of these (assuming I get to more) I'll be using the full song version lyrics from the vocal collection. Translation notes are in brackets. Sorry the spacing is weird because Tumblr's formatting is honestly kinda garbage and won't let me change much.

Can listen along to the full version song on Youtube here. I also got the full character colour-coded lyrics here. Note: The lyrics in this game are quite dense with nuances and references so if there's any I seem to have missed, please do let me know! Please consider these simply rough drafts to get the gist of the full lyrics as I just did this in one sitting. Normally I check over things a few times before posting, but I kinda did this on a whim. Things like pronouns and prepositions are very much context-dependent here so a fair bit can be changed depending on interpretation. If there are clear mistakes, please let me know and I'll edit it.

Kai: こころにひそむ無色の願い

Suzu: かたちに出来ずうつむく

Colourless wishes hidden deep within one’s heart/

Unable to take form, looking downwards

(The word for colourless is often used in reference to Quartz particularly since they are the inexperienced class who have yet to develop their unique “colours” yet)

Kisa/Mitsuki: いつか見ていた夢のつづき

Neji: どこまで行けるか？

Kisa/Sou: たしかめようその器を

Fumi: からだ賭けて

Keeping alive that dream you once saw/

How far can you go for it?/

Let’s give it a shot with this vessel/

Risking our bodies on it

(Since it’s a group number I’m just assuming bodies here to be plural)

LIs: この胸で躍る

Kisa: 眼差しがとらえる

LIs: 可能性のリズム

Kisa: クォーツのペンデュラム

LIs: 踊れよジャック

Kisa: 映すポテンシャル

All: まだ行ける？

This dancing in our chests/

Capturing a glimpse/

The rhythm of possibility/

Pendulum of Quartz/

Dance, Jacks!/

Reflective potential/

Can you keep going?

(In these alternating LI/Kisa sections, assume that they are singing both sets of lines simultaneously, but whoever is listed first in the section is the more prominent one)

Kisa: さ��乙女たちも

LIs: 僕らを導く

Kisa: いま立ち上がる

LIs: クリスタルのパス

Kisa: 歌えよジャンヌ

LIs: 歩む未踏の地

All: まだ行ける？

And to all you girls too/

Guide us (masc)/

Stand up right now/

Path of crystal/

Sing, Jeannes!/ Walk the untread land/

Can you keep going?

(Not entirely sure about the meaning of パス here since it can be read as ‘path’ or ‘pass’ and it isn’t fully clear)

Fumi/Kai: からだに巣食ううつろな渇き

Kai/Neji: 満たせるものは

Neji: 自分だけ

This gnawing emptiness lodged in your body/

Can be filled by/

Only you yourself

Kisa/Sou: きみと見ていた淡い夢は

Neji: あえかに咲く花

Kisa/Suzu: うつくしいもの守れるなら

Fumi/Mitsuki: こころ捧ぐ

This faded dream I saw with you/

Fleeting flowers in bloom/

If it can protect these things of beauty/

We’ll devote our hearts to it

(The kanji for ‘fade’ here matches the kanji used in the song Faded Color, but the kanji for flower is different from the stage flower/vessel usage)

LIs: この願いだけが

Kisa: チャコールナイトグレー

LIs: くらやみ照らす

Kisa: クォーツのライトで

LIs: しるべのランプ

Kisa: 未来さえ照らして

All: まだ行ける

With this wish alone/

Charcoal grey/

Illuminating the darkness/

Through the light of Quartz/

The guidepost lamp/

Light us even into the future/

We can keep going

(Guidepost しるべ is similar although not exactly the same as 道しるべ used in the title of the moon novel)

Kisa: ただ終われない

LIs: はるかなビジョンは

Kisa: そう、想うだけじゃ

LIs: ロマンの見取り図

Kisa: 一度きりの幕

LIs: 二度は描けない

All: まだ行ける

It cannot simply end/

A far away vision/

Yes, this can’t be just an idea/

Outline for a tale/

Just once behind that curtain/

Never to be written twice/

We can keep going

Kisa: ときに迷おうとも

さきが見えずとも

Sou: 残した足跡　

Kisa/Neji/Sou: 信じて

Suzu: 遠回りしても

Kisa: ただ

Suzu: 足がもつれても

Kisa: 歩き続ける

Kisa/Mistuki: ことを

Even if you’re sometimes lost/

When you can’t see the way ahead/

The footprints left behind/

Trust in them/

Even if you go in circles/

Can only/

Even if you trip over your feet/

Keep walking forward/

This is the thing

(ことを at the end of the sentence is rather hard to translate into English since it’s so context-dependent so by all means feel free to find a better iteration of that last line)

Kai: ただただ重ねて　

Kisa: 人は��な育つ

Neji: まだまだ行けるさ

Mistuki: けして手放すな

Kisa: 今にも

Fumi: 原石が

Kisa: 光り

Suzu/Sou: かがやく

Just keeps building, building up/

All people grow up/

We keep going, going/

Never letting go/

On the verge of/

This rough gem’s/

Light/

Shining

(Tried to keep some of the word duplication but it can definitely be done better. The word for rough/unpolished gem/ore is akin to ‘diamond in the rough’ in English and is again used a lot in reference to Quartz being inexperienced but with great potential value)

(This part repeats the first LI/Kisa sections)

LIs: この胸で躍る

Kisa: 眼差しがとらえる

LIs: 可能性のリズム

Kisa: クォーツのペンデュラム

LIs: 踊れよジャック

Kisa: 映すポテンシャル

All: まだ行ける？

This dancing in our chests/

Capturing a glimpse/

The rhythm of possibility/

Pendulum of Quartz/

Dance, Jacks!/

Reflective potential/

Can you keep going?

Kisa: さあ乙女たちも

LIs: 僕らを導く

Kisa: いま立ち上がる

LIs: クリスタルのパス

Kisa: 歌えよジャンヌ

LIs: 歩む未踏の地

All: さあ行こう！ Oh

And to all you girls too/

Guide us (masc)/

Stand up right now/

Path of crystal/

Sing, Jeannes!/ Walk the untread land/

Well, let’s go! Oh!

—

Overall thoughts: I’m sure people can draw their own interpretations from this but you can see it’s a song about dreams and the hard-fought battles in pursuing said dreams with lots of Quartz-related phrasing. Quite interesting as well how Kisa is sometimes mixed in with various LI characters and sometimes singing in contrast to them.

I would recommend for those who haven’t read it to also check out the first chapter of the moon novel (translation here) as it emphasizes Kisa grappling between her dreams and her reality. 

Also I would like to plug this cover version by Saki Hazuki singing this song with both male and female parts which feels very Jack Jeanne.

[animenostalgia]

Here's something fun: Youtube Channel Silver Millennium Philharmonic recently put out an almost 2-hour video of what they call "Pretty Guardians Sailor Moon Fan's Orchestra Concert"--an unofficial concert of Sailor Moon music done in orchestra arrangements! Here's a set list:

セーラースターソング / Sailor star song

救世主～ウラヌス、そして、ネプチューン / Messiah ~ Uranus and Neptune

侵略、デスバスターズ / Invation,Death Busters

変身！セーラー戦士 / Transform! Sailor soldiers

怪宴！デッドムーンサーカス / Dead Moon Circus

月にかわっておしおきよ！ / In the name of the moon, I shall punish you!

ちびうさのロマンス / Chibiusa’s Romance

銀河の支配者〜セーラースターライツ・ステージオン！ / Ruler of the Galaxy ~ Sailor star lights,Stage On!

エターナルセーラームーン / Eternal Sailor Moon

ムーンライト伝説 / Moonlight Densetsu

あたしだって普通の女の子 / Atashi Datte Futsuu no Onnanoko

夕暮れ時は妖魔の予感 / Yuugure Toki wa Youma no Yokan

セーラームーン登場 / Sailor Moon Appear

新たなる敵 / A new menace

新たなる変身　~メイクアップ！~ / Star power Make Up！

私が戦う / The Battle

ムーンプリンセスハレーション / Moon Princess halation

月は見ている / The Moon is watching over

とりもどした日常 / Save the Day

Moon Revenge

エンディングメドレー / Ending Medley

[randomshipperhere]

Ai Mikaze Song Rant

!!🧹CLEANING OUT DRAFTS WRITTEN IN LIKE 2021. Posted as is last written🧹!!

that may or may not be an essay but since its structure is completely off, I opted to call it a rant.

Also Ai looks mighty fine in that outfit. Ver. A has him sticking his tongue out. So cute!!

Note: this is a long overdue post that was made prior to the release of the album, I have not changed anything within this because dammit my past self worked her ass off on this and just left it on the backburner for so long.

Before the next batch of Quartet Night Solo Songs get released this year (oh my god its been 3-4 years since the last ones) I wanted to write down the charm of Ai's songs and I hope the trend somewhat continues.

There are a total of 6 songs released since 2012 and each song also has it's own take on love.

There are a total of 6 songs released since 2012 and each song also has it's own take on love.

Winter Blossom: Parting of a loved one

A.I: Being and feeling loved

Futari no Monogram: Understanding oneself

Innocent Wind: The Warmth of Love

Mune no Kodou: Understanding Love

Synchronism: Playful, and a smidge bit sensual. Looks like the love arc is complete if you catch my drift

And now let's look at the song list:

うたの☆プリンスさまっ♪ アイドルソング嶺二＆藍

Uta no☆Purinsu-sama♪ Aidoru Songu Reiji & Ai

Track 02: Winter Blossom

August 22, 2012

Idol Song: Mikaze Ai

01: A. I

02: Futari no Monogram

June 25, 2014

マジLOVEレボリューションズアイドルソング 美風 藍

Maji LOVE Reboryuushonzu Aidoru Songu Mikaze Ai

01: Innocent Wind

02: Mune no Kodou

April 29, 2015

うたの☆プリンスさまっ♪ アイドルソング蘭丸＆藍

Uta no☆Purinsu-sama♪ Aidoru Songu Ranmaru & Ai

03: Synchronism

May 24, 2017

Now why does the second part matter? Well to me, if you put them together. Arrange by release date and track number, it almost sounds like a story on its own.

A person who has lost a loved one and forgot what the feeling felt like (Winter Blossom) until they discovered someone who could possibly mend their broken heart and understand the concept of "Ai" (A. I).

After finding this someone, they want to better themselves, become more reliable, someone who could be deserving of that love (Futari no Monogram). That love is returned to them and it feels a bit too much, but they're grateful that this person continues to stay by their side, despite being "broken" (Innocent Wind).

Like any relationship though, it was not just meant to be a sunshine filled story, they got into fights and arguements but that never deterred them from loving each other. Even during the moments they felt down or when he was scared of the passage of time, still uncertain about love, they still stuck with each other through thick and thin. And to understand these overflowing emotions, he wrote it into a song, a ballad, that sung the wishes of normal lovers and how with them, he can understand love. That he too, has that "something" on his chest (Mune no Kodou).

This emotional beat is followed by a happy and relaxing, definitely no underlying desires song about love (Synchronism).

being vague about the last one since I'll explain in each solo segment.

I think you guys get what I mean about the songs tying together to form a story by now right? Which is amazing to me, even if they most likely didn't do it on purpose, it gives a new meaning to listening to Ai's songs. Which make it even more fun to listen to.

So now onto each song and it's significance.

Winter Blossom

The first song by Ai is still as sad and beautiful as the first time I read the english translation~ I cried. This is a very straightforward song. They shared their last moments in winter.

To hide our kiss, we draw closer together to share warmth

and he wishes to God that he could feel the same emotions as her. She's about to go and he knows this, and he doesn't want to forget so he tries to stop his tears. He wants to remember this. Timeskip and he's all alone now with these memories. He doesn't think it's bad, no matter how sad it was, and yet he could only think about what else he could've done. He feels like he understands now, and he tells the words "I love you" even if she wasn't there, and his voice is only heard by the wind. He remembers the moment one last time, and makes a promise.

It's a tragedy that he only figured out what love is after she died. The song really moves me to tears. The hopeful message at the end is really nice and gives the listener a sense of encouragement.

A. I

Just lovers out on a vacation by the seaside. It starts off with him asking

“At what percentage does it become ‘love’?”

The night grows nearer, as you two get closer, and yet all he can feel is uncertainty. Unsure whether his feelings would reach or if he could ever truly express what he feels. Insecure about his own name, one he even called poor, you show him that there is a meaning to "AI". This fills him with happiness and he sees you as someone he can turn to, his warmth. He gives you a kiss. For now, in this moment, you will enjoy the time spent together, even if in the future you may fight. For now, even if he can't express to you all his feelings, the one word you taught him is enough. I love you.

I've always loved the play on words for A.I (artificial intelligence), Ai (love), and Ai (name) used for the song. See I don't understand Japanese writing much but I really wish I did. From what little I know it's amazing to see that Ai uses katakana アイ throughout the song. Katakana is used for loan words or when you want to emphasize something. So him using アイ instead of 愛 emphasizes that he REALLY doesn't understand "Ai". If you look through the wiki, there are like, 5 instances of the katakana being used. First is in the line highlighted above. Another is in "I want to confirm it, this thing you call ‘love’/tashikametai yo kimi no iu 'ai'" and the most important one. The last line of the song.

I ‘love’ you… I love you

AI shiteru... aishiteru

アイしてる…[[愛]]してる

He actually learns what it means you guys. I'm proud of him. Another line that really got me in this song is when he keeps peppering you kisses because he was anxious. Baby, no, I won't leave you. I swear! Even if it takes time for you to understand, I won't let go!

Futari no Monogram

Innocent Wind

Mune no Kodou

Synchronism

Actually, while I was writing this down, I realized that most of his songs have an emphasis on warmth and the sun.

Winter Blossom

To hide our kiss, we draw closer together to share warmth

These memories aren’t bad, they transform into warmth

A. I

Your hand held in mine is so warm

Your warmth, this tender sunny spot is my gentle place to return to

Innocent Wind

By the tenderness of your warmth

This warmth is beyond even words…

Also the word embrace

(Winter Blossom, Futari no Monogram, Innocent Wind)

and hand holding

he's cold you guys

.

Rant over!

Waaaaa I'm not sure I even did him justice since half the time I couldn't word out what I want to say but hopefully it made some sort of sense???? I just really love him and his songs that I just kinda word vomitted everything.

Also was it super obvious that I adore Mune no Kodou to bits?! I could talk about how that's my favorite song all day because FUCK it's just THAT good.

[snowball-maltese]

Did a couple ranking lists on the My Best Arashi site!!!

Underrated Arashi songs:

Aiba’s solo songs:

[saltprince]

First of all, I just want to tell thank for your hard work. You've done an amazing job for the English community with your translations. My enjoyment of GBF's songs would not be nearly as great if it wasn't for the fact that I'm actually able to understand what the singer is actually singing and what the lyrics actually mean.

2nd, if it isn't too much trouble for you could you add Cloudy World the original song from Stella Magna's album to your translation backlog because it's the only Granblue related song that has sung lyrics that I haven't been able to find any lyrics for at all not even Japanese lyrics.

I'm just genuinely curious about the lyrics to this song considering the fact that this song released in a Granblue related album and the fact that Ono Yuuki is the main and solo vocalist for this song makes me wonder if this song is just a unofficial theme song for Danchou.

But please don't feel pressured, you'vs done amazing work and that can't be stated enough.

Wow. Thank you so much for the kind words, that means a ton. It's a bit hard for me to truly know how much what I'm doing has impact, so I appreciate this more than I can convey. These messages really do so much to keep me going!

To answer your second question: Cloudy World is already on my list! You'll be happy to know it seems to directly refer Over The Sky, which is another song the MCs did.

To tide things over while I work on the translations, I'd like to give you the lyrics to the song since you said you can't find them online anywhere. I've transcribed these from the CD jacket. This does not include my translation draft, but at least you'll be able to sing along. I'll place it under the cut.

Thank you for your message!

Cloudy World lyrics

いつか夢に見た　リアルさの欠けたヴィジョン itsuka yume ni mita riaru sa no kaketa vision 荒唐無稽だと　無意識のブレーキかけてた koutou mukei dato mu'ishiki no bureeki kaketeta 鼓動隠して kodou kakushite

曇り空　山の向こう　光指す切れ間見た kumori sora yama no mukou hikari sasu kirema mita

そうだ　このまま　ただ待ってるだけじゃ sou da kono mama tada matteru dake jya 空は灰色のまま　歩き出そう sora wa hai'iro no mama aruki dasou

Cloudy World　この曖昧な世界で　標なく進むのさ Cloudy World kono aimai na sekai de shirube naku susumu no sa つまずいても　不安になっても　凍えても tsumazuite mo fuan ni natte mo kogoete mo 目の輝き灯火（あかり）にして　踏み出そう me no kagayaki akari ni shite fumi dasou

カタチはないけど　この手で掴んだイメージが katachi wa nai kedo kono te de tsukanda imeeji ga たしかに在るんだ　この手の上に確実に tashikani arunda kono te no ue ni kakujitsu ni もう離さない mou hanasanai

明日（あす）の空　また曇りかな　自分自身だ　変えるのは asu no sora mata kumori ka na jibun jishin da kaeru no wa

空を　見上げる　位置を探そう sora wo mi'ageru ichi wo sagasou ここにはもう留まれない　走り出そう koko ni wa mou todomarenai hashiri dasou

あの時　胸ときめいた好奇心　あれがきっと宝物 ano toki mune tokimeita koukishin are ga kitto takaramono 大事にしよう　ぼくだけが価値を　忘れなければ daiji ni shiyou boku dake ga kachi wo wasure nakereba 虹の彼方へだって　行けるさ niji no kanata he datte ikeru sa

雨の日急に飛び出して　知らない景色見ようとして ame no hi kyuu ni tobi dashite shiranai keshiki miyou toshite ひたすら走ってた　高鳴りを感じてた　抑えられなかったんだ ah hitasura hashitteta takanari kanjiteta osaerarenakattanda ah

どれだけ　目指すものが遠くても　距離感わからなくても dore dake mezasu mono ga tookute mo kyorikan wakaranakute mo 前を向いて　足を出して　それを繰り返せば　恐らくたどりつくだろう mae wo muite ashi wo dashite sore wo kuri kaeseba osoraku tadoritsuku darou

Cloudy World　この曖昧な世界で　標なく進むのさ Cloudy World kono aimai na sekai de shirube naku susumu no sa つまずいても　不安になっても　凍えても tsumazuite mo fuan ni natte mo kogoete mo 目の輝き灯火（あかり）にして　踏み出そう me no kagayaki akari ni shite fumi dasou

踏み出そう　前へ fumi dasou mae he

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Youhei Azakami introducing himself as Isami Smith was, uhh, suspicious. Well it made everyone laugh.

(About 7:54 )

It was good that they live-streamed it (for the benefit of those who didn’t have tickets and were living abroad) because there were reports that a super-duper-very long queue developed during the Wonder Festival. I just realised that this is a significant fest for figure and model kit fans.

The VAs answered three questions where Obari would judge who got the correct answer. The first question was Bravern’s 18th song on his karaoke list. Ryota Suzuki (VA of Ao Isami) got the right one with “Intention.” Oh, I realised, after turning on the auto-translate that it was Kenichi Suzumura’s first single, “Intention.”

They had fun with the appearance of Bravern cosplayer onstage that they were talking about their trembling groins and jiggly crotches. 😈

I have to add that when they showed the ED, both MCs talked about their exposed nipples. Moreover, Obari also mentioned that the black part on Bravern’s neck is the speaker, the one behind is where it shows its emblem. Not sure, if he was pulling the VAs’ legs and the public’s.

They also presented new Bravern figures including a Nendroid.

PS: Even the Japan Self-Defense Forces installed their PR booth at the festival. 😼

[hiromusicarts-blog]

9月25日発売の新譜「叙情 - Lyric Suiite」ですが、サンプル盤が出回り始めているようです。 画像は、パッケージのデータ版＋YouTubeのサムネイルです。 すでにバックオーダー（予約）もちらほら入ってきているようで、大変ありがたく存じます。

商品詳細です。 ジャズマンヒロオガワが創り奏る、クラシカルな作曲作品集。 タイトル「叙情 – Lyric Suite」　アーティスト「ヒロオガワ」 ２０２４年９月25日（水）発売　レーベル：サウンドデザインワークス　　　　 発売元：Hiro Music & Arts  定価¥2.200-（+税込）　　品番：HMA-9852    形式：CD（全１２曲収録）　 取り扱い：全国のCDショップ（お取り寄せ、新星堂を除く） Amazon、HMV、タワレコ 、楽天ブックス等オンラインショップ　　　 音楽配信：iTunes(Apple Music)、Spotify、Deezer、d-ミュージック、my sound　 レコチョク、mora 等、

My new album "Lyric Suite" will be released on September 25th, and it seems that sample copies are starting to appear in circulation. The image shows the digital version of the package + a YouTube thumbnail. It seems that we've already received some backorders (reservations), for which we are very grateful.

Product details: A collection of classical compositions created and performed by jazzman Hiro Ogawa. Title: "Lyric Suite" Artist: "Hiro Ogawa" Released: Wednesday, September 25, 2024 Label: Sound Design Works Publisher: Hiro Music & Arts List price: ¥2,200 (+tax) Product code: HMA-9852 Format: CD (12 songs total) Available at: CD shops nationwide (This is a back-ordered item. Shinseido does not handle this item.) Online stores such as Amazon, HMV, Tower Records, and Rakuten Books, etc Music distribution: iTunes (Apple Music), Spotify, Deezer, d-Music, my sound Recochoku, mora, etc.

主要オンラインショップでは、予約受付中です。この機会にぜひご利用ください。 Amazon CD Japan(international shipping, in any currency of the world) Sites for foreigners

同内容のFBページの記事です↑

[isekai-crow]

2024 Winter Anime Lineup (Master Post?)

First post for a new blog where I'm going to try and record my opinions, break downs, comparisons, and various degrees of squees about anime!

The lineup for this year's Winter isn't as packed as the 2023 Fall season was, but that's always the case. It sure is still causing my To Watch List to keep getting longer... but more importantly because it's so lacking in big name shows one of my most anticipated shows gets to shine...

SOLO LEVELING

俺だけレベルアップな件

LET'S GOOOOOOOO!!!

I'M SO EXCITED FOR MY SHADOW BOY TO FINALLY ARRIVE!!!

also, holy CRAP look at all this TRADITIONAL FANTASY!!! There is even a decent selection of non harem Isekai this round too! And a lot of awesome sequels/continuations!

Anyways, here's what's on my to watch list for this season! I'll be posting about them in their own or other threads as I figure out how I want to set this blog up. My reasons for WHY I'm watching what I'm watching

Definitely Will Watch!

Solo Leveling / 俺だけレベルアップな件

Apothecary Diaries /薬屋のひとりごと(Continued)

Delicious in Dungeon (Dungeon Meshi) / ダンジョン飯

The Villains Day Off / 休日のわるものさん

Undead Unluck / アンデッドアンラック(Continued)

Fire Hunter (Hikari no Ou) 2nd Season / 火狩りの王

High Hopes / Might Drop / Taking My Time

Sasaki and Peeps / 佐々木とぴーちゃん

The Witch and the Beast / 魔女と野獣

Doctor Elise / 外科医エリゼ

Cherry Magic (THIS ENGLISH TITLE LMAO) / 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい (DEF WATCHING THIS ONE NOW)

Shangri-La Frontier / シャングリラフロンティア　(Continued)

Beyond Journey's End / 葬送のフリーレン (Continued)

Gonna Give Them A Few Episodes

Mashle Season 2

Fluffy Paradise / Isekai de Mofumofu Nadenade Suru Tame ni, Ganbattemasu (I'm doing my best in another world to pet fluffy creatures)

Ishura

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic / 治癒魔法の間違った使い方

Blue Exorcist / Ao no Exorcist (OUT OF LEFT FIELD THIS ONE)

Delusional Monthly Magazine / Gekkan Mousou Kagaku

This is already insanely long, so the second half of this essay about what I think is below ↓↓↓↓

DEFINITE WATCH LIST

SOLO LEVELING - I've been waiting for the solo leveling anime since BEFORE the anime was ever announced, re-reading the webcomic/manhwa multiple times and just HOPING someone would animate these gorgeous shadows. It is a very well done power fantasy with only squints of romance, and while I'm sad it's been localized to Japan (and all the fuckery that comes with of Korean erasure), I got to see the first two episodes at the World Premiere and I. Am. So. Hype.

APOTHECARY DIARIES existed completely outside of my head space, and my initial response at the premise was, Raven of the Inner Palace? I wasn't actually expecting much from it and then the first few episodes BLEW ME OUT OF THE WATER and now I'm obsessed.

DUNGEON MESHI is one of those manga I've heard about, but tried reading and it was too slow paced for me (I say, currently slogging through The Boat Arc (TM) of Hunter x Hunter), but the anime gives it life and I think I'll enjoy this alot. I love cooking anime and fantasy, so this will be fun!

KYUJITSU NO WARUMONOSAN is just straight up Crow Bait. That curly bowl cut, the gap moe of a villain who loves cute things, and voiced by fricken Shintarou Asanuma!!! (I know him as Samatoki from HypMic, other's will know him from the "Fucking Bullshit" song from Carole and Tuesday, and a host of other roles) Also, all the pretty sentei / power ranger boys!!! I'm so hype, in the most relaxed chill way for this.

UNDEAD UNLUCK is so weird in that it involves a lot of random sexualization, but it doesn't make me uncomfortable like Seven Deadly Sin's random gropping did, maybe because there is actual implied consent involved. Fuuko and Andy are Poly and I love them for it. And the world building is TOP NOTCH.

FIRE HUNTER - If you haven't seen season one, you are missing out. A darkly beautiful post-post apocolyptic alternate Japan-esque world, from the POV of a young girl, and a young genius boy having to let himself be manipulated by capitalism to survive, and gods? a magic system? but so soft that it's barely there even while being a full on fantasy story.

High Hopes or Taking My Time

SASAKI AND PEEPS- What a weird little show that has the weirdest combination of isekai, the most "this is fine." salaryman, and a fricken' CHUNIBYO BIRB. I've already watched the first episode and it feels like there are two magic systems going on and its a bit confusing, so we will see how this plays out!

WITCH AND BEAST - I keep wanting to call this Beauty and the Beast, because the beast is a rad bad ass looking lady, and the witch is certainly one of the most beautiful undertakers I've ever seen. I think he carries his boyfriend around in his coffin backpack, so I'm hype to see WTF is up with that >o>

DOCTOR ELISE - Why do manhwa I read keep randomly popping up as anime??? This is a vilainess turned good story, and supposedly the market is full of these, but none of them are the good ones I've read, so I did a double take of happiness when I saw this. THIS ONE IS GOOD. An spoiled princess gets killed, is reborn in Korea and becomes a doctor, only to be killed by Airplane-kun, and winds up back in her old body where she decides to become a doctor again! The prince is even not your typical icy asshole! (although maybe he is a little at the beginning..)

CHERRY MAGIC - THIS FRICKEN ENGLISH TITLE GOOD LORDS ABOVE. I'm dying. I'm also excited to see this one play out and I'll be hiding behind a pillow giggling like a mad lad while I do. It's been a while since there's been a good BL that's not SAD (looking at YOU Given and Banana Fish, but avoids eye contact with Sasaki and Miyano) so hopefully it doesn't dip into that territory. Going into this one mostly blind as to the premise apart from the obvious Gap-Moe with the love interest.

SHANGRI-LA - I started watching this on a whim as the Fall season started to wind down, and found it to be a good potato chip to have on in the background. I'll probably continue watching it, but not weekly.

FRIEREN - This is what I watch when Jujutsu Kaisen hurts too much to keep going. I'm only a few episodes in, so it'll be slow going, but I think it's about to pick up it's pacing a little where I'm at, and it'll be good comfort food to have.

MAYBES

Mashle Season 2 - The pacing was SUPER WEIRD in the first season that despite all of it's shitting on the properties of she-who-shall-not-be-named, the end of the season kind of fell flat. I wanted to like it more, so I'm hoping Season 2 does that for me.

Fluffy Paradise - I love isekais with an adult in a child's body pretending to be just super smart, and this doesn't feel like it's going to do that, but still looks cute none the less. I'll give it a few episodes, but will quickly drop it if my watch list is too long.

Ishura - Is this what life is like for D&D Characters when they hit level 20? I HOPE SO. I LOVED the Legend of Vox Machina, and hope this has the same sort of vibes, but I'm going in blind!

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic - Love me some fucked up healing magic. Please DO NOT let this be ANYTHING like Redo Healer. I refuse to watch that even those FUCKED UP HEALING MAGIC IS FUN. But this. This I want to see. Please let this also not be a harem. I'm fine with ~vibes~ but please no actual harem that's not actually Poly.

Blue Exorcist - THIS IS TOTALLY OUT OF NOWHERE. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN?????? I remember the last season feeling like a disappointment? But can't remember why? Gonna see if this is worth re-watching the seasons from like... a decade ago.

Delusional Monthly Magazine - I watched the PV and had no fucking clue what was happening. Therefore, I will be watching a few episodes to sate my curiosity about WTF OR possibly just get myself even more confused and rage quit. lmao

I've watched the first few episodes of a couple of these, and will be watching a few more tomorrow, so Next Goal: Post a write up or three about what I think!

[nanabansama]

You've made me go theough this songs rabbithole too, so I had to check what the official spanish translation said. (I dont know in wich chapter is the Sumire one, so I'll Ho with the Tsukasa one). It goes this way:

Son of man ("hijo de hombre", its in masculine, but I wouldn't pay much attention to that given that we tend to use masculine gor neutral 🤷)/Open the lid/ And sink to the bottom of the sea/

And after this the translation changes in oppositte to the official in english for some reason:

Until sunrise/ Waiting for the moon/ Waiting for the morning

Idk why the changes, but I find It interesting, what do you think???

Thank you! It's fun seeing how other languages translated it.

Just to be clear though I wouldn't worry about the "until sunrise / waiting for the moon / waiting for the morning" part. Both Sumire and Tsukasa's song include this, and despite the translation notes in the English version of Volume 13 offering a new interpretation of the lyrics, they excluded that part. It's either because it was redundant or because they only wanted to focus on the lyrics that count to six.

Anyway, here are all the original lyrics side by side with the various translations we've collected:

ひとよ: "One Night"; "O Human/Mortal/whatever"

ふたあき: "Two Dawns"; "Open The Box"; "It's Starting"

みなそこへ: "Three Go Together"; "Everyone Go There"; "Go To The Waterbed"; "Sink To The Bottom Of The Sea"

よあかし: "Lying Awake"; "Until Sunrise"

つきまち: "Gazing At The Moon"; "Waiting For The Moon"

あさをまち: "Waiting For The Morning"

いつまで出られぬ: "Trapped Until The Fifth Day"; "How Long Will We Be Trapped"; "When Can We Leave"

六つ目編み: "Six Strands We Weave"; "Together In This Web" (NOTE: literally translates to something like "hexagon bamboo weaving pattern".)

This is not a comprehensive list, but feel free to mix and match the lyrics as you feel like.

Anyway, I'm interested in the fact they used "sea" again!!! I suppose it's a safe choice, given the series has a lot to do with the sea. Even the far shore seems to exist across a sea. But just trust me on this, it doesn't have to be limited to a sea, anon. Just trust me...

Also, the Sumire chapter is 62. ;)

[katyspersonal]

if you could ask Miyazaki a single question on Bloodborne lore and he had to give you a complete and non-obscure answer, what would you ask?

"Why the Doll from Bloodborne is dressed like this?". In a heartbeat.

There ARE some other things I really want to know, of course! All Fromsoft, not just Bloodborne. Like who was Djura's third companion, because it is absolutely not obvious since Joseph is not unique but just a summon variant of a generic invader enemy 'Izzy's Follower'! Or exact list of parents of Gwyn's children, so the family tree is solid! Or how exactly Rom ascended, because whereas Micolash claims she was given eyes by Kos, she is a Spider (Nightmare/Amygdalae affiliation) AND is found as a corpse near weeping Ebrietas in the Choir! Or who exactly Gloam-Eyed Queen was... All that!

However, simply answering all these with theories and headcanons and interpretations does not have consequences! The Doll's clothing discourse, however, does!

It is obvious that we as a fandom are not ready for Miyazaki's genius, and above all, not ready to be mature enough to respect each other's takes! Doll discourse brings out the worst in people! No other unresolved lore question makes people block each other on the spot for """wrong""" reading of this. People even block Gehrmaria shippers as if to distance from "impurity uwu" instead of just blocking the ship's name, like Tumblr allows to do! No other question makes them vagueblog absolutely vile shit about another, or sometimes put their hate for character/ship in the tags. No other question makes people call their opponents misogyny-apologists, braindead, weirdos, media-illiterate or straight up claim they "just want to woobify the cis white man" (seriously what the fuck RACE has to do with this?) ..... this is the part where I should address the wrongdoings of people with charitable Gehrman reading as a 'both sides bad' matter but I can't recall anything lolololololol

Yeah, I might not believe there was any sort of misogyny tradwife stuff planned for the character. It is not just a matter of "even the doll should it please you" and "his curious mania" being inventions of localisation team:

Doll says '私をお使いください' ('Watashi o o tsukai kudasai', so, please use me), referring to using her for channeling Blood Echoes! Gehrman says '君さえよければ、あの人形もね⋯' ('kimi sae yokereba, ano ningyō mo neso', so, 'doll too if only you are okay with it', or '...if that is alright with you') in the context of talking about the Hunter tools in the Workshop, again, pointing us towards the fact that she is, too, a 'tool' in a way. Some tools fortify your weapons, others (herself) turn blood echoes into your power.

The "mania" mentioned in this line also uses the word 狂熱 (kyoonetsu), which refers to madness and insanity. Meanwhile, the "mania" mentioned in the description of Doll's clothes uses the word 偏執 (henshuu), meaning to be absorbed in the process very much, being very fixated etc. So, he was so absorbed in his work on the clothes of the Doll that he lost track of time!

It is... everything. Him being put up as a tragic character with a tragic song, when Fromsoft is always blunt when they want someone to be a weirdo or disliked. It is Doll crying a tear of joy upon feeling how Gehrman cared for Maria through Hair Ornament. It is Doll being based on Victorian grief dolls and not being a sex doll or whatever Reddittube said and Twitbr parroted. It is bifauxnen archetype being more often about a woman who did not even want to be masculine but something, or someone, pushed her to, than about plain masculine woman, paired with how much Maria regretted joining the hunt and her hunter attire being the 'masculine wear'. If not and transition was genuine, grief doll implies Maria at least used to be this way, and Gehrman clings to the past version of her, away from what killed her.

But in the end, it doesn't matter which! I try to not have biases besides 'what works better' or 'what feels more natural'! But even if Miyazaki said that yes, he did imply misogyny tradwife forced femininity whatever whatever for this character, what would matter is a concrete answer! Again: we as a fandom, heck, as a species, are not intellectually ready for the concepts like 'up to interpretation'. But removing interpretation factor from THIS thing would've saved so, so, SO many unnecessary petty dramas and conflicts!

[yuseirra]

There's a lyric in Mephisto that goes:

誰だれを生いきたか忘わすれちゃった！

I’ve forgotten who I lived as!

This is a really intriguing line, and you'd think this belongs to Aqua who's had a past life and lived as someone else.

but there's this idea of "gods who don't realize they're gods" (I keep mentioning this a lot because it really bugs me; again, it's there in ch 144)

if Hikaru is a god who's like that, wouldn't this line better refer to him instead? Can't mephisto be HIS song?

and I revisited that chapter, according to it, there is a god who created the world, the one who brought the concept of souls, the god who loves absurdity and unreasonableness, and the god who loves people. The second one probably has to do with the god who chose to reincarnate the hoshino twins (tsukuyomi or someone she works for), it's the third and the fourth one that's mentioned which catches my eye.

it reminds me strongly of Fatal.

"the god who loves absurdity and unreasonableness"'s EXACTLY how the "star" in Fatal works.

な欠落けつらくをくれたね

身勝手みがってな巨星きょせい、狂くるわされた生せい

You have given me a fatal flaw Selfish giant star, ruined lives

it could also be the god that has the power to grant wishes:

あなたに会いたい 星に願いをかけて

I want to see you I wish upon the stars

the fourth one, the god who loves humans,

I feel that's either Ai or Hikaru. Ai's name is "Love" itself and her whole life revolved around giving love to people. Although she says she doesn't understand love, she's so loving when you think about how she's been. It's just that her ways of loving weren't understood by others and never got across(which is tragic)

Or it can be hikaru, because if he really is a god, he loved Ai. And he was the type who "wanted" love. His life was about wishing for love too.

What I'm speculating is that Ai and Hikaru has to do with either or both of the third and fourth gods that are mentioned in the list. I'm suspecting their lives are greatly affected by the third one, and the fourth one would have significance in the story too, because love is so important in this story. The interesting thing is that the god who created the world is also mentioned. If my earlier theory-post is correct, Izanami and Izanagi, the creator gods of Japanese Mythology, have to do with Ai and Hikaru also since their fate resemble theirs.

[delphoxqueen]

Attention Osomatsu-San Fandom-

The Red String of Fate Lost Fan Song video has been found!

*(Story/video link below)*

I created the Osomatsu-San iceberg (both the original and the recent remake) and added an entry to the bottom of the remake about the “The Red String of Fate Lost Fan Song.” As it was a song that was popular on the Osomatsu-San music side of YouTube for years now and I had been searching for it on and off ever since it was deleted off the platform.

I along with @heatchetheart tried to get the word out to others in the Oso-San fandom about the song in hopes of getting some help to find it or a potential lead.

For months we turned up with nothing. I thought I had something when the playlist I had the original video glitched and made another video seem like it was deleted and had somehow brought me to the page to watch it (it was just another video.) Which then lead me to searching through playlists and wikis of Vocaloid songs in hopes of finding the song.

All until tonight. I decided to watch some anime that had to do with red strings/threads that had to do with fate. The first on my list which I had been putting off for a while was the movie “Your Name”. I got to about halfway through the movie, not paying attention and scrolling on my phone when the guitar in the background of the song sounded uncannily familiar… until the lyrics began.

Zen Zen Zense by RADWIMPS made for the movie Your Name was the original song. If I had stopped putting off this movie for this long I would’ve found the song much earlier. I immediately informed Heatchet before feverishly continuing my search with the best piece of info I could’ve gotten. Then for the next few hours I was searching every corner of YouTube for it. Every variation of Zen Zen Zense and Osomatsu-San in English and Japanese I could type. I found some interesting low-view-count animations and a Karamatsu cover done by a Japanese guy in his closet, and dozens of new Osomatsu-San fan songs and vocaloids to add to my ever-growing horde.

I was about to fall asleep when I decided to check NicoNico Douga (Japanese YouTube equivalent) a few times before drifting off. The site was down. About to turn in, deciding to check the website tomorrow I forgot about one platform that I often overlooked. BiliBili (another Asian YouTube equivalent). I don’t know how often I forget to look on it despite having a lot of deleted or hard-to-find videos from YouTube. I searched it, deciding it would be my final for the night… and there it was. Fourth from the top. The exact video I had been chasing for years.

【【手书合松】前前前世-哔哩哔哩】 https://b23.tv/Ar1vrED

Thank you to everyone who has supported my search, my icebergs, and the Osomatsu-San Fandom. (And thanks for reading this long-winded post) Please enjoy this video, cause I sure as hell will.

[blackglasses66]

Top 10 Vocaloid Songs for 2023

Hi, im Jakob Cobb and I enjoy a good vocaloid song.

Inspired by a certain someone posting about it monthly, I've decided to compile a top 10 list of my favorite vocaloid songs of the year. There is no rhyme or reason about them and it’s 100% just decided on the fact that I love the song for one reason or another

Without much else to say, I will say that this has been an awesome year of vocaloid music and I hope next year continues to be great.

Thanks for reading! Full playlist here, rankings under the cut:

HONORABLE MENTIONS: 花隈の歌は可愛いし小春六花はマジでうるさい - Gyari Honestly just makes the list purely on the fact it makes me happy that Gyari released two vocaloid songs in the year, which is something I thought they never might do again after they dedicated themselves to vtuber creation and management (?) かまぼこかまほろかまことか -  yuro mashima A song im very sad to cut out of the top ten, all due to the fact this song was released on December 30 last year. This song introduced me to yuro mashima, who has released some incredibly good songs in the year (i'm a big fan of the song about brushing your teeth) フランスパンのうた (cover) - world elec. Decided against the inclusion of this song on the top ten over the fact its A) A cover and B) Of an old song at that, regardless, it's really good to hear both OG Teto and New Teto together in a song and making both of them sound good, it also includes a MIDI kazoo solo 少女レイ (remix) - Haru-Ichiban The reason for not including this one in the top ten is due to it being a remix of an already popular vocaloid song, however I feel like it bears to mention how outstanding Haru-Ichiban’s remix is. This song just tickles my brain in the right way and uses the basis of the original to create its own feel サカサカバンバンバスピスピス - Yakomochi The first of three、 absolutely different songs that Yakomochi has become known for. I love the simple silliness this song has an continues to shine on the future works that Yakomochi has made since then 10. TEN: モミアゲヲシャカアゲヲ - Nu^16 Like one of the top comments of the video mentions (by the aptly named @mnmnmmnmmmmmm), the price Nu^16 pays for being a prodigious composer, lyricist and artist/painter is that they can only make joke-y silly songs, despite this and honestly adding to it, the fact that these songs are very funny but still legit good songs really makes it click for me 9. NINE: おどロボ - Umicha The fact that Umicha has only really made three songs in their career (the other two being also amazing), goes to show that some amazing producers have shown up in recent years and that they’ll hopefully continue to make amazing music for the years to come (and as will be shown later, Umicha isn't the only producer with three amazing songs under their belt as their first three) 8. EIGHT:

怪電話 - r-906 This song made me learn about ROSE and POPY, the bandori voice synths, and I think that alone should make this song rank highly. r-906 is a really good producer and they’ve been around for a bit but this song just hits an absolute home run for me with the way its paced and the phone samples 7. SEVEN: 機械少女と三十路OL - Ro2noki Can a song cement a ship in your brain? It can for me! Ro2noki’s awesome song rewired my brain in such a way that Rei and Teto are almost inseparable and are dating, it does help that both their twitter accounts have leaned into it heavily, along with the heaps and heaps of wonderful art of them together 6. SIX: オーバーライド - Yoshida Yasei This became a pretty popular niconico MAD song for some reason, but honestly I get it, everyone enjoys a high energy and tempo song with a really good looking but simple video. Something about this song just works for me wonderfully and it really makes the New Teto sound incredibly nice 5. FIVE:

太陽ポカポカで草 - namigroove Namigroove was a surprise to me this year, they made a bunch of really good songs and my favorite is the one song that sounds like a Vulfpeck song. They're also one of the realest producers out there, their taste in music is insane and so is their choice of voice synths 4. FOUR: 焦燥 - kinoue64 Sometimes certain songs awaken you to understanding that there is so many different things voice synths can do and this is for sure one of them. The Miku shoegaze song is a crazy good song and so is the rest of the album it comes from, if you have the chance do listen to it 3. THREE:

ホントノ - Haraguchi Sasuke It's rare that a commercial producer goes into vocaloid (at least in my experience, it's usually the reverse that happens), but Sasuke has not only knocked it out of the park with the three or so songs he’s made using vocaloid, it only looks like he’s getting started and I look forward to all new songs he’ll make 2. TWO:

ちっちゃ��私 - Masarada New Teto release was bound to create new producers for her but no one could’ve anticipated that one would show up and deliver amazing and very distinct songs out of nowhere. Masarada is a producer that I believe will become a household name with some of the greatest vocaloid producers to ever do it if they manage to continue releasing the high quality and chock full of personality songs they’ve managed to release so far, with the song i'm choosing as my top two song of the year being my favorite of them 1. ONE:

KEEP YOUR HEADACHES - Ryo Iogi Teto Hyperpop!!! Not only did this song basically put me on to enjoying hyperpop more but also became one of my most listened to songs of the year period. I hope the Ryo Iogi will eventually make more hyperpop style songs using voice synths (although I will say their grungy Chis-A song is also awesome), because they clearly have a talent for making the style of music and how to blend it with the intricacies of working voice synths