#dadadada tenshi

[greatwyrmgold]

I have strong opinions about translating songs, derived in large part from listening to a lot of anime song covers. And I've been thinking about this because of "Useless Angel," the recent official English version of "DadadadaTenshi".

For comparison, here's the original Japanese. English subtitles are available.

Now, if you compare the official English lyrics to the translation of the Japanese lyrics, you'll notice a few things. The first is that the English grammar and pronunciation are...not exactly how a native speaker would say any of that. (It's not as bad as "Your Affection," you can definitely tell it's supposed to be English, but...writing the lyrics on screen is appreciated.)

Once you get around that, you'll notice that the lyrics are very different. For instance, the tenshi overcomes her uselessness with angelic power, while the angel uses her angel powers to overcome her flaws. Similar vibes, but the literal meanings are pretty different.

But if you were listening to the Japanese lyrics, you'll notice that the English lyrics sound very similar. "Dame [×4] na atashi wo; aishitene!" doesn't mean quite the same thing as "Darn it [×4] not a perfect girl; 'I love you' back!", but it has the same meter, same stressed syllables, and similar phonemes. "Useless Angel" doesn't always sound like it was written in English, but it does always sound like it was written with the melody in mind.

Most Anglophone anime song cover artists (or whoever they get their translations from) don't do this. They get a literal translation from some source or another, then find some way to contort that translation into the song's length, and that's it. Sometimes they don't even bother swapping synonyms around to make the syllable count match; they just get close enough and give some words extra notes or vise versa.

And that sounds like shit!

Lyrics aren't just a sideshow playing alongside the melody; they are the medium through which we hear the melody. Having lyrics that sound wrong—whether because of mismatched syllable count, mismatched syllable stress, or just trying to force words to blend together when they don't—is like playing an instrumental piece with out-of-tune instruments. Sometimes not even the right instruments—like, they didn't have a drummer, so the spare bassist just strummed their bass when the drummer should have hit a drum, and argh string instruments are terrible at percussion why are you doing this?

Song lyrics are not prose, they're poetry. They're art. Much like how anime subtitles should convey the essence of what the dialogue means over a literal translation of the words in the script, and much like how anime dubs need to follow the lip flaps even if that makes them deviate farther from the original Japanese, song lyrics need to be translated in a way that follows the song, that conveys the essence of how the song is supposed to feel.

Anyways, I can't stand most English anime covers, especially covers of songs I like. By contrast, I've been listening to "Useless Angel" on loop for days, interrupted mostly by "Dadadada Tenshi". Half of its lyrics are mumbled word salad, but none of them sound wrong.

[utaitemusic]

(10 seconds beginning silence due to copyright!)

I'm an angel, you know​ My head is spinning, spinning, spinning spinning​ It is filled with nothing but you That's what I've been thinking about!

[menggekkd]

ダダダダ莎莎

在 Tumblr 上分享一下我之前的手书～

手书： 在 Bilibili 上 在 YouTube 上

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Prohibited reprint!!

[d34d-f1sh-1n-r4t-tr4p]

Warning: blood, body horror

Dadadada tenshi

[apatchworkstar]

Dadadada Tenshi fits Muu so much

[rainydayscore]

i love dadadada tenshi so much

[zenlossq]

Dadadada Tenshi covered by AmatsukaUto ໒꒱· ﾟ

[floatingcumghost]

here's my favorite thing this month

[welcometomy20s]

May 1, 2023

KING - Kuzuha - 4166万

Ochame Kinou - Tokino Sora, Roboco, Hoshimachi Suisei, Yozora Mel, Aki Rosenthal, Natsuiro Matsuri, Sakura Miko, Minato Aqua, Murasaki Shion, Yuzuki Choco, Nakiri Ayame, Oozora Subaru, AZKi, Ookami Mio, Nekomata Okayu, Usada Pekora, Uruha Rushia, Shiranui Flare, Shirogane Noel, Honshou Marine, Amane Kanata, Tsunomaki Watame, Tokoyami Towa, Himemori Luna - 4161万

Phony - Hoshimachi Suisei - 3266万

KING - Mori Calliope, Gawr Gura - 3027万

Goodbye Sengen - Nakiri Ayame - 2378万

GETCHA! - Hoshimachi Suisei, Mori Calliope - 2227万

Phony - Machita Chima - 2123万

Discommunication Alien - Usada Pekora - 2030万

God-ish - La+ Darknesss - 1956万

Saga Jihen - Hoshimachi Suisei, Usada Pekora, Uruha Rushia, Shiranui Flare, Shirogane Noel, Honshou Marine - 1943万

Dadadada Tenshi - Minato Aqua - 1868万

Rettou Joutou - Tanaka Hime, Suzuki Hina - 1849万

Yankee Boy, Yankee Girl - Higuchi Kaede, Kenmochi Toya, Kuzuha, Todoroki Kyoko, Kudo Chitose, Saegusa Akina - 1794万

God-ish - Lauren Iroas - 1624万

KING - Hoshimachi Suisei - 1540万

Gishinanki - Kuzuha - 1518万

Rettou Joutou - Kuroki Natsume, Amatsuki - 1516万

Q - Higuchi Kaede, Kenmochi Toya, Kuzuha, Todoroki Kyoko, Amemori Sayo, Saegusa Akina - 1432万

flos - Nekomata Okayu - 1426万

Hated by Life Itself - Sasaki Saku - 1413万

Roki - Mori Calliope - 1413万

Sparkle - Ookami Mio - 1408万

Umiyuri Kaiteitan - Nekomata Okayu - 1382万

RE:I AM - Inui Toko - 1360万

Summertime Record - Kuzuha, Sakura Ritsuki, Saegusa Akina, Ars Almal, Amamiya Kokoro, Ratna Petit, Luis Cammy, Fuwa Minato - 1320万

Call Boy - Fuwa Minato - 1298万

-ERROR - Tokoyami Towa - 1291万

Vampire - Kuzuha - 1241万

Sugar Song & Bitter Step - Hakase Fuyuki, Kagami Hayato, Yorumi Rena - 1234万

Kaibutsu - Saegusa Akina, Fuwa Minato - 1211万

Say So - Nyatasha Nyanners - 1206万

Ochame Kinou - Mori Calliope, Takanashi Kiara, Ninomae Ina’ins, Gawr Gura, Amelia Watson, IRyS, Tsukumo Sana, Ceres Fauna, Ouro Kronii, Nanshi Mumei, Hakos Baelz - 1158万

Alien Alien - Tokino Sora - 1153万

Night Sky Patrol of Tomorrow - Hoshimachi Suisei, Minato Aqua, Tokoyami Towa - 1129万

Charles - YuNi - 1096万

Devil’s Manner - Kuzuha - 1081万

Telecaster B-Boy - Saegusa Akina - 1077万

Hikaru Nara - Kenmochi Toya, Morinaka Kazaki, Yumeoi Kakeru, Inui Toko, Saegusa Akina, Hoshikawa Sara - 1072万

Namae no Nai Kaibutsu - Hanabasami Kyo - 1016万

Un Pato - Star - 1014万

Meni Meni Mani Mani - Hyakumantenbara Salome - 1005万

Ice breaker - Kanae, Kuzuha - 985万

Shoujo Rei - Hoshimachi Suisei - 968万

Vampire - Ange Katrina - 966万

Indoor Kei Nara Trackmaker - Minato Aqua - 953万

Turing Love - Kuzuha, Honma Himawari - 950万

Unknown Mother Goose - Hanabasami Kyo, Shishigami Leona, Sasugano Ruki, Sasugano Roki - 950万

Ego Rock - Saegusa Akina - 942万

Kaibutsu - Tokino Sora, Hoshimachi Suisei, Oozora Subaru, Omaru Polka, Hakui Koyori, Sakamara Chloe - 924万

Shitsuraku Petri - Nekomata Okayu - 923万

Envy Baby - Omaru Polka - 921万

Blessing - Kaga Nazuna, Kaga Sumire, Ichinose Uruha, Kagura Toto, Kurumi Noah, Tosaki Mimi, Tachibana Hinano, Asumi Sena, Hanabusa Lisa, Kisaragi Ren, Kaminari Qpi, Yakumo Beni - 918万

Memeshikute - Kenmochi Toya, Uzuki Kou, Shellin Burgundy - 913万

Animal - Hoshimachi Suisei, Sakura Miko - 907万

Fansa - Gosegu - 885万

Love Trial - Inugami Korone - 873万

Lower one's eyes - Hoshimachi Suisei - 862万

Goodbye Sengen - Minato Aqua - 856万

KING - Kizuna Ai - 856万

Night Sky Patrol of Tomorrow - Kuzuha, Honma Himawari, Dola, Yashiro Kizuku - 856万

Alice in N.Y. - Tokino Sora, Hoshimachi Suisei, Shiranui Flare, Honshou Marine, Amane Kanata - 852万

Death Should Not Have Taken Thee! - Ange Katrina, Lize Helesta - 841万

Ghost Rule - Amane Kanata - 834万

Ghost City Tokyo - Hoshimachi Suisei - 825万

Phony - Inui Toko - 816万

Phony - Fuwa Minato - 812万

Near - Kaida Haru - 805万

Gunjo - Hakase Fuyuki - 799万

Haiiro to Ao - Hoshimachi Suisei, Tokoyami Towa - 786万

Unknown Mother Goose - Ienaga Mugi, Yuuhi Riri, Kenmochi Toya, Fushimi Gaku - 786万

Ranbu no Melody - Hoshimachi Suisei - 783万

Sugar Hate - Kanae, Kuzuha - 776万

Kakusei - Hoshimachi Suisei - 774万

Lower one's eyes - Fuwa Minato, mafumafu - 773万

KING - Murasaki Shion - 760万

Silent Majority - Tsukino Mito, Higuchi Kaede, Shizuka Rin, Yuuhi Riri, Akabane Youko, Honma Himawari, Suzuhara Lulu - 750万

Mafia - Kuca Kaneshiro - 740万

Uma to Shika - Amane Kanata - 739万

Genesis of Aquarion - Nagihara Suzuna - 739万

Blessing - Yukihana Lamy, Momosuzu Nene, Shishiro Botan, Omaru Poilka - 737万 

Overdose - Lauren Iroas - 719万

Hyadain no Joujou Yuujou - Nekomata Okayu, Inugami Korone - 719万

Kaisei - Furen E Lustario - 718万

Poppin’ Candy Fever! - Sasaki Saku, Hoshikawa Sara - 704万

Turing Love - Kanae, Hoshikawa Sara - 703万

Kokoronashi - Saegusa Akina - 699万

Villain - Ryushen - 698万

Otome Kaibou - Nekomata Okayu - 684万

Koyoi Tsuki no Yakata ni te - Hoshimachi Suisei, Inui Toko - 680万

Hakujitsu - Natsuiro Matsuri, Rikkaroid - 679万

Turing Love - Nekomata Okayu, Minato Aqua - 666万

Jojo The Memory of That Blood ~end of THE WORLD~ - Ryushen - Hanabatake Chaika, Yashiro Kizuku - 666万

Ichido Dake no Koi Nara - Higuchi Kaede, Rindou Mikoto, Inui Toko, Lize Helesta, Suzuhara Lulu - 664万

Cry Baby - Hoshimachi Suisei - 663万

Marshall Maximizer - Saegusa Akina - 663万

Hail Holy Queen - Todoroki Kyoko, Sister Claire, Debidebi Debiru, Levi Elipha, Hayase Sou, Sukoya Kana, Melissa Kinrenka, Nagao Kei, Genzuki Tojiro - 605万

KING - Nakiri Ayame - 657万

Promise - Lilpa - 647万

Goodbye Sengen - Takanashi Kiara - 642万

Beat Eater - Hoshimachi Suisei, Mori Calliope, Pavolia Reine - 641万

[nemmienimbus]

Guess who's workin on their very own cover of Dadadada Tenshi!

[mousouchuu-v2]

undefined

Dadadada Tenshi

Minato Aqua’s 3D live concert

[greatwyrmgold]

I hope there's someone else in this corner of Tumblr who understands what this video is doing, because it's doing it well.

[utau-bowl]

A cover of  NayutalieN ‘s “Dadadada Tenshi” featuring Matsudappoiyo.

[theinkchild]

March 2020 as an angel Sept 2020 still as a lazy as hell, angel.

[amicatnep]

LOVE! ME! <3

(redraw of this from 2017. how the time flies)

[u4adventure]

ドヤッ!

(i would link the song but if you put links in posts it doesnt show up in the tags. tragic)