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eclipsedrgn · 2 months ago

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#4 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓

you accidentally meet japan's outside hitter on a blind date but doesn't know who he is.

Meeting someone online had never been your thing. But one night, after some prodding from friends and a glass too many of wine, you decided to give it a shot. It was supposed to be harmless, just a fun distraction. You never expected it to turn into something more. Yet here you were, nearly a year later, completely invested in someone you hadn’t even met in person.

His name was Ken. He was from Japan. And the two of you had met on a blind date app. You didn’t know much about him at first—he was a bit reserved, careful with his personal details. But that only intrigued you more. Ken was witty, intelligent, and had a way of making you feel at ease with his words. You had spent countless hours texting back and forth, calling each other late at night when the world seemed quieter. And though the conversations were often lighthearted, with teasing banter and playful jokes, there was an underlying connection that felt deeper, more intimate.

But there was one thing that bothered you—Ken had never wanted to FaceTime. Every time you suggested it, he would laugh it off or tell you he wasn’t camera-ready. At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. After all, the conversations were enough, right? But as the months went by, it began to nag at you. You couldn’t help but wonder—was he hiding something? Or worse, was he even real?

Still, you pushed those thoughts aside, convincing yourself that you were overthinking things. Ken had never given you a reason not to trust him. He always responded to your messages, always made time to talk, and seemed genuinely interested in your life. It wasn’t like you were in love with him… right?

One evening, you were lying in bed, phone in hand, chatting with Ken like you usually did. The conversation had drifted toward volleyball, a sport you had recently gotten into. You had always enjoyed watching sports, but it wasn’t until a few months ago that you started following Japan’s national team. Ryujin Nippon, they were called. The more you watched, the more you found yourself hooked. The teamwork, the energy, the way they moved in sync—it was mesmerizing. And then there was #4, Miyaura Kento.

Miyaura Kento quickly became your favorite. You weren’t sure if it was his undeniable skill on the court or the way he carried himself with a quiet confidence, but you found yourself drawn to him. Naturally, you couldn’t resist gushing about him to Ken, who was always a good listener.

"I can’t believe how good Miyaura Kento is! Seriously, have you seen him play?" you typed excitedly, smiling as you imagined Ken reading your message.

Ken’s reply was quick, as always. "I’ve seen him play a few times. Why? Is he your favorite?"

You grinned to yourself, feeling a little giddy. "Yes! He’s definitely my favorite. He’s amazing! So talented and... well, you know, he's pretty cute too."

There was a pause before Ken’s reply came through, and when it did, you were surprised to see him chuckle at your comment. "You’re cute, you know that?"

Your heart skipped a beat at his words, warmth spreading through your chest. Ken had always been charming, but there was something about the way he said it—something that made you feel like maybe, just maybe, there was more to your relationship than just casual conversation.

As the year went on, the connection between you and Ken grew stronger, though the lack of face-to-face interaction still nagged at you. It was during one of your late-night conversations that you mentioned your excitement about the upcoming Olympics in Paris. You had saved up for months to attend, planning your trip around Ryujin Nippon’s matches.

"I’m going to Paris for the Olympics!" you told Ken excitedly over phone call. "I want to watch Team Japan play live. I’ve been planning this trip for months."

To your surprise, Ken responded almost immediately. "Really? I’m going too. I’ve been planning to go for a while now."

Your heart leapt at the news. You had spent nearly a year talking to this man, sharing so many personal moments, and now there was a chance—finally—that you could meet him in person. "Ken! That’s amazing! We should meet while we’re both there!"

But his response wasn’t what you expected. "We’ll see," he replied vaguely.

You frowned, disappointment settling in your chest. "We’ll see"? What did that even mean? You tried not to overthink it, but the nagging feeling returned. Was he avoiding meeting you? After almost a year of talking, wouldn’t it make sense to finally see each other in person?

"Come on, Ken. We’ve been talking for so long. Don’t you want to meet me?" you pressed, hoping he’d give you a real answer this time.

But once again, Ken’s reply was evasive. "Maybe. Let’s just enjoy the games first."

You couldn’t help but feel a pang of hurt at his words. It was like he was keeping you at arm’s length, and you didn’t understand why. Was he not as invested in this as you were? Did he even want to meet you, or had this whole thing been a game to him?

The rest of the conversation felt strained, and though you tried to brush it off, the doubt had already taken root in your mind. Was Ken catfishing you? Was he even real? The thought made your chest tighten, and for the first time since you had started talking to him, you felt genuinely unsure about where you stood.

Months passed, and soon, summer arrived, bringing with it the excitement of the Paris Olympics. You flew to France, eager to experience the games and, hopefully, meet Ken. But as you texted him on the way to your hotel, his responses remained vague.

You couldn’t take it anymore.

Before you even checked into your room, you sent him a long message, pouring out your frustration and disappointment. If you weren’t serious about me, you wasted a year of my life. I thought we had something real, but if you’re just playing games, I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m here to enjoy the Olympics, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Don’t contact me unless you’re ready to be honest.

With that, you turned off your phone, unwilling to wait for his reply. You didn’t want to be consumed by the what-ifs or the uncertainty anymore. You had come to Paris to enjoy the games, and that’s what you intended to do.

The stadium was buzzing with excitement when you arrived for Ryujin Nippon’s first match. Japan versus Germany. The sea of fans, the roar of the crowd, the electric energy in the air—it was everything you had dreamed it would be. As you found your seat, your thoughts drifted back to Ken, but you pushed them aside. This was your time, your moment.

As the players took to the court, your heart swelled with excitement. You spotted Miyaura Kento immediately, his tall figure and number 4 jersey unmistakable. Your chest tightened with admiration as you watched him warm up, his movements precise and powerful.

You tried to lose yourself in the excitement of the match, but no matter how hard you tried, the nagging doubt remained. You had wanted to share this moment with Ken, to finally meet the man you had spent so many nights talking to. But maybe it was better this way. Maybe it was time to let go.

The roar of the stadium was deafening as you watched Ryujin Nippon play their hearts out on the court. Every time Japan scored, you leaped to your feet, clapping and cheering with the rest of the crowd. Your voice was hoarse from screaming, but you didn’t care. These were the moments you had been waiting for—the thrill of the Olympics, the pride of watching the team you had come to love. But despite their best efforts, Japan lost that match. You felt your heart sink as the final whistle blew, signaling their defeat.

You pouted, but you quickly reminded yourself that it wasn’t over yet. It was only the preliminaries, and there were more games to come. This wasn’t the end for them.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

In the following days, you watched with bated breath as Japan fought their way through the rest of the preliminary rounds. There were wins that made your heart soar, and losses that made your stomach twist in knots. But they had done it. Ryujin Nippon made it to the quarterfinals, and you couldn’t have been prouder. You’d followed them every step of the way, watching with wide eyes and anticipation as they prepared for their next battle—this time against Italy.

You were more excited than ever, not just because of Japan’s success, but because of how close you were sitting to the court today. You had managed to score incredible seats, right near the action, close enough to see every bead of sweat, every strained muscle as the players gave it their all. The excitement in the air was palpable, and you found yourself leaning forward in your seat, your hands gripping the edge as you waited for the game to start.

But as the team entered the court, your eyes naturally drifted to #4—Miyaura Kento.

He had always been your favorite player, and for good reason. There was something about the way he moved, the quiet determination in his eyes, the way he commanded attention without demanding it. He wasn’t the loudest or flashiest player on the team, but there was a strength in his calm presence that drew you to him. Every time he stepped onto the court, it was as if nothing else existed—just him and the game.

But today… today, there was something different.

Miyaura Kento’s eyes scanned the crowd as he walked onto the court, his tall frame moving with the grace of an athlete who had done this a thousand times before. His face was unreadable, as it always was before a match—focused, serious. But when his gaze landed on you, something flickered behind his eyes. Recognition.

Your heart skipped a beat as his eyes lingered on you for just a moment too long. You blinked, confused. Was it just your imagination? Did Miyaura Kento, the player you’d been fangirling over for months, just… notice you? No, that couldn’t be right. There were hundreds of fans in the stadium. He couldn’t have seen you specifically.

But then it happened again. As the team huddled together for a pre-match discussion, Miyaura’s gaze drifted back to you. This time, it wasn’t your imagination. His eyes locked with yours, and for a split second, you felt like the only two people in the stadium.

You felt a shiver run down your spine, unsure of what to make of it. You had always admired Miyaura from afar, like any fan would. But this? This felt different. There was something in his gaze, something you couldn’t quite place. It was almost as if he knew you.

But that was impossible. Right?

The game started, and for a while, you managed to push the strange encounter to the back of your mind. The energy on the court was electric, and both teams were giving it their all. Japan was fighting hard, and the crowd around you was alive with excitement. You screamed and cheered for every point, your heart pounding in your chest with every close call.

But no matter how hard you tried to focus on the game, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Every time Miyaura Kento glanced in your direction, a strange sense of familiarity washed over you, as if you were supposed to know something you didn’t.

And then it hit you.

Ken. Your heart clenched painfully at the thought of him, the man who had been such a big part of your life for nearly a year and who now felt like a ghost. You had stopped messaging him after your last text—the one where you had finally voiced your frustrations, your fears. You had told him that if he wasn’t serious about you, then he had wasted a year of your life. And after sending that message, you had cut off contact, too hurt to continue the charade. You hadn’t heard from him since, and part of you was convinced that he had been catfishing you all along.

The ache in your chest deepened as you thought about Ken. You had grown so close to him, shared so much of your life with him, and yet… he had never been honest with you. You had come to Paris hoping to meet him, hoping that he would finally reveal himself. But he hadn’t. And now, here you were, watching the quarterfinals of the Olympics with a gaping hole in your heart where Ken used to be.

And that’s when it happened.

Midway through the match, during a time-out, Miyaura Kento looked at you again—this time with an intensity that made your breath catch in your throat. He wasn’t just glancing in your direction. He was staring at you, his eyes filled with something you couldn’t quite place. And then, as if making a decision, he nodded to himself and walked toward the bench.

Your heart raced, confusion swirling in your mind as you watched him speak to one of the staff members on the sidelines. You couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the look on Miyaura’s face was serious—determined. After a few moments, the staff member nodded, and Miyaura turned back toward the court, his expression unreadable.

But as he walked back onto the court, he glanced at you one last time, and for a moment, you thought you saw a flicker of something familiar in his eyes.

The game resumed, and though Japan was fighting hard, it was clear that Italy was a formidable opponent. The score was close, but Japan was starting to fall behind. You chewed your lip nervously, your eyes glued to the court as you willed Ryujin Nippon to catch up.

But even as the game unfolded, your mind kept drifting back to that strange interaction with Miyaura Kento. There was something about the way he looked at you, something that tugged at the back of your mind. It was almost as if—

No. That was crazy. It couldn’t be.

But the more you thought about it, the more it made sense. The vague responses, the reluctance to meet in person, the way Ken had always avoided showing his face. And now, the way Miyaura Kento was looking at you like he knew you…

Your heart raced, the realization slowly dawning on you.

Could it be? Could Ken and Miyaura Kento be the same person?

The thought made your head spin. If that were true, then everything you had shared with Ken over the past year, all the late-night conversations, all the laughter and the vulnerability—it had been real. But why hadn’t he told you? Why had he kept this from you?

Your hands clenched into fists as you watched Miyaura move on the court, his every movement graceful and precise. If Ken really was Miyaura Kento, then he had kept the biggest part of his life a secret from you. And that hurt. But even as the pain of betrayal washed over you, another emotion bubbled up to the surface—hope.

Because if Ken was Miyaura Kento, then he was here. Right in front of you. And that meant that this wasn’t over. Not yet.

The stadium slowly emptied, the noise of the crowd fading into a low murmur as people left their seats, some disappointed, some still buzzing with the excitement of having witnessed an Olympic match. You stood there in your seat, the last to leave, your heart heavy as you watched the members of Team Japan shake hands with their Italian counterparts. Despite the loss, despite the clear heartbreak etched on their faces, they carried themselves with grace, heads held high, though you could see the sheen of unshed tears in some of their eyes.

You clapped for them, along with the rest of the crowd, your hands stinging from the force of it. They had fought so hard, come so far, and even though they lost today, they had won the hearts of many—including yours.

As the crowd thinned, you took a deep breath and lingered for a moment, soaking in the atmosphere. You had dreamed of being here for so long, of seeing Team Japan play in person, and despite everything that had happened with Ken—or whoever he was—you couldn’t deny the magic of being at the Olympics. The energy, the passion, the sheer love for the game—it was contagious. But now, it was time to go.

You slung your bag over your shoulder, your heart heavy as you made your way up the steps toward the exit. Part of you was still reeling from the possibility that Ken—your Ken—might actually be Miyaura Kento, but you had pushed the thought aside during the match. It was too surreal, too far-fetched. And yet, the way Miyaura had looked at you, the way his gaze seemed to linger a little too long… it made you wonder.

You were halfway up the stairs when you heard it—someone calling your name.

"(Y/N)!"

You stopped in your tracks, your heart skipping a beat as you turned around, your eyes searching for the source of the voice. And there he was. Miyaura Kento—#4, the player you had admired for so long—stood at the bottom of the stairs, breathing heavily as if he had just run across the court. His chest heaved with each breath, and his dark eyes were locked on yours, filled with something you had never seen before.

Without warning, Miyaura stretched his arms out wide, his voice ringing out clear and strong despite the exhaustion in his body.

"I love you, (Y/N) (L/N)!"

The words echoed through the stadium, bouncing off the empty seats, and for a moment, you stood frozen, your heart hammering in your chest. Your eyes welled up with tears, your mind racing to catch up with what was happening. Did he really just say that? Did Miyaura Kento, your favorite volleyball player, just confess his love for you in the middle of the Olympic stadium?

You blinked, your vision blurring as the tears threatened to spill over. This had to be a dream. It had to be. But the look on his face, the raw emotion in his eyes, told you otherwise.

Slowly, Miyaura began to walk up the stairs toward you, his steps purposeful but hesitant, as if he was afraid you might run away. His voice softened as he drew closer, his eyes never leaving yours. "I’m sorry," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I’m sorry for being vague. I’m sorry for not being honest with you from the start. I was scared. Scared of what you might think, scared of what it would mean for my career if people found out."

He paused, taking a deep breath as he reached the step just below you. "But I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep pretending that you’re not the most important person in my life. I love you, (Y/N), and I should have told you a long time ago."

Tears streamed down your face as you stared at him, your heart swelling with emotion. Everything you had been feeling—the frustration, the doubt, the hurt—seemed to melt away in that moment, replaced by a sense of overwhelming relief. He wasn’t catfishing you. He wasn’t playing games. Ken was real. And he was standing right in front of you.

"So this entire time your Miyaura Kento?" You laughed in disbelief, "You were listening to me fangirling over you for so long?"

For a moment, you couldn’t speak, your throat tight with emotion. But when you finally found your voice, it was barely a whisper. "I forgive you."

Miyaura’s eyes widened in surprise, his breath catching in his throat as he let out a shaky, tearful laugh. "You do?"

You nodded, tears blurring your vision as you reached out, your fingers brushing against his. "I do. I love you too, Kento."

The moment the words left your mouth, Miyaura—Ken—pulled you into his arms, his lips crashing against yours in a kiss that was filled with everything you had both been holding back for so long. The world seemed to fall away around you as you melted into his embrace, the warmth of his body grounding you, his kiss soft but desperate, as if he was afraid you might slip away.

You could hear the sound of the other players, his teammates, cheering from the court below, their voices carrying up into the stands. "Go, Kento!" one of them shouted, followed by a chorus of laughter and cheers.

But you didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was the man in your arms, the man you had fallen for over the course of a year—without ever even meeting him. And now, here he was, holding you like he never wanted to let go.

When you finally pulled away, breathless and teary-eyed, Ken rested his forehead against yours, his hands still holding onto you tightly. He laughed softly, tears glistening in his eyes as he looked at you with pure adoration.

"I can’t believe I waited so long to tell you," he whispered, his voice filled with awe. "You have no idea how many times I almost said it, how many times I wanted to just tell you the truth. But I was scared."

You smiled through your tears, reaching up to cup his face in your hands. "I’m glad you waited. Because now, we’re here. And I wouldn’t want this moment to be any different."

Ken let out another soft laugh, his thumb brushing against your cheek as he leaned in for another kiss, this one slower, more tender. And when you pulled away, you could feel the weight of everything that had happened—the distance, the secrecy, the missed opportunities—lift off your shoulders.

The world felt lighter, brighter.

As the two of you stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, the sounds of the stadium fading into the background, you realized that coming to Paris had been the best decision you could have ever made. You had come here for the Olympics, but you were leaving with something much more valuable.

You were leaving with love.

Maybe Ken hadn’t been honest with you from the start, but standing there in his arms, with the cheers of his teammates echoing around you, you knew that this was real. He was real. And the future, whatever it held, was something you were ready to face together.

Paris, the city of love, had delivered on its promise after all.

#ryujin nippon #kento miyaura x reader #kento miyaura

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thefinalcinderella · 1 year ago

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Tsurune Book 3 Chapter 3 - The Song of Naru (Part 2)

Let me share my personal theory: In this universe, the sport of kyudo possesses the supernatural ability to alter one's brain chemistry. Those who have a deeper affinity with the bow are more transformed by this ability. Kyudo, it seems, can make one become more spiritually attuned and connect seemingly completely unrelated concepts, but also warp one's thought processes to the point of non-kyudo practitioners finding them incomprehensible.

Anyways I still had no idea what's going on. And yes, that last line in the chapter is real

Glossary here

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

The word used here is 文字絵 (mojie) which means a picture formed by letters

In Japanese, superstring theory (超弦理論) contains the character for "bowstring"

A yotsugake is a kyudo glove that covers four fingers

Dousha is "a form of Japanese archery with the purpose of shooting arrows from one end to the other of the outer area on the west side of Sanjyusangen-do temple"

Toshiya is another name for dousha

A kosode is a short-sleeved kimono. It contains the character for sleeve

Apparently this is a quote from Kuroko no Basuke?

Previous | Next

The sun was flashing, spreading rainbow-colored wings of light.

It was the middle of May. The prefectural high school kyudo tournament preliminaries were being held.

The competition event was “close range.” The first day’s “individual competition” consisted of shooting four arrows in two stages in zasha, and the top ten with the highest number of hits would be selected for the next round.

The “team competition” on the second day consisted of one coach and five to seven archers, and one male and one female team per school could participate. The competition format was teams of five, four shots in zasha, and a time limit of eight minutes. Forty-one schools participated in the boys’ competition, and the eight teams with the highest scores in the first and second rounds would advance to the prefectural tournament. Looking at the past results, winning was between thirty and thirty-five hits, and the lowest halfway point was twenty.

Kazemai High School had a total of six girls: the three second-years Hanazawa, Shiragiku, and Seo, and three first-years. The boys had a total of seven, with the five second-years Kaito, Ryouhei, Seiya, Nanao, and Minato, and the two first-years Himuro and Kanbayashi. A total of thirteen people entered the individual and team competitions.

Kazemai was the winning school last year, so they attracted a lot of attention. Their school’s name was printed on the back of their green jerseys along with the illustration of an arrow.

When a student from another school said, “Oh, it’s Kazamai,” Nanao folded his hands behind his head.

“This is read as Kazemai. I get it, I sometimes say it wrong too.”

Kaito was appalled. “Don’t get the name of your own school wrong.”

“Japanese kanji is hard because there are so many different readings. Nippon, Nihon, Hinomoto, and Yamato are all examples of the ever-changing name of our country, after all.”

“Oh, it’s Asahina and Eddie from YumiDou,” they heard someone say.

They looked and saw the Haneina High School members passing by, with the flashy duo leading them. “Haneine?” someone muttered when they saw the characters printed on the back of their orange jerseys.

“Those guys are called ‘Haneina High School’… Oi, Asahina and Eddie! Merha!”

When Nanao waved at them, Asahina and Eddie also waved back. In addition, there were other unique members following them, such as a man with narrow eyes, a boy with a notebook and pen, and a boy with fresh flowers in his bag.

Asahina saluted them. “Hey, Nanapri and everyone from Kazemai. It’s been a while. How are you guys?”

Eddie continued, “Prince Nanao, it has been long seen we’ve last contacted each other. The frog art (1) I received from you the other way has seen a lot of uses, that it has.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I saw your last stream. You hit the center of the target in the dark!”

“Thank you. My body learned how to do it using something interesting. If it’s my dojo, I rarely miss a shot.”

“That’s amazing. I’d like to learn that technique too,” Seiya said.

“During kai, the second joint of your bow hand’s index finger should be in line with the position of the tree branch outside the kyudojo.”

“That isn’t something you learned with your body, it’s something you saw with your eyes…”

“Haha, well, it’s alright, isn’t it? I’ll be able to do it with my mind’s eye sooner or later.”

Suddenly, Asahina stared at Minato.

“Hmm? Is there something on my face?”

“I don’t know why, but I feel like rubbing your forehead, Narumiya.”

Seiya quickly hid Minato’s forehead. “You need our advisor’s permission.”

“Seriously? Just how strict are things at Kazemai? If only we can use a jutsu to clone him and borrow one of them. Oh, speak of the devil, Doppelgangers No. 1 and 2 have arrived.”

Asahina’s gaze was directed at a group of people dressed in purple jerseys.

It was the Kirisaki High School kyudo club. The twin brothers Senichi and Manji stopped walking at almost exactly the same moment. Their bangs were arranged symmetrically to each other. Senichi, whose bangs were parted to the left, spoke.

“Doppelgangers are already old news. We’re the Twin Fighters now.”

Hearing this, Kaito’s jaw dropped.

“I can’t believe there are guys with terrible naming senses in a different way from Seiya… Are you sure you guys aren’t going against the times?”

“Huh!?” The twins exclaimed in unison. Kabashima and Yushima tried to calm them down, but Senichi picked up the corners of his mouth and bared his teeth, and Manji pulled his eyelid down and stuck out his tongue. Without paying any attention to what was going on around him, Ryouhei ran up to a certain person.

“Shuu-kun!”

“Hey, Ryouhei. Did you grow taller again?”

“Yep. I’m not losing to you yet!”

“Fufu. I guess I have to give up.”

“It’s a shame that Motomura-senpai and Sase-senpai aren’t here anymore. It’s so sad that everyone has to go their separate ways after graduating from high school, even though we had so much fun together. I wish I could shoot with everyone more.”

Shuu’s pale eyelashes wavered. Senichi and Manji reacted.

“Yamanouchi, stop calling him that.”

“Huh? But Shuu-kun is Shuu-kun, isn’t he?”

Someone was watching the jumble of green, orange, and purple as they chattered.

Kuon was lamenting outside the circle.

It’s him! The man I saw in my dreams.

…No, wait. Who is Fujiwara-senpai looking at?

Following his line of sight, Kuon found Minato there. Shuu had a gentle smile on his face.

I can’t believe this. Those who stand at the top should not smile so frivolously. I don’t care about the dog anymore. This guy must be harmful to Fujiwara-senpai.

The antique doll smiled coldly.

After the opening ceremony, the individual competition started. The order was random in individual competitions.

The girls went first. Hanazawa, Shiragiku, Seo, and six other girls put on their yugake and headed for the waiting room with their bows, arrows, and tsurumaki with spare strings. Tommy-sensei went with them.

Cheering squads from each school took their places in the stands. It was filled with people holding paper cranes with prayers written on them and others recording in notebooks.

The Kazemai girls started appearing from the third group. Hanazawa’s matooto was cheered by the audience, and Shiragiku and Seo, who were in separate groups, followed. They performed a light and lovely dance, and as a result, Hanazawa had two hits, Shiragiku had three hits, and Seo landed all four of her arrows.

Next was the boys’ division.

Haneina’s Asahina, Eddie, Matsuda, Kanuma, and Igarashi. The five unique and showy individuals captured people’s attentions even when they were alone. Two in particular, Asahina and Eddie, had hair colors that couldn’t be misperceived even from a distance, and their shooting was even more beautiful than in their videos. Their arrows were like flashes as lightning, and they hit with all four arrows.

Kanbayashi, a Kazemai first-year, watched them from the waiting room and thought, I can’t shoot disgracefully. I have to do my best not to bring shame to Kazemai.

The first individual match. Kanbayashi was at the second target in the second group. The archer before him drew his bow. He released his arrow and hit the target at three o’clock. It was a good start.

Meanwhile, tension had stiffened Kanbayashi’s shoulders.

Huh? Why can’t I focus?

As he panicked in his mind, he raised his bow and moved to daisan. He slowly pushed his bow open—

Right when Kanbayashi realized it, the arrow was no longer in his hand and was sticking out of the arrow path. The arrow had jumped out of his hand while he was still drawing his bow. He had no idea what happened.

Crap, crap, crap.

No way, is this target panic…?

No, no, no, I’ve been nervous plenty of times, but I’ve never let go this early. No, there’s no time to think about this. I have to nock the next arrow—. His hands were shaking, and his bow grip was becoming slick with sweat.

It’s fine, it’s fine, it’ll be okay next time.

The more he chanted that in his mind, the rougher his breathing became.

For his second shot, Kanbayashi’s arrow was once again released before reaching kai. The venue became noisy as people started murmuring to each other, and the sound of someone saying “Ah” remained in his ears. The archer behind him released a sharp-flying arrow. Shouts of “Yes!” reverberated.

Kanbayashi’s third shot came around. He could feel his hands shaking. He didn’t know how to interpret this first-time sensation. What did Narumiya-senpai say? To overcome target panic, focus on breathing and exhale slowly. Exhale, exha…, oh no, I can’t do it—.

Again, before he even drew his bow back, the arrow was released in an instant. The sound of the aluminum arrow sweeping across the ground resounded, and it pierced the target after bouncing.

Is this what it means to not hear a tsurune?

It was almost terrifying for an archer.

After shooting all four arrows, Kanbayashi didn’t make any matooto, while Kaito, Seiya, and Minato landed all their arrows, and the others ended the first round with three hits.

Once he left the kyudojo, Kanbayashi buried his face in his hands. His heart was still pounding. “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Nanao called out, but Kanbayashi’s face was so stiff that all he could manage was a forced smile.

This is so embarrassing. I became a complete mess in front of my senpais and my family who came to support me.

I’ve been practicing and practicing, but when the actual competition comes, I end up like this. What am I doing—.

Kanbayashi gripped the arrows that he retrieved.

“Please remove me from the lineup for tomorrow’s team competition! I can’t do it! I definitely have target panic! I don’t want to be a burden on everyone!”

This time it wasn’t Kanbayashi, but Minato and the second-years who were blinking rapidly.

It was Kaito who responded. “Oi, oi. We’re still only halfway through the individual competition. Why don’t you just hit the remaining four?”

Nanao and Ryouhei also chimed in.

“That’s right. It’s a little too early to give up. Let’s focus on the individual competition in front of us first.”

“Yeah, what he said. There was also a time when I panicked because my string snapped, but I managed.”

However, Kanbayashi didn’t change his opinion.

“It’s impossible! I’ve always had the potential to get target panic! My mental weakness is the only thing I’m confident about! You have to have had it to understand how awful it is!”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Minato. Nothing but the words of someone who experienced target panic could reach Kanbayashi’s heart now.

Minato stepped forward.

“Although it’s called target panic, it’s still a relatively early and sudden system. It’s not severe yet. We can get back on track.”

“You saw me, didn’t you!? My terrible shooting! I was so careful about target panic, but why, why…”

“Let’s do the dantian breathing exercises together. You’re too worked up right now, but you’ll calm down in a few minutes.”

“I can’t do such wishful thinking!”

Minato took Kanbayashi’s hand.

“Kanbayashi, listen to me. My mom once told me about something she read in a book. In ancient times, the Japanese named very fast vehicles ‘tsubame.” The second-fastest were ‘kodama,’ and the ones after that were ‘hikari.’ What do you think is a vehicle that’s faster than light?”

“…Was there anything faster than light?”

“The Shinkansen ‘Nozomi.’ It’s the Japanese word for ‘hope.’ The slogans were, ‘Nozomi of Ambitious Japan! is always there for you’ and ‘Nozomi is the fastest way to meet the person you want to see.’”

Tommy-sensei, who had been watching their exchange, smiled broadly.

“I’ve ridden on the ‘Hinotori’ before. E=mc2. It reminds one of Einstein, the monument of theoretical physics. When things move, they get heavier.”

“Tommy-sensei, you’re knowledgeable about physics too?” Kanbayashi said.

“No, not at all. I’m just a geography teacher. I only know the two theories: relativity, which deals with gravity, and quantum mechanics, which explains the behavior of matter in the microscopic world.”

“The only one of the seventeen subatomic particles that hadn’t been confirmed, the Higgs boson particle, was discovered in this century. It was called the God particle, and is responsible for giving mass to everything. And I guess there’s also the ‘superstring theory,’” Seiya supplemented. (2)

“Super-string?”

“The superstring theory. It’s a theory that claims that the origin of all things is ultra-small ‘strings’. The theory is that particles are actually the vibrations of these strings. It’s still at the stage of hypothesis.”

“The universe is made up of the sound of strings. I guess it would be too poetic to say that tsurune is the true nature of matter. Sound is the vibrating waves of air. Since it’s said that everything from people and plants to minerals are made up of waves, to say that ‘Nozomi’ is faster than light might not necessarily be wrong,” Masa-san said.

“Wow, tsurune is incredible.”

Tommy-sensei smiled with satisfaction at Kanbayashi, who was blinking rapidly.

“When I hear the word ‘ambitious,’ I think of Dr. Clark’s words. ‘Boys, be ambitious. Like this old man.’ I can almost hear the doctor laughing as he says, ‘I’m an eternal young man.’ Now, there’s still a long, long way to go. Let’s go to the next stage together.”

“I don’t really understand, but I’m going to let the team competition wait and focus on what’s in front of me right now.”

Kanbayashi changed his mindset and practiced dantian breathing as Minato put his hand on his lower abdomen.

As for the results of the individual competition, Kazemai’s Minato, Seiya, and Kaito, Kirisaki’s Shuu, Kabashima, and Kuon, Haneina’s Asahina and Eddie, and Seo from the girls’ division would be advancing to prefecturals.

The second day was the team competition.

The first round. The Haneina team, who were famous as Yotubers, drew a lot of attention for their shooting.

The oomae was Eddie Fox.

His long, blond hair was tied high up on his head, and a headband was tied around his forehead. He looked like an actor in a period drama. Once he gripped his bow, his jokester persona disappeared as his eyes sharpened, his breathing became shallower, and his face became dreadfully serious. A burst of sound resounded from the target area as he took advantage of a momentary gap and got in close to his opponent.

The second target was Matsuda Kotetsu.

He had poor vision, and the world he saw was composed of multicolored balls of light. His hearing was above average, and he had an excellent sense of perception. Whenever he stood before the target, he always stood behind someone else because it was easier to perceive the distance when someone was standing in front of him. Kyudo was a sport that could be played by people of all ages, and physical differences were no handicap. With the use of remote video conferencing, it was even possible to have a match with people on the other side of the world at the same time.

The third target was the naka, Kanuma Nobuhiko.

He was a haiku poet who loved writing haikus. He was staring absentmindedly into space during the middle of a competition.

A staff member approached him and asked him in a whisper, “Hey, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”

“The eye of the snake/the white water surface holds/the golden-scaled fish. I tried to write a poem about carps living in a pond, but I guess it’s too mediocre. On a summer’s day/the koi frolic and a cat/sleeps beneath a tree. How’s that?” (3)

“This isn’t a haiku contest, it’s a kyudo tournament! Concentrate on your shooting!”

“Okaaay.”

Kanuma nocked his arrow. The spectators who had witnessed the scene were taken aback by his lack of nervousness and extraordinary strength of his heart.

The fourth target was the ochimae, Igarashi Shion.

He was the Gardening Prince who loved flowers. Even when he was sitting in his chair in the waiting room, he kept fresh flowers with him and left them with his tsurumaki. Even his bow was decorated with flowers he drew himself, and there were even people who wanted him to sell it to them. His shooting was as sweet-smelling as a flower and created the illusion of a fairy flying.

The fifth person was the ochi, Asahina You.

His red hair symbolized the rising sun. He parted his bow and followed the correct tsurumichi path. What was beautiful was good, and what was good was true. If you sought beauty and aesthetic, you would naturally follow the right path without being aware of it. Far from concepts such as “seeking the truth” and “ascetic training,” and the irrepressible joy that radiated from him captivated those who watched him. He liked to have fun, and believed in fundamentally ignoring what wasn’t fun or changing it to be fun.

The Haneina High School kyudo club was both noble and greedy. They lived not by the values of others, but their own axes. The five of them were comrades and friends who had met each other on their travels. Of course, there were occasional clashes of opinion, but they knew when to quit, so there were no lingering resentments. Making videos was a great way to learn about life and society, as what one said and did was constantly exposed to the public eye. It wasn’t easy to communicate something to others. True expressive people seemed to be free and unfettered at first glance, but they kept their feet on the ground and devoted themselves to their work.

The five of them carved out the Eight Stages of Shooting.

Ashibumi, douzukuri, yugamae, uchiokoshi, hikiwake, kai, hanare, zanshin.

When five circles, a “yoko kaichuu,” were lined up next to each other on the scoreboard, there was an eruption of applause.

Hanazawa, Shiragiku, and Seo, who were watching from the stands, let out sighs.

“It feels really fun.”

“Their shooting was brilliant.”

“They’re formidable opponents. It seems that the boys’ division won’t be so smooth-sailing.”

The members of the Haneina High School kyudo club achieved the high results of four, four, four, three, and four hits each.

Second round, first kyudojo. The champions, Kirisaki High School, were taking their turn.

The oomae was Kabashima. He was particular about his face and form. In the name of Kirisaki High School, he shot so that no one could complain. When gripping the bow, the tenmonsuji should be firmly sticking to the todake, and the skin between one’s thumb and index finger should be rolled up from below. It was no exaggeration to say that kyudo began with the Eight Stages of Shooting and ended with the Eight Stages of Shooting. Originally, it was the Seven Stages, but with the addition of “zanshin,” it became eight. Why did they make it eight? He felt something profound in it. He earnestly, single-mindedly, carved out the Eight Stages and created a matooto. He was intoxicated by the sweet tone.

Senichi was at the second target, and Manji was at the third. Although their time-difference attack was sealed up, the confidence of the Twin Fighters was evident. We stand on the front line, the firing line. Come on, follow us. They looked completely relaxed, as if victory had been decided before the fight had even begun.

The ochimae was Kuon Takumi. Unusually for a high school student, he used a yotsugake. (3) There were slight differences in gripping the string depending on whether you were wearing mitsugake and yotsugake. Originally used in dousha, (4) and it was said that yotsugake was more suitable for people who drew many arrows like the toshiya (5)in Sanjusangen-do or for people with tough bows, but since Kuon believed that yotsugake were more superiorly ranked than mitsugake, he chose to use it. The arrow that was released almost hit the center. A rapturous air exuded from his whole body.

When the ochi, Shuu, started to lift his bow, the entire venue resonated with silence.

Even the sound of his clothes rustling was daunting. He possessed a divinity, as if he had reached a higher level than what everyone called the “Young Lord.” He himself became a bow and emitted a tsurune that soared through the heavens. Shuu’s sound instantly erased the uncanny colors created by Kuon and purified the place.

A true sound.

A good sound.

A beautiful sound.

By the time the people whose hearts were pierced came back to their senses, Shuu had already left.

The results were announced over the loudspeaker.

“The results will be announced now. First shooting range, Team 17, four, four, three, four, four, nineteen hits total. Second shooting range, Team 18, four, two, two, four, 12 hits total. That is all.”

Kirisaki won, and Kazemai went after them.

The oomae, Kaito, drew his bow tightly. He relaxed his hands and stretched his upper arms.

More force, more force. He stretched and stretched—then released. The arrow was sucked into the target while spinning clockwise.

The second target, Ryouhei, didn’t only grow in height. He had the dignity of an archer, and he shot with majesty. He was someone who had love for everyone. He would continue to have affection for himself and others for the rest of his life. The target accurately reflected the archer, and the round target, without deceit or calculation, was waiting to be pierced.

The naka, Seiya, was also clearly different from who he was a year ago. He took off his obstinate armor and stretched his limbs freely. He hated himself. He hated irrationality, fate, all of it. When he became entwined with hatred and fell into a swamp, there was someone who reached out to him. That person said that they didn’t care what kind of person he was.

The ochimae, Kanbayashi, began to carry out his shot. He concentrated on the lower abdomen that Minato had put his hand on before.

The dantian is “here.”

Now, gather the light here.

He threw away all speech and listened only to the sound of his breathing. When the wind calmed down, his arrow flew at high speed.

The ochi was Minato. He summoned the wind that should have stopped. The wind that rushed around the earth was the land’s breath. Once you were able to feel that, you became a wind user. He manipulated the wind at will and connected it to a new era.

The tsurune took everything away.

For the results of the first round, Kazemai had fifteen hits out of twenty.

After the first and second rounds were completed, Kirisaki had thirty-six hits, Haneina had thirty-five, and Kazemai had thirty-three.

All three schools made it through the preliminaries.

After the tournament, the Kazemai second-years and Masa-san waited for a car to pick them up. Tommy-sensei and the first-years went home first. Waves of people came and went to the other shore.

Minato, Seiya, and Ryouhei sat on the edge of a flower bed. Ryouhei immediately started to eat his sweets. Seiya, finding the verse from “Greensleeves” stuck in his head, couldn’t help but hum it.

He met eyes with Masa-san, who was next to them.

“Is that an English folk song? You know a lot of old songs, Seiya.”

“If you know it, then you must be ancient as well, Masa-san. Minato’s mom used to hum it. Oh, it can’t be helped if you don’t know it.”

A bell was rung. Fighters burned with quiet fighting spirit.

Seeing the two jab at each other, Nanao quickly took out his phone. He entered the search words, and the English lyrics and translation were displayed.

Kaito peered at them.

“What’s this? Isn’t this just a guy who got dumped and kept whining about it? Isn’t it too obsessive to say at the end, ‘Goodbye, please come here again and love me?’”

“Kacchan, you don’t understand heartbreak at all.”

“Hah? I don’t need to.”

“Yep, that’s what I thought.”

Ryouhei said that he would eat all the sweets.

“What kind of woman is Greensleeves? He’s calling her name over and over, right?”

Seiya was the one who answered. “I did some research, but the prevailing theory seems to be that it’s a metaphor and not a real name. There are various theories that Greensleeves is a prostitute, a dead person, or a ghost. Also, some people think that Greensleeves isn’t a song about lost love, but more like a hymn.”

For a moment, sound disappeared.

Even though it should have been extremely noisy with all the people around, the area was so silent that it made their ears hurt. Even the birds were quiet.

Masa-san murmured a few words.

“Green kosode—. (6) I think it’s talking about the upper arm.”

“What do you mean?” Minato asked.

“There’s a custom in the West to wear green when one turns into a spirit. When you think of Santa Claus, you think of red clothes, but that was because he was dressed in a company’s image color in advertisements, and in England, he was originally dressed in green. According to one theory, Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas, that is, a clergyman. He is a person who seems to have existed, and his name and deeds are passed on to his disciples.”

“What does that have to do with ‘upper arms’?”

“I think ‘Greensleeves’ refers to the arms themselves. It’s ‘green sleeves.’ When you touch the arm of a person, a miracle will occur. That makes them a vessel of the divine.”

Masa-san typed into his phone.

Alas, my love, you do me wrong.

Greensleeves was all my joy.

Greensleeves was my delight.

Oh, my chest feels like it’s about to burst. You who bestow love, how cruel you are.

You let enjoy your love, and say you’ll forsake me. Is this a test of God?

Greensleeves, you are joy itself.

Greensleeves, you are days of happiness.

I was happy just being by your side.

Seiya spoke.

“That sound like words dedicated to God. A somewhat critical song of lamentation and resignation.”

“Greensleeves may have been a person who had a healing hand that could cure illnesses and injuries, or maybe she was a saint. There are even those who say that it is the name of God. It’s distinct from the secular world and doesn’t appear openly. Even if you’re attracted by, yearn for, adore, sacrifice yourself, and give up all your wealth and power for the singing voice that you overhear from the church, you cannot touch ‘it.’”

“I see. In that case, I can at least acknowledge the manly spirit of ‘I’ll stop you even if I have to cling to you,’” Kaito said. (7)

“Kacchan, this isn’t a rugby play. And ‘manly spirit,’ really? You completely ruined the mood,” Nanao said.

Seiya lowered his eyes and took off his glasses.

“Being abandoned by God might be an indication that humans are irredeemable.”

Shiragiku’s expression clouded over, and she gripped Seo and Hanazawa’s hands.

“How awful…it was such a wonderful melody.”

As everyone fell silent, Minato pondered.

Has God abandoned humans?

Is this really true? Didn’t I forget something important?

“You’re wrong! Such a sad and gentle melody could never be a criticism and lament to God. This is a joyful song for a coming-of-age ceremony!” he started shouting.

Before he knew it, everyone was staring at him blankly. The three girls shrank back while still holding hands.

Masa-san tried to follow Minato’s thought process.

“Coming-of-age ceremony? What’s with this all of a sudden? Where did your thoughts fly to, Minato?”

“I remembered my mother’s words. She said that at coming-of-age ceremonies, it’s a ‘song of naru.’”

“…What do you mean? Did your mother have a shrine maiden disposition?

“No, she was a normal mom.”

“Don’t put too much stock in what Narumiya calls ‘normal.’ By the way, who’s Naru? Is that a new character? Now I’m even more confused.”

Kaito scratched his head.

Previous | Next

#tsurune #tsurune translation

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japanesedoramaandanimelover91 · 29 days ago

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It was announced on the 6th that Arashi member Sakurai Sho will be the MC for the Nippon Television program "The Longest Day of My Life" (14:00pm-15:30 p.m. on japanese time and on 7.00-8.30. a.m. on european time which will be broadcast on the 13th.

The program will bring to life the experiences of the longest day of celebrities who have lived dramatic lives, through re-enacted dramas based on interviews with the celebrities themselves and studio talk.

Gymnast Daiki Hashimoto, who participated in the Paris Olympics, confesses for the first time what happened behind the scenes on "that day" when he won the gold medal in the men's gymnastics team. He recalls the three minutes that led to the miracle, saying, "I remember the whole scene from before I started the horizontal bar competition until I finished." He says he hasn't seen a single millimeter of footage of his competition at the Paris Olympics. For the first time, he talks about the whole story of that day that will go down in history. Sakurai, who covered the Paris Olympics, delves into the secrets of that day in the studio.

Kintaro talks about the day she performed with Ayumi Hamasaki, the singer she had admired for 25 years, after imitating her. She reveals for the first time the surprising reason why she had never imitated her despite her longing for her, and the behind-the-scenes story leading up to their performance at the countdown live show. She shows us the entire 1 minute 31 seconds of their dream performance on the longest day.

Party-chan, ranked 2nd in the 2024 Next Breakout Ranking Comedian Edition, writes about the material of Party-chan, and Suga-chan, the No. 1 straight man, talks about the day he toasted his father with a can of beer after he was given a prognosis for his life. He perfectly recreates his turbulent life and strange relationship with his father, including his brutal adolescence, his days of eating weeds after living alone at the age of 12, and the daily phone calls he receives from debt collectors. He looks back on his father's battle with illness as he became a comedian and his popularity soared, and the day they toasted, which he says felt like it was happening in slow motion. The studio guests are moved to tears by his bond with his father.

In addition to Sakurai, guests appearing on the show include Akimoto Manatsu, Osawa Akane, Kotoge Eiji, Yuchami, Hashimoto, Kintaro, and Party-chan.

#Sakurai Sho #Arashi #櫻井翔 #Daiki Hashimoto #Kintaro #Akimoto Manatsu #Osawa Akane #Kotoge Eiji #Yuchami #Japanese Entertainment Programme

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asterr1sk · 2 months ago

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heyo ik it's been a while since i came back here. while i was gone, i became obsessed with ryujin nippon, the japan volleyball team. someone tell me you know them too cuz i'm going insane over them atm 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

#✎:asterr1sk

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argumentl · 1 year ago

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The Freedom of Expression Vol:19 - Watching Hanshin vs. Chunichi

*Long post!

To summarize:

•Kaoru enjoying talking about baseball

•The announcement of the mug winners

•Eating Nagoya foods

•Trying to guess pro-baseball players' annual salaries

•Hating on the Yomiuri Giants

•Kaoru-toriko research

•Modelling the happi coat*

*All three watching the game and hitting plastic bats in support*

J: Can he manage this? What do you think?

K: Hm, I'm not sure.

J: Oi..oi..oi....What's this batter's name?

K: Hosokawa. He is good.

J: Who is the pitcher?

K: Otake

J: Otake!

T: He gave away two points already!

J: Whats going on, Otake?? He is the starter, isn't he? They haven't changed him yet?

K: No, not yet.

J:...What's that? We're already on-air?? Didn't you know that, Leader?! The broadcast has already started!

K: Haha, oh, thats tiresome.

J: I'm getting cues in my ear, haha.

T: Oh, Joe.

J: Well, this is what I'm like before I start drinking.

K: You'll just get more eccentric once you start drinking, won't you?

J: I will, yes. I don't think it will get much more complex though, haha. Ok, Leader! Today is the live broadcast of the Hanshin vs. Chunichi game!

K: Yep

*applause*

T: I've really been looking forward to this.

J: Yeh, Tasai, your syle of support is a bit different from everyone else here. You've brought like a baseball directory with you.

T: Yeah, this book is a baseball directory put out by Spo-nichi (Sports Nippon).

K: Tokyo Sports hasn't done one of these?

T: No, we are not good with details.

J, K: Hahaha

J: Right? Data is not Tokyo Sports' strong point.

T: Yeah. Spo-nichi and Nikkan (Nikkan Sports) are the leaders in this field.

J: Ahh. Yeah, you wouldn't believe anything written in a directory by Tokyo Sports.

T: Haha, right?

K: I wanna see that now, haha.

J: Haha, right? You'd be like, 'Hang on a minute!!'

T: A while ago we put out an article about that famous left-handed player Randy Johnson saying he was right-handed.

K: Haha

T: We are in no place to put out a directory.

J: Haha, thats bad. Getting left-handed and right-handed mixed up. Sports newspaper do that a lot, don't they? haha. Someone just asked in the comments if we are gonna drink. Well, later on...actually, are we gonna continue till the game ends?

Staff: We have a set time.

J: Ah, ok, a set time today. Till about 9o'clock?

K: Well, its already the 4th innings.

J: Oh, already? Ok, well, today we are broadcasting while watching the game between Hanshin and Chunichi. You guys can watch with us. We'll have a drink during the course of the game too, so please stay with us.

T: Kaoru, you haven't introduced yourself yet.

K: Eh?

T: You haven't introduced yourself.

K: I'm Kaoru!

T, J: Haha

T: Im Tasai!

J: Im Joe!

*applause, Joe carries on clapping with the bats*

J: This is great. I'm just cheering on my own here. Its the first time for me to ever do this kinda thing. I love these bats.

K: Yeh, but even if you speak through them, it just makes your voice muffled.

J: What if I put it near your mic? Well, we've got a lot planned today...Hey, what was that? Some kind of anime or something just appeared on the screen.

K: Huh? Nothing appeared...Anime??

T: Were you talking about the comments?

J: Was it? No, I mean these days, compared to in the past, the stadiums and teams are doing a lot more things so that you can easily watch the game. Its fun.

K: Yeah, but Hanshin hardley ever do stuff like that.

J: Really?

K: If I had to say, they are the type to not do that...I mean, they started doing it a bit before, but hardley ever now. Other teams are much more advanced with this stuff.

J: Which teams?

K: Like, Yokohama.

T: Yeah, and Manager Okada was saying that kind of thing takes too long.

K: Yeah, if you do it every time, it gets disruptive.

J: Ahh, I see. So Okada thinks that doing some kind of performance or show whenever anything eventful happens will disrupt the flow of the game. Uh, ok, so I have a very basic question, but..

K: No.

T: Haha, that was fast.

J: Ehhh?! What position are Hanshin in at the moment?

K: Top spot.

J: Ohhh!

K: But...but I was saying last month that they were too strong, right?

J: Yes. Have they remained that way since then?

K: They went down to 2nd place for a while yesterday. They got chased.

J: Ahh!

T: The interleage games have been a bit sketchy.

K: Yeah, they have been bad.

T: I think they had 3 games under .500.

K: We just can't win at Yokohama stadium for some reason. We lost all three games recently. At Yokohama stadium itself, we've lost 13 in a row.

T: Wow, really?!

K: Yeah.

J: Maybe its just not compatible...I wonder what it is?

K: It used to be really compatible! I used to think Hanshin should make Yokohama their home stadium.

J: Haha, that was your thought?

K: Yeh, but we can't win there recently for some reason.

J: Ehh, 13 losses in a row at Yokohama? And three losses there recently? Ahh, what about yesterday? Yesterday was against Chunichi?

K: Yeah, well, today is the second match.

J: How was yesterday?

K: Well, yesterday we got so many hits, it feels like there will be none left for today.

J: Ahh, I see, yesterday was that good.

T: A comment says 'Joe, that pink shirt makes you look so shady, its good'.

J: Oh, come on, haha. I cant help it, Tasai got the yellow one, I got pink.

K: Yeah, but you were already wearing it when I arrived.

J: Yeah, cause it was hanging behind my seat, so I thought I have to wear this. So, it looks shady? There are people who dress like this, right?

T: Yes, there are.

J: Aren't there a lot of older women in Osaka who dress like this?

K: If anything, you look more like a Giants fan.

J: Haha, of course.

K: You look like the type of old guy who has a favourite salesgirl at the stadium.

J: Ahh, I didn't know about this, but I was just looking in this players directory, and it says in here that there are Tiger Girls! I'm more interested in this! I wanna do the show with the Tiger girls instead of baseball!

T: Tiger girls? Let me see. Its Tigers girls, not Tiger girls.

J: Oh, who cares! Tokyo Sports isn't supposed to care about the details! You can even get right and left correct.

T: Haha, yeh.

K: Hahaha

J: Ok, whats next..?

K: Oh, the mugs! The ones we got in Fussa.

J: Ah yes. Do you remember when we went to Base Side Street in Fussa? The winners of the mugs have been decided. So Leader is going to announce them now.

*applause*

K: 'Guest' from Miyagi. This person didn't write their name. 'Mari' from Tokyo...*applauds with bats* Oh, it broke! 'Ponta' from Aichi. *applauds with a bat in each hand* Oh, maybe this way is better. 'Chi' from Hiroshima, and 'Popon' from Okinawa.

T: Thank you! Have they already recieved them?

K: Yeah, it looks like they have.

J: Congratulations!

T: Ah, someone wrote, 'I won, thank you!'

J: Ah, there are a lot of benefits to watching this show, right? Congratulations, and thanks to everyone who took part.

T: 'So jealous!'

J: Ah, yeah. Ok, so we are still taking your questions and comments during the show..

K: Hurry up with this! We can't get the drinks until you read this.

J: Ah, we can't do kanpai?

T: Read it quickly, Joe.

J: Ah, ok...*speed reading* So we are taking questions and comments about the show, support for Hanshin, anything is ok. People using twitter can use the tag TFOE. We just have one request about the comments. There is probably a bit of a time lag between our screen with the baseball and this show's comment section, so if you comment on the score etc, we might know it before we have seen it, so please do not comment on the status of the game!

K: Haha

J: No spoilers! haha. So the first half of the show is free for anyone, but the second part is for members only. If you join, you can watch this broadcast in the archives for free for a year, and we also have videos for members only. So please join using the link at the top of the screen. Leader is pointing to it. Please enjoy the show to the end!! *applause* Oh! Mine broke too!

T: Ok, now that we've done that, lets get the drinks out!

J: Everyone, get ready for kanpai too!

K: This is kinda noisy, haha.

J: Yeah, its tough for the sound guy.

*They all get their drinks*

J: Ugh, ok..

K: You sound tired already! haha

T: Tired out in 10 minutes.

J: Yes, ugh, Im tired *from too much cheering etc*. Well, it's cause I don't really understand much of the talk when it comes to baseball. But anyway, do you all have your drinks ready at home? Lets have a toast and a short speech from Leader for our first drink.

K: A short speech?

T: Oh, that reminds me, well done on finishing the last tour.

J: Joe said he was gonna come to one of the dates, but he never did.

J: Yeh, I didn't.

T: ???

J: No, no, it was just my schedule, my schedule clashed.

K: Haha

J: I wanted to go, honestly, haha.

K: Oh, look, look! *points to baseball game on screen*

J: Ah, its Mie! Mie-chan! You know, I had thought that baseball players these days have less personality than before, like in terms of their hairstyles or stances, but this guy here is easily noticable. His name is Mie-chan, right?

K: He has a cute pose. *Does V sign next to his eyes*

T: Do you know what that is, Joe?

J: Eh?

T: Mie-peace sign.

J: Oh man. Now that I know this, I can use that pose next time I go drinking in Kansai, right?

K: Hahaha....Ok, kanpai!!

J, T: Kanpai!!

J: Everyone, do kanpai at home too.

T: Ah, delicious. Send lots of alcohol emojis, everyone.

J: Ok, so we have lots of snacks here in front of us. As today's game is against Chunichi (*Nagoya's team*), we have a variety of Nagoya foods here, with a view to eating Chunichi into oblivion. We are gonna eat Chunichi up!

K: Are you gonna shout, 'I love Nagoya!'?

J: Haha, no, Osaka is the best. But this is a good idea from the staff, right? Eating up the opposition.

T: Also, look at this, Tigers fried cutlet.

K: Actually, that and these bats were a gift from a fan. At first I wondered why so many were included, there were three pairs.

J: Oh, for this show?!

K: Yeah.

T: Really?! Oh wow, thank you!

K: Yeah, probably.

T: Thank you! That makes me so happy. Apologies for using them so roughly.

J: Oh, yes, a comment asks, 'Can you eat the tenmusu with shrimp in it?'

K: I can tolerate shrimp now.

J: Oh, great!!!

T: Big news! Kaoru can tolerate shrimp now! Haha, what kind of news is that?

J: You overcame it?

K: Well, I can eat it at least.

J: Can you eat it today?

K: Yeah.

T: Ok, you gotta eat one in the second part. Haha

J: Yes, you can eat one for the members only content.

K: I can eat it now even.

J: Ah, someone said they wanna see you eating shrimp! Thats for members only though, right?

T: This is crazy, haha. Leader just eating a shrimp is members only standard now. Wow! haha

K: Hahaha

J: Haha, of course. Thats for members only. 'A shrimp tasting'. That's right. Everyone, please make sure you are a member so you can watch it. So, I just want to touch on the game for a minute. We are finished the 3rd innings now, right?

K: No, we are finished the 4th innings.

J: Oh that was quick!

K: It was 0-0, wasn't it? *writing score on whiteboard*

J: I feel like the game is lacking momentum, right, Kaoru?

K: I wanna make this 2 into 0 too. (*Chunichi scored the only two points so far, earlier in the game*)

J: Should we?? Well, it wont make any difference if we do.

K: Haha.

J: So, overall, its 2-0.

T: Kaoru, tell us about your happi coat.

K: Oh, I bought this a long time ago. I went to watch them play and wore this before too.

T: Stand up and show us.

J: Ohh, what about the back? Oh, amazing! Was this just sold like normal?

K: Yeah, just like normal. I bought it.

J: The ones me and Tasai are wearing must be like the basics...or thereabouts.

K: Or thereabouts? haha, what on earth do you mean?

T: It doesn't mean they are worse.

J: Yeah, but pink might be for women, I'm not sure. Oh, comments saying, 'Leader is so cool!', and 'I want it!'. Can't you buy this these days?

K: Oh yeh, it was a long time ago when I bought this.

T: Having this shows you are a long time fan.

J: Well, yeh I guess so....*responding to a comment* No, it wasn't just dropped by the wayside, haha. Anyway, as for the game today, who are the two starters?

K: Uh, for Hanshin its Otake.

J: What kind of player is he?

K: Uh, in the players draft he came to us from Softbank.

T: He has been really active. His ERA is probably in the 0s since before the interleague games...even though he just gave away 2 points.

J: Ehh. And what about Chunichi?

K: Takahashi

J: Who is Takahashi?

K: Well, he is a Chunichi player.

J: I know that! What kind of person is he?

K: I don't know anything else about him, haha.

T: Joe, I'll check the directory....It says, 'After his experience with the national team, he has scaled up another level. He is a pillar of the Dragons. He is a treasured pitcher within the team'.

K: He is young, isn't he?

T: Yeah, he is 21, in his third year.

K: Yeah, cause during the WBC he wasn't allowed to drink alcohol.

T: Ahh, he was underage?

K: What is it over there again?

T: In America, the legal age to drink is 21...or is it 22?

K: Yeah, so when they were all celebrating, he couldn't drink alcohol. You know with that big champagne bottle? He couldn't have any of it.

J: Ahhh, he might be bitter about it still.

T: No, no, he won't be.

K: He probably hates Hanshin more.

J: Yeah, he might hate the American laws too.

K: No, but Hanshin have taken practically a clean sweep with the All Stars vote.

T: Oh yeh!

J: Eh, whats this about?

K: The fan vote for the All Star team.

J: The results were announced today?? Oh, what kind of positions did Hanshin get? All number 1?

K: Yeah, but I think Akiyama might have gotten center.

T: I'll just check.

K: But otherwise, its all Hanshin. The fans votes are ????, so its not very interesting in the end.

J: Well, yeh, but its resulted like this naturally, right?

K: Well, yeh, cause its a fan vote. It just means they have a lot of fans.

J: No Giants players there. You know, when I was young, the All Stars team was almost always exclusively Giants players. Times have changed!

T: Yeah, Joe, Hanshin are really popular these days.

K: Well, they've been a strong team, I mean, up until last month, haha.

J: Ha, using the past tense I see.

T Yeah, I remember Kaoru saying last month it was tough to handle the success.

K: That feeling is at max level now.

J: Ah, talking about it will jinx it.

K: Yeah, but then again, Joe was talking up that curry so much last time, and we got it again today!

J: Yes, see! Wasn't it good?!

K: Yeah, haha.

J: You know, we had that curry earlier, so we aren't getting through any of these snacks at all. I guess we will get hungry eventually. Someone asked, 'Kaoru, when did you go to Koshien?' You bought that happi coat quite a while ago?

K: This? Yeah, it was a long time ago. I think the last time I went was about 5 years ago. I filmed a video there for my blog.

T: Someone said, 'Hanshin fans have strong personality, they are easy to spot'.

J: Like me?

K: Nah, you definitely have a Yomiuri look.

J: I look like.a Giants fan?

K: You have a kind of pretentious look about you.

T: Ahh, I see it.

J: Like a Tokyoite?

K: Like the type of person who would bring a really fancy bento to eat. All show, but nothing on the inside, haha.

J: No way!

T: Don't eat that kind of thing at Koshien! Haha, look at that comment, 'I can't believe this prejudice against the Giants!'

K: Hahaha

J: Well, that can't be helped today.

T: Yeah, its a Tigers day

today. Forgive us just for today.

J: Yeah, and keep writing comments. Actually, about the score, I didn't see the moment when these two points were scored. What actually happened there? Don't either of you know?

K: Oh, but they just showed a replay of it earlier.

J: Ah, they did.

K: Yeah, but we weren't watching. Its ok though, they'll probably show it again.

J: So, this is obviously a pitching duel at the moment?

K: Yes.

J: Both aces are ???

K: Well, not really, but its kinda like that.

T: This kinda situation is no problem for an ace.

J: Well, what I really wanna know is what the aces' annual salary is? Tasai. Its written in the directory, right?

T: Yep, it is. Who do you want to start with?

J: Oh, the young Chunichi guy who couldn't do kanpai.

T: Ok, so Joe, can you guess the salary of Takahashi, who is in his third year of play?

J: Uh, 3rd year..so 30 million yen?

K: He's only 21.

J: Ah, ok, 20 million.

T: Haha, why?

J: Well, he's still young, so he doesn't have the experience.

T: Incidentally, in total he has 6 wins and 7 losses....up until this season.

J: Ahh, well probably 20 million then.

T: 20 million? Kaoru, what do you think?

K: Hm, maybe 15 million?

T: The correct answer is..35 million!

J: Ahhhh, so we have a 35 million yen pitcher against Hanshin's...?

T: Shall we check?

J: 35 million yen...how much is that per throw?

K: I don't know, I can't work it out, haha.

J: But how many games would he have per season?

K: Hmm, about 15?

J: And about 100 throws? Someone work it out. 15 games × 100 throws.

K: 1500 throws. I dunno, probably about 2000 yen per throw. Haha

J: 2000 yen! Thats more expensive than curry!

T: Ok next is Otake Kotaro, who transferred from Softbank.

J: That means he must have had some achievements for Hanshin to want him?

K: No, it wasnt like that. He wasn't chosen in the initial draft...

J: Oh, so he was a spare?

K: Yeah, so he was available for transfer.

J: Ahh, so like, he wasn't that active in his previous team?

K: Yeah.

J: Oh, well in that case, it might be lower, if he is not highly rated.

T: His stats are 10 wins 9 losses.

J: Oh, 10 wins is not bad...I'll say 25 million.

K: What year of play is he in?

T: His 6th year. He is 28.

J: Ok, 25 million.

T: You think?

J: Yeah, he previous team let him go. What do you think, Leader?

K: About 20 million.

J: What's the correct answer?

T: Ohh! One of you got it right! The correct answer is 20 million! Kaoru, thats amazing! You can even guess Hanshin players' annual salaries!

K: Haha.

J: Have you memorized them all?

K: No, haha.

T: You just guessed, 'Its probably around this amount', and got it right.

J: So today, 35 million and 20 million are up against each other. Thats a 15 million difference.

T: This is all research for us.

J: Yeah...Ah, research, research! Lets carry out research on the viewers.

T: Yes, Joe, can you explain the plan for today?

J: Oh yes, sorry, I forgot about this.

K: Haha.

J: Ok, lets get on with our plan for today, which is...Kaoru toriko research!

*applause*

J: We are gonna find out what kind of people you all are, by using surveys. What kinds of thing will we ask you? Well, firstly, lets go with ' Where are you watching from?' Should we start there? From which region are you watching this broadcast? A survey will pop up on your screens, so please choose your region from the options.

T: Oh wow, 8 options! I thought we could only do 4!

J: Yep, we can do 8. Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu/Okinawa. There might be people watching from overseas too, right? Sorry about that! We cant fit any more options on. So you have to choose from these.

T: Should we see the results?

J: Ok, here are the results. Ahh, overwhelmingly Kanto, at 42.9%. Next is Kinki with 26.4%. Chubu is 8.8%, thank you! Tohoku and Hokkaido are 5.5% each. Chugoku is 3.3%, Kyushu/Okinawa is 5.5%, and Shikoku is 2.2%. So, overwhelmingly Kanto and Kinki, about 70% are in those regions. Oh, someone said 'Not many from Kinki!'. Yeah.

T: Haha, someone said, 'Im watching from the store staffroom on my break'. Thank you!

J: Well, we will be asking you more surveys from here on. Leader, is there anything you want to ask? Anything is ok.

T: Let's ask this...Which team do you support?

K: Eh? But there are only eight spaces.

T: From the Central League, I mean. Ok, time to make tough choices.

J: At this rate its gonna be Hanshin, right? But there are a lot of viewers in Kanto, I guess. So there may be a few votes for the Giants, Yokohama, and Yakult too. Are you eating onigiri already, Tasai?

K: Tenmusu, you mean?

J: Yeah, Tenmusu. He had curry earlier too.

T: It tastes good.

J: I couldn't believe Tasai earlier. When he was eating curry, he broke his spoon!

K: Oh, mine broke too!

J: Really?? I thought it was just Tasai.

K: It was tough curry.

T: The spoon broke when I ate the potato.

K: For me it broke when I just put it in the curry sauce.

T: Ehhh? Haha

K: I was trying to scoop up a piece of beef, and it broke.

J: What kind of power are you guys using to eat?? I've never seen anyone break a spoon eating curry before! haha. Which player just came on?

T: Oh, there's the survey.

J: Which player is number 12?

K: Sakamoto.

J: Sakamoto is the batter, the pitcher throws.... speed 142km.

K: Your commentary is nostalgic.

J: Like Showa?

T: Yeah, like old radio commentary.

J: Right, the survey now. Which team do you support? Tigers, Giants, Baystars, Carps, Dragons, Swallows. Ahh, I see, people refer to the teams like this these days. Not like 'Hanshin' etc.

K: No, but people still say 'Hanshin' a lot.

J: Oh, the score. The 5th innings finished again with 0-0? Its already the 6th innings?? That was quick!

T: Write it on the board, Joe.

K: No, we are still only half way through the 5th.

J: Oh, ok. So Chunichi were 0.

K: Yeah.

J: Ah, sorry. Ok, lets see your favourite teams. No worries if you don't have a fave. Oh someone said they support the Pacific League. Ah, we can ask that too. Just choose one from the central league for now. Ok, lets see the results. Its gotta be Hanshin, right?.....Oh, its quite split.

T: But look, the Tigers are top.

J: Yeah, Hanshin have 51.9% . The Giants have 14.3%. Same for the Carps. Then, the Dragons have 11.7%, there are a few Dragons fans watching this then.

T: Sorry!

J: Baystars have 5.2%, and the Swallows have the least with 2.6%. What is the actual league board like currently?

K: Its, (1)Tigers, (2)Baystars, (3)Carps, (4)Giants, (5)Dragons, (6)Swallows.

J: Ah, so the Swallows are having no luck?

T: Not really this year.

K: Their pitchers are struggling.

J: Ahh, I see. Ok, so we discovered the majority are Hanshin fans. Kaoru, do you want to ask anything?

K: Ok, What do you like best? Tenmusu, Tebasaki, Misokatsu, Doteni.

J: These are the snacks we have in front of us, right?

K: Yeah

J: Eating Nagoya to defeat. Which do you like best from these snacks? Someone said, 'I like Kaoru'.

T: We know that.

K: Hm, maybe not 'which do you like best?'....hmm, ok, maybe 'which do you like best?' is ok.

J: Ahh, this tebasaki is great! So good with beer! People are saying they like them all.

T: Someone said they are a Nippon Ham supporting Kaoru fan, but they can support Hanshin too.

J: Yeah. Ok, so Tenmusu, Miso katsu, Doteni, Tebasaki. Which do you like? Well, they are all delicious though.

T: Ahh, Im sleepy, haha.

K: Huh, you're tired?

T: No, no, Im having fun, haha.

J: Kaoru, which one of these snacks do you recommend?

K: I've only had Tebasaki and Misokatsu out of these.

J: Yeah, the tenmusu is for the paid contents. Do you like them all?

K: Well, I guess I often eat tebasaki when I go to Nagoya.

J: That might be the most popular. You can get it anywhere in Nagoya, right?

T: I used to go to this one tebasaki restaurant quite often.

K: Yama chan? Furaibo?

T: Yeah, Furaibo. Yeh, for work stuff.

J: Ok, lets see the results. Which one do you like best? Sorry, Im doing this while im eating....Ohh, Tebasaki 40.4%!

K: Ok, next question! This is about the menu at Koshien, so out of Koshien Curry, Yakitori, shell fish skewers...

J: They havd shellfish??

K: Yes, and...grilled squid....which one do you wanna make me eat? I mean three of them skewered, but..I.wanna eat them, haha.

J: You want them to make you eat one of them?

K: Yeah

J: How about instead of that, you get them to send you it.

K: Well, thats later, haha.

J: Oh, look, there's the action replay. This this is the moment they entered ????]

K: They haven't entered yet, its still Hanshin's turn.

J: Oh, right, I see. Yeah. This could be a chance, the runner is out. Oh I see, the points were scored in the second innings.

T: Yeh, it just showed up.

K: A home run? Ah, no. But he's doing well.

J: He hit, and made it to third base. Was it a sacrifice fly? Oh, no. Ahh, look at the pitcher. There goes the runner....Ahhhh.

K: Yeah.

T: That guy on the left is a bit scary.

K: Mie-chan, right?

J: Well, its not a catastrophic lead.

T: Its only 2 points.

K: Yeah, there is still time....but we are still kinda getting beaten.

J: Its about time Hanshin start to get serious.

K: Well, actually, their winning pattern so far this year has been to start scoring in the later parts of the game.

J: Ohh, the later half, I see. Ah, high hopes from now then. Ok, lets see the results of this survey. Koshien curry, Yakitori, Shellfish skewers, and Squid skewers. Which do you wanna make Kaoru eat? Here are the results.

T: Koshien Curry! But its still quite a split result.

J: Hang on. Whats special about Koshien Curry? How is it different from regular curry?

*K looks at J incredulously*

J: Haha, don't look at me like that.

K: *To T* What is he talking about??

J: No no, from the point of view of an outsider like me...

T: Its Koshien curry!

J: But what about the taste? Isn't there anything special about it? Anything Tigers related? You don't need to just stare at me like that!

K: Haha

J: Is it sweet? Or is it really meaty? Or anything like that?

K: Its regular curry.

J: Ehh? I bet the viewers know what its like!.....Ehh?!...Our kind director is trying to show me a picture of it, but I can't see it at all.

K: Haha, its just regular curry!

J: But does it taste good?

K: Yeah, it does. Its even sold as retort.

J: I see, its very ordinary. Can we even buy it up here?

K: Yeah, probably.

J: I wanna try it.

K: Yeah, but its better to have it with some other food, like these snacks.

T: You'd get the feeling of being at Koshien.

K: Its won't break your spoon.

J: Haha, you guys are breaking too many spoons when you eat curry! Well, we'll have some more surveys later in the show. Ok, its coming to the end of the free part now.

T: That was fast!

J: Well, there is still another 90mins to go, so we can watch the game together while doing more surveys, and also part of the members only content will be Kaoru eating a shrimp. So you can look forward to that. Here's how you can watch the second part. The first part of the show is free for anyone, but the second part is for members only, so you have to be a member if you want to watch to the end. If you become a member, you can watch this broadcast in the archives for one year, and we also have members only video, where we do lots of stuff. So you can enjoy those too. Here's how to join. There should be a blue link at the top of your screens now. Leader is pointing to it with his fan. Please use this link to register. If you click the link a screen will appear asking you to choose your payment method.

T: Oh, ARE! (*THAT*)

J: Ah, yes, its an 'ARE' fan. Ok, choose your preferred method and click proceed, enter your details, and you're done. If you haven't yet registered, please do so to enjoy the show to the end. Ok, Leader, do you have any announcements?

K: Uh, our 25th anniversary tour Bluray/DVD will be released next moth (*July*)

T, J: Ohhh.

K: And the vinyl version of Phalaris will also be released. Thats next month too.

T: Oh, great! Comments saying they reserved it already.

K: Apparently, its already sold out on Amazon etc, just with reservations.

J: Eh? The DVD and LP?

K: The LP.

J: Ahhh

T: I'm looking forward to it.

J: Yeah, but people should be able to still find it somewhere if they look, right? Like CD stores or something?

K: I think so, yeah.

J: Ahh, someone said its their first time buying a record. Dir haven't done this much before have you?

K: We've made records as special bonuses etc, but its the first time for us to actually sell one.

J: Oh, I see.

T: What is the cover jacket gonna be like?

K: Well, its a head-on close-up of the Phalaris bull.

J: You can buy record players quite cheaply these days, right? For like ¥10,000.

K: Yeah.

J: This could be a good reason for people to buy a record player. Oh, a comment saying, 'My first ever record is DIR EN GREY!' The sound is good on analog, right? And its fun going to second-hand record stores. This will open new doors for people.

K: Lets go to a record store! We went to second-hand clothes stores already, so...

J: Ah, going to a record store would be fun!

K: Right?

J: There are some in Shimokitazawa, and also in Shinjuku. Lets do this, people wanna learn about records! Record store visit! (*J sounds as if he said rekōdo-myan instead of rekōdo-ya for 'record store'*)

T: Myan??

J: Did I say that? I meant 'ya'! Its cauae I've been drinking! Ok, we will pause here, and the screen will change for a moment, but we will be right back with the members only content, so just wait there. Ok, see you in the next part!

#dir en grey #the freedom of expression #薫 #translation

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jrockmagazines · 2 months ago

Text

Arena 37°C Vol. 315 (12-2008)

I hope it will be made into a music video. The lyrics have a mysterious feeling in them, so I hope it will capture that atmosphere.

YOMI (VOCAL)

「NAKED LOVE」 12.3 release!!

Nightmare 2008 killer show final NIGHT FUCKER.

Starting December 15th at JCB Hall!!!

Nightmare, who continues to energetically perform live and release new songs, will deliver a new single "NAKED LOVE" on December 3rd!! This month, the music video will be shot a little early, so we rushed to the scene!! The scene was covered with a blue backdrop as the footage was being shot for compositing. Models will also be appearing, so the final product will be different, so be sure to check it out!!!

"NAKED LOVE" PV shooting report!!

We performed with the image of emotion and inhumanity in mind.

"I was stiff even before filming began" Will YOMI be hit by an unexpected accident?

Album "Killer Show"

Nightmare has been busy this summer, with a standing and hall tour that began in early June and ended on September 7th at the Tokyo International Forum, followed by a charity concert in their hometown of Sendai on September 26th. With a packed schedule that lasted days with little time to rest, just three days later, on September 20th, the five members were seen shooting a music video at a studio in Tokyo. The song they were shooting that day was their new song "NAKED LOVE," already on air as the ending theme for the Nippon Television anime "Tai no Hako." The song is the title track of their single to be released on December 3rd, composed by Sakuto and written by YOMI. It is a mysterious and aggressive number that grabs your heart with its sudden explosion from a heavy group. The theme of the song is "strong love."

So the shoot started with a beautiful model to play the main character YOMI's partner, and a baby scene, which YOMI requested because "when you think of the fruit of love, it's a baby after all." Next, we shot an image scene in which YOMI and the model walk up to each other and look into each other's eyes, but this is when the biggest incident of the day occurred. Thanks to a mischievous idea from the staff, in the last scene, the model suddenly turned to YOMI.

She kissed YOMI! This prank was planned without YOMI knowing about it. When the staff found out about the plan, Sakuto watched the events unfold with a happy look on his face, and even filmed the filming scene himself (laughs). So, contrary to the production team's expectations that he would definitely run away, YOMI boldly accepted the kiss, so we conducted a direct interview with him right after filming.

* You received the kiss beautifully.

Everyone was so calm, they all praised her, saying, "You're a pro!"

"No, I was surprised! But the director told me, "Don't let your eyes wander when you look at each other!" so I tried my best not to get upset. I was so nervous even before that... I want to get better at shooting scenes with that kind of mood (laughs)."

Especially this time, the model was almost completely nude from the waist up.

"Yeah. There was a camera and I was surrounded by people taking pictures, so it was a little embarrassing. I'm sure if I was in a situation like that privately, I'd be fine (laughs)."

That's what I would say (laughs). What do you think this PV will turn out like?

"The lyrics are quite mysterious, so I think they'll bring out that atmosphere with CG. I've never shot a PV with so much compositing before, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out."

As YOMI said, this work will be entirely CG processed, so it will be set against a green screen throughout.

▲Checking the drum position to see how it looked.

"NAKED LOVE" PV shooting report!!!

▼The costumes are super hot. After the performance scene, we head straight for the wind!!!

That's how it went. But I got everything I wanted, so I'm not going to spend anymore!"

We're also looking forward to the finished video!!!

After a long shoot, the other members finally come out of the make-up room at Kaijo. RUKA complains to the staff that "I've bought too many accessories and I'm going bankrupt," and the string section plucks the guitar and bass to check the phrases of the song. Once the instruments are set up, the performance scene with everyone finally begins. Ni~ya plays and replies to the camera, which changes position and movement one after another and enthusiastically says "That's nice." That's because, after about an hour of repeated string monitor checks and solo shoots of the members, they were sweating and asking for water, saying "It's hot!", proving that they were performing with the same tension as in a live performance. There was also a shot of Shinju jumping into the camera, but the groove shots were completed without any problems, and YOMI was all up. Next came RUKA's solo shoot, starting with a performance scene, then RUKA, who had finished shooting and interviewing in the wind. At this point, the clock had already passed 8pm, but according to the timetable, all shooting was to end at 8pm. In order to make up for the three-hour delay, the original plan was to shoot Sakuto, Ni~ya, and Hitsugi in that order for one hour each, but they decided to shoot the three of them alternately to shorten the time for changing camera sets. In this situation, the members were so engrossed in taking image shots that they didn't even notice when the call to stand by was made. The shoot was then completed in about an hour. Sakuto, who had been taking photos, resumed the shoot. While Kiwami was out of breath and covered in sweat, Sakuto remained still and treated him coolly, saying "Hitsugi is a sweaty person." They showed their respective characters, and in just an hour and a half, the shoot for the three of them was finished! "It's done!"

He said, raising both hands in joy as he took the photo.

I asked him how he felt after the shoot.

The shoot is over, but are you more tired than usual because of the hectic schedule?

"I wonder? I don't think it's much different. The PV has set changes, so the drums are finished efficiently. To be honest, it's a composite, so you don't know how it's going to turn out."

Is that why you didn't check the monitors much today?

"I don't really look at them that much. I leave it to my manager to choose the photos. If I do it, I end up choosing ones where you can't see my face (laughs)."

I value the atmosphere. By the way, I heard that RUKA was the only one who made his own costume for today.

"Yes. I thought I'd go for something a little punkish. I found some clothes I wanted to wear, so I bought them myself. The T-shirt is Vivienne Westwood, and the jacket has body piercings around the front. Also, I want to make the eye patch my trademark, so I think I'll keep it up for a while."

You bought all the costumes for the PV, but the accessories are more expensive, right?

"Actually, I got up at 5:30 today."

What! Why?

"I went back to my parents' house after the live show in Sendai, and I was actually supposed to come back to Tokyo yesterday, but the Shinkansen stopped because of a signal failure or something. So I came back first thing this morning. But I rested at my parents' house for two days, so I'm not that tired."

So, what was the hardest part of the shoot?

"The waiting time! I had to wait quite a while from the time I arrived in the morning until my turn, so I ate and slept during that time." Also, the green screen made it hard to get a sense of the performance. "Well, that was the same as always. We performed as we always do in our live shows.

▲They were so serious...look at their mouths (laughs).

Beautiful "Cameraman" Series!!

Mr. Various places

▼All together with monitor checks

▲Going hunting together with the same head. Absorbed in "Monster Hunter"!!!

▲Mr. Matsu taking a nap - look at his hands!

If we can get a cool performance scene in the month. In other words, if the material is good, you can do anything! I believe that (laughs)"

That's true (laughs). By the way, what kind of image do you personally have of "NAKED LOVE"?

"It's a bit nostalgic, and I thought it was a dry song like American rock. I think it's a type of song that we didn't have before. I want to go on a trip in my 50s. I want to go abroad and visit World Heritage sites!"

Even after the shoot was over, Hitsugi was out of breath for a while. Even so, he answered the interviewer, "I'm fine!" and I felt like I saw the true spirit of a pro.

You're pretty out of breath, but was it that physically tough?

"No, but... every time we do a PV, we try to use as much energy as we would for a live performance. We just focus on one song and don't need to pace ourselves anymore!"

Amazing!

On this day, Sakuto, who used to take pictures of the members and staff with his camera whenever he had free time, has completely changed his image with a revealing outfit and blonde hair. So what was the motivation that got her to this point? *

"Actually, when I was about 25, I thought I might stop exposing myself, but I feel like these costumes make me feel better. I also get a lot of letters saying, 'Why don't you show your belly anymore?' So I thought, well, I'll show it off!"

And your hair color?

"That's one reason, and I've been wearing brown and other dull colors lately, so I thought I'd try something different. It's been a while since I dyed my hair blonde, and it's the golden color I've had so far."

It makes sense when you hear that, too, as she got colored contacts. There were a lot of close-ups of her eyes, so it was a bit shocking. Great!

"But the wait was long. Also, there are a lot of breaks when I'm not playing guitar, so I had a hard time showing that. Also, this song has a personal image of being inorganic. It's emotionally inorganic, not round, triangular, or square, it's a shapeless feeling."

That makes it even more difficult to solidify the image.

"Especially for the PV. What's more, they delayed it by three hours even though there were no major problems... I was honestly scared. I was actually thinking of going out to eat after the shoot, but I'm going straight home today! I have tomorrow too."

Tomorrow, you'll be doing the coupling song "MAD BLACK MACHINE" in the same studio.

"Yes. This time it's composited, so I'm looking forward to the finished video, so I hope everyone of you'll look forward to it. (Returning to the dressing room) It's hot!"

No no (laughs), and are you into taking pictures lately?

"Yes. I want a single-lens reflex camera. But, a photo is something that captures a moment forever! It takes time to make music, and your feelings change during that time, but a camera only captures a moment. In contrast to the previous album "Lost In Blue," this one has a strong impression of opening up to the sky, and it dives into the inner universe."

It's romantic, isn't it?

"This work has such a rich depth. However, this may be the art that can most purely contain your feelings, and it can be changed to the fact that both are the same nightmare. First on TV, and then on December's lives!"

[The End]

#Nightmare #Arena 37°C #EN - translation

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