The Blood of Youth sequel predictions and analysis
To preface this, I have not read the novel and am going mainly based on my knowledge of season one. Thus, there are spoilers at least for season one (and possibly season two, if my suspicions are correct).
This will probably be a bit unhinged and won’t focus on the main cast outside of the parallels there may be between them and the characters that I’m focusing on. The characters I’ve selected are the ones that I suspect of playing a larger role in the second season.
1. Marquis Lanyue
If he isn’t revealed to be a villain, I’ll be shocked. The way his supposed lack of ambition is pointed out numerous times is remarkably suspicious. He has a big scary sword that was hyped up but barely used. He outright threatens one nephew, only helps another because he decided he wants to protect the healer taking care of him, and is pretty antagonistic in his internal dialogue towards the other nephew. There is definitely something weird going on between him and Prince Chi early on that seemed to fizzle out at some point, right around when Marquis Lanyue started helping out his other nephews. Anyways, this might be a crazy guess, but I kinda wonder if he’s going to work with Ye Ya the Night Crow to reanimate Prince Chi (at least, I think the Night Crow is still alive, unless I missed something). As a less crazy guess, I think he’ll be the main or major villain.
2. Mu Chunfeng
He has some interesting parallels to Marquis Lanyue that may become more prominent in the next season. Both characters are defined by their lack of ambition, but in Mu Chunfeng’s case, it seems more genuine. He actively goes on a quest to make sure his older brother can inherit the responsibility of leading the wealthy Mu family, which otherwise wouldn’t happen due to the older brother’s implied medical condition that renders him unable to produce heirs. This shows Mu Chunfeng’s disinterest in seizing power rather than the telling that accompanies the question of whether Marquis Lanyue is ambitious. Both Marquis Lanyue and Mu Chunfeng form an attachment to the healer Hua Jin, albeit of differing natures (father-daughter vs student-master). Mu Chunfeng, like Marquis Lanyue, also has a powerful sword that is hyped up but barely used. It should be noted that Emperor Mingde, who isn’t known for his ability to trust the right people, directly accused Mu Chunfeng of having ulterior motives. Anyways, my more measured prediction is that Mu Chunfeng’s older brother will die. For a more intense prediction, I think Hua Jin will end up dying, likely by accident, culminating in a battle between Mu Chunfeng and Marquis Lanyue.
3. Xiao Chong
The main thing with him is that it’s easy to forget that he’s very much a player of the game of thrones, so to speak. With all that Xiao Se does to earn his trust later in the show, it can distract from how Xiao Chong was making alliances with Wushuang City and how he was able to safely waltz in and out of a conversation with the fearsome Dark River. Even now that he’s risen to the throne, Xiao Chong will likely continue pulling strings. The point of the first season was that Xiao Se wouldn’t make a good emperor, but I do wonder if his arc in the second season will put him into conflict with Xiao Chong.
4. Bo Yong
This one is a bit of a stretch, I admit. His actor was one of the first I saw sharing the news about the sequel, but even before that I had some suspicions about his significance. In the scene where Jade Deity hides Jin Yan from the Director, he is notably absent. Could he have ratted Jade Deity out to the Director? He seems to have been involved in the plot to sneak Wuxin into the palace, which the Director appears to have known about. Anyways, given the events of the first season, the Five Eunuchs need their ranks replaced. Ling Jun and Bo Yong seem to be the most likely candidates, and will likely be involved in any palace drama.
5. Jin Yan
Honestly, I’m terrified for Jin Yan’s safety. Xiao Se and Jade Deity kinda have mirror arcs. Jade Deity longs for the Martial Arts World, and Xiao Se validates that. Xiao Se needs to learn what loyalty to his friends means, and Jade Deity shows him that. This, I think, is the reason Jin Yan needed to survive the first season. However, hints were dropped throughout that key episode that he’s done far worse things than some fun treason, and I have my doubts that the plot will continue to be so merciful to him. If he does die, the most heartbreaking and likely possibility is that it will be by Jade Deity’s own sword, as he is currently responsible for Jin Yan’s actions. If anyone else kills Jin Yan, that sword would definitely get covered in vengeful blood—given how many people Jade Deity has already lost, losing Jin Yan would surely cause him to snap. Less likely but still tragic, perhaps Jade Deity dies protecting him or has the injury Jin Xuan gave him act up, in which case Jin Yan may go mad with grief. Or maybe they travel together and live happily ever after… which could actually fit Jin Yan’s arc. He initially lacks meaningful connections, where he isn’t being manipulated/used. Jade Deity counters that as risking everything to protect Jin Yan. It is possible that Jin Yan could have a positive arc where he turns his greed towards building genuine relationships.
Well, it was certainly fun organizing my thoughts about parallels between the characters and exploring ideas related to the sequel. I’ve been resisting thinking of the future of The Blood of Youth for so long, but the announcement of season two has opened the floodgates to some surprisingly clear water.
Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 少年歌行/The Blood of Youth
The Blood of Youth is a 2022 live-action adaptation of the tale of a deposed, disabled, and incredibly cunty prince who's on his way back to settle the score with his asshole father, and the rag-tag band of weirdos he accumulates along the way, including Spear Girl, Bad Monk, and Fire Puppy (pictured above).
I hope you like shounen anime, because this is the most shounen anime something is allowed to be without actually being based on something running weekly in Shounen Jump. What if Nirvana in Fire were also Naruto? It would be the Blood of Youth.
This show is an underrated gem of action-packed fun that not nearly enough people in English-speaking fandom have seen. In an attempt to correct that -- and ahead of an announced second season and prequel in progress -- I'm here with five reasons you should try it out.
1. Zero thoughts head empty
You do not have to pay an enormous amount of attention to this show to understand what's going on. The show itself does not always know what's going on. It got distracted by a shiny object over there, and now we're all gearing up to go punch the shiny object. We'll get back to the main plot when we're done with the punching.
It has a million billion plot threads going on at any given moment. Bad guys roll in from sects you've never heard of before, using superpowers with stupid names, only to get kicked into next week. There's approximately eleventy thousand characters -- so many, in fact, that I ran into problems several times while making this rec post, because there aren't readily available photos of everyone I want to talk about. Just look at the DramaWiki cast list. See how it goes on for like fifty screens? That's a little what the show feels like.
Except I'm not saying that like it's a bad thing, because the show knows it's doing this, and it acts accordingly. It telegraphs pretty well who's important and who isn't (and then it goes out of its way to color-code the latter, which is handy). What you're left with is absolutely a manga-style plot, complete with training arcs and semi-relevant sidequests, all working up to the final boss match.
It is an extremely self-aware show. On multiple occasions, something would happen, I would crack a joke about it, and then a beat later the show itself would make the exact same joke. I wouldn't call it an outright comedy, but it's still very funny, and on purpose. It has no illusions about being some kind of profound, meaningful epic. Mostly it's just here for a good time.
Yet this lightheartedness is what makes the powerful emotional parts really powerful by contrast. The show is not stupid; it's just goofing around most of the time. When it knuckles down, it can be devastating. And you know what? It does wind up being profound and meaningful about some stuff. How about that.
So yeah, if you're up for something that bops merrily right along and only occasionally rips your heart out, here you go!
2. Putting the poly in polycule
Bisexuals, rejoice! It's representin' time!
Here you go, I made a relationship chart of about 40% of the show's potential and canonical ships. I could have included so many more, but I only had so much space on the image, so I had to leave out some amazing ones, like the sword hedgehog who's real into this one cougar who could easily wipe the floor with him, or the rich nerd who thinks he has a chance with the aforementioned hot butch, or the fancy MILF who cheated on the emperor with a dreamy jianghu man and is trying not to cheat on him again with a different, slightly less dreamy jianghu man. See? There's just so much.
I would also say these are not exclusive ships. They are extremely inclusive ships. I am a fan of most (though admittedly not all) of the pairings listed here, and in fact of many of the three-and-more-somes indicated by these lines. They're such a cuddle puddle of shared intense feelings that it's hard to imagine anyone getting more than mildly jealous. Moreover, the potential for romance does not get in the way of hetero friendships; a boy and a girl who are each dating other people can go do adventures together, and (mostly) nobody gets weird about it, which is nice. If anything, what makes the overall dynamic so polycule-like is how equally friends and love interests get treated, meaning that it's not difficult to see a lot of crossover potential between those two categories.
If you're like me, you're hesitant about canonical romance, especially when it's straight, mostly because so many straight love stories wind up being tiresome, gross, and/or skull-poundingly boring. You will then be pleasantly surprised by how the canon pairings with members of the main cast are not like this at all!
Xiao Se and Sikong Qianluo are the main textual romance, and golly gee, they're just cute as heck. As the chart above indicates, I like interpreting them as two Kinsey 6's who have found their single exceptions, Mulder-and-Scully-style. Maybe one of the best things about their relationship is that it gets sidelined all the time for the plot. They're not so busy being in love that they forget to get shit done. Then they get a bit of downtime and get to go on a date, and you're like, aww, those sweet gay disaster babies are gonna do a little bit of heterosexuality. Just precious.
Tang Lian and Fairy Rui are right up there with the cuteness. She's a sex-positive dancing beauty who wants to ride that pretty boy like she stole him, and he's a shy sword boy so tightly bottled up that he'll explode if he sees a bare ankle. Avoiding spoilers, I will simply say that this is a pairing of two relatively soft people, until a bad thing happens to one of them and the other hardens up about it. If that's your jam, they're here for you.
Lei Wujie and Ye Ruoye are probably the most magical and the most practical of the bunch. They have a beautiful, super-dreamy, really horny sword-dance meet-cute, complete with its own pop song ... and then that's it, they're basically just together. She likes him, he likes her, good for them. In-laws aside, it's a refreshingly low-drama situation. Besides, I always love it when the hypercompetent woman gets the sweet, devoted himbo who'd do anything for her. Ruoye's had a hard life, and she deserves someone who can dick her down good at night and make her a nourishing breakfast the next morning.
And then there is, of course, The Ship:
Xiao Se and Wuxin are canonical, textual soulmates. The show treats their dynamic as more important than any other. It's so important, in fact, that the show has to sideline Wuxin for huge parts of the drama, lest everything get too damn gay. They each get a boyfriend catch on the other. They both do fairly reckless things when the other is in trouble. They are the secret hidden happy ending to the series. They share the kind of ride-or-die relationship built on mutually being the hugest bitches in any given room. Whether or not you think this is romance, it is extremely romantic, and the series agrees as much as it can, all things considered.
And if none of those flavors of love float your boat? Well, have you considered ... eunuchs?
3. She likes e4e
So I'm on record as being real into eunuch characters, right? Well, if you're with me on that, you are in for a treat here, because these are some absolutely buck-wild eunuchs.
There's five main ones, and I can't even begin to scratch the surface of what's going there. Like, really, I don't even think I understood all of what was happening with them. They're kind of the bad guys, but then they're kind of the good guys, but then some of them are the bad guys, but then they're just working for the bad guys, but then they screw over the bad guys, and ... it's just a lot, okay? It's a lot, and it's all happening with this bunch of catty bitches.
Also, you would not believe the difficult time I had finding any images for this section. I guess for some reason, fandom isn't way into a bunch of canonically dickless color-coordinated middle-aged men in weird hats? Whatever, man, they are missing out. If, however, you have the good sense to be into the intense and complicated (semi-romantic??) relationships among colleagues who also professionally just happen to be missing their external genitalia, buddy, strap in (and maybe strap on, depending).
Don't let me oversell how much these guys are in the show. They're not. They're vaguely important at points throughout, and they become incredibly important near the end, but they're hardly main characters. They're mostly back at the palace, doing their various schemes and looking absolutely fantastic.
So if they're such a minor part of the story, why do they get their own selling point? Well, I think their presence is a good example of two specific things about the show:
Specific thing the first: It's so queer -- not gay, but queer. Thinking back to my last selling point, you will notice how many of those straight pairings may look normie on the outside, but once you get down to it are not playing by cishet rules. (For instance, I've seen a lot of people read Tang Lian's resistance to sexual advances as asexuality, which, sure!) Likewise, there are lots of incredibly important, intimate relationships that don't conform to standard romantic pair dynamics. Add to that a lot of bodies with unusual characteristics and conditions, and you've got the makings of plenty of delightful non-normative love stories.
Specific thing the second: There are so many things going on with so many side characters that there's a kink here for everyone. Don't care for eunuchs? How about slinky villains with mind-control powers? Devoted servants who would do anything for their masters? Former bad guys who owe life-debts to the good guys who saved them? Bonded pairs traipsing around the jianghu together? Sons nursing legitimate grudges against the men who killed their fathers? Alcoholic widowers with incredibly slutty necklines? Mysterious cross-dressers with unconvincing moustaches? Vengeful brides? Martial siblings? Murderous royals? Guilt-ridden half-siblings? Boring star-crossed lovers? All these and more! It's a smorgasbord of rarepair fuel!
Also, I just love these toxic drama queens. It's like if RuPaul's Drag Race had the authority to have you executed.
4. The most intriguing outfits I've ever seen in anything (and yes, I'm including Winter Begonia)
Time for a fashion show!
The asymmetrical fits, the detailed embroidery on everything, the brilliant colors -- everybody just looks so good. And yet everything still looks ... eh, I don't know if "practical" is the word I want, but at least wearable. Nobody's dragging ten-foot trains of fabric behind them or wrapped in eighty floofy layers of gauze (except Rui, but she's special). Their outfits are strange and elaborate, but they don't defy physics.
What's truly stunning is how often they get new outfits. Xiao Se alone changes clothes about once every other episode, and more if he's getting a flashback. He is the fashion plate of the whole series, and every look he serves is pitch-perfect.
They're not outright color-coded, but the main characters do have certain colors associated with them -- which is extra-fun when you watch those colors bleeding into their friends' clothes as their relationships get stronger. I also think -- and I'm willing to be proven wrong on this point, but I think I'm right -- that they recycle some characters' outfits into parts of other characters' outfits. On more than one occasion, I'd swear that Lei Wujie shows up wearing the left half of something Xiao Se was wearing a few episodes back (tailored to fit him, of course, because that dumb ponytail boy is tall).
Where I think the costume design gets massive points, though, is that the costumes are themselves adaptations.
Before the live-action series, there was a 2018 3D animated donghua. I have never watched the latter, but apparently the drama is intensely faithful to the animated visuals, to the point where some fights are shot-for-shot remakes.
Of course, you can do a lot more with unreal clothing and bodies in animation -- and you can show a lot more skin, at least according to Chinese content laws. The live-action costumers chose to preserve about as many of the appearance beats from the donghua as they could manage, while still accepting the limitations of real-life bodies and materials. You can see some side-by-side comparisons here. The live-action outfits manage to be instantly recognizable without being slavishly devoted recreating to their inspirations.
So if you're sick and tired of dreary, ill-lit shows with bland palettes, this vibrant, colorful drama may be just the thing for you. It's a rainbow from start to finish.
5. Actually a good central plot?
Despite all the wacky delightful shounen nonsense that this show has -- and it has a lot -- the core of the whole narrative, which is Xiao Se's story, is surprisingly great and cohesive.
The short version is this: Xiao Se used to be Xiao Chuhe, sixth prince and somewhat heir apparent. Then he and his jerk-ass dad had a falling-out that resulted in the prince's having his martial arts abilities all but taken from him. He's been living the life of a very well-dressed innkeeper for several years, trying to avoid all of that palace garbage. But now his jerk-ass dad is dying, which means that a lot of horrible decisions are finally having unfortunate consequences for everyone, and Xiao Se's got to get back in there to make sure everything does not go to shit and land someone terrible on the throne -- even if it has to mean taking it himself.
His central conflict is between what he used to be and what he's become. Does he miss being Xiao Chuhe, high-ranked martial artist and future emperor? Or is he happier being Xiao Se, long-suffering nobody who can barely run a business, much less hold his own in a fight? What would he be willing to do to get back what he's lost? What are his obligations to himself versus his obligations to everyone else? How much is he responsible for his father's bullshit? And why has he wound up having to babysit this stupid Fire Puppy?
It's okay, they're best friends now. Lei Wujie decided.
No spoilers, but I liked Xiao Se's ending a lot. I feel it's very true to the character and shows a real understanding of who he is and what he values. And really, at the end of the day, sometimes all you need for a happy ending is your girlfriend, your girlfriend's girlfriend, your girlfriend's girlfriend's boyfriend who's also your boyfriend, your other boyfriend, his girlfriend, and your long-distance for-real soulmate.
Feel like giving the youths a try?
You can find them on YouTube or on Viki. But be absolutely sure that no matter where you watch it, you make sure to go watch the epilogue as well. (And if you get real into the story, well, here's a link to information about all the other adaptations.)
You are also welcome for how I did not spend this post going off for five hundred years on how much I love Wuxin and his funky relationship to Buddhism. I figured that's way too niche of a selling point for most people, and might indeed have even been counterproductive. But know that I could have.
Also, I'm very happy about the announcement of a second season, because that's going to mean Liu Xueyi has to shave his head again, and he looks unbearably good with a shaved head.
Oh yeah, did I forget to mention the whole motorcycle photoshoot?
In case you hadn't noticed, the whole cast is stupidly hot. Hachi machi.
Dashing Youth 少年白马醉春风 (2024) Trailer | Prequel to The Blood of Youth 少年歌行 (2023)
Features Hou Minghao as Baili Dongjun and Xia Zhiguang as Sikong Changfeng — loved their uncle versions though!!!
Will cover the story up till when Ye Dingzhi is used to wage a war and it orphans Wu Xin (TBOY), and we'll get a glimpse of why BLDJ and Yue Yao's relationship went sour and how he became that depressed shell of himself in TBOY
Probably will be showing real soon, cnetz speculate that it'll take over The Princess Royal's slot
Cnetz laughing over how TBOY was Xiao Se being surrounded by 2 of his bros and 1 girl, and now Dashing Youth is Hou Minghao being surrounded by his 2 bros Sikong Changfeng and Ye Dingzhi, and his girl Yue Yao
Whumpee : Xiao Se played by Li Hong Yi, Lei Wu Jie played by Ao Rui Peng, Wu Xin played by Liu Xue Yi and Tang Lian played by Li Xin Ze
Synopsis : As a disciple of the Lei Clan, Lei Wu Jie can't wait to prove his worth as a hero. His trip to the city Xue Yue is waylaid by an unfortunate mishap at the Villa of Fallen Snow. As proprietor of the Villa, Xiao Se is less than pleased when his establishment is damaged by the antics of a young, wannabe hero. Demanding he make amends for the damage he caused, Wu Jei can think of only one way to appease the grumpy Xiao Se, and that is to take him with him. With no other options, the two set off together, without any idea of what fate has in store for them. (MDL)
Genres : Wuxia, Historical, friendship, youth, fantasy
Note : This was an unexpected fun watch ! I didn't get bored at all watching this drama and the brotherhood between the characters was great.
Warning ! Possible spoilers below!
Xiao Se ( Xiao Chu He / Prince Yong An)
Ep 1-3 : None
Ep 4 : (Flashback) Hit by a powerful magical attack, on the ground shaking, passes out, can’t use martial arts since that day — (Present) Hit, thrown to the ground, punched
Ep 5-8 : None
Ep 9 : Arm pierced by a needle, momentarily in pain
Ep 10-13 : None
Ep 14 : Stabbed in the shoulder, bleeding, concern for him
Ep 15 : None
Ep 16 : Collapses after giving some of his energy, concern for him — Unconscious, carried on Wu Jie’s Back, speaking weakly — Unconscious in bed, treated, in pain (Gif Set) — Wakes up in bed — Given medicine
Ep 17-18 : None
Ep 19 : Uses his full strength to save his friend knowing it might kill him, fighting, hit by an energy blast, spits blood, passes out, concern for him — Doctor says he can’t save him, concern for him
Ep 20 : Still being treated with no success, bleeding from the mouth, treated by a more competent doctor — All his friends want to protect him (not really whump but it was a great moment) — Doctor says his life is still at stake — Very weak — (They’re all going on a trip to cure him)
Ep 21 : None
Ep 22 : Told he only has 5 days to live
Ep 23 : Participates in the fight even though he is dying, concern for him — Taken away, spits blood, treated, in pain, knocked out (Gif Set)
Ep 24-26 : None
Ep 27 : Teary-eyed, grieving
Ep 28-35 : None
Ep 36 : Fighting — Thrown to the ground, attacked — Pulse taken
Ep 37 : None
Ep 38 : Enters an array that makes him face his inner demons — Worried for someone — Has a difficult fight, arm cut, injured, spits blood, shielded and protected by his friends, on one knee holding his chest
Ep 39 : Has a difficult fight, thrown to the ground, spits blood, more fighting, on one knee, concern for him, helped up — Collapses unconscious, concern for him (Gif Set) — Unconscious in bed, concern for him
Ep 40 : Crying
Lei Wu Jie
Ep 1 : Fighting, thrown to the ground, groaning in pain
Ep 2 : Grabbing his chest after using some power, in pain — Fighting, thrown to the ground — Grabbing his chest after using a powerful attack
Ep 3 : Collapses, grabbing his chest — “Knocked out”, injuries “magically treated” (kinda hard to describe) — Wakes up in a cell, (flashback) fighting, tied up, captured
Ep 4 : Tied up to a tree
Ep 5-7 : None
Ep 8 : Powers acting up after drinking some liquor, collapses, passes out — Has a difficult fight
Ep 9 : Passes out from exhaustion — Has a nosebleed
Ep 10 : Uses a powerful skill, passes out
Ep 11 : Crying
Ep 12-14 : None
Ep 15 : Poisoned, weak, given energy
Ep 16 : Shocked after killing for the first time
Ep 17-18 : None
Ep 19 : Fighting, thrown to the ground, spits blood — Wakes up in bed
Ep 20-22 : None
Ep 23 : In pain after using a lot of power
Ep 24-25 : None
Ep 26 : Crying, emotional
Ep 27 : Teary-eyed, grieving
Ep 28-37 : None
Ep 38 : Has a difficult fight, spits blood
Ep 39 : Fighting, choked — Fighting his friend (Wu Xin) — Exhausted, almost collapses, caught before he can fall
Ep 40 : None
Wu Xin (Ye An Shi)
Ep 2 : Knocked out
Ep 3 : Crying
Ep 5 : Fighting, hit, grabbing his chest — Crying
Ep 6 : Has a difficult fight, puts his dislocated shoulder back in place — Passes out after using a powerful technique — Collapses exhausted
Ep 7 : Teary-eyed
Ep 29 : In pain after using his power to save someone, grabs his chest, spits blood — Unconscious, chained
Ep 30 : Chained and unconscious, was experimented on
Ep 31 : Was brainwashed, fighting his friends, headache
Ep 36 : Chained, unconscious — Fighting his friend, trying to resist, headache, controlled, attacks Xiao Se
Ep 39 : Controlled, fighting his friends, mind-control broken, unconscious
Tang Lian
Ep 1 : Fighting, hit, holding his chest
Ep 2 : Fighting, thrown to the ground, grabbing his chest, struggling to stand up, passes out after using a powerful attack
Ep 3 : Wounds treated
Ep 19 : Stabbed in the leg, hit, thrown to the ground, concern for him, stabbed in the other leg, spits blood
Ep 25 : Has a difficult fight, bleeding from the mouth, grabbing his chest, collapses, weak
Wonderful news for the first anniversary of The Blood of Youth: there is going to be a second season in the works! Who knows what adventures our heroes will undertake and what mysteries will unfold in this sequel!
Hitorie 2024 Lisani Interview for the On The Frontline/SENSE-LESS WONDER [ReREC] Release
INTERVIEW & TEXT BY 森 朋之(Mori Tomoyuki)
――デビュー10周年を記念したシングルの表題曲「オン・ザ・フロントライン」は、TVアニメ『無職転生Ⅱ ~異世界行ったら本気だす~』 第2クールOPテーマ。まずは『無職転生Ⅱ』の好きなキャラクターについて教えてもらえますか?
The A side song for your single “On the Frontline”, is featured as the opening song for the second season of the anime “Mushoku Tensei”. Could you tell me about which characters you like from the show?
シノダ ナナホシさんです。キャラデザから境遇から性格から何から何まで僕はナナホシさんが好きです。少しでも彼女に良いことがあればいいなと思っています。
Shinoda: Nanahoshi-san for me. I like her all the way down from her character design up to her lore and personality, every last little detail. I want at least something, any nice thing to happen to her.
イガラシ ロキシー・ミグルディアが好きです。突出した才能を備えているがゆえの不器用さと、驕らずに自分を変えていく部分に感銘を受けました。
ygarshy: I like Roxy Migurdia. The way that her outstanding talent is exactly what makes her so clumsy, and the fact that she doesn’t let it get to her head and instead attempts to change herself, it all left an impression on me.
ゆーまお ザノバ・シーローンが好きです。人形に対しての情熱と愛が彼を狂わせてイカれてしまった人間なのかと思いきや、忠誠心からか身内にはとても思いやりのある優しいギャップがとても良いです。ジュリとの今後の関係値がどう深まっていくのか気になります。
Yumao: I like Zanoba Shirone. It may have seemed as if his love and passion for his puppets drew him mad and pushed him off the edge but, the fact that it originally came from a place of kindness and love, he was just too loyal for his own good, is so interesting to me. I’m so curious to see how his relationship with Julie plays out in the future.
――なるほど。「オン・ザ・フロントライン」はエッジの効いたサウンドと美しいメロディが共存した楽曲。制作時の方向性、こだわった部分は?
I see. “On the Frontline” is a song wherein which violent instrumentals coexist with a gorgeous melody. Was there any specific part you were fussy with, in terms of direction, when writing the song?
シノダ この時はエレキギターのカッコよさを伝える使命感に駆られていた為、1サビ後の間奏のフレーズが爆発力ある音で録れたことに非常に満足しています。
Shinoda: I felt it was almost my duty to show the world just how cool electric guitar can be, and that’s exactly what drove me to make the guitar solo after the first chorus so explosive. I’m incredibly satisfied with how the recording turned out.
イガラシ ベースに関しては、伸びやかな歌のメロディーを引き立てることとリズムの力強さを損なわないことの両立をイメージしました。
ygarshy: In regards to the bass, I focused on emboldening the melody of the calm vocals, but in a way that wouldn’t impede on the strength of the rhythm. I had to find a way to balance both.
ゆーまお 破壊的で攻撃的なサウンドを埋め込みたくて、ギターの注文は結構こだわっていました。途中に組み込まれている変拍子も、自分が影響を受けたオルタナティブロックバンドの破壊的で推進力を感じるビートを取り入れました。
Yumao: I wanted the music to be chock full of destructive and aggressive energy, so I was meticulous in following whatever the guitar needed. The change in rhythm in the middle of the song was inspired by the alternative rock bands I like, as I fashioned the beat to have that same propulsive, explosive force that they tend to have.
――〈失っちゃいけない想いだけをなぞった/そして僕は行くのだろう〉という歌詞が印象的でした。この歌詞を書いていたときに、シノダさんが意識していたのはどんなことですか?
The lyrics “I traced only my feelings worth fighting for/And so do I forge on” especially left an impression on me. What was going through your head when you wrote them?
シノダ 生きていく上で大切なものを失うということは、往々にして起こり得ることなのだと感じることがここ数年多くて。そういったことも受け止め続ける覚悟を決めながら生きていかなければいけないんだよな、みたいなことを考えながら書いていたように思います。
Shinoda: Over the past few years I’ve had to face the reality that in life you will lose the things that you love, it’s commonplace. So I was thinking about how we need to be ready to cope with that so long as keep going on living.
――そして「センスレス・ワンダー[ReRec]」は、メジャー1stシングル「センスレス・ワンダー」を新たにレコーディングした音源。現在のみなさんにとって、「センスレス・ワンダー」とはどんな曲でしょうか?
For Senseless Wonder [ReRec], you recorded the song from your first major single anew. What does Senseless Wonder as a song mean to you now, after all this time?
シノダ 我ながらカッコいいギターリフを考えたな、と10年前の自分を褒めてあげたい曲です。
Shinoda: “Damn you really came up with a cool guitar riff” is what I would tell myself from10 years ago.
イガラシ 自分たちをここまで連れてきてくれた曲です。
ygarshy: This song has served to bring us to where we are today.
ゆーまお 青さの現れ、と思っています。とてつもなく早いBPMと情報量が詰め込まれている音数、歌詞、どれもあの時の年齢、思考でしか出てこない曲だなと思います。
Yumao: I feel it was really the flower of our youth. The unbelievably high BPM, the information overload, all somehow stuffed within the measure and the lyrics, everything. It’s the kind of thing that was only possible at that age, and mindset we were in back then.
――「センスレス・ワンダー」を初めて3人で演奏したときのことを教えてもらえますか? また、今回レコーディングにするにあたって大事にしていたことは?
Could you tell me about the first time you performed Senseless Wonder as a trio? Or what was essential to you when recording the new version?
シノダ 最初はどうしても音が足りないので、それでもとにかくこれでやっていくしかないなと、きっとやっていくうちにカッコよくなっていく筈だと当時は思っていました。そうやって再構築してやって来た「センスレス・ワンダー」をなるべくそのまま録音したい、という気持ちで今回の録音に挑みました。
Shinoda: We were lacking manpower and just notes and noise in general initially, but we had no choice except to keep on pushing and find a solution as to how to make it cool as we went.
イガラシ イントロでwowakaが弾いていたカッティングをベースで演奏する必要があって、ギター特有のストロークのパターンを高速で演奏することに注力しました。
ygarshy: I needed to recreate the clip of wowaka’s guitar playing but on bass, so it was a challenge play the guitar’s unique stroke patterns at the high speed needed.
ゆーまお とにかく音が足りない。イントロのリズムギターを誰が弾くのかとか、サウンドの厚みが減ったのではないかとか、減ってたって良いじゃないかとか、色々話していました。
Yumao: We were just flat out lacking notes. The question of who would play the rhythm guitar part in the intro, the fact that the music lost so many layers, the fact that maybe it was fine even though it wasn’t as rich as it was before…. We discussed a lot.
――「Selfy charm」は煌びやかさな音像とバンドサウンドが融合。このアレンジに至った経緯を教えてもらえますか?
“Selfy charm” combines hard J-rock with glittery musical imagery.
シノダ ギターに関しては基本的にイガラシ君の意のままにアレンジした、といった感じです。とにかくメチャメチャ綺麗な音で録れたので満足しています。
Shinoda: For the guitar, I primarily abided by whatever ygarshy-kun asked me to do. So I’m so happy with how crisp and clean the music came out.
イガラシ 2年前、Summer flight tourで全国をまわっていた時期にデモを制作しました。夏の夜の浮遊感、熱を攪拌しながら夜道を彷徨う様なイメージで音を重ねた記憶があります。
ygarshy: I had written the draft for the song back during our nationwide Summer Flight Tour two years ago. I remember I had in mind that floaty, airy atmosphere of summer nights; drifting along sunless streets whilst the heat whisked around, that kind of thing.
――歌詞のテーマは美醜だとか。見た目に対する意識はますます強まっている印象もありますが、このテーマを選んだ理由は?
The theme of the song is appearances, the pretty and the ugly. I get the sense that you’re beginning to worry about the way you look more and more, but, what exactly was the reason you settled on this theme?
シノダ 僕が重度のSNS依存症なので、基本的にずっと画面をスクロールさせているんですけど、ふとした瞬間にタイムラインに発生する綺麗な女性の写真にスクロールを反射的に止めさせられることがあって。その“止めさせられ”が最早強制力の域に達してるんじゃないかと思うことが多く、この女性はどれだけの苦悩やコンプレックスを抱え、それらと戦い続け、努力を重ね、いかにして人のスクロールを止める強制力を得るに至ったのかみたいなことを勝手に想像したときがありました。生半可な努力では無いはずなので。その勝手な想像が何か曲にハマりそうだったので、歌詞にしてみました。
Shinoda: I’m a heavy social media addict, you can practically always find me scrolling on my screen. So sometimes when photos of beautiful women suddenly show up on my timeline, they reflexively make me halt my scrolling. I often end up feeling like that “makes me halt” part practically reaches the level of forceful compulsion with how powerful it is. These women must be burdened with their own anxieties, things they hate about themselves, struggles they’re constantly battling. All those efforts are what won them their extramundane power to force us to stop our scrolling. Or so, I find myself imagining. There’s no way they put half-assed effort into what they do after all. That wild imagination of mine was went into the song.
――そして「さくらのいつか」はwowakaさんを思って書かれた曲だとか。このテーマで曲を作ろうと決めた理由、そこに込めた思いを教えてもらえますか?
Then, you said that “Sakura no Itsuka” was written about wowaka. What made you decide to write about this subject?
シノダ このテーマで曲を作ろうとしたわけではなく、この曲は〆切のギリッギリに出来た曲なんですけど、ちょうど桜が咲いていた時期だった所為か、ごくごく自然にこの曲が書けてしまい。書けてしまったということはこれも何かの巡り合わせなのだろう、ということで収録するに至った次第です。
Shinoda: I actually didn’t consciously decide to do so. I finished the song in the nick of time before the deadline too. The cherry blossoms just so happened to be in season at the time, and that’s why this song kind of naturally came to me. It was a crazy twist of fate, even more so that it ended up on the album.
――今回のシングル4曲はすべてライブで披露されています。ライブでの手ごたえはどうでしたか?
All 4 songs from the single are now being performed live at concerts. What has the response been like?
シノダ 「さくらのいつか」に関しては、初めて演奏した時に会場全体を悲しみの坩堝にぶち込んでしまったような感触があり、この曲この先演奏するのやめた方がいいのかな、と一瞬悩むほどでした。
Shinoda: I felt like the entire crowd was flung into one big melting pot of sorrow the first time we performed “Sakura no Itsuka”, and for a moment back there I was worried that maybe we shouldn’t ever perform this song again.
イガラシ 初めて演奏したときから「Selfy charm」で盛り上がってくれて嬉しく思っています。あまりこのテンポの楽曲を作曲したことがなかったので、ひとつ今後への経験になりました。
ygarshy: The crowd has been enchanted by “Selfy charm” ever since the first time we unveiled it live. I’ve never really written a song with this tempo before so it’s been a good learning experience for me.
ゆーまお 「Selfy Charm」を演奏してる時、みんなが楽しそうにノリノリで聞いているのでとても嬉しいです。
Yumao: Whenever we do “Selfy charm” live, everyone bops along so cheerfully that it makes even me happy.
――ヒトリエは今年デビュー10周年。いろいろな出来事がありましたが、今現在のヒトリエをどう捉えていますか?
Hitorie: Hitorie hit their debut’s 10th year anniversary just this year. I can see you’ve been through many ups and downs along the way but, how do you feel about the current day Hitorie you’ve grown into?
シノダ よくやってるな、と思います。
Shinoda: We’re really trucking right along, I think.
イガラシ 演奏の手応えは増してきています。継続と発展を目指します。
ygarshy: People are appreciating our performances more and more. So my goal is to first preserve then develop this state further.
ゆーまお 10周年にしてようやく、ヒトリエって結構強いバンドかもしれないって思ってきてます。
Yumao: After 10 years I’ve finally come to the realization that Hitorie actually is a pretty powerful force to be reckoned with.
――wowakaさんを失ってしまった後もバンドを継続できたこと、今も素晴らしい音楽をやり続けられていることの理由は何だと思いますか?
After losing wowaka-san you chose to still keep the band alive, and continue to write wonderful music, the same as before. What was the reasoning behind this decision?
シノダ wowakaの作ったバンドだからだと思います。
Shinoda: Because Hitorie was made by wowaka.
イガラシ 現在進行形でかっこいいバンドの名曲として彼の音楽を聞き続けてもらえるように活動したいと思い続けています。
ygarshy: My motivation to continue on working is because I want the world to keep on listening to his music, be it via the hit tracks from a spunky band in the present progressive tense.
ゆーまお 彼の時は止まってしまいましたが、これから先も恥じないメンバーである事を証明するための意地ですね。
Yumao: Time may have stopped for him but, we’re adamant about proving that we are his bandmates, and we want to make him proud.
――9月15日には「HITORI-ESCAPE 2024 10-NEN-SAI~日比谷超絶野音~」を開催。今年の夏以降の活動ビジョンについて教えてください。
On September 15th you plan to throw HITORI-ESCAPE 10-NEN-SAI at Hibiya Outdoor Stage. Could you tell me about what your vision for the band will be post summer?
シノダ きっと楽しい未来が待ってると思います。
Shinoda: All I know is that some kind of exciting future is probably waiting for us.
イガラシ 野音は節目の大きなライブですが、そのあともいい音楽と演奏を届けられるように止まらず活動していきます。
ygarshy: The Hibiya Non show is a major turning point, seeing as of how big of a show it is, but, once it’s over we still need to keep making good music and putting on good shows, no slowing down.
ゆーまお 日比谷野音が終わっても、まだまだ今年やる事が残っています。楽しみにしていてください。
Yumao: We sill have lots of things in store this year, even after Hibiya Non, so please keep your eyes peeled.