#Arrangement: Takahashi Yuichi

[redfreesias03]

Seishun Gekijou (“Youth Theater”)

“We’ll grow old in time, but our spirits will never die. We’ll never be parted, so hold your head high and let them stare if they will. Glory to the future!”

OR: The certainty that youth possesses, throughout time.

machigau koto nante nani mo hajiru koto wa nai sa

Making mistakes isn’t Something you should feel any shame about

aseru na yo    muri wo suru na tada    shinnen wo motte

Don’t be impatient, don’t overdo it Simply hold on to your convictions

dare ni mo    mamoru beki hito ga iru hazu sa

Everyone has someone They must protect

yagate    oiteku kedo tamashii wa shinanai sa zutto    hanasanaideiru kara hito me ki ni sezu mune wo hare sono mirai ni    eikou are!

We’ll grow old in time, but Our spirits will never die We’ll never be parted, so Let them stare if they will, hold your head high Glory to the future!

aisare sugiteite sore ga atarimae ni natte

Being showered with so much love That love becomes something expected

yokubou ni owari wa nashi zeitaku ni KIRInashi

There’s no end to desire Continuously in luxury

kimi ni mo    mamoru beki hito ga matteiru

You too have someone waiting That you must protect

tatoe    sabishii hi demo kokoro made yowaru na kimi ga omotteru yori zutto mina no aijou de tsutsumareteru sono mirai ni eikou are!

Even if there’s lonely days Don’t let your heart break down You’ll always be more enveloped In love from everyone     than you think Glory to the future!

yagate    oiteku kedo tamashii wa shinanai sa zutto    hanasanaideiru kara hito me ki ni sezu mune wo hare sono mirai ni    eikou are!

We’ll grow old in time, but Our spirits will never die We’ll never be parted, so Let them stare if they will, hold your head high Glory to the future!

sono mirai ni    eikou are!

Glory to the future!

---

This song was originally released as a joint digital single (arranged by Yuasa Kouichi)  by Berryz Koubou and C-ute for their joint stage play Sengoku Jieitai, which later got remade as a Berryz-only musical. However, both groups later released a physical copy of the song in their respective albums (Berryz’s album arrangement was by Uesugi Hiroshi and C-ute’s by Takahashi Yuichi), hence the sheer number of credit tags.

[arbitrarygreay]

This video is great! An interesting thing is, of course, in which cases the cover wins out against the original, or at least brings something meaningful to its own existence (i.e. offers new appeal points). 1. Carpenters: Justifies its existence. Heike gets MELODRAMATIC with the song. Not necessarily better, but you know how much Asians love to wail at karaoke. However, the Carpenters have a stronger command over the song (and I prefer it when a song feels noticeably effortless), so they win. 2. Sans Toi Ma Mie: Basically the same as above, Goto going really melo, full-on French Swooning. On the other hand, I heavily favor latin rhythms. The original clearly wins. 3. Kimi to Itsumademo: Basically a karaoke run. Doesn't do enough to justify its existence. 4. Kyokkori: Base melody is obnoxious. Next. 5. Koi no Vacance: Brings the surf rock, and W are charismatic enough for their performance to be interesting. But the Peanuts are THE FUCKING PEANUTS, and they are ROCKING the big band version featured here. 6. Namida no Taiyou: As much as I adore MKB, I find much of their output tacky, and this one is no exception. Very much the cringe of the late 90s/early 00s' excess. MKB's arrangement tramples over the melody's strengths. 7. Wataresbashi: Ballads are ballads, and Ayaya is motherfucking Ayaya. Tie. 8. Koi no Fuuga: Again, W are respectably charismatic. Their James Bond-esque arrangement does end up doing more to enhance the melody. Our first win for the covers! This is the case where the original is a little bit too...how do I put this, obvious? Childish? Like the way Heavy Rotation's melody is too obvious. Anyways, what that means is that the vocals can't really do much with it, which means that W's more interesting arrangement therefore makes the difference. 9. The Stress: I LOVE THIS COVER. IT FUCKS. IT FUCKS HARD. Ueno Keiichi is going buck-wild with his arrangement, and therefore actually introduces a new and different groove, compared to the original's admittedly compelling 80s drums. 10. Too Far Away: Ballads are ballads. Whatever. 11. Dschinghis Khan: Like a good portion of Berryz's output is in a really eardrum-splitting pitch range. Ich. And I'm really baffled as to why they even picked this particular song to cover. 12. Pepper Keibu: I like this! Brings the disco, lets Platinum play it cool. But Pink Lady has way more personality in theirs, hands down. 13. Shochuu Omimai Moshiagemasu: Synths are too screechy, it's trying too hard to modernize. The SweetS cover is more fun. Ironically, H!P has plenty of excellent album tracks that better capture the appeal of the original, in basically anything arranged by Takahashi Yuichi (my first thought was Lemon Iro to Milk Tea). 14. Mahoutsukai Sally: Original's honky-tonk arrangement over obnoxious screechy synths any day. 15. Koike-san: Don't even get me started. Now, Tsunku's own Koike-san re-release, with both a DANCE*MAN disco version and Matsubara Ken "Sexy Funk" version, that's how you make covers that can stand up to the original. Kobushi ain't even competing. 16. Sakura Night Fever: Okay, I'm fucking easy. Look, DANCE*MAN is just very good at what he does! And whereas with Koike-san, they needed to achieve a certain attitude and failed to, Sakura Night Fever is a godly enough melody that simply being cute girls singing this earnestly makes it fresh again vs. the original. 17. Ranrarun: Country Girls My Beloved. The original is what CG ended up doing with PBJ Love, a song of long notes to depict longing, while the twanging guitar is doing delightful gliss'd chords in the back. Maybe my CG-bias goggles are just that tight, but I don't mind this cover, though. By going about 200% cutesier in this version (and also making the arrangement a little more Phil Spector-ish, castanets and all), there's actually rhythm introduced to the cover that has its own charms. Ironically, there's zero country DNA in the CG version, but that creates enough distance from the original. 18. Ora wa Ninkimono: going full ska works with how hard Kobushi go on this. Kobushi are hitting every beat, where the original is doing a swing between every ever other beat (a la Pepper Keibu). Turns out that doing a subtly different rock genre is often all it takes to make a cover work! 19. Namida no Request. CG make a good showing, but the original has too much personality and swagger. In this case, having harder attacks on the shorter syllables works against them. I'm going to blame the cover's arrangement here for not doing more interesting things. 20. Majokko no Megu-chan: Angerme pull off at least a tie by doing their best CG. Emphasizing the piano in the arrangement was an inspired choice, really gives the cover its own identity and an enunciation style for the vocals to aim for (where the original had strings instead, to go with the vocals singer longer notes). 21. Go West: I can't even make a proper evaluation, because the Beyooooonds meme game is too strong. Go Waist cannot be considered as a song alone, the visuals and memes (which literally stops the song at one point) are a core part of it. In that sense, they live up to what The Village People were going for, as well (i.e. spark joy). The original certainly has better vocals, though. 22. Pop Music: Juice=Juice take their turn making a cover worth it just by cramming in the memes. There's undeniable joy in watching the girls get more and more ridiculous with their vocal wailing at the end of each line, against the most mundane lyrics, culminating in Sayuki's hysterical "CHURU CHURU PUNYU TAPIOCA MILK(miracle) TEEEEEEEAAAAAAAA". 23: Gekikara Love: What! Beyooonds coulda had a Halloween song!? WE WERE ROBBED. And also, it already doesn't win against MM's Morning Curry, as far as crowd-pleasing meme songs about spiciness go. 24: Down Town: So yes, I bitched about this song months ago, but while I personally find the original undoubtedly superior, the cover nonetheless justifies its existence through a successful genre change. It's a cover that can hold its own against some of the non-covers in the H!P catalogue, even if it can't beat the original. The trend for all of the lesser versions is that the cover, by dint of their heavily synthesized arrangements, squeeze all of the groove out of the song. There's no more empty space for the artists to put their stamp on the interpretation. The rhythm is programmed within an inch of its life, where in the originals you can hear the singers really curving around the syllables, the aural equivalent of animation's squash-and-stretch. That's why some of the older H!P covers still work, because GOING MELODRAMATIC is a way to reclaim some vocal interpretation. Which fits H!P's original "rock band audition" roots. Anyways, the moral of the story is that I really really fucking love Nacchi's The Stress. And there are surprising number of western songs hidden in H!P's catalogue! And as always, the most important aspect of idol music is who does the arrangement.

[koinodancesite]

“Tokyo Bijin”

Released: Aug. 28, 2002

Featured in: Dainisho ~Tsuyogari~

Member: Yuko Nakazawa

While Yuko Nakazawa’s first single since graduating Morning Musume had her indulge in a moody side, she quickly softens her personality in the breezy follow-up, “Tokyo Bijin.” Returning as her arranger, Yuichi Takahashi pivots sharply from what he brought to the oriental “Shanghai No Kaze” to a lighter sound indebted to classic ‘60s pop. It sounds close to “Dokki Doki Love Mail,” the debut song of Aya Matsuura, another Hello! Project act whose popularity was skyrocketing in 2002. 

“Tokyo Bijin” shares a sound as well as theme with “Dokki Doki Love Mail,” both written by none other than Tsunku. Nakazawa sings about a classic J-pop tale of a person who’s transitioning to a life in the big city. She has sung about a similar predicament before in “Furusato” with her former group Morning Musume. The woes attached to that prior single, however, are presumed to belong to a group of young women who just moved to Tokyo. Many of the members at the time, including Nakazawa, are from outside prefectures, and their call-out to their mothers in the single hits emotional considering that they were everyday women just a couple years prior.

“Tokyo Bijin,” meanwhile, was released five years after the debut of Morning Musume, so Nakazawa has put in some time trying to get used to the big city. And indeed, “Tokyo Bijin” carries with it a different perspective than a transition song like “Dokki Doki Love Mail,” where a teenage Matsuura is new to town, reporting on the new stores and sights she just discovered. A lyric like “The city is lonely / so you were telling me / I understood that for the first time” in isolation might fit in “Furusato.” But the surrounding context adds on years more in experience, placing that isolation not as this new feeling she’s just grappling with.

Nakazawa’s misery doesn’t seem so obvious upon first listen from the lightness of the music and the easy-going feel of the melodies. She also carries heartbreak from separation, and the nostalgia doubles in pain reminding her of home as well as a past relationship. “When I go out shopping / I’m always reminded of / the things you like,” she sings, and immediately after, she recounts renting a video as a cheer-up only to be driven by tears. It’s mostly the mundane things that take stock in this song, landing not as a huge blow but a light thud. But it’s also those small, trivial things that end up bringing back memories better left suppressed. 

“I’m so close to becoming Tokyo busu,” goes the chorus. “I stay up all night and keep dreaming with my girl friends.” Translating roughly to Tokyo-ugly, Tokyo busu is the work of classic Tsunku. The made-up word offers critique of city-dwellers from the perspective of an outsider, especially about those who themselves come from elsewhere: from hearing Nakazawa sing this song, city life sounds like a vapid lifestyle and letting the city change you sounds like a sin. It also adds irony in the titular phrase, which translates to “Tokyo beauty,” wearing out the glamor in living in Tokyo.

While “Tokyo Bijin” sounds like a content portrait of city-living at first glance, Nakazawa doesn’t sound entirely enthusiastic. Her sighs sound melancholy brushing against such sunny music as though she herself thinks she should be embracing a happier life more suiting for the tune. The chorus in the end hits the most bittersweet. “Tokyo beauty / Cheers to a girl’s future,” she sings perhaps with slight sarcasm. “I feel like I’m now an adult.” Growing up and growing used to the city don’t sound exactly like an accomplishment from the sound of Nakazawa’s voice and instead just something one has to accept eventually.

[7]

[putschki1969]

Princess Principal THE LIVE Yuki Kajiura×Void_Chords

A live event for the popular TV anime “Princess Principal” has been announced today. Special arrangements will be performed for this live.

■Date 2019/10/19（Sat） Doors open 17:30／Start 18:30 2019/10/20（Sun） Doors open 15:00／Start 16:00

■Venue Maihama Amphitheater

■Performers

◇Kajiura Yuki (Piano・Chorus) Vocal：KAORI、KEIKO、YURIKO KAIDA 、Joelle MUSICIAN【FRONT BAND MEMBERS】Korenaga Koichi (Guitar) 、Sato Kyoichi (Drums) 、Takahashi“Jr.”Tomoharu (Bass) 、Sakurada Hirotaka（Keyboards）、Nakajima Obawo (Percussion) 、Jomoto Ayaka（Violin）、Saeka（Sax/Flute）、Ohira Yoshio (Manipulator)

◇Void_Chords Vocal：Yui Mugino MUSICIAN：Ryo Takahashi（Bass）、Yuichi Kitajima（Guitar）、Nozomu Kitamura（Drums）、Kuwagata Fukino（Keyboards）、Shigeo Aoki（Manipulator）

■Ticket price Reserved seating only 8,800 yen (tax incl)

【Ticket application period】 2019/6/14 （Fri）～ 7/7（Sun）

Find further details here

https://fictionjunctionstation.com/contents/250691

[sukebandekai]

【MV Full】Kimi wa melody เธอคือ…เมโลดี้ / AKB48 x BNK48

【MV Full】Kimi wa melody เธอคือ…เมโลดี้ / AKB48 x BNK48

『Kimi wa Melody You’re a melody เธอคือ…เมโลดี้』

Lyrics by Yasushi Akimoto Composer by you-me Arrangement by Yuichi “Masa” Nonaka Thai Lyrics Arrangement by Tanupop Notayanont

— AKB48 Senbatsu Members — Tomomi Itano , Yuko Oshima , Mariko Shinoda , Minami Takahashi , Atsuko Maeda , Anna Iriyama , Yuki Kashiwagi , Rena Kato ,…

[hatanowataru]

My work is exhibited in NY. Paintings, calligraphy, desks, etc. Teshigoto to Kurashi Living with handmade Japanese craft An Analogue Life pop-up exhibition Hosted by Henrybuilt 12 Crosby Street, New York Thurs March 24th to Sat April 1st Pre-opening reception: March 23rd 6-8pm To attend rsvp by email to: RSVPAnalogueLife@henrybuilt.com Special Event: Japanese Flower Arrangement Live Performance Sat March 25th 2pm & 4pm Flower artist Masako Tani will do a live flower arrangement performance accompanied by violinist Takanori Niimura Tea Ceremony | Sat March 25th Join Chizuho Sano and Yukaho Ota of Tsukihiso Gallery in Japan to experience a brief taste of a Japanese tea ceremony. Participants can observe the refined movements and ritual for the preparation and serving of whisked matcha tea. Also enjoy a Japanese sweet and a bowl of matcha served in the tea bowl of your choice. Time: March 25th 1-1:30 pm / 3-3:30 pm / 5-5:30pm Max 5 people per session. Reservations required. $10 rsvp at mitsue@analoguelife.com Tea Bowls will be available for purchase separately. Artists & Makers Ceramic Kan Ito Kyoko Uchida Norikazu Oe Takeshi Omura Yasuko Ozeki Tatsuya Hattori Natsu Hasegawa Naotsugu Yoshida (Metal) Kanehen Yuichi Takemata Chiba METAL Works & Design Yumi Nakamura Masami Mizuno (Wood) Masaru Kawai Atsushi Honda（(Kobo Isado) Hiroyuki Watanabe Yoshiyuki Kato (Nanbu Tekki) Kukan Chuzo Daieki Takahashi Nobuho Miya (Kamasada) (Textile) ganga Tsuchiya Orimonosho (Urushi) Tadami Iwamoto (Glass) Masaki Kusada (Broom) Yonezawa Hoki Kobo (Paper) Wataru Hatano (Japaneses Knife) Hiroyuki Ueda

[redfreesias03]

Wakkyanai (Z)  (”It’s Ea (Z)!”)

“It’s simple! I fell in love for the first time splendidly at the end of the fiscal year. Prospects aren’t good–is the date I yearn for being postponed yet again? Why? Why? Why?”

OR: The first song Tsunku sat down and wrote C-ute when he realized the only name he and staff had for them was “all the girls not in Berryz”.

wakkyanai (Z) migoto ni nenmatsu ni nacchatta hatsukoi hakkanai (Ne) akogare no DEETO mada oazuke? nande? nande? nande?

It’s Ea(Z)! I fell in love for the first time splendidly at the end of the fiscal year Prospects aren’t good Is the date I yearn for being postponed yet again? Why? Why? Why?

heisei ni umarechatta genzai 「koi」 wa kawaranai jouhouka to ka iu kedo zenzen anata wo shiranai

Born in the Heisei Era, present-day¹ “Love” still hasn’t changed They say this is the information age, but I don’t know a thing about you

ikinari    HORA    baiten de gottsunko konna toki MANYUARU    nanni mo dete konai

LOOK, suddenly we bump into each other at a shop My manual doesn’t say anything about moments like this

wakkyanai (Z) koibito ni narenakya    maa nantomo kyouzame mattenai (D) kokuhaku wo shimashou yo    ganbatte yossha? yossha? yossha?

It’s Ea(Z)! If we don’t start dating, well, it’ll be a real mood-damper (D)on’t wait Let’s confess our love, do your best! Yay? Yay? Yay?

reisei ni mite ano ko mo kitto kare wo neratteru soujoukouka de RAIBARU ippai SUTOPPU daka

If I look at this with a cool head, that girl is definitely Also targeting him There’s lots of rivals due to the multiplier effect² Your stock’s hit limit up³

tonikaku    HORA    RIPPU hikinaoshi egao no kamisama    miryoku wo kudasai

At any rate, SEE, I’ll reapply my lipstick God of smiles, please lend me some charm

What Can I Do? watashi no sonzai wo mou chotto APIranakya mikka inai (D) kakugo wo kimemashou yo    ganbatte yossha? yossha? yossha?

What can I do? I gotta make you notice me more Within three (D)ays, I’ll steel myself for whatever happens, do your best, me! Yay? Yay? Yay?

wakkyanai (Z) migoto ni nenmatsu ni nacchatta hatsukoi hakkanai (Ne) akogare no DEETO mada oazuke?

It’s Ea(Z)! I fell in love for the first time splendidly at the end of the fiscal year Prospects aren’t good Is the date I yearn for being postponed yet again?

wakkyanai (Z) koibito ni narenakya    maa nantomo kyouzame mattenai (D) kokuhaku wo shimashou yo    ganbatte yossha? yossha? yossha?

It’s Ea(Z)! If we don’t start dating, well, it’ll be a real mood-damper (D)on’t wait Let’s confess our love, do your best! Yay? Yay? Yay?

---

¹ We’re in Reiwa now, but Heisei made up most of the “modern” Japanese era, which started in January 1989 and ended before May 2019. All of C-ute (and Hello! Project Kids for that matter) are Heisei-born, making them the equivalent of Generation Y.

² Alternatively, synergy, but basically referring to when three or more elements combine to make a stronger effect together than the sum of their parts. (So 3 rivals get in the way more annoyingly than if the girl had to compete with each girl at separate times.)

³ I’m awful with stock, so here is a legal definition.

Also, this is C-ute’s first original song (it was released as their fourth “indies” single, and their first major single was Sakura Chirari and their first indies single was Massara Blue Jeans, but this was the first original song they performed at a live), so I had to try my hand at translating Tsunku’s liner notes for it:

This is a song they sang prior to debut. At the time I finished this song, those 8 girls might not even have had their group name yet. It's just that there was a period in which, out of the girls who participated in Hello! Project Kids at that time, around half were in Berryz Koubou and had a name, but the rest of the girls didn't have one.

"Alright, everyone not in Berryz Koubou, gather 'round~" As I looked at these girls' faces As words like those were being exchanged, I wrote them a song. In that sense, given this song was born quite naturally, I don't mind if you think of this as the song that made me realize "Oh, you've gotta give these girls a name!"

Boy A: "Hey, Boy B, can you climb that tree?" Boy B: "Aw, there's no reason to. It's a piece of cake, so easy!"

The meaning of "no reason to" there = IT'S EAZY, or "noreason2". (<--Ok so the previous sentence isn't really translateable, just an explanation of how "wakenai" got slangified into "wakkyanai" and also apparently an explanation of "wakenai" as "easy", since the expression apparently wasn't as mainstream as it is now).

For a Kansai guy like me, the slightly Tokyoite feel (t/n: "kkya" is Tokyo-ish slang, don't think about it too hard) is a bit fresh, so I just went with it.

But if you're thinking "That's not something people in Tokyo say!", then just think of it as wordplay and kindly forgive it, please....

And so, this song attached a certain kind of image to C-ute.

This was unmistakably their debut song in the entertainment world.

I'm certain that it'll remain in your heart from now on too!

Hm? "That's easy!" you say?

Thanks so much!!!

Anyway, the official C-ute channel has an 8-member video of it that I normally link, but my absolute favorite is the one I posted above from the 2006 H!P Winter Concerts because everyone is so tiny, and it’s so old it’s literally still missing Arihara Kanna (who got added to C-ute from the Hello! Project Eggs in the middle of this tour.)

It’s truly a relic from C-ute’s pre-debut era (It’s a 7-person C-ute but Megumi is still in it! Maimai is noticeably shorter than Chisa! The song has only two members with solo lines but neither of them is Maimi! The song has an obvious center but it’s not Airi! Nakky isn’t the main dancer!) Anyway, when you compare it to later performances, it’s night and day in terms of polish, but C-ute’s passion for performance is the one constant that always shines through~

[arbitrarygreay]

I'm really worried about the Scandanavian-ing of H!P arrangements. There is a soul missing from their disco takes, compared to the Matsui Hiroshi/Dance Man/Suzuki Shunsuke/Matsubara Ken classics. It doesn't feel like we could get Takahashi Yuichi-level greatness out of them for non-disco genres, either. Future Smile is like a B-tier C-ute single at best.

[koinodancesite]

“Sexy Boy ~Soyokaze Ni Yorisotte~”

Release date: March 15, 2006

Oricon Weekly placement: 4th

B-side: “Chance Chance Boogie”

Members: Ai Takahashi, Asami Konno, Eri Kamei, Hitomi Yoshizawa, Koharu Kusumi, Mokoto Ogawa, Miki Fujimoto, Reina Tanaka, Risa Niigaki, Sayumi Michishige

The passion-filled encounter to the tune of flamenco in “Iroppoi Jirettai” turns out to not be entirely an outlier in Morning Musume’s catalog as “Sexy Boy ~Yoso Kaze Ni Yorisotte~” presents the idols getting frisky. The idols sang about romance before, of course, but many of their past relationship songs explored the melancholy of falling out of love. The closest in which they try their best to be remotely flirtatious goes all the way back to “Summer Night Town.” And here they get back into the game as they spot a boy to impress.

The production frames the romance as a high-stakes chase. The Eurobeat-esque pulse keeps the story on edge, making every small turn of events feel like a shot to the heart. But the pumping dance music also gives the group a more grown-up personality through its musical context as retro club music of a past decade. The idols step into the discotheque, a territory with its own rules and culture, and they sound more experienced navigating physical hints and cues with the music as a backdrop.

Unlike their previous attempt to get the boy’s attention in “Summer Night Town,” Morning Musume are at an even match with their crush. They perhaps even have the upperhand. While they describe him as a playboy, the idols catch him let his guard down: “Oh, you cry/ during a moment like that/ Amazing/ You surprise me,” they sing as if they learned a secret to use against him later down the road. They’re again self-aware of acting out of character, but this time it’s a deliberate, almost calculated move.

That said, “Sexy Boy” refrains from getting deep into serious-minded dance-pop moving with surgical precision. The inherent silliness of Morning Musume remains intact through the goofy “sexy boy” ad lib as well as the slightly kitsch feel of Eurobeat. (Both elements are surprisingly not provided by Suzuki “Daichi” Hideyuki -- responsible for “Go Girl! ~Koi No Victory~” among many others -- but actually Yuichi Takahashi, the arranger for “Shabondama.”) Perhaps this about “Sexy Boy” is the best example of Morning Musume knowing their true character and just how far they should step outside of it to get what they want.

[8]

[redfreesias03]

Docchi ga Kirei desu ka… (“Which Is Prettier…?”)

Please tell me–between the current “me” and the “me” I was on the day we met, which one is prettier?

OR: A country girl who’s become increasingly citified has a bit of an identity crisis.

Toukyou ni dete kite    ichinen to sukoshi kyonen katta youfuku ga osanaku mieta

It’s been a little over a year since I came to Tokyo The clothes I bought last year look childish now

me mo kuramu irodzukai no machinami ni najindeiru jibun ga ita

The me that was getting used to streets so colorful they dazzled me Is in the past now

oshiete kudasai    ima no watashi to deatta hi no watashi    docchi ga KIREI desu ka

Please tell me–between the current me and The me I was on the day we met, which one Is prettier?

hajimete no DEETO de kimi to mita eiga BIDEO ni natteita kara karite mitanda

The movie that we went to watch on our first date Came out on video, so I tried renting it

ano toki wa himei ageta SHIIN demo naze darou heiki de mirareru

Back then, there was a scene that made me scream, but For some reason, I’m able to watch it normally now

oshiete kudasai    ima no watashi to deatta hi no watashi    docchi ga suki desu ka

Tell me, please–between the current me and The me that I was on the day that we met, which one Do you love more?

furusato no sora wa    mirai no watashi mo kawarazu ukeirete kureru to omoimasu ka

Do you think my hometown sky could Accept even the future me, Same as always?

oshiete kudasai    ima no watashi to deatta hi no watashi    docchi ga suki desu ka

Tell me, please–between the current me and The me I was on the day that we met, which one Do you love more?

---

Minor note: this is one of the few H!P songs with Makoto lyrics rather than Tsunku’s, so pin this tearjerker (along with the masterpiece that is Jou・Kyou・Mono・Gatari) on him. The melody, of course, is actually Tsunku’s, though.

Also, this is a solo song from Toda Rinne.

[redfreesias03]

Koibito wa Kokoro no Ouendan (“A Sweetheart is A Heart’s Cheerleader”)

“If you’re there, I wind up getting hyper! I wind up trying my best! A woman in love is incredibly strong!!”

OR: No real notes, but please note that a ‘ouendan’ cheerleader is more like a ‘cheer squad’.

konna    watashi wo marugoto    aishite (FAITO!)

Love all of me, just as I am (Fight!)

kimi wa itsumo 「ganbaree!」 tte iu dakara watashi funbatte koreta honto iu to fuan na no yo    nanka shoujiki kowai wa (FAITO!)

You always tell me, “Do your best!” That’s why I’ve been able to hang on and make it this far To be honest, I’m anxious, kind of? Actually, I’m terrified (Fight!)

watashi watashi konna fuu ni zenkai hisshi nante ima made nakatta 「douse watashi nante」 sonna kanji SUNEte ikiteta (FAITO!)

I, I’ve never tried this Desperately, full-throttle, at anything before “Oh well—figures, I’m me, after all” 
I used to live sulkishly like that (Fight!)

Ah~ watashi no koibito

Ah, my sweetheart

danjo kagirazu shiriai no ooi hito na no ni    MOTEru no ni doushite doshite watashi nante eranda no? (Yeah!)

You’re friendly with boys and girls alike, And yet…you’re so popular, and yet…. Why, why did you pick Someone like me? (Yeah!)

kimi ga ireba harikicchau    harikicchau ganbacchau    ganbacchau koishiteru    onna tte    sugoku tsuyoinda

If you’re there, I wind up getting hyper, getting hyper I wind up trying my best, trying my best A woman in love is incredibly strong!

kimi ga ireba tanoshikute    harikicchau tanoshikute    ganbacchau sukisugite    nakidashichau koto mo aru kedo

If you’re there, I have so much fun I wind up getting hyper I have so much fun I wind up trying my best There are also times that I end up bursting into tears Because I love you too much, but

nante    chokusetsu kao mite    ienai (FAITO!)

Somehow, I can’t look you in the face and directly just say it (Fight!)

kimi wa itsumo nattoku suru made donna koto mo hanashite kureru wa wakaru you ni chanto kantan na tatoebanashi de (FAITO!)

You always talk things over with me—no matter what it is, You explain it until I’m satisfied Using easy, just-right examples So I can understand it (Fight!)

dakedo kimi ga ochikonderu toki nani wo sureba ii ka wakaranai watashi bakari hagemasaretetanda~... sontoki kidzuita (FAITO!)

But when you’re the one that’s down I don’t know what to do That’s when I realized It’s always only been me receiving the encouragement (Fight!)

Ah~ watashi no koibito

Ah, my sweetheart

otoko tomodachi to atsui hanashi shiteru toki    betsujin ne yokoccho suwatte nantonaku kiku no suki! (Yeah!)

When you’re talking passionately with Your guy friends, you’re a different person I love sitting to the side and Just listening! (Yeah!)

kimi ga ireba harikicchau    harikicchau norikicchau    norikicchau kore kara wa    otagai ni    ouen shiaou

If you’re there I wind up getting hyper, getting hyper I end up pulling through, I end up pulling through From now on, let’s cheer each other on    mutually!

kimi ga ireba nande darou    harikicchau nande darou    norikicchau yarisugite    DOJI shichau toki mo aru kedo

If you’re there, I wind up getting hyper, I wonder why I end up pulling through, I wonder why There are also times when I overdo it and wind up Messing it all up, but

konna    watashi wo marugoto    aishite

Love all of me, just as I am (Fight!)

kimi ga ireba harikicchau    harikicchau ganbacchau    ganbacchau koishiteru    onna tte    sugoku tsuyoinda

If you’re there, I wind up getting hyper, getting hyper I wind up trying my best, trying my best A woman in love is incredibly strong!

kimi ga ireba tanoshikute    harikicchau tanoshikute    ganbacchau sukisugite    nakidashichau koto mo aru kedo

If you’re there, I have so much fun I end up getting hyper I have so much fun I end up trying my best There are also times that I end up bursting into tears Because I love you too much, but

nante    chokusetsu kao mite    ienai (FAITO!)

Somehow, I can’t look you in the face and directly just say it (Fight!)

konna    watashi wo marugoto    aishite

Love all of me, just as I am

---

Okay I said no notes, but two things:

1) The twirling and arm-straight hand motions (along with the pin-straight jumps and punching) in the original choreography are 100% based off actual typical cheer squad choreography.

2) S/mileage recorded a cover of this as their b-side to Dot Bikini in 2012 and it’s become the “official” concert arrangement ever since.

[redfreesias03]

Tokyo Michikusa (“Loitering On the Way Home in Tokyo”)

“Loitering in Tokyo on the way home, days of youth—ah, I walk on.”

OR: Looking back on a difficult day and unwinding on the way home.

「monosugoku genki da yo」to inaka no minna no yasashii koe

“You’re incredibly cheerful and full of energy” The kind voice of everyone from back in the countryside says

makenaide    egao de kaesu shinpai nanka    sasenu yo ni

Don’t give in    I’ll go home with a smile So that I don’t cause any worry

namida no shurui wo iroiro oboeta

I’ve learned various different kinds Of tears

nandemo hanaseru hito wo hitori tsukuri nasai to… chiisana koro kara zutto kiite kita kotoba

“Find a single person who You can talk to about anything”… Those are words I’ve always heard, Ever since I was small

Tokyo michikusa wakaki hibi aa    aruiteru aa    aruiteru

Loitering in Tokyo on the way home, days of youth Ah, I walk on Ah, I walk on

nanige no nai yuugata demo mainichi onnaji nioi ja nai

It’s just a regular evening, but It doesn’t smell the same as the usual everyday

kaimono wo suru tsumori de eiga wo miru hi mo aru wa

There are also days where you plan on going shopping And end up watching a movie instead

haru natsu aki fuyu deai ni    wakare ni

Spring, summer, fall, winter In meeting and parting

aite no ki wo kangaete yasashiku arinasai to… sono ki de yattekita keredo madamada deshou ka

“Think of the other party’s feelings And be kind”… I’ve come this far with that attitude, but I still have a long way to go, don’t I?

Tokyo michikusa wakaki hibi aa    aruiteru aa    aruiteru

Loitering in Tokyo on the way home, days of youth Ah, I walk on Ah, I walk on

aite no ki wo kangaete yasashiku arinasai to… sono ki de yattekita keredo madamada deshou ka

“Think of the other party’s feelings And be kind”… I’ve come this far with that attitude, but I still have a long way to go, don’t I?

Tokyo michikusa wakaki hibi aa    aruiteru aa    aruiteru

Loitering in Tokyo on the way home, days of youth Ah, I walk on Ah, I walk on