#Say You to Yo Asobi

[dogcircle-scans]

Kamiya Hiroshi Talks About His ‘Fateful Encounter’ with ‘Natsume’s Book of Friends’ on ‘Say You to Yo Asobi’

Kamiya Hiroshi, who voices the protagonist Natsume Takashi in the new animated film, "Natsume’s Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor," currently playing in theatres, made a guest appearance on "Say You to Yo Asobi" [lit: Night Entertainment with Voice Actors] hosted by voice actors Namikawa Daisuke and Ishikawa Kaito.

In the program, he talked about the new film during the segment "If You Just Watch, You’ll Enjoy It! Natsume’s Book of Friends’ Recommendations", and matched voice actors to various youkai during  "Voice Actor Personification Meeting ~Youkai Edition~".

The TV anime "Natsume’s Book of Friends" began its first season in 2008 and has now reached its sixth season. Kamiya, who has been involved with "Natsume’s Book of Friends" for about 12 years, said, "Everyone loves Midorikawa-sensei’s original drawings". He revealed, "Without Midorikawa-sensei’s original work, there is no anime" - a principle that has been upheld this entire time.

Additionally, Kamiya referenced his fateful encounter with the "Natsume’s Book of Friends" anime.

Kamiya already had a cat named Nyanko-sensei before he started working on the series. The name was taken from one of his favourite manga, "The Funny Judo Champion" [Inakappe Taishō - a manga and anime from the late 60’s and early 70’s]. A fan told Kamiya that there was a series with a cat that had the same name; he noted that he was then drawn in by its charm. 

Kamiya participated in the [Natsume] Drama CD, and after auditioning, proceeded to work on the anime adaptation. He also spoke about how deeply attached to Natsume he is, as it was around this time that his career as a voice actor started to take off. 

At the end, Kamiya spoke about how "There is always one story that somehow resonates. When you encounter it, every episode transforms into something important; it’s a work that you experience with wonder." When he said "I hope you come across such moments", many audience members commented "I totally understand!", "I get it….", and that "It was a very cherished work", and how they "could feel Kamiya’s love for Natsume".  

ABEMA premium members can also watch "Say You to Yo Asobi Premium #27", which includes exclusive footage.

Article from Jan 29, 2021

-Pippi

[hsylog]

[fuwari-s]

🐝

[suminomiyyas]

So Sumipe no longer a host in Seiyuu Yoasobi starting next 2 weeks due she's playing as main cast in Gegege no Kitaro stage, technically she's still a host but until September which quite long period..

[konjaku]

乙女椿[Otometsubaki] Camellia japonica f. otome

The name means the maiden camellia.

扨此首の出所に就て話がある。同じ陵陽の城内に呉某といふ御史が居て、今年十九になる娘がある。評判の美人だ。毎年一月十五日には日本と同じ樣に誰も彼もお閻魔樣の参詣に十王殿に往くので、其娘も遊びがてら参詣したが、不良靑年が一瞥して娘の跡を跟け、夜になつてから邸に忍󠄁び込󠄁み、娘の枕元に立つて「靜かになさい。僕は貴女をラブしてゐる、可いでせう。言通󠄁りになり給へ。聲を立てるとお互の利益になりませんよ」と說敎强盜もどきに、口說立てたが、怖がつてすくんで居る。暴行に及ぼうとすると「アレー誰か來て」と金切り聲を出し、力一ぱい拒んだので、男は無殘にも娘を殺して逃󠄂げた。時ならぬ叫び聲に母親は急いで手燭を持て來て見ると此始末。血潮に染んだ屍體は床に橫はり、一輪の乙女椿のやうに美しい首が落ちて居る。母親は腰を拔して了つた。

[Sate kono kubi no dedokoro ni tsuite hanashi ga aru. Onaji ryōyō no jōnai ni go nanigashi to iu gyoshi ga ite, kotoshi jūku ni naru musume ga aru. Hyōban no bijin da. Maitoshi ichigatsu tooka niwa nippon to onaji yō ni dare mo kare mo oenmasama no sankei ni jūōden ni yuku node, sono musume mo asobi gatera sankei shita ga, furyō seinen ga ichibetsu shite musume no ato wo tsuke, yoru ni natte kara yashiki ni sinobikomi, musume no makuramoto ni tatte, "Shizuka ni nasai. Boku wa anata wo rabu shite iru, ii deshō. Iu toori ni nari tamae. Koe wo tateru to otagai no rieki ni narimasen yo" to sekkyō gōtō modoki ni, kudokitateta ga, kowagatte sukunde iru. Bōkō ni oyobō to suru to "Arē dareka kite" to kanakirigoe wo dashi, chikara ippai kobanda node, otoko wa muzan nimo musume wo koroshite nigeta. Toki naranu sakebigoe ni hahaoya wa isoide teshoku wo motte kite miruto kono shimatsu. Chishio ni sonda shitai wa yuka ni yokotawari, ichirin no otometsubaki no yō ni utsukushii kubi ga ochite iru. Hahaoya wa koshi wo nukashite shimatta.] Now, here is a story about the source of this head. Within the area surrounded by castle walls of Yangling, there is a government spy named a certain Go, and he has a daughter who will turn nineteen this year. She is a renowned beauty. Every year on January 15, just like in Japan, everyone visits the Jūō-den(the hall dedicated to the ten deities) to pay homage to Yama(the king of hell), and when the girl also visits there partly for pleasure, a delinquent young man followed her at first sight, after nightfall, he crept into the house and stood by her bedside, "Be quiet. I love you, all right? Do as I say. It's not good for either of us if you speak up," tried to win her affections as if he were a preaching robber, but she is scared and shrugged. When he tried to assault her, she screamed, "Ah! Someone come!" and refused as best she could, so, cruelly, the man killed the girl and fled. Hearing the unexpected shriek, when she rushed with a portable candlestick, found it just like this. The blood stained corpse lies on the floor, and the beautiful head like a single otometsubaki is falling off. The mother was paralyzed with it. From 神技首のすげ替[Shingi kubi no sugekae](The superhuman skill: the replacement of the heads) by 野口 米次郎[Noguchi Yonejirō](The father of Noguchi Isamu) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yone_Noguchi Source: https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1279712/1/66 (ja)

[newhologram]

Kataomoi Wazurai (Unrequited Love Sickness) - CY8ER lyrics and translation

ᵁˢᵘᵃˡ ᵈᶦˢᶜˡᵃᶦᵐᵉʳ: ᴵ’ᵐ ᵃ ᴶᴾ ˢᵗᵘᵈᵉⁿᵗ, ⁿᵒᵗ ᶠˡᵘᵉⁿᵗ, ˢᵗᶦˡˡ ˡᵉᵃʳⁿᶦⁿᵍ. ᴵ ᵃˡˢᵒ ᵗʳʸ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵈᵒ ˡᶦᵗᵉʳᵃˡ ᵗʳᵃⁿˢˡᵃᵗᶦᵒⁿˢ ᵇᵉᶜᵃᵘˢᵉ ᶦᵗ ᶜᵃⁿ ᶠᵉᵉˡ ˢᵗᵃˡᵉ. ᴵᵗ’ˢ ᵐᵒʳᵉ ᶦᵐᵖᵒʳᵗᵃⁿᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵐᵉ ᵗᵒ ᵖʳᵉˢᵉʳᵛᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵉᵉˡᶦⁿᵍ ᵗʰᵃⁿ ᵗᵒ ᵍᶦᵛᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ᵃ ᵇᵒʳᶦⁿᵍ ᵈᶦʳᵉᶜᵗ ᵗʳᵃⁿˢˡᵃᵗᶦᵒⁿ. A song for Valentine's Day about trying to work up the courage to confess to your crush during the rainy season, promising yourself that when the sky clears, you'll finally do it! Preview here Full fansub here Gifsets will be in my gifs tag More translations Like my J-Pop translations? Donate to my ko-fi or become a Patron.

Translation, romaji, and kana below ˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖♡︎˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

My chest is squeezin’ tight like I’m in love Drip-dripping like endlessly pouring rain I’m startled by my own pounding feelings Even today you’re moving on while I’m stuck in place The gap that feels close enough yet so far I can’t reach Hey, wait, wait, wait up! Unrequited Love Sickness I like, like, like, like you! Oh, the agony of puppy love I like, like, like, like you! I wanna tell you I like, like, like, like you… Crush Confession Choke! I like, like, like, like you But I can’t say it out loud! I’ve got it bad for you I like, like, like, like you! Oh, the agony of puppy love I like, like, like sukiyaki, grilled mochi jealousy I wanna eat it up Eat it before it gets cold! My pulse overlaps with the endlessly drip-dripping rain I’m startled by my own pounding feelings Maybe if the rain stops, I’ll tell you I couldn’t say it, I’m such a wimp I hope my feelings reach you Hey, wait, wait, wait up! Unrequited Love Sickness I like, like, like, like you! Oh, the agony of puppy love I like, like, like, like you! I wanna tell you I like, like, like, like you… Crush Confession Choke! Will it reach you? Rainy season of love, clouds scattered above the Yamanote Line Cumulonimbus Momentum enhancing my love luck on the Saikyou Line If you think about tomorrow’s weather, it’ll surely be sunny The weather report predicts love These bursting feelings are a hurricane You see, life is non-stop, there’s always one more thing to play and learn I’m in a daze dreaming of you while I mix spices, Super Spicy Sobbing 15Q Every time I can’t be open with you, I cry like a baby and say bye-bye to who I was yesterday I wanna see you soon Look, look! I saw a rainbow, so I’m on my way to you now It’ll take me a little bit, but please keep waiting for me ˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖♡︎˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖ mune ga kyun te suru koishiteru mitai potsuri potsuri furisosogu ame dokiri dokiri takanaru kimochi

kyou mo susumu kimi tachidomaru watashi chikaku tooku kanjiru kyori wa todokisou na noni todokanai

nee matte matte matte matte yo kataomoi wazurai suki suki suki suki su no koiomoi wazurai suki suki suki suki desu kimi ni tsutaetai na suki suki suki suki su no kokuha kyu…

suki suki suki suki desu nante ne ienai kedo!

daisuki desu

suki suki suki suki su no koiomoi wazurai suki suki suki sukiyaki yakimochi yai chaushi tabetai na samechau mae ni tabete ne watashi no kodou to kasanaru amaoto potsuri potsuri furitsudzuku ame dokiri dokiri takanaru kimochi

ame ga agattara kimi ni tsutaetai na ienakatta okubyouna watashi no kimochi kimi ni todoku to ii na tte

nee matte matte matte matte yo kataomoi wazurai suki suki suki suki su no koiomoi wazurai suki suki suki suki desu kimi ni tsutaetai na suki suki suki suki su no koku hakyu… todoku kana

koi no baiyu zensen kechirasu amagumo yamanotesen sekiranun renaiun koujou no kiun sou saikyousen ashita tenki ni nare tte omoeba zettai hare tenkeyohou wa renai moyou hajikeru kimochi wa HARIKEEN

hora jinsei madamada NONSUTOPPU da shi asobi ni benkyou ni mou hitotsu SUPAISU mazetara kimi ni muchuu da yo gekikara goukyuu 15 Q sunao ni narenai maikai nakimushi kinou no jibun ni BAIBAI ima sugu ni aitai

hora hora niji ga mieta kimi ni ai ni yuku yo chotto ne jikan kakaru kedo zuutto zuutto matte ne

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖♡︎˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖ 胸がきゅんてする 恋してるみたい ぽつりぽつり 降り注ぐ雨 どきりどきり 高鸣るキモチ 今日も进むキミ 立ち止まるワタシ 近く远く感じる距离は 届きそうなのに届かない ねぇまってまってまってまってよ カタオモイ ワズライ スキスキスキスキスの コイオモイ ワズライ スキスキスキスキです キミに伝えたいな スキスキスキスキスのこくはきゅっ… スキスキスキスキです なんてね言えないけど！ ダイスキです スキスキスキスキスの コイオモイ ワズライ スキスキスキスキヤキ ヤキモチ 妬いちゃうし 食べたいな 冷めちゃう前に食べてね ワタシの鼓动と 重なる雨音 ぽつりぽつり 降り注ぐ雨 どきりどきり 高鸣るキモチ 雨があがったら キミに伝えたいな 言えなかった 臆病なワタシの キモチ キミに届くといいな って ねぇまってまってまってまってよ カタオモイ ワズライ スキスキスキスキスの コイオモイ ワズライ スキスキスキスキです キミに伝えたいな スキスキスキスキスのこくはきゅっ 届くかな 恋の梅雨前线 蹴散らす雨云 山手线 积乱云 恋爱运 向上の机运 そう埼京线 明日天気になれって思えば绝対晴れ 天気予报は恋爱模様 はじける気持ちはハリケーン ほら人生まだまだノンストップだし 游びに勉强にもうひとつ スパイス混ぜたらキミに梦中だよ 激辛号泣 15Q 素直になれない毎回 泣き虫 昨日の自分にバイバイ 今すぐに会いたい ほらほら虹が见えた キミにあいにゆくよ ちょっとね时间かかるけどずーっとっずーっと待ってね

[goingtothebeds]

Tsumiki Kuzushi

English translation of Tsumiki Kuzushi (Breaking Building Blocks) by LYSM from their album Love You So Much (romaji color coded lyrics + original lyrics below!)

Lyrics + Composition: SACHIKO, Arrangement: Umeda Takayuki

Tsumiki Kuzushi

It’s late, 11pm, impatient, embracing this feeling I ran away Accompanied by the last train The time has come and gone since the scab peeled and fell off The phone doesn’t ring, “you idiot” I fail to get plain and simple answers Even if we try to pull away from our bad habits time and time again I dived deeper and deeper to get to you, so you could laugh and say “it’s okay” Even after I terribly wept, you’d say “the space next to me is open” So I could always come back Arguing over if it happened or didn’t (I want to try, I want to try) I want us to stay together as two who don’t know what’s ahead Making scabs is a performance I want you to see through my brave face Figuring out answers depends on intuition, time and time again it’s just us playing Even if I end up getting hurt, I just hold onto my wavering, wavering heart Constant things like ‘someday’ are deceiving, aren’t they? So before that happens Destroying, rebuilding, destroying… I want to be having fun I fail to get plain and simple answers Even if we try to pull away from our bad habits time and time again I dived deeper and deeper to get to you, so you could laugh and say “it’s okay” Even after I terribly wept, you’d say “the space next to me is open” So I could always come back

Romaji (Key: Maria, Akari, Emma, Rinka, Seina, All)

Shinya nijuusanji, hagayukute kono kimochi wo daite tobi dashita Saishuu densha tsuretette Kasabuta ga hagare ochita kara jikou da Naranai keitai “baka mitai” Tanjunmeikai na kotae ni aritsukenai (M+A+S) Bokura no warui kuse ga nandomo hikihanasou toshitemo (M+A+S) Fukaku fukaku moguri buretemiseru kara “daijoubu da” tte waraeta nda (M+A+S) Sanzan naita ato demo iu no “tonari wa aketete yo” (M+A+S) Boku ga itsudemo kaereru youni ne (M+A+S) Aru nai no hanashi de kenka (shitemitai no shitemitai no) Saki no yomenai futari de itai Kasabuta ga dekite shimau no wa yokyou da Tsuyogaru seikaku minuite hoshikute Chokkan shidai de kotae wo mitsuke dashite bokura dake no asobi de nandomo (M+A+S) Kizutsuite shimattemo yureru yureru kokoro dake wa tsukande (M+A+S) Kawaranai mono nante itsuka wa itsuwaru desho Dakara sou naru mae ni Kowashite naoshite kowashite… asondeitai Tanjunmeikai na kotae ni aritsukenai (M+A+S) Bokura no warui kuse ga nandomo hikihanasou toshitemo (M+A+S) Fukaku fukaku moguri buretemiseru kara “daijoubu da” tte waraeta nda (M+A+S) Sanzan naita ato demo iu no “tonari wa aketete yo” (M+A+S) Boku ga itsudemo kaereru youni ne (M+A+S)

Original

深夜23時、歯がゆくて この気持ちを抱いて飛び出した 最終電車連れてって 瘡蓋が剥がれ落ちたから時効だ 鳴らない携帯「バカみたい」 単純明快な答えにありつけない 僕らの悪い癖が何度も引き離そうとしても 深く深く潜り触れてみせるから「大丈夫だ」って笑えたんだ 散々泣いたあとでも言うの「隣は空けててよ」 僕がいつでも帰れる様にね あるないの話で喧嘩 (してみたいのしてみたいの) 先の読めないふたりで居たい 瘡蓋が出来てしまうのは余興だ 強がる性格 見抜いて欲しくて 直感次第で答えを見つけ出して僕らだけの遊びで何度も 傷ついてしまっても揺れる揺れる心だけは掴んで 変わらないものなんていつかは偽るでしょ だからそうなる前に 壊して直して壊して…遊んでいたい 単純明快な答えにありつけない 僕らの悪い癖が何度も引き離そうとしても 深く深く潜り触れてみせるから「大丈夫だ」って笑ったんだ 散々泣いたあとでも言うの「隣は空けててよ」 僕がいつ��も帰れる様にね

[yabaifeelings]

that epic entrance by tarori

声優と夜あそび Say you to yoru asobi: Eguchi Takuya, Yasumoto Hiroki 🍺 Nishiyama Koutarou • Mar 23.2020

[tsuminiochiiru]

Abema TV tweets w/videos

Abema TV tweets w/videos

Note: All the tweets have videos, but the way Abema embeds them, you’ll need to click through to the tweets to see.

https://twitter.com/Anime_AbemaTV/status/1187685233514237952

https://twitter.com/AbemaTIMES/status/1187642450669723648

https://twitter.com/Anime_AbemaTV/status/1187621059643822080

https://twitter.com/Anime_AbemaTV/status/1187352646614519809

[thesaltyoceanwaves]

The Music that Inspired “The One to Make It Stay” - Official Playlist

It looks like it’ll be a while before the next chapter of “Horror Head” comes out, so here’s a playlist of all the music I quoted from and got chapter/arc titles from. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLfvYl2NwnD9Gu8haPlAO0qnHvmZYddZ3

Check the cut for the track listing (in case YT removes something :/). There are no tracks for the epilogue yet, but there are the tracks that inspire the chapter titles for the last act of “Horror Head”.

1. Pauline - Darling Violetta

2. Thinking of Ways - The Boo Radleys

3. Blowin’ Cool - Swervedriver

4. Slide - Low

5. All Through the Day - Asobi Seksu

6. Lost in Space - The Veldt

7. Son of Mustang Ford - Swervedriver

8. Kill Rhythm - Catherine Wheel

9. Colors Running Out - TOY

10. Etheriel - Lush

11. Feel So Real - Swervedriver

12. Frozen - Curve

13. Wish You Dead - Curve

14. Lose My Breath - My Bloody Valentine

15. Revolutionary Sister - The Veldt

16. Saturn Jig - All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors

17. Iceblink Luck - Cocteau Twins

18. When You Sleep - My Bloody Valentine

19. Tears Are in Your Eyes - Yo La Tengo

20. Jessamine - Darling Violetta

21. Stop Wasting Your Whole Life/Messed Up and Down (Medley) - Starflyer 59

22. Cure - Darling Violetta

23. Subject to the Ladder - Broadcast

24. Horror Head - Curve

25. Duel - Swervedriver

26. Crash Sight - Adorable

27. Slow Thrills - Bowery Electric

28. Hunted - Pale Saints

29. Kick the Tragedy - Drop Nineteens

30. Already Yours - Curve

31. Downer - Lush

32. Winona - Drop Nineteens

33. Blackout - Lush

34. Your Path to Divinity - Jesu

35. Girl on a Motorbike - Swervedriver

36. Souvenirs d’un Autre Monde - Alcest

37. Cloudbusting - Wild Nothing

38. Ophelia - Darling Violetta

39. Electric Elegy - Darling Violetta

40. Numb - Darling Violetta

41. The Ballad of Ali Fox - Darling Violetta

42. Anastasia Says - Darling Violetta

43. Blue Sun - Darling Violetta

[hsylog]

[fuwari-s]

[suminomiyyas]

Some Trivia from today episode of Wednesday Seiyuu Yoasobi

they suddenly decided to talk about heavy drinker Josei Seiyuu award and Mocho name came up from Sumipe since she's been working with her on some work, she say Mocho is quite a drunkard

they also bring up 10ch name who also a strong drinker and Sumipe like to have a showdown with her

Akasaki Chinatsu had motherly image so they can really put her in topic but say her name anyway

Kayanon included but got cut out before moving to actual talk. the staff sudden;y say time for CM, well can’t blame

Neru name came out as well as someone who's weak to liquor but drink anyway, also a continuation from last Toshitai Sumipe say she can't really fight neru back like Servant and Master relationship so she always go to what neru had to say, like when neru reccomended a vodka when they go to Russian themed pub.1 

[lovejustforaday]

Album Review - Citrus by Asobi Seksu

Citrus - Asobi Seksu

Main Genres: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Indie Pop

A decent sampling of: Twee Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Noise Pop

In the conversation of greatest shoegaze and dream pop bands of all time, you usually hear a lot of the same names: My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Ride, Slowdive, Beach House, or maybe even Mazzy Star. But one name that doesn’t get mentioned nearly as often as it should is Asobi Seksu.

Asobi Seksu were an American indie rock band consisting of songwriting duo Yuki Chikudate on vocals and keyboards, and James Hanna as lead guitarist, with a rotating rhythm section that changed from LP to LP. Critics never really gave them a fair chance, but to me they are the finest band to lead the wave of “nu-gaze” that took place over the mid-to-late 2000s.

While a lot of new shoegaze bands today are made up of younger millennials and zoomers who are very traditionalist in recreating the sounds of the original scene, the 2000s “nu-gaze” “““revival””” saw a lot of bands who wanted to expand the genre’s scope. “Nu-Gaze” bands usually fell into one of two cluster groups:

Cluster A was made up of bands incorporating prominent electronic elements to expand on the soundscapes of the original scene. Cluster B bands were making riff-heavy alternative rock that blended shoegaze guitar tones and walls of sound with clearer vocals and more distinct melodic structures, building more on the foundations of bands like Ride or Lush than the likes of MBV.

Asobi Seksu’s self-titled debut falls into the latter category, with a college-radio-esque record of mostly no-nonsense shoegaze and indie pop. It’s a pretty great record itself, but it wasn’t exactly career defining, and if it had ended there, I would say they were another above-average shoegaze band that I listen to mostly just cause they happen to make my favourite subgenre of music.

Something truly brilliant came after though. The band decided to embrace the more immersive dream pop + heavy shoegaze hybrid sound that defined most of the greatest bands of the original movement. But beyond that, the band retained their indie pop melodies and developed a vivacious, sanguine, high-energy formula that set them apart from a scene that had always mostly been defined by subtlety, introspection, and bittersweetness. The resulting album was Citrus.

True to its name, Citrus is a viscous smoothie concoction of saccharine and tangy flavours, expressed in the form of Yuki Chikudate’s frolicking vocal melodies and bright keyboard notes mixed with James Hanna’s roaring walls of sound. True to its cover art, the sonic colours of this record consist of vibrant shades of vermilion, tangerine, and daffodil. This LP is the sonic equivalent of the feeling you get from that first refreshing taste of ice cream on a hot summer’s day. A magnificently vivid experience all around.

A lot of shoegaze bands stick to very strict conventional rock instrumentation - drumkit, bass, and lots of guitars. Maybe an added string section on a song here or there for dramatic effect. But on Citrus, I hear not only the addition of Yuki’s keyboard leads, but also organs, xylophones, sleigh bells, and even toy pianos.

Citrus fades into view with “Everything Is On”, a 17 second ambient intro that sounds something like an arcade submerged in a swimming pool. Normally, I’m not particularly drawn to the trend of albums opening with these odd micro-tracks. This one instance really works however, because it contrasts ever so nicely with the bright, jangly opening guitars of “Strawberries“, the album’s proper introduction.

Speaking of, “Strawberries” is the sound of summer in full bloom, with a splendid pseudo-call-and-response riff that bounces like a yo-yo in between several intermissions of crushed shoegaze drone that feel not unlike dunking your head in a bucket of ice water. I love hearing what sounds like a rotary organ buried deep into the mix of those intermissions. The track ends brilliantly with a major tempo and rhythm shift into a rampant breakdown of manic rock instruments and festive celebration.

“Thursday” is the single greatest song of the 2000s “nu-gaze” revival, and indeed one of the very greatest indie rock songs of all time. A brief ghostly prelude foreshadows a blurry four minute burst of love and ecstasy, with one of the most pleasing choruses I’ve ever heard where Yuki offers the kindest words of concern “it seems you’ve lost your way, you’ve let it all fall apart”. This is the feeling of waking up at the end of a depressive episode and crying tears of joy as you gaze up at the sunny sky and realize that you're happy just to be alive. By the end of "Thursday”, I am completely smitten with the very notion of life itself.

The gentle strums of “Strings” open up into a sun-soaked daydream. Like on several other tracks here, Yuki uses English and Japanese interchangeably, allowing the sounds of her syllables to convey the necessary emotional imagery to non-bilingual listeners as she practically skips and hops her way through the song in an impressive display of vocal gymnastics. The wall of sound orchestrated at the end of this track is one of my all time favourites in the history of shoegaze and noise pop, like an enormous heatwave that hits you all at once.

The glorious midpoint and climax of Citrus is the seven and a half minute wonder “Red Sea”, a vision of a world that lies beyond the horizon while surfing the waves of a vast and foamy ocean. This track reaches monumental heights that I find particularly hard to put into words. What I will say is that this is second place to “Thursday” only by a small fraction, and it contains around the three minute mark one of the most captivatingly nostalgic melodies I’ve ever heard.

“Goodbye” is the sole occasion of a mostly straightforward indie pop song on this record, and its one of the sweetest breakup songs you’ll probably ever hear. “Lions and Tigers” is a distant meadow of dream pop that makes me feel like I’m a kid and I’m hugging my friend one last time before they move to another city. “Nefi + Girly” is like a follow-up to “Strawberries”, with another playful lead guitar riff and a dreamy keyboard lead that sounds like its splattering an empty canvas of indie rock with lively paint colours.

“Exotic Animal Parade” slows the record down for a brief melancholy ballad before exploding in a dream like it never even existed. “Mizu Asobi” emerges from the aftermath to finish off the record with one last beam of radiant joy before the festivities end with a bang.

As a footnote, I would like to add that, although they never count towards my final rating of a record, the bonus tracks/b-sides/etc. from the Citrus era are some of the best deep cuts ever released. Likewise, here’s some quick thoughts on those:

The band recorded two covers of two mid-20th century classics during this album cycle, including a twinkling, wistful haze rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “All Through The Day” as well as a giddy, fleeting noise pop cover of The Crystal’s “Then He Kissed Me”. Both are excellent examples of how to expand on their respective originals, reviving vintage pop classics with gorgeous soundscapes. There’s also the stand alone single “Stay Awake”, a sweeping end-of-chapter moment with some of the most excellent indie rock dynamics I’ve ever heard.

Like most people these days, Loveless was my first shoegaze record and my formal introduction to one of indie rock’s most elusive subgenres. It was good enough at the time to make me listen to a few more shoegaze bands, but Citrus was the record that made me fall in love with the genre medium. It was Citrus that allowed me to go back and fully appreciate Loveless as the masterpiece that it is, and later fall in love with other brilliant shoegaze records like Souvlaki and Ceres & Calypso In The Deep Time.

This album was also the unofficial soundtrack to most of my time as an undergrad. It played on my bus rides into the city and during walks around campus downtown on those last few days of exams before the summer. It helped me more than any other record to get through the worst year of mental health in my life. I am endlessly fond of this beautiful work of art, and I am truly grateful for how Asobi Seksu managed to expand my horizons. This will forever be one of my favourite records. Happy 15th anniversary Citrus.

10/10

highlights: “Thursday”, “Red Sea”, “Strawberries”, “Lions and Tigers”, “Strings”, “Goodbye”, “Nefi + Girly”, “Mizu Asobi”, “New Years”, “Everything Is On”, “Exotic Animal Parade”

[kimonobeat]

Honda Minako Lyrics: Kurayami ni Akai Dress (暗闇に緋いドレス; Crimson Dress in the Dark)

English translation and romanization below the cut.

ENGLISH

A cobblestone path to the beach The candlelights begin to go out I felt your cold fingers as you put your arm Around my suntanned shoulders

The hunch alone sends a shock through me A feeling only girls have, one that makes me sad I can’t tell a single soul

Fall in love, but don’t be in love Or you’ll find out what heartbreak's like “I should just treat it like a game,” I said Then, with my eyes closed, I watched The crimson dress in the dark

Hearts are a funny thing, aren’t they? I sneak peeks at my memories With my hand mirror Because I’d love to remain a girl forever

Say something People are always looking for someone they connect with Even when they’ll never see them ever again

Don’t say you miss me Even if that is actually your answer The rules of our fling that summer day make me a little sad The crimson dress whispered

Fall in love, but don’t be in love Or you’ll find out what heartbreak's like “I should just treat it like a game,” I said Then, with my eyes closed, I watched The crimson dress in the dark

ROMAJI

nagisa e to ishidatami kyandoru no akari ga orite yuku hi ni yaketa kata wo daku tsumetai yubi wo kanjite’ta

yokan dake demo shibirete shimau onna ni dake no kimochi ga kanashii dare ni mo ienai wa

koi shitemo ai shicha dame setsunasa shiru kara asobi de ne sumeba ii to me wo tojite mite’ta kurayami ni akai doresu

fushigi da ne kokoro dake shoujo no mama de itai kara kossori to omoide wo tekagami de miru koto deshou

nanika itte yo kokoro no kizuna hito wa itsudemo sagashite iru no yo nido to aenakutemo

sabishii to itte wa dame sore ga kotae demo natsu no hi no koi no ru-ru sukoshi kanashii wa sasayaita akai doresu

koi shitemo ai shicha dame setsunasa shiru kara asobi de ne sumeba ii to me wo tojite mite’ta kurayami ni akai doresu

[chibimyumi]

In JTR Grell says her scythe can cut into anything, demons, souls and dimensions. Is that correct translation? It would explain how reapers enter human world and their access to modern stuff. Can they teleport? This was implied in JTR. Demons have superhuman strength, speed and endurance, can form contracts, shapeshift, "seduce" vulnerable humans. Is there anything else? I find supernatural being's superpowers very interesting. Demons and reapers are terrifying.

Dear Anon,

Yes, if the translation you provided is how it’s been done, I would say it is correctly translated.

人間相手のごっこ遊びじゃ済まないわよセバスちゃん

Ningen aite no gokko asobi ja sumanai wa yo Sebas-chan

You’ll never beat me if you keep pretending to be human, you know, Sebby-darling?

死神の鎌にかかれば、記憶も、魂も、空間も

Death scythe ni kakareba, kioku mo, tamashii mo, kuukan mo

Once struck by the death scythe, be it memories, souls, dimensions

悪魔だって、本当に切れちゃうんだから！

Akuma datte, hontou ni kirechaun dakara!

or even you, a demon, all will definitely be cut!

Can Reapers Teleport?

As for whether they can teleport… I think it is some type of reaper portal that the reapers use to fast travel; a bit like shrines in ‘Breath of the Wild’ (anyone here who plays BotW?)

I personally don’t think reapers can select a pin-point-exact teleportation destination, but instead have multiple portals, because of two reasons.

1. Location of Emergence

In the ‘Campania arc’ when Grell showed up on an iceberg rather than on the ship itself. Why would she bother to stand on an iceberg if she could just… teleport onto the ship itself? Yes, Grell is all for the FLARES, but she’s also fairly practical when it comes to her job. Plus, she doesn’t need an iceberg to make a flashy entrance.

That’s why I think that if she could have pin-point-warp, she would just have emerged on the ship. Obviously the ship is not a reaper warping portal, hence she could not have warped there directly.

Is the iceberg a portal then? … it would be funny, not gonna lie. Imagine how the Campania just crashed into a supernatural travel gate! But I don’t think so. I think something not too far away might be one. Travelling from said portal, and then landing on a static object is simply more practical than warp, emerge in the human world, and wait for the moving ship to come close enough to hop onto. The Death Log foretold that the ship would eventually crash into the iceberg. So what better place to catch a ship than where the ship is destined to come to on its own?

I have no idea how Grell got from hypothetical travel portal to iceberg though.

2. Fighting Style

This second point is in my opinion the most important indicator that reapers cannot pin-point-warp. If they could, then their fighting would have looked very different.

If pin-point-warping is possible for reapers, it would be something they would do as fast and naturally as walking. We know that the reapers are always busy as they are heavily understaffed, and therefore they are always in a rush to collect souls. In order to avoid unnecessary paperwork, their instinct would be to travel anywhere they need to be instantly. So no waste of time, no walking, no riding on lawn mowers, etc. etc.

During fights however, we always see reapers running around. Be it to build up speed to charge for an attack, or jumping away when being attacked.

In the ‘Jack the Ripper arc’ and ‘the Campania arc’ for example, we see the reapers coil in fear when they are trapped. If they were capable of warping, they could simply have warped themselves to safety. Grell is incredibly clear about how her maiden’s face oughtn’t be damaged. And yet in both times that her face was going to be wounded, she did not warp away.

Reapers’ attacks would also have looked very different if they had that skill. There were many instances where the reapers did not end up victorious simply because they were not fast enough. Had they had the ability to warp themselves to a better angle of attack, they most certainly would have.

I think the most obvious moment must be during the 4-way rabbit-hunt when Ronald said: “let’s keep it simple and say the fastest wins. I don’t plan to lose to gramps like you though.”

If time were of the essence, then Ronald and Grell would probably have warped to try beat Sebastian in terms of speed. Because they didn’t and bolted for Undertaker instead, I think warping was simply not an option to them.

I hope this made sense! (*´▽｀*)ノ

It really could be that Yana is just not very consistent in her writing though! She has done that in the past a lot.