associations. 'Human life' by Naomi Tamura and 'Treat or Goblins' by Megumi Hayashibara

I don't know why but sometimes I have this feeling that two songs have similar aura, even though they may be completely different objectively

lyrics translation. 'Raging waves' by Megumi Hayashibara

I totally forgot to publish all the translations I've done. And I've done many. No greater pleasure than to translate something you love.

Japanese

花がゆき交い風が吹き
色が舞い散り灯がともる
季節が何度めぐっても
この瞬間は二度とない

たとえ100回願っても
動き出さなきゃつかめないから
後先考えず痛い目も
時には見るけれど大丈夫

考えすぎて動けなくて
チャンス逃すより向いてるの
狙い定めたなら
今行くだけ行こう

誰かに誉められる人生
目指している訳じゃないの
私が喜ぶ生き方
ぶつかりながら見つけてく
いきなり強いわけじゃない
いきなりできるわけじゃない
繰り返して行く日々から
つくりあげてくの　自分を

たとえうまく行かなくっても
道は決して閉ざされはしない
そこからまた何かがはじまる
探して悩んで求めてれば

やめるのとあきらめるのとでは
次の道が変わってくる
おもい残さないで
今やるだけやろう

誰かに認められるより
まず自分を認めなくちゃ
ダメなとこもいいところも
ひっくるめて抱きしめよう
楽に歩ける道よりも
つらくっても楽しみたい
忙しい退屈な日々
変えたいなら歩き出そう

誰かに誉められる人生
目指している訳じゃないの
私が喜ぶ生き方
ぶつかりながら見つけてく
いきなり強いわけじゃない
いきなりできるわけじゃない
繰り返して行く日々から
つくりあげてくの自分を

誰かに認められるより
まず自分を認めなくちゃ
ダメなとこもいいところも
ひっくるめて抱きしめよう
楽に歩ける道よりも
つらくっても楽しみたい
忙しい退屈な日々
変えたいから歩いていくの 

Translation

Flowers swing, wind blows
Colours dance down, lights burn
Seasons may change many times
But this moment won't come again

Even if you make a wish one hundred times
You won’t obtain what you want if you don’t start doing something
If you act without thinking of the consequences
You may sometimes go through painful experiences, but that’s okay

It fits your purpose better
Than being unable to act because you think too much
If you’ve taken a steady aim
Go for it as far as you can go now

Living my life so that somebody would praise me
Is not something I aim for
Living a life I can enjoy
That’s what I search for, sometimes colliding with obstacles
You don’t become strong in one day
You don’t become skilful in one day
Only from every day repetition
You gradually build yourself

Even if you’re not successful at first
It doesn’t mean the road is completely closed to you
Something new will start from there
If you don’t stop searching, worrying, wanting

You can stop or you can give up,
But these are two different roads
Don’t make yourself regret
Do as much as you can do now

Rather than waiting for someone to accept you
You have to start with accepting yourself
Bad sides and good sides –
Let’s embrace them all
Rather than choosing an easy road
I prefer a road that’s fun, even if it’s hard
This busy but boring life –
If you want to change it, let’s start going

Living my life so that somebody would praise me
Is not something I aim for
Living a life I can enjoy
That’s what I search for, sometimes colliding with obstacles
You don’t become strong in one day
You don’t become skilful in one day
Only from every day repetition
You gradually build yourself

Rather than waiting for someone to accept you
You have to start with accepting yourself
Bad sides and good sides –
Let’s embrace them all
Rather than choosing an easy road
I prefer a road that’s fun, even if it’s hard
This busy but boring life –
If you want to change it, let’s start going

lyrics translation. 'Midnight blue' by Megumi Hayashibara

Japanese

傷つき心が怖さを覚えてく
切なき心が何かにもたれてく
強さは全てを包み込んだ砦
優しさ　涙を知らずに語れない

TONIGHT TONIGHT
揺れる炎へとかざしたMIDNIGHT BLUE

闇よ、雨よ、今教えて
月よ、風よ、今答えて
遠く、遠く、遥か遠く
旅の果てに何があるの

つらぬく夢(おもい)が見え隠れしている
それでも夢(おもい)は決して消えはしない
強さは全てを見つめてきた証
優しさ時には邪魔になる愚かさ

TONIGHT TONIGHT
燃える炎へとかざしたMIDNIGHT BLUE

鳥よ、雲よ、今教えて
波よ、影よ、今答えて
遠く、遠く、遥か遠く
旅の果てに何があるの

闇よ、雨よ、今教えて
月よ、風よ、今答えて
鳥よ、雲よ、今教えて
波よ、影よ、今答えて

遠く、遠く、遥か遠く
旅の果てに何があるの
遠く、遠く、遥か遠く
旅の果てに何があるの

Translation

When hurt, the heart knows fear
When in pain, the heart wants to lean on something
Strength is a fortress that surrounds everything
Kindness is something you can’t speak about if you never shed tears

Tonight, tonight
I hold this midnight blue to a flickering flame

O darkness, o rain, tell me now
O moon, o wind, answer me now
Far, far, so far away
What is there at the end of my journey?

The dream that I stick to is slipping in and out of view
But this dream won’t disappear, no
Strength is the proof that I’ve looked closely on everything
Kindness sometimes becomes foolishness that stands in the way

Tonight, tonight
I hold this midnight blue to a flickering flame

O birds, o clouds, tell me now
O waves, o shadows, answer me now
Far, far, so far away
What is there at the end of my journey?

O darkness, o rain, tell me now
O moon, o wind, answer me now
O birds, o clouds, tell me now
O waves, o shadows, answer me now

Far, far, so far away
What is there at the end of my journey?
Far, far, so far away
What is there at the end of my journey?

_____

It's true that I usually argue that when a songwriter replaces a kanji in lyrics, it's better to translate the word you hear in the song rather than the kanji you see in the written lyrics. However in this case, the word written as 夢, or 'dream', was sung as 思い, which can be translated as 'feelings', 'thoughts', 'beliefs', 'hopes' and many more. In fact, it makes perfect sense as 'dream'. So this subtle nuance may be lost in translation, but I tried to pull these words together as close as possible so that the sentence becomes clear.

lyrics translation. 'Give a reason' by Megumi Hayashibara

Put a gun to my forehead and ask me what I'd like to hear in my last minutes - this will be it.

 

Japanese

目まぐるしい時間の群れが
走り抜ける都市(まち)はサバンナ
かわるがわるシュールなニュース
明日になれば誰も忘れてる
生きている　今、生きている
そんな中で何かを求め
もがくように、抜け出すように
この力を試してみたくて

きっとどこかに「答」ある
生まれてきた答が
人は皆それを求め
やるせない、のがせない
夢に向かうの

傷つく事は恐くない
だけどけして強くない
ただ何もしないままで
悔やんだりはしたくない
Here we go! go!　走り続ける
誰にも止められはしない
未来の自分へと
Give a reason for life　届けたい

計り知れない大きな闇が
音を立てて向かって来ても
朝が来れば、誰かが居れば
心にある絶望は消せる

もっと強くイメージして
微笑んでる自分を
信じてる思い、それが
何よりも誰よりも
夢に近づく

ゴールにもたれたりしない
たとえ辿り着いたって
新しい夢がきっと
私の背中押すから
Here we go! go!　走り続ける
誰にも止められはしない
未来の自分へと
Give a reason for life　届けたい

きっとどこかに「答」ある
生まれてきた答が
人は皆それを求め
やるせない、のがせない
夢に向かうの

傷つく事は恐くない
だけどけして強くない
ただ何もしないままで
悔やんだりはしたくない
Here we go! go!　走り続ける
誰にも止められはしない
未来の自分へと
Give a reason for life　届けたい


Translation

Hectic clusters of time
Run through the streets, making them look like savanna
Surreal news come one by one
But everyone will have forgotten it by tomorrow
I’m alive, I’m living this moment
In this world I seek for something
Struggling, trying to break free
I want to test my powers

I know somewhere exists an ‘answer’
To why we have been born
People search for it
And pursue a dream which is hopeless
But they just can’t let it go

I’m not afraid of getting hurt
But that doesn’t mean I’m strong at all
It’s just that I don’t want
To regret doing nothing
Here we go! Go! I keep running
And nobody will stop me
To the future me I want to convey –
Give a reason for life

Unfathomable great darkness
May come your way, making sound,
But if morning comes, if someone is by your side
You can erase the despair in your heart

Imagine more strongly
Yourself smiling
If you believe, then
It will better than anything, better than anyone
Take you closer to your dream

I won’t be stopped by my goal
When I reach it
Because I know a new dream
Will push me in the back
Here we go! Go! I keep running
And nobody will stop me
To the future me I want to convey –
Give a reason for life

I know somewhere exists an ‘answer’
To why we have been born
People search for it
And pursue a dream which is hopeless
But they just can’t let it go

I’m not afraid of getting hurt
But that doesn’t mean I’m strong at all
It’s just that I don’t want
To regret doing nothing
Here we go! Go! I keep running
And nobody will stop me
To the future me I want to convey –
Give a reason for life

lyrics translation. 'kagirinai yokubou no naka ni' by Megumi Hayashibara

Japanese

なぜ争うの
なぜ傷つくの
この腕に託されている
夢が時に重くなるのよ
幸せって誰もが
欲しがるecstasy
むさぼって手にして
それでも求める

限りない欲望の中に
言えぬ犠牲もあるけど
情熱と勇気あるなら
歩き続けるしかない

なぜ笑えるの
なぜはしゃげるの
悲しみを乗り越えるため
人はそれをよじ登ってく
辛い事　薄れて
行くからTo be continued
この胸の傷さえ
プラスに変えるわ

限りない欲望があれば
立ち直る事も出来る
幸せを知りたいのなら
歩き続けるしかない
限りない欲望の中に
言えぬ犠牲もあるけど
情熱と勇気あるなら
歩き続けるしかない

Translation

Why do we fight?
Why do we get hurt?
The dream that has been entrusted to my heart
Sometimes just feels too heavy
Happiness is the ecstasy
Everyone wants,
Everyone craves for, right? But even when we reach it
We want more and more

In our unlimited desires
There are sacrifices we can’t mention
But as long as there are passion and courage
We have no choice but to walk on

Why can we laugh?
Why can we frolic?
To overcome sorrow
People clamber up these emotions
Bitter experiences fade with time
So everything is ‘to be continued’
Even the scars on my heart
Will turn into an asset

As long as we have unlimited desires
Surely, we will be able to recover
If we want to find happiness
We have no choice but to walk on
In our unlimited desires
There are sacrifices we can’t mention
But as long as there are passion and courage
We have no choice but to walk on

IMHO. 'Slayers' ~ celebrating 15 years from the first broadcast in my country

Here's an interesting fact: 'Slayers' have a rating of 8.6 on a Russian database and community website, while it only has 7.7 on Myanimelist.

It's just another proof that, just like one commentator said on MAL, high rates are given to 'Slayers' out of nostalgia - because most Russian fans watched 'Slayers' when it was one of the first anime ever available in Russia.

So I have to be honest with myself: I'm not the same 13 years old schoolgirl greedy to watch whatever there's on TV. I'm a working adult. I'm an experienced anime fan. I can wisely choose.

What do I feel now, choosing to rewatch 'Slayers' 15 years after I saw it for the first time, and having watched so many other titles after that?

It's slower. It's simpler. It's full of flat, slapstick humour. It has a lot of fillers. It involves a lot of meaningless talk like informing others what one intends to do during a battle. It has a lot of awkward moments when evil characters just stand there and wait for the protagonists to finish talking. It's hardly believable at all.

But it's colourful. It's outside genre frames and free of limitations. It doesn't have that 'game mechanics' - the cause of my irritation with modern anime. I feel greatly relieved to see other people have noticed this phenomenon too.

'Slayers' have all the possible clichés just to make fun of them.

It breaks the 4th wall. It's crazy.

And it doesn't let us forget even for a moment that it is one of a kind.

'I take back what I said about 'Slayers', that it's a classic fantasy anime' - I said to my friend on the second day of rewatching.

'When I watched it, I thought this is how fantasy anime is supposed to be' - answered my friend.

And I realised I thought that too.

I just didn't know there could be something different, 15 years ago, I didn't know that later anime would present me again and again with the same set of flat characters acting like puppets as if to illustrate socially acceptable traits. I thought it's okay to be egocentric, wilful, arrogant, independent, powerful and skillful, to know what you want and know your worth. I thought every character was supposed to have their own goals and special traits. I thought theme songs must be so great that I'd spend a month listening to them every day and not getting enough. I thought background music must be noticeable. I thought voice acting must be unforgettable. I thought landscapes should be such that make you believe that such a world exists, and they are more effective in this than portraits on the wall or fancy candelabra.

I thought I'd say 'call me when you make another masterpiece like this', but seeing the compromises made for the new Revolution and Evolution-R series, I know it will never happen. 

Maybe high scores are given to 'Slayers' out of nostalgia. But it's not a nostalgia like 'I watched it when I was young, even though it was bad'. It's a nostalgia like 'I watched it when I was young and nothing compares'.

I wonder if any of these new titles, which are required to have at least 10 words in them, will cause such nostalgia in 15 years.

lyrics translation. 'Going History' by Megumi Hayashibara

 If there is a song I can sell my soul for, this is one of those few that I can name

Japanese

誰かを傷つけて奪った恋なのに

半年もたたないうちに愛の破片も消えた 

落ち込んだ束の間また恋をしたけど 

愛じゃない、寂しさをうめる 恋人というロザリオ

人はどうしてキスをしたがるの、人はどうして二人で眠るの
We can, we can any time 本気(まじ)か分からない　心、何も言わない

苦しいほど、切ないほど好きなヒトに会いたい
街が生まれ変わるくらい愛しいヒトに会いたい
そして何時か振り返れば懐かしい想い出を
熱く語る自分になるため歩くよHistory

電話さえ鳴らない休日の部屋には
やり過ごした夢がただ横に寄り添っている
孤独を感じてる心を打ち消して
ベッドに潜(すべ)り込んでは朝が来るのを待った

夢はどうして遠くへ逃げるの、夢はどうして他人のものなの
We can We can any time 本気(まじ)に泣けてくる　明日(あす)も何も見えない

眩しいほど、貫くほど夢中な夢見つけたい
時が早く過ぎるくらい楽しい夢見つけたい
そして何時か振り返れば懐かしい想い出を
熱く語る自分になるため歩くよHistory

苦しいほど、切ないほど好きなヒトに会いたい
街が生まれ 変わるくらい愛しいヒトに会いたい
眩しいほど 、貫くほど夢中な夢見つけたい
時が早く過ぎるくらい楽しい夢見つけたい
そして何時か振り返れば懐かしい想い出を
熱く語る自分になるため歩くよ History

Translation

I stole him from some another girl, hurting her
But my love waned in less than half a year, not leaving a trace
I felt down just for a moment before I fell in love again,
But it's not real love, it's only scattering more loneliness – it's a rosary made of lovers

Why do people want to kiss? Why do people sleep together?
We can, we can anytime – though I don't know if this is serious, and my heart doesn't say anything

I want to meet someone I'll love so much that it would be painful, heartrending
I want to meet someone I'll love so much that the streets would look different to me
I want someday to become a person who looks back on their life and passionately shares their dear memories
And to achieve that I'm going through history

In my room where even phone doesn't ring on weekend
My dreams that I let slip by are just leaning on my side
Trying to deny my heart full of such loneliness
I crawled under my blanket and just waited for the morning to come

Why do dreams always run far away? Why do dreams always turn out to be something others have?
We can, we can anytime - I'm really about to cry, because I can't see tomorrow or anything at all

I want to have a dream that would be dazzling, that would pierce me
I want to have a dream so fun that time would pass quicker
I want someday to become a person who looks back on their life and passionately shares their dear memories
And to achieve that I'm going through history

I want to meet someone I'll love so much that it would be painful, heartrending
I want to meet someone I'll love so much that the streets would look different to me
I want to have a dream that would be dazzling, that would pierce me
I want to have a dream so fun that time would pass quicker
I want someday to become a person who looks back on their life and passionately shares their dear memories
And to achieve that I'm going through history 

_____

There's a big temptation to link phrases ending with 'hodo' and 'kurai' ('so ... that'), to verbs ending in -tai ('want to'), because this makes perfect sense: 'I want to ... so much that...'. But in fact they're linked to the nearest words, which is obvious if we compare similar lines: 'love so much that...' and 'dream so ... that...'.

anniversary of the 'Great Moon Troupe Retirement'. watched 'Misty Station' once more ~ discovery never ends

'Great Moon Troupe Retirement' is a thing I thought up just now. since so many beautiful and wonderful ladies left Moon Troupe at once, I think I could say something like this to describe the even that took place last year on the very same day...

music
while I usually rely on my ears and memory to recognise this or that song, there are still many songs and/or artists I do not know. having a booklet with the composers' and lyricists' names mentioned enables me to know better what sources of inspiration there exist that make Takarazuka directors create such beautiful shows
tamashii no refrain & shuuketsu no sono e 

last year I mentioned that 'tamashii no refrain' is an NGE song by Takahashi Youko

however, songs borrowed from Evangelion are not limited to it. this song is also from NGE. and I learned it only a few days ago. well,  I knew from the start that 'tis not a native Zuka song. however, I did not even bother to learn who is the original singer. that is my biggest mistake! 'tis Megumi-sama! how could I fail to guess, when the style is so obviously hers

if I were to choose which version I like better I would certainly be unable to do that. on one hand, the originals are energetic and I love this kind of pop arrangement with electro sound and rhythm very much. on the other hand, I love it when pop songs are made into orchestral pieces - like in case with TWO-MIX Rhythm Generation [Paris-France] or SUMMER PLANET №1 [Paris-France]. also, there is no way I could choose between ear-piercing vocals of Hayashibara or Takahashi, and deep low Kiriya's and Ryuu's, or high sonorous Aono's. both songs are great in both versions. yes

Ambient-57
the only version I could find there on YT is

but if you want to find the original, you would like to know that it belongs to a Japanese jazz band called PE'Z and is part of the album 'Okite Neru -FUNNY DAY & HARD NIGHT-'
kaze
is based on the song 'kaze' by Hashida Norihiko to Shuberutsu

PRIDE
is a song based on Yasuharu Takanashi's theme music for 'Pride FC'. the original is so great that I completely understand why one would want to create some visual performance to this music

you can hear it on the vids of FC openings, though for me 'tis kind of a pity that such music is used simply as background for announcing the names of the sportsmen... 'tis kind of... too heroic? well, maybe for people who love mixed martial art 'tis really important, I do not really know

Fantastic City
is another song coming from fighting, this time from wrestling. on the Japanese Wiki it is mentioned as the former theme music of Masahiro Chono, and the best variant of it would be probably ↓

the composer of the original, as well as the author of the Takarazuka version, is Suzuki Osamu
asaki yume mishi
is how the song title should be spelt, I guess. however, the title is written as 朝き夢見じ, unlike the traditional 浅き (a kanji for 'morning' instead of 'shallow', 'light'). the song is again a PE'Z one from the same album. Blogger does not let me insert a vid, so watch the original here if you want ↓
http://youtu.be/QW3eUKKEXx0 
Good Bye My Love
is a song by Ann Lewis, composed by Hirao Masaaki

such a tender song by Ann surprised me, since I only heard her performing rock songs like 'Roppongi Shinjuu'. by the way. imagine Takarazuka version of 'Roppongi Shinjuu'. would be great!
The Final Countdown
is too famous to be explained

Alone Again and My Way
Alove Again by Gilbert O'Sullivan

was made into an almost instrumental composition for the all-troupe dance, with only a few words sung by lady Aono - including the 'woduwidooo' ^o^ I mean, 'what do we do'
'My Way' would be the proper way to call this song, since the Japanese lyrics are based on 'My Way' and have nothing to do with the original 'comme l'habitude'. I would even say they have the opposite meaning...

though I actually dislike the melody of this song - yes, when I hear the melody I feel like I am eating something soft, pink, disgustingly saccharine sweet and bitter at the same time - I loved the instrumental version, and of course, my dear Sawaki singing made me see this song from a different angle. and I still remember how lady Kiriya said on her concert - 'I was looking forward to singing this song so much, since in the Takarazuka performance I only had the chance to sing the last line'

performance
is it only me or Misty Station is one of the most freakiest shows of Takarazuka? in the good sense of this word. at least, if someone asked my opinion, I would not recommend a person unacquainted with Takarazuka works watch it, as I consider it a 'non-classical' revue
let me start with good points. raise your hands those who agree that these costumes are ones of the best in Takarazuka revues! for some reason, I love this design so much...

other costumes are, however, more... questionable would be rude, but very 'unique'

that does not mean I dislike them, though. I cannot, since I liked the performance itself, its structure and the stories told


conclusion
after a year, Misty Station is still near the top of my favourite performances. I do not know whether it wins or loses to Dance Romanesque, but this is so subjective that it hardly makes any sense
by the way, did you notice the animated introduction?

did you smile at Kiriya's wink?

have you ever looked at Aono looking at Kiriya?

have you ever put Combi dance on pause and look closely?

and I wonder... do you feel like I do when the stage is covered in darkness and only the center spot is lit up?

oh, and did you notice the special moon 'batons'?

hectic rush right before state exams does not let me sleep much or relax a lot, but an hour of watching Misty Station saved me a lot. this is all