EDIT: Seems like Ms Shigihara put up MP3s of both versions of the song on her blog ( http://shigi.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/sunflower/ ), the better to infect all your friends with. Too bad she didn’t upload the rest of the OST, but meh. Love the story about the butter sound effect recording tho XD

Anyways, since the blog seems to have died except for the odd random bit of spam, this might be a good time to show off something I found a while back. See, when Hollywood movies are brought to Japan, they usually get a subtitled version and a dubbed version (sidestepping the whole subs vs dubs debate). Which means that if you watch movies in Japan, you occasionally get stuff like this:

And if youtube/wordpress lags, here’s the direct url:

Happy new year peeps~

And if that’s not enough, have some "english" lyrics with that!

In case you haven’t realised, the song’s in German XD MOSKAU! MOSKAU! PLEASE RESPECT RETARDIA! WHOOPS, I NEED INSURANCE CARD! OH HO HO HO HO, HEY!

(NINJA POSTSCRIPT: A little after I found the mp3, I stumbled upon an actual english version

and the original german lyrics with translations here

And now you know way more about this song than you ever wanted to XD)

突然のメロディ
また加速して行く
心を掴んだ
ひとひらの影も消し去る

眼差し　キラキラ
あまり大きくない道でもいいね

そして
駆け出す　飛び込む　奇跡へ
見上げる　手を振る　光へ
止まらない気持ちを繋いで行く
リフレクティア

揺らめく　近付く　明日へ
奏でる　夢見る　未来へ
まっさらな空　どこまでも連れて
涙の終わり　合図に

無意識のメロディ
風になるように
記憶の隙間が
一瞬を求め続ける

まぼろし　フワフワ
踏み出せるならきっと大丈夫

そして
重ねる　促す　願いを
導く　追い越す　時間を
ガラスに通せば浮んでくる
螺旋の模様

数える　束ねる　想いを
広げる　彩る　笑顔を
透明な空　包まれる度に
生まれ変わって行くから

ざわめく予感　少しの空想に
いつか打ち明けたい秘密

流れて　描いて　開いて
映して　鳴らして　廻って
小さな嘘さえ
指の先を通り過ぎる

隔てて　壊して　走って
還って　満たして　歌って
淡くて遠い日々を救い出し
反射したら

駆け出す　飛び込む　奇跡へ
見上げる　手を振る　光へ
織り成すオーブで私を呼ぶ
リフレクティア

揺らめく　近付く　明日へ
奏でる　夢見る　未来へ
まっさらな空　どこまでも連れて
限りなく舞い上がるよ

nijiiro no kairo ni
musuu no kotoba tachi
hanbun dake demo
koko naraba susundeyukeru

totsuzen no MELODY
mata kasokushiteyuku
kokoro wo tsukanda
hiohira no kage mo keshisaru

manazashi kirakira
amari ookikunai michi demo ii ne

soshite
kakedasu tobikomu kiseki e
miageru tewofuru hikari e
tomaranai kimochi wo tsunaideyuku
rifurekutia (REFLECTIA)

yurameku chikaduku shita e
kanaderu yumemiru mirai e
massarana sora dokomademo tsurete
namida no owari aizuni

muishiki no MELODY
kaze ni naru youni
kioku no sukima ga
isshun wo motome tsudukeru

maboroshi fuwafuwa
fumidaseru nara kitto daijoubu

soshite
kasaneru unagasu negai wo
michibiku oikosu jikan wo
garasu ni tooseba ukandekuru
rasen no moyou

kazoeru tabaneru omoi wo
hirogeru irodoru egao wo
toumei na sora tsutsumareru tabini
umarekawatteyuku kara

zawameku yokan sukoshi no kuusou ni
itsuka uchiaketai himitsu

nagarete egaite hiraite
utsushite narashite mawatte
chiisana uso sae
yubi no saki wo toorisugiru

hedatete kowashite hashitte
kaette mitashite utatte
awakute tooi hibi wo sukuidashi
hanshashitara

kakedasu tobikomu kiseki e
miageru te wo furu hikari e
orinasu ORB de watashi wo yobu
REFLECTIA

yurameku chikaduku ashite e
kanaderu yumemiru mirai e
massara na sora doko made mo tsurete
kagirinaku maiagaru yo

On this rainbow-coloured circuit path
Lies countless amount of words
Even if there were only half of them
As long as it’s from here, I can move forward

A sudden melody
Starts to accelerate once gain
It grabs on to my heart
Removing the slightest trace of shadows within

My eyes sparkle
It’s okay even if the path isn’t that wide

And
I start to run, plunging towards the miracle
I look above and wave my hands towards the light
Connecting my raging emotions together
Reflectia

Wavering, getting closer to tomorrow
Sound forth, dream of the future
I’ll take you anywhere I go under this brand new sky
The moment your tears end

An unconscious melody
As if turning into wind
The crevices in my memories
Continue yearning for that instant

Illusions They flutter
As long as you take a step forward, it’s going to be alright

And
Pile up and push forward the wishes
Guide and overtake time
Pass through the glass and it will surface
The form of a spiral

Count and bundle up the thoughts
Expand and colour the smiles
The moment I am engulfed by the transparent sky
I will be reborn

Rustling premonitions; In my slight daydreams
There’s a secret waiting to be opened up

Flowing, drawing along, opening up
Projecting, chiming, revolving
Even the smallest lie
Passes through the tip of my fingers

Isolated, destroyed, running on
Returning, filling, and singing
I rescue the faint and far away days
If they were reflected

I start to run, plunging towards the miracle
I look above and wave my hands towards the light
Connecting my raging emotions together
Reflectia

Wavering, getting closer to tomorrow
Sound forth, dream of the future
I’ll take you anywhere I go under this brand new sky
Soaring for eternity

Behold!

WARNING: The BGM is supposed to be soft as there’s no off-vocal version of the song, so crank up your volume at your own risk. The voices are rather loud.

I’ve given all of the users admin accounts with access to podPress, so start uploading your bullshit singing today!

English Translation

If I were to lose anything more than this, will my heart be able to forgive myself?
No matter what extent of pain it would be, I’d like to be able to meet you.
One more time May the seasons stop changing
One more time The times we had joked together

I seem to have always been the one to break our times together
This selfish behaviour had been all the more given into
One more chance My legs are being led by memories
One more chance I am unable to choose the next destination

I have been searching all this while for traces of you
The opposite platform The windows inside alleways
Even though I knew it is impossible for you to be there
If my wish could be granted, I wish to be by your side right now
There is no longer anything I cannot achieve
I will show you how I can forgo everything to embrace you

If it’s just to dispel loneliness, anyone will do fine
But I am unable to deceive myself on this night where stars seem to be falling
One more time May the seasons stop changing
One more time The times we had joked together

I have been searching all this while for traces of you
Be it the intersections Be it within my dreams
Even though I knew it is impossible for you to be there
If there were to be a miracle, I wish I could show you immediately
The new dawn, the person I am from now on
And the words ‘I like you’ that I had failed to say

Summer memories are floating around
Those pulses that had disappeared unknowingly

I have been searching all this while for traces of you
On the streets bathed in the lights of dawn in Sakuragichou
Even though I knew it is impossible for you to have come here
If my wish could be granted, I wish to be by your side right now
There is no longer anything I cannot achieve
I will show you how I can forgo everything to embrace you

I have been searching all this while for pieces of you
The shop at my destination, every nook of the newspapers
Even though I knew it is impossible for them to be around
If there were to be a miracle, I wish I could show you immediately
The new dawn, the person I am from now on
And the words ‘I like you’ that I had failed to say

I ended up searching for your smile all this while
The waiting area of the express trains, the sides of the railway crossings
Even though I knew it is impossible for you to be there
If my life was to be repeated, I wish to be by your side no matter what
I no longer have anything else I desire
Things that are important other than you

————————————————-
[coolplayer] http://youtube.com/watch?v=Tvos4SDJacU [/coolplayer]
————————————————

Chinese translation coming up tonight, once I get my modules nicely dealt with. And of course after I find out how to do partial differentiation all over again.

中文翻译
银色天空

银色的天空 无边无际
好比持续降至的灼热
驱奔的短暂季节
濡湿你我

因为毫无执持走去
在不可靠的掌心里
被幻惑

停止的雨水
在这空中唯独痛楚
不复残留

互相吸引的力量 碰撞不已的思绪
就算受了伤 仍怀抱惜守
触碰着似已破坏的你
就是看不见 也深信不疑

已没什么好恐惧了
如被吹散的热气般
短暂苍蓝 开始驱奔着
摇晃你我

[反正也只是流失的岁月。。。]
惭愧着 逃离遗弃的梦想为何物？

想拥有如溢流出的闪亮
我们都了解爱
但却无法达至那微弱的光芒
夜晚正等待着黎明

唯独明日不消失
只剩不止的约束
想在你眼瞳里灼烧起
那不变的愿望

银色的天空 无边无际
好比持续降至的灼热
驱奔的短暂季节
濡湿你我

————————————

I decided to translate into Chinese for once.

九時をすぎて僕はやっと気づいた
暗闇の中　眠たげに目をこすって
まあどうぞこちらに来て立って眺めてごらん
光の数だけ増えたものを
　
　変わり果ててしまって自分ひとりが残される
　それは寂しいことだといって君はまた泣いた
　躍起になってまた目をつむって　今度は走っていった君の
　その先にもずっと続いていくよ　光に照らし出された道

Romaji

niji ga sugite bokura wa mou mayotta
toho de doko made? yume ni mita tooi basho made
atarashii mono nante nakatta kono machi ni mo
shiranai keshiki ga fueteitta

hitotsu me no kado nara me wo tsumuttemo magareru
harikitte atama wo posuto ni butsukete kimi wa naita
donna kotoba wo kaketemo kimi wa sunetamama de arukitsuduketeta
kono machi ga yuuhi ni tsutsumareteta tachinaranda sono kage wo O BA

kuji wo sugite boku wa yatto kiduita
kurayami no naka nemutageni me wo kosutte
maa douzo kochira ni kitetatte nagamete goran
hikari no kazu dake fueta mono wo

kawarihateteshimatte jibun hitori ga nokosareru
sore wa sabishii koto datoitte kimi wa mata naita
yakki ni natte mata me wo tsumutte kondo wa hashitteitta kimi no
sono saki ni mo zutto tsuduiteiku yo hikari ni terashidasareta michi

English Translation

Two o’ clock passed and we are lost
Where should we walk to? That faraway place we saw in our dreams
Even in this town whereby nothing new happens
Unknown scenery starts to pop up
　
‘Even with the corner of one eye, or even totally closing my eyes, I can still navigate around’
You got so enthusiastic, you hit your head on the mailbox and started to cry
No matter what I say, you continued to sulk as we walked on
This town is covered in the evening sunlight, over the shadows that line by each other

Nine o’ clock passed and I finally realised
In the darkness, I rubbed my sleepy eyes
Well, why don’t you come over here to take a look?
At the lights that are just increasing in number
　
‘Everything has changed completely leaving only myself.
That is something really lonely’, you said, and started to cry again.
You eagerly shut your eyes once more, and this time you walked on
On that light-shone path that stretches on before you,

Translator: LianYL Editor:Kwok
Always good to have co-op. No hosting of song this time since I’m too lazy.

占い師は言った　　　私の手を握って
「おまえの旅は続くのだろう　　　これから先もずっと」
あまりに大きな月がそれを見ていた

ハイウェイの入り口はどこにでもある
その気があるのなら私にＫＩＳＳをして　　　道連れは君

１００　ｍｉｌｅｓ，　２００　ｍｉｌｅｓ，　一番好きな君をさらってゆくわ
もっと先まで道は続くから
１００　ｍｉｌｅｓ，　２００　ｍｉｌｅｓ，　虹を追いかける　４００　ｍｉｌｅｓ
きっと誰もが二人をうらやむわ
見たことないものを見に行こう　　　ｂａｂｙ

私のパパは言った　　　深いため息ついて
「これじゃ満足できないのだろう？」　　　そのとおりよ　　　きっと (きっと)
憧れは手のひらで簡単に色褪せた

ハイウェイの入り口はどこにでもある
その気があるのなら今すぐシャツを着て　　　道連れは君

１００　ｍｉｌｅｓ，　２００　ｍｉｌｅｓ，　一番好きな君をさらってゆくわ
もっと先まで走ってゆきたいわ
１００　ｍｉｌｅｓ，　２００　ｍｉｌｅｓ，　虹を追いかける　４００　ｍｉｌｅｓ
退屈させないと誓うわ
足りない何かを捕まえよう　　　ｂａｂｙ

道連れは君

１００　ｍｉｌｅｓ，　２００　ｍｉｌｅｓ，　一番好きな君をさらってゆくわ
もっと先まで道は続くから
１００　ｍｉｌｅｓ，　２００　ｍｉｌｅｓ，　虹を追いかける　４００　ｍｉｌｅｓ
きっと今より素敵な日々が来る
見たことないものを見に行こう　　　ｂａｂｙ

Romaji

uranaishi wa itta atashi no te wo nigitte
‘omae no tabi wa tsuduku no darou kore kara saki mo zutto’
amari ni ookina tsuki ga sore wo miteita

HIGHWAY no iriguchi wa doko ni demo aru
sono ki ga aru no nara atashi ni kissu wo shite michidure wa kimi

100 mairusu, 200 mairusu, ichiban sukina kimi wo saratteyuku wa
motto saki made michi wa tsuduku kara
100 mairusu, 200 mairusu, niji wo oikakeru 400 mairusu
kitto dare mo ga futari wo urayamu wa
mitakotonai mono wo miniyukou BABY

atashi no papa wa itta fukai tame ikitsuite
‘kore ja manzoku dekinai no darou?’ sono toori yo kitto (kitto)
akogare wa tenohira de kantan ni iroaseta

HIGHWAY no iriguchi wa doko ni demo aru
sono ki ga aru no nara imasugu shatsu wo kite michidure wa kimi

100 mairusu, 200 mairusu, ichiban sukina kimi wo saratteyuku wa
motto saki made hashitteyukitai wa
100 mairusu, 200 mairusu, niji wo oikakeru 400 mairusu
taikutsu sasenai to chikau wa
tarinai nanika wo tsukamaeyou BABY

michidure wa kimi

100 mairusu, 200 mairusu, ichiban sukina kimi wo saratteyuku wa
motto saki made michi wa tsuduku kara
100 mairusu, 200 mairusu, niji wo oikakeru 400 mairusu
kitto ima yori sutekina hibi ga kuru
mitakotonai mono wo miniyukou BABY

English Translation

A fortune-teller once told me while holding my hand
“Your journey will continue I guess, it stretches on endlessly from now.”
This happened while an average-sized moon watched on

There are entrances to a highway anywhere
If you feel like it, just kiss me now and I’ll make you my travel companion.

100 miles, 200 miles, I travelled while dragging my favourite you along.
As the road will stretch on further before us
100 miles, 200 miles, chasing after the rainbow for 400 miles
I’m rather sure there’s someone who’d be envious of the two of us
Let’s go look at stuff we’ve never seen before baby

My papa once sighed deeply while telling me
“You won’t be satisfied with just this, will you?” That’s of course! Surely (Surely)
It seems my aspiration just simply paled within my palm

There are entrances to a highway anywhere
If you feel like it, put on a shirt right now and I’ll make you my travel companion.

100 miles, 200 miles, I travelled while dragging my favourite you along.
I feel like walking on even further
100 miles, 200 miles, chasing after the rainbow for 400 miles
I swear I won’t make it boring
We could go catch whatver we lack baby

I’m making you my travel companion

100 miles, 200 miles, I travelled while dragging my favourite you along.
As the road will stretch on further before us
100 miles, 200 miles, chasing after the rainbow for 400 miles
A day that’s better than now will surely arrive
Let’s go look at stuff we’ve never seen before baby

————————————————

This song is sung by Santara and has 2 versions: Normal and LowJackThree Remix. Whatever the latter is, it sounds like shit. This tells us that music arrangement is very important.

Enjoy the song dudes.

Here’s a clip of the ED in the anime, very classy:

あさきゆめみじ　永久（とわ）に嘆きもせす

月の光　心　照らし出す
燃ゆる花の舞　道しるべ

絡みつく　あやまちの詩（うた）　胸をしめる

果てぬ川に手を挿し　流そう
想い　詰めた言の葉　藍に染めて

すれ違いが　心もろくする
居場所もないまま　風は吹く

赤い道　足取り重く　闇に向かう

一度流せば　二度と帰らぬ
指がつまびく運命（さだめ）　藍に染めて

いくつ　明けない夜を　重ねて
やがて　藍の嘆きも　消え逝くのか

果てぬ川に手を挿し　流そう
色は匂へど　いつか　散りぬるもの

藍に染めて…

Lyrics Source: http://www.jtw.zaq.ne.jp/animesong/si/shoujo2/aizome.html
———————————————

Romaji

asaki yumemiji towa ni nageki mo sesu

tsuki no hikari kokoro terashi dasu
moyuru hana no mai michi shirube

karami tsuku ayamachi no uta mune wo shimeru

hatenu kawa ni te wo sashi nagasou
omoi tsumeta kotonoha ai ni somete

surechigai ga kokoro morokusuru
ibasho mo nai mama kaze ha fuku

akai michi ashi toriomoku yami ni mukau

ichido nagaseba nidoto kaeranu
yubi ga tsumabiku sadame ai ni somete

ikutsu akenai yoru wo kasanete
yagate ai no nageki mo kieyuku no ka

hatenu kawa ni te wo sashi nagasou
iro ha nio e do itsuka chirinu mono

ai ni somete…
————————–

English Translation

Indigo Dye

Waking up from a light dream Sighing for eternity

Moonlight shines over my heart
The blazing dance of flowers Guides my way through the path

The poem of deceptions entangles my heart

Dipping my hand into the endless river It seems to flow on
Painting the word-filled emotions in indigo

The missing of each other wears down the heart
Even without anywhere to go to, the wind blows

I dragged my heavy footsteps along the crimson path towards the darkness

If I were to flow on once, returning on the second time would be impossible
As my fingers plucked at it, I dyed my fate in indigo

How many times have I lived through dawnless nights repeatedly
So much so that before long, my indigo sighs will fade away?

Dipping my hand into the endless river It seems to flow on
No matter the brilliance or smell (of flowers or people), someday it will still wither away

Dyeing it in indigo…
————————————-

This is one damn hard song to translate.

What the #$%#$ is あさきゆめみじ!?

I had absolutely no idea how to do it and even tried to cheat by taking a peek at Memento’s post on this song. But apparently the guy fails at it too and could only produce a Romaji version.

It was seeming that this song can’t be done until I sought help from DM. Voila! The JLPT1 dude swiftly pointed out that he has already answered the question on his blog a long, long time ago. It was also used in Da Capo 2’s OP apparently.

So after some poking around here, I realised what it meant and also discovered that the second last line is a direct lift off the poem linked. Interesting. Finally I get to see a Japanese song that uses poems or classic Japanese literature.

This song was written by savage genius for Noto Mamiko to sing for as the ED of Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori anime. But somehow they decided to release their own rendition of it before the release of Mamiko’s. Those baskets. Amusingly, Mamiko’s version pwns theirs. Those interested in getting savage genius’s version can go source Amazon JP themselves.

As for those who might question my song appreciation tastes, let’s just say that I have two main forms of appreciation:

1. Music. If the music is good, then it’s worth my time listening. That is provided that the lyrics don’t suck too much. Examples of sucky songs are those shitty “Love Love! Oh my lover! Love! Love! I love you! You love me!” conventional crap that always top song charts for some stupid reasons. This leads me to my priority in appreciation,

2. Lyrics. A song might suck as much as it like, be it the singer or the melody. But as long as the lyrics are good, I’ll loop it in foobar2k.

This probably explains why I hate mainstream Chinese pop crap so much. Indifferent music pieces + retarded lyrics + craptastic singers equates to trash that’s not even worth my attention time span of even noticing its existence. The only Chinese pop songwriter to earn my respect till now is 方文山. Jay Chou doesn’t deserve him.

Here’s the PV to sum up this post. Enjoy: