If you ever get the chance to attend a one-man, three day, close quarters live event....
Take. It.
Especially if that band is as good during their performances as is DEATHGAZE.
I mean, good lord people.
I don't think I've ever produced so much sweat before in my life. ...Even calculated cumulatively.
And my neck isn't even sore! Who knew that the cure for headbanging aches... was more headbanging?
(And, admittedly, liberal ibpruofen dosage, but still. I haven't taken any since!)
If that isn't a valuable life lesson, I don't know what is.
This little dude was at the drink bar every night. Well, I say that, but as another audience member and I were discussing... was it really the same little dude? This picture was taken on the first night, and he never did seem to degrade in any real noticeable way. Thus, he was either made out of supremely high quality watermelon (which is possible--this is Japan... which also makes me hope that it got eaten eventually), or someone managed to get so very good at carving the little mascot dude and his brethren that no one could tell the difference from night to night.
Or maybe it was all thanks to the スイカパワー！(suika powaa, watermelon power). Apparently, that's what we were all going on, and who am I to argue?
There was also some sort of metaphor about us all being the seeds, but I'm still trying to work out the deeper meaning of that one.
After we got the red fan on the first night, I dithered about bringing it along the second. I ultimately decided not to, as I wanted to keep my nice little souvenir as pristine as possible, and lo! We received another, and in a different color as well! (They're lined up in chronological order, because I'm just that way.) Probably the best souvenir possible to get in that venue, in this season. Never let it be said that DEATHGAZE is not considerate of their fans!
(They also made a big deal, both in blog posts and each night during the pre-show announcements, about not trying to power through if you started feeling faint or sick, but to let someone know--even one of the band members if that's what you could manage--and get someone to help you out of the crowd and into an open space so you could recover. I don't think anyone ever did/needed to, but it was a nice thought regardless.)
And since I still can't even come close to containing my excitement (I mean, come on, they announced their new single coming in November, and then another new tour staring in December! Allow me to squeal in fangirlish delight.), I find I must share just a weensy bit more.
(Plug your ears, grandma.)
Pretend that guitarist Tataki's hair is blonde for the full experience.
And since that's the first song of the album... why not wrap it up with the last?
Glory Sky
I had to wait until the last day for this one, but ah, it's always worth it. The look of pure, unadulterated joy on vocalist Ai's face as the audience sings along with the chorus is absolutely wonderful, and it gets me every time.
(You can listen to this one, grandma.)
This is Edo, signing off nursing only a mildly sore upper-arm and battling a serious case of permi-grin.
I promise that, eventually, I will stop making posts about BUCK-TICK. Exclusively, that is. Asking me to stop entirely would be like asking Haruo Shirane to give up pre and early modern Japanese literature.
... it's not going to happen.
Ahem.
Anyway, in celebration of ditching their old label (or being ditched, and making the best of it... take what news and interpretation you will), BUCK-TICK is releasing a compilation set--two albums, one for 87-99, and the other for 00-10. Considering they've been putting out music since at a rate of roughly one album per year (... ok, give or take), they have a lot of material to choose from.
HOWEVER. Being the trend-setting, hip and groovy band that they are, they've decided that they are not fit to decide on the final line up.
Go, vote, be merry. One song per album per 24-hour period, mind you, but the sentiment holds.
I do feel like somebody's been abusing the vote, though... rigging IP addresses, hiring friends, hacking websites... I'm not sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm going to have to work hard to get some of my choices on the list.
... What better way than to recruit a blog audience?
... Ok, you're right, it would help if I had a blog audience. Every little bit helps.
So, unless you have some choices of your own (which I would by no means try to talk you out of... unless you're one of those people voting for both versions of ICONOCLASM... I mean, come on, the TABOO version is clearly superior, and, quite frankly, all the ICONOCLASM we need on one compilation album), why not click a few in my corner? I'll even link every title to the song itself, so you can judge for yourself! What a responsible campaign manager I am.
To vote, click on the big button with 投票ページへ (To the Voting Page) written on it, then click the 楽曲をみる (View the Songs) button below the album you want to vote on. Select your song, click 投票する (Vote), then enter your nickname, gender (男性 is guy, 女性 is girl), age (SHOULD be self explanatory) and prefecture. I use 京都府 (Kyoto), of course, but feel free to choose wherever you prefer. Then just click 送信する (Transmit) and you're done! Be sure to click the bottom button (ランキングページへ戻る, Return to the Ranking Page) if you want to vote for another song.
... and I just realized what a massively long undertaking this will be, and thus have deigned to split this post up, following BUCK-TICK's example. But, uh, maybe into more than two sections. Because... wow.
Anyway, starting from the beginning...
SEXUAL XXXX!, 1987 (The Hair Spring!)
You know, since they're using the 1990 version of HURRY UP MODE.
I'm all for either HYPER LOVE or DO THE "I LOVE YOU." Both have good versions on NOT GREATEST HITS, true, but none of them seem to be making the list so far... so.... yea. SISSY BOY is a close third, and ILLUSION squeezes in at fourth.
Next!
SEVENTH HEAVEN, 1988 (Ego, Atsushi, ego.)
I'm going either CAPSULE TEARS -PLASTIC SYNDROME III- or Oriental Love Story on this one. "But Edo!" I hear you cry, "what about VICTIMS OF LOVE?" Yes, well. I adore the song, but not this version. Number one is the live version from RAZZLE DAZZLE, number two is the NOT GREATEST HITS version, and this one is only third by default. I'd rather encourage their progress, thank you.
Continuing on.
TABOO, 1989 (It's definitely an 80's album.)
ICONOCLASM. Full stop. Is there any other choice, really? I admit, it's difficult to see if you haven't been involved in a live performance, but... just trust me on this one.
(And yes, I know, SEX FOR YOU does make me giggle... but... ICONOCLASM. Come on.)
Moving right along.
悪の華 (Evil Blossom), 1990 (The accordion is not actually integral to the plot.)
Originally, I was all for LOVE ME... but, well, NATIONAL MEDIA BOYS is a classic, albeit heavily hyped. I do prefer the live version of LOVE ME from the memento mori tour... but then again this version is superior to the NOT GREATEST HITS version... urgh, decisions.
Well, NATIONAL MEDIA BOYS is already at the top for this half of the compilation, so it doesn't really need our support.
I think one more ought to do it for this post...
HURRY UP MODE (1990 MIX), 1990 (...meh.)
I... have no strong feelings about any song on this album. Probably my least favorite of all their stuff, honestly. What can you do.
... I can't end on that note.
狂った太陽 (Mad Sun), 1991 (B-T's first dabblings in cyberpunk. Also: The Woman Phase continues strong!)
Aaah, there we go. That's some good stuff. Now, since we can't vote for MAD (for good reason, I suppose, given all the hype and air time it gets... but still), I'm all for 太陽ニ殺サレタ (Killed by the Sun). Don't ask me about the gratuitous katakana, I couldn't tell you.
And that's all for today's edition of Gratuitous BUCK-TICK Promotion with Edo, be sure to tune in next time when we discuss passion, betrayal and hopelessness!
I know, I know, I'm a horrible blogger. My only excuse is grad school apps, and really, that's not a great excuse when you think about it. I am, after all, half-way done as of about twenty minutes ago.
(Hooray!)
I will try for some regularity after I'm done with all this hooplah, I promise--I have one or two ideas swimming around in my head, and I'm sure I'll get the gumption to write them up eventually. If only you lot shared my passion for academic studies incorporating gender and Japanese popular culture, then I could share with you the brilliant dissertation topic I came up with last night...
BUT. Since I'm not sure how many seedy academics troll the interwebs in search of brilliant dissertation ideas, I won't. I'm keeping this baby all to myself until at least two professors have seen it.
... I wonder if paranoia is common among those involved in research. Probably.
Anyway.
BUCK-TICK is currently doing some pretty snazzy things, including a new single, a new album, and, yes, that's right, a whole new label. Now all you indie kids can listen to some decent music without feeling guilty about selling out to the man! (Also, wash your hair. Geez.) You can head on over to their website to check it out, or, as always, The Blog-Tick Phenomenon.
Personally, I think you should head over to their official site for a second even if you can't read Japanese, just to experience Atsushi in his shiny cape. It is shiny. On top of his vaguely vampiric hair-style and what appears to be a blue, crushed velvet suit... well. You have to see it now, don't you? Also, Imai has some lovely dandy-esque hair at the moment that I am enjoying thoroughly.
Look, just go, all right? I can't save the image and post it here for you, otherwise you know I would. Go. Go now. It'll take you five seconds. Come on.
How about some mood music for incentive?
I'll even keep it to songs that my dear old grandmother might enjoy.
ミウ(Miu) is definitely underrated. Melodic, haunting, and just all around beautiful.
The video, however... it makes no sense. It does have the haunting bit down, and I admit that anything which focuses on Atsushi's face for such extended periods does certainly qualify for "beautiful"... but still. I love it anyway, sense be damned. Cowboys, body parts, and a reprise of the asylum theme from BRAN-NEW LOVER with some sort of mummy get-up? I'm sure there's some deep, deep imagery going on here, but I'm equally sure that anyone who tried to explain it to me would sound completely off their nut.
Also, Imai is terrifying. Terrifying. He is a genius, yes, and I adore him and all the strange sounds he makes, but good god. Toll's a little scary too. It helps that the last time I heard him interviewed, he sounded like such a stereotypical old Japanese man that I couldn't help but laugh. Imai still sounds like Imai.
... speaking of BRAN-NEW LOVER...
Yes, yes, I know I posted this before, but it's one of my favorite songs, and the video is basically a crazy cyberpunk romp, and that is just awesome.
Also, Atsushi writing in a straight jacket. You don't have to be a slobbering fangirl to appreciate that.
.... the less said about the tentacles, however, the better.
And speaking of underrated songs...
I love 蜉蝣ーかげろうー (Kagerou, Mayfly) as much as the next guy, but I really think it's the single's second track that stands out. You want beautiful and melodic, here's your number right here.
It's an interesting bug theme that they went with... 蜉蝣 meaning mayfly or dragonfly and 空蝉 (Utsusemi) being, loosely, a discarded cicada shell. Of course, Utsusemi is also a character from The Tale of Genji, not to mention a metaphor for this world (as opposed to different Buddhist planes, usually) or a person living in it... And, ok, so, technically, 蜉蝣 can mean ephemerality, which I buy and therefore gives us a Buddhist theme, but my sources insist that reading it as "kagerou" removes that meaning, making it... well, honestly, I suppose that doesn't mean anything when we're talking about V-kei lyrics, if Dir en grey has taught me anything, but I do prefer to be neat, and... oh, forget it.
Really, 空蝉 is just a snazzy kinda song.
Admittedly, I don't belt out the lyrics when it comes on in the car like I do with 蜉蝣, but still.
And... uh... speaking of things you... belt out in various locations... (bear with me here)
Ah, this was the first tour I ever attended. How young and naive I was... and yet excited and appreciative as hell. Especially about the pimp hat and cane (not pictured here, unfortunately).
Admittedly, this is off of the DVD (which I own, but was not at the filming of), so I didn't actually get to see Atsushi's evil-twin-pirate goatee in person... He did fall off a speaker, though, which was on the one hand very concerning and on the other, hilarious (after, of course, he joked about it, slapped his "bad" leg and showed no ill effects.) Never step on triangular speakers, kids.
Regardless. This is, in my humble opinion (hah), the best arrangement for this song. The original and the NOT GREATEST HITS versions can't even compare in terms of energy and the ability to cheer you the hell up.
Also, the Imai-kick (tm) and Imai-dance (tm) routine is a great workout. Try it, just for the duration of this song, and only when he does it. You'll be panting, I promise. And you wondered how he stays in such good shape.
He does that the whole time. Every show.
... ok, not the whole time, but still, enough so that it's goddamn impressive.
I kinda think he cut the hair so it wouldn't weigh him down anymore.
... BUCK-TICK is awesome.
This is Edo, signing off with a very pointed look at every one of you who did not, after all that, click the link. Come on.
Not a Revue, because I'm sure that's just not what you're here for. Anyway.
Oftentimes, when thinking of what to write in this blog of mine, I become fearful that I have run out of topics--what else, I moan, can possibly be written? And, of course, after about five minutes of this kind of thinking, a blog post is almost fully formed in my head, ready to go.
Unfortunately, this usually happens when I'm in bed and the computer's off for the night, so I'm forced to cling to my ideas until the morning hours, hoping that something, anything, stays in my brain long enough to get down on the interwebs.
As my brain right before sleep is not in prime memory-making mode... well. We'll see how that goes.
Anyway.
To the delight of some, and to the ambivalence of many (I'm sure), I'm going to return to my musical phase today!
...although really I don't think I've ever done song commentary, and have mainly stuck with general band description plus songs as a necessary by-product thereof, but generally subservient to the greater plot of band informant...
But whatever.
Today, thanks to this post taking a long time coming, I have two singles to talk about:
DEATHGAZE's SILENCE/THE END (because when you can't choose the title, why not compromise?) and Dir en grey's DIFFERENT SENSE.
... I'll never understand why recent V-kei/J-Rock bands feel the need to ignore standard capitalization rules. I mean, it could be that they're shouting everything... oh, ok. Well. That makes sense, forget I asked.
Anyway.
DEATHGAZE - SILENCE/THE END
Yes, that is the album cover. Not entirely black, there are some spots of white and grey in there if you look... maybe it's supposed to be deep space?
Really, though, when bands start doing this for covers, I have to wonder if it really is so much artistic as it is damn lazy on the part of their graphics guy... Although, in the case of Dir en grey's THE MARROW OF A BONE, it was actually a mistake, particularly in the American release, for some reason. What looked to be a black cover with only the title standing out should have, in fact, been a monochrome (... is it monochrome when it's all in shades of black, really?) picture that was actually quite detailed. I think there was a deal where Americans could send back their copy to get the proper cover. Pretty sure I stuck with the mistake cover, but would have to actually dig out my copy to confirm.
... ANYWAY. (These are really just self-cues to get my hiney back in gear at this point, pay no heed.)
As you may (or may not, if you're a brandy-new reader... hello, brandy-new reader!) know, I am a fan of DEATHGAZE. Seen them live twice, have most if not all of their stuff. They're great. Put on a good show, and produce consistently good music. Ai has a great voice, and he doesn't growl or scream too much--which, really, is extra nice, as he has one of the most distinctive voices I've ever heard. In a good way. In a good, deep, make-you-all-tingly way.
I'll stop.
Track 1- SILENCE
Like I said, they weren't very creative in naming this single. Guess what the next track's called.
Now, I like some hard rock. No one can say otherwise. I especially like hard rock with a melodic interlude, or, even better, a melodic chorus. While sometimes I admit that I do like to headband and scream with rage, most of the time, I'm just not in that sort of mood.
Er, right now anyway. No telling what tomorrow brings to my emotional state.
Regardless, I think loving BUCK-TICK has seriously affected my love for the harder stuff. Oh, well.
And anyway, Ai has too nice a voice to waste on nothing but screaming. Luckily, he didn't disappoint. He's a good kid.
(Yes, I promise. Press play, and get through the first... oh, thirty-nine seconds. It gets less angry. Not that there's anything wrong with angry, mind you. They're almost a metal band, depending on your definitions, so give them a break.)
These guys are just a very well put together band. Lately, the world of Visual Kei has produced naught but knock-offs and really awful music (I'm looking at you, GAZETTE.) When someone like this pops up? You can't help but do a little dance of joy.
lynch. is pretty good too, but DEATHGAZE is definitely my favorite new-age (in my terms, having started putting out music oh, say 2003 or later) V-kei band. (And don't bug me that DEATHGAZE might not fit into that classification--I'm not counting when Ai wasn't the vocalist, because honestly, I don't know if they would have worked as well without his voice. And hey man, the website says 2003, so back off. It also seems to suggest that Ai's gone blonde again... oh, well. Whatever floats his boat. Naoki is still adorable and tiny, so at least there's some consistency. Honestly, I could break the man in half... Woman at the goods booth tried to suggest that, hey, Naoki wears an M, so that should be ok for you, right? I gave her a look and said "Yea, no, L please." Maybe I should take it as a compliment, or that she really needed new glasses.)
Track 2- THE END
You guessed it. Hey, at least they let you know what you're getting in to.
Ah, they certainly never disappoint with percussion. Naoki may be tiny, but he's damn good.
This one is a bit angrier, despite a non-screaming start and some nice melodic bits, so I would recommend that those with tender sensibilities stick with the first track. That, in general, is a pretty good rule with these sorts of singles, unless you know for a fact that the first track is really hard. In that case, by all means, exert every effort to find a song on the single you prefer. No judgement here.
You know, it's interesting that I'm reviewing both DEATHGAZE and Dir en grey in this post. I mean, of course, it's because I like the both of them, but I've heard more than one person say that DEATHGAZE is a nothing more than a re-hash of Dir. And, while I disagree with this, I can see that they were very clearly influence by Dir, and that is ok. Dir is a very good band, despite my feelings towards their recent fashion sense--they are solid musicians, with some of the best performances out there. Kyo, like Ai, has an amazing voice that can switch between angry scream-o and beautiful melody in a heartbeat. You can definitely say that they are similar sounds, which may be why I like them both.
What I mean to say is that, in this song, and a few others, you can definitely hear the Dir influence. If you listen to SORROW, you can't help but hear it--honestly, even I was a little dubious about how much they were listening to THE FINAL while writing that one. Nevertheless, I like both songs, and still think it's ok for a band to pay homage to and learn from one of the greatest in the genre.
So there, those of you who hate DEATHGAZE. You can just back right off and take your heads out from your behinds, thank you very much.
Next.
Dir en grey- DIFFERENT SENSE
I don't care what they say their capitalization scheme is now, I grew up with 'Dir en grey', so I'm keeping 'Dir en grey'. And you guys with your shaved heads and feathery coats and your recent lack of melodic tunes can bite me.
(It's sad when your first love falls out of favor.)
Track 1- DIFFERENT SENSE
Now, as I mentioned, I prefer melodic tunes that use the vocalist's talents for beauty to songs that are just... growly. Sometimes, Dir caters to my preferences. The recent single LOTUS was, after all, quite nice. 激しさとこの胸の中で、絡み付いた灼熱の闇 (Hageshisa to kono mune no naka de, karamitsuita shakunetsu no yami) (... yea, way to make most of the chorus your title, guys) was more towards the screaming and growling end of the spectrum, but it still had a very nice echorus that demonstrated what Kyo can do with his voice.
While I was waiting for another beautiful, heart-wrenching song, like GLASS SKIN from UROBOROS (it was on of the singles, following a more angry one, so I think I was right in hoping, really), what I got was... kind of an angrier, growlier 激しさ.
Sigh.
Yes, darling, we all know that you can make some truly spectacular noises, particularly considering what a very small body you have to work with (hey, it's impressive, the man is 5'3".) But can't you impress us with your range, instead? You can go ridiculously high and beautiful considering your deep speaking voice. Let's hear that--it's far more impressive, especially considering that, hey: EVERYONE'S growling now!
Seriously. It's everywhere. You're no longer cutting edge with this stuff. Admittedly, you may be the best at it, but come on. If you're going for wild and crazy, in the present genre? Might want to go back and try for that haunting beauty angle again. Trust me, it works.
I mean, you do it a little here, and I really dig it. Particularly when you layer your singing (I've always loved that trick), juxtaposing the pained screams with the deep, melancholy singing. I love that. I also love the interludes of acoustic guitar and just the singing. Really. You have a beautiful voice.
... I just wish it was more than, oh, twenty percent of the song. Sigh. I plead in vain.
Track 2- 罪と規制 (つみときせい, Tsumi to Kisei, Crime and Regulation)
That's my translation, so back off.
I've gotta say, when I first saw this track name, I thought it would be some sort of remake of their very, very old song (off of GAUZE, which was, I believe, their first full-length, non-indies album) 罪と罰 (Tsumi to batsu, Crime and Punishment). As their style has changed quite a bit since then (as happens with most good artists), I thought it would work well, especially considering their recent theme of remakes, what with HYDRA-666- on the DOZING GREEN single, a really super growly version of 残 (Zan) (also from GAUZE) and that really cool shot-in-one-take version of 蝕紅 (しょくべに？しょくこう？しょっこう？No idea. Possibly means "Crimson Meal," and is from VULGAR) on 激しさ, and the super-beautiful, better-than-the-original version of undecided on the GLASS SKIN single. I mean, hey. Remakes are cool, especially with Dir, as they always go all out in making it truly distinct from the original. Kind of like going back and editing an old paper--it was good, but damnit, now that you see it five years later, there's so much you want to fix. Or, you know, just change.
Anyway. Thought it was going to be a remake of 罪と罰. Particularly fitting, as the original was pretty damn repetitive and, in hindsight, a little boring, even compared to other songs from the same album (lookin' at you, アクロの丘 [Akuro no oka, Hill of the Bad Road] and MASK. Even 予感 [Yokan, Premonition]. I love 予感.)
And... honestly? For the first two minutes, it's hard to be sure whether it is or not. It's pretty goddamn growly.
And then, ah ha. There you are, my old friend.
Ok, so the original wasn't their best song. At the same time, I'm not sure how much of an improvement it is to GROWL the whole damn thing, dude.
I'll let you judge for yourself.
Honestly? I don't blame you if you don't hear it. I listened to this song a lot as a young, impressionable teen, so I'm going to hear it a lot quicker than most. And remember, it took even me the first two minutes to figure it out.
This is a loose, loose remake, people. I'll stick with the ones mentioned above to get my old-turned-new fix, thanks.
Track 3- RED SOIL [Live]
... I don't know, I have mixed thoughts about using live tracks to fill out your Single. I mean, sometimes they're really good--BUCK-TICK is always fun live. Even Dir is very good live--unless, of course, the three shows I saw were all flukes. Plus the DVDs. But hey.
The problem is... this isn't really a great live track. I mean, I do always like the audience bits--it helps you relive when you were there (in some cases) or just get a better feel as to what it's like actually being at a live show. AGITATED SCREAMS OF MAGGOTS from DOZING GREEN is pretty good on that front, especially if you remember the appropriate hand motions. Not to mention it has that nice, haunting intro that the album version just... doesn't.
But, yea. Nothing really makes this live version stand out from the song off of UROBOROS, aside from some minimal audience shouting. Not a bad choice, per se, but they could have made a better one, I feel. LOTUS had two remakes; 激しさ had two remakes (one of which was that kick-ass 蝕紅, like I said). Thus, with one remake and a live recording? I somehow feel cheated.
Admittedly, this version was apparently recorded in Osaka, which is always good. It's nice when a lot of the band is from Kansai--they understand, man. Not to mention that, hey, it might have been recorded at the show I was at. Probably not, considering the time frame (a 2011 single pulling from a show at the end of December 2008? I guess it's possible...), but there's always that possibility! And that's a good thing.
Well, that's it for today's musical review time with Edo. I hope you learned something today. Admittedly, there's not a huge chance of that, looking back at more sporadic and highly subjective reviewing style... Oh, well. Be sure to pick up your coat on the way out.
Oh, and... don't ask about the little pictures on the music players. They're quite random and have nothing at all to do with the music. Sorry about that.
This is Edo, signing off with the sneaking suspicion that she'll never get a job with Rolling Stone.
PS- Oh... why not. Here's the kick-ass 蝕紅, too. Remember, it was shot in one take, which means this was all done without layering. Not to mention all in one go, without piecing the bits and pieces that worked out best together. That's kick ass, not to mention a sign of true talent.
(The best part is from 3:08 to 3:32. You don't even know, man. Just wait, you'll see.)
Ok, while the title may be a sort of tangential reference to an R.E.M. song, that's not exactly the angle I'm going for.
Bear with me.
Do you ever get a song in your head whose company you actually enjoy? A song that plays over and over at the back of your brain... a song that you sing at the top of your lungs in the shower, and play (on repeat) with your music device of choice at every opportunity for days and days at a time with nary an end in sight?
I have one of those songs. In my head, that is.
Songs, after all, are powerful things. According to Neil Gaiman (who we should really trust on these matters), "the right song can turn an emperor into a laughingstock, can bring down dynasties."
Admittedly, this song doesn't really do much other than make me happy.
But really, that's enough.
The title is この世の限り (Kono yo no kagiri, The End of The World), hence the title of the blog post. Ah, there is a method to my madness. Strange title for such a happy song, but hey. Juxtaposition is the very spice of life!
...Yea. Anyway, it's the song that plays over the end credits of Sakuran (trailer here, since I'm nice that way... and don't want to bother with a movie review at this particular time and place despite the fact that I love both this movie and its star 土屋アンナ [Tsuchiya Anna])... and I haven't decided yet whether it's fitting on a truly deep and profound level, or it was just the one song on the album that didn't match the mood of any scene within the movie and thus got relegated to credit duty.
Because, after all, the soundtrack is 椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo)'s album, 平成風俗 (Heisei Fuuzoku, Heisei Customs), and thus I can't help but feel that there might have been some leeway when it came to the credits.
The album is, however, undoubtedly very fitting elsewhere.
Regardless.
This song. I love it. The end.
(Also, I really like the way the video was done. It's simplistic, cute, and imaginative.)
This is Edo, wondering if making blog posts will turn out to be the long sought-after cure to song-in-your-head-itis. (German has a word for this, why don't we? I can't believe that "earworm" is really the best we can do.)
WARNING: POSSIBLY FUTILE AND DEFINITELY AGGRAVATING LINGUISTIC RANT AHEAD.
So it's a bit of a divergence, shall we say, from my regular fare. Nary a reference to Japan, land or culture, in sight. (Yes, I thought of the pun, considered it, and ultimately discarded it. You get no points for spotting it second.) But according to my blog's description, located conveniently to your right at this very moment, this blog is, in fact, dedicated to all of my (subjective terminology) interesting thoughts.
Quite frankly, you people should take what you can get. Look at that update schedule. Yeesh.
Anyway, on to the main event.
It may be quite obvious to you, my devoted readers, that the English language suffers abuse on a daily basis. Yes, some liberal-minded linguists argue in favor of evolution, speaking favorably of the constant flow and change of a living language and, quite frankly, being a bit too loosey-goosey for my tastes.
Thus, I have decided to begin a series (which I assuredly shall wish to append and embellish during the entirety of my English-speaking life, despite a lack of ambition or will to do so in actuality) detailing some... points of contention. Lessons, if you will, for those less... precise than I.
Feel free to bandy these about, refer agrammatical friends to this post, or simply roll your eyes and move on to the next entry. (Of course, should you be inclined to do something not in this list, please do not let my limited time frame and lack of effort limit your creativity.)
Lesson 1. "Literally" vs. "Figuratively"
I'm quite sure that this was brought to my attention via a third party, but unfortunately I have no idea what or who said third party actually was. Such are the failings of the human mind, alas. However, despite the lack of originality in this original complaint, my feelings are not diminished in the slightest.
It seems that our good friend, "literally," is being abused.
You see, we speakers of the English language often use metaphor, simile, and hyperbole to pepper our speech and make conversation more interesting for all parties involved. English speakers are not alone in this habit, but let's keep the subject here in my native language for the sake of simplicity, and because I have no idea if this problem has ventured outside of the Anglocentric world.
Now, when we use these aforementioned forms of speech, we are, by definition, not speaking literally.
Example: The frustration caused by my constituents' apparent semantic confusion made me see red.
This sentence expresses how the speaker's frustration causes her to feel no small amount of anger. "To see red" is a well established phrase in the English language meaning, of course, to become angry, or, on the more extreme end, to lose control. While the phrase's origins are debated, one can safely assume that most people (excluding perhaps certain synesthetes) do not actually see red when they become angry.
Thus:
Example: I literally* saw red when he told me I had to work overtime with no extra pay.
Unless the "he" in question was waving a red cape during his less than savory edict or the speaker herself has a rather distressing neurological problem that would be best discussed with her local neurologist, her use of "literally" is blatantly incorrect (and, coincidentally, infuriating) in this situation.
Now, one may argue for hyperbole. I argue that "literally" is then butchered and loses all meaning outside these shoddily constructed formations that would be better left on the side of the road than in any respectable individual's lexicon.
"Literally," after all, is very important in modern language, specifically because so many phrases can be interpreted as either literal or figurative. Oftentimes these phrases aren't meant literally, and would be quite silly in any sort of literal interpretation (the colloquial "what's up?" comes to mind), but there are occasions when the addition of "literally" is vital to the listener's understanding of the speaker's intent.
Example: That migraine injection was a literal pain in the ass. (Implication: the injection was given to the speaker in the buttocks.)
In this case, the speaker uses the word "literally" in order to convey that, while the shot may have been a figurative "pain in the ass," it was also a literal one as it was administered, we can assume, to the derriere.
However, if we abuse "literal" and "literally" as in the penultimate example above, sentences like this will become absolutely meaningless, and we will be forced to invent (or allocate meaning appropriately to) a new word entirely to serve the semantic gap where "literal" has so recently been unceremoniously yanked.
In short, take a moment to think before embellishing your sentence with a meaningless "literally." Some of us need that word, sans meaning bastardization.
And yes, I know some of you may have read contemporary articles concerning this very issue, some even going so far as to say that "literally" has had its meaning morphed into "not literally" in common conversational usage. Apparently some even cite an example in The Great Gatsby, but I fail to see how improper usage of a word once in the early 20th century makes its continued misuse any more valid today. After all, they thought that heroin was a great cough syrup in the early 20th century, so let's just say it's not the best time for intellectual hindsight. (Besides, I hateThe Great Gatsby.) Frankly, I'm just not ready to see "literal" suffer the same fate as "inflammable", dear readers, not yet.
This is Edo, signing off hoping that she wasn't too pretentious to bear this time around.
... ok, ok, I admit, this topic is just a little too "out there" (not to mention infuriatingly preachy and irritating) to let the post slide into publication without a little something for my devoted readers who are less-than-interested in modern linguistic debate. I apologize, dears, and present this peace offering.
How can you be mad at me after DJ Ozma, after all?
And since I think the live version really gives you a better feel of the song and just how interactive it is (despite its lack of helpful lyric subtitles)...
If you've only time for one of these videos, I recommend the latter. Unless, of course, you have some interest in a (very) brief interview and banter of debatable wittiness on Utawara. Then... you should probably make the time to watch both.
(Unfortunately AVEX, stingy bastards that they are, took down the original live video I wanted to show you. Thus, you get the version with... inexplicable alien/robot Ozmas. Oh, well.)
An overly opinionated, 20-something liberal arts graduate on a MEXT research scholarship in Kyoto, aiming to eventually break into academia, and painstakingly writing down all the interesting thoughts she has along the way.
